Zulu warriors

Zulu warriors

I finished the last Zulu warriors from the plastic box of them that I got.
These last 8 men will form a small warband in my Tribal Africa project using the Hail Caesar rules.

I tried to take pictures of them using a black sweater as background, maybe a little better then the last pictures taken but still not great.

Its hard to take good pictures of dark models I noticed.

With these done all I got at home in the leadpile for this project is some small stuff like animals and terrain and some leftover bits from the Perry plastic box that I couldn´t use.
But that must mean that it would be ok to get me some new toys…

As these have been rather fun to paint and the last game was a blast Im thinking on how I should proceed.

I could strengthen the two tribes I got now or I could get me a new tribe or two.

What I could use is some more characters, maybe some more witchdoctors or holy men to spice up the games.

As this isn´t a 100% accurate project I could introduce historical or fictional characters or tribes dating of some thousands years bc or up until the introduction of firearms and they would all fit in.

Things I have looked at and is considering:

A desert tribe from Gripping beast.
http://www.grippingbeast.com/product.php?ItemID=146
The Clothing and distinct shield design looks good.

A Kushite tribe from Warlordgames.
http://www.warlordgames.com/store/hail-caesar/achaemenid-persians-1/kushite-king-and-chieftains.html
http://www.warlordgames.com/store/hail-caesar/achaemenid-persians-1/kushite-command.html
http://www.warlordgames.com/store/hail-caesar/achaemenid-persians-1/kushite-spearmen-regiment.html
http://www.warlordgames.com/store/hail-caesar/achaemenid-persians-1/kushite-archers.html
Nice command models, a mix of archers and spearmens and a nice mix of leather clothing and warpaint.

Jungle Cannibals from Northstar
http://www.northstarfigures.com/list.php?cat=317&sub=435&page=1
Whats not to like? A brand new line, they are cannibals and they got these lovely masks to…
http://www.northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=4354

There are lots of options to proceed with this, the question is how?

La Grande Armée

La Grande Armée

Ever since my friend Jonathan took a picture of his British Napoleonic’stroops he has taunted me to do the same. 

Now when the daughter and girlfriend is away this week I thought it was about time to fill the floor with French troops.

This is what I got.

To arms…

Vive la République!

Vive la France!

FIW - French Colonial Marines

French and Indian War

French colonial marines. (I think)

I needed some French linetroopes for my French and Indian war project and just finished these.
Miniatures from Blue Moon.

Tribal wars in Africa

Tribal wars in Africa

I tried out the Hail Caesar rules with my Tribal Africa project. It was some times since I read the rules now but I think we managed to play them mostly correctly anyway. I acted as the umpire and pressganged two of my friends at the club to test it. They have previously tested the Black Powder rules so they quickly got in to the game mechanics.

I pitted two tribes against each other. One more close combat orientated and one more range orientated.
I decided that the Zulus would attack the Hamr tribe.

 

The player of the Hamr tribe was given a deployment area and mustered his warriors. In one of the table edges a witchdoctor was placed at her tent. The Hamr player was told that she would help him if he placed a unit in base to base contact. What she does or what rules she had I kept a secret for the players at that time.

The Zulu player then deployed his force 6” into the table and was given the first turn. 

His chieftain at once ordered his warriors in full regalia to advance as fast as their legs could carry them to the enemy and three orders were carried out in this manner. His other units must have been tired from the forced march to the battlefield because they failed to hear or obey his shouting’s.

The Hamr chieftain ordered one unit of spearmen forward and sent Bobobo and his followers of drummerboy hangarounds in close behind (I first gave him the name of  Bob but that seemed like a strange name for him so I lengthened the name somewhat.)

The Zulus in full dress running forward but their friends still catching a brake and resting, must to the frustration of the chieftain.

The Hamr tribe must have been stunned to see the Zulus rushing at them at full speed and just looked on, their chieftain failed to give them any orders.

The Zulu forerunners get in contact with some Hamr warriors and win the combat, forcing the Hamr warriors to give ground. 

But then something terrible must have happen, the Hamr warriors start fighting back like a wild lion and smacking the living shit out of the Zulus. It must all have been a clever trap to fool the enemy to pursue. The Zulus got beaten, beaten bad and broke from the battle.

The Zulu chieftain could not believe his eyes but finally manages to order his other unit forward.

Meanwhile the Hamr tribe has managed to get the witchdoctor to help them. She gave the closest units some magical berries, some magical bodypaint and told them that they are now invincible.

Things are starting to look really good for the Hamr tribe now and a unit of warriors was orders into speartrowing distance with the enemy.

Other parts of the tribe is ordered to try to surround the Zulus.

After some spears are thrown the Hamr chieftain orders one of his units to attack the wounded Zulu light infantry unit up and personal and a bloody combat is resolved.

The Zulu light infantry and the Zulu warriors manages to force the Hamr unit to give ground.

Before they manages to exploit this the Hamr chieftain orders one of his fresh units, the invincible units accompanied by the witchdoctor to charge the Zulus. Booth the chieftains join in to ad their strength to the fight.

Bobobo and his drummer boys see his moment, this could be his moment to show the other Hamr warriors his skill and he closes in with his sword drawn.

The Zulu is a fearsome warrior tribe indeed, the invincible Hamr unit, their chieftain and the witchdoctor is cut to pieces.

Bobobo gets a good smacking and starts to run with the Zulus in hot pursuit.
This was not his moment, better run to fight another day.

The Zulu tribe is victorious!

Damn that was a good game. I really liked the rules. At one time I thought the Hamr tribe would win easily after their extremely good start but the fighting skills of the Zulus came thru in the end. Both players caught up with the rules easily and I think we all had a blast.

Im not sure about the stats I given to each of the tribes, if it was a fair fight. 
I was unsure if the witchdoctor or Bobobo and his drummer boys would work but I think the rules is easily open to add these stranger or more unusual stuff into it without getting complicated.

The Hail Caesar rules worked perfectly for even this smaller types of games.

The witchdoctor gave the unit she joined with the Fanatical rule and added 1 attack like a commander.

The brave Bobobo will be back and is hungry for revenge…

 

Fallshirmjäger parachute attack in the North African theater.

My friend Tobias wanted to try out his Fallshirmjägers using one of the missions from the Flames of war, Burning Empire book. 

I just got a 1000pts British midwar list that I could use to battle him with.

The mission had a lot on special rules, he had 25% more points, an extra airstrike before game, I had only half of my platoons on the board but also rules like chances of his troops getting casualties by landing wrong and scattering with their parachutes and so on. 

One of the most important rules had to be that almost all his weapons was dropped in containers along his troops but these were scattered on the battlefield, leaving him with pistols until he could get them.
Some interesting rules all in all.

During the desert war the commander of the Fallshirmjägers had an bright idea to drop his troops behind enemy lines in an village to quickly capture it and deny it from the allies. 

 

It just so happen that a British Heavy Armoured squadron was resting, resupplying and drinking tea in the village at the moment.

When the armored platoon and the infantry platoon had taken up their spotting position around the village it was time open up all the hatches, taking of your helmet and brew some tea (all my troops started bailed out or pinned down).

The objectives in the village were a flipped over German truck containing signed copies of Lilli Marlene’s latest hits and a small quire of nuns or monks that could be of some use next Christmas celebration.

Then from nowhere the Tante Ju formations started to appear on the sky. And the Fallshirmjägers dropped right on top of the village. The strong wind meant that two of his platoons scattered of the table and had to be brought in as reserves later on, some of his troops got injured by the fall or by landing on the wrong place. And all they got was pistols until they could find their riffles…
It was time to load the riffles and bag me some Hun…

The British infantry instantly realized what was going on and was ready for action as did two out of my four Grant tanks. The German Machine gun team was gunned down as they hit the ground and the machine guns of the Grants started to blast the Fallshirmjäger infantry. 

A low flying Stuka managed to knock out my Second in Command tank with a strafing run.

Meanwhile the Germans was running to get their weapon containers and the British was in hot persuit blasting them with Grants and rifle/mg teams.

A French bicycle onion-seller was on holiday in North Africa at this time and was checking in the water and the camels. He is placed in almost all our games somewhere as a decoration and has been to more places than can be mentioned by now. (miniature from Peter Pig I think)

The British reserves have heard of the action and the arrival of a new platoon of Grant heavy tanks and a platoon of Universal Carriers filled with extra machineguns to the limit was bad news for the German commander indeed. 

The German commander realizes his hopeless situation. Men falling before they even could get their weapon to fight back was not a happy sight for him. 
With no more reserves and a whole lot of wounded men he did the only right humanitarian thing he could and spared the life of his soldiers instead of waste them in a futile attempt to capture a now alerted British held village. 
Good for you Jerry.

-Here comes the Gentlemen.

A nice game but turned a little bad for the Germans after some bad parachute jumps and strong winds. 
I liked the mission and think I will play it more, but then maybe using a infantry company for the defender which I think could be more fun.