Monday, 19 April 2010

More shots of Zama

Very few of my photos of the game amounted to much, but I am confident that Ian will have some good pics.  Here are a few I took before the action grew too hot, and I got distracted...

 
View from behind the Roman lines at the start (that's Scipio in the foreground)

Roman tribunes confer over tactics; Aventine Adam and Keith (centre) and Nick Speller right.  You can see the Carthaginian elephants bouncing off the velites.  Later a couple managed to break through, and caused fearsome devastation. Keith tells me that my Carthaginians destroyed 19 out of the 21 units of Roman Hastati, Principes and Triarii (yet we still lost!).

Here's a view from behind the Carthaginian left, late on in the game.  Our Numidians hung grimly on to the very end.  By this time the Roman centre (back right) was reduced to a thin screen of velites, but our own mercenaries and levies had died in droves (see foreground) and our army morale failed.

I'll post some better photos when I can get hold of them...

Sunday, 18 April 2010

Thanks...

I realised whilst posting on TMP that there are a lot of people I need to thank for their help.

It was very nice to finally meet the Aventine boys in the flesh, who designed and painted so many miniatures for the Project, and Craig, too, who painted the other half of the Romans. Also John who made the trees and haystacks; the ever productive Nick Speller who splendidly painted so many minis that I went on to base. and lots of Cartho vetrans, too.  Keith, Adam, Craig and John travelled huge distances to be there. 

Then there was Ian who battled his way through at least 8 playtests, which helped the game to run perfectly on the day; and who helped to put all the pins in the boards. Twice.  Next week, at Salute, I'm also looking forward to meeting mon ami Greg again (who must painted at least a couple of hundred minis for the event) and gaming with fellow Muswell Militiaman Dr. Simon, whose minis made it to Bletchley even though he didn't.

It was great meeting people at the event, too, like 2mm Simon and the other Adam, even though the time for chat seemed so short. Also Dougie and Mark who made up our number of players to the critcal 8.  I wish their had been a bit more time to meet other people, too; the day just flashed past. I didn't even get to see very much of the other games. Sigh. Huge thanks to Richard Lockwood for organising the event! And to everyone who has supported the blog over the last year.

Cheers, Simon

Zama- "B" Day Deployment

Today I'll post some photos of our Zama game which was fought yesterday at the SOA Battle Day in Bletchley, and which we will fight one more time at Salute.  All phgotos are clickable.

Above is the 16' long field of battle before the arrival of the armies.  I was very pleased with the terrain, and the details that John Smillie made (olive and other trees, and the haystacks) set it off nicely.

Here is a view along the battlefield from behind the Carthaginian left rear.  If you look carefully, you can see the ladders on the haystacks!

And, finally for the moment (below) an aerial view of the battlefield; Carthaginians in the foreground.  The three lines of the Carthaginian deployment can be distinctly made out, with their elephants in front.  You should also be able to see the four Roman legions with their "elephant channels", and Numidian foot deployed to their right.   The two central legions have red shields, and the outer allied legions, white.
 

Friday, 16 April 2010

Eve of Battle!


Hannibal and Scipio parley on the battlefield of Zama, on the day before the battle.

Tomorrow at the crack of dawn, Muswell Militia and various associated malcontents will be driving up to the SOA Battle Day event in Bletchley to fight our version of Zama.  Hannibal has won every practice battle; but I have a feeling in my waters that Scipio will pip it on the day...

Hope to see some of you there!  

Monday, 12 April 2010

Yet more generals...


Here are some of the figures that Greg Privat painted for me, and I based.  These are Aventine Etruscans, and will be commanding one half of the Roman centre.  I'm still busy trying to finish off basing the Bruttians Greg painted for me; I'll get there!   I very much like the standard, which I think depicts Hercules.

Sunday, 11 April 2010

Towering haystacks and Carthaginians

My mate John has made some more trees and some "Roman" haystacks for me.  There are pictured on his blog
and should help to indicate that the battle was fought in the autumn period. I need to add a small pole coming out of the top of each one, as you see on Trajan's column.

In other news... 15 minutes ago I finally finished the boards.  Now I just have a couple of units to finish basing, the casualty minis to sort out, some counters to make and suchlike....  very doable.

Dr. Simon has also just posted pics of his Carthaginian contingent; I'm delighted to see them ready for the fray!

Saturday, 10 April 2010

No more snowballs...

After a week's reflection, I decided that the white map pins were unbearably... white.   Today my long suffering accomplace Ian came around and we pulled out the 350 pins we hammered in last Tuesday and replaced them with 350 pins I'd sprayed beige.  We then put another 350 pins into the remaining 4 boards, which are substantially complete (they just need a bot of drybrushing on the vegetation).


This is the board with the new pins, which are much less obvious than the white ones.  I'm very pleased with them!  A big thanks to Ian for his help.