Memorial Day 2016

Yesterday, Memorial Day in the US,  was pretty wet in the morning but Andover didn't cancel their parade so Regiment Saintong was there.   We didn't Fire since that would probably have resulted in a grainy black soup forming in our muskets and not crisp saluting volleys    The 10th Foot and the small contingent of the 1st New Hampshire that marched in the same parade made the same choice. 

You must feel Great! (not a typical post)

May 2015

So over the past year I've lost 50lbs (about 22.6 Kg for those of you who use the metric system). That's better than 15% of my old body weight.  I'm not writing to get congratulations but more because I sometimes think I must be missing something.

May 2016 (with my brother and nephews) 

People keep saying stuff like "You must feel so much better..." and yeah I do sort of.  I like the way I look in photos better, and shopping is less frustrating but I wouldn't say I really feel better.  I'm not sleeping any better and I wouldn't say I have more energy.  If anything the increased physical activity often leaves me feeling like I have less energy.  I probably have more endurance and some more physical ability, but that really doesn't effect my out look.
I was happy man at 300 lbs I felt good about myself and my health was good (excepting my weight) and I'm still a happy man at 250 lbs I feel good about myself and my health is good (excepting my weight which is still about a 100 lbs over my "ideal weight").  I think lots of people think weight loss will make you happy, but I don't think weighing less can make you happier and I think lots of people are disappointed I'm not more "excited" (for lack of a better word) by my weight loss.

New Project for Honors of War

So with Honors of War making a good impression at the local game store I'm hopping to field the Grand Duchy of D'Argent's troops more often in the future.   I've worked out how they will work under the rules in a previous post.

This has gotten me thinking about the huge numbers of unpainted 15mm minatures.  I've always wanted to do something with them but I have enough historic armies of the period that I realy never had a need to paint them.  Well we have a new bunch of players and my plan is to paint up a brigade "for" each of them.

The minatures will still be mine but the unit will carry thier name (or a name of thier choosing) and will take the form of an 18th Century "Liegion". One to three units of formed infantry, a Battery of guns and possibly a unit of light Cavalry or Dragoons.  My plan is that these are units of mercenaries or petty pinces of a fiction version of the Holy Roman Empire.  As such they can move between Historical or fictional armies as Allied forces. This will let other players comand "their own" troops which is always more fun.

I probably won't start this project until I get back from my wedding/honeymoon so look to see these some time in July.

GQ: Battle of the Dragon Islands

Last Thursday ships of the Royal Navy met ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Dragon Islands a little know formation in the South East Indian Ocean(using the General Quarters rules).  Mike with Hood and Dido and Dave with Queen Elizabeth and Belfast comanded the RN while Frank and myseld comanded the IJN. 

My own comand was the modernized Battle Cruiser Kerishima and the Heave Cruiser Kako Frank had the Mutsu and the CL Aganao.  Each player also had 4 destroyers.

Kako opended the ball with a broad side that quickly crippled on RN destroyer.

My flanking destroyes spot the Queen Elizabeth and her escorts.

The RN hit one of Frank Destroyers starting a fire.

Dave uses terrain to mask the Queen Elizabeth and Belfast so he can move to suport the already had pressed hood.

My Destroyers hit Dave's DDs hard.

Frank landed several hard shots to the Hood.  Agano also knocked out Dido's engenearing section leaving her dead in the water on turn one.

Hood lands multiple hits on Kako and she goes down as 15 inch shells rip her form stem to sturn.

Kerishima then hit Belfast...

Hood is battleling multiple fires but still striking back

Belfast and Queen Elizabeth round one side of the island...

While Dave's Destroyers round the other I'm finding my self in a bit of a hammer and anvil situation.

It looks like the English Destoryers are attempting to board... they have shot up my escorts which are strugglign to stay in the action.

Kerishima's seconary armarment rips into the RN Destoryers

one is sunk and second burns furiously

Queen Elizabeth's gun crews are not finding the range possibly they are worride they will hit thier own Destroyers but Kerishima's main guns have no similar problems... damage is light but now she too is on fire.

Worse yet Belfast has colided with one of Mike's Destoryers

My own destoyres both skinking fast ram

and sink an RN Destoryer

Kerishima starts rounding the island as smaller ships burn feriously in her wake

Queen elizabeith rips in to the lead destroyer of the Frank's escorts as Mutsu continues to powned the battered but still (barely) operational Hood.

Though my destroyer formation is cripple the Karishima has very minor damage and Mutsu is untouched.  Hood has lost all its main battery though her secondaries are still spitting defiance. Queen Elizabeth has minor damage but is still very much in the fight but the wight of metal is clearly on the Japanese side when we call the game.

Huzzah 2016: Admirals of the Napoleonic Broadsides

Saturday night I joined the Admirals of the Napoleonic Broadsides They have beautiful terrain and ships I was part of a mix Squadron of US and French ships defending a US port.

I had command of the French 74 Athenian the center ship above.  to the left is the USS Constitution trailing us is the Chesapeake and to my left is another French 74

You can see the British fleet here... they have several ships of the line and frigates and 4 brigs

Our Skooners break for the right to cover the shallow entry to the port.  To the left a pair of 6th rate frigate move out.  I must confess we did a poor job of coordinating out movements

Here you can see our fleet pulling out past the fortress and you can see the British Sales in the distance.

Athenian and Constitution move out past the fortress....

The English have quite a battle line with a 100 gun 1st rate int he lead.

The US Schooners have anchored in just about the prefect location

The French ships of the line make their turn the US Frigates are still charging ahead.

Athenian fires high at the 1st rate I am hoping to slow him down... but he makes his save... and hits me... knocking out my rutter. Well I guess this is a good place to drop ancor.

The American 6th Rates cross the 1st rates T and land several hits.. but the British save more than their fair share.

I drop anchor Athenian is now a semi-mobile floating battery

The 6th Rates are still dancing around the 1st Rate and the second French 74 is moving up to help

The Heavy US frigates are closing in

The Brigs and Schooners are exchanging fire the US Schooners have terrible luck every shot from the misses...

The British brigs are luckier wrekcing one Schooner with their first hit

Shotes fly from both sides.. The English are luckier again Constitution gets hit and cannot fire just as she gets into range

Chesapeake hits a British 74 and again the British make more than their fair share of save s

Our poor schooners are getting hammered again...

USS Virginia has lost her consort but she again blasts the British first rate and the hits begin to tell..

The French 74 hits the First rate with a raking shot...

Chesapeake takes fire from the English and I am seeing an opportunity develop.  The fort is hitting back at the English as well

The Brigs are in position, they were briliantly handled all game and they procead to slaughter our schooners

Constitution and Chesapeake are closing in on the Enlgish and blasting them with heavy broadsides.

The Virginia and the smaller French 74 are till engating.

The Fort Strikes the English ship of the line behind Athenian... I also add my power to the attacks on the 1st rate... and then prepare a desperate gambit

The English 1st rate is heavily damaged.

Constitution cuts between to British Frigates

I Pivot the the Athenian

and let got a full raking broadside the English ship is savaged

The English ship Grapples me and we attempt to board the fighting is indecisive

But the English ship is burning...

The her magazine blows up... Though the rules say I would not be damaged every one including myself say that's silly so we roll damage as if it was my magazine that blew up... and well I'm in rough shape..

The French 74 fires again and the English 1st rate goes down.

A British 64 cuts in behind my battered ship

My ship takes a shattering broadside... I like to think I had enough time to order most of my crew over the side.. Maybe those that could swim found a nice American girl to cofort hem

The Virginia scored our last success of the night taking down the HMS Acasta a large frigate

The 4 English Brigs anchor in the port and a 64 is on its way to join them.  We lost all three schooners, the Chesapeake and one 6th Rate frigate and the Athenian.  Constitution was badly damaged, Virginia escaped as did the other French 74 both of which had great games.  Almost all the English ships are battered excepting the brilliantly handled brigs.  A great game probably my favorite of the convention