HAWKs Launch Second 2015 Armies For Kids Project.

This past Saturday, members of the HAWKs (Harford Area Weekly Kreigspielers) got together to work on painting a second Armies for Kids project for next year's Historicon.  The club had already decided to do a 40mm American Civil War project for Historicon 2015 based on generous donations from Maynard Creel, Ed Mohrmann, and Phil Kearnan.  And, since the ACW project was so far along, the club decided to start another quick and easy project based on a large box of assorted WWII plastic 1/72 infantry that had also been donated by Ed Mohrmann.

     Hawks members Buck Surdu and Duncan Adams had spray primed the over 1500 plastic WWII figures with either khaki for Allies, or grey for Germans, and mounted them on sticks in preparation for Saturday's painting bee.   And for a few hours that morning we sat around and gave basic paint jobs to about 750, mainly American, Allied infantry.   After a late midday lunch break, with sore backs and cramped hands, the painters broke out the Red Dragon Inn game and played that to unwind.

The plan now is to get together another time after the holidays to paint the German half of the project.  There were some support weapons included in the lot of figures, but what we'd really like is if someone could donated some 1/72 tanks, so each kid could get a tank with each army.  So, if anyone has some old tanks they no longer want, please let  us know.

Even Edward the cat wanted to help.

But , alas, was defeated by his lack of opposable thumbs.

"Look, Sarge, No Charts: Napoleonics" Playtest at Warhorse Farm

Several of us gathered at Sam Fuson's Warhorse Farm in Gettysburg, PA last Saturday to take part in a playtest of our up-coming "Look,Sarge, No Charts: Napoleonics" rules set. A great time was had by all, and Sam set up a great scenario with his large collection of 1/72 scale plastic figures.

The battle pitted a French Corps against a mixed force of British and Spanish, with the goal of capturing several river crossings as well as other key terrain features on the table. There were six victory points represented by flags positioned on the battlefield. The flags were changed out to show who was currently in control of that terrain piece. A seventh victory point was awarded to which ever side inflicted the greater casualty count on their opponent.

The battle seesawed back and forth in dramatic fashion as both sides fought for control of the river. In the end both sides each held three of the victory terrain features, and the battle was decided in favor of the French who had a inflicted a narrow superior margin of casualties
against the British.

In the photo above, a unit of British Riflemen (dark green figures near the center of the photo)try to hold a bridge against an advancing French Division.

Duncan Adams moves his French forces on the right forward to hold back the bulk of the British.

A unit of French Cavalry tries to force it's way across the river into the teeth of several battalions of Spanish, as a brigade of British Light Cavalry moves forward through the woods.

The rules' lead author, Buck Surdu,(green shirt) GM'ed the event for us, and used this opportunity to help fine tune the rules for Guard units, Riflemen, and Guerrillas.