Thursday, March 31, 2011

I've just had a cunning plan, Baldric....

After playing in Steve Thompson's Sharp Practice game at Hotlead (these are pictures of actual game I played in too), I started thinking about my fledgling Napoleonics collection. I have one box of Warlord Prussian Landwehr (which I reviewed last year) and 60 odd Russians I got two Hotlead's ago in the Bring & Buy.

I had been thinking that wasn't really enough to do anything with and I'd need more. Not being able to afford a lot more I put them away.

But at Hotlead I had had a pretty good time with a pretty smallish army (2x 24 figure units, 2x guns and an 8 figure cavalry unit). So I started thinking about my Napoleonics and realized that the box of Warlord figures would make a fine unit and the Russians would easily organize into at least 2 units.

In Sharp Practice figures are organized into Groups of 8-10 figures, and then the Groups are organized into a Formation. A Formation can have a flag and a Big Man with musicians to help him issue orders. A Group may have a lower ranking Big Man like a sergeant.

The Warlord Landwehr will easily sort themselves into 3x 9 figure Groups plus a command element of Big Man, drummer and ensign. The Russians have been resorted into 2x Formations. A Line Infantry Formation of 3x 9 figure Groups plus Command Group and assorted Big Men and a Grenadier Formation with 2x 8 figure and 1x 6 figure Groups plus Command Group and assorted Big Men. There's also an 8x figure Group of chaps with their muskets at the high port who would probably make a nice detachment of Jaegers. The also have an artillery piece.

I have enough Russian gunners to man two guns. I can probably get a second gun from Mike.

Hurray! Instant army! By the time I get all the infantry painted I will probably be able to save some money to buy a few cavalry and expand the Prussian contingent. Mike already has enough French to fight them if he can find enough extra command figures to make the Big Men.

Now I just need some time to do a bit of painting for myself....

Monday, March 28, 2011

Hotlead 2011: second batch of pictures!


Some more pictures emailed to me by an attendee showing a few other games.

Some Napoleonic skirmish action

Cacadores and Rifles vs. Voltigeurs

Green Jackets and Voltigeurs Rules.

Byzantines vs. German Imperial troops in Italy 11th cent.

He must be doing well.



Lovely masses of infantry!

The reason why I keep doing this.

A new hero

Hotlead 2011: First Pictures

My friend Peter took a bunch of pictures when he wasn't manning the trenches at the Bring & Buy. He has kindly given permission to publish some of them here. I made all the pictures small to save on page loading. click on each to view at full size.


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Getting started Friday afternoon.

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Pirate game.

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Pulp adventures

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With silly hats

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Pasha Dan shares some fashion advice.

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New Vendor. My local video rental store and GW dealer.

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Ooooh shiny.....

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Some very pretty Turks in a Sharp Practice game.

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Sipahis.

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Heroic defenders of the Electorate.

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General view of the games, Friday night.

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Setting up the Bring and Buy Saturday morning

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An insanely detailed 15mm War of 1812 lake battle.

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Mike is a deal hunting machine!

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Keith's 15mm ACW game using Black Powder.

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The very popular Chariot race game.

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Saturday. We're in full swing now.

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Mike M's 20mm AWI game.

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More AWI

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Mike has almost made a religion out of using the 20mm figures.

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ECW using FoG:Renaissance rules.

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More ECW

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Bir Hacheim in 20mm with Rapid Fire!

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B. of Helicarnassus in 15mm using DBM. This GM has been working his way through all of Alexander the Great's battles. Bringing a new one each year.

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More Pulp!

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The Bring and Buy has a brief and rare lull.

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Something going on in Mesopotamia in the 20s....

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Punic Wars. 20mm. Might of Arms rules.

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Rabbitman asks about something.

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Keith's Wild west shootout. Also a perennial favourite.

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Keith, (standing, red shirt) Hotlead founder and GMing machine!

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Battlemechs battle over Quebec City!

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Sunday morning. Still a good crowd.

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The VSF Bring and Battle gets rolling.

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Pete's Russians and Canadians. Why are they on the same side? Martian mind-control maybe?

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The British camp. HRH Queen Victoria excorted by Sir Harry Flashman VC.

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A flying machine made by one of the youngsters. He used it to good effect.

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Pasha Dan gets some help with the rules.

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The Mississauga Dragoons charge!

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Pete's spar torpedo finally hits something!

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Stopping the Martians!

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"I'll be ready for them again. I know their weakness."

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This kind of says it all for VSF I think...

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Silly unit but awfully well painted.