Rail Game Day-Ticket to Ride San Francisco

Time for another game night-one of the "Ticket to Ride" series-San Francisco.

It wouldn't be a game night without a few figures...

so recently painted Hawk Eye, Black Widow, Punisher and Quicksilver stand by and watch the game play. It was a close one but I successful grabbed defeat from the mouth of victory with some late game plays HA HA (and Richard's excellent choices the earned him the victory).
 

Artillery-the Quartermasters Nightmare

In many battles of the 17th century, artillery was anything but standardized. 
Length of barrel, width of shot, type of shot, muzzle loading breach loading, amount of powder and even the type of power varied as greatly as the mirid of types and styles of cannons available. 

A look at the mixed guns in these English Civil War battery gives just a small example of what must have been a horrible nightmare for and field armies Quartermasters.

The mena are from Hinchcliffe they and all the artillery pieces are metal. I painted these in the early 1980's.

 

When Lizardmen go to War-Palace Guard

Only the best, bravest and strongest Lizardmen gain the rank of Palace Guards.

These are metal pieces I painted in the late 1990's.
 

Artillery 17th Century Style

A Mortar, Demi-Cannon, Saker Cannon and ammo caisson stand ready for use by artillerymen of the English Civil War and other 17th century battles. 

These are all metal pieces I painted in the 1990's.
 

When Lizardmen go to War-"Grunts"

 

Slow to anger, but relentless when aroused, Lizardmen are deadly enemies. Here are some of the basic "Grunt: warriors of the Lizardman kingdoms.

Led by elite sword and shield warrior, this battle group is ready to destroy their people's enemies.

The razor-sharp obsidian blades, the Macuahuitl sword can easily slice and arm or leg to the bone.

The rear ranks are armed with metal halberds that can cleave enemies frof head to toe with a single massive swing.

These are all metal pieces from Archive that I painted for D&D and fantasy battles back in the 1970's.

When Infantry Need To Kill A Tank-WWII Style

Since the invention of tanks, the bloody infantry has been trying to find ways to destroy these armored dangers.

When desperate, use anything available-explosives, fire bombs, or "Lunge-Mines. Needless to say survival was lower for the attacker.

The Anti-Tank Rifle was ok against the early lightly armed AFV's. At least it made you feel better when you got to shoot back.

The PIAT (Projectile Infantry Anti-Tank) was effective against most medium tanks but had a short range.

If you were really brave, the flamethrower could cook most tanks, if they didn't see you coming.

The Bazooka rocket launcher was the first anti-tank weapon that combined killing power, range and portability to give the foot slogger a fighting chance. 

These are all plastic pieces that I have painted this century.

Shelly and Her Dragon

Shelly Dracodomina with her latest charge Minima Caeruleum prepare for a new day of training.

Being only a few months old but already fully imprinted upon Shelly, Minima is eager to start her training.

Dragons mature slowly, so there will be lots of days, months and years of work, play & adventures instore for the two of them.

Shelly & Minima are 1980's metal from Ral Partha that I painted up this month.

Boneheads we take Being Boneheads to the Extreme

The brothers  Gnk and Gnk-Gnk bring lack of intelligence to new lows. If not for Smak Nak the Gribnik the two would be pounding the daylights of their boneheads.
 

Unfortunately, as his back was turned Gnk-Gnk smashes Gnk so hard his mighty halberd shatters. We such is the life of Boneheads who try to be as smart os the rocks they resemble...

these are metal pieces that I painted in the 1970's for my D&D Campaigns.

Hoplite vs Terastiasaura

Of all the horrible creatures, Gods, demigods,' giants and monsters poor cursed Hoplite Hiktos Nuluk has faced none has been as strange as this "Terastiasaura" (huge lizard).  With a sigh, Hiktos thinks, "at least it's not too big and fighting it shouldn't be too difficul...
 

ahh damn, spoke too soon...this Petontas Terastiasaura is defiantly going to be a pain to fight." 

The two  Terastiasaura's are plastic pieces I painted this month while Hiktos is a metal Ral Parth piece I painted in the 1970's. For more on his curse and the creatures he has met check here:

His Curse-

World Historyprof: The Story of Brave Hiktos Nuluk

His creature meetings-

World Historyprof: Brave Hiktos Nuluk

Soviet and Imperial Japanese Border Conflict Battle '43

For the background to this game check here; World Historyprof: Soviet and Imperial Japanese Border Conflict '43

Somewhere on the Japanese/China border with the Soviet Union-1943

Initial IJA positions:

                                                        Gunso Seiji's 3rd squad.

Next to 3rd squad are the light mortar team in the building, the MMG team behind the barrels, Kaigun-Chu Tomoni Oho, Gunso Takumi's 1st squad and the sniper team on the roof.

Gunso Yoshio's 2nd squad occupies the right flank.

SNLF

The Inexperienced Squad of Miadshy Sezrhant Alexi, and Fyodor's Regular Squad form the Soviet left flank in the heavy forest.

The MMG Team,  Miadshy Serzhants Yuri, Vadim squads, Kapitan Igor Vilymvich and the halftrack make up the Soviet center and right flank. Missing is Leytenant "Glupy" Pianyi-durak and Commissar Gegory Tveordaya-Golova  who seem to have "accidently" shot each other while toasting Stalin with shots of Pepper Vodka. This is probably for the best thinks the Kapitan as both men are basically worthless twits.

Soviets

While surveying the situation, Kapitan Igor Vilymvich's men come under accurate mortar and MMG fire. Several men fall and Yuri's squad is pinned.

Kaigun-Chu Tomoni Oho decides to pound the Soviets with all his men except for Gunso Yoshio's 2nd squad which is ordered to advance on the right flank.

Seiji's man advance and fire.

Kapitan Igor Vilymvich orders the halftrack, Vladim, Alexi & Fyodor to advance and open fire on any targets available. His men need target practice as only one hit is scored while the SNLF continues to draw blood and drop pins on Vilymvich's men.

Both of the commanders believe in the power of cold steel and order the forces on the SNLF's right flank to advance and engage the enemy. The combat between Soviet numbers vs SNFL veterans leads to a bloody extended hand-to-hand battle. (Luckily for all concerned, the ice on the frozen pond remained firm and no one sank.) 

(The casualties were tied three times before the reduced SNFL force finally defeated and destroyed the Soviet Inexperienced Squad.)

Impressed with the valiant stand of his most inexperienced men, Kapitan Vilymvich orders Yuri, Fyodor and Vadim to close with enemy and crush them with their superior numbers while the MMG and HMG on the halftrack give suppressing fire. 

Unfortunately, the accurate fire from the SNFL mortar (Especially the mortar team who simply can't miss Yuri's squad.) and MMG has so pinned down the Kapitans forces that only Fyodor's men advance and charge into the weakened squad of Gunso Yoshio.

The fight was another seesaw affair...even with the advantage of defensive terrain, Yoshio's men are having a hard time.

Yet, after losing half the squad, SNFL training finally won and Fyodor's command disintegrated.

With his left flank gone, Kapitan Igor Vilymvich is ..."undecieded"... on what to do. Yuri's squad is pinned by the accurate SNLF mortar, rifle and MMG fire.  In return his men are pinning Gunso Takumi's 1st squad. The Kapitan decides to hold his ground and trust in his firepower.

Gunso Seiji, on the other hand, receives permission to charge Vadim's squad to duplicated Yoshio's success on the right flank. 

                                                                         BANZAI!

It's another bloodbath that goes on for multiple rounds.

But here numbers do count as Vadmi's soldiers swamp-outlast the men of Seiji's squad. In disbelief of his defeat, the seriously wounded Seiji falls on his bayonet in a final act of Seppuku.

                                                    

Have the tables turned for the Soviets, as their HMG and MMG smash into Gunso Takumi's 1st squad pinning them in place. Now it's Kaigun-Chu Tomoni Oho's time to take in the strategic situation. He has two very reduced squads, effective MMG and Mortar teams and a Sniper team that, aside from being a threat, has done nothing so far. 

Kaigun-Chu Tomoni Oho'a orders are simple and to the point: sniper team-get off your butts and move to a better position, Takumi-rally your men and everyone FIRE!

The first to feel the revenge of the SNFL are the victorious survivors of Vadmi's squad. 

His squads victory was short lived as Vadmi and his men are mowed down by massive combined SNFL fire.

Kapitan Igor Vilymvich's position now becomes untenable as the crew of the M3 panic (FUBAR), throw the vehicle into reverse, smash into trees, become stuck and abandon the vehicle. With only Yuri's decimated squad and the MMG team left, Kapitan Vilymvich orders a general withdrawal. His mission a failure, will he survive the wrath of  Podpolkovnik  Marko Petrov? Or perhaps the resourceful Kapitan can stretch the truth by telling of the successful destruction of the SNFL squad and how he prevented the Japanese from advancing further into Soviet Territory.

Having lost more than half his men and destroyed the majority of the Soviet forces, Kaigun-Chu Tomoni Oho feels that he has fulfilled the letter of his orders. He can definitely hold this village but without further reinforcement's he can't advance any further...at this time that is.

This was a Bolt Action game with some slight rules changes. It was a close-run fight until the last turn where the Soviet forces suddenly collapsed with the loss of Vadim's squad and the FUBAR roll of the M3. The best unit of the game was the light "Knee Mortar" team who never missed and successfully kept Yuri's squad under a mass of pins throughout the game.