Incursion - Panzeraffe

You can tell the dreaded Champions League/Football season is here as its the time of year when literally watching paint dry is more exciting than sitting in front of the TV which is dominated by overpaid, over opinionated, over sexed kissballers chasing a bag of wind and rolling around on the floor in Oscar winning dying fly performances everytime someone breathes on them in a stadium full of neanderthals.

Yep. Thats right. I detest football...

Still, on the bright side, this time of year usually sees me at my most productive and generally speaking I manage to get jobs done that have waited a long time for me to get around to!

This wee beasty has been on my to do list for some time now and I have to say he was quite fun to paint given that most of my effort has been firmly on the 10mm historical side this year.

Next up Drone's and a Hugo Von X character with his bio-tanks 

Hail Caesar Scenario - Hastings 1066

The Opposing Forces

Anglo-Danish

King Harold II (CV8, 2 Attacks)

• Huscarl Units x2
• Fyrd Units x2
• Light Archers x1

Right Wing Commander (CV8, 1 attack)

• Combined Fyrd and Greater Fyrd Units (Large) x2
• Combined Fyrd and Greater Fyrd Unit x2
• Slingers x1

Left Wing Commander (CV8, 1 attack)

• Fyrd Unit (Large) x1
• Fyrd Unit x2
• Javelin Skirmishers x1

Norman

Duke William II of Normandy (CV8, 2 attacks)

• Mounted Milites x4
• Dismounted Milites x2
• Archers x1
• Crossbowmen x1

Breton Sub Commander (CV8, 1 attack)

• French Cavalry x2
• Spear unit x1
• Light Archers x1
• Lt Crossbowmen x1

French Sub Commander (CV8, 1 attack)

• French Cavalry x2
• Spear unit x1
• Light Archers x1
• Lt Crossbowmen x1

Anglo-Danish and Norman Troop Types
The specific troop types are listed on the Hail Caesar Yahoo Group

 http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/HailCaesarRules/files/

Set up

Scenario notes:

The game was played scaling down distances in the HC rulebook by 50% on a 4x4 table.

King Harold's Forces hold Senlac Ridge whilst Duke William's forces set up between the marsh and Telham Hill. William's forces take the first turn.

Early turns
The game got off to a slowish pace with lots of single Division order moves and a fair share of command blunders.

Harold's forces quickly established a menacing shieldwall atop Senlac Ridge hurling Saxon insults towards Williams tardy troops. Only the Breton commander seemed to want to fight, his wing moving to within archery distance before most of the Norman Army had crossed the start line.

The Breton Commanders wing pushes skirmishers forward trying to tempt a Saxon charge

A savage close quarters combat ensues, Saxon and Breton casualties begin to mount.

The young Saxon Commander (who we shall call Ancenned) leads from the front. His presence swings the action in the favour of Harold's forces.

The Breton Command breaks and the Norman main force is still lagging way behind. If young Ancenned can rally some of his shaken units the Shieldwal may be able to be reformed before another Norman Assault.

William's forces (centre) and French sub command (right) slowly come within archery range of the ridge, but with a division broken the battle hangs in the balance.

William's Knights crash into the battle weary Saxon right flank. Can Ancenned hold out?

With their commanders attention elsewhere in the battleline, the saxon flank finally folds under repeated assault from the Norman Knights.

All along Senlac Ridge vicious hand to hand combat ensues and a hard-pressed saxon line beguns to buckle. Only the Huscarls have any joy beating back a surge of Norman infantry.

The Saxon left flank gives out leaving Harold's centre dangerously exposed.

The end is nigh. Surrounded by Norman Knights and infantry Harold's forces capitulate.

Normans in 10mm

The second installment of the Pendraken Forum - You Vote armies from my painting diary, this time Normans with Frankish and Breton Allied support. A mix of Pendraken figures and Magister Militum filling the gaps.

Anglo-Danish in 10mm for FoG/WMA/HC

Bought these wee beauties about a year ago as a Pendraken Painting Diary project voted on by forum members - Damn You! Damn You All!

I can honestly say that this has been the hardest army of all the armies I have ever painted to get myself motivated to paint - and one I am glad to see the back of!

Now just got to paint up the Normans and Vikings to pit against them. If those take a year each were looking at summer 2013 before they make an appearance on my blog.

TYW Batrep - somewhere near Frankental...

As promised here's a short batrep of a small battle between an advancing Catholic Imperialist Army and a defending Swedish battlegroup protecting the flank of the main army.

A young Swedish Colonel has the un-enviable task of garrisoning some sleepy backwater far from the action. Little does he know that those sneaky Catholic's have slipped around the main armies flank under cover of darkness and early morning mist and that his sleepy backwater will soon become the main axis of advance for the advance elements of a substancial Catholic attack.

As daybreaks, catholic cavalry sweep forward with Croat lighthorsemen seeking suitable crossing points. Fortunately for the Catholics, recent good weather has reduced the river to not much more than a steep sided gully that is crossable in most points.

Despite having fantastic fields of fire, the swedish artillery positioned on the hilltop redoubt struggle to find their range.

Swedish cavalry garrisoned in the village rally under the direct command of the gallant young Swedish Commander and despite being outnumbered 5 to 1,  head for the redoubt to protect the vulnerable flank. Veteran brigades protect the bridge.

Keen to make his advantage in numbers count, the Imperial Commnader launches his cavalry in a headlong rush for the bridge. If his troops can pin the Swedish brigades at the Bridge he should have the advantage on the wings to swing his cavalry into the enemy rear before local re-inforcements can intervene.

Like these re-inforcements... Thankfully the enemy has been engaged on all fronts and although Imperial casualties have started to mount the Swedes are hard pressed on all fronts. The artillery still 'drops short'

The Swedish  cavalry flank begins to creak as does the centre under pressure from the close attention of the two units of Catholic Cuirassiers and a tercio infantry regiment.

The Catholics, sensing a close run battle, fling the proverbial kitchen sink at the Swedes but in vain. Another battlegroup breaks and the Swedish reserves narrowly save the day.

TYW Catholic Germans - Finished

Here they are - opponents for the Swedes some TYW Imperialists.

This little lot were based and undercoated late last year but have taken me since early June this year to get fully painted and based/flocked which once again is quite quick for me.

Next up? Not sure. But I have a whole load of anglo-saxons, Normans and Vikings to wade through so they may well be next on my list.

TYW Catholic Cavalry

A couple of units of cuirassiers and one of bandelier reiter, actually they are mounted dragoons in morion helmets but hey they look ok to me.

Not too sure on the cuirassiers - too armoured for my liking

I also received a brown bag of reinforcements today, some more infantry and cavalry to bring both forces up to the 800point mark.

Within the brown bag was my next FoG Ren project - Polish. Am I the first to own a pack or two or the new two winged hussars from Pendraken? Will I be the first to get these based, painted and up on the forum?

First I have to find the lances as my packs arrived without any!

Thirty Years War Catholics - WIP

Opposition to face the Swedes. Based for FoG Rennaisance and using Pendraken 10mm ECW/TYW figures.

First up, four 9 stand Infantry Tercios. A mixture of veteran units (mostly red garb) and average/militia tercios.

I tend to paint the entire army and then paint and flock the bases so I get a more unform finish.

Next up Cavalry, Command and Artillery.