Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Old West => Topic started by: Malamute on March 26, 2011, 12:52:20 PM
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Yesterday we played our second Sharp Practice game set during the Texas Revolution of 1835-36. Messrs Jim Bibbly, Silent Invader and Captain Blood gathered at my house for another days fun.
The History behind the scenario:
Beginning in October 1835, Texians laid siege to the town of Bejar (San Antonio). The last engagement before the Texians stormed the town came on November 26. On that day, scout Erastus "Deaf" Smith rode into the Texian encampment with the news that Mexican cavalry with pack animals were approaching the town to bring reinforcements to General Martin Perfecto de Cos at the Alamo.
The Texians were eager to stop the reinforcements, and had high hopes that the pack animals were carrying silver coins -- back pay for the Mexican troops. General Edward Burleson sent 40 cavalry under James Bowie and 100 infantry under William H. Jack to stop the reinforcements and seize the supply train.
The two cavalry forces skirmished west of town, with Cos sending infantry to the aid of the supply train. The Texas forces pushed the Mexican troops into the town and seized the supply train of 40 pack animals. The casualties numbered four Texians wounded, three Mexicans dead and 14 wounded.
When the Texians opened the booty carried by the animals, they discovered not silver coins but grass, intended to feed the army animals.
The Game:
Texians: Silent Invader and Captain Blood. Mexicans: Jim Bibbly and myself.
The Texian force was divided into two groups of mounted riflemen, one led by Jim Bowie, the other “Deaf” Smith. They decided to dismount and occupy the rocks on either side of a valley that opened out onto the grass plains on the outskirts of San Antonio.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_10_34_36_1.jpg)
The Mexican players cautiously moved their supply train onto the board escorted by a half company of Presidial lancers and an infantry platoon. The commanding officer Capitano Santiago De La Bibbly moved ahead of his column nervously scanning the surroundings anticipating an ambush.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_10_34_36_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_10_34_37_3.jpg)
Unfortunately he failed to spot the two Texian groups and immediately came under attack from the expert Texian sharpshooters. The Texian plan was to shoot the civilian wagon drivers and drovers thus reducing the vehicles to a standstill.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_10_34_36_2.jpg)
This plan was to prove highly successful with the Mexicans failing to deliver significant damage to the Texians with their musketry who were well protected amongst the rocks above them. Corporal Gomez decided the only option was to take the high ground by force and launched a bayonet charge on “Deaf” Smith’s group. Smith obviously failed to hear the soldados scramble up the rocks and was quickly defeated. Smith just managing to escape the demise of his small command.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_10_34_37_4.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_10_36_25_0.jpg)
On the other side of the valley Jim Bowie was having a much better time, killing all the wagon drivers and also destroying the Presidial group who were unable to get into range with their carbines.
By the time Corporal Gomez had descended the rocks, reformed his platoon and moved across the valley Bowie was able to quickly and efficiently pick off his troops with his superior longer range rifles.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_10_36_25_1.jpg)
With the command decimated Capitano De La Bibbly and Corporal Gomez retired from the field leaving the victorious Texians to their Booty. So the game followed the historical course of events.
Texians painted by Bugsda, the Mexicans By Bugsda and Dave from my collection. Photos by Captain Blood.
Then followed a fictitious full on battle. more photos to follow. :D
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What a beautiful game! Figures, scenery all stunning :-*
The cork-bark rockery is particularly good. Must get my own sorted.
Well done to you and the others. Perfect LAF material.
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Who does the wagons, by the way? Always useful in 19thC games.
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Dixon Miniatures?
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Yep, Calimero is indeed correct the covered wagons are from Dixon Miniatures as are the drivers and oxen. The drivers were converted from Norte Americanos into Mehicanos with head swaps and Greenstuff.
The open cart with load is from Boot Hill Miniatures and the two peons leading the pack mules are by Cannon Fodder Figures available from Blaze Away Miniatures.
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Mein Gott!! What magnificent figures and terrain...! :-*
(Excellent scenario, too!).
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Yep, Calimero is indeed correct the covered wagons are from Dixon Miniatures as are the drivers and oxen. The drivers were converted from Norte Americanos into Mehicanos with head swaps and Greenstuff.
The open cart with load is from Boot Hill Miniatures and the two peons leading the pack mules are by Cannon Fodder Figures available from Blaze Away Miniatures.
Ah, Dixon! I never seem to think of them - must be that I'm scared by all those dreaded pumpkin heads lol
Looking closer at the oxen, I can see the Dixon sculpting style in them.
The wagons are lovely though and well worth getting. The CFM peons fit in very well with the BHM stuff, so also on the list!
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The CFM peons fit in very well with the BHM stuff, so also on the list!
Be warned they are tiny figures and are dwarfed when stood up against Foundry, Artizan and Boot Hill figures. They are even shorter than the orginal Foundry peons sculpted byMark Copplestone from the first Wargames Foundry Wild West range. I bought them on the basis that you can't go wrong with any figures of Mexicans dragging reluctant mules. lol
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Be warned they are tiny figures and are dwarfed when stood up against Foundry, Artizan and Boot Hill figures. They are even shorter than the orginal Foundry peons sculpted byMark Copplestone from the first Wargames Foundry Wild West range. I bought them on the basis that you can't go wrong with any figures of Mexicans dragging reluctant mules. lol
Fair enough - maybe explain them as undernourished or youthful peons :)
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Great report! Minis are beautiful and I really like the look of the hills.
Looking forward to the full on battle report.
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Looks fantastic. The figures and terrain are just beautiful!
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Viva Gomez! Stunning just stunning, im green as a grass fight with envy! Love the wagons in column.
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Another great report with figures and brush work that make me jealous!
Looking forward to the big battle report.
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waiting for the battle report ;-)
very nice pictures, terrain and figurines
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A few additional images of the "Grass Fight" including more of the supply train, Cabo Gomez's fight and Jim Bowie skirmishing with the dismounted Presidiales.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_14_35_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_15_58_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_15_58_1.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_15_58_2.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_15_59_3.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_15_59_4.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_17_26_0.jpg)
Photos and second battle report tomorrow. ;D
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Lovely stuff :-* :-* :-*
Nice to see someone actually playing some games. The LAF seems very quiet at the moment.
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I agree Colin. :? I think everybody is busily painting for the LPL at the moment ???
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Nice to see someone actually playing some games. The LAF seems very quiet at the moment.
I was fortunate enough to get in on the game yesterday..... :D
Great photos of gorgeous figures and terrain.
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What you needed was some New Orleans Greys to beef up the Texian line :D
Brilliant battle report 8) Love them Ox wagons but I've seen the Texians before ;)
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Really gorgeous stuff 8)
www.gallopingmajorwargames.com
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:-*
Lovely terrain and great minis!
It must be good to live close to Nick.
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Amazing looking game - looks like a lot of fun!
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:-*
Lovely terrain and great minis!
It must be good to live close to Nick.
Yes im considering launching a tour company; 'Mamalute tours', reckon we can get coachload or two. We can set up camp in the garden, beer tent....cooked breakfasts etc........
Love some of the serape painting, lovely designs! Hey whats not too like?
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This was just an excuse to push figures around the table and roll lots of dice. No historical background, just a Mexican stand off or not as it turned out...
The initial positions with Messrs Capitano Blood and Cabo Bibbly to the left and Silent "Up and at 'Em" Invader and myself holding the Teixan positions on the right.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_17_26_1.jpg)
My texian cavalry prepare to advance on Blood's soldados.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_17_27_2.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_18_32_0.jpg)
Silent "Up and at 'Em Invader gets carried away and charges his cavalry against Cabo Bibbly's lancers. Ouch! Needless to say they didn't last long....
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_17_28_4.jpg)
Capitano Bloods Soldados advance on the left.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_18_32_1.jpg)
Having made short work of the Texian cavalry Bibbly's lancers go on to charge the infantry too.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_18_33_2.jpg)
Cabo Bibbly's big hand of dice (28) in total rolled against the infantry when his lancers crashed into them...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_18_33_3.jpg)
More photos later. :D
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(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_26_03_11_6_18_33_2.jpg)
The figure in the heavy coat is he a front rank Spanish?
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Silent "Up and at 'Em Invader gets carried away and charges his cavalry against Cabo Bibbly's lancers. Ouch! Needless to say they didn't last long....
:D
Having secured my first objective by getting musketeers onto a roof, the blood was up and and I became carried away with the moment.......for which my poor Texian lads paid a hefty price. :-[
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Nice use of the tray mate!
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The figure in the heavy coat is he a front rank Spanish?
Yes, with some green stuff, to make him more Tejano than Spanish :)
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Could You show the front of him so I could see what you did? :)
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ReLLY NICE FUN GAME MY FRIEND!!! :o The miniatures and stuff are incredibles, well done !!!! We want more pictures!!!! :-* :-* :-*
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Nice use of the tray mate!
No doubt they have been mentioned elsewhere, but I can't remember seeing those movement trays before. Who makes them and how much?
Ideal for the many rules that use the 10 or 20 man unit and much quicker than making your own.
Another beautiful game. The Texian cavalry look especially good as a unit. I'd forgotten just how good bits of lichen, twigs and stand-alone trees, rather than fancy purpose-built terrain pieces, could look.
:D
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The movement trays are the work of that genius, Jim Bibbly, Oshiro Models ;)
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Could You show the front of him so I could see what you did? :)
You can see a close up here in Bugsda's LPL entry:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=27634.0
The original figure was wearing short knee length trousers, I added the Green stuff to give him Vaquero leggings with the buttons down the outside of the legs and a reinforced inner leg.
I have converted a few more of the Front Rank Spanish Guerillas into Tejanos with only minor changes to the figures.
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Great fun was had by all, even though we still don't know the rules lol
Many thanks to Señor Millymully for hosting :D
I do the trays in both skirmish and ranked. They are mainly for 25mm dia bases but I can do anything you want really. E-mail through the sig below and we'll go from there :)
The lancers performed superbly but (as Capt Blood can affirm) I am certainly not the worlds luckiest player :( crap dice and all ::)
cheers
James
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You can see a close up here in Bugsda's LPL entry:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=27634.0
The original figure was wearing short knee length trousers, I added the Green stuff to give him Vaquero leggings with the buttons down the outside of the legs and a reinforced inner leg.
I have converted a few more of the Front Rank Spanish Guerillas into Tejanos with only minor changes to the figures.
Excellent work with the changes, Nick . 8)
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Excellent report and photos. Thank you Nick and your band of merry men who shared the game with you.
Helen
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The last of the photos as taken by Capitano Blood showing the advance of the Mexican army culminating in the Cazadores occupying the yard of the central Jacales thus sealing the fate of the Texian army who failed to advance to meet them.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_29_03_11_11_18_44_0.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_29_03_11_11_18_45_1.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_29_03_11_11_18_45_2.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_29_03_11_11_18_46_3.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_29_03_11_11_18_46_4.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_29_03_11_11_19_49_0.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_29_03_11_11_19_49_1.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/8/86_29_03_11_11_19_49_2.JPG)
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Great stuff Nick! (And the earlier battle reports, which I somehow missed). Smashing terrain and minis. You've really been pruning the shrubs in your garden for all those trees, haven't you? ;D
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Gorgeous looking game, nearly a work of art....... 8)
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You've really been pruning the shrubs in your garden for all those trees, haven't you? ;D
So much so that we had to plant a new Hebe....... lol
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Great looking game. May I ask what rules you used?
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Sharp Practice.
And believe me, practice is what you need with those rules... Talk about complicated, my goodness ::)
;)