Battle of Helm's Deep

These are some shots of a Helm's Deep game at the club earlier in the year.  They were taken and edited by my club mate Dean.

They're very atmospheric, I can almost hear the rain pouring down.

100k views review!

Well, my page count has stormed past 100,000 views and I seem to have become a viral hit in Singapore, for some strange reason.  Fortunately, I haven't let this glory go to my head.  However, I did think it was a good time to take stock a bit.

My original intention of this blog was to encourage me to get on with some of my many project ideas and catalogue my 'genius'.  That failed quite quickly the first time but since the blog was resurrected as as a store of pictures, some details I'd otherwise forget, and as a means to define some project ideas, it's been more successful.

So, here are some pictures of stuff I have actually completed since the comeback started.  

Macedonians

 Numidians

Wars of the Roses Tudors

Soviet Naval Infantry

Congo Simbas & Mercs

 Wild West Gunfighters

Middle Earth Lothlorien Elves

Back of Beyond Reds

Back of Beyond Whites

Back of Beyond trains

 

 Back of Beyond Steamer

 

There are a few more bits and many others can put me to shame but I'm quite pleased with all that.  It makes me feel like I have accomplished some of what I set out to do.

Northern Barbarians

I have finished a few extra light infantry for my ADLG Alexandrian Macedonian army.

First up are a couple of bases of Alexander's elite Agrianian light infantry to lead the main attack.

To take this skirmisher role on the other flank I have painted up a couple of bases of Thracian javelin armed light infantry. 

I have gone for a mix between Hellenised clothing and a nod to their tribal heritage on the shields.

Alexander Returns

I have started re-basing my Macedonians for Art de la Guerre and adding a few extra figures to make a list legal 200 point army.

Alexander is based at the head of his companions, as an integrated commander in ADLG.  This isn't compulsory but it's where he should be.  The pink clad light cavalry are a base of Prodromoi lancer scouts.  These are all Foundry figures but I have another pack each of Prodromoi and Companions from Crusader to paint eventually.

The Phalangites are six to a base, which is a couple fewer than required under the standard basing but with the lowered pikes I can't fit more on a base.  The archers are going to be used as Cretan mercenaries.

To add more support I have some Thessalian cavalry, Greek Peltasts and some archers that can be Greeks or Macedonians.

Next up are some Agrianian and Thracian light javelinmen, then a separate command base of three figures. 

After that I just need to do some Hypaspists, and maybe one more command base, but I have some Greek Hoplites and Thracian allied swordsmen too.

More Numidians

I have finally completed enough of Juba's Numidians for a 200 point ADLG army.  Here are the latest additional bases. First are some Numidian Noble cavalry.  They are javelin armed medium cavalry in with the option to be elite.

Numidian Elephants are only mediocre units in the army list, being the smaller north African beasts.

I have two independent general bases now.  The third cavalry base is to represent some of Juba's Spanish and Gallic mercenary guardsmen. These are elite medium cavalry.

You can never have too many light cavalry to overwhelm the enemy with javelins.

Here are a few pictures of a possible 200 point army.  I have more than enough for this now, so can try some minor variations.

These last few are some older photos of the rest of the army.

The last figures I have to paint are a few light infantry bowmen using the excellent Crusader miniatures.  I've need a camp and maybe some specific  eventually too.

Photos of the Simbas

Here's a collection of photos of the Simbas, or more accurately soldiers of the Armée Populaire de Libération.  This is the best of what I have been able to find so far.

The army was in theory divided into regular units.  Like the ANC  these were unités d'operations and unités de garnison.  Additionally there were irregular militias called barriéres.

The Simbas were typically well motivated but lacked discipline and their command was often chaotic.

Some Simbas were termed 'Jeunesse', i.e. youths or young ones.

These next few are stills of Simba prisoners from the the movie Africa Addio.  There are some accusations of staging against the film but it looks pretty authentic.

I used the Gancia t-shirt from the screenshot above as inspiration for painting the Simba in the centre of the group below.

I added a Simba style monkey-hide hat similar to the one worn by this 5 Cdo mercenary to a TAG African Militia figure.

This last still is the only one I could get of an armed Simba in the movie.  The live Simbas are only seen moving rapidly at distance.  Very sensibly in my opinion, given the copious rifle and machine gun fire coming their way.  Interestingly he looks to be carrying an FN FAL or possibly a G3.  Most of the Simbas above look to be carrying older Mauser types or FN-49 rifles.

These are some of the Simba leaders.  To start is Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of an independent Congo.  He was deposed and murdered after just a few months in office.   The Simbas fought in his name.

From left to right. Jean-Sébastien Ramazani, Laurent Kabila, Gaston Soumialot and Adrien Kanambe.

Nicholas Olenga

Président Christophe Gbenye, left, and Général Olenga.

Pierre Mulele, who had trained in China and led a Maoist faction in Kwilu province.

The famous Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara arrived too late in the fighting to effect much actual change but has great what-if potential for us wargamers.

These last couple are from later after the fall of Stanleyville, when the Simbas were reduced to a hard core of guerrilla fighters in the jungles and mountains.  

Sadly, nobody makes any 28mm miniatures of these unique fighters except Grubby Tanks and they just take your money without ever sending you anything.  So, I have had to find substitutes or try some conversions.