Trenches and Trench Mortars

Blod sat in the dug out, tending the stove, waiting for the tin can that he used as a kettle to boil for the Is-Caerten's tea. Nearby the heavy guns that 8th Company were protecting thumped away rhythmically, their sure steady beat of doom counting towards some uncertain Armageddon. With each bellowing discharge dirt shook loose  and fell in a fine rain on everything in the Command Post. It was a constant struggle to keep his young officer clean and respectable looking here in the trenches,  but he managed. He had a chipped plate and an old ration tin lid covering the Is-Caerten's mug and the tea pot. A cloth that was adjacent to clean covered the plate of fried termites and biscuits he had ready.

Dawn. Ready for a shoot. 

One of the new gun pits

The curtain twitched aside revealing rain outside and Is-Caerten Gwyffyth ap Foldgyhth'wlech, Officer Commanding 8th Company, 22nd Fusiliers stepped inside. "What ho, Blod! Alright me bucko?" he said with his unshakeable cheerfulness as he shook rain from his cape and carefully hung it on a nail.

"A'rright, sir. Tea's nearly up."

Foldgyhth'wlech sat down and removed the cloth. "Biscuits! However do you manage?"

"It's ma Nan's recipe. She taught me as a kit." Blod said, pouring boiled water from the tin into the teapot. 

The Is-Caerten piled some fried termites onto a biscuit and bit in with obvious delight. "Goodness me! Which Ancestor has blessed me that I've got you as my Bootbuck?"

"That'd be the Master-Yawdryl, sir" Blod said, picking up Foldgyhth'wlech's spare tunic, which needed mending.

"How is your Nan, then?" Foldgyhth'wlech said, pressing on with his cheerful assault. 

"With the Ancestors, sir" Blod said quietly, fingers busy with needle and thread.

German trench mortar 

"Oh..." Foldgyhth'wlech suddenly felt like he had farted at dinner, or tracked beetle dung all over mother's Anaryan rug. "Ah..." he continued, flailing for words.

"'s'arright, sir" Blod said quietly. He pointed with his snout to the corner where his pallet was. Above it a small photograph sat on a board nailed to the timbers. A small candle flickered nervously in front of it. "She'd be glad to know you like her biscuits an' all."

A good sized battery 

Foldgyhth'wlech got up with a biscuit from his plate. He placed it in front of the small photograph and bowed, with hands folded in reverence, while he quietly hummed the first bars of the Song of the Ancestors. The words changed with each family and clan, but the opening was the same for everyquar. 

Blod watched all this quietly and choked back a slight sniffle.

"Ta, sir. Means a lot, that."

Close up

"A Nan who taught kits to bake excellent biscuits is a Venerable Ancestor, indeed!"

He continued eating while Blod continued mending.

"When we are in Reserve again, we shall gather flowers for her too," Foldgyhth'wlech pronounced. 

Trench mortar in a trench! Trying the new weapons bay for size.  

Just then, Berk from 3rd Squad hustled in panting. "Yawdryl Hypfrth says your needed a' Trench Mortar right away, sir!" Without waiting, Berk disappeared again.

Is-Caerten Gwyffyth ap Foldgyhth'wlech stood up and put the last biscuit and fried termites in his mouth before reaching for his rain cape. "No rest for the weary, eh?"

At the door he turned with a wink. "Keep the tea warm." Then he was gone up the trench. 

Blod set down the mending and made sure that the Is-Caerten's sword was clean and sharp, and that extra magazines for his pistol were ready. Then he checked the action on his own rhyfle, making sure everything was clean.

Just in case there's more going on than Yawdryl Hypfrth needing a requisition signed for more high explosive bombs. And, he thought to himself, a rhyfler's pride is a clean rhyfle.

*********************

I ordered more trench pieces from Ironclad Miniatures earlier this summer and finally got them painted. I used the same recipe as last time, but there is still variation in the finish.

Three more gun pits, another intersection, another weapons bay, and six zig-zag connecting trench pieces. So I think I've increased my total trenches by about 50%. The three gun pits now means that I can do a proper Brequar Manor layout with four guns to eliminate. The zig-zag pieces will also mean I can do proper zig-zag trenches instead of long straight sections, and hopefully have some interesting fighting along a trench.

I am pondering how to rig camouflage netting over the guns and perhaps some overhead cover for the weapons bays,  so they could have a machine gun.

The Tollyn-Maeryn are lacking support weapons,  so I asked for some German trench mortars to go with them.  I've always liked the look of the squat little trench mortars. I assembled two dismounted from their carriage. But because I like the look of it, one is on it's carriage for some hasty firing.

The Is-Caerten's Bootbuck

Young Blodwyn is given instruction by a Yawdryl

Blod was sitting on his bunk, buffing his leather belts and humming a marching song. He dipped his rag, made from some worn underpants into his tin of wax and vigorously rubbed the wax into the equipment until it gleamed. Satisfied, he hung the belts up beside his tunic, where the buttons already shone brightly. 

A good rhyfler kept his buttons polished. Polished buttons meant clean and tidy gear. Polished buttons, each embossed with the "22" of the 22nd Fusilier Regiment, were a rhyfler's pride.

Rhyflers

Lots of shiny buttons

He reached down to pick up his boots which were next. Clean, shiny boots, boots that you could march in for eight hours, were also a rhyfler's pride.

"Heyup Bloddie, me ol' china!" Nobbie called form his bunk, where he was playing a hand of Trees and Pykpyks with Pod and Brych, and from the look of things, losing. "Kin you clean my kit, mate? 'elp a squaddie out, eh?"

Blod spread the boot wax and began bulling the toe of the boot with his bush. "Oh aye? An' what's innit for me then?"

"I'll pay. 'arf a crown an' all."

The others laughed. "You'd need to win back some of what you owe us first, Nobs!"

Just then Master-Yawdryl Paerwyn strode in. Everyone stopped lounging and tried to look suddenly busy, lest some previously unknown fatigue fall upon them. He stopped in front of Blod's bunk. Blod kept his snout down, polishing his boot, doing small circles with another piece of worn underpants to bring the mirror shine up. He could see the Master-Yawdryl's face faintly in the reflected surface.

Milwers pointing

Yawdryls with big SMGs and also pointing

"Rhyfler '076 Blodwyn" the Master-Yawdryl announced. 

Blod jumped to attention, boot in one hand, underpants in the other. "Yes Master-Yawdryl!"

"At ease, Blodwyn." Blod stood to Parade Rest.

"You're a good rhyfler, Blod."

"I do my best, Master-Yawdryl."

Master-Yawdryl Paerwyn prowled around Blod's bunk space, inspecting his kit, all clean and neatly hung, or folded and stored in the regulation manner. "Button's always polished. Kit always clean."

"Yes, Master-Yawdryl." Blod kept staring straight ahead. Everyone else in the barracks was trying very hard to look in other directions.

"You are now part of Headquarters Squad as the Commander's Bootbuck."

"Master-Yawdryl?"

"Six A.M. tomorrow, you will report to our new Is-Caerten. You" the Master-Yawdryl emphasized this with all five fingers aimed at his chest like a blade "...are now responsible that our new Is-Caerten is always well turned out; shiny buttons, polished boots, gleaming leather, cleaned, pressed, and..." Paerwyn sighed slightly "chipper. Bring him his tea, fetch his pipe, everything a pampered young scion of the First Families doesn't know how to do for himself. Leave his mind free for the responsibilities of command." And bothering me with new-fangled ideas, Paerwyn thought to himself.

Blod stood up straighter. "Yes, Master-Yawdryl! I'm honoured Master-Yawdryl!"

Paerwyn laughed. "We'll see if you still feel honoured after you've humped His Nibs' pack plus your own for a few days. For this honourable burden, you will be paid an extra two Crowns a week."

Blod caught Nobbie's eye and smirked slightly.

****************************************

A big batch of the First World War German flavoured Tollyn-Mearyn finished. This gives me two more Yawdryls, two pointing Milwers, and 13 more Rhyflers. So the 8th Company of the 22nd Fusiliers now has three good sized squads and a small Command Squad of Officer, Master-Yawdryl, Cook, Officer's Bootbuck (Batman in human English), and Squirrel Handler. 

They're still awaiting some Veteran and Female rhyflers and their squad light machine guns which still need to be printed. Once all four squads are filled out, I can put extras in the HQ Squad for defense and to act as runners, or extras for the trench mortar and field gun crews.

Again a few of the Rhyflers are looking pretty casual with shouldered arms and the other hand holding a pipe or cigar. I made the pipes from greenstuff and wire to give a sensible reason for the left hand to be in the position it was in, without faffing about cutting wrists and rotating hands.

Cigar and pipe

Teapot and pipes

I only had a right arm with a teapot and nothing to put in the left, so I gave him a pipe as well, to continue my casual vibe with this army, and the tea drinking for all of my Quar. I decided while writing this story that he's going to be the officer's batman or Bootbuck, (I tried 'Batquar' and it just didn't sound right), and become part of the HQ squad. After I had painted him, and started basing, I decided that he really needed to be laden down with gear, so I retrofitted the pack, bedroll, and Coftyran ration tube from spare plastic bits and then very carefully painted them.

I discovered that the Crusader backpacks looked very similar, so I used some of them to put more packs on the rhyflers. Crusader pack on left, 'official' Tollyn-Maeryn pack on the right. Bootbuck Blod in the middle has Crusader small pack, backpack and bedroll, plus Coftyran ration tube on top of pack.

By naming them the 22nd Fusiliers, I'm giving a nod to another distinguished Canadian Army regiment, the Van Doos, from the French Vingt-duex, because they were formed from French Canadian recruits in 1914 as the 22nd Canadian Expeditionary Force battalion. 

Faelvor armoured wagons. Painted a few months ago. Somehow I didn't get these on the blog.

The Tollyn-Maeryn, Quar Army number 7, now number 30 Rhyflers and NCOs, a small HQ of Is-Caerten, Master-Yawdryl, Cook, Squirrel Handler, and Bootbuck, 2 Faelvor armoured wagons, and 16 artillery crew to man a battery of big howitzers.

When you get Dr. Seuss to design your armoured fighting vehicles

Beetle Jousting

Ok, OK, hear me out... 

Quar beetle jousting!

I was watching Mogsymakes dive into the new game from Osprey, Hairfoot Jousting.

Hairfoot Jousting cover. 

And thought "This looks fun."

Then I immediately thought "This would be really fun with Quar!"

Creevin Trench Watch cavalry are coming along. It might be easy enough to put them on assorted large bugs. And as long as the uniform doesn't change too much with the plastic release, these could work nicely:

Creevin trench watch. 

The cavalry wear the same uniform. Now just put them on a variety of mounts and replace rhyfles with lances. 

Gruuk the Watch Beetle and Farmer Bayglen from the Zombiesmith store

Prebyg bug from Zombiesmith MyMiniFactory 

Ganga beast -from Zombiesmith MyMiniFactory 

A couple still on their cadiers would be fun too. Hopefully the Creevin cavalry come in a box of 6. Two teams of 3 is all you need for the game. 

So... there's a new project. Sigh.

Russian Jaegers (and Other Green Things)

While waiting for the next group of Quar to be assembled, primed and undercoated, I pushed on with some Russian Jaegers that had been waiting patiently for ... well a long time. I started trying to use contrast paints and didn't like it and got frustrated, so they were put aside.

I think these are Warlord, I'm not sure to be honest. I got them second hand already assembled without any command group. Turning them into Jaegers seemed appropriate since Jaegers shouldn't be carrying flags in the field, and the Russians fielded entire divisions of Jaegers.

This brings my Russian army up to 7 battalions for General d'Armee; 2 Jaeger, 3 Grenadier, and 2 Musketeer. All based on 4 figure stands so I can make 8 figure groups for Sharp Practice. 

While slapping around green paint I did some markers for the mines, traps and IEDs that Gloam-Hyyn trappers are allowed to deploy. I just used spare artillery shells, packs, tank stowage boxes and things that looked vaguely like mines glued to mdf disks.

I'll put numbers on the bottoms and the player can secretly designate which is an anti-tractor mine, booby-trap, or dummy.

I also got these lovely resin Supply objective markers/Jump Off Points from Ironclad Miniatures by way of apology for getting my order out late. A neutral green-grey and khaki drab paint scheme will make them nice things for Quar Trench Raiders to try and blow up.

Bungle in the Jungle

Had Pasha Dan and Wierdy-Beardy over last night to inflict my concept of a plan for a game for KEGSCon next month.

The scenario was pretty basic; Gloam-Hyyn and Toulmorese combat teams bumping in the jungle using The Patrol scenario from Chain of Command.

I walked Pasha Dan and Wierdy-Beardy through the Patrol phase, which they found a bit odd. Pre-setting the JOPs in a convention setting would speed things along I guess. But I'm hoping to have my cute little moth patrol markers by then. And the Patrol Phase lets you try and do some things like develop a flank, or secure a position.

The jungle!

Felts delineate heavy cover. But maybe they should be light cover around the heavy cover of the stands?

I was pleased to be able to cover a 4 foot section of table. This leaves me with a foot on either side for undeployed figures, casualties, cheat sheets and Force Morale Trackers.

Gloam-Hyyn. 5 squads, plus 4 Tracker teams. I've added helpful labels for special things LMGs, leaders etc). The blank disks are markers for the booby traps, mines and IEDs the Trackers can deploy.

Toulmorese. 3 squads, plus tractor, gun, light mortars and LMG teams

Gloamyquar advancing

Gun and H11 firing down an open lane in the brush, stopping my advance in the center

Gloamies seize the ancient building

Toulmore 1st squad engage the ancient building in a protracted firefight

Tracker team trying to sneak around the right flank

Holding the line at a stream

Tracker team tries close assaulting the tractor. I treated the tractor like an M5 with armour 4, the Trackers had an AP value of 3. They put a couple points of shock on it. But the Trackers have mines etc. That should count for something I think.

Trying to develop my left flank

50mm mortar team

Lessons learned:

• We switched activation mid-game. The dice weren't working, and so we went to the cards. 
• Formalize what the Trackers can do (close combat with Sarf-Cyn, setting traps etc)
• Revise QRS specifically for Toulmore and Gloam-Hyyn
• Spell out better what Cooks, Medics, Musicians, and Squirrel Handlers can do when activated.
• Create objectives that force maneuvering, so that everyquar doesn't just hunker down in the bush and blast away.

Still, fun was had. Dice were rolled and new toys got played with. Pasha Dan loved the terrain, which honestly, he inspired.