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Author Topic: Askari - several years in the making  (Read 31974 times)

Offline Mike1879

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #60 on: 13 August 2019, 09:38:56 AM »
Excellent well done 👍

Offline FifteensAway

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #61 on: 14 August 2019, 01:43:32 AM »
Does this mean we'll get another elephantastic, giraffic, zebrapendous game to admire soon?!   lol

Hope ostriches on.  (where is the 'oh, groan' emoticon when one needs it?)
We Were Gamers Once...and Young

Offline flatpack

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #62 on: 14 August 2019, 08:38:17 AM »
Could be....
Might need a cross eyed lion too.
Flatpack

Offline 95th Division

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #63 on: 14 August 2019, 01:41:07 PM »
Great looking table and beautiful work on the buildings.

Offline flatpack

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #64 on: 14 August 2019, 03:46:41 PM »
Many thanks

Offline flatpack

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #65 on: 01 September 2019, 08:28:29 AM »
Latest adventure from yesterday’s game, entitled “mucking about on the river”, or “attack of the killer bees”..you choose.

In this game I wanted to see what would happen when we tried to get troops on the move, via the river.

The scenario was as such....

The British are holding the radio station, at the top of the table. Are they sending back messages about German movements in this area of East Africa, or just banging out load Jazz music ? The Germans need to find out, and silence it.


The Germans decide on a two pronged attack.
The land forces will be led by 2nd lieutenant Clint Von Cluck. He will attack, along the road.


The second German force will be lead by 2nd lieutenant Willhelm Von Voltswagon. He will be taking the river route to the radio station. He’ll be using those new fangled steam boats, leading his German marines and sailors.


The British deploy their pitiful defence force, at a barricade on the road, and the Scottish ladies at the radio station.

The British hopes are pinned on their naval relief force arriving in time.  :o

The battle commences, with the German land forces advancing up the road, then disappearing into the jungle, as they were just out of British rifle fire range.

The British officer at the barricade, Capt Theo Cottonbud found this “dammed unsporting you know !”
Note - this German force had fought off killer bees earlier in the move.

The German naval force advance along the river, narrowly missing the attack of the hippos.


“What hippo, I see no hippo”


On only turn 2, the British naval relief force turns up under the command of Capt Appleby (he seems to get everywhere that chap)




Voltswagon tries steaming toward the Brits.
Only to start taking hits.


At this stage, even more British troops arrive, behind Von Clucks German land forces...yippppeeee.
Now Von Cluck finds his troops SCRAMBLING to see which British force they should fight first.




The battle rages, as German marines land and then progress towards the radio station, as at the same time the German land forces, escape the jungle to advance on the radio station, and the brave British troops at the barricade, break and run.


On the river, it’s all happening, as Appleby rams the German steam boat and British troops force their way aboard the German boat.


“Come on boys, let’s let Gerry know who’s boss of this river !”


But Gerry isn’t having any of it, and with a couple of brilliant dice rolls, sorry I mean some outstanding leadership skills from Von Voltswagon, and his sailor friends (worrying that  lol), the Germans fight off the British boarding party, and turn the tables, by storming the British paddlesteam HMS Andypandy.


“Oh heck lads, run. Gerry’s onboard”




And that’s where we end today’s story.

We rolled the dice for the game countdown, and Gerry ran out of time.

The British radio station later intercepted the German officers reports of the battle.
Von Voltswagon wrote of his success in repelling boarders on his boats.

Von Cluck wrote something very strange -
“Got lost in the jungle, killed some Brits. Had a nice day out, would come again “
We think the sun got to him there a little bit  lol lol

Great game, with great mates.
Used Reb and patriots rules for this game instead of TMWWBK. Worked well.
Got to use some boats....yipppeeee










Online has.been

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #66 on: 01 September 2019, 08:40:32 AM »
Only one brief mention of the killer bees.
You forgot their attack on the British ship, that was so bad the crews of two MGs
jumped overboard to get away from them.
Also worth mentioning is the Hippo 'attack' on the German boats. Within 6" & the Brits
threw a D 10 to see how many inches they would move... got a TWO!!!!!
As said, 'Great game with great mates'
And as usual Bob you were a wonderful host (& now Grand-dad !!!)

Online vodkafan

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #67 on: 01 September 2019, 08:52:21 AM »
Great pictures!
Slight correction, the British relief force on the river were led by 2nd Lt. Oscar Mountjoy, not Appleby.  Annoyed by losing a whole Machine Gun unit who jumped overboard when attacked by a swarm of killer bees (this before the firefight started) he also had the Eton Rifles and the 14th Rajput Sikhs under command.
Full credit to the German riverine force commander: Von Voltswagen fought magnificently and it took 3 separate boarding party assaults to wipe out a few sailors. While I was busy fighting his boats I could not prevent the Germans landing two seebattalion units ashore. Two of the charges were led personally by Mountjoy himself at the the head of his Sikhs, which ensured his promotion to 1st Lt.
The wily old German fox Voltswagen managed to slip away after singlehandedly shooting one of the radio garrison's mortar crews with his pistol!
I am sure these two warriors will face each other again.
I am going to build a wargames army, a big beautiful wargames army, and Mexico is going to pay for it.

2019 Painting Challenge :
figures bought: 500+
figures painted: 57
9 vehicles painted
4 terrain pieces scratchbuilt

Offline Westbury

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #68 on: 01 September 2019, 10:05:02 AM »
von Voltswagen here.
My heroic efforts of single handedly attacking the radio station defended by two battalions of British foot and mortars are being treated with an air of disbelief at HQ to such an extent that not only has promotion and a decoration been denied but my sanity has been called into question! The fanaticism that I instilled in my brave sailors in repelling two attacks of superior numbers has also been put down to sheer luck! My reputation is at stake, I will return!

Offline Plynkes

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #69 on: 01 September 2019, 10:39:25 AM »
Wonderful stuff! Well done, gang. Always great to see a spread like this.

By the way, nobody would have considered the idea of steam boats as "new fangled" during the Great War. They had steam-powered water vessels in the 18th Century (though, admittedly they were shite!) :)



With Cat-Like Tread
Upon our prey we steal...

Offline flatpack

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #70 on: 01 September 2019, 10:43:52 AM »
Oh shite boats, now that is my kind of boat.
Thanks for the nice remarks, it was right good fun.

Offline gamer Mac

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #71 on: 01 September 2019, 02:50:04 PM »
VERY NICE AND FUN LOOKING BATTLE REPORT :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*

Offline FifteensAway

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #72 on: 01 September 2019, 03:22:16 PM »
And then there is my odd measure of a successful game - zebras, gorillas, a croc, and hippos in the water!  Wonderful.  I have a similar 'bloat' of hippos to one day appear on table - hope it will be half as good as yours. 

And while (or whilst, if you prefer) on the subject of corrections (like Plynkes' steamboat comment) either someone made off with an errant 'd' or we didn't get a good photo of the gals protecting the radio station.  And shouldn't it be Jerry, versus Gerry as the name for the Krauts - though Gerry certainly makes more sense since they are "G-ermans"?

Regardless, as stated, lovely game.  And really liked all the boat action.  I could ask for a look at the angry bees buzzing but maybe easier to show us their hive in a tree - give players fair warning they are 'in the zone'. 

edit: Hey, I discovered an ostrich I'd missed before!
« Last Edit: 03 September 2019, 01:37:22 AM by FifteensAway »

Online has.been

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #73 on: 01 September 2019, 04:12:21 PM »
Don't think I haven't thought about how to model a swarm of bees in 28mm.
I just haven't come up with a (relatively) easy way of doing it YET.

The random events were modified (Africanised?) versions of those already in Rebels &
Patriots (Reb&Pats). I have based them on events mentioned in the book 'Tip & Run',
which was recommended to us by Paul Eaglestone of Empress Miniatures. (I only wish
he would provide German tropical helmeted heads, for conversions. He does for the Brits.)

Attacks by killer bees did stop a (British attack), river crossings with hippos about were
dangerous, giraffes did bring about communication chaos by bringing down telegraph lines,
never mind the lions, elephants etc. etc.
Man it is like a jungle out there!!!!
 

Offline Plynkes

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Re: Askari - several years in the making
« Reply #74 on: 01 September 2019, 06:11:02 PM »
Don't think I haven't thought about how to model a swarm of bees in 28mm.
I just haven't come up with a (relatively) easy way of doing it YET.

I've been thinking about it for over twenty years, but never really came up with an idea that I liked.

One thing I did think about was rather than trying to depict the bees themselves (sorry FifteensAway, I couldn't think of a way of doing it I was satisfied with), I would depict a traditional East African log or matting beehive hanging from a tree. From what I'm aware, the troublesome bees at the battle of Tanga were in such hives, rather than wild ones. Then I would have some sort of exclusion zone around the hive(s) that could affect units that entered it.



Drifted away from gaming the Great War in Africa before ever getting around to it, unfortunately.