Atlantis campaign begins...

[Red Orc]

Dr De'Ath; as per the PM, that sounds like a pretty damn Atlantean game to me - and way to go with your sneak piratical landing! Love the telegram, that's ace. Don't know about how to handle battle reports, to be honest. One thread with all the bat reps in (yours first, obviously) is what I'm thinking at the moment. Does it need to be a sticky? I don't know, honestly I've never done this before, I'm making it all up as I go along.

Bullshott; also well done on being involved in the first battle, and I love the little snippets from Ivor Pencil that you're giving us. More information about Atlantis and Atlanteans for all participants will be posted in this thread soon, I hope some of it will be useful to you.

Malamute; do we need a sticky? If you think that will help, that's fine.

Everyone; I hope you're all enjoying this as much as I am! And if I owe you a PM I'm sorry I'll get back to you soon - not a map; I now hate maps, which have been a passion of mine for about 35 years; but they are coming, honestly; this should be the one that most of you on the west coast have seen already...



... and I can reveal without any fear of contradiction, that Bullshott has landed at "+1" (now named 'Port Harrison'), Jimbibbly at "+2" and Dewbakuk at "#6". Malamute's location is a closely guarded secret (sadly also from him, sorry Malamute, I'm on it), and Thunderchicken is still at sea, we think.

More to follow.

[Malamute]

Malamute; do we need a sticky? If you think that will help, that's fine.

Its probably easier to have it sticky for future reference. So when we get the first Battle report I'll do the necessary.

 Malamute's location is a closely guarded secret (sadly also from him, sorry Malamute, I'm on it), and Thunderchicken is still at sea, we think.

No change there for Thunderchicken

[Doc Twilight]

Well, perhaps he's moved that "Solo Wargaming Convention" to the fleet at sea;)

Rest assured that the KuK Flotte is on its way as well... just as soon as we get logistics sorted out. And our logistics are famously... err..
Well, at least the food is good.

-Doc

[Red Orc]

...
Rest assured that the KuK Flotte is on its way as well... just as soon as we get logistics sorted out. And our logistics are famously... err..
Well, at least the food is good...

   damned German inefficiency... but hurrah for dumplings and pickled cabbage!

----------------------------------------------

As people have been asking about the Atlanteans (those of you who've met any yet) here are some snippets culled from recent PMs:

"The town is something like an Egyptian or Mayan/Aztec city - some big temples and other public buildings, and lots of wooden huts. The general dress of the inhabitants strikes you as 'ancient' but beyond that it's difficult to say. Loincloths, cloaks, tunics, kilts and robes are all common, colours are generally white or off-white for the clothes closest to the body, richer colours for outerwear. Egyptian Greek (Mycenean or Classical) or Aztec minis would all be suitable I would have thought..."

Subsequently, we also thought that Inca minis would also be a good representation, as long as it was clear that weapons were generally metal, rather than stone.

The Atlanteans have all of the weapons you mentioned (spears, bows, swords). Predominantly the city-dwellers use iron, though armour is rare. An 'army would be probably 60% peasant militia types with spear and shield (often wicker) or sword and shield. Armour little to none. Some elite heavy infantry in armour, with a variety of weapons; some archer, sling man or javellin support units. Odd leader types may be in chariots (more common in the south, not so much where you are). Cavalry, horse archers, lightly-armoured lancers... a bit Alanic or Hunnish maybe in these more northern areas...

'Sling man' support units I have decided could optionally be bolas-using units instead. There are some very nice South American ones; Foundry and Outpost apparently do suitable ranges for some of the support units, particularly the bolas-guys and some of the elite infantry (unarmoured, sadly). Bullshott has some pics, as I don't have the savvy to copy them here, I hope he'll post them.

"...But in general terms, any lightly-armoured (leather or quilted) or unarmoured (tunic or bare-chested) mini with spear (of any length from 4-8') and a preferably square/rectangular shield; or with a sword (stright or curved) with a similar shield, should be OK..."

On the 'elite infantry', they guard the Atlanteans' many temples and wear 'big hats'...

"...The elite troops seem to be attached to temples - they wear different colours and carry different weapons (mostly pole-axe types but some mace types too) depending on what temple they're from. There do not seem to be many of them, perhaps 10-20 connected to each of the ... temples...

'Big hats' are like conical helms (generally in bronze, gold, or silver) and have lateral crests generally from ear to ear - sometimes these crests are decorated to resemble feathers or foliage, or with geometric designs. Elite troops wear them, though the decoration is not so elaborate. The largest - with the biggest crests that is, the helm-size is pretty constant - are those of the most venerable priests. .."

"... the Temple Guards wear either chain or breastplates ... but getting Incas with chainmail is going to be hard.... if you have a stack of chainmail bodies and Egyptian arms lying about (well, you might have) then Bob's your uncle..."

Further, on war and technology:

"... Two things I haven't told you about yet though are the living statues from the temples (equivalent to modern walkers/war-robots, in ancient terms golems or enchanted guardians), and the hand-held energy guns that most temples have a couple of, equivalent to whatever firepower is going up against them (lasers, winchester rifles... whatever is necessary to balance out the forces)... about a dozen temple gunners and an Atlantean war-robot or two are on the cards eventually..."

"...a man in a long white robe and a big hat comes to the quay to wave his arms and chant; he's got a guard of a dozen blokes with him, several hangers on with big hats (they look like they might be the town council), and, which is amazing to your expedition, a large walker of their own, seemingly manufactured out of bronze...

Of course no-one can understand each other; but they don't actually seem hostile, more surprised. They offer you food and trinkets on black ebony trays..."

On the Atlanteans in general: "...there are two different ethnic groups in Atlantis, a 'European' group in the north who arrived 10,000 years ago from Spain (local time, about 20,000 years our time) and a 'South American' group who arrived about 5,000 years ago (local time).

The city has been founded by the southern group as a northern outpost; the population is ethnically mixed, because neither group is particularly racist, but the southerners are considered culturally more developed (cities, proper farming and whatnot); the northerners are more nomadic and hunter-gathery (they're the horsemen on the whole, the southerners go in for chariots more). So in the city there's a lot of southern (central/south American type) influence that isn't there so much in the countryside round about..."

Hope these notes (mostly from conversations with Bullshott) are useful to anyone wanting to model Atlanteans.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Last thing is a general announcement that the storms battering the Atlantean coasts for the last week or so have finally slackened off; the skies, especially, are clear enough for aeronefs and balloons to take to the skies once again.

And, yes, your maps are coming, slowly... the order for getting maps at present is Answer; Bullshott; Dewbakuk; Christian; and Mors, if you want to contact me telling me what you want to do 9and me to do), that would be grand.

[Bullshott]

"The town is something like an Egyptian or Mayan/Aztec city - some big temples and other public buildings, and lots of wooden huts. The general dress of the inhabitants strikes you as 'ancient' but beyond that it's difficult to say. Loincloths, cloaks, tunics, kilts and robes are all common, colours are generally white or off-white for the clothes closest to the body, richer colours for outerwear. Egyptian Greek (Mycenean or Classical) or Aztec minis would all be suitable I would have thought..."

Subsequently, we also thought that Inca minis would also be a good representation, as long as it was clear that weapons were generally metal, rather than stone.

The Atlanteans have all of the weapons you mentioned (spears, bows, swords). Predominantly the city-dwellers use iron, though armour is rare. An 'army would be probably 60% peasant militia types with spear and shield (often wicker) or sword and shield. Armour little to none. Some elite heavy infantry in armour, with a variety of weapons; some archer, sling man or javellin support units. Odd leader types may be in chariots (more common in the south, not so much where you are). Cavalry, horse archers, lightly-armoured lancers... a bit Alanic or Hunnish maybe in these more northern areas...

'Sling man' support units I have decided could optionally be bolas-using units instead. There are some very nice South American ones; Foundry and Outpost apparently do suitable ranges for some of the support units, particularly the bolas-guys and some of the elite infantry (unarmoured, sadly). Bullshott has some pics, as I don't have the savvy to copy them here, I hope he'll post them.

"...But in general terms, any lightly-armoured (leather or quilted) or unarmoured (tunic or bare-chested) mini with spear (of any length from 4-8') and a preferably square/rectangular shield; or with a sword (stright or curved) with a similar shield, should be OK..."

On the 'elite infantry', they guard the Atlanteans' many temples and wear 'big hats'...

"...The elite troops seem to be attached to temples - they wear different colours and carry different weapons (mostly pole-axe types but some mace types too) depending on what temple they're from. There do not seem to be many of them, perhaps 10-20 connected to each of the ... temples...

'Big hats' are like conical helms (generally in bronze, gold, or silver) and have lateral crests generally from ear to ear - sometimes these crests are decorated to resemble feathers or foliage, or with geometric designs. Elite troops wear them, though the decoration is not so elaborate. The largest - with the biggest crests that is, the helm-size is pretty constant - are those of the most venerable priests. .."

"... the Temple Guards wear either chain or breastplates ... but getting Incas with chainmail is going to be hard.... if you have a stack of chainmail bodies and Egyptian arms lying about (well, you might have) then Bob's your uncle..."

These figures from Outpost Wargame Services give the general concept of the Atlantean troops, as discussed with Red Orc:

Levy/city guard spearmen (the bulk of an army):


Skirmishers:


Elites (could do with more armour, but otherwise close enough):


Now all we need is a figure for the temple guardian automata! Anyone know of good Aztec-style statues?

[Dewbakuk]

Now all we need is a figure for the temple guardian automata! Anyone know of good Aztec-style statues?

Unfortunately not. But give me some time.......

[Malamute]

Those Atlanteans look like the sort of chaps who will serve the British Empire admirably.
Her Majesty(Gaud Bless 'Er) looks forward to welcoming them to the fold

[Doc Twilight]

Hmm.. Atlantean Sepoys eh?

I think I'm going to try to use some of the Pulp Figures German Seebattalion to create my Austro-Hungarian tropical kit troops. They are generic enough, and they are very nice sculpts, indeed. In addition, they have the advantage of having support troops (such as Maxims, which the Austrians started using in an early form during the 1870s).

http://pulpfigures.com/cat.php?range=Germans&catalog=PGS&custID=692331362301263373885

I'm thinking the troops in pith helmets, specifically. Would probably not be able to use the Feldmutz types, but the others seem doable. Just curious about what you guys think. I have some leftover from my Wahehe War project that look like they'd fit the bill just fine.


-Doc

[Dewbakuk]

The Seebattalion should work fine. The packs bother me a little but as it's an expeditionary force it's easily waved off.

The maxim would need a new tripod though, however given that the early tripods were just three rather long poles that's incredibly easy to do.

[Malamute]

Hmm.. Atlantean Sepoys eh?

I think I'm going to try to use some of the Pulp Figures German Seebattalion to create my Austro-Hungarian tropical kit troops. They are generic enough, and they are very nice sculpts, indeed. In addition, they have the advantage of having support troops (such as Maxims, which the Austrians started using in an early form during the 1870s).

http://pulpfigures.com/cat.php?range=Germans&catalog=PGS&custID=692331362301263373885

I'm thinking the troops in pith helmets, specifically. Would probably not be able to use the Feldmutz types, but the others seem doable. Just curious about what you guys think. I have some leftover from my Wahehe War project that look like they'd fit the bill just fine.


-Doc

They are nice figures, I pondered over adding them to my VSF Prussian Colonial force. I think they will work ok. I rather like the feldmutz look, but pith helmets are as you say more appropriate.
I already have the Maxim gun and did not rework the tripod. 

[Dewbakuk]

I already have the Maxim gun and did not rework the tripod. 

Ooooh, and you with your 'must not use WW1' stance!

[Malamute]

Ooooh, and you with your 'must not use WW1' stance!

Who me
 I justify it by saying they are 'pulp' not WW1

[Dewbakuk]

Unfortunately not. But give me some time.......

Okay, I should be working on SO many other things given that we have a game at the end of Feb and the only thing finished in my force is one walker.... However I don't have enough cowboys with rifles to make units (stupid number of pistol armed figures *grumble grumble*) and no money to buy more right now and the tools needed to work on my vehicles can't be used with a 2yr old running around and painting is just asking for trouble!

So, I find that I may be able to make a living statue after all. I have a couple of reference pics etc and have two styles in mind, a big hulking man-like statue and a 4 legged Jaguar style. I'm thinking twice the height of a man for the hulking one  and almost man height to the shoulder of the Jaguar.

What do you think? Sizes about right?

[Malamute]

So, I find that I may be able to make a living statue after all. I have a couple of reference pics etc and have two styles in mind, a big hulking man-like statue and a 4 legged Jaguar style. I'm thinking twice the height of a man for the hulking one  and almost man height to the shoulder of the Jaguar.

What do you think? Sizes about right?

Sounds about right to me.
Is anyone bringing any Atlanteans to the game?

[Dewbakuk]

Sounds about right to me.
Is anyone bringing any Atlanteans to the game?

No idea. I'll make these with resin casting in mind so IF they come out okay they can get cast for people who want them.