Spanish First Rate one of los Meregildos

The ship has been on my hobby desk for way too long. I was trying a new aproach to rigging that didn't work out and I had to touch it up and start over... it took me a while to get back to it.  

This is a Simmon Mann print done for me by Arofan. Its a Santa Anna class though I preffer to call them by their informal name Los Meregildos 

The ships were build in Ferrol and Havana at the two great Spanish shipyards. 

I added a few small bits from an old Warlor kit to added lanters to the quaterdeck these were too fine to in the print file to survie the clean up process.  

Carnage and Glory 1st Coalition Clash

I'm catching up on my battle reports over the summer. 

A view from a Dutch redout faccing the French advance. 

over to the left the Fench are hurrying forward with cavalry ahead of the infantry. 

I sned my small cavalry unity moves on to the flank of the coming cavalry clash.

Joining in... as Allied and French cavalry clash in the center  

Invantery attack on the right though the corn. 

The resultes of the cavalry clashe are mixed with the French winning one fight but losing two others.. leading to French cavalry behind the Allied line (but the unit is rather exauhsted)  

Allied Cavalry takes French infantry in the Flank

Helping stablize the Austrina infantry line. 

French intantry are pileing in as are allied cavalry heavy boddy blows ahve been exhanged but its anyones game as I have to leave... it was an eventual French vistory if I recall. 
 

La Ferme aux Rennes action at Neckar

 Another eddition of Arofan's late 17th/early 18th centeruy game. 

The Germans move in on the French camp catching it by suprise as the fog lifts... 

The works are facing the wrong way. 

French troops move out on their left... 

an exchange fire occurs... followed charged of french cavalry and infantry... 

followed charged of french cavalry and infantry... 

That goes badly for the German Allies... The French suffer too, a cavalry unit routs, and several french infantry units are hammers including the Swiss who break but then recover. 

on French right and center the battle is in the ballance but on the left the French have the advantage and the allied German force must with draw. 

Perils and Princesses the Rosewood crown

 Evie and I played our second game Sunday with Connie and her mom Nicole.  Once again Nicole was the GM guiding us through the passages under a great tree. 

We found a set of double doors blocked by tree roots. The hall was lined with an intricate mosaic. Shatana (Evie's character) noticed the Rosewood Crown in the mosaic and decided to try touching it. The crown fell into her hands and the tree roots moved out of the way as if by magic.

Entering the room we saw the heart of the trees magic and a skeleton with the crown and a sword...

Shatana 's animal companion tried to grab the crown but couldn't before the skeleton (a wight) awoken and attacked. He tried to use fear magic on Shatana but she resisted. 

Lily (Connie's character) used her elemental magic to hurl a stone at the Wight while Shatana flailed at him with her staff.  I was having bad luck with my sword as I was still suffering from the effects of spider poison and took a bad hit. 

It was looking grim but I got lucky making a grab for the crown and to my surprise it worked.  My plan has been to just grab it then run... But to my surprise without the crown the Wight crumbled into dust. 

We returned the crown and got visits from our fairy godmothers (everyone has one) telling us we had done well and granting us some new abilities.

It was a lot of fun and I hope to introduce miniatures the next go round.

Black Seas and Naval Theatre

 

Saturday Dave hosted a game day at the Amherst Maker Space.  I ran game for the Hold Fast supplement of Black Seas called raise the Black Flag. When had three pirates Roberts, Blood and Barbarossa 

We all attacked the merchants Roberts got the first ship but then attacked Captain Blood and me (Barbarossa) 

I got a little of my own back raking Roberts 

I took two merchant then decided it was time run.

Frank play Captain Blood got a capture on the last turn a fun game. 

In the afternoon I played if Frank's Battle of the Philippine Sea (Abridged)

I commanded half of the American task force the Bunker Hill and Wasp.

I had responsibility for CAP while Oliver was supposed to handle stile escort and launch the initial strip while I would follow up with a second strike.

My young co-admiral sent out a rather disorganized strike 

Destroyers race toward each other (if I find out who put my carriers in gun range of Japanese Destroyers I'll shoot him LOL) 

My second strike is headed out just ahead of the Japanese attack.

My CAP gets tied up battling the zeros and Wasp takes multiple bomb hits. Oliver's strike also got through and did seriously damage one of the Japanese carriers.

My second strike 4 squadrons of avengers and 8 of helldiver's/ and SBDs with two squads of Hellcats ridding shotgun (taken from the CAP) since Oliver didn't leave any to escort my attack aircraft. 

Sadly the game had to end before the game could really come to a conclusion.  This was the first live play test of Frank's Naval Theatre rules and they played well though naturally we found a few issues.

Perils and Princess

This was a great weekend of game I'm going to start with Sunday because it was a very special day.  We have become close with a family at our church who have a daughter (Connie) the same age as Evie. Connie's parents are active D&D players and they mentioned a game called Perils & Princess a fairytale inspired RPG and asked if Evie and I would like to play. We both agreed enthusiastically and we played for the first time Sunday.

Character creation is a mix of asking questions and rolling dice and you get some interesting results.  Everyone has a different "Fairy Godmother" that effects your special abilities.  My character "Beleg" is good at singing, reciting poetry and a acting.  I can inspire friends and maybe put enemies to sleep. (Yes I kinda a Bard) 

Evie Character "Shatana" is good at making friends and has an animal sidekick. Connie's character Lily is about to shape earth and stone and and speak with stones and trees.  

Well we are exploring an cave complex under a giant tree at the heart of the forest.  Our first encounter was with a giant spider.  Evie decided to try and make the spider her friend.  

Shatana walked right up to the spider gave it a big hug and said " Let's be friends. " Beleg and Lily looked on in amazement as the spider spoke "You seem nice but I'm really hungry " and the then the spider jump on Lily.  I tried attacking with my sword but got bitten and poisoned... Shatana then got angry with the Spider for attacking an beat it to death with her staff. ( It was a proud gaming Dad moment). 

We were more successful making friends with a mischievous bumblebee fairy who gave us magical mushrooms. It was a fun day and both Evie and I are looking forward to our next session. 

Sorry the wall of text but we didn't use miniatures so there isn't much to take pictures of. 

La Ferme aux Rennes (More like Foxes than Lyons)

A very fun game from last Friday hosted by Arofan using his More like Foxes than Lyons rules.  This scenario is inspired by Turenne's Winter Campaign.   It looks like the French are on the defensive but they accualy have to attack. 

I was commanding the French I planned refuse my right flank and attach the Imperialist on the left.  My attacking force was four squadron of Gendarmes de France and the two battalions of veteran infantry from the Bresse Regiment.  Regiment Perche and the artillery held the center while another two squadrons of Gendarmes de France

Bill commanded the Imperialists with infantry and cavalry as shown above. 

My troops move forward quickly forward on the left ans the imperialist advance or wheel to counter my attack.  

Thats a lot of Germans infatry and battalion guns with some real artilery and dragoons in support.  German heavy cavalry is rushing to counter my Gendarmes 

The start of a slugging match that would last all game the 4th & 3rd Starhemberg battalions would give Bill Yeoman service standing for at lest 10 of the 12 game turns we played agaisnt everything I could throw at them. 

German Mercenaries charged by Gendarmes  with the marshal at thier head ... Geman's where thrown back in confussion. 

The German's are bent back in a fish hook with my troops hamming them 

Gendarmes charg again throwing infanty into confusion starting a cascade of german moral checks and units break. My other force of Gendarmes advances driving the dragoons back.. 

Geman cavalry tries to counter attack but it fizzles the battalions of Starhemberg begin to break and run.... this is an intesne game played over several hours for us but represeing about 10 minates of intense combat.