A New Take on the Argonauts

 Im like many who have enjoyed Jason and the Argonauts over the years. The club actually refought the "Hydra's Teeth" battle  earlier this month, but I wanted to upgrade a bit. So this time Heracles stays with the Argo, and the King of Chalkis deploys his army to retake the stolen Golden Fleece. 

So here is the battlefield. I don't have an Argo model, so I placed an Arab Dhow on the beach instead, seen at the top-left. The Chalkis King is seen in the lower right, along with his priest of Astartes. He has begun calling up his Army of Skeletons. The King's soldiers soldiers are seen in the upper left, trying to cut off the Argonauts on their way to the Argo. Heracles and some Argonauts are located just below the Argo, while Jason is to the right...

Some of the Argonauts fighting off numerous Skeleton warriors...

Chalkis warriors closing in on Heracles (bad idea!), center of photo with his famous club, and his Argonauts...

Jason and Heracles are holding off their enemies while the Argonauts reach the Argo...

Unfortunately my camera's battery ran low, so that ends the visual. But it was fun.

 

Ancient Kemet

 One of my favorite historical periods, and my incredible fortunate opportunity to partake in a Fulbright Travel Program to visit and study for three weeks has led to this. My take on the Temple Complex at Karnak. While my model is not an exact duplicate, it does I believe, capture the majesty of this massive religious site.

Ignoring the clutter on my gaming/work table, this is the view eastward from the Nile towards the Hidden One's Mansion. At the center is the Great Hypostle Hall of Ramesses II, while at the far end is Thutmose III's Festival Hall. The stand alone temple to the right is made fro kits from Hirts Arts (as are all the models),

The next view is taken from the north. The Shrine of Rameses III is right center fronted by the two massive statues of the Pharaoh (one hidden by the Kisok of Tahraqa)...

A closeup view from the south into the second courtyard and its gilded obelisk..

An update to the complex, Painted decorations added to the first Pylon and with the Docking Basin and two barges tied up...

The view changes to the eastern end of the complex with interior shots of the Festival Hall of Thumose III as seen from the south...

Next we are looking at the same Hall, this time from the east. The small chapel which is actually on the exterior of the Hall, is the Shrine of the Hearing Ear. It was here that average Egyptians would be allowed to leave their prayers for the gods!..

Final view of the Hall is from the north...

More to come as the project continues...

Mycenaen and Trojan Heroes

 (l-r) Ajax, Menelaus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, and Achilles...

Patroclus (l) sparring with Aeneas (r)...

...and flipped...

(l-r) Mycenean Hero Clonius matches up against Trojan Ennomius. (names taken from The Illiad); while Mycenean Agapenor is wondering why the Trojans Amphius and Chronius had to double up on HIM!

Common warriors taken from Myceneans (l) and Troy (r)...

More Mycenean (l), Eumelus, Guneus, Idomeneus, Leitus, Medon;  and Trojan (r) Heroes, Glaucus, Hippothus, Memnon...

Another batch of common soldiers from both Greece and Troy...

Jason and the Argonauts

 Since our states' second slow down in response to Covid, having been working on an eclectic group of figures; first up, the Argonauts. Most are from Foundry, while four (inc the LARGE Jason) are Footsore (second, and fourth from left; third and fifth from right). While i have loved the miniatures out of Footsore for years, these are my least favorite ever. Think ill have to use the giant for some super-sized Greek!

Next we have the King of Colchis with some of his guards. All are Foundry...

More from the Greek World

 Coming from Footsore's Mortal Gods range,  a group of Spartans. These are a combo of hard-plastic and metal, enabling you to model numerous poses.

Here is King Priam of Troy, with his sons, Hector and Paris, with guards. Figs from Foundry...

The final Battle, Otta, 28 April, 1940

 Following the 15 Brigade's second battle of the Norwegian Campaign at Kjorem, it was the turn of the Green Howards to attempt to halt the inexorable German advance.

The first view is from the north, again the British perspective, with Otta center frame...

Now the view from the south (German perspective). The first German troops can be seen on the left bank...

German troops move northward, while an airstrike misses an outlying farmhouse (not occupied actually because the Allies learned the Germans always destroyed the buildings first...

Just as the Germans failed historically to do effective recon, the ambush is sprung, and it is deadly as numerous Germans go down as well as some Shaken (yellow pins). German return fire does score some Shaken but no casualties...

As the first German armor advances up the highway (a Sdkfz 221 AC), a 25mm ATG scores a direct hit...

The firefight in the western hills continues, while the German squad is nearly destroyed. Support can be seen in background...

The new German squad has some success, but the Brits are still holding...

And now they too are taking casualties! This is what the British need, a piecemeal attack...

A second Sdkfz AC (top center) moves north along the highway, not knowing that another 25mm ATG is lining it up (upper left)...

Meanwhile, as the fight in the western hills, continues, the second German squad has taken heavy losses as well...

The Armored Car pays for its rashness, and is also destroyed (the second 25mm is in upper left). Two shots, two destroyed Cars. With two squads knocked out of the fight at the cost of four Brits, this is a much better turnout for the Allies!

The Germans luck changes for the better, as a new squad comes under fire on the highway, but suffer no casualties. An artillery barrage smashes into the British entrenchments...

Another unsuccessful airstrike on Otta itself (again, the structures are all unoccupied)...

Now the German squad on the highway pays for its advance, losing its MG team (the double-washer stand) along with several riflemen...

Another artillery barrage is not as deadly, but British return fire is...

Yet another German squad smashes into the British defenses, this time leaving only one unaffected Tommy in his foxhole...

The Germans appear to be finally gaining the upper hand...

While the Brits are holding desperately holding their position on the highway...

More Germans now make their appearance (a whole lot more actually, including, a Pz 1 and Pz II, and the Propaganda Tank!)...

The great British luck continues as all three German tanks (PzII on left, with PzI and Propaganda Tank upper right) are destroyed (medals for the AT gunners!)...

Time is running out for the Brits overlooking the highway however...

And finally, the Brits are destroyed...

As the battle draws to a close, a reserve British squad counterattacks in the hills, and inflicts heavy casualties...

And so the campaign came to a close. More than a dozen battles, between Norwegians, Brits and Germans. It went pretty much the way it did historically, but the gaming was enjoyable. Leave your comments and hope you enjoyed. It also turned out to be our last gathering for the time being,  at the local shop, Collectormania, in Parker, Colorado. Covid upticks have closed the shop down for gaming. Will certainly miss our gatherings and look forward to the return to action in the near future! Hope all are keeping safe, and trust your die rolls are going well!

 

27 April, 1940: Battle of Kjorem

 After retiring from Kvam, the York and Lancaster Battalion of the 15th Brigade, occupied entrenched positions at the small village of Kjorem. The British finally had an armored (?) element, consisting of the Carrier Platoon from the Green Howard Battalion, also of the 15th.

This view fro the north (British perspective) shows Kjorem left-center of photo. The wide Lagen River is portrayed with numerous channels only passable at the narrows just north of Kjorem itself...

Now from the German (southern) perspective. The hills on both flanks are lightly wooded, but it is actually the only snow covered terrain. The thaw has begun...

German ski troops appear on their left flank while infantry start up the highway...

More German ski troops next move into the woods on the right flank...

As the Germans advance up the highway, they are ambushed (just as they were historically) and begin to take casualties...

German armor makes its presence known, as the British squad stationed there is decimated...

On the eastern hills, German ski troops overrun an 25mm ATG (center, large empty emplacement)!

And unfortunately for the British 'armor', an air strike and German artillery have rendered them basically ineffective...

In the western hills, two British squads are being flanked and also taking casualties...

Back on the highway, German armor passes through the now unoccupied positions...

One British carrier attempts to escape across the river...unsuccessfully. Up in the hills, a British squad is counterattacking and inflicting serious losses on the lead ski squad (upper right)...

But more German troops are arriving (left of center)...

A British squad is nearly wiped out while the German ski squad doesn't have much left either. Lower down on the secondary road, the British squad there is also hard-pressed...

As the battle draws to an end, with the British withdrawing, German armor surveys the heavily damaged village...

The campaign winds down...