20mm Spanish Civil War with Triumph of the Will

Well, Saturday is my turn to host a game again and I've decided to take a break from Martian Empires and dust off by old Spanish Civil War project. Been painting the figs for years but have only managed to playtest once. I really like 20mm and this is one of the few periods were you can get everything you need in the scale at a great price! My wonderful wife helped me build the town and painted all the buildings. This game should include some International brigades, Spanish Legionaries, Carlists, Assaultos, POUM and some Falange if I get them dome in time. So far my rules of choice are Triumph of the Will. Straight forward, heavily morale based and gives a good feel for the period.

Aaaaaargh! It's Pirate time! In 15mm?

So do you ever wonder how those new projects suddenly show up? Where here is my recent chain of events.

Phase 1: My buddy Kurt starts talking about coming up with a pirate game that our ladies may find 'fun' enough to play. But my 25mm stuff is to big for the sailing action game he has in mind.

Phase 2: I'm sitting there mounting more palm trees for my Ak-47 and SYW in India games. And then I think to myself what other game can I run that will use some of the same terrain.

Phase 3: I start thinking Pirates and decide to see if I can make an 8inch ship that looks good. I rescale the old Gary Chalk plans and it works out quite nicely.

Phase 4: Blue Moon releases their 15mm Pirates. A sign that it was meant to be.

Phase 5: Make up the plans for a one shot game and then order away! Pirates form Blue Moon and Minifigs and guns from Thoroughbred.

Phase 6: Build and paint up the ships before all the figs arrive. Well the guns and Bluemoon got here pretty fast so changed pace and painted up enough for a ship.

So here you go. One homemade Pirate ship, Blue Moon 15mm European Crew and Throughbred guns. Three more ships done, still deciding whether to add masts. I fins the ships more playable without.

First Game of Indian Empires

For years I've had a box of painted 15mm figures for 18th-early 19thc India. Given to me for pretty much nothing by the most honorable Howard Whitehouse. And to this small collection I would add more painted fgures from time to time. One day, I dreamed, I would run a small colonial campaign set in India during the SYW. So ten years passed and nothing.

Then suddenly last Saturday I got the bug and Shazam! I grabbed my copy of Martian Empires and Kirby's SYW in India supplement and playtested all week. Rebased a bunch of figs, made a new gaming cloth, and made up some new charts. Today I ran Indian Empires!

I must say it went quite well! The European volleys and artillery were deadly, Indian morale risky and the rockets a blast! A few pics of the game.

Making Templates for the buildings.

In our recent games we had a little trouble with placing our figs in the
building/shanty templates. The roofs were a bit to angled to give
the bases a good footing so they kept sliding off. I probably should
have made the roofs removable (a major pain) or the buildings themselves
(less dioramic). My base was also pretty thick (I got some 20 sheets of this stuff for free).

So I had to come up with something to make a template base so that we could move the building bases around on. (Does all this make sense?)
Anyway, someone suggested felt, fortunately he did it via email so I could not
strangle him. (I like to think that I've left my felt terrain days way behind).
Then the other day I was at HomeDepot and found this stuff for roofs, flashing.
A real thin piece of aluminum. So here you are. If anyone has a way to cut it
without bending it all out of shape, please let me know.

Flash sheets

Painted flash sheets

Add Buildings

Add Trees

A new Hospital opens up!

Yes those devoted Sisters of Mercy have opened up a new Hospital in Zumisia!


By the way Mikeobulu's new album is due for release .


A statue to commemorate victory at the Battle of Rico Hotel.
A Golden Lion of course. Hmmm, those sisters seem to be growing
something o the roof? Something medicinal I'm sure.


A small emergency helo pad. Anyone know where Mikeobulu
can score a nice copter suitable for 15mm?


Complete with ER and X-rays!

The trees and statue are removable, thus allowing maximum
troop deployment.

Meet the Zuma Gang!

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Restoration of Zumisia, aka the Zumas.
First off the Pride and joy of the Zumas, The Golden Lions. Recruited only from
Mikeobulu's Tribe, the Hoti Hauti. Fierce and determined young men proudly wearing
the Lion of Zumisia.


Next are the Mercenaries, Mad Mike's Maulers. The best professional nutcases that money can buy. There is talk of rivalry between the Mike and the Lion's.


Mikeobulu is a firm believer in the armoured fist. It's rare to see a Zuma strike without some tanks providing a few knockout blows.



And last but not least are the Zumisia National Park Rangers. Various parks throughout the nation provide much needed bodies in times of need. Often supported
by some Golden Lion RPG's.

Hotel Rico an AK-47 Strategic Asset?

Well after having such a good time with our last game of Ak-47, Robert and I were jonesing to match up our armies again. So Friday afternoon we finally got a chance thanks to Mikeobulu's love of certain early 90's hits.

His Excellency Mikeobulu stormed into the Zumisia Command Center, "This is an outrage! An insult to Zumisia!" he said as he threw the most recent edition of Variety onto the war table. Colonel Akiki picked it up and nodded in agreement.
"A remake of Spartacus? It'll never compare to Kirk's version."
"No fool! Further down, in 'the where are they now column'."
Akiki scanned quickly with a worried glance at Mikeobulu.
'Hmmm, hmmm...'
"Rico Suave! Rico Suave has built a hotel!"
Akiki raised an eyebrow. "And..."
"Don't you understand Rico Suave the famous singing sensation of the early 90's has built a hotel in Ztumte only miles from our border! Think of all the revenues we
will lose as our people trek to Hotel Rico to hear him sing!"
"Your Excellency, I do not believe that he was that popu..."
"This will be like having Las Vegas with Wayne Newton on our border! No this can not be allowed! Quickly prepare a strike, we must annex those few miles of Ztumte! Before our tourist trade collapses!" Mikeobulu turned and marched out of the Center
humming and gyrating to 'Rico Suave'.
Ojore, Col Akiki's aide, finally allowed himself to breath.'How shall we attack, we have no idea were the Ztumte forces are and they may attempt to entrap us.
Akiki, gazed at the Variety article, Hotel Rico has already booked Dead or Alive,hmmm he wondered if it was to late to get a ticket. He waved his hand casually towards the Major.
"Simple, get some of our best men to go across and plaster the President's newest three story poster on the side of Hotel Rico."
The major looked puzzled.
Akiki smiled, "The Minister of Ztumte von Youngblood, being quite a critic of the President's music, will of course immediately detail a force to destroy it. And then we will pounce on them. And let's call this a suave move! Bwahahhahahahahahha"

And so with purpose and conviction Zumisia once more invaded colonial Ztumte.
So a quick report with a few pics.

We each managed to start with three units.
The Defenders Ztumte, Jungle Korps(P), Tank 'Killer'(R), Brit's Rangers(P)
The Attckers Zumisia, The Golden Lions(R), Mad Mike's Mercs(P), Tank 'Simba'
Objectives: Shanty, White Top Hill, Hotel Rico
Opening Views




First few turns with some lucky first shots on the APC's by the Zuma forces.





With the Shanty taken the Zuma forces turned to face one big tank on the hill. Mike's Mercs were assigned the task but kept coming up low on ammo while the Golden Lions kept coming up with extra ammo. Hmmm, was the President favoring his tribesmen again over the mercs? Well they had taken the pay and Mike's men went over the hill
into a barrage of fire which eventually broke them but not before they had taken down 'Killer'.



Far behind the Hotel a new front opened up as reinforcements arrived from both sides.
The Zumas had hoped to make a made dash over the Shrubs of Justice, but soon learned better. These Shrubs were not easily dug up. Brutal close assaults, hmg, mortar, and tank fire cut the Shrubs down but they held on passing morale tests one after another.






One Ztumte tank to go, the elusive 'Prowler'. The RPG's had proved worthless, almost all failing to fire. The Jeep Hmg's rang off the tank's armor. The Golden Lions braced themselves and charged! Madness, numbers and some Ztumte dud armor (rolled a 1)brought the metal titan down!



Defanged and with night coming, Brit's Rangers gathered up the Shrubs and make a clean break into the night.




A great game! Though I have to give the award to Robert for rolling the most
ones and the worst times.

AK-47 and Mikeobulu

Well after many months Robert and I finally sat down and had our first
game of AK-47 1st edition. It was a great near run game. Can't wait for the next one.
Robert will probably be posting the game on his new blog. I'm just throwing up a few photos of my Sunnydale Shantytown and of Zumisia's most talented President for Life
Mikeobulu!

My victory Speech!
Live from Sunnydale Shanty town on the border
of Zumisia.


The crowd goes begins a small cheer as President Mikeobulu
rides into town in his famous stage truck. The 'Golden Lions', victors of operation
'Lion's Roar', strategically placed on the roofs of the shanty town begin to cheer,
Zuma, ZUma, ZUMA! The crowd quickly joins in!
Mikeobulu, flanked by some of Mad Mike's Mercs and a beautiful woman, grabs his stage mike
and begins his speech.
"My People! Today our warriors have given us a great victory! No longer will the jackels of Colonials
sniff at our borders. For they have heard the Roar of the Zuma!"
Zuma, ZUma, ZUMA!


"No longer will the people of Sunnydale be harrassed as they await their papers for
entrance into Zumisia! No longer will Sunnydale hear the lies of the Colonials or the bad bootleg copies
of your President's newest album!"
Mikeobulu, Mikeobulu, Mikeobulu!"


I also take this opportunity to introduce Zumisia's Newest 1st Lady, Aliana Novo, 5th runner
up of America'c Model Search!"
5th runner up, 5th runner up, 5th runner up!
"And yes I will employ the entire town of
Sunnydale to build a great monument to
honor our Victory!"
Zuma,ZUma,ZUMA!
"And now a song from my new album,
In Zunisia where love is king
When boy meets girl here's what they say

When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella....