sabato 31 ottobre 2020

Bilbo’s birthday Oct 10, 2020, Lord of the Rings

Before Covid forced us to close again the club, my  mates organized a game to celebrate Bilbo's birthday. Giancarlo arranged the event preparing the table adapting an original scenario from the rule book: Assault to Esgaroth. They used Lord of the rings rules.

The protagonists for the Good are: Bard the archer, Bilbo Baggins, Thorin and his 12 friends. For the Evil: Goblins and the Orcs with a special character (Smaug the Dragon).

Our dwarfs are host in the city of Esgaroth and they ignore that Smaug is flying on them after Bilbo’s attempt to steal his treasury. Unfortunately, the same night, Dol Guldor Orcs and Goblins decide to raid the city.


To simulate Smaug’s force … every turn he launches a ball of flame in a random direction (decided using a directional dice). Every heroes hit by the fire must use on of his Fate point to save himself. Every turn Bard, with his ballista, tries to hit the Dragon.



The Evil wins if Bilbo and Thorin die. The Good wins if Smaug dies or if Bilbo and Thorin survive after 20 turns. Draw if at the end Thorin or Bilbo has left us and Smaug returned unharmed to his lair.



The game took to my mates all the morning. The Evil does not adequately use the surprise factor ... the dwarves come out from the houses and organize themselves in powerful lines that block the access to Bilbo's home. Thorin, under siege, defends himself in a great way  risking something. ..The Dragon flies over the city without creating great damages ...




At the end of the game ... despite Bard wounded Smaug ... he manages to set fire to Bilbo's residence. But Bilbo is a lucky hobbit and he  goes out without roasting. 



It was a very hard game ... uncertain till the end ... but after 20 turns the Good wins. Both Bilbo and Thorin survive to the Evil's attack.

But we are Italians and we cannot close a so important date celebration as Bilbo's birthday without our cakes



domenica 25 ottobre 2020

October 2020 ... La Piccola a lot of new projects

Despite the Covid 19, one of the reason for which I love my wargame club is that every person is free to share his interest with others. 

For example Valerio and his group are continuing their develop of new Improved Panzer Leader scenarios




Other club mates, as Nevio, can see their efforts published. The "Black Sheep" ... a new role play manual



Another group continue his work on Italian Independence wars 





While others play naval fights between English and Italian navy during Ww2 ...



 ... or work to convert Perry miniatures for new army and battles ...



... or prepare new scenic elements to test new rule systems






 

domenica 18 ottobre 2020

General test ... How to play ww2 scenarios with different rule sets - September 2020 Part 1

In the last months we played a lot of ww2 scenarios using different rule sets. 

It is a kind of general test for our next idea that it is to play Stalingrad battle but with different miniature scales and manuals. 

Below there are some pics I took in the last period of my miniatures in 20 mm used for: Iron Cross, Rapid Fire, Bolt Action and so on.

Some panzer crews in action


Some American M10s 



An Italian Autoblinda captured by Germans


Two different US squads




sabato 10 ottobre 2020

Colonial wars - Oct 3, 2020 TMWWBK

The colonial wars are one of periods that have seen a great development over the last few years by wargame lovers. Some rule systems,  for example Black Powder and The Men Who Would Be Kings, allow to play fast and with few miniatures epic battles in a Egyptian deserts or in a tropical jungle.

Last week my club mates played some matches using two different scenarios.

A first fight was set during the Mahdist wars … one of the scenario I prefer. It is impossible do not remember Gordon’s epopea 

... Charles Gordon, a gifted English officer, who was nominated Governor of the Sudan. His try to keep Karthoum is legendary and his death was romanticised in a popular painting by George William Joy: General Gordon’s Last Stand.



My friends did not play the Karthoum's siege but a field battle in a sandy Egypt desert. All miniatures are 28mm and painted by Ivano.




The second-one scenario was a border clash between German troops and local tribes


Also this time miniatures are 28mm. Germans are painted by Ivano while the locals by Giancarlo








sabato 3 ottobre 2020

Bolt Action - Italians vs English Sept 17, 2020

Some week ago my club mates played a classical scenario using Bolt Action ... The battle organized by them was an Italian army post Armistice (Ivano) vs British troops (Riccardo).

Below I tried to write a kind of battle report ... 

The starting postitions


Italian and British soldiers are approaching to their attack positions



English troops decided to take the cover of a small wall while ...


... other Italian companies arrive



The English commander and his men try to take the control of an house on the Italian's left but ...


... the an Italian airborne unit and the sniper team contrast them and ... 



... at the end the Italians take the house



In the meanwhile the fight in the center of the table becomes hard ...



... also the Italian HQ enters into the game ... 


... and ... at the end the Italian troops control the obj winning the game