Zombie Hunter

After the zombie game the other week I just had to have me one of them there zombie hunters of my own.

I've been looking at this range for a while in Tactics.  The zombie game finally gave me an excuse to try my hand at something other than 15mm metal figures. 

I was fairly happy how she turned out.  The eyes were a challenge and in the end owe more to good luck than skill.  I also used a new matte varnish which is a lot more glossy than I expected.  Just to make sure I was doing it right I applied three coats as well.  Once I am happy that it is fully cured I may go over it with a mat spray.  At least I hope the varnish makes her durable for the rough and tumble of zombie fighting.

From a post by Jordan Peacock in http://www.peginc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=34249

"This is my favorite of the Reaper Chronoscope "survivor" miniatures.  I mean, she has a CHAINSAW.  Okay, okay, according to the Zombie Survival Guide, that's not a very practical anti-zombie weapon (noise attracts zombies, high chance of maiming yourself in the process, excessive gore-spray increases the chance you'll get yourself infected, awkward to try to start quickly when you need it, and it becomes dead weight once the gas runs out).  But it still looks cool."

So there it is.  I am mighty happy to have finished the figure.  All that I have to do is adhere some magnetic paper to her base for ease of transport (and to give her a little weight) and I'm ready for the next zombie apocalypse.

Wings of Flame

Wednesday night at the NWS I took to the skies commanding a Bristol F.28 Fighter and a Breguet BR. 14 B2 on a reconnaissance mission.  The Hums, eh, Huns, took exception to this invasion of their airspace and sent up Von Stephen in command of a Halberstadt CL.III and a Fokker D.VII and Von Mark B piloting a Halberstadt CL.III.  Flying at 8,000 feet we soon came into contact.

The action starts just after I turn right and start to head towards the target.

One of the Halberstadt's passes close to the tail of the Breguet.

The encounter leaves the Breguet on fire.

Damage is occurring to all planes as the Bristol Fighter makes a beeline for the objective.

Not sure what the collective noun for a set of Hun fighters is, but this is what one looks like.

Flame on!

The Bristol has now cleared the target and is heading home.  The Breguet keeps burning and burning as a result of a collision.  The Hun are also in trouble with Mark's Halbersatdt having engine trouble, rudder damage and, oh yes, it's on fire too.

The Bristol downs the Fokker.

The Breguet downs one of the Halberstadts.

The Bristol escapes, one damage point short of destruction.  The remaining Hun plane burns down to within. one damage point, making an escape by the narrowest of margins.  However the Breguet is not so lucky, being unable to put out its fire it eventually consumed by flame. 

The Allies achieved their objective.

Fun game lasting about two leisurely hours.  All planes and mat from Stephen's collection.

Romans versus Carthaginians

On Friday Mark W and I had a 800 point game of Field of Glory.  I ran Romans against his Carthaginians.  All figures and terrain are from Mark W's collection.

My extreme right where my light infantry are deciding they don't stand a chance of making it to the village and that the field ain't gonna save em from the Numidian light horse.

The Carthaginian Army - there was a lot of them.  Their camp was a bit grey.

The Romans.  I had pushed my light troops forward to contest the fields on both wings.  The terrain was a bit of a handicap for me, but I was hoping that the number of small drilled units of legionnaires I had deployed would provide the necessary maneuverability.  The Triarii were in reserve and I was about to force march the only cavalry I had from my right flank to my left (seemed like a good idea at the time..

The right flank Velites start to pull back.

On the left one unit of Velites tries to delay the Carthaginian medium foot.

One the right I kind of got the Velites out of trouble.  Legionnaires to the rescue.

On the left it got interesting as my troops prepared a trap.

But on the right those Carthaginian heavy chariot worked havoc on my troops.  It didn't help that my guys went disrupted when they were fired at.

The Spanish turn just at the last moment, but my Tiarii decide to chance it anyway (they have friends).

My cavalry arrive on the left and go out to face the Carthaginian horse.  The Spaniards fight on.

The Carthaginian heavy chariots continue their mayhem.  I am running out of troops to confront the Carthaginian light troops as well.  Where are my cavalry?

And the Spaniards fight on, and on, and on!

My left is being surrounded.  We have worn down the chariots, even killed their general, but they are still ready to charge again (into the back of my Tiarii who are pinned by some annoying skirmishers).

Finally the Spanish are destroyed, but I have lost valuable time and now my guys are stuck in the field.

A broken unit of legionnaires heads for the rear along with some disgruntled Velites.  In the distance the uncommitted Carthaginian foot wonder if there will be any Romans that make their way through.

Well, after their long march my cavalry collapsed in the first encounter with the Carthaginian cavalry.  

What a farce!

A Roman sandwich.

The furthest Roman advance.

Another Roman sandwich in the making.  

The Carthaginian Gaulish foot escape from the Romans on the left flank.

The Romans start to withdraw.  A unit of legionnaires is rallied.

On the left my troops repel a charge by the Carthaginian cavalry, but not without losses.  Those damn chariots are still in existence.

The end!  The Carthaginian cavalry have triumphed and their chariots are about to do for any body of Romans as their foot finally arrives.

An exciting fun game with lots of action and only a couple of times when we had to refer to the rule book.

Zombies of Glory

Last night at the NWS I was lucky due to being unlucky to fit in two games.

First up I piloted a Fokker D VIII against Stephen's Bristol F.28 Fighter on his wonderful original Wings of War mat.

Turn one I got a shot in and took no damage in return, but drats!  My guns jammed.

Turn two we I flipped round and I got shot at again for no damage by the rear gunner, but now he jammed and I was unjammed.

 Turn three I circled round (wonderfully maneuverable is the Fokker) but failed to line up for a shot.  However the Bristol got me (having completed an Immelman turn and getting his front gun into action.

I drew that damned explosion card.

Game Over Man!

However as unlucky as that was it did mean I got to take part in a big game of zombies using rules and figures from Simon and zombies from Marty as well as some stunning ruined buildings from other members of the NWS.

My team, two guys armed with pistols (good for close up zombie fighting) and the rest of the guys and gals armed with assault rifles for long distance work.  He's a bit out of focus, but I love the dude in the green pants with the beer belly looking around to check no zombies are sneaking up.

Here they come!  You can hear them shuffling forward as the dice roll.

The tokens (rectangular pieces of lamented paper with "surprises" printed on them) are victory conditions (but of which I will say no more as I hardly picked up any).

My fire had whittled the first mob of attacking zombies down, but then they were amongst us.

Another blurry shot (camera man is in need of a tripod to steady his hand in the excitement of combat).  The zombies were eliminated, but I lost a team member.

We then explored a ruin and picked up our first token only to find it was another mob of zombies.

We pulled back laying down a bit of fire trying to thin them down before the inevitable.

Another team of survivors is coming up on our rear, unfortunately they are being pursed by zombies as well.

We coordinate fire between our teams, but to little effect, there are just too many of them.

We put in some sustained fire and finally make a dent on the zombies.  A nearby gas explosion also has then heading off in other directions.

With time called we look to make camp in a nearby ruin.

Lots of fun, so much so I went off today to Tactics and bought myself my own zombie hunter.  Will I get her painted in time before the next contagion?