Variety, they say, is the spice of life....

After a long break, gaming is now up and running again on an almost weekly basis. Unfortunately I haven't found time to blog about the games in any detail. Normally, I always take a photo of the set up for games but somehow I haven't even managed that for a few of them - for instance this week's game was an X Wing scenario featuring the asteroid base I made a couple of years ago (pictured opposite: Made out of a big sponge, half a polystyrene ball, Lego pieces and a couple of beads with Marmon Herrington turrets on top - panelling is thin card). This was a scenario test of the prequal to "A Tinder Moment" scenario called "Pod-Cast" where Tinder Caress kidnaps Moff Diver, escaping in the escape pod, under cover of a diversionary Rebel attack on an important Imperial spy base. Tinder will always escape in this scenario - it's just part of the back story. The game scenario is actually just a simple bombing mission versus a huge ship. The huge ship in this case is the spy base (which I counted as an immobile GR-75 mounting two Flechette Cannons) defended by a squadron of three Tie Defenders and a Tie Advanced. Attacking I got to use my two new (now old but never used) B/SF-17 Bombers plus two X Wing escorts. It's a pity I didn't take any pics because it actually looked pretty good - I'm always amazed at how good these games look: plenty of bang for buck, IMHO. As an obstacle, I classed the base as an asteroid rather than a ship (I had made the matching table template for that exact reason), with any damage for flying over it (rolling to hit dice as normal but allowing an action) being counted as coming from short range laser fire rather than an actual collision; classing it this way allows the Resistance Bombers to make proper bombing runs; the Imperials could fly over it without penalty as a defence advantage. Anyway, at some point I'll write this scenario up. I was the Imperial player and got whooped - mostly by doing my famous fly into small asteroids at every opportunity manoeuvres! It's a good job I don't drive.

We've also played a couple of Napoleonic games. This one was the first full on French versus Spanish encounter that we've played. I took three photos on the first evening's play, none on the second. It featured everything I have recently painted for the Spanish (except a couple of command stands).

The terrain was originally set up to do Bussaco but I decided I didn't have the time to research it properly, added a stream for difference, and played this fictional encounter on it instead. The French advanced on the wood sheltered convent, sweeping all before them.

The French swept up the long ridge, then over it, kicking Spanish arse all the way. There were lots of virgin Spanish infantry and cavalry units in action (17 of 21), and the Spanish did as most gamers might expect - I don't think I've ever played with that many new units in one army in a single battle before and I've definitely never seen that many new units break: Why do newly painted units always tend to do so badly? I was on the losing side of this game too!

We've also played a couple of To The Strongest battles set during the Early Crusader period. This one (pics of set up only) was interesting in that it featured an entirely mounted Saracen (Syrian / Turk) army. It was a point balanced game and I composed this army first (using every Saracen cavalryman possible to get a points total) before matching it with a more usual mixed force of Crusaders. It's actually less Saracen cavalry than it looks - there are only about 320 of them (Note to self: Need more horse archers). Of course, we used my purpose made (fit into grid) terrain pieces on my home made tea and coffee (plus a smidgen of burnt umber ink) stained canvas play mat: This has probably been one of my better money saving ideas - because it was simple and only took a few hours of work, if you don't count the three days of on-table (to keep it flat and uncreased) drying time - my house smelled like a coffee house for over a week.

It was an incredibly close game, nip and tuck all the way and very confused, especially on the wings. In the last turn of the evening, the last possible Saracen command to activate was a single unit of horse archers; it activated to shoot on an 8 (so it was probably the last activation of the Saracen turn), they hit on a 10 but went out of ammunition and having no ammunition chits left wouldn't shoot again in the game, the Crusaders failed to save their unit of armoured sergeants, in shieldwall, on a 5+ and lost their last two victory medals. The Saracens had won with just one victory medal left of their own! My unit of horse archers - heroes to a man - and a blessed VICTORY!!!

This week's game will be something completely different again. Peter is going to bring his ships (WW2) along for a naval game. Hopefully I'll remember to take a few photos this time!