New Year, New Plan

To start the new year, I've added a list to the right showing the projects I want to get through this year.

The three letter code next to the project shows my progress

X X X = Not Started
S X X = Started
S P X = Painted
S P F = Finished

Here's hoping !

December PAWS Competition

I have to say Saturday was a lot of fun. I even got to Portsmouth in time to have a pint with a couple of the locals before going to the centre for the competition.

There were 16 entries for the DBA competition, organised into 2 groups of 8. Each player played 4 games against others in their group, with the two group winners plus the next two best scores going through to the semi finals.

My first game was a bit of a blur. My lack of experience showed mightily and I was crushed in very short order. I lost 2 elements plus my camp, and inflicted none. No photos, it was all over too quickly ...

By my second game I was back into the swing a bit

more. The photo below shows the table just after

what proved to be the decisive moment. My 3

elements on the far left have just killed their 3

opponents who they caught coming out of bad

going. I only lost one element in total. 5-0 to me.

My third game was against a Tupi army - all

warband and bows. I went for a risky oblique

attack which eventually all hinged on my blade

holding off his warband for three or four attacks until

I got onto the flank of his general. I only killed 2

elements, but I lost none and since one of his was

his general I won. Another 5-0 to me.

My fourth game was against more Hwaiians, and here my home terrain almost did for me. With the coast to my back my opponant landed 4 elements behind the right hand end of my line. Several turns of nail-biting action ensued while I turned part of my army to face him. Poor pip throws and a failure to move his general a bit closer eventually did for him however. This picture shows the table at the end of the game. He's finally got his army across the table, but my 4 elements are chasing the last of his landing force (out of shot) while my pike and general kill a couple of skirmishers to seal the win.

With 3 wins I had 15 points, but I qualified in 4th place because I killed a general more than the guy in 5th. My scoresheet - of which I'm quite proud ...

My semi final went wrong, and I was chewed up on bad going I put in place. The final position is shownon the right.

I don't seem to have any photos of my 3rd/4th place game, but I did win it to come a very creditable 3rd in my first DBA competition ever ! I also got given one of the local club dice with a 'Paw' on the 6 spot, so many thanks lads  I'm looking forward to more comps in 2011 and I will be back to Pompey for the next one.

S-no Problem !

Well, PAWS is only two days away now. The armies are finished, I've sorted out the one big piece of terrain I need and I'm all set to go.

This morning - we've finally got snow on the ground here.

Hopefully it will be all gone by Saturday ...

Essex Christmas Offer

I've been planning to buy some more DBA armies and get myself a FOG-sized Medieval army for a couple of weeks. Christmas is coming and I have eleven days off and usually get myself a new army to paint as a self-given Christmas present.

I was just looking at the Essex Website late last night when I saw their latest special offer - 3 for 2 on DBA armies. Whoopey !

I plan to get 9 in total - 3 batches of 3 - and then a nice medieval starter army. I just need to sell the 5 DBA armies I have on sale before Christmas

Savage Islanders




  

Next up is the Hawaiian army - intended primarily for the PAWS competition.

This army is a bit more complex with 7 x Blade, 3 x Psiloi and 2 x Pike but is apparently a better army than the Tupi.



This is the command element

Finally, here is the camp element for both the Tupi and the Hawaiians.

Lurking in the bshes is the CF element for the Hawaiians

Barbarians and Savages

Because I was planning to go to Warfare I slowed up on the painting stakes this month, but then I had a bit of luck buying some secondhand figures. This nice set of Gauls was too good to pass up. Anyway, nowadays it's not often you see an army where all the infantry are Nekkid !!!

Otherwise getting an army sorted out for the PAWS competition took priority. Since I have no idea what makes a good DBA competition army I decided to get two armies and then choose which one to use nearer the time. I have had many good dealings with East Riding Miniatures, so I ordered enough Hawaiians and Tupi to do the job plus a Camp Follower element for each army.

6 x Warband and 6 x Bow make this an easy looking army and it was certainly easy to paint - all feathers and body paint !! The general element has a grisly souvenir of their last encounter with Europeans !



Warfare 2010

Went to Warfare today. I like this show, it's a big mix of competition games, outstanding demos and lost of traders. My day was much busier than usual, and by turn, busy, fun, profitable, frantic and  tiring.

Staines Wargamers took the Charge of the Light Brigade participation game for it's last outing this year. I've got a large car which can easily transport 5 adults plus a large game so I was driver for the day and so was out of the door before 8.00 to pick up the other guys. The CoLB game is always fun and with several of us there we can keep it going all day while taking turns to go round the actual show.

Just before lunch I came across a trader who was selling painted figures for a friend at knock-down prices. I picked up about 200 Gauls (including 5 chariots and 12 cavalry) plus about 900 FOG points of Imperial Romans. Tim picked up the accompanying Republican Romans before his eye went wonky. There were several others there as well and all were seriously underpriced. The Gauls will probably end up on Ebay as DBA lots, but the Romans I think I will keep. I did walk round the competitions, but since I hadn't brought a camera I didn't take any pictures.

Soon after this good fortune, the main crisis of the day struck when Tim's replacement lens went out of position. After a couple of frantic phone calls I ended up taking him straight to Guildford hospital for a consultation with an eye spcialist. Reading to Guildford and back took almost two and a half hours and by the time I got back I was knackered.

As usual the game was well received and some groups of players had a lot of fun with it. For next year we have a new game in development but it's still a secret at the moment ...