Hot Wheels, Britains Party

Private Noob was up for a full 'play' with Britains once everyone was asleep tonight.  Great fun.  First turn was decided by a Hot Wheels race to the downstairs kitchen. 

The Red and Blue conflict continues. 

This time a border clash over the control of the brown plastic hill.

Rules were made up on the spot and they were brilliant!  Think I'll call'em Battling with Britains!

Incidentally, although the plastic brown hill changed hands several times throughout the game, the Blue Coats lost.  But they will be back!

Cowboys and Percentage Dice

I wanted to refamiliarize myself with Donald Featherstone's fantastic Skirmish Wargaming rules tonight.   Luckily the Britain Boys and the Airfix Gang were at it again.

This little work-out brought back many pleasant memories of playing with these rules.  It was also really fun to roll percentage dice again.  01 to 100!  Hopefully I can get the other privates excited about playing some Featherstone games soon.

The Blue and Red Affair

Just can't seem to put away the Britains these days.  This afternoon brought about the commencement of the long-awaited, much expected Red and Blue Conflict.   Not sure what caused it, but it was bound to happen. 

I was using a wild mix of Black Powder, WAB and Ak 47 to propell the game along.   The Blue Coats were on the verge of breaking the Red lines...

...until The Kid came home and recruited some reinforcements for the Red Coats.

Private Wierd!!!

A Six By Eight Foot Table and Britains

General Julius G. Buster was a glory seeker.  No wonder he paid no heed to suggestions not to ride his 2nd Calvary Troop through The White Feather Territory.

The General seeks out the Chief of the White Feathers.

The last Trooper of the 2nd Calvary is allowed to escape.

Britains!

It seems like all my post titles suddenly have exclamation marks!  Ah, but they all deserve it.  Especially this one, because it was time for Britains!   Yes, it has been much too long since these guys came out of their tins.    Out of their tins and right into North Africa, sometime in the 1870's.  A wagon train carrying much needed supplies is ambushed en route to the French fort.

 French calvary arrives...

I decided to use a slightly modified Legends of the Old West instead of The Sword and The Flame, simply because I was more in the mood for LOTW's Gatling Gun rules.  It was a good choice because it gave Private D. and I an enjoyable, cinematic game.  Although next time I think we'll include a stand and shoot charge option. 

The French wagon train never did make it to the French fort.

The Most colonial Colonial Battle of All Time!

On Saturday night I was very pleased to have a game with my brother Sgt. Strange.  Hopefully this will be the first of many more to come.    Since we both love 54mm, out came the Britains.  And with such a mix of disparate figures, it was decided that an epic colonial battle would be most fitting.   The setting was somewhere in one of the occupied terrorities, mid-19th century.  The oppressed peoples have united together once and for all to chase the imperial invaders out of their land(s). 

The battle began with the Native calvary advancing on both flanks, and Native infantry surging forward in the centre.  Imperial fire was strong, but so was the iron will of the Native troops.

The Native horsemen easily overwhelmed the enemy's left flank and proceeded to roll up the rear of the pasty Imperialists.  On the right flank the calvary battle was a bit more even, especially when the Invaders' calvary reserve was thrown into the fray. 

 In the end, only one fighter remained.

 With the flanks secured, now came the time for the expected charge on the centre of the Imperialist line.

However, the Native Foot suffered tremendous casualities and were unable to break through.  It was just as well, since my brother had to head home at this point anyway.    All in all, a wonderful game.    The rules were a modified version of The Sword and The Flame. 

Busting out the Britains

In the summer I fell back in love with Britains Deetail Toy Soldiers.  When I think about it, it was Britains that really started the whole mad toy soldier obsession.  I spent hours playing with, looking at, lining up and re-lining up my Britains collection as a boy.  And the joy, the JOY! of going to Lewiscraft and being allowed to buy one 59 cent Deetails Soldier.   Now flashforward 30 odd years and ahh, ebay, and they are no longer 59 cents but there is this whole new version (DSG) of the classic figures, albeit minus the terrific green metal base.

Anyway, the Major is finally back in town but was only available for a quick game.  I mentioned playing a floor game with some Britains (the only way to play!) and so...Mid-19th century, Northwestern Africa, a gathering of Arab tribes attacks a lost  French Foreign Legion. 

The French counterattack with Calvary.

The rules we used were a modified version of the superb The Sword And The Flame.  And that meant D20's and playing cards and wonderfully poetic charges.

However, the thin Blue Line held strong and drove off the heros of valour and honour.

            Victory to the French Foreign Legion.   (But we will be back...)