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Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: Plynkes on February 22, 2011, 01:56:35 PM

Title: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Plynkes on February 22, 2011, 01:56:35 PM: I was privileged to play in a couple of games on Frank's amazing Sudan table at the weekend. We've all seen loads of photos already, but in case you've not had enough of them, here are some more. I teamed up with fellow LAFer Remington as the Brits, and some fellows he knew took the role of the Mahdists (there was a little trash-talking between them, which added to the fun). We were in the capable(?) hands of rule-writer and all-round main man Driscoles as GM.

The photos aren't brilliant, but I only had a little pocket travel camera. They'll do, considering.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/1TheBritishLine.jpg)
Our task was to protect a hilltop heliograph station from attack by the angry locals. I kind of see it as like those protests you get these days when a mobile phone tower is going to be built near a school, or when they want a wind farm near some beauty spot. Damn NIMBYs! Don't they realise the heliograph station has to go somewhere, and it's for their own benefit?!!

To keep the NIMBYs out we had two units of Tommies, one of Jack Tars, and a Gatling gun. Driscoles kept calling it a Gardner gun, but it clearly isn't. I thought antagonising the GM by correcting him in public while the game was running was a very bad idea if I wanted to get any favourable rules interpretations (however, doing it on the LAF a few days later carries no risk at all :P :)). We formed a line on the hillside, one flank anchored on the river, another protected by a ravine. It seemed a strong position, as our deployment only gave the enemy one tactical option: charge headlong into our guns.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/1bGunboat.jpg)
We also had some fire support from Admiral Benbow's rather wonderful steamer.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/2TheBritishLine2.jpg)
The Dervish attack began, and they soon started falling like ninepins to the disciplined VOLLEY FIRE! of the Brits' Martinis.

You have to have singing in a British colonial battle, especially if a Welshman is present...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/3VolleyFireb.jpg)
The first wave were getting close, but their casualties were horrendous.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/4Notsomany.jpg)
Not so many as there were a while ago. But at this point disaster struck. The Gatling jammed! Being a smart-arse who has read the rules I pointed out to Driscoles that as we had a full crew compliment I was entitled to a re-roll. My re-roll made things worse: The damn thing was now jammed, broken, out of ammo, kaputt, and possibly out of warranty too.

We tried contacting customer support via the heliograph, but all their operators were busy, and we were asked to wait while they flashed some Vivaldi at us.

It wouldn't be firing again for a while. Or, well, ever.

Bugger.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/5Chargeb.jpg)
The actual singing on the day was provided by Björn's rendition of The British Grenadiers. It was pretty good, actually.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/6Chargehitshome.jpg)
The first wave had been blown away, but they had shielded their comrades in the second wave from our fire with their bodies. They smashed against the left-hand end of our line with most of their strength intact.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/7TheendofDarcy.jpg)
The British unit fought valiantly, but was drowned in the Dervish tide. Captain Remington Darcy fought on alone, and showed us how an Englishman can die. The character-building hours spent on the Cricket fields of England had not been wasted. He did not shame his kind.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/8Desperatefight.jpg)
A gaping hole had been smashed in our line, and the Dervishes poured through it.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/9Gatlingoverrun.jpg)
Next the silent Gatling was overwhelmed. There was no way to stop them taking the heliograph and smashing it to bits now. The day was lost. A great disaster in the grand British colonial tradition. Excellent fun, and as I said already, a privilege to play on such a smashing table with a bunch of cool guys.

Got one more game to show, I'll post some pics a bit later...
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Phil Robinson on February 22, 2011, 02:09:02 PM: Brilliant, just posted on Driscoles thread too, I am very envious, though not of the outcome for you.
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Aaron on February 22, 2011, 02:27:56 PM: Wow, what a well-presented game! Nice AAR, too. lol
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Mr.J on February 22, 2011, 02:34:12 PM: That looks like a lot of fun! Very jealous of you guys! Great report too.
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Malamute on February 22, 2011, 03:20:30 PM: Great stuff. ;D :-* Wish I had been there :'(
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Traveler Man on February 22, 2011, 03:52:41 PM: Lovely stuff! :-* Likewise, I don't envy you the result! Very nice to see the esteemed Admiral's gunboat in action too!
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Hammers on February 22, 2011, 04:02:17 PM: Lovely. Lovely, lovely,lovely. The board is beautiful to start with but noone puts the garnish on top like Dylan.
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: chicklewis on February 22, 2011, 06:22:17 PM: I REALLY admire the paint on the Fuzzies. Spectacularly good.

Nice game report, and the photos were good enough that I felt I was watching a video !

Chick
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Colonel Tubby on February 22, 2011, 06:53:15 PM: Great board and figures. The game looked great fun from the AAR!
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: James Morris on February 22, 2011, 07:12:41 PM: Awesome, and inspiring. I look forward to taking the time to read through all the reports in detail.
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Remington on February 22, 2011, 08:02:31 PM: Oh, we did not shame Queen or Country (too much) and died valiantly indeed! :) Mr. Darsy was a bit of a pansy, but he fought three times longer than expected, taking some of the savages (or "The good guys" as Plynkes called them :D) with him. Sadly, the enemy tide proved to be unstoppable.

Stunningly funny AAR, Plynkes. It reflects the nature of that game completely. The trash talk was indeed quite fun, although mainly in German (and partly expressed mainly in WWI propaganda mottoes by our adversary Jörg! :P The knowledge his brain collects is indeed curious! :) ), and is the natural way we game here in Darmstadt, albeit on a smaller field. :) It was an amazing pleasure to play on such a stunning table with all the great people around it!

VOOOOOLLEY FIIIIREEE! (Which silly me decided to scream across the room while the table was being filmed by an online magazine! D'oh!)
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Ray Rivers on February 22, 2011, 08:06:39 PM: :-*

Well there was no doubt from the buildup that this board was going to see some great gaming.

Glad you guys had a great time and I DO wish I had been there.
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Silent Invader on February 22, 2011, 08:12:42 PM: I really enjoy an AAR by Plynkes! Both lol and 8) and :-*
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: traveller on February 22, 2011, 08:22:54 PM: Nice nonsense! :-* :-* :-*
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: zuluwar on February 22, 2011, 09:39:50 PM: great great great great painting :-* :-* :-*

specialy the fuzzy wuzzy

gerard
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: gamer Mac on February 23, 2011, 10:25:20 AM: Great report Plynkes
You lucky bugger getting to play on that table.
Could only dream of gong all the way to Germany to play games :'(
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: thejammedgatling on February 23, 2011, 02:01:41 PM: good to see some Sudan back on the forum..looking forward to getting back into this as my major project of 2012

nice tables and figures
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: HerbyF on February 25, 2011, 12:21:26 AM: Love the pictures. One of my favorite periods. Just played a Sudan game myself last Saturday.
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Gluteus Maximus on February 25, 2011, 08:02:44 PM: Wonderfully entertaining and funny report as usual!

Well done to our German friends for putting on such a visually stunning game. Figures and terrain are absolutely superb :-*

I just can't help loving the Sudan ;D
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Admiral Benbow on February 25, 2011, 10:32:50 PM: Plynkes, you have been at the Tactica and we didn't meet? How's that?
:o
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Plynkes on February 25, 2011, 10:51:26 PM: I knew there was someone remaining I meant to seek out and say hello to. Slipped my mind, and my exit on Sunday was rather hurried and so I forgot.* Sorry, man.

*I wasn't being pursued by the law or anything like that, don't worry.
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Smokeyrone on February 27, 2011, 04:37:53 PM: Great stuff.
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Remington on February 27, 2011, 06:39:21 PM: Quote from: Bezzo on February 25, 2011, 11:06:49 PM
Dodgy curry.....?

In Germany the dodginess would probably come from a Kebab. :D We don't do curry that much (which is a pity).
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Gluteus Maximus on February 27, 2011, 08:42:43 PM: Quote from: Remington on February 27, 2011, 06:39:21 PM
In Germany the dodginess would probably come from a Kebab. :D We don't do curry that much (which is a pity).

I do love the sauce you put on Currywurst. Not really curry as such but still delicious - and sadly apparently impossible to get here in the UK :'(

I've had some dodgy wurst in my time which will do the job as well as a dodgy curry lols
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Plynkes on February 27, 2011, 08:47:13 PM: (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/Wurst.jpg)

Sunday - late afternoon/early evening, Hamburg airport. Just to make Malamute jealous. Fizzy booze, too. :D
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Gluteus Maximus on February 27, 2011, 09:00:24 PM: I love the way they put a sprig of lettuce on to give the appearance of healthy eating lol
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Hammers on February 27, 2011, 09:01:04 PM: Quote from: Plynkes on February 27, 2011, 08:47:13 PM
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/Wurst.jpg)

Sunday - late afternoon/early evening, Hamburg airport. Just to make Malamute jealous. Fizzy booze, too. :D

He's classy, our Plynkes. Champagne, currywurst and pocket watch. :)
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Remington on February 27, 2011, 10:32:15 PM: And he actually wears and uses that clock. It did surprise me. It does look fancy though. :)

@Gluteus Maximus

Try your local Aldi or Lidl, GM. They some times have a tiny corner of German products in their fridges. The sauce is more or less just ketchup with some curry powder on top. A friend of mine heats the ketchup in a pot and puts the curry into the pot before serving when he does his "homemade" currywurst.
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Helen on February 28, 2011, 12:18:12 AM: Thank you Dylan, lovely report and well done the Mahdist!

Cheers,

Helen
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Gluteus Maximus on February 28, 2011, 07:37:08 AM: :D Thanks!

Quote from: Remington on February 27, 2011, 10:32:15 PM
Try your local Aldi or Lidl, GM. They some times have a tiny corner of German products in their fridges. The sauce is more or less just ketchup with some curry powder on top. A friend of mine heats the ketchup in a pot and puts the curry into the pot before serving when he does his "homemade" currywurst.
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Totleben on February 28, 2011, 08:47:50 AM: Play up! play up! and play the game!
lol
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Wirelizard on March 04, 2011, 04:32:32 AM: If this is nonsense, we should all aspire to nonsense of this level!

Awesome terrain, great figures, a stonking AAR with good photos... very, very nice.

And of course Capt. Dashing-Twitt showed Johnny Foreigner how a British officer dies. Bloody good!
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Plynkes on March 05, 2011, 03:56:14 PM: Some pics from another Sudan game at Tactica...

This scenario was a more open one, involving a British patrol searching for a water source, while those pesky Mahdists did their level best to stop them. It gave us more scope for maneuver and tactics than the stand-up fight that the previous one was. I was on the Ansar side this time.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/10HandofGod.jpg)
"Don't stand there gawping like you've never seen the hand of God before!"

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/11JackTarsadvance.jpg)
Camel Corps scouts and sailors cautiously advance.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/12MahdistAdvance.jpg)
Dervishes everywhere!

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/13BejaCharge.jpg)
"Here they come, boys! Wait for it, wait for it... ...Fire!"

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/14Bejafight.jpg)
"Shit! They're still coming!"

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/15Anothercombat.jpg)
"Argggh!!! They're STILL coming!" (Don't worry, viewers, the boys in grey did for them)

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/16CamelCorps.jpg)
The Camel boys advance towards a rumoured well site.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/17CamelCorpsretreat.jpg)
And then run away like girls at the first sign of some Dervishes.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/18Keepawayfromourwells.jpg)
"Go on, bugger off! It's our bloody water!"

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/19ClifftopVantagePoint.jpg)
A good vantage point.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/20SandHippo.jpg)
Tremors V: Attack of the Sand Hippos!

Driscoles thought such crowd-pleasing Pulp touches were a good idea to bring in the crowds. Hmmm... ;)

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/21LookingDownontheFoe.jpg)
Under fire in the canyon.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/22AnotherFight.jpg)
More gruesome melee.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/23WhenAnimalsAttack.jpg)
When Animals Attack! Hippos vs. Croc. Who will win? Bet now!

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/24DickBlunt.jpg)
Dick Blunt meets a sticky end.

The Brits failed to secure a water supply and so the Dervish players won the game. Mostly due to my general, all-round brilliantness (I think I can safely say that, as I don't think the chap I was teamed with is a LAFer). lol

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Tactica/25GrimmPasha.jpg)
Grimm Pasha, or possibly the ghost of Tommy Cooper.
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Gluteus Maximus on March 05, 2011, 08:07:14 PM: Grimm in a tarboosh! :o Priceless lol

Another beautiful game and what terrain! Absolutely gorgeous. Well done to all involved and for letting Plynkes win. That was a nice touch.

I'm so depressed at not getting to play in either Sudan game :'(
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Driscoles on March 06, 2011, 06:42:13 AM: Thanks for posting the waterhole scenario Pynkes !
Your report is great and your gaming was really brilliant.
:)
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Bugsda on March 06, 2011, 10:24:23 PM: Oh! Beloveds, now I will not get to pray in the mosques of Cairo and Pecham lol

Great shots, even the Grimm Tommy Cooper 8)
Title: Re: Some More Sudan Tactica Nonsense
Post by: Frank on March 07, 2011, 02:40:51 PM: Love your pictures and the report...these hippo vs. crocodil and Grimm Pasha...you must have had a good time. lol