Skirmish on the zócalo

Happy New Year!

All is still quiet at the zócalo

I'm kicking off 2013 with a report of the last game of 2012: Skirmish on the zócalo.

The scenario was made by Rob and Marc and since we had troops for the Texian war as well as the Mexican American War ten tears later the game was in a fictional setting. The Texians are attacking a fortified town and had to blow away the gate and get within townwalls  before the sentries could mobilize the complete Mexican garrison.
We used the TFL supplement for Sharp Practice So Far From God to guide us this game. After we settled for some extra rules, troop types and created the game deck (the most annoying part of the game for me, apart from the tiffin card being dealt before your senior officers all the time:) we could fire away.

The battle ended in a draw with the fighting still going on on the zócalo. The four commanding officers were tired of fighting and had to make their way to festive meals and drinking parties later that night.

Lots of pictures but if you still want more go here for all the pics I took during the day.

The objective

Sentries notice the approaching Texians and start to run all over town to wake up the important people.

The Alabama Red Rovers moving in as well. Properly dressed for the time of the year

Marc's excellent command vignette leads the pack

Jacco's Greys, impressive bunch

Moving up the gun to blow away the gate

Disturbed from their cardgame these guys were alerted by the sentries and rushed out

Artillery managed to wake up as well

They positioned themselves quickly on the defensive walls that provided medium cover in the game

The Texians get closer and closer

More help on it's way to the sentries as the dismounted cavalry comes to the rescue. They did not get very far though. With rolls of 2,3 and another 2 for movement and then a couple of cards after the tiffin they did not get very involved...

Panic on the zócalo

As Jacco's Texian Cavalry is about to charge through the shattered gate

Only the artillery still on the walls and the gate blown away. The Texians are about to enter

Fortunately Rob's excellent troops arrived just in time, watched by the supreme upper commander enjoying his cigar on the roof. Thrilled to see some action they forgot to reposition in the cover nearby.

So they got wiped out by the charge of the day.

More and more Texians are entering the zócalo

While Rob's other Mexicans try to make it on time

The situation at the zócalo when we had to stop. It calls for a new game to finish the final skirmish in the streets...

Mexican Artillery

These are the last Mexicans painted for the battle at casa Phollohombre next week. They are ready to shoot at anything that comes into range (and yes guys I will finally use my new set of dice). I look forward to the game and to see what the others of our group come up with but I will definitely post an AAR and some pictures of their troops as well.
I did not want to paint a gun at this time so I just grabbed one from a Nap Bavarian army for the pictures. If all goes well we plan another game for the Mexicans next year and I'll be back painting the Cazadores and some other minis (Texians) of the excellent Boothill Miniatures range.
More pictures and the complete Mexican gallery over here

Mexican Dismounted Cavalry

Before I start speed painting for the Annual Painting Challenge over at Curt's place I'm finishing up some more Mexican units for our Xmas game. These guys will be defending casa Phollohombre so I won't need them mounted this time. If the game and period proves fun I'll paint the mounded figs as well.  Next up some artillery to help them out.
Again Boothill Miniatures, and once more they are awesome sculpts..

Eureka Miniatures Early French Battalion

Officer for Sharpe Practice games

Done... This first Napoleonic Early French  battalion kicks off a new long term project. I wanted to do an early French army for a long time and when some guys from the group had their eye on the Russians and Austrians last year this new project was born very quickly. My plan is to paint seven or so of these Eureka battalions. While initially painted for the Wars of the Third Coalition I will allow them to join the later army up to 1807 and use them with little modification for the Revolutionary wars in Europe and Egypt. So these battalions will give me a great base to expand on and paint up theatre specific units for the various armies in the future.

No Voltigeurs, Flag changed...ready to disembark in Alexandria

The Eureka miniatures are just fantastic. I've said this before on other manufacturers but the reason is I pick my minis very carefully these days. This French are really a different level with so many different figures full of character in the range. Even for this marching unit I needed just a few doubles. And the quality is superb. No mould lines, flash, broken bayonets or other annoying defects I still experience with other popular manufacturers. On top of that the sculpts have a great definition which helps painting greatly. They are somewhat pricey though, especially in Europe. I've ordered in the USA and another batch for pickup at Salute to reduce costs a bit.
Finally customer service from Eureka USA ans Australia was excellent so what can I say? I'm a happy customer..
Flags are from GMB Design. 

Not sure when I will paint the next battalion. Hopefully another one this year but I need to finish the Mexican skirmish force first for a game in December. January we go back to ACW to prepare our Gettysburg refight in July.

Beja rebased

I'm breaking my own rule here. I hate rebasing and I don't think any ruleset  should dictate me how to exactly base my figures but in this case I make a very rare exception. Only because I really didn't like how they turned out at first but more importantly, as you will read below, they deserved it.
I painted those three years back and I remembered well how quick you can actually finish them. Think I spent 2 or 3 evenings and they were all done. Problem then was we had a game the day after my third evening so at one at night I grabbed some bases, dipped them in GW Sand and considered them done.
I should probably do it more often because this mob is by far the most successful unit I have ever gamed with. Everyone in our club still remembers how they drove off the British and captured the fortified town in a heroic assault (thanks TFL for the Riot in the town card). This all in the first ten minutes of the battle.
Next Sunday we have a Sudan game again and the expectations for these brave beja are very high. So to help them with their new status I provided them with new new bases. It also helps that all the others use this basing as well. I think my tactic will be to hide them amongst all their brothers to only jump out to deliver the final blow and steal the fame once more. 

Anyway, on to the pictures. I know to be really impressive you need a lot more (like this angry mob from One man and his brushes) but the sight of them here today will cause the British players for our Sunday game a couple of sleepless nights for sure. Three more days to paint up more gatling guns guys...

This is how they looked

Bases in water

Rebasing was easier than I thought. After I've left the base drowned in water for a couple of days I could remove the figs without any problem.

Boothill Miniatures Mexicans 2

Today the second group of the Mexican skirmish  army I'm currently working on. Again great sculpts from Boothill Miniatures.  For the blue I've used Andrea 2nd shadow as darkest colour which is highlighted by Foundry B and C. Red was done with GW Mechrite as a base and highlighted with Foundry redcoat B and Vallejo Scarlet. Finally black, this was highlighted using Vallejo black grey and Foundry rebel grey A.

Just noticed there is huge difference of the quality of the pictures depending on the computer I use. I know this is due to my own diplay/settings but I'm confused which one is correct, are they blurry or acceptable?