Monday 30 June 2014

HotT Battle Report: The Army of The Nutcracker v The Army of The Mouse King

Here's the second AAR of the two games played by General Charles and myself here on 26th June 2014.

As before we used Kaptain Kobold's terrain generator and did all the usual setting up admin. Once more General Charles defended, with The Army of The Nutcracker (NC), whilst I attacked with The Amy of The Mouse King (MK).

The Armies deployed under a god-like finger

MK line advances to contact....

...And loses 3 Warbands for 1 dead NC Blades & a fled NC Sneaker
NC Artillery proving deadly.
Seen worse.

This encounter proved horrific for the MK Warbands
Told you I'd seen worse

Some NC casualties
Dunno why they're still on table.

Some more NC casualties. Still on table.
The battle was fairly see-sawing at this point
Both NC & MK were rapidly approaching their casualty break-points
But who would break first?

NC Sneaker manages to pirouette through the lines
MK Warbands marching on the NC Stronghold
MK casualties on the right. 
Off the pitch as befits a Plain Honest Dealing General like MK

The End
NC 13 - MK 10

Rosie & Freddy declared the whole thing a triumph 
in return for a walk and a bit of cake.

UATH!





Saturday 28 June 2014

HotT Battle Report: The Army of King Richard 1381 v The Army of The Peasants' Revolt 1381

Went to visit my friend General Charles last Thursday and we got in a couple of games of HotT. He's played DBA before so had a good idea of what to do.

First battle was between The Army of Richard (AofR) and The Army of The Peasants' Revolt (PR). We sorted out the terrain and ends and then set up the toys. Charles defended with AofR and I attacked with PR.

AofR defending a nice church. PR looking impressively big

Gap opens in AofR line. Tactical apparently ;-)
PR advancing steadfastly

More advancing. More troop shuffling.

Battle is joined. 
As before PR Hordes coming off second best

AofR Lurker attacks PR Hordes
PR Paladin drives off AofR Warband
AofR Shooters & Knights advancing in a flank-threatening manner

PR Hordes cause AofR Lurker to flee off the field
AofR Knights turn while AofR Sneaker wombles about a bit
AofR Shooters bring The Good News to PR Hordes

The other side of the battlefield
As you can see most of the PR Hordes are now gone 
to a better place led by the PR Flyer.
I can't remember the exact numbers of PR dead but it was getting on for half.

PR Paladin recoiled the AofR Knights 
and made a brave charge on the AofR Stronghold......
.....but failed to reach it.
The PR Hero General finds itself bereft of support.
AofR Magician just killed people without magic.

The End.
Definitely more than half of PR dead now.

Quite a comprehensive win for AofR. General Charles handled his army very well and now knows how best to use a Sneaker. As for PR I got carried away with my Flyer (ie didn't use it properly) and, as usual, my Hordes died in droves. Some poor PIPs didn't help either. I think that a re-classification of some Hordes to Warband will give PR a more bitey edge. 

UATH!


Sunday 22 June 2014

Think......

.....you know Ensorcelled Magicians in HotT? Think again.

Take a look at these poor souls who over-estimated their magical prowess. I think we can all learn something from their hideous fates.

This specimen is from army REDACTED

This deviant is from army REDACTED

Careful with that dice, Eugene.

PS Hello and thank you to new follower AW Kitchen. Go and have a look at his wonderful blog. Immediately!



Saturday 21 June 2014

Army Showcase #7 - The Army of King Richard 1381

Hello, Doombots! I'm back with a new army for you to lust after. This one's been sat in the Italeri Medieval Tournament box since hair first appeared on my chin. So, after a tentative, and fairly blood soaked, shave I got down to business.

Rather luckily I'd made some notes on Richard's available forces when I read up about the 1381 Peasants' Revolt and he didn't have much clout available. Most of the handy lads were either in France, Ireland and Germany or up on the Scottish border and none could be easily disengaged to come and bash up some yokels. Bad mistake there, Dickie.

Some amazing things happened during the rebellion/struggle for liberty. For example the king's mother, Lady Joan Holland and her entourage, had two encounters with rebel forces yet, apart from some mockery, she passed through them safely each time and survived the rebellion (Sneaker). Equally a chap called John Fordham, Keeper of The Privy Seal, who was on the rebels' death list. Well now, he managed to hide in his accommodation and evaded detection while in the same room as some of Tyler's men! (Lurker/Sneaker) I also felt that the distribution of The King's Charters which caused many of the rebel troops to go home in false hope of change could also qualify as Lurker.

As you can see if you're familiar with HotT troop types there's a Sneaker and a Lurker right there. But that's not an army. The king qualifies as a Hero General. He put himself at considerable peril of capture or, maybe, death on at least three occasions and came up smiling and victorious. Richard also had a bodyguard available as well as some knightly types at Court. So, Blades and Knights then. Archers are a must in this period - Shooters.

Now we come to William Walworth, probably the outstanding figure of the King's party during the Revolt. We already have a general and classifying him as Hero goes too far. So, what did he do? Well, first of all he kept his head when others were, literally, losing theirs. He kept the king in the fight with good advice. He conjured (you can see where I'm going with this) the City of London Militia to stand fast by their king and he had a hand in the death of Wat Tyler and thus scored himself a knighthood and pension. He produced the rabbit of victory from the hat of almost certain defeat. He's a Magician!

The Army of King Richard 1381


The Joan of Arc figure doubles as King Richard.
Accompanied by flag waver and kazoo player.


Billy Walworth doing his thing with a couple of heavies.


Joan Holland avoiding capture and death like a pro.



Some knights not in France.

King's Bodyguard of Blades.
Always on point.

Two Shooters. 
Pretty deadly.


Layabouts from Court co-opted as a Warband. 
Bet they're right chuffed about that.


The King's Charters. 
Pah! Never trust a man with that much gold around his neck.
(John Fordham didn't make the cut, couldn't find him........)


The Royal Host

Sharp-eyed readers will have already noted the absence of a Stronghold. That's because I don't have one. Yet. That's were you come in, Doombots. I'm after a resin model of The Tower of London. Dimensions approx 3" x 3" x 3" or 75mm x 75mm x 75mm in new money. If anyone knows where such an item may be procured either freely or at minimal cost please get in touch. Thank you!

All the figures are from Italeri's 'Medieval Tournament' set in 1/72 scale. There's a few head swaps here and there  but no major surgery conversions. The mule with the King's Charters on its back is from Revell's 'WW2 Australians'. The army is on 25mm scale bases as per the basing conventions in the HotT rule book.

A Warband (London City militia) will be added as soon as I source suitable figures.

This army forms a matched pair with these Stout Chaps .

Updates as they happen!






Tuesday 3 June 2014

Funny Little Watchtower Part 2

Finally got around to finishing the paint job on this lovely bit of FLW's kit. I undercoated with matt black Plasitkote followed by a Four-Colour Theorem scheme. Slightly different in colours to the Steam Gun Tractors here. I removed the searchlight but left the fitting in place. I plan to make/acquire some telephones from something/somewhere to link the tower with GHQ, the artillery batteries and, of course, The Hospital.

Tarbooshian Press Release About The Tower
Tarbooshia's good friends from Army Horizon Blue have sent a Military Mission to us to assist in our on-going war against the Anahuacan trash. Seen in one of the pictures is Capitaine Petit Filou with his driver Rizz-Razz. The very fact WE have cars makes us better than the swamp donkeys of Anahuaco.