The League of Extraordinary Kriegspielers presents.. Return to Heart of Darkness

[Ignatieff]

The fateful moment the Independent became a fixed position 'hull down' gun platform

Next up was a counter attack on Der Barons forces at Guaso Nyro, the other side (west) of Mount Kenya

The army lists:

Death on the Guaso Nyro

Der Baron’s Army of Liberation
CinC: Der Baron  +2 leader, lucky
2IC: The Emperor Haile Selassie +2 leader, lucky
2 x units of 12 Abyssinian regular infantry T5 M2, stubborn.  Rifles
1 x unit of 24 Abyssinian irregular infantry M3, spears only
1 unit of 15 Somali Cavalry, Irregular M2, rifles
1 x unit of 18 Somali infantry, Irregular M2, rifles
1 x unit of 22 Somali infantry, Irregular M3, spears only
1 x unit of 15 Tibetan bodyguard cavalry, Irregular M2, ferocious. Obsolete firearms
1 x unit of 9 Chahar Mongols, T3 M3, rifles
1 x unit of ex-POW German stormtroopers.  T3 M2, ferocious. Rifles, bombs, 2 LMG’s and flamethrower
1 ex-German army sniper T2 M2
2 x field Guns T3 M3 (horse towed)
1 x obsolete Abyssinian field gun T4 M4
2 x HMG’s T3 M3
1 x AA gun T4 M4

British East African Field Force
CinC  Brigadier Linn + 2 leader
2IC Major RJP Langan +1 leader
Vickers Independent tank  T3 M3 (2d6 movement, throw each move for breakdown)
Vickers Medium MkIII tank (3d6 movement, throw each move for breakdown)
1 x Rolls Royce AC T3 M3. 1 LMG
1 x unarmoured machine gun carrier T3 M3
2 x 10 man KAR units.  T3 M3, rifles and bombs. 1 LMG each
1 x 10 man unit Hampshires T3 M3, stubborn, marksmen, rifles and bombs. 1 LMG
1 x 10 man Italian Askaris T4 M4. Rifles and bombs.
1 x 9 man Bengal Lancer unit. T3 M3. Rifles, 1 LMG
2 x HMG’s T3 M3
1 x Mountain gun T3 M3
1 x Sopwith Camel. T3 M3



The incongrous sight of Chahar Mongols and assorted POW's amongst an east African cattle farm


probably the safest place to hide out given the overwhelming British fire power...


The 13th Bengal Lancers lead the flanking move that finished Der Baron off.....

[Ignatieff]

Next up, our favourite game of the weekend: 'Zero Hour in Zanzibar'

The Belgian Stroganoff, having made it to the Sultan of Zanzibar with his illicit cargo of slaves, was 'relaxing' at the Africa House hotel when all hell broke loose.  The Russian raider, 'The Red October' had landed a force to kill the Sultan as well as the British Resident.  General Adid, the local drug lord, saw this as an opportunity to create mayhem, whilst the local Independence group, the Zanzibar Peoples Front (ZPF) saw freedom from the feudal yolk at last.  A host of minor characters also took part, as well as air support from nearby German Tanzania, as well as the first sighting of Captain Nemo's Nautilus (yes it was that sort of game!).  Enjoy.  We'll be doing a larger version of this game at Vapartanak in York in February.  Drop by and say hello if you make it there (UK's best convention IMHO)

Briefs first:

ZERO HOUR IN ZANZIBAR
Belgians
Objectives:
1. Get to the Palace and pick up as much ‘merchandise’ – drugs, slaves and gems -  as you can.
2. Get to a boat and flee southwards
Forces:
CinC: Stroganoff +2 leader.  Lucky.  Daimler with AA mount. LMG.
2IC: Abde Ramotswe: +1 leader. Lucky
10 ‘Force publique’ Askaris. T4 M4  Rifles
10 ‘Belgian missionaries’(ex regular Belgian army) T3 M3 rifles, bombs, 2 LMG’s
10 Bambuti Pygmies Irregular, ferocious. Spears and blow-pipes (poison)

Bolsheviks
Objectives
1.   Kidnap the Sultan, for ‘re-training’
2.   Kill the British Resident, for the sake of it.
3.   Locate and arrest Stroganoff for ‘Crimes against Humanity’
Forces
CinC: V.I.Blackwood + 2 leader.  Marksman
2.I.C. Comrade Captain Le Chiffre. +1 leader.  Marksman
2 Bolshevik Navy Armoured Cars T3 M3, 1 LMG
10 Russian Sailors T2 M2 Ferocious.  Rifles, bombs 1LMG
9 Red Guard Cavalry Irregular M3.  Rifles, bombs, 1 LMG
10 Cheka infantry. T3 M2, stubborn.  Rifles, bombs, 1 LMG
2 x snipers T2 M2.


Sultan of Zanzibar
Objective
1.   Stay alive
2.   Ensure that no damning ‘evidence’ is pinned to you
3.   Kill as many of the foreign devils as you can
Forces
Sultan Mohammed Al Bin Fayed: + 2 Leader.  Lucky
10 Sultans Guard. T4 M2 Rifles
2 x AA guns T4 M4
2 HMG’s T4 M4
1 Armoured Car T4 M4 2 LMG’s  Throw for breakdown each move.  Breaks down on a 1 on 1D6

In addition, you can request of the British Governor the help of a company of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who are based in the British Compound.  10 T2 M2 ferocious marksmen.  Rifles, bombs and 1 LMG

‘General’ Adid
Objective
1.   Get the ‘package’ to the Bukharan patrol that is coming to collect it.
2.   Once it all kicks off, start looting. a) bank b) the port and c) the palace
Forces
General Adid: +2 leader, lucky.  Marksman
2 x 20 man Irregular M3 drug gangs  rifles
1 x ‘technical’ T3 M3 1 LMG
10 Bukharan ’SBS’ T3 M3 rifles, bombs 1 LMG.


ZPF
Objective
1.   Capture the Radio station and hold it for three moves, broadcasting ‘Songs of Liberation’
2.   Riot
3.   Kill one of the following: The Sultan, Stroganoff or Harry Flashman
Forces
Comrade Citizen Rameses III: +2 leader.  Lucky
2 x 10 ‘mobs’ Irregular M3, single shot rifles, petrol bombs.

Harry Flashman
Objective
1.   Locate and free the slaves from the Sultan’s Palace
2.   Get off the board by boat.
Forces
CinC, Harry Flashman esq. +2 leader, lucky, marksman.  Rifle armed with bombs
10 assorted characters Irregular M3
1 monkey  Irregular M2


The waterfront in Zanzibar, as seen from Von Letterbeck's flying Circus

a wider shot of the same. The Sultans Palace is in the background, whilst the fortified compound of General Adid dominates the downtown, on the edge of Stone Town

The Flying Circus in its full glory....

"Dar e Salaam, we have a Red Hawk down, repeat, we have a Red Hawk down....."  The Bambuti Pygmy Cannibals, in the pay of Stroganoff, on the nearby rooftops smell lunch!

[Ignatieff]

By now, it was all getting out of hand.  Adid had set up various burning roadblocks around the town, the ZPF had siezed the radio station and were broadcasting songs of liberation, and the Sultan was hot footing it to the ship in the harbour..


the scene from inside the Sultans Palace earlier in the game

The Russian snatch squad approach the Palace bridge enterance

the Sultans dirty little secrets are being moved to the ships, whilst in the background the Argyll's are beginning to realise that Zanzibar is a very long way from Greenock....

Meanwhile, its chaos down by the docks, as Storganoff's pyscopathic Belgian mercenaries let rip at anything that moves.  What you cannot see clearly in this picture, is the fantastic cross dressing figure of Stroganoff in the raincoat.  Margaret Rutherford with a waxed moustache!

[Donpimpom]

more! more! 

[Mr.J]

Your games are always truly inspirational!

[Ignatieff]

Stroganoff as you might expect to see him...

"You are ‘Major’ Dai Llewellyn Stroganoff, son of a Russian émigré and a Welsh barmaid.  Brought up in Antwerp, where your father traded diamonds before meeting with an unfortunate and violent end at the hands of Masonic secret society, your life has been a series of ‘might have beens’ and ‘nearly’ moments, that is until you washed up in the Congo Free State at the end of the last century and fell into the employ of King Leopold of the Belgians. ‘Leo’ as he became fondly known to you, was a man of vision, drive and enterprise, who understood that a firm hand was needed to control this violent and ungodly place.  He wisely chose to overlook the unfortunate incident with your governess and the three classmates that had forced you to leave Belgium, and gave you the opportunity to build a new life.
You thrived and prospered amongst the primeval madness and savagery of West Africa, acquiring numerous profitable trading franchises and concessions (mostly slaves, diamonds and opiates) until WWI temporarily put a halt to your ambitions.  Since then you have been re-building your ‘concessions’, despite the prevailing misguided liberal mood, and are poised to make your most profitable transaction yet.
Your (many) enemies describe you as a savage, opiate addled psychopath with a developed  penchant for unnatural sexual ‘interests’,  a voracious appetite for industrial quantities of Absinthe and Laudanum, and lacking any form of moral compass.  But you know deep down you only seek calmness and security from the demons that stalk your every sleeping hour...."



Stroganoff as you dont want to meet him!

Genius, imagination, talent and modelling all done by Rodge 'Stroganoff/Smirnoff' Williams.  Brilliant

[Bugsda]

Brilliant!  I'm spoilt for eye candy today 

[Ignatieff]

oops!  Another casualty from Von Letterbeck's not so flying Circus...


The Bolshevik snatch squad pour over the bridge, watched by the evil eye of V.I.Blackwood, unaware that the prey has flown the roost already!


The Stroganoff commandeered 'Roi des Belges' spirits away his cargo of enslaved nuns, who have been issued with an interesting array of side arms!  Note the pre-arranged marker on the deck to avoid being attacked by the German aircraft.  Paddle steamer by the massively talented and thoroughly nice chap, Admiral Benbow


A fine aerial shot of the action.  The Africa House Hotel is beginning to take a pounding in the background...


At which point, Admiral Chuggerchevsky, in his new guise as 'Nemo', Bolshevik submariner of the High Seas makes an unexpected arrival.  The Nautilius model is scratchbuilt by the same chap down in Dartmouth who built the infamous Potemkin behemoth.  This new creation has two 15" guns, a 6" 'back passager' and a battery of HMG's, and has now turned its attention to the escaping nuns....

[Lowtardog]

I cant say more than

[argsilverson]

Marvellous Ignatieff!

Your collections are getting better and better. Every time I see your reports I find new and more interesting models.
May I request some more pics of the Nemo style submarine?

BTW I have seen that you have now Italian Askaris. If you fancy some more spicy units try the colonials by Strategia e Tattica:
http://www.strategiaetattica.it/miniature_base.asp?tipologia=25mmcoloniale
I recommend a unit of "Penne di falco" or "Primo nucleo Meharisti" local lancers or camel troops.
Beware: they are 25mm and thus a little smaller than the Copplestones etc. Recently I discovered that NorthStar stocks some ranges from them (but not the colonials, yet?)

[Ignatieff]

...more from Zanzibar


Stroganoff's Bluff.  Seeing the monster from beneath the sea heading straight from him, outgunned and out 'technologied', Stroganoff results to the only viable weapon in his armoury: bluff!  He ties lots of burning fuses to empty barrels hanging from the side of the paddle steamer, and throws lots of dice in full sight of Chuggers.  Who fires twice, misses both times, and bottles it making an emergency dive!  A new hatred is formed!


Meantimes at the other end of the table, Harry Flashman - arch cad and self preserver - orders the lines to be cast off, stranding the Sultan and the remaining prisoners from the Sultans dungeons amidst the bloody chaos.  "None of them were English" was Flashman's excuse


The desparate prisoners make to swim for it, but are devoured by the Sultans pet crocodiles........a tasty irony!

[Ignatieff]

a preview shot of our last big game of the weekend

[Hammers]

Thanks to the wonders of One Note I'll be able to read all this on the  ferry to the mainland tonight!

[Skipp]

I've only just discovered the extraordinary kriegspielers games - they are outstanding, inspirational and exactly the kind of games I aspire to... If only I had the space & resources.

@ Ignatieff - would it be at all possible for you to furnish us with some detail shots of the hills (including top down shots) - I want to make some - and the design seems excellent.

keep it up, lovely stuff.

[Ignatieff]

I've only just discovered the extraordinary kriegspielers games - they are outstanding, inspirational and exactly the kind of games I aspire to... If only I had the space & resources.

@ Ignatieff - would it be at all possible for you to furnish us with some detail shots of the hills (including top down shots) - I want to make some - and the design seems excellent.

keep it up, lovely stuff.

It takes years and a good haul of 'associates' to put this stuff together, so you've plenty of time.  Glad it does the trick.  My mission is only to inspire better games all round.  Hills are relatively easy.  Three sheets of high density foam tiles stuck together and then carved with a hot wire and sharp hobby knife. Then stuck on a carved hill with cardboard base. Mine were done by Gary Chalk seven years ago.