Impetvs- Cathage v Celts

Gaming Room update. Concrete went down today so is now drying.

lowly getting back into painting. I have painted up 6 stands of rear ranks for my Celtic warband and also a unit of Black Tree  Design cavalry.  I have some Black tree Celtic infantry to paint up but am a bit concerned that they dwarf the Warlord Games and Foundry ranges os am pondering whether or not to get more Foundry Celts to add to the army instead.

Tonight Kent and I got together for  a 40 pt rematch of our last Cathage- vs Gaul game.

I now have Extra Impetvs 4 so was using the new Gallic lit in that, which meant no more VBU3 javelinmen but the option fo taking some heavy foot. as per usual I opted for 3 commands, a small cavalry command, a large warband command and a smaller command of heavy foot.

Cavalry (poor commander)
2x cav, 1x skirmisher

Light Foot Command (Average commander)
3x large warband (vets in front)
2x warband
2x skirmishers- javelines
1x cav

Heavy foot command
2x large solduri (VBU 6)
2x warband
2x skirmishers- javelins
2x light chariots

 The Celts deploy.

Kent' Carthaginians- he had 2 commands with:
2x punic cav
4x Spanish scutari (javelins)
2x vet infantry
3x infanrry
3x skrimsihers
2x elephants

 A rather nicely painted elephant.

 Turn 1. I opted to put most of my army on opportunity to hold it back till the right time but let my cavalry advance, screening the flank.

 Kent reacted by ending his punic nobles forward to investigate.

 In the centre our skirmishers clashed and his superior troops (VBU 3) soon drove my skirmih screen back.

 Meanwhile on my right the Carthaginian advance continued,

 Turn 3 or 4. And still the Celtic warband wait their orders to attack- about the only tactical decision we get to make, when to release the horde.

 Wait for it...wait for it....

 The cavalry clash and my cavalry come off second bet and are routed form the field.

 Was that the signal we were waiting for? Time to advance then!

 In the centre the heavy foot crash into the Veteran spearmen and in time will come off second best.

 Even the chariots tried to run down a few Spanish scutarii.

 The warband drove the elephant back and, as so often happen in Impetvs, the battle breaks down into a series of disjointed fights with both sides desperately trying to get to win the command roll offs to activate endangered commands.

 My right wing is starting to collapse but I also have Kent's troops on the ropes. Who will break first?

 On the left I am finally making inroads having driven back the pesky skirmishers and advancing into the Libyan spearmen but the casualties have not been light.

 Booth sides are rapidly approaching their break point.

 Even the chariots are thrwon i to try to turn the tide of battle in our favour.

Our right flanks have utterly destroyed each other, I am left with my general and a stand of warband (5 pts out of 24) at the end of the final rounds combats but Kent's command is also shattered.

 On my left the final rounds combats also broke this command and the Celts returned home to lick their wounds as did the Carthaginians. Both sides were utterly exhausted and retreat to lick their wounds.

Result
As usual a great game. As so often happen it came down to a race to break the other army first and in the end we both lost but had a lot of fun doing so in game that really went to the wire. I am already looking forward to a rematch.

Update + ACW

Today the floor was finished ready for the concrete which will happen next Wednesday, weather permitting.

 Tonight Stephen, Kent and I got together for a game of ACW. 12 battalions of infantry each, 2 of skirmishers and 2x batteries of artillery. We used 8" for infantry moves and all units were veterans (saving in a 3+)  and i think those factors were the reason we didn't get a result- next game we will revert to normal moves and only allow 1/3 of units to be veterans.

The union deploy.

 My brigade fails to move on turn 1.

 Kent advances towards Stephen's brigade.

 Stephen's entire spent much of the game unsupported as I failed to keep abreast of his advance.

 A rather ineffectual firefight develops we added an additional -1 to hit at over 50% range.

 Kent's brigade opposite mine also forms a firing line.

 Meanwhile Stephen had been making good progress, breaking a couple of regiments. 

Stephen's Virginians advance.

 The first melee. Kent managed to charge Stephens regiment but after 3 rounds of drawn combats Stephen drove off the yankees. 

 Meanwhile I kept nibbling away. The regiment in the bottom of hot was about to charge Kent's regiment but was disordered and destroyed as they tried to charge home.

 Things were looking a bit grim for my flank so I gave a follow me order to reinforce Stephen' flan. Stephen had all but broken the brigade he faced but we just could not force the final regiment to break and thus force the entire brigade to retire.

 Our final attempt to break the deadlock before we ran out of time.

Another fun game but we probably were guilty of too many changes to the standard rules and intend to go back to more "standard" Black Powder.

Next week we are hoping to have another crack with the Carthaginians and Gauls using Impetvs.

Operation Gaming Room- 2

I've been a bit slack over the past couple of weeks, all I've managed to paint is a couple of command stands for ACW and a single stand of confedearate infantry rather than the two regiments- 6 stands) originally intended. I've just run out of steam at present and no projects have grabbed my attention and I'e been a bit busy with a new role at work o have been getting my head round that and beeen a bit in chill out mode in the evenings.

We did manage a board game at the club last week though, Spartacus, which was very enjoyable. I even managed to come from last place to pip the others at the post in the final round to steal victory. The game is pretty straight forward but has a nice level of depth to it and plenty of opportunity to screw over other players. I will definitely play it again and am keen to get myself a couple of gladiator figures for the arena.

 A bit more progress on the flooring in the games room today. It is now ready for the concrete to be poured. The area to the left had the existing concrete broken up so that the floor won't be too high- there is only about 2.2m of clearance so want to keep the ceiling reasonably high if we can.

Yesterday the windows were measured up so hopefully now we will start to make some progress.

Operation Gaming Room

One of the reasons I bought our new place was the empty space beneath the lounge area. Most of the lounge was built as an addition in the 1960s to take advantage of the awesome views across the town and harbour but the area beneath (approx 9m x 4m- about 27ft by 12 ft by ye old antiquated measurements?) is open to the South and so gets the full blast of winter rains and is as far from the sun as possible in this hemisphere and so not of ideal use for much... at present. Its main purpose is as a sheltered spot for washing to dry on cold rainy days and a place to park our bikes but that is all about to change...

My plan simple lay a new floor- being on a hill it is uneven and slopes about 15cm over the 4m width, close in the open gaps and install large windows (each gap is about 2.2 m high x 2.7-2.9 wide) and create myself a cosy new gaming... er family, room whilst also reducing winter drafts coming up through the floor area- which currently is a bit of a problem in blustery southerlies. So it will also be making the house warmer. The best way to get appoval for such project is to pitch them as family living space and or reduing heating costs then once built put a combination lock on the door to keep the rest of the family out!

Anyway, work began on Friday with the builders coming in to break up the concrete in preparation for laying the new floor. They'd just broken up the highest point on the floor and hopefully this week will lay a new level concrete slab which will be about 15cm thick.  The concreting will be one of the most expensive parts of the project!

As you can see I'm going to get pretty good views out over town.

 The concrete broken up and ready to be carted away.

 So stay tuned for regular updates as this project continues over autumn...

Craig

ACW- Kents Revenge

Another ACW battle last night, each of us had 12 battalions, a couple of artillery an some cavalry.

The Confederates deploy.

 An Kent's Yankees.

My right advances but my centre and left stalls early. 

 Kent advances to take advantage of the confusion.

 And sweeps over the hill on my far left.

 His cavalry prance around  bit them blunder and run away for a few turns.

 His centre battalions continues to make headway.

 My own centre continues to be ahem, "slightly disorganised."

 Kent's brigade sweeps down the hillside and into my "veteran" brigade.

 On my right though I continue to cause casualties and Kent's brigade is in trouble.

 My skirmishers manage to hold up a regiment.

 The centre and left still loos a bit fragile.

 Finally my left flank caves in, but so does Kent's. It is a race now to crush another brigade an snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

 On the right my troops have defeated a brigade but it is not enough. Kent overwhelms my centre and takes the victory.

 Another very enjoyable game Kent. I look forward too the rematch.