My Metal Meneken

28mm, WW1, Fire for Effect plus amends and Gordon had to umpire me and Peter fighting for Gott, Kaiser und Reich, while Tim and Ben were defending France for King and Country.

The Stormtroopers (Peter) and the normal mop up (me) were just jumping into the first line of defense whil an elite platoon of tommies were already set into the second line, barrages were out of ammo/silenced (just to make it simpler) so the carnage could begin ...

We actually never had a chance, but that was to be expected ... my normal troops made quite good progress but had to sacrifice a lot because of it. The Mark V with all LMGs didn't help there either.

If Tim or Ben would have a better dice day It would have even stopped at the beginning...

Still - the rules are dead easy (pardon the pun) and it is a real pleasure to play WW1 with this system again - will do this more often - this is how a platoon game in WW1 should be - easy quick and veeery bloody!

My casualties after the first turn already ...

Tims right flank fleeing finally ...

The way to Paris ...

Stuck in the mud ...

... next to Lotti AV7 ...

My flame thrower team advances ...

Tims platoon is colecting hits ...

...the frustrations of trench warefare ...

Tims right flank ...

My left flank marching up ...

Peters stormtroopers ready to go ...

Everybody over the top!

Advancing through the connection trench ...

Tims platoon awaiting us ...

... especially with MMGs ...

...which inflict heavy damage ...

... even stormtroopers have to dug in ...

... and give fire protection ...

my Granatwerfer ...

Bens left flank gets hits ...

While the stormtroopers get nearer ...

Bens hill looks brittle ...

My flame thrower are clearing out the Tommies ...

And the Stormtroopers are nearly there ...

but it could have been more ...

... the entire field ...

... so close ...

Tims flank is crumbling ...

But the centre is solid ...

Finally they run away ...

sadly just a little part of the trench ...

 it was Dark Age again, 28mm, Hail Caesar, me and Bart's Norman and Viking collection,

Mike (as the Vikings) and Tim (as a Norman Duke) and myself as his Norman Baron, were trying to get past the castle in the dunes and unite with our fellow mercenaries from the north. Bart and David (as theother Norman Duke and Retinue) tried to prevent that.

Well ... they had a little bit more units than we did, but who cares, it's a dark age, who actually counts the troops before battle.

The second massive handicap was that somehow our wild ancestores from the north, didn't really made it out of their beautiful (and newly painted) Viking ships, for 3 turns!! By the 4th the battle was effectively over already.

The third and last reson we lost was, that Duke Tim, our overall leader, decided to go in historically appropriate, and let cavalry fight against the weaker infantry. Unfortunately Barts cavalry was nearer to my infantry than Tims knights were away from Davids infantry on the hill. The fact that he didn't roll so good as a commander and consecutively his knights slugged forward, while Barts knights zoomed in like lightning, highlightedonly the fact that we had also the wrong tactic.

Two blunder later (on each side), my flank was gone, while Tims knights were still miles away from the enemy and the Vikings just did not move - we surrendered! Game over! Congratulations to Bart and David! After the second turn it was looking not so good, after the third it was looking very bad, after the 4th it was impossible - very well executed victory!

We will do this again...

Initial set up

My infantry line... in shield wall

Barts cavalry attacks ...

from the castle ...

While David holds the other dune ...

And the Vikings landing ...

First I repelled some of the cavalry ...

still the vikings did not move ...

The tower was firm in Barts and Davids hands...

then Bart blundered and I had to move fwd ...

Out of my shiled wall ...

it split our line and made me vulnerable ...

While the Vikings ....

Then the cavalry attack came ...

My foot knights counter attacked ...

and thus were counter attacked ...

Slowly lost and encicled ...

was a lasts stand of my left over division ... we gave up!

28mm - BIG SUNDAY GAME!! - this time Seven Years War or better the Second Polish War of Succession - Me (Prussians, Russians and Austrians) and Bart (Saxoniand and Poles) with our respective collections.

The Russian- Prussian forces were positioning on a hill to hold onto, while the Poles, Saxonians and Austrians would make their day count.

It was magnificent! The onslaught on the Russo- Prussian lines was relentless, Bart opted for a pincer attack and nearly succeeded! his Tartars were bheind my lines harrassing the Prussian defenseless guns.

But his Saxon army had bled to death while attacking the centre village and the fortified hill. Also the Austrian cavalry was beaten, a little too late but nevertheless!

The Russian cavalry was able to secure the flank (wow!) after it looked most of the battle like a clear breakthrough.

Bart fought hard, but my guns were devastating and too much for the few Saxons. I agree that the next storming of a artillery fortified position needs double if not triple the amount of battalions. Not Everybody can be as good as the Prussians ... ;)

The initial lines...

The Russo-Prussians advancing to the right flank ...

The first clashes of cavalry...

The seydlitz hussars in front of the Austrian ocean of white ...

The Prussian half of the hill...

The Prussian artillery position...

The Russian artillery position ...

The Russian advance to the centre village ...

And the Russian left flank advance ...

BUT the Poles slide through the trees ...

While the  other stay in reserve ...

The battle continues into chaoes ...

The Prussian cavalry has its difficulties vs the Austrians ...

Still the Austrians don't move ...

The fight of the centre starts ...

The rules used ...

The Russian Cavalry is ... suboptimal ...

The height of the battle ...

The Prussian Hussars are tough, but not unbeatable ...

A little too late the Austrians move ...

The poles harass the Prusian guns ...

Nothing that I could do ...

Then the Russian cavalry close the gap ...

The end of the battle ...

The Prussians Horse break through ... too late ...

The polish attack is successfully blocked ...

The centre is held ...

And the Austrian attack is halted ... with a heavy cost ...

The Prussian guns are running out on ammo ...

Still harassed by the Poles ...

But the centre is still safe ...

The Russian guard plugs any gaps ...

The Polish cavalry can't break through ...

Even though they look nice ...

The Seydlitz Hussars retreat ...