Training Exercises

The whole Ballyfoole army as it stands at this time.

To try out the GASLIGHT rules I conducted some training exercises. This pitted the Ballyfoole Musketeers and the Malarkey Dragoons against an unknown number of the boys dressed up as Pathans. I realized I don't have many scenarios for this type of game in any of the scenarios books I own, so I decided to try a sort of scouting party into enemy territory. I rolled 1d6 to figure out how many possible enemy forces to place and rolled for which section of the table to place them in. I diced for the attributes for the Ballyfoole commanders (one for each unit), but for the Pathans I just played them as if the leaders were the same as the "extras".
The Ballyfoole force entered the battlefield and spotted possible Pathan forces as indicated by the lone figures.

The Ballyfoole force moved forward to scout out the middle section, which did indeed hold some Pathans. (I rolled 1d6, odd for yes, even for no; then rolled ad8 for the number of figures). There ensued a brief firefight resulting in most of the Pathans wiped out and the rest running for the hills. Unfortunately a couple of the Ballyfoole Musketeers also bought it.

The Ballyfoole forces then proceded to the west to scout out another possible Pathan force. This also proved to be a small group of the enemy. Another firefight resulted in the Pathans being wiped out, while one of the dragoons bought it this time.

Next, the Ballyfoole force headed towards the hills to the east to clear it of any enemy forces. Once again they found a small force of Pathans taking potshots from behind the rocks. And once again a brief firefight saw to the Pathans, while the Ballyfoole forces suffered no losses this time.

Finally the Ballyfoole forces headed for the hills to the northeast, where a more sizable force of Pathans was encounter (this time I rolled 1d12, with the idea that this was the main body of Pathans. The result was 10 of the enemy, joined by the 2 who had fled earlier). After a firefight the Pathans charged down out of the hills. A melee ensued and in the end barely a man was standing on either side.

This played out in less than an hour, including taking pictures and a few notes and consulting the rules. I sometimes found it a bit difficult to find the exact information in the rules that I needed at any given point was not always easy. Also there seem to be lenty of things that aren't covered. Of course, the rules aren't really intended for the type of game I played here, I think. They do have their good points and maybe if I play more games and make some modifications it'll work out in the end. I do like the heroic leader types vs. the "extras". And it does seem like a good set for smaller actions, as well as for adding all sorts of unusual experimental weapons and contraptions, as well as various animals.

I have more miniatures on the way (some prepped and ready for painting, some on order) for further colonial adventures. Once I get things really going (beyond "training") I'll probably start a new blog for that aspect of my gaming. But not to worry, I also have more 18th century tricorned and sundry figures to paint and play with.

Ballyfoole Light Infantry and More

O'Ryan's Hunters (or Jaegers) of Ballyfoole, commanded by Captain O'Ryan - their origin as dragoons can still be seen in some of the accoutrements and uniform.

Maggie O'Toole, vivandiere for the Ballyfoole army

All of the above, as well as these two are Foundry miniatures.

The following 4 figures are from Askari Miniatures. I had ordered a sample pack and mentioned interests in Northwest Frontier Colonials, French Foreign Legion (ala Beau Geste) and possibly Pulp/adventure (albeit I'll probably go more Victorian era than 1930's). These are the figures they sent. The service was great! I ordered the figures on a Saturday night and received them the following Tuesday or Wednesday. Askari make several ranges that fit my description above, including some figures you don't usually see, like a set of "diggers" for an archeological dig. The fellow with the pickaxe is from that set (I did trim down his left arm a bit. The way it was sculpted it looked like he had a long sleeve on that arm and it was kind of an odd shape. So I shaved off the edge of the sleeve and filed doen the elbow a bit).

Prices are very reasonable, too. I expect I'll be ordering more from them in the future.

Colonials

No pictures this time, but I do have some minis on the painting desk in various stages of completion (and more recent purchases in the wings!).

What I've been up to lately is further exploration of Colonials. I purchased the GASLIGHT rules after several people recommended them. I think they may be just what I was looking for. Fairly simple, yet adaptable, with main characters and regular troops, small units, mostly simple mechanics (although the rules for distributing casualties seems a bit convoluted; maybe it's not so bad in practice). I've also ordered additional Pathans and a few other figures (from Askari Miniatures , Brigade Games and  Old Glory Miniatures, as well as some more Foundry miniatures. Taking advantage of a recent discount offer for the latter.). Most of these look like they should "play well" together and it gives me more variety for my Pathan units. What I liked about Askari is you can order a sample pack of 4 figures and let them know what you're interested in. I mentioned interest in a couple of genres. They sent me some suitable figures, including one figure not released yet. And the service was very quick. I'm sure I'll be ordering more from them at some point.

Just the other day I was trying to find more info and inspiration for Colonial gaming and happened across Adventures in Jimland . These are a set of rules described as sort of a cross between Source of the Nile  (for those familiar with that old boardgame, which I enjoyed in my younger days) and Dinosaurs of the Lost World - another game I used to enjoy with gaming friends.
I also found reports from Jimland by the author/game designer. These can be downloaded from the NAGSsociety Jimland reports . There are hundreds of pages of reports. I've only just started reading them, but so far I'm finding them very entertaining with just the right touch of humor and adventure. Sure to be a great resource for inspiration. Has anyone played Adventures in Jimland or read the reports?

Now, to get more miniatures painted so we can head off to uncharted lands!

The Battle of Offenbach Falls

I rolled for initiative each turn, for the 2 sides, not for each force. As it turned out the Batrachians got the initiative for the first few turns. As the battle commenced and the Batrachian forces started closing in von Blunder decided to try and fight his way through the force he had originally been chasing. So rather than trying to change facing he continued on his original course.

Lumiere, commanding the force seen in the upper right of the picture, sent his cavalry ahead, with the infantry and artillery left to catch up as fast as it could.

Meanwhile, Soleau, commanding the force in the lower right of the picture spread out his infantry into a line and started moving them forward.

And de Siècle kept his forces together even though that would mean the cavalry would arrive later than if they forged ahead on their own.

The Soweiter artillery (the Offenbach cannon under Pachelbel) commenced fire at the Poupon Dragoons, who were accompanied by Lumiere, and caused a few casualties. The Mayeux Musketeers fired off a desultory first volley at the Dragoons, also causing minor casualties. The combined casualties were enough to cause the Dragoons to pull back.

The Poupon Dragoons rally. Meanwhile, the Cuirassiers Royale charge the Ballyfoole Dragoons. The resulting melee was indecisive with minor casualties on both sides.

The Fuselli Fusiliers and the Offenbach cannon fire at the returning Poupon Dragoons, destroying them as a fighting force in this battle. The Mayeux Musketeers fire at the approaching King's Musketeers, to little effect. The melee between the Cuirassiers Royale and the Ballyfoole Dragoons continues, with mounting casualties. Both sides pull back. The Jingleheimer-Schwartz Cavalry charge the Royal Batrachian Artillery, inflicting heavy casualties and causing the rest of the crew to flee.

Finally von Blunder manages to to seize the initiative. The Ballyfoole Dragoons charge the Cuirassiers Royale and inflict more casualties. The Mayeux Musketeers charge the King's Musketeers, giving better than they receive. The Jingleheimer-Schwartz sweep around to the rear of the Batrachian force. The Fuselli Fusiliers charge into the flank of the King's Musketeers, inflicting further heavy losses and putting Lumiere out of action (is he dead?). The Offenbach artillery limbers up to move off, with the Saxe-Urquhart Gunderland Highlanders close behind.

Of course, while this is all going on the other 2 Batrachian forces continue to close in.

The melee between the Cuirassiers Royale and the Ballyfoole Dragoons continues. The infantry melee between the Mayeux Musketeers and the Fuselli Fusiliers on one side and the King's Musketeers ends with the destruction of the King's Musketeers. The Hesse-Pfeffernusse Pfreikorps charge into the flank of the Cuirassiers Royale, inflicting more casualties. The few remaining Cuirassiers have had enough and flee. The Jingleheimer-Schwartz Cavalry charge the Queen's Musketeers in the rear, inflicting some casualties.

By now the Garde N'est Pas have approached close enough to fire a volley at the Highlanders, inflicting a few casualties. Then the Wild Goose Chasseurs charge the Highlanders, inflicting even more casualties. In spite of heavy losses the Highlanders hold.

The remaining Ballyfoole Dragoons charge the Queen's Musketeers from the front. The Mayeux Musketeers hit the Queen's Musketeers in the flank, and the Jingleheimer-Schwartz Cavalry continue to attack from the rear. In spite of being hit from 3 sides and suffering heavy losses the Queen's Musketeers hold on. The Hesse-Pfeffernusse Pfreikorps escape to the north, off the field of battle. The Offenbach Artillery and the Fuselli Fusiliers head in that direction as well. The Highlanders hold off the Wild Goose Chasseurs and the Garde N'est Pas who have charged them in the flank, with no casualties on either side.

The Highlanders fight on, but the combined weight of the Wild Goose Chasseurs and the Garde N'est Pas are too much and the Highlanders are destroyed. Did that buy enough time for the other units in the Soweiter force?

The Queen's Musketeers finish off the last of the Ballyfoole Dragoons, but are in turn wiped out by the combined efforts of the Jingleheimer-Schwartz Cavalry and the Mayeux Musketeers. The Offenbach Artillery and the Fuselli Fusiliers make it off the field of battle

The Musketeers L'Ouef fire off a parting shot at the retreating Jingleheimer-Schwartz Cavalry, inflicting minor casualties. The Mayeux Musketeers and the Jingleheimer-Schwartz Cavalry follow their fellows off the field of battle.

Final result:

Soweiter League losses (Batrachian losses don't figure into deciding victory in this scenario) are 9 infantry out of a total of 32, and 7 cavalry out of a total of 12, with no losses to the artillery crew. For a total loss of about 1/3 of von Blunder's forces. He needed to escape with 80% (or about 38 or 39 of his total of 48 figures) to achieve victory. But the Batrachians needed to destroy or capture 60% (or about 32 or 33 figures). So neither side achieved a clear victory.

The Game is Afoot!

A clear summer's morning near Offenbach Falls and the game is afoot.

A Soweiter force lead by the capable (or is that culpable?) General von Blunder has chased a smaller Batrachian force into a corner.

The Soweiter units:

• The Jingleheimer-Schwartz Cavalry
• The Ballyfoole Dragoons
• The Mayeux Musketeers
• The Hesse-Pfeffernusse Pfreikorps
• The Santa Sofia Fuselli Fusilieri
• The Saxe-Urquhart Gunderland Highlanders
• The Offenbach Artillery, Pachelbel's Cannon

The Batrachian units, commanded by the illustrious General Lumière:

• The Cuirassiers Royale
• The Poupon Dragoons
• The King's Musketeers 2
• The Queen's Musketeers 2
• Royal Artillery 3

But wait! There's more! Another body of Batrachian troops appears to the southeast.

Commanded by the ambitious General Soleau:

• The Musketeers L'Ouef
• The Paprikash Pandours
• The Pandours du Pinque
• Royal Artillery 2

And that's not all! A third body of Batrachian troops appears to the southwest!

Commanded by the venerable General de Siècle:

• The Wild Goose Chasseurs
• The Garde N'est Pas
• The Pandours St. Serif

Trapped like rabbits in a snare!

Or are they? Maybe von Blunder and the Soweiter forces can take a cue from the local fauna and ... runaway!

to be continued...

Dragoons and Standards

This week we have the Ballyfoole Dragoons, commanded by Col. Seamus O'Malley the elder, father of the younger Seamus O'Malley currently serving with the Frundsberg Freihusaren (see Frundsberg Frei Stadt for more on that).
These are Foundry figures. I thought the guy with the helmet was quite fitting for a Celtic unit, probably some family heirloom. I added the "pistol" (or carbine?) to the officer on the left of the picture), just to "spice" things up a bit more. It's from a sprue of pistols that came with the old GW Long Drong dwarf pirates "regiment".

Meanwhile, somewhere in the wilds of the North-by-Northwest Frontier...

More Foundry figures.

ImagiNations and Names

I have some more miniatures finished, but my camera batteries are still charging, so I hope to have pictures to post tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've been "noodling" about names and ImagiNations. A good name can make quite a difference, methinks. And there are quite a few good ones out there among the ImagiNations. I like the names I have for my individual states, but I've had a difficult time coming up with one for the union of Ballyfoole, Grand Thidwick, and Gunderland. Some of the many I've played around with: Regalia, Newfanglia, Avalonia, Arboria, Britannica, even Freedonia (which I could see as a variation on Prydain/Britannia). But none of those or others really quite clicked with me. Then I thought of "Oorland" - as in "it's oor land; it belongs to us, and we belong to it." Has kind of a ring to it, doesn't it?
So I did a Google search and came across this poem by Charles Nicole (b. 1858, near Glasgow), in praise of Scottish lasses:
Scottish Lasses


I'm fain tae sing a canty sang,
  In praise o' Scottish lasses,
For weel I ken in a' oor land
  There's naething them surpasses.
They are the queens to cheer ye up
  When ye are dour an' sad,
An' weel they ken hoo tae come roon'
  Each blythesome Scottish lad.

Hoo sweet it is at gloamin' grey
  Tae meet yer lassie fair,
Then wander tae some sheltered spot,
  An' tell yer love tales there.
You feel enraptured while ye sit-
  Hoo swiftly then time passes!
But that jist lets ye ken the charm
  In blythesome Scottish lasses.

Fu' aft we feel that we could be
  For ever by their side,
For wi' their artless, winning smiles,
  They fill yer heart wi' pride.
They mak' ye blythe when ye are wae,
  They are sae fu' o' glee
And oh! 'tis sweet beyond compare
  Their ruby lips tae pree.

Sae let us tune oor hamely lyre,
  An' ance mair let it be
In praise o' ilka Scottish lass
  That treads oor land sae free;
For what is life tae ony man-
  E'en ane wha wealth amasses-
Unless he shares it wi' ane o'
  Oor blythesome Scottish lasses?

What do you think?