Pulp Alley and 54mm Highlanders

I actually made it out to a club night this past week! Bruce kindly hosted Terry and me in a game of Pulp Alley. A game mechanic are plot points and these figures below were placed about the table to indicate where these were.

Players contact a plot point to undertake a challenge and secure extra cards and/or meet victory conditions.

The game was a gangsters themed game. The cops had to escort Mr. Big across the table while the gangsters needed to get him alone and then resolve a plot point.

The cops were added by a variety of radio heroes, including the Shadow, the Green Hornet and Cato. In the end, the gangsters kind of goofed their way to victory (but we're not proud--a victory it was!).

Overall, fun mechanics. I wonder if it would work for Batman. At the other table, Dave hosted Scott and Craig in a 10mm Kursk game. Below, Craig is leading the motherland to a bloody victory.

I finished off a few more 54mm AWI guys, This time, I turned my brush to some highlanders from ATKMs. Nice figures. I wish I had the skills to do them justice.

There was about three times the detail on the highlanders (damned fabrics!) as on other figures so I only finished four of the eight figures. I think I am satisfied--I certainly won't be stripped them.

I have four more (including bagpiper) underway but have set them aside while I do a bunch of rebel militia (which go much faster!) and regain my patience.

Up next: I'm planning on gaming with Bruce this week. If I can find some time to read Pulp Heroes, I will also give some thought to a Batman game.

54mm Hessian Jaegers

With life starting to return to normal, I found some time to paint this week. The only thing I finished were four Hessian Jaegers to round out the Hessian forces for Tricorne.

Despite a lot of work, these guys turned out quite plain! I had to lighten the coats a lot with layering as the original colour I chose was just way too dark. For whatever reason, my camera phone went mental with the red--it is not so vivid in person!

They are a touch bigger than the plastic Hessians who make up most of my force. But they fit in well enough and I quite like the short carbines.

Up next: The club this week is my goal. I have also been painting on some British Highlanders (so much fiddly detail!) and I based and primed 18 American rifle militia. The latter should go quickly with some washes.

54mm British and Lego Star Wars

Life continues to conspire to keep me from the club but I did some painting this week. First up were four 54mm British light infantry to round out the figures I need for Tricorne.

I think the original I used as a guide is on the right. More or less close on the colours and level of washing. I also did four figures to round out the provincials I need. The original is in the middle (yellow hat trim). This required me to custom mix the coat colour. I think I did pretty well there.

I also received a shipment of Lego knockoffs from China. Vader, Saruman, and the AT-ST's are real but the rest are not. This might make an interesting Dragons Rampant army. Two units of heavy cavalry, three units of light, two units of foot/missile, and two heroes. Hmmm.  

Up next: I've got some more 54's under way: four hessian jaegers and eight Highlanders in kilts. Struggling a bit with the plaid.

Aurelian and Punic Wars

It has been a busy week, including a fairly spectacular fall on the ice that has left me hobbled (nothing major just a swollen knee so I can neither pedal nor clutch). But before that happened, I managed to get out to Bruce's to continue our Aurelian/Punic Wars campaign.

I knew this battle was going to be bad as Bruce had 50% more troops that I had. He also had good move cards at the beginning and pressured me on both sides. Nothing much came of the right flank--all of the real action was on the left.

Someinitial skirmishing gave way to a closing of the heavies. I managed to do a lot of damage bt not enough to stop Bruce so I switched tactics and tried to run myself out of cards as fast as I could to limit my own losses.

In the end, Carthage clearly held the field and I lost a lot of troops. Oh well!

We then switched back to the board game. Bruce continued to pressure in the north and I decided to let myself be besieged. Bruce also decided to cross from Carthage to Sicily in the south. Unfortunately, a naval battle went poorly for him and our next battle will be in the south where I will have a numerical advantage.

Campaign wise, the losses may also really affect the event roll and possibly cause some Carthaginian provinces to defect. But I could could still lose spectacularly on the field of battle so I'm not counting those chickens.