Bob's World - Funny Little Wars In An Adelaide Shed
I have just returned from three days hard campaigning in Bobazania (Bob's shed) with some 20mm on the side at Tony wargame shed, whilst billeting with Steve and Sue. This was one of our between ACOTS Easter convention gettogethers for the wargaming diehards.
Bob has now got a map of his fictional Victorian world with some interesting juxtapositioning, such as 'Mexicana' sharing a border with Mongolia. Bob is developing a narrative from his games. An earlier wargame had the Mahdis repelled from Egypt so the Dervishes have turned on the Arabs to forcefully elicit their support through conquest. The Fuzzies did very well - I know because I led the failed Arab resistance.
Meanwhile, another Arab nation successfully defeated the French Foreign Legion in two battles - I know because I was the FFL.
Bob's world map.
A close up of Mahdia and its victim, East Arabia.
Toy soldier muster
Arabian firing lines
Arab cavalry closely followed by Dervish fanatics
Dervishes vs Arab cavalry
Arab firing line
Dervishes close in on Arab cavalry
The 'Fuzzies' push the Arabs off the board!
Arab swordsmen and rifles await the Dervish onslaught.
The Arabs did better against the French.
More Arabs vs Dervishes
The French defend the fort but not even Gattling guns could save them.
I'm not exactly in Victorian attire but it was a hot day, appropriate to the desert setting (despite the green matting). Fortunately, Bob had set up some fanLarry the Sponge contemplates his Arab defence, demands more reserves from Tony and gets them!
FIGURES
Most of Bob's figures in these games were DSG copies of Britains based on 4 cm by 4cm card, sutably flocked and glossed. There were also some Timpo Action pack Arabs.
GAMES
We had three players a side in most of the games. Bob uses split moves with extra moves for cavalry and column infantry after the firing phase. personally i am confused by this but it follows the idea that firers would have a chance to shoot before far moving troops reach the end of their movement.
The Arab vs Mahdist game gave more shooters to the Arab side and more swordsmen to the dervishes. The latter had more dice in combat and his fanatics could charge cavalry. My Arab cavalry were attempting to gain the dervishes left flank when they were out run by the Dervishes, assissted by favourable initiative rolls. I mistakenly had left the bulk of cavalry ion reserve, thinking they would be rolled for and arrive in about three or four moves. bob had meant they would arrive with another player's arrival - Tony West. They could have countered the dervishes if there were enough og them.
In the second battle we had more cavalry and it was a more even battle but the dervishes again prevailed.
The French versus Arab game was different again as the FFL had even more superior fire power, including Gatling guns but were vastly outnumbered. In one game there were three semi-independent battles. At one end David palmer led his FFL cavalry (unhistorical but this is a fictional world anyway) against the Arab cavalry at one end. Despite having better cavalry they were overwhelmed although their Gatling got in enough shots to destroy one unit of Arab cavalry. In the centre a Barzo fort was held by a small garrison bolstered by two Gatlings. As the Arabs got to the wall they could no longer be fired on and they put up their ladders. The casualties in hand to hand were determined individually with highest dice roll winning. Legionaires got a plus one bonus whilst Arabs were crossing the wall. officers got a further bonus. I threw a preponderance of fives and sixes which gave me a number of unbeatable sevens, much to Brian Wagstaff's consternation. However, the Arabs gradually made headway until they occupied half the battlements. meanwhile at the other eend of the board I established a firing line of legionaires and two cannons that did more seriousd amage to the Arabs. It balanced out eventually with Arab victory in that sphere more doubtful but it was down to the wire. However, at this point it was determined that, proportionately, the smaller FFL force had lost enough units to bring on an army morale test ...which I failed.
On Monday Bob, Steve, Larry and I visited Tony West's new insulated shed and he provided two 20mm games, one Napoleonic with me commanding a smaller Russian force with artillery against a larger French force with no artillery. The French suffered horribly but their heroic cavalry sacrificed themselves and allowed the infantry to inch forward behind them. it was touch and go but ultimately a French victory.
The last game gave me a victory at last as my Confederate force slaughtered the advancing Federals. The latter were well armed with cannon but I managed to get more infantry fire power happening to decimated the ranks of his advancing troops while his guns concentrated on reducing my own battery.
I also obtained a large number of new figures from Military Hobbies, some other shops, trash and treasure and Bob's swaps that I will highlight later.
My trip had involved a short bike ride and walk to a station, a three hour train trip, an hour and a half flight and an hour's bus travelling, better than a ten hour drive, long enough but it was worth it.
Bob has now got a map of his fictional Victorian world with some interesting juxtapositioning, such as 'Mexicana' sharing a border with Mongolia. Bob is developing a narrative from his games. An earlier wargame had the Mahdis repelled from Egypt so the Dervishes have turned on the Arabs to forcefully elicit their support through conquest. The Fuzzies did very well - I know because I led the failed Arab resistance.
Meanwhile, another Arab nation successfully defeated the French Foreign Legion in two battles - I know because I was the FFL.
Bob's world map.
FIGURES
Most of Bob's figures in these games were DSG copies of Britains based on 4 cm by 4cm card, sutably flocked and glossed. There were also some Timpo Action pack Arabs.
GAMES
We had three players a side in most of the games. Bob uses split moves with extra moves for cavalry and column infantry after the firing phase. personally i am confused by this but it follows the idea that firers would have a chance to shoot before far moving troops reach the end of their movement.
The Arab vs Mahdist game gave more shooters to the Arab side and more swordsmen to the dervishes. The latter had more dice in combat and his fanatics could charge cavalry. My Arab cavalry were attempting to gain the dervishes left flank when they were out run by the Dervishes, assissted by favourable initiative rolls. I mistakenly had left the bulk of cavalry ion reserve, thinking they would be rolled for and arrive in about three or four moves. bob had meant they would arrive with another player's arrival - Tony West. They could have countered the dervishes if there were enough og them.
In the second battle we had more cavalry and it was a more even battle but the dervishes again prevailed.
The French versus Arab game was different again as the FFL had even more superior fire power, including Gatling guns but were vastly outnumbered. In one game there were three semi-independent battles. At one end David palmer led his FFL cavalry (unhistorical but this is a fictional world anyway) against the Arab cavalry at one end. Despite having better cavalry they were overwhelmed although their Gatling got in enough shots to destroy one unit of Arab cavalry. In the centre a Barzo fort was held by a small garrison bolstered by two Gatlings. As the Arabs got to the wall they could no longer be fired on and they put up their ladders. The casualties in hand to hand were determined individually with highest dice roll winning. Legionaires got a plus one bonus whilst Arabs were crossing the wall. officers got a further bonus. I threw a preponderance of fives and sixes which gave me a number of unbeatable sevens, much to Brian Wagstaff's consternation. However, the Arabs gradually made headway until they occupied half the battlements. meanwhile at the other eend of the board I established a firing line of legionaires and two cannons that did more seriousd amage to the Arabs. It balanced out eventually with Arab victory in that sphere more doubtful but it was down to the wire. However, at this point it was determined that, proportionately, the smaller FFL force had lost enough units to bring on an army morale test ...which I failed.
On Monday Bob, Steve, Larry and I visited Tony West's new insulated shed and he provided two 20mm games, one Napoleonic with me commanding a smaller Russian force with artillery against a larger French force with no artillery. The French suffered horribly but their heroic cavalry sacrificed themselves and allowed the infantry to inch forward behind them. it was touch and go but ultimately a French victory.
The last game gave me a victory at last as my Confederate force slaughtered the advancing Federals. The latter were well armed with cannon but I managed to get more infantry fire power happening to decimated the ranks of his advancing troops while his guns concentrated on reducing my own battery.
I also obtained a large number of new figures from Military Hobbies, some other shops, trash and treasure and Bob's swaps that I will highlight later.
My trip had involved a short bike ride and walk to a station, a three hour train trip, an hour and a half flight and an hour's bus travelling, better than a ten hour drive, long enough but it was worth it.
It looks like you all had a lot of fun there James.
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