Happy Halloween

My wife and I went as Deedpool and a Unicorn 

Reapers Miniatures: "Grandmother"

As I have mentioned before I've been on the look out for good civilian figures to add my collection. This one is form the Reaper Bones line and they call her Grandmother.  I think she's way too "perky" for a grandmother but she is a good civilian woman about her business.

I picked to use some of those I don't make use of too often.  I think it looks reasonably nice the teal on the dress might not really work as a historical color but over all the look is pleasing.

I didn't make her hair gray but the light brown and her some what pasty pallor of her skin does suggest she has some age to her.  I used a different flesh formula because I forgot mine and had to borrow at the painting night.

Halloween Witch Hunt

Dave set up a game on his "Salem" table you can see the disembodied head of his son William at the end of the table.

We have three Witches, and three Witch hunters... there are seven treasure points they give the witches spells and the hunters artifacts (Witches start with three spells, and you can use them to bribe town folk to get them to help you but if you do you loose them) 

I'm playing the Widow Bishop again I got Mind Control, Grenade, and Animal companion as you can see I got a Wolf.  I also picked up another spell at the treasure point.

William got himself a follower right off and sent him off to hunt witches.

I decided to grab myself an Allie.

He proved very useful fight off getting a one shot one kill hit on Dave's witch hunter.

Will's solider engages Ren's witch Nick took a shot at Ren's Witch and killed Nick's Solider.

My soldier took a defensive position

My wolf engages Nick's hunter...

I got a good bite on the Demon but then I get cut down...

My Soldier kills first the Demon and then the Nick's other solider...

Then I am fighting Nick's Hunter... I hit him... but not enough to kill

The Widow Bishop finds the treasure book that is the goal of all the Witches...

Nick kills my soldier and then...

Finds his way in... Dave tries a spell but (he's taken over Ren's witch once he had to go home) but Nick breaks free...

He engages me and Have to fight but roll badly and Nick kills my Witch. It was a close game... but this one goes to the Hunters! Dave's card system for getting spells worked relay well and will be great for running convention games.

Secret Santa list

To whoever my secret Santa  may be (as Organized by the Blog With No Name) here are some options you might consider for me. I have my target and I'm eager to see what he's looking at.

Col. Bills: I've been working on building up my "civilian" sets and these work nicely.

the Wrath of God

C17th Inn Set

Barricades 

EurekaUSA:  I'm a huge fan of the Eureka Conquistadors set and the Swivel Guns would be awesome for finishing the war Galley Project.

Portuguese Musketeer

Portuguese Sailors

Swivel Gun  (x2) 

Warlord Games:  These are great sets that I would love to have but wouldn't get for myself making them perfect gifts.

Pike & Shotte Marksman & Master Gunner

Pike & Shotte Mule Train

Petard Assault Team

Fire and Brimstone - Rabblerousers

Anything terrain related but I would particularly like some of the buildings form Things from the Basement  Such as:

The Haunted houses


These are just ideas... you can also look at my 2015 list  for other ideas.

I'll be happy with any gift related to any of the games I play but the above are all items I have been eyeing for a while.

All the Hidalgos

"Captain" Diego Alatriste y Tenorio  I wanted to gather the images of all the members of Alatriste's war band (so far) in one place. 

Saramacho El Portuque

Bartolo Cagafeugo

Sebastien Capones I have used both of these figures for Sebastien, I'll have to settle on one someday. 

"El Bravo"

The Yellow Cavalier

Martin Saldana

Ensign Balboa

Alvaro de la Marca

Gurriato the Moor

Red Horse Tavern 2016

Saturday was the battle of Red Horse Tavern an annual event hosted by my friends in the Sudbury Company of Minute and militia at the Wayside in in Sudbury MA .  As I was an active participant I was't able to get many pictures. Above you have my section 8 soldiers from the 4th Middlesex and the Lincoln Minutemen. Was acting as Sargent.  The First Scenario was a holding action by the Americans if we could keep the British from crossing form on field to another we would win.  My buddy Dana Rock was in over all command and sent us forward aggressively.

The aggressive approach worked as a unit of American Light infantry took the Crown's gun and an isolated company of Redcoats formed square for a desperate last stand.  

Smiles all around from my company.

Our Second battle we were the attacker but first we had a bit of standing around... When things got going it was less well coordinated. My small group got split up by our commander and though we tried we never were able to coordinate our movements.  These things happen on the battle field.

After the second battle we had lunch then the sky opened up with torrential rain (though nothing compared to Friday night).   Every Officer and NCO immediately order the men back into the large wedding ten were lunch had been served and then began a quick look at the 21st century technology. We concluded that if we waited 20 to 30 minutes things would probably clear up and they did so the 3rd battle was just delayed a little.

For the 3rd action I was demoted to corporal in order to give one of the Lincoln guys a chance to command.  The third action was a meeting engagement slug fest in full line of battle (this was the battle that was promoted to the public though we had spectators for all three).  Lots of powder was burned on both sides.  Here you can see His Majesty's  10th Foot still in good order if a little ragged most of the other Crown units were down by this time.

The Americans have greater numbers at the tend but as you can see our formations are shot to pieces Dana an Paul had the battle called a draw at this point and both sides backed away from each other... to rally at the Inn for Drinks, discussion and frivolity. The Party was still going strong (among those who live near the inn or are too young to care)  when I headed home three and half hours latter(or there about).  You can see more pictures and even some videos of the action on the 4th Middlesex/85eme Regiment Saintonge Facebook page

Girl with a gun (and a doll)

This little lady came with the young fellow I gave to my Nephew as a gift for taking part in my wedding. She's actually be almost done for weeks now

I still need to do some finishing on the base but the figure it self is done.  I don't know what I will do with her.  I'm very happy with her hair and face.  The contrast between the pistol in one hand and the dolly in the other is interesting. The girl could be seen as some commentary about clinging to innocence in a savage world. That's probably putting a lot of meaning on a miniature. 

Rear view not a lot of details here other than the bow. 

Defense of Convoy PQ-187

 In honor or Trafalgar Day Frank put together a Naval action some where in the dark cold waters of the Norwegian Sea.  Storms and Icebergs limit visibility for both sides, rules are GQ3.

  A British Force of two Cruisers, three Battle ships and a Battle Cruiser is screening a convoy(s) somewhere to the north.

 A German force of two Battleships, two Battle Cruisers and two Heavy Cruisers

  Long range contact is made with radar but with out visual sightings we are not able to fire.

 I have some issues with my maneuvers early on hitting an ice berg...

 and two ships nearly collide (I wanted to show you how badly I missestimated my maneuvers

 The ships seem so close but the subarctic air is still thick with fog and rain.

 Then shapes loom out of the fog!

 The British land several lucky hits on the Bismark but..

 There Cruisers take a worse pounding from the German battery...

 The Exeter is especially hard hit taking damage to its hull and engineering

 HMS Hood takes aim at the German Cruisers

 Germans launch torpedoes... hitting Hood.

 Prince Eugen takes multiple hits... most go low to the hull but her crew keeps her afloat somehow.

 The British Cruises are hit multiple times. Suffolk goes down with a critical hit to her bulkhead and multiple hull hits.

 Luttow is on fire and Prince Eugen has taken damage to her rudder (which her skillful crew repair) .

 An almost gratuitous number of hits land on Exeter.

 Sinking her  Bismark and Tirpitz are both taking hit.  Bismark takes hits low slowing her but her weapons are undamaged.  Tirpitz take an engine hit but is other wise in good shape

 Torpedoes fired by the Gneisenau hits the Valiant

 Hood takes enough damage form the Crippled Lutzow  that she goes down

 Bismark repairs her bulkhead damage just managing to stay a float.. she fires.. and hits the Rodney

 Rodney has lost two of her three turrets only the rear facing C turret still works...  Tirpitz slips off the table edge in the distance...

 Lutzow tries to ram the battle ships... but fails... she is burning.

 And is then smashed by fire from Warspite both of the old dreadnoughts are badly damaged by German fire.

 Gneisenau is ready to break north.. Scharnhorst is already off table Prince Eugen is preparing to die as is Bismark...

 Rodney's hull is ripped by the wreckage of the British cruisers and begins to go down her last shot will send Bismark to the bottom

Prince Eugan and Bismark sink but the take the Valiant with their last shots.  The Germans lost two cruisers, and a battle ship.  The Two German Battle Cruisers are still in excellent fighting trim, Tirpitz is still operational but only one main turret is functional still she can easily out pace the shot up Warspite the only British ship to survive.  The British lost two Battle ships, a Battle Cruiser and two Cruisers.  A clear German win how big the win is will depend on how much damage is done in the shipping lanes. The real looser (other then the men bobbing in the frigid waters) are probably the Marries on Guadalcanal as some panicked calls for more us naval support in the the Atlantic are going form London to Washingto.