Grail Knights

I completed a few mounted Bretonnian kniggots over the weekend. First there is a generic Brettonian lord


And there are 6 Grail Knights, the hardest bunch of the Bretonnian muster. Two strength 6 attacks on the charge, immune to psychology:


These are really beautiful models. I like the raised shield design since I could never paint medieval heraldry freehand. I can barely pick these out. Here is the leader, I've done him in Saskatchewan Roughrider green:


Up next: men-at-arms (i.e. peasant fodder)

Bretonnians begin

I have made a start on my Bretonnians for WHFB. Like my Empire army, it will have a decidedly retro look. So far I have completed 40 peasant archers and Morgiana, the fay enchantress. Not exactly enough to make anyone quake yet, but the Grail Knights are next.


The archers are from an earlier edition, there are only two poses but I like that. I also like the way they look and feel...chunky:

The Fay Enchantress is a kick-ass magic user character mounted on a formidable steed. She points out around 500 so will not get on the field until the army reaches 2k or so. She has an amphibian familiar that Silvaron must be careful not to step on!

13th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month...

We played a Great War scenario at Chaos Gaming today. I ran my Villers-Bretonneaux scenario of the first tank battle in history that occurred in the First World War. To make a 2h story short, the Germans won this time after using a left feint to hold down more than half of the Brits while the right wing, supported by accurate and timely mortar support, successfully stormed the British line.

In the early stages, the British tanks laid up behind their lines creep out of the forest to engage the attacking Germans, there are 2 MkIV females and one male:


The Germans advance from their starting line with support from one A7V:


The Germans pick their way through the wire, using shellholes as cover from the British rifles and Lewis gun nests:


They successfully assault the Lewis gun posts, charging in after using grenades to keep their heads down:


Mark managed to twice break is MkIV, leaving it immobilized behind his lines and unable to reach the left flank where the Germans swarmed into the trench. Looks despondent, doesn't he?

Black Powder Zulu War

For the last 2 weeks or so I have been repainting and painting 1/72 British and Zulus to run a Black Powder scenario at the club. The Vimeiro scenario played well using BP, so I decided to run out my colonials after also watching Zulu again (for the 20-odd time). I have the Colonial Campaigns Zulu War scenario book which is really excellent

and helps to focus the modeling. I am going to run the Isandlwana scenario. While that battle is ostensibly one-sided and not much fun to game, the scenario is well thought-out and should provide a challenge for up to 5 players.

It requires of course, some stalwart British infantry, here painted as 24th foot with regimental and Queen's colours (Esci 1/72)


Some Natal native contingents, these were tribes that allied against the Zulu (Esci 1/72 Zulus painted with red head feathers, native contingents wore a red headband).


I picked up a new box of British mounted infantry (Hat 1/72) which will not factor into this scenario, but are very nice.


And I painted-converted half of them into Natal mounted police, which do appear in the scenario:

The artillery is a Napoleonic 9lber with US civil war crew. I head-swapped the crew for tropical helmets to make them look British, and I doubt any of my mates can tell the difference between a 9lber and the correct 7lber...


There are also some wagons to represent the baggage train, which is a Zulu objective. The Conestogas are from Imex and are excellent, the field forge is Hat (French Napoloenic).


I just need to finish off another 24 Zulus and this one is ready to go. I also need some 1/72 tents. Any suggestions?

Up next: Zulus.