Friday 31 August 2012

Update on the real life

Hello everyone.
Sorry not to have posted this past few days, but I'm in the middle of a recruiting process ( no less than 4 interviews), and today was the last, but the most challenging and prestigious of all. I really hope I didn't blow it. Anyway. Now I can sit and relax a bit before blogging again, ( I hope)




Salut a tous
Desole de ne pas avoir poster davantage ces derniers temps, mais je suis en pleine periode d'entretiens. Et je viens de renter apres avoir passe le plus difficile, mais aussi le plus interessant et prestigieux (si vous saviez). J'espere avoir fait bonne impression. Je vais pouvoir me relaxer un peu, et reprendre le blog, j'espere.

Sunday 19 August 2012

Back! With presents and questions

I'm finally back from my holidays in the French Alps. The weather was nice and warm. At first we had fled the grim British weather, but now, i must say we finally are in the real summer. Erm. Next topic, of importance I might add: A few days ago I got one year older, but, because I was on holidays, I didn't receive any real present (ie, apart from the usual shirts/polos/socks...). Everything was waiting for me at home:

Je suis enfin de retour de mes vacances dans les Alpes, avec au menu chaleur et soleil. Apres la grisaille anglaise, ca me changeait. En revanche, la chaleur est desormais au programme ici. Pendant mes vacances, j'ai fete mon anniversaire, sans recevoir de vrais cadeaux (je ne parle pas des classiques chemises/polos/chaussettes). En revanche, de beaux paquets m'attendaient a la maison: Des figs Venexia, The art of War in italy par Taylor, et les Guerres d'Italie par Mallett et Shaw. Beau programme, non?


Lots of Venexia miniatures, The Art of war in Italy by Taylor, and the Italian wars by Mallett and Shaw. I guess you found what would be my next project ;)


Now. Since my return, I saw lots of bloggers answering 20 questions. I wondered why, but then I discovered Ray and Fran started it. Figures... As a member of the Rejects' French chapter, I had to answer them:

Depuis mon retour, j'ai remarque que beaucoup de bloggeurs repondaient a une vingtaine de questions. J'aurais du me douter de l'origine: Ray et Fran. En tant que membre francais de leur congregation de joyeux lurons, je devais y repondre:

1.        Favourite Wargaming period and why? Periode de wargame preferee et pourquoi?
     Tricky start. It changes a lot. But I'd say Ancients, simply because of the epics, and the feats from desperate generals fighting against hordes of barbarians... I guess it must be related to my vivid imagination.

     Ca commence bien. Je pencherais pour l'antiquite, a cause des epopees, et des grands heros et generaux qui se battirent contre les barbares. En fait, c'est une periode qui me fait travailler l'imagination.
 
2.       Next period, money no object? Periode en projet, l'argent n'etant pas un probleme?
       I'd say Imagi-nations, in a XVIIth-XVIIIth fictional Europe, with at least 3 different countries.

       Pour moi ce serait un projet Imagi-nations, situe dans une Europe fictive du XVIIe - XVIIIe siecles.

3.       Favourite 5 films? Mes 5 films preferes?
 
 
       In no particular order:
       Alien
       Aliens
       the Seven Samurai
       Tampopo
       the first Star Wars trilogy
 
4.       Favourite 5 TV series? mes 5 series TV preferees?
 
 
       Battlestar Galactica
       Band of Brothers
       Black Adder
       Doctor Who
       Fraser
 
5.       Favourite book and author? Auteur et livre prefere?
       The Lord of the Rings, by Tolkien. 

6.       Greatest General? Can’t count yourself!!
       Hannibal. He's the only one to really have scared the Romans to death.
       Hannibal, car ce fut le seul a avoir effraye reellement les Romains.

7.       Favourite Wargames rules?
       Sadly? Fortunately? NONE! I like paying with everything
       Aucune! J'aime jouer a toutes les regles, du moment que j'y prends du plaisir.
 
8.       Favourite Sport and team?
 
 
       Rugby, and especially the Bayonne Rugby (Aviron Bayonnais) 
 
        Allez, allez!
Les Bleus et Blancs de l'aviron bayonnais!
 
9.       If you had a only use once time machine, when and where would you go? Si je pouvais utiliser une machine a remonter le temps une seule fois, ou et quand irai-je?

       Back to the ides of March to see if Caesar really said "tu quoque mi fili", or simply "mummy, it hurts"
 
      J'irai a Rome lors des ides de Mars pour voir si Cesar a reellement dit "tu quoque mi fili", car j'y crois pas trop.
 
10.   Last meal on Death Row? Mon dernier repas dans le couloir de la mort?
 Here we go:
first, Foie gras truffe with a glass of Pacherenc
 
Then a Chicken a la Gaston Gerard, with a glass of Givry ( from a 2005 bottle, the best year in my opinion)
 
after that, a selection of cheese, with a glass of Rully (still a 2005 bottle)
 
and then, a Raspberry tiramisu with a glass of 1996 Sauternes (fruity, sweet, and a nice amber color)

11.    Fantasy relationship and why? Relation fictive et pourquoi?
       Jodie Foster: redhead, speaks a flawless French, and you can have a conversation.
 
       Jodie Foster: elle est rousse, parle un Francais impeccable et on peut avoir une discussion.
 
12.   If your life were a movie, who would play you? Si ma vie etait un film, qui jouerait mon role?
       Antonio Banderas (I'm half-Spanish, you know)

13.   Favourite Comic  Superhero? Superheros prefere de BD?
       Hmmm, tricky, since I don't really read comics. But I'd say Asterix (from the Goscinny period)

14.   Favourite Military quote? Citation militaire preferee?
       " NUTS!"  in 1944 or, "MERDE!"  for the 1815 version

15.   Historical destination to visit? Destination touristique a visiter?
       Italy: you can see a lot of European History there.
       L'Italie, veritable concentre d'histoire europeenne

16.   Biggest Wargaming regret? Plus gros regret wargamistique?
       None at the moment, I'm still young
      Aucun, je suis encore trop jeune ;)
 
17.   Favourite Fantasy job? Metier imaginaire prefere?
        Jodie's private masseur ;)
        Masseur particulier de Jodie

18.   Favourite Song Top 5? Mes 5 chansons preferees?
      I'm too eclectic for that, and besides I'm contaminated by my daughter:
      - the wheels of the bus
     - Bah bah Black sheep
     - London bridge is falling down
     -  Old Mc Donald
     -  Hickory dickory
      
19.   Favourite Wargaming Moment? Mon meilleur moment de wargame?
      A memorable game of NPOW with my Friend Antoine, me playing the French, and He playing the Russians. We spent more time joking and laughing than actually playing ;)
 
       Une partie inoubliable de Npow avec Tonio, Francais contre Russes. On a passe plus de temps a raconter des conneries et a se marrer qu'a jouer.
 
 
20.   The miserable Git question, what upsets you? Et enfin, qu'est-ce qui m'enerve?
       Prepping the minis, rolling too many ones, paying the bills (not enough money for more minis), failing at following a good cooking recipe and the average level of cultural mediocrity in our modern and developped societies...

         Ebarber les figs, faire trop de 1, payer les factures, rater une recette, et surtout le niveau moyen de mediocrite culturelle de nos societes modernes et developpees...

Monday 6 August 2012

No pic today...

Hello everyone.

I don't how you would consider it, but I think the weather we have here in the Uk is far from a summer one. So we decided (admittedly a couple of weeks ago) to go South in the French Alps to visit the family, and enjoy the Sun (and heat).

So, tata and see you again in 2 weeks, with more batreps, and painted minis.


Oh behave!


A ce qu'il parait, il fait meilleur en France, et plus particulierement au Sud de la Loire. Ca change de la pluie quasi quotidienne ici a Londres. Donc, apres une courte discussion, on a decide de partir voir la famille pour 2 semaines dans les Alpes. 


A bientot donc dans deux semaines, avec plein de trucs a vous montrer.


Bye

Friday 3 August 2012

Seleucia invaded! another batrep

Wagoon-Li was wooried. After the sudden demise of his predecessor, he was ordered to invade the rich and powerful kingdom of the Seleucids. Hmm. He knew his opponent, the dreaded infamous general Andy Finkelos was a tough opponent, but then , it was either that, or death by tea and cake. Fortunately for him, the terrain was quite interesting to deploy his army. He had also prived a couple of stakes to protect part of his infantry against the mighty Seleucid cavalry. Yes they were as honorable as little puny worms, but he had to admit they were impressive. And what about the phalanxes, their legionaries. He reread his Sun-Tzu digest and came up with a plan.

Wagoon-Li etait inquiet. La mort aussi soudaine que suspecte de son predecesseur n'etait guere encourageante, surtout qu'on lui avait confie l'invasion du royaume seulecide. Son adversaire, Andy Kinkelos, etait certes repugnant, mais il etait redoutable. Et il n'avait pas le choix. C'etait l'invasion ou la mort par the et gateau. Heuseument pour lui, le terrain etait a son avantage. Il ressortit son abrege de Sun-Tsu pour y piocher des idees de deploiement. il avait equippe une partie de son armee avec des pieux pour contrer la revoltante cavalry seleucide, impressionante, bien qu'a peine plus honorable que de simples vermisseaux. Et que dire des phalanges et des legionnaires?




A strong left wing would push forward towards the weak Seleucid wing, hoping to get the advantage of the terrain. The cavalry would delay on the right, the chariots would move towards the weakest medium infantry, and the infantry with stakes would then move to counter the Revulsing cataphracts. Yes it was a good plan, and he ordered a general advance. May the ancestors be with him!

Son aile gauche, aussi puissante que la crue du fleuve jaune, pousserait en avant vers le flanc seleucide pour s'emparer des terrains. Sa cavalry, aussi insaisissable que le vent, ralentirait a droite, permettant aux reserves de bloquer les cataphractes. Les chariots fonceraient vers l'infanterie moyenne ennemie.

worthless

Pathetic though dangerous

Disgusting but dangerous too
Very soon, the troops, confident in their leader, were almost in striking position. Everything seemed to go according to the plan, but some skirmishers had come to charge range of the chariots, who had to charge. "Dim-Sun!" they're now facing the Elite phalanx. I hope everything will be alright for them.

Les troupes confiantes dans le plan, foncerent et furent rapidement en position. Tout allait pour le mieux quant des vermisseux armes d'arcs provoquerent les chariots, les forcant a charger, et les ammenant droit vers une phalange d'elite...











The bolts started to darken the sky, and soon, the first Seleucids, pitiful be they, died... Especially the Elite phalanx who went disrupted after some lucky shots from the chariots. But then... " Spring roll!" The chariots, eager to fight, charged the phalanx head on!... But wait! What's happening? The ancestors be praised! Against all odds, the phalanx broke! They had better run those useless worms! And now the chariots were facing some medium troops with heavy weapons, in the open. Yes, everything was fine!

Les carreaux d'arbalete obscurcissaient deja le ciel et les Seleucides tomberent, surtout dans la phalange de veterans qui en fut ebranlee. LEs chariots, encourages par ce succes, foncerent alors tete baissee vers eux! Les ancetres soient loues! les combats tournerent a leur avantage, et bientot la phalange derouta, ammenant alors les chariots face a l'infanterie moyenne...






On the wings, everything was going according to the plan. On the right, the cavalry was delaying, while the infantry was deploying into position.




On the left, the massive assault was slowing grinding the opponent down, pushing forward, never allowing the Seleucids to make a coordinated attack. At one time, some mounted scums charged the spearmen in the rear, to help the phalanx, but soon both broke, at the loss of the faithful leader Chop Stick. 

Sur les ailes, tout allait pour le mieux, et tout se deroulait comme prevu: a droite les troupes etaient en position, et a gauche un long combat d'attrition tournait a l'avantage de nos vaillantes troupes. Meme la mort du valeureux Chop Stick n'ebranla en rien la confiance de nos troupes.







After a short melee, the chariots were at least free of ennemies, and started to move on their left to help the attack wing getting rid of some legionaries, who were attacked from three sides... Yes they soon disappeared, thus breaking the army, and finally allowing us to parade in the chanting streets of the decadent but so sweet Babylone! 


Apres une courte melee, bien que sanglante, les chariots etaient a nouveau libres et se dirigerent vers l'aile gauche pour assener le coup fatal. Des legionnaires, attaques de toute part, derouterent et ce fut la fin de l'armee seleucide. Le lendemain, nos glorieuse paraderent dans les rues de la decadente mais o combien delicieuse Babylone.

Mais  Wagoon-Li avait peu d'occasion de se rejouir. Une missive lui appris que des rebelles se dirigeaient dans sa direction. Les plaisirs attendraient.





Hurray! it was a total victory, at the loss of only one unit, the unpainted one, who routed only because of shooting. Buggar.


So, number 2894, you won a great victory there. You are now promoted to number 1563. Congratulations. But be careful, I hear some rebels are on their to claim Babylone back. Don't fail me by losing your army, it would be... disappointing.



Yes, Number 1.