AVBCW Big Game 2016 04 09 The Hunt for Col Mustard’s Memoirs (4)

Overconfidence on my table got the better of both Rob and I.

Rob pushed his barge downstream under the ridge (which is higher up for dramatic purposes as all agreed), whilst my unit whicvh nhad jumped the hedge opportunistically manned the bridge to shoot at the open top tug boat crew – which prompltly also went to the other side of the bridge leaving my unit to get machine gunned to death. Rob commented it was an uncharacteristic imuplsive move by me. Hey ho.

Meanwhile the BUF barge disgorged its unit of troops.

Leading to Rob announcing, as a bunch of scouse socialists, they’d try and board and nick the BUF barge…only for Richard’s BUF mortar to score a direct hit, and sink the “Jenny Marx” barge ! Half the two units of socialists on board drowned, and the survivors were then machine gunned by the BUF as they tried to struggle ashore.

This has made for very interesting negotiations between the BUF and Socialist factions in the post game phase.

Meanwhile…

The Anglicans stopped the breakthrough by Royalists. Rita’s forces held the hill, mark and Mort held the centre and farm buildings.

Yes, LOVE will conquer all according to one of the Bishop of Ludlow’s followers (it’s a cake decoration). the Shropshire Swain, is trying to woo Miss Nemone Mortimer-Wagstaff. A lady of aristocratic origin whose family controls a swathe of the north of Herefordshire.

Overall, two Anglican victories and a narrow boat victory on my table – the BUF should have pushed forward but got distracted with fighting the Socialist barges. All good fun, but not achieving the scenario objective.

To follow, some links to other gentleman’s blog postings.

AVBCW Big Game 2016 04 09 The Hunt for Col Mustard’s Memoirs (3)

A key event happened on my table, Rob’s socialists having disembarked from one of their tug boats, found a very important manuscript and hot legged it back to their HQ.

This turned out to be a very important find.

So the BUF cavalry were sent after the running scouse sailor, but after destroying a scarecrow, were machine gunned repeatedly and had to beat a retreat when it became apparent (following my tank’s demise) we had no weaponry capable of taking on the armoured barges on that side of the river.

Meanwhile, the Anglican tank in Gav A’s control, got brewed up with a good hit.

The Bishop of Ludlow’s latest unholy experimental device explodes !

AVBCW Big Game 2016 04 09 The Hunt for Col Mustard’s Memoirs (2)

So with 16 players we now entered into the fray.

Many books and manuscrupts were found. I had warned JP that any manuscripts found would have to be named and detailed because Jim, Rich & I are all also RPGers…the results were disturbing…

On my table, the BUF and allies commanded by Alan, Richard and myself had high hopes, given Alan’s scratch built self propelled artillery, Rich’s Independent, and my Medium tank, plus all the barges.

On the left flank, we faced an aging Medium Mark C and a Rolls Royce that I had inadvertantly equpped Gav’s ledbury Anglicans with, but, hopes remained high.

Until Rob fired the Socialist’s secret home made rockets from one of the barges. We all expected that home made rockets would either deviate or fail to explode.

Oh no…

A volley of six rockets, four directly hit the target (my Medium tank), two deviated into nearby fields missing the infantry Rob had thought he’d hit. And then to make matters worse…

Not only tid four hit the tank, all four detonated, and destroyed the tank outright…in the first turn…

On other tables, the Anglicans clash with their foes, and the first nerve tests are failed.

The crossroads disputed, with neither side gaining an upperhand, the main pub was occupied by the Worcester mercenaries.

More to come.

AVBCW Big Game 2016 04 09 The Hunt for Col Mustard’s Memoirs (1)

So another Big Game session with three tables (8×6′) in the village hall, 16 players including a 7 year old !

This is the table I played on.

Each table had multiple manuscripts hidden in buildings, only one (allegedly) was the true manuscript of Col Mustard detailing has dalliances with high society.

As you can see, barges had been modelled and were deployed for the first time. By both sides ! Yes, JP & I had kept schtumm on finding out two opposing players had had the same idea and deployed the same kits – though both carefully customised their waterborne leviathans in different ways.

Rita’s Anglican’s prepare for the onslaught.

Whilst the Anglicans faced stiff opposition on the other table. Clive’s Bishop of Ludlow, vs a force commanded by a 7 year old…

Back on my tabgle, I’d supplied Gav A with a force of Anglicans based in Ledbury – Police and Posties formed the better two units. The Pesto unit was less well equipped. Though the Posties came with the Royal Mail Rocket Launcher. At last, after 3 years I had an excuse to get it on a wargames table even if I wasn’t deploying it myself. 🙂

Meanwhile, Mark’s Albertine forces clashed with the enemy. Everyone remarked, that the Albertine’s were being pushed forward by the dodgy and more experienced Anglican commander (Mort) and straight into the line of fire. Apparently however, Mark’s Albertines did very well and survived the battle !

Meanwhile Rita’s Anglicans were in the thick of it contesting the hill with Tom’s forces.

The Bishop of Ludlow’s forces advance, supported by some mercenaries from Worcester (Jim), and a very strange viginette…more of which later…

AVBCW – Armadillo & The Lady of the Standard Lamp

Ok, it’s been WAY TOO LONG since I posted anything. Louis the camera is now getting full, and after a Big Game followed by a bout of Man Flu, I’m now sitting down to edit anddownload/upload pictures of the many games I’ve played since Xmas.

As a kick start, I tok some photos of a couple of builds/conversions Byakhee Rich has done for me.

Armadillo

No really, these were designed as a stop gap measure following the loss of much of the British armoured vehicles at Dunkirk. Mostly used by the RAF to protect airfields from German parachutists, they went on to serve with the Home Guard.

Richard built the main kit very quickly apparently (I gave it to him Saturday evening, he returned it Monday).

Complete with magnetic removable rear pill box.

And brass axles.

Model by Warlord. Comes with two crew for the pill box – spotter and Lewis gunner. ideal for an AVBCW copntraption.

Reminds me of this old advert:-

The Lady of the Standard Lamp

A converted Pankhurst standard bearer – using a dolls house model of a standard lamp, itself converted as it came with mdf standard which both Rich and I new was not going to last.

Again Rich did a great job removing the original hat and remodelling the hair.

Why ?

Well this is because my grandparents were gofted two brass standard lamps after WW2 by Italian ex-POWs…
And my grandmother gave me one of them, so as she died last yeasr it seemed a fitting reminder.

Now both are being undercoated so stand by…

Talking of which there’ll be a cavalcade of postings I hope as I download/upload/middleload/overload my photo library over the next few days. 🙂