03/09/07 - El Gran Revolucion: Celebrating the anniversary of Pancho Villa's attack on the United States, using the 'Contemptible Little Armies' rules.

At right, the traditional TBC dirigible shot to establish the geography of the gaming area. This time looking south over the community of Columbus New Mexico. In the foreground is the town of Columbus. Farther south a row of US Army barracks, and just beyond the barracks is the row of stables that the Villistas, in real life, mistook for barracks. Finally, next to the giant hand, is the neighboring country of Mexico. As in real life, the Villistas have split their command in two with half sneaking directly north from the Mexican border - and the giant hand - and half sweeping deep into US territory so as to hit the town from the west. Once in the town the Villistas are forced to search all of the 'large' buildings in order to find the Ravel Brothers Mercantile, which they will then set alight. (That should teach those Ravels for stiffing Pancho on that arms deal!) Of course with each building searched there is a substantial chance that the excitable vaqueros may accidentally immolate the wrong building.

At right, as the stunned umpire looks on the Villistas find and destroy the Ravel Mercantile, on turn 2, and after starting only 1 other 'accidental' fire. They then move out of town, south, towards the US Army barracks in a cunning plan to pin the defenders between themselves and their compatriots coming up from the south. Meanwhile the US players continue to roll scores of dice, in myriad combinations, trying to determine just which squads will erupt from the barracks to defend the town. There was much chuckling on the part of American players, because the Villistas had repeated Pancho's historical error, and mistaken the southernmost row of stables for enlisted men's barracks. Consequently much Mexican artillery support was wasted in firing upon buildings which contained no actual defenders.

US troopers set up defensive positions behind a wall of sand bags. These protected them from the rifle fire of the Villistas maneuvering south out of the town, but unfortunately their rear was completely unprotected from the small arms fire of the Mexicans rushing up from behind them. To make matters worse, the US troopers were now between the southern Villistas and the burning town, and consequently fully illuminated by the fire. At right, the machine gun survives yet another turn of Mexican shooting, but the '2nd of 3' US squads falls prey to Villista rifles from behind. Early in the game the Americans suffered very heavy casualties. But on the brighter side, so many of their figures were killed that they were able to reuse the limited number of their 'little lead dollies' (to use the technical term) sporting the correct uniforms.

Above left, Pancho Villa's point of view into town, looking past the large container in which resides an appropriately Central American fermented beverage.

Above center, at the mid point of the game things are still going Pancho's way. In the background a unit of Villistas, led personally by Pancho, storm what they think is an army barracks, but what is really just another stable. In the foreground another band of hearty revolutionaries falls prey to rifle fire from the '3rd of 3' US infantry squads mentioned previously. The Villistas have suffered some casualties, and will now return fire.

Above right, a dice roll so remarkable that General Villa insisted it be immortalized on the web site. With only 7 figures left to shoot back, and hits scored on a 5 or 6, remember the Americans were illuminated by the fire in town, the Villistas throw 7 hits on 7 dice. Shaking his head, the US subcommander picks up the last of his 3rd squad and shuffles off to the bar to console himself with a fermented beverage. In a burst of national solidarity he insists on a beverage from 'North of the Border.'

Upper right, the bitter hand to hand combat inside the stable. The actual building has been removed to facilitate the process of resolving combat. In the foreground can be seen those Villistas who survived American rifle fire and managed to enter the stable. To the left is the great man himself, Pancho Villa, who somehow has remained mounted inside the building. Between Pancho and his men is a squad of US infantry -in the wrong uniforms, but more about that later - And in the distance can be seen a half unit of Chinese Boxers, portraying the US Army cooks who in real life helped to eject some startled Villistas from one of the Barracks. The Villistas were gradually swamped, as the Americans kept feeding more men into the building.

At right, yet another US squad appears on the scene and the Americans eventually bring their superior forces to bear on the withdrawing attackers. Here the Coldstream Guards, it has already been mentioned that the club was a bit short on accurate figures to represent the Americans, advance on the surviving Villistas who desperately try to achieve some of their victory conditions by dragging a US machine gun out of town.

All in all, a very close game, with both sides suffering much higher casualties than they did in real life, and the US winning by 36 victory points to 35.

03/16/07 - The Battle of Naseby: in 15mm using the ever popular DBR rules.. And assuming that the reader already knows a good deal about the battle of Naseby.

Above left, in the background the cavalry on the Parliamentarian right, under the command of the, soon to be late, Oliver Cromwell. In the foreground can be seen the cavalry of the Royalist left under the command of Lord Harold Longuechamps. During the game this name rapidly evolved into 'Harry Long Stocking,' and from there to something a bit more risqué that shall not be repeated here in the august annals of the Bengal Club web site.

Above center, mid way through the game, still on the Royalist left. Lord Harry's first attack has foundered, but after destroying the Parliamentarian's cavalry general. So technically Oliver Cromwell is now dead. However, at this point the umpire said, "Wait. I think we're doing this wrong." And Oliver was back on the table, to the accompaniment of much Royalist grumbling about 'Parliamentary Cavalry of the Undead.'

Above right, the center of the Royalist line, with appropriate beverage placed in an inappropriate location. To simulate the tentative generalship of Charles I, the Royalist player controlling King Charles and the royal reserve was not allowed to roll his on movement/pip dice until after at least one Royalist command had been broken. This provided the senior player on the Royalist side with a surfeit of extra time with which to visit the bar.

Upper right, on the Royalist right Prince Rupert leads his, very small, cavalry command past the Parliamentary dragoons hiding behind a hedge. The umpire later admitted that perhaps there was just one stand too many of dragoons, or that Prince Rupert rolled just one too many 1's instead of 6's on his dice rolls. And the Royalist cavalry just didn't seem to have the necessary oomph to sweep away the Parliamentary horse. Clearly some sort of rules adjustment was in order.

The next two photos, the Parliamentary foot (at top and left in the two photos) awaits the attack of the Royalist foot. King Charles' guard infantry can be seen 'stoodging around in the rear without enough pips' at right in the second photo.

At right, in the role of King Charles I, and consequently with plenty of spare time on his hands, usually spent visiting the bar, your humble correspondent was able to practice various artistic, rather than strictly game related, photographs. Here a stuffed Bengal Tiger doll symbolizing... Well, dunno really... Is seen wearing a cheesy plastic Halloween costume version of a morion helmet which the photographer desperately hopes will make this filler photo some how relevant. Oh, did we mention that the Royalists lost? And rather badly one might add.

03/30/07 - 'Somewhere in Tunisia' in N Gage, using the only recently discovered 'Guts N Glory' set of rules.

Above left, the traditional TBC 'Helicopter Shot' of a small Tunisian village located in the center of the gaming table. Although being as the game was set in 1943 perhaps it should more accurately be referred to as a 'Light Weight High Wing Monoplane Shot.' This spectacular Mediterranean style village was made out of paper buildings. However, inside each structure was a duplicate, cut and painted so as to simulate ruins.

Above center, much later in the game Afrika Korps infantry begin to suffer losses, as evidenced by the unattractive casualty caps, at the hands of American infantry hidden in the village.

Above right, the village as seen from the eastern/American side of the table. Viewers may infer that it is half way through the game, by simply gaging the level of amber liquid in your humble correspondents, umm... 'Game Time Measuring Device,' inadvertently left on the table for this photo.

Top right, the southern flank of the village as viewed from the western/German side of the table. A pair of Axis armored cars have nipped into the rough terrain at center so as to support the advance of Afrika Korps infantry at the bottom right of the photo. Unfortunately, for the armored cars, there is a US antitank gun just outside of the village (between the top building and the pile of dice) and a US Bazooka hidden in one of the buildings. There is also a second US antitank gun on this side of the village, but the American commander forgot where it was hidden and so it played no part in the battle. In the next photo down, the armored cars are roughly handled by the Americans, but the infantry survives.

At right, on the other (northern) flank of the table. At top the first Panzer, which rushed onto the table, was knocked out by the third US antitank gun. So the next two panzers proceed more cautiously, and sneak up behind some rough terrain.

At right (close up) and bottom right (aerial view) the game moves to its conclusion, as club members gradually slump into a stupor caused by either the lateness of the hour, or the quantity of amber liquid consumed, depending upon the individual member. One of the US sub commanders has over extended himself, advancing his squad too far west into the town. The overall US commander remonstrates with his subordinate to 'maneuver all his men into the center building using the RUSH move.' The entire US squad is now inside the building, awaiting the German assault. However, having used RUSH they are not allowed to shoot at the oncoming Germans. In the subsequent hand to hand combat the veteran Afrika Korps infantry don't even need to roll a dice, and kill every unfortunate American. The Americans have only a 75% chance of inflicting casualties, but it's Major Weenie rolling, so most of the Germans survive.

With the American survivors in full retreat members were now free to debate whether Major Weenie had lost 'every man in his command,' or if the survival of a single half track driver would invalidate this claim by the German players.

The general consensus on the rules was very favorable, but the highest praise was reserved for that spectacular paper town.