Bilbo’s birthday Oct 103, 2020, Lord of the Rings

How old is Bilbo? I don't know but every year … my mate Gianfranco … organized in my club a day in which we play with fantasy miniatures instead of the historical ones. It is an occasion to play and to stay all together… ... after two years of Covid lock down.

This time my friends have decided to play a scenario set into the Gondor forests. With the rangers of Ithilien and the Sudrons of the Harad. The scenario was created for four players … two for the Evil and other two for the Good.

The Good can use four heroes: Faramir, captain of Gondor, Madril Captain of Ithilien, Damrod ranger of Ithilien and the Prince of Dol Maroth ... Imrahil.

The Evil can deploy a Mumak, an orc captain, a troll and a large number of orcs.

The Evil wins if it crosses the table (from north to south) with at least 33% of its forces or kills 3 of the 4 heroes. The Good wins if our heroes thwart the plan of the Evil. 

The battle begins with the rangers that assault the column of orcs in the woods while Imrail, supported by his knights, attacks the Mumak in the clearing to the north. 

Unfortunately the Mumak crashes the Prince. The orcs suffer heavy losses but someone  gets out of the table. The Mumak, after the victory, go to south. Faramir's attempts to stop him are in vain. Madril falls in battle struck by the Haradrim's arrows. 

For two turns the rangers hit the Mumak with their arrows but the animal is too strong and ... at the end the Evil is the winner.

For the revenge Gandalf is  ready!!

Italians vs Mahdist troops - TMWWBK October 2, 2021

Some weeks ago my friends played at the club a scenario using TMWWBK. This time they decided to play Mahdist vs Italian colonial troops. Mahdist were led by Ivano while the Italians by Jimmy.

All miniatures are 28 mm. Italians are painted by Nevio while the Mahdist are Ivano’s work.

Between 1881 and 1899 the Mahdist revolt spread and interested large African territories …  Sudan in particular.

Mahdist wars mainly involved British Empire but also the Kingdom of Italy. In 1894, Italy decided to take the control of Kassala conquering it from Mahdist only to come back in Eritrea after 3 years of occupation.

My mates played a simple scenario in which a group of Italian troops, involved in an exploration mission, were surprised by some Mahdist. The Italians try to find cover a small farm. After six turns only an Italian unit of marines keeps the control of the farm but with high loses.

At the end Mahdist win but a lot of his men will not come back to home

Brandywine battle - Black Powder Sept 18, 2021

Last week my mates continued to play American Revolution war scenarios using Dennis’s paper miniatures.

This time they decided to play the Bradywine battle fought between American Continental and British army. On the morning of September 11, 1777 General Washington deployed his Continental troops along the banks of Brandywine Creek, close to Philadelphia.

He was sure to have secured all possible fords but, unfortunately, 15,500 British soldiers commanded by General Howe advanced under the cover of a heavy fog against his flank. General Green’s men counterattacked but the Continental Army was forced to retreat leaving the path open for Philadelphia.

In our battle, Ezio lead the Crown forces against the rebels commanded by Alberto and Federico.

English’s object is to break (or shaken) at least nine American units … In our battle the English division had to cross the river under the American’s attack. Fortunately, for the English commander, at the 8th turn a charge by a unit of light dragoons destroyed the 9th American units. As in the real histroy the vicotory is English

Mekelle Fort 1895 - First Italo-Ethiopian war

During this Covid pandemia, one of my club mates, he have painted a lot miniatures and made an Italian fort to give us the opportunity to play a particular period of Italian military history: the first Italo-Ethiopian war (1895-96).

He have made a great fortification that remember the Macallè (or Mekelle) Fort. Below some pictures of the miniatures he painted

The First Italo-Ethiopian War was fought between Italy and Ethiopia from 1895 to 1896. The Italian troops, starting from Italian Eritrea, having an initial success until Ethiopian counterattack. 

The Battle of Mekelle, sometimes known as the siege of Mekelle, took place in January 1896. during the First Italo-Ethiopian War. Italian forces surrendered a partially completed fort at Mekelle, a city in the northern Tigray Region of Ethiopia which they had occupied since 1895, to Ethiopian forces.

The Italians numbered 20 officers, 13 non-commissioned officers, and 150 privates, they were supported by 1,000 Askari and two mountain guns. The Ethiopian army numbered around 27,000 men.

After two weeks of bombardment artillery the Ethiopians managed to cut off the fort's water supply, prompting the defenders' surrender.

After the Italian defeat of Adwa battle the our army was forcet to back into Eritrea and close the war. Adwa battle was one of the first decisive victories by African forces over a European colonial power.

Eutaw Springs battle - Black Powder July 17, 2021

Italian Peter Dennis paper boys are back in action. This month Ezio, Alberto and Federico decided to play scenario with they paper miniatures using Black Powder set rules.

The battle they played is Eutaw Springs. A battle of American Revolution War fought in early 1781. The large table prepared by my mates is 240 long  by 180 cm wide.

They found the scenario into “Rebellion” one of the best supplement wrote for this period

This battle was part of the Green's campaing. After the battle of Guilford Courthouse, British army under General Cornwallis had retured to the Virginia coast to be rested and reinforced at Yorktown. The Armerican General Greene did not pursue them and decided to re capture the Carolinas from the Crown. In September, Green found the English commander, Lieutenent-Colonel Steward with 2,000 of his men camped not far from Charleston and decided to attack them. Apprised that Green was approaching him, the Colonel elected to stand and fight.

The red-coats deployed in a single line with the British on the right and left, and the Loyalist in the centre. Green arrived in three lines. Militia and light troops first followed by Continenal brigades.

During the battle the American forces pressed the English troops thar were foced to fled. Unfortunately Green units lost the momentum going to the camp to pillage and loot it. Steward reformed his men and launghed a new attack.

The scenario is studied for 12 turns and every commanders must destroy the enemy or, at the end, the Army that eliminated more Brigades will win.

Eutaw Springs had little effect on the outcome oft he war but it was particulary bloody. At the end oft he day both sides claimed the victory.

In our battle, at the end, the Americans win after 12 very hard turns.

Japanese Samurai

One of my club mates, Antonio, is keen of Japanese Samurai and he painted a lot of miniatures so I took them some pictures the last time I went to my club.

Miniatures are all 28mm and made by Steel Fist and Perry Miniatures 

Below some samurai who fought during the Sengoku civil wars in the later sixteenth century. In particular some of the Elite Hatamoto characters. Some of them wield a nagamaki (a long handled sword) or a nodachi (a type on sword that was long handled and sometimes had a blade of five feet in lenght)

Another pictures of Tokugawa leyasu (1543-1616) with his bannermen holding nobori and his warriors. The miniature represents him during the battle of Sekigahara where he led the successful Eastern armies 

Samurai were perfect knights. One of the most costly armours they used was the Namban (with fur thigh guards) or the Niu-do (with scales on the thigh guards and arms) style armour

Samurai used particular bows as these Daikyu

After the Samurai warriors some Ashigaru bannermen, musicians and warrior made by Perry's twins 

Other Ashigaru arquebusier 

To close .. some Yari Ashigaru close to a river