First taste of Bolt Action

First Bolt Action Action

Scott Bowman comes around for a demo game of Bolt Action. Have been watching from the side-lines with some interest, but resisting the urge. World war 2 gaming has always been my thing. I do enjoy FoW; but find the rules excessively fiddly, and they tend to get into the way of the flow of play. In my opinion anyway.

Having recently had a flood in my mancave following a burst water heating cylinder upstairs, it was a delight to get some gaming action in at long last. Started out with a number of games of fantasy Ninth Age with Macrae Louden, and then Scott came around with some late war Normandy action.

Bolt action can be played with a relatively small outlay by the looks of things, and not requiring a huge amount of space like massed army games do, as it appears to be a squad or company sized game, with some armour support.

Anyhow a simple game of king of the hill or find and retrieve ensued.

I enjoyed the randomness of the turns, drawing from a pool of activation dice rather than the usual You-go-I-go. Totally hooked. What can I say? Just take my money!
 This game really offers a lot of what I enjoy in wargaming.

Quick, fast-paced, fun, egalitarian, not too many fiddly rules, WYSWYG. Great for a few hours of gaming fun. Serious or not so serious.

Being a greenhorn at this I am not going to do a batrep, just share a few snaps of Scott's beautifully painted models

 

Puma brews up

So off we go, and back we come with the starter set under the arm. Enough for a small skirmish.

Abbreviated rules for quick reference

Easy to assemble models, in a variety of poses and choice of weapons

Now available from Paraparaumu Beach Pharmacy 

the ONLY hobby outlet on the Kapiti Coast

(I went back for the Panzer IV F/G/H model yesterday)

Scott can also source many other figures and stock an extensive range of modelling tools and paint for us enthusiasts. He was able to get me these British Colonial troops (Perry Miniatures) for the Sudan and Afghan campaigns of the late 18th century.

 If you don't look too close, and paint them with red jackets they will probably do for the Boer and Zulu wars, and Indian campaigns too. 

Likewise the Mahdist Ansar, who will double as Muslim warriors for my Saga Crusades

In case you were wondering what the unusual looking squat figures were, they are fantasy brock-riders. Dwarfs who ride badgers, from the Mantic range.

Finally we again have a model supply stockist for the Kapiti Coast!

Paraparaumu Beach Pharmacy to stock model supplies

Good news for all us Kapiti Coasters. Fellow modeler and gamer, Scott Bowman has opened a modeling corner in his pharmacy in Paraparaumu beach !

He will soon be stocking the Warlord Games range, Woodlands scenics, Army Painter and Vallejo.
Bolt Action will be the primary thrust, but I have already ordered other figures from the Perry Range

Says Scott:

" Guys , I am going to be opening a hobby corner in the pharmacy (Paraparaumu Beach Pharmacy), and will be stocking a range of Warlord Games products .

My primary thinking was Bolt Action, as this games system seems on the rise,
and the Army painter range of paints brushes washed and hobby tools etc.

I have also had some interest from comments about Frostgrave, so could add that if wanted? (would you just want rules or figures too?)"

He attached a products list, which you can get from him: " I was surprised at what extent of stuff is on there - PERRY Miniatures, Judge Dredd, Terminator, Gates of Antares, Hail Caesar, Black Powder, 4Ground Scenery etc etc."

"I  won't obviously be able to keep everything in stock - its going to be a hobby corner after all, not a hobby shop! ;-)

I will be able to place regular orders for whatever you want and will be receiving stock via airmail, so fairly quick (1-2 weeks) supply time (Minimum order level having been attained).will try and keep pricing competitive, though cant promise to be able to beat a certain large gorilla in the corner - but I will be a 'bricks and mortar store' on your doorstep... so any support you can give me will be greatly appreciated."

 Scott will be running a loyalty scheme as well, so head down his way for your hobby fix!


Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Paraparaumu-Beach-Pharmacy-1413364908990368/

ANZAC Day, pause a moment

ANZAC Day 100 years on:

Australia and New Zealand pauses today to remember their war fallen.

101 years ago today, the fateful landings to try and secure a strangle-hold on the Dardanelles forged the nationhood of the antipodean cousin countries as we know it today. 

100 years ago the first ANZAC commemoration services were held. 

Lest we forget. 

Sacrifices that thousands have made on the battlefields of the world to guarantee our freedom. 

Sometimes in error, sometimes in folly, sometimes with intent on a common goal or idea. 

Never the less, lives sacrificed.

It was Winston Churchill's brain-child to force open the way to Constantinople through the Dardanelles straits to the Bosporus, allowing Russia, who was access to the Aegean. 

He tried first with the Royal Navy, assisted by French and Russian ships, but was given a bloody nose by the Turkish forts and gun emplacements. 

The fateful decision was then made to take the approaches by land, across the Gallipoli peninsula.

I am currently reading Peter Fitzsimons' book, written from the Australian perspective. 

The history is probably familiar to many, so I am not going to dwell on that. 

It suffices to say that it was a massive waste of lives. On both sides. 

Not only was there massive sacrifice by New Zealanders and Australians, but many other nations took part in the futile assault. Indian and Gurkha troops, French, British, Canadian and many other allied countries. 

What I did learn from the red bandanna wearing Australian's book, is the interesting role  

Australian Navy submarines played in the naval engagement part of the campaign.

Captain Henry Stoker and the crew of AE2. The stuff of legends. 

The submarine has subsequently been found, and remains in the sea of Marmara

The narrow stretch of land known as ANZAC cove

The forbidding terrain

British troops attacking at Gallipoli 

Cease-fire to allow both sides to bury their dead. 

ANZACs in the foreground, Turks in the background

Memorial to Mustaf Kemal (later honoured as Ataturk) 

The Turkish commander whose skills as commander swung the battle the way of the Turks. 

Numerically, the Turks suffered more casualties that the Allies put together.

Lest we forget

The slacker returns - Crusade 's - a-coming

SAGA Crescent and Cross

Just before Xmas my SAGA Crescent and Cross Arab/Saracen/Muslim faction and dice arrived.
Been slacking on blogging ( but not painting, converting or modelling)

I had already been converting my long unpainted (read base-coated only)  LOTR figures to represent Crusade age warriors. Humming Chris de Burg's "Crusader" I thus set to work...

"What do I do next?" said the bishop to the priest,

"I have spent my whole life waiting, preparing for the feast,

And now you say Jerusalem has fallen and is lost,

The king of heathen Saracen has seized the holy cross;"

Then the priest said:

"Oh my bishop, we must put them to the sword,

For God in all His mercy will find a just reward,

For the noblemen and sinners, and knights of ready hand,

Who will be the Lord's Crusader, send word through all the land, 

Jerusalem is lost,Jerusalem is lost,Jerusalem is lost ..." 

"Tell me what to do", said the king upon his throne,

"but speak to me in whispers for we are not alone,

They tell me that Jerusalem has fallen to the hand,

Of some bedeviled eastern Heathen who has seized the Holy Land;"

Then the chamberlain said "Lord, we must call upon our foes

In Spain and France and Germany to end our bitter wars,

All Christian men must be as one and gather for the fight,

You will be their leader, begin the battle cry, 

Jerusalem is lost,Jerusalem is lost,Jerusalem is lost"

So therefore: Spain came first. 

(Any resemblance to LOTR characters living or dead; is non-intentional and completely incidental)

The Spanish Forces of El Cid (The Reconquistada)

Command on foot

Mounted (Standard bearer still on the desk top)

Archers. Found it an interesting challenge to paint the amrour as leather rather than metal, and  I am quite happy with the result

Spearmen /Levy, possibly a bit heavy armoured to be levy, but with the numbers they can double for anything on the battlefield

Warriors/Hearth guard

Another command group (or simply more warriors).

Seems to be a bit of a waste of Aragorn though

And a shield wall of warriors

Thundering hooves

I already had the Spanish Cavalry, ready painted, only needed basing and minimal touch-up. Bought these off Jon Bettin. Will be put to good use, thanks Jon!

Saga Crescent and Cross: Merry Christmas and Happy New year. From Dad...to Dad!

Saga Crescent and Cross: 

Merry Christmas and Happy New year.... From Dad...to Dad!

Xmas has come and gone, with yours truly working all the way through. Little time for blogging, less time for gaming, snatching a few moments to paint here and there.

Anyhow it is almost over now, and when others go off back to work, we start to play...

Took the boat trailer for a warrant of fitness this am, dusted off the fishing rods.

Thoughts turn to the joy that Santa brought...an inflatable water "biscuit" to be towed behing the boat; a book on Gallipoli; a close-up lens to fit my phone for better photos of my models...

and a package from Wayland Games. To Dad. From Dad. With Love. 

3 boxes of Gripping Beast Arab minis  to add to my current favourite obsession.
Saga.

I have recently repainted all of my LOTR figures as spanish troops. Yes, I think it worked. No, not Bilbo and Frodo or any other hobbit! Numedoreans, Harradim, Rohorrim, and other last standers.

Amazing what can be done with a suitable colour scheme and imagination.

Bought some Spanish horsemen off Facebook. They just needed basing. Were already well painted.

So Santa's gift under the tree, from me, to me, was 3 boxes of Arab troops: Infantry, light and heavy cavalry. Can do a lot in Crescent and Cross with that mix! And Christian and Muslim dice!

Now just to assemble the figures...

SAGA rising

Saga and Kings of War: 

After the demise of the Warhammer world

My wargaming has changed irrevocably. I am no longer the prisoner of Games Workshop. 

I have spread my wings and left the Age of the Sigmarines to those who wish to partake. Flames of war trundles along, but I wait for inspiration on that front. My attention and fervour has turned to Saga

.

Started off with swapping some ratmen for 28mm Normans at the Kapiti Wargames Club's open day. Needed the push, did I (?) So off we go...few clicks of the mouse later and we are on Gripping Beast's website, and not long before the my Vikings arrive, and the rulebooks, and Cross and Crescent. Look-Shinitis strikes again. 

Quite happy the way my Viking command turned out

I am now the proud owner of enough Vikings to fill two 16 plus point warbands, same with the Normans and also a Spanish warband. The long unpainted LOTR figures have become quasi-Muslim warriors, or Spanish infantry. And we have enough for a war. 

Viking levy archers

Viking Warriors

First out of the blocks is a Vikings vs Normans 4 pointer against my son. I draw the Vikings, he gets the Normans on roll-off. Civilised that way, we are.

Complete novice agains couple-of games- (ahem) veteran. Great fun.

Luc kicks Dad's a$$ with the Normans. Dex Aie. 

Twice that has happened to my Viking warlords. Starting to hate that ability. Anyhow, loving Saga. Very satisfying models to paint too. Nice to run the History channel's Vikings series as background on the PC. Or Youtube search for Norse music. Lots out there. Stirring stuff.

Ulfhednar Beserkers- the 1st Unit

Ulfhednar 2nd Unit. Taking on the Norse Levy archers

Ulfhednar and Bondi with great axes taking on the Norse cavalry

While the Norse infantry follow behand their warriors, also equipped with the Dane axe.
(Not that it gives any extra benefit to either faction.)