One of the last games before the lock-down

 We played a cracker of a Shako II game using a new scenario by Michael Hopper.  Set in Spain, it featured lots of my building sectors crammed together to make a substantial hill town.  Fond memories and now with the vaccine being administered there is hope that we will all be able to get on with life, including the madness of toy soldier battle games.

Expanding my ancients to early modern (renaissance) collections

Grand manner gaming means big armies.  I know this is relative and I see collections on the web that make my collections look small, but compared to where it used to be my collections are getting quite large.  Regarding my ancients to early modern collections, part of the motive here is a house set of rules that I am developing that requires much larger armies.  I have about 20 armies that cover this very broad period and all of them need expansion.  To give an example, whereas I used to have 16 stands of Marian Roman legionaries (each of 8-9 figures) which suited Armati, I now have 40.  Not all of my collections needed doubling, but many have become significantly larger.  I must say that this has really inspired renewed interest in all of these armies.  While it is a lot of work that will take me years to fully complete (notwithstanding significant increases in my colonial, Napoleonic and WWII collections) it is all part of the fun.

One important point: I don't have to do this alone.  While I have a solid collection of some 15,000 painted figures (and about 400 WWII 20mm vehicles), I am blessed with a group of fellow madmen who meet every week (these days in smaller groups with masks on...) who have massive collections too.  

So,while I am chipping away at my expansion plans, they all have armies that can fill-in and provide opponents on a grand scale.

Here are some shots of my expanding phalanx....still some way to go.

North African Adventures

One of the White Rock Gamers recently put together a French Legion force.  So it was time to get them on the table.  It was a crazy game with two French columns coming back to base from a "pacification" operation.  Of course, the Berbers inserted themselves to intercept the French.  Heavy casualties were suffered by both sides, but the French made it back.

Not much gaming, but I have added to my collections.....

Here are some pictures of my Sudan collection.  Most of the figures are Connoisseur although many of the Dervishes are from Old Glory.  Enjoy.

C-19 continued.....

Well, we are still in a non-gaming situation and it is frustrating but necessary.  I have been painting when I can and have 4 companies of Sudanese Egyptian Army infantry on the painting table. Connoisseur, of course.  Very much looking forward to gaming in the near future.

Hoping that all of you are well and will soon be gaming again too.

Chris

C19

So strange to see my last post and realize how "normal" life was back then.  I hope that everyone is staying safe, NOT getting together for games, and using the time to paint and read.  Be safe my BFE friends.  I am working on a version of BFE for ACW and another for the Great War....long term projects, but fun to tweak when I'm not working on online course materials and communicating with my students.
Take care.

Ulundi, well, sort of....

We played the scenario in the Skirmish Campaigns Zulu War scenario book designed for TSaTF.  I amended the scenario somewhat to suit BFE II.  Well, I was likely too generous to the Zulus.  This was definitely not the swan song of the Zulu nation and was, instead, a very heavy and ultimately losing fight for the British.  Nevertheless, it was great fun (at least for the Zulus) and it was great to get  BFE game on the table after lots of ancients and Napoleonics.

Here are some pictures.  Included are a couple of shots of some new units being based.  To stretch my collection I have used a few rocks to fill the base.  I like the look, but not really sure why I felt the need to do this.  I have about 40 Zulu units and this is really more than I ever need.