Tactica Review (2) - Tremendous Tables

Last week I introduced the we brought to Tactica but this week I want to focus on a couple of the excellent tables other people presented. As the years before there were some awesome pieces of craftsmanship and as the years before I wasn't able to take good pictures of each and every of them. Thus I do honestly recommend you search the internet for other Tactica reports to get a complete impression of the whole show.

Anway here we go...

Eladan's wonderful winter table for SAGA 'Game of Thrones'

Winter is coming ! 

Möckern... Napoleonics with 'Black Powder'

A very nice WW2 winter table

Germans approaching.

Great Northern War; unfortunately I don't remember the rules.

A dungeon across several levels.

Saint-Aubin-Sur-Mer behind Juno and Sword Beach. Rules were 'Behind Omaha'.

Gliders behind the city. Actually part of the force attacking the Merville battery.

Paper soldiers.

Designed by Peter Dennis.

A modular ship acting as stage for a cinematic 'Black Ops' game.

Silent death...

The agends entered the belly of the ship to rescue a couple of hostages.

And had to explore two lower decks.

On the first floor there was a theme room presenting 40 years of wargaming history in Germany. Several contributors brought an interesting collection of wargaming stuff and models from the early 1960s until today:

Well known GW games from the golden 90s.

Molds for DIY figures. My start into metal miniatures as well...

Our club fellow Kalle explaining 1960s game 'Romans vs. Carthagians'

Besides meeting old friends and making new ones Tactica is always a great chance for playing. It's two days offer plenty of time to try a couple of game but nevertheless during the last years I never found the time to take this chance. This year I was lucky enough to have some free time on Sunday morning and joined a Sudan game the Kurpfalz Feldherren presented. They used the rules of 'This very Ground' and create an interesting and thrilling scenario:

This British caravan had to reach a small supply point. It was accompanied by a unit Camel Corps.

But of course there were more Brits in the supply point. Their player decided to leave his camp to guard the caravan.

But we incited our Mhadist troops to make short shrift with those disbelievers.

Fierce fighting broke out and took many lives on either side.

But finally some of my troops stormed the barricades and achieved victory for us.

As you see it was a tremendous weekend again. I had a really great time with my friends and enjoyed the show even more then the years before. It was priceless to see old friends again and make new once. Especially meeting Michael aka. Dalauppror was a great pleasure. Although there are eleven months to come I'm already looking forward to Tactica 2018 !

Tactica Review (1) - The Battle of Aboukir

Once again this blog fell silent for a couple of weeks. Again my apologies for but my reason was just since I had to concentrate all my hobby time on finishing my share of our game for Tactica wargaming show namely one unit of redcoats, a rowing boat with 38 figures and a British gunboat. From time to time I didn't believe that I'd make it but delayed holiday, sleep deficiency and negligence of household duties do miracles sometimes. In this context I cannot praise Mrs Monty's patience enough!

Anyway somehow everything was done and finished by Thursday evening and so I set sail to Hamburg on Friday morning with a bag full of miniatures. As I mentioned a couple of times we prepared a game to recreate the Battle of Aboukir which took place on 8th March 1801. From the morning fog there were British landing crafts emerging that told of the advancing landing force under command of Sir Ralph Abercrombie. He brought 17,000 troops to breeze out the French but those are ready to fight their last stand as hard as possible. Once again after Nelson's famous naval victory and after a failed Ottoman landing operation in 1799 the fate of the Orient is decided at Aboukir.

The initial setup with the French on the beach and the British advancing by sea.

28th for Aboukir: First sestet done

This time it's really late that I throw my hat into the ring during our painting challenge but actually I've been hoping to be able to present my interpretation of the 28th Regiment of Foot at Aboukir as a whole. However currently I'm somehow smack in the middle and the deadline for the mandatory first post is coming closer. Thus I have to bring some fellows of the unfinished unit before your critical eyes:

So these are the first five men for the centre companies of the 28th Regiment of Foot during their mission in Egypt in 1801. The figure are actually pieces from the Napoleonic plastics the Perry twin are producing but I severely converted them with parts from several other boxes and some greenstuff. This was of course work from before the challenge but in case that you're interested in it have a look at this post here.

However I decided to go for a rather late version of the uniform worn at Aboukir. For that reason the soldiers are wearing those whitish overalls over their breeches and gaiters. On the one hand I found a picture of this kind of dress in the Osprey book about Napoleon's campaign in Egypt and on the other hand I wanted some figures reusable for the later Peninsular campaign. For that I'll create an alternative command group but have the remaining 21 figures versatile.

Anyway we'll need those chaps for our presentation game at Tactica show in February so I have my hands full with painting them. In addition I'm planning to have a version of the unit on board of a landing craft. A bunch of work for a slow painter like me...

Anyway I hope you like those first impressions. Unfortunately I too those pictures before finishing the bases and didn't find to take new ones during the last days. But upon my word I covered them with sand and painted and highlighted them with three shades of sandy colours.

Thanks to 'Santa Clause' and 'Secret Santa'

It was the third year in a row that I participates in the 'Secret Santa' and 'Santa Clause' ventures and once again I received a couple of nice gifts myself. Many thanks to Chris Stoesen as well as to Ian and Cath Willey for organising it again!

From the first Santa I received a nice scratch built barn mainly for my AWI games but more or less suitable for any period from the 18th century. It's an excellent choice because I'm a poor terrain builder equally uninspired and lazy.

The gift from the other project was a box of 15mm figures for Team Yankee. It's a German anti-aircraft infantry unit with 'Fliegerfaust' ground-to-air missile launchers. Together with those generous gifts from Mrs Monty (another Fliegerfaust unit and a Jaguar tank hunter platoon) a splendid addition to my Bunderwehr force.

MANY, MANY THANKS TO BOTH GENEROUS DONORS !

A happy new year!

A happy new year! To you and your dears health, luck and all the very best for 2017!