Wednesday 22 July 2020

Great Wargaming Trip of 2019 - Part Two

Fresh from replying to comments on one of my most popular (based on comment numbers) posts of 2020, tonight I present the second and final instalment of the pictures I took almost exactly 12 months ago on our "boys and their toys (literally!)" trip to Lake Tarawera.

My wife and I are off on a road trip of our own tomorrow, driving approximately 8 hours south to stay a few days with our niece and her family in Masterton, a town about 100km north of our capital city, Wellington, so I wont be replying to comments for a few days, but please leave them in any case, I will acknowledge them all next week!


Game 3 Friday Maori Wars designed by Barry

 
 
This game was based on a famous incident in New Zealand history when Hone (John) Heke, a Far North Maori leader, made a protest against European incursion by chopping down a flag pole carrying the Union flag. I think it occurred at Russell, a small town which at the time was the capital of New Zealand, although I could be mistaken on that.
 
 
In the game, I commanded a small detachment tasked with guarding the flag pole (because Mr Heke has chopped it down at least once and possibly several time previously!)
 
 
Ensign Ross of the 58th Foot I believe
 
 
The local citizens are expecting trouble - things must have come to a frightful pass if they have armed the woman folk, b' gad!
 
 
Early morning and the "Natives" pounce, quickly overwhelming the under strength defenders on the hill.
 
 
The Maori war party start chopping...
 
 
More natives emerge from the primeval forest
 
 
The main defensive position of the Crown forces
 
 
At the other end of the small town, yet more Maori warriors invest the settlement
 
 
 
Sailors and Marines attempt to hold back the attackers
 
 
The British were gradually forced to give ground
 
 
Final shot of the Crown forces, who were compelled to retreat but did succeed in evacuating to an RN ship anchored in the bay, living to fight another day!
 
All the figures in this game were provided by Barry, and came from the excellent, though to my Scots mind rather pricey, Empress Miniatures range.


Game 4 Saturday Russian Civil War designed by Julian
 
 
This was a multi sided game. Each player had their own contingent - Czech Legion with the armoured train, Bolsheviks, White Russians, Cossacks, Anarchists and Chinese - and could make (and break) alliances with each other in the furtherance of their own particular goals! My contingent is shown above

 
Pauls Don Cossacks, who were allied with me, until they weren't!

 
The Czech Legion, who had a mound of gold secreted around the small town in the centre of the table

 
Chris commanded the Anarchists - identifiable by their black flags

 
The Czechs await assault from every direction - White Russians are in view over the horizon

 
My Bolshies advancing, supported by an armoured cart

 
Chris sweeps down from the hillside

 
An artillery hit on the armoured train takes out one of the turrets

 
More Bolsheviks - not mine, I think these were commanded by Mark - advance on the train

 
A view up the railway track

 
Pauls Cossacks surge forward with my infantry on the far (wrong?!) side of the track

 
I think this is Marks command again - they managed to locate some of the gold and haul it away I believe

 
Uneven fight - horsemen v armoured car

 
Barry's White Russians within spitting distance of the train

 
Those dastardly Cossacks break their pledge of fraternal solidarity and charge towards the rear of my unsuspecting troops....

 
….so, cop that you traitorous bourgeois scum...the Red air force comes to play! Those Cossacks will be laughing on the other side of their faces when we have finished collectivising their farms!

 
After taking out two Cossack units, the plane dealt a punishing blow to the bouncing Czechs too

 
Final view of Mark successfully retiring from the fray, weighed down with liberated Tsarist bullion!
 
A mixture of troops from many ranges although primarily Copplestone and Brigade Games, supplied by Julian, Rick and yours truly. The train is Ricks and I think is by Company B?
 
Game 5 Sunday (half day only) Modern Skirmish designed by Keith

This game was the first incarnation of the ruleset we used for the Sunday game I reported a couple of weeks ago. It was basically the same sort of scenario - an ISAF platoon of British infantry battling into a Taliban infested village in Afghanistan, circa 2010. All players had four Brits and a dice driven game mechanism produced randomly placed Taliban insurgents for them to engage with. Our Sunday game is always a shorter duration affair as we need to clear up and leave after lunch.

 
A fireteam in position in one of the Afghan compounds, supporting a Jackal vehicle as it advances into town 

 
Another fire team manoeuvres along the edge of the fields adjacent to the town

 
ISAF air support from a Blackhawk helicopter

 
The Jackal reaches a road block and engages "Terry" with its formidable weaponry

 
A Taliban sniper takes a shot at the Coalition forces

 
British fire team advancing cautiously

 
The Jackal continues to make progress

 
A second air asset - this time its a Apache gun ship
 
All the figures and buildings for this game were from my 20mm modern collection made up of various manufactures - Elheim, Liberation, Under Fire Miniatures, Britannia Miniatures and Wartime Miniatures amongst others, plus vehicles from Britannia and 1/72 plastic helicopter kits, with Elheim crew in the case of the Blackhawk.
 
Well that's it, all five games played at Tarawera in July 2019. We are all really looking forward to the event this year in around 90 days time.
 

18 comments:

  1. What a great variety of games and all so well presented. Very envious! I hope you've had a nice break. Cheers Greg

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    1. Thanks Greg - yes, we always have a fantastic time on this week away, although its a pretty distant memory now - only three months till the next one!

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  2. Beautiul games and pictures, love the local citizens and the armored train...

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    1. Thanks Phil... The armoured train is certainly a very impressive model!

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  3. Another fine looking spread of games, Keith. I envy your groups’ ability and commitment to pull off this annual event. What a great way to spend a few days.

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    1. Than you Jonathon...our annual week of gaming surely is an incredible privilege and we all realise how fortunate we are to be able to do it. Long may it continue!

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  4. Some more lovely games Keith, and I can vaguely recall Hone Heke's flagstaff being at Russell. I can also vaguely recall a very nice colonial-style pub being at Russell as well.

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    1. Thanks Lawrence - its decades (literally!)since I have been in Russell but I think you are right, the whole place has a quaint colonial village air about it from memory and some of the servicemen killed are buried in the local churchyard

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  5. Lovely big range of gorgeous games,I'm really tempted by the RCW, but shall resist!
    Best Iain

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    1. Why resist Iain - a new project is always welcome!

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  6. More splendid games, Keith. Nice to see great looking terrain and miniatures in a broad range of settings.
    Interesting thing the log cabins in the first game look close to russian’s houses “izba” :)

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    1. Thank you Dmitry. I guess architectural styles can cross geographical boundaries - we find that 19th century American buildings are very similar in style to the colonial era buildings in New Zealand!

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  7. Some wonderful games on display Keith.
    Enjoy your break.
    Cheers
    Stu

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    1. Thanks Stu - and I did enjoy it - back home now and a return to work tomorrow unfortunately!

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  8. A fine mix of games Keith...
    The Maori Wars game looked very interesting.

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Cheers Aly. Barry had deliberately designed the scenario to "recreate" the actual events of the day, although we convinced him to allow us a little poetic license - otherwise my role would have been somewhat short lived, as the piquet guarding the flag pole were wiped out and played no further part in the action!

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  9. What a great time you all just have had.

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    1. Thanks Mark - it certainly is a great week of gaming and the good news is the next event is only about 90 days away!

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