Seven Samurai

 Akira Kurosawa's classic movie, Seven Samurai, that later became the inspiration of The Magnificent Seven, is the basis of this game. Using Test of Honor Rules (with a few home-brewed changes from the movie, several of us staged this battle between the Ronin Bandits and the villagers with their hired help (who technically were also Ronin, but we'll refer to them as the Samurai)...

So here is the setting, the peaceful village with four groups of defenders, each at least one hired Samurai attached. One is to the left of the Mill (the left-Ford, left photo); second at bridge (center); third seen upper right (the right-Ford); and the fourth in reserve top left of center). In the film, the defenders blocked off all but one entrance to the village. Here the stream is impassable except by two fords (right and left) and the bridge. "Japanese fences" (bamboo) have been constructed to impede the attackers and to also provide cover, both from melee and shots. (The Bandits have a couple of bowmen as well as arquebus) 

Here we see one of the groups of Bandits forming up to assault the Bridge. The Peasant Reserves with Kambai (the Seven's Leader) and the young Katsushiro at lower left. The right-Ford in in the upper left...

At that previously mentioned ford is the Samurai Kyuzo (the Master Swordsman), with his supporting Peasants...

At the left-Ford, we see Heihachi and Shichiroji waiting for the Bandits' attack (top right)...

At the Bridge, Kikuchiyo (played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune) jumps to the attack, to block the Bandits, one of which he takes down...

At the right-hand Ford, one of the Peasant Bowmen as taken down a Bandit, while their compatriots cross the stream...

At the left-hand Ford, the Bandits have broken through but Heihachi and Shichiroji fill in the gap, taking down one of the bad guys. Look closely at the upper right behind the tree. That is the Village Elder who brings bonuses to the Villagers...

Returning to the right-Ford, Kambai has joined Kyuzo to drop some more Bandits...

and even more Bandits!

More Bandits press across the left-Ford. The blood drops refer to light wounds.  (Heihachi left and Shiehiroji right)...

Another Bandit bites the dust...

One of the Ronin Bandit slips through and strikes down the first Peasant!

At the right-Ford, Kambai takes a light wound, but more Bandits go down...

More Bandits move in but another goes down...

At the Bridge, Kikuchiyo succeeds in taking down a Bandit and a Ronin!

A Ronin Thug breaks through and kills the Village elder!

Heihachi rushes over to take on the Thug, but each defend themselves. Another Peasant goes down to the Ronin...

At the right-Ford, Kyuzo takes a light wound! Then we realize we have forgotten an important aspect of Test of Honor. Following a loss, the unit must take a Reaction Test and if it fails, it must withdraw at least temporarily. We then immediately checked all units, and while one Peasant group failed, four Bandits did likewise! The Bandit Chief called off the attack, and the first day ended.

        

                                                                To Be Continued...

 

Battle for the Beach of Troy

 Recreating the battle scene from the film Troy, we have the defenders of Troy on the right beyond the temple, and the ship bearing the Myrmidons, beaching itself on the left. Alongside the bow, you can make out Achilles himself, the first to jump ashore...

Seen from the viewpoint of the Trojans, there is Achilles charging up the beach...

As the first Myrmidons join Achilles, the archers of Troy take down several...

Achilles (r of c) charges up the beach and  takes down the first defender...

As his Myrmidons join him, Achilles lays several to waste...

 Eudoros (just above Achilles, (r of c) and more Myrmidons join Achilles in the fight...

Ajax the Greater lands up the beach from Achilles...

Plunging in amongst the defenders, Ajax the Greater (right of center, swinging hammer)  inflicts his own casualties...

Rushing up the hill towards the temple, Achilles (just about center) is alone and overwhelmed!! Thats not supposed to happen...

Eudoros (front of temple) attempts to seek revenge for the fall of his Lord...

Hector and the Appoloniand Guard arrive; Ajax and Eudoros both fall to the Trojans, and we bring the game to a halt. We agreed that we needed to tweak the rules (adaptation from WarGods) as the 'superheroes" fell too easily.We'll see next time, at the Walls of Troy...

Battle of the Denmark Straits, in 1/700!

 A friend of mine put together four beautiful models of the Prinz Eugen, Bismarck, Hood, and Prince of Wales. Using a old set of Bismarck Game Rules, and two 4x6 tables set about ten feet apart, we recreated this historic conflict...

We began at range 28,000' and had to plot our movement prior to the judge accepting them. I personally was "onboard" the Heavy Cruiser (CA) Prinz Eugen, and decided to push all ahead flank speed to close range for my 8"guns, while the commanding Admiral decided to begin a slow turn to starboard. The British ships, Hood and PoW pushed ahead as well, and we soon closed the range.

First strike went to the Germans as the Hood took a hit!

What made this an unusual game was not knowing exactly what damage we were doing unless a flash and smoke appeared. (which it did in this case).

Prinz Eugen had the bad luck to take the first hit doled out by the British, a 15" shell destroying my aft Dora turret! 25% of my big guns gone! On the next turn I took another, forward. Bismarck itself dodged all shells sho far...

As the range closed for Prinz Eugen, I opened fire on the PoW, and scored a hit! And only after the game did we learn that the PoW was suffering some malfunctions to her guns! (historically, some unfinished work was still being done by civilian work crews!)

Bismarck scored yet again on the Hood!

Unfortunately for my CA, as I began a turn to starboard, numerous shells crashed onto her, including secondaries from the Hood. The Eugen lost two secondaries and two 8" guns. Hull hits were also scored as well as a hit on the engine room! Things were not looking good...

As Eugen was absorbing all of the British hits (Bismarck had yet to be struck!), the Hood took more hits, but at least she hadn't blown up! 

Believing discretion was the better part of valor, and so as not to screen the LOS for Bismarck, I ordered a turn to port. My idea was to lay smoke on the next turn and break away. As the Eugen did, I fired my three secondaries on the starboard side (their firsts shots), and a salvo from Bruno, my last 8' turret. The Hood was punished...

But Eugen's luck had run out. There was to be no next turn to hide under smoke. PoW scored two 15' hits while Hood added several secondaries. With my hull penetrated and fires all over, the valiant Prinz Eugen slid under the cold waters to port...

Pow now opened fire on the Bismarck, but all missed. The Hood however, soon scored some hits...

Then suddenly, a 15' shell penetrated the Hood's deck armor, and she disappeared in a massive explosion (just as had happened that black day for the Royal Navy...

Missing yet again, the PoW was then struck by the Bismarck, scoring serious damage. The British Captain decided to fight another day, and withdrew...

Quite the game. Even though my ship went down, I had some amazing luck shooting, only missing one complete salvo. The Bismarck and Hood's luck went pretty much like history. Future plans now see my friend working on Tirpitz and Warspite so who knows where this will lead to!

Aegyptus Battle for an Oasis

 Combining figures from CrocidileGames (Aegyptus) and WarGods, the club put on this fight. Anubis Children were investigating rumors of a rising darkness from the west, while Thoth Children had arrived to keep an eye on their brothers. They worry that the Anubis Children sometime endanger Maat by delving too deeply. The local Nomarch, had his local forces, including Axemen, Militia Javelin-men, and two Hunter Archers. Then numerous ravens began appearing from out of the western desert...

The view from the east. The oasis itself is seen in the lower left, while the Nomarch's Palace, nearly center. The Temple of Ptah is located upper left, and the Necropolis is upper right...

Flipping the view...

The Anubis scattered through the Necropolis...

Thoth near the entrance to Ptah's Temple...

Peaceful at the Nomarch's Palace...

First the Ravens, then a cloud of dust...then from over the ridge line, the unknown!(actually a line of Horde Mummies led by their Captains...

The mummies sweep over the Anubis, inflicting casualties, and suffering their own...

Thoth archers not only take down numerous Mummies, but one of their Captains who failed all six of his rolls to save! Another group is swinging around the western edge of the Temple...

The first Militia Javelin-men rush up to protect the priests who are preparing to carry out the Sacred Bark...

After moving up to guard the side entrance to the Temple, the Javelin-men prepare ...

After the Thoth were overwhelmed by a Mummy Captain, the Egyptian Captain (center) races up to the Temple. The Thoth Captain (lower right), after his defeating the enemy, is moving towards the Necropolis to support the Anubis...

Unfortunately for the Egyptians, they failed with their javelins, then were destroyed in melee...

More Javelin-men (sorry for poor quality photo) moving up to take the place of their fallen comrades with a successful discharge of javelins... 

Meanwhile in the Necropolis, the Anubis Captain and the remaining soldier, are cleaving their way through their enemies...

Continuing their successful march through the Mummies...

The final Mummies fall to the Javelin-men and their Captain, saving the Priests, the Temple, and the Oasis!

Reports are being sent to leaders of the Anubis, Thoth and Asar (Egyptian). A fun little game, but more to follow!