Arrived at Elko, Nevada

Well it is done. After 9 fruitful but also stressful years in Turkey, I have returned to the US. The family will follow in September. I am now at Elko, Nevada, and there is quite a gaming scene, supporing two game clubs/shops (XP Games and Troll Cave) plus a good comic books/game store (Frank and Fred Comics and Cards). I am not able to fully enjoy them as I lack a car, and while the two is fairly walkable, they are a bit beyond a brisk 15-20 minute walk from my place. Miniature Gaming wise, it does seem that most people play GW games, mainly 40k and AoS which I am not fond off. But on the other hand a chance to meet people and who knows, maybe get some of them to try historicals or historical themed fantasy (Saga). If you stumble on tbe blog and are a wargamer looking for something else than GW, leave a commnent.

Visit to the Battlefield of 1st and 2nd Inonu (Bozuyuk-Avgin-Kovalitsa)

 This Monday I had the chance with Onur and Nacho to visit the battlefield were the Battles of 1st Inonu/Bozuyuk and 2nd Inonu/Avgin-Kovalitsa took place during the 1919-1922 Greece-Turkey War (Asia Minor Campaign/Turkish War of Liberation).

You can see a video mainly in English from my visit here

You can see a video mainly in Greek from my visit here

Photos with descriptive labels and the information posters I used to orient myself (click for larger images)

BBB Champion Hill 1862

 After a very very long time, I got to play a game of BBB with Nacho. We ran Vincent Tsao's Champion Hill 1862 scenario. We used my old 10mm ACW Pendraken  collection (now gifted to Nacho) .

We had a blast, once more appreciating what a great operational level system BBB is for 19th century, early 20th Century gaming. I commanded the Union and Nacho the Rebels. I lost too much time with traffic jams, and then his unit on Champion Hill proved more stubborn than historically, while Bowen's unit held fast forcing my lines back. In the end I took the hill, but could not push on for more objectives. A good balanced scenario. Losses were comparable for both sides, about the equivalent of ten thousand men, but of course this will be more heavy for the smaller Rebel army.

The Table set up 

Union reinforcements

The table during action

Another action shot

 

The Table at the end of the game 

With the front line in red. Union is to the bottom of the picture.

Various action shots!

Some more wargaming Might and Reason

 Our monthly game with Nacho and Onur two weeks ago was a battle pitting early 18th century Ottomans and Hpasburg Imperials in a game of Might and Reason. It ended in an Imperial victory over the Ottomans in what was mainly a learning game.  Figures were 1/72, a collection of Zvezda, Mars, and Strelets

A Character for my friend Nacho's upcoming TRPG "Magic and Phoenix: Chronicles of the 4th Age"

 I created a character for my friend Nacho's upcoming TRPG "Magic and Phoenix: Chronicles of the 4th Age". Right now most information is in Spanish, but he is also working on a English translation

Gaming and Painting Update

 Praise the hellish move. My wife relaxed our harsh (but needed) covid protection measures and I was able to play again last Sunday at Nahco's. 

1st Game: Lasalle II 6mm game pitting my 6mm Prussias vs. my 6mm French. A good fun game even if I lost. (Pictures below)

2n Game: WAB 2 game using Nacho's 28mm Macedonians and Persians. I lost again. I did have fun, though it hit me how primitive WAB felt after years of Too Fat Lardies, and Sam Mustafa games. DBA does not give that feeling or primitive. But WAB did. Happy to play with Nacho who knows the rules by heart, but not something I would invest time in (Pictures below)

I also completed my painting projects finishing my 28mm Old Man's Creations Greek Revolution figures (Pictures below).

First proper face to face miniature wargame in two years

My hard work during our unplanned, costly, eventful apartment move, led my wife to agree to let me play a proper face to face miniature war-game as a reward. So me and my good friend Nacho arranged for me to go over to his place (with its proper large table) and play finally a game of Liber Militum Tercios with our fully painted armies. I brought my 28mm English New Model Army, and he arrayed a Holy Roman Empire force. So a proper Protestant vs. Catholic battle with the proper banter. 

The forces and initial dispositions 

  

 

I went for the aggressive tactics I believe are proper for a New Model army. I advanced along all my line. To keep a long story short, the battle developed with furious fast action on the cavalry flanks, with both sides scoring kills. I was slowly pushed back, but my better discipline permitted me to rest my units and counter-attack. At the center, around the hill a proper grinding infantry battle developed, which the imperials got the better of it. The dice in general were not in my favor, but I was able to gain a Pyrrhic Victory, That said we tested one more turn, and if we had played it Nacho would had won. A great game, and it was nice to see these armies meet in their full splendor.