The brave Roosters

Here they are, at last. It tok slighlty more time than expected to paint the banners, but I'm rather proud of them. In the Chinese cosmology, the roosters are brave, though sometimes a bit aggressive. So that's a perfect name for my new attack infantry unit. And with this unit from Museum, I think I'm finished with this army, for a while at least. So, that's one project done, more to go, especially because Monday night, I watched a game of Cold war Commander, and rather liked it. So I may be tempted to paint a French cold war army in Germany...

Et voila. Voici donc les coqs courageux. Le coq aurait une reputation, pour les Chinois, de courage et d'agressivite, ce qui me parait parfait. J'ai mis plus de temps que prevu pour peindre les bannieres, mais je pense  que cela valait le coup. Je pense egalement qu'il s'agit de ma derniere unite, du moins pour un moment, donc je considere ce projet termine! Je vais pouvoir en commencer un autre, surtout qu'apres avoir regarde une partie de cold war commander, je suis tente de peindre une armee francaise guerre froide...

Oh my

Because the PVA is not dry yet, I can't show you my new Chinese unit, yet... So, while we're all eagerly waiting for them, let me show what I found in my digital camera, buried somewhere alongside old holidays pictures. I had completely forgotten them.Beware! This pictures are quite old, about 10 years... Yes, 10 years ago, this was my painting level:

This tercio was part of a project for the French Religion wars for Renaissance POW, long since aborted. The minis are now safe at my parents' house...

la colle seche sur ma nouvelle unite chinoise, donc vous devrez attendre un peu avant de la voir. En attendant, j'ai retrouve de vieilles photos d'il y a 10 ans sur un projet des guerres de religion pour Renaissance POW, que j'ai depuis longtemps abandonne. Tellement abandonne que j'avais oublie ces photos... C'est fou comme mon niveau de peinture s'est ameliore.

Almost done

Painting in an "industrial" way can be interesting, especially if the minis are easy to paint. Which is the case from those. I just finished the last highlights and they've been varnished. So, I think they should be ready tomorrow.

J'avais oublie a quel point peindre a la chaine pouvait valoir le coup parfois, surtout si les figs sont faciles a peindre. C'est le cas pour celles-ci car il ne me reste plus qu'a socler le tout. L'unite devrait etre prete demain normalement.

Reinforcements on the way

I've now officially painted more than 650 points for my FOG army. Shame on me I didn't want at first to spend more than required. Ah well. So I've almost finished a unit of mixed troups, from Museum minis, the one I started especially for my game against TAmsin. The only difference: it has 8 bases instead of 6. Next steps: the last highlights, then varnish then basing.

Voila, je me suis officiellement laisse emporter, car j'ei maintenant plus de 650 points FOG, alors que je ne voulais pas trop depenser... Voici donc une nouvelle unite mixte de chez Museum. Et c'est du lourd, car il y a 8 bases et non 6. Il ne me reste plus que quelques eclaircissements, le vernis et le soclage.

Leading the army

No real proper army can go to war without good generals. So today I'll show them, though they're not finished: I still need to glue the banners. All of them except the cariot are from Essex. The chariot is from Museum.

Pas de veritable armee sans bons generaux. Les voici donc rien que pour vos yeux, meme s'ils ne sont pas tout a fait termines, il reste les bannieres a coller. Enjoy.

Ha-Lin-Koru, a FOG batrep (again)

Yesterday was my last game from round 1 of the club competition, and I played against Tamsin. Because I follow her blog, I knew she would field a Sarmatian army, full of nasty superior impact cavalry, yurk. So, I reread my Chinese military, especially against the nomadic tribes from the North, and devised a plan accordingly:

Hier, j'ai joue ma derniere partie du round 1, contre Tamsin et ses Sarmates, bourree de cavaliers superieurs. beurk. Je me suis donc inspire de l'histoire chinoise et j'ai mis des pieux et des arbaletes a tout le monde. Bref de quoi faire une version 1415 avant l'heure, avec moi dans le role des Anglais... Pour info, voici ma compo:

- 1 Inspired leader, to get many moral bonus and to get the initiative

- 2 Troop commanders, to bolster my units in the fight

- my Tigers ( I just love them)

- the bulls and the dragons

- 1 big ( 8 bases) unit, yet unfinished

- my ravens, phoenixes, swallows and allied tribal cavalry.

Yep, that's it, only 8 units. But they had a special bonus: portable defenses, which work the same way as stakes... Very useful against cavalry, because they negate their bonuses and give me one...

We rolled for initiative and after many dice rolls, I got it again! We would fight in a developped area, not so good against cavalry armies. So here is the terrain: one small enclosed field on my left, a village and two more enclosed field on my right... but on Tamsin's side. Guess where I deployed... Right, in front of this features because she put her camp there.

Je n'ai certes que 8 unites, mais elles sont de qualite. J'obtiens l'initiative et choisis de combattre sur mon terrain... qui va etre plutot degage, avec quelques champs clos et un village en fond de table. Bof. Si je me deploie en bulle, je prevoie d'etre le plus aggressif possible pour empecher Tamsin de manoeuvrer, en attquant sur la droite

Though it may look like a bubble, I intend to be aggressive on my right, with my cavalry in reserve. What was Tam's plan? Well I don't know, but her shock troops were almost right in front of me.

And here we go. Tamsin moves first and get her Sarmatians in a good position to strike, or so she thinks... On my turn, I move my infantry forward. Can you see the trap unravelling?

Soon she's almost ready to strike. She can't wait because my shooting is bloody efficient and she started to lose bases...

J'avance donc tranquillement, et je commence a arroser les cavaliers de carreaux d'arbalete. Au dernier moment, mes hommes, surs d'eux, posent leurs pieux juste avant la charge... qui comme vous allez le voir, s'empale lamentablement...

And then... poof, my men well-lead, just plant their defense right in front of her cavalry... Yep, she's doomed. As doomed as a French Knight in 1415.

She charges... and here is the result:

Yep, they breaf off, with lots of losses...

I'm feeling so confident that I'm soon sending my infantry forward... to be charged by the last fools Sarmatians brave horsemen.

Tres rapidement, Tamsin recule les restes de sa cavalerie et j'en profite pour avancer et continuer a lui tirer dessus. Elle tente une derniere charge desesperee, mais rien ne fait et Tamsin finit par perdre l'armee, au sens moral et effectif...

This is the end of the Sarmatians army. But what happened on my wings? Well, on my left, my chariots just shot at some light horse and routed them, and on my right, a dimished light horse unit managed to fragment my light horse, Tamsin's only success...

Here is the final picture: where are the Sarmatians?

Aftermatch: with my portable defenses, I knew I couldn't lose badly against Tamsin's cavalry army, sorry Tamsin. The dice were with me, though I managed to get quite a lot of them during my shooting phase and the impact. Did I make any mistakes? I don't know, but I managed the game quite well. Sorry again Tamsin.

So, with this crushing victory, I'm sure to be on the next round. And good luck for Tamsin against Tim. I hope our game was instructive and your experience might serve you against his Han army.

Resultat des courses: victoire on ne peut plus decisive. Les des etaient avec moi, et les bonus aussi, bref, Tamsin n'a rien pu faire, a part me fragmenter un BG de cavalerie legere en fin de partie. Je remerci donc mon general en chef inspire, mes pieux et mes arbaletes. J'ai donc passe le premier round, et j'affronterai donc bientot de nouveaux adversaires. Quelque chose me dit qu'il y aura beaucoup de cataphractes et de chariots dans les prochains adversaires. Je vais donc affuter mes pieux, niark niark.

A good lesson- A FOG batrep

After my astonishing win, I met Tim and his Chinese army. Great, an historical battle. Tim is a good player so I know it will be a hard time, especially if facing lots of Chinese troups. I win the initiative again, and most terrain pieces are on my side: lots of open fields and one vineyard.

Apres ma belle victoire contre Gordon, j'affronte Tim et ses Chinois Han dans une bataille presque historique. Je remporte l'initiative et tous les terrains arrivent chez moi, ou presque. Bon, c'est du simple champ et un terrain pourri.

Then he deploys his army in a long line. Though he only has 8 BG, they're more numerous than mine ( I had the same compo as last time), and with some fortifications on his left. I decide to deploy around the vineyard, in a central position, with my skirmishers in it, and my light horses on the left, to slow him down. 

Il se deploie en une longue ligne. Ses troupes sont moins nombreuses en termes d'unites mais il remplit la table. De mon cote, je vais m'appuyer sur le terrain et tenter d'attquer a droite. Ma cav legere tentera de le ralentir a gauche.

Then, the real battle began. I redeploy my infantry in a refused flank on my left, while I decide to strike on my right.

Do I feel confident, well, I don't know. He's moving fast, too fast for me. And he's soon on top of me... My light horses slow him down, but they're pinned and soon they'll leave the table, darn... I lost some points in an idiot way...

Bon, si a droite ca se passe plutot bien, malgre la perte de ma cavalerie, ma cavalerie legere a gauche est repoussee hors de table, youpi des points perdus betement. Et Tim continue de se rapprocher dangereusement. Les combats au centre sont furieux, mais mon unite des tortues craque et laisse un trou beant dans ma ligne...

Then we both charge in the center and my right flank... I hold in the center, but my cav on the right disappears too rapidly for my taste...

As you can see, the melee was bloody, but now I have two units against his mob... But in the center, the turtles broke, leaving a huge gap. You won't see many pics too blurry I'm afraid, but the dragons prove to be exceptional: outnumbered, attacked in front and the rear, they held for two rounds of combat!

Mention aux dragons, qui attaques de tous les cotes, vont tenir deux rounds de combat!

Halas, they finally die, and my army breaks... Though I destroyed 3 BG and fragmented another one. Tim was on the verge of collapse too... Damn.

Bon, il n'empeche, je finis par perdre, meme si j'ai detruit 3BG et fragmente un 4e. la double demo n'etait pas loin...

Unit of the match: the dragons, obviously.

Worst units: yes 3 units were worthless: my light horses and my armoured cavalry.

So, what did I learn: Skirmishers can't even hold in crappy terrain, a thing I was used to in Art de la guerre. And then, I was too passive, I should have attacked with more troups on my right instead of waiting for Tim to come. Bah. Tonight, hopefully, I'll play my last game against Tamsin.

Lecon du jour: ne pas etre trop passif, sinon, je me fais avoir. Et les tirailleurs qui ne peuvent meme pas s'accrocher dans un terrain pourri, il faut s'y habituer... Ce soir, derniere partie contre Tamsin.

Dim-sun or Curry indian style? A FOG batrep

Hi everyone. At last, my first battlereport for FOG, in our internal comp. I was facing Gordon and his hordes of nellies and bowmen. On her blog, Tamsin simply stated that she was roughly beaten. So, what happened to me? Well, I got the initiative, so I chose a developped terrain, to place some enclosed field, which the nellies don't like, while my infantry didn't care about. And this is the terrain we played on:

Voici donc mon premier batrep pour FOg durant notre tournoi interne. J'affronte Gordon et ses hordes indiennes, avec archers et elephants. J'ai l'inititative, donc je choisis du terrain pourri pour canaliser ses babars , avec deux hamps clos sur ma gauche et un vaillage a droite:

For your information, I had:
- 1 Bg of chariots ( panzer if you like)
- 2 Bg of skirmishers
- 2 Bg of light horse
- 3 Bg of mixed troups
- 1 Bg of spearmen
- 1 Bg of cavalry

Two enclosed fields on my left, and one strange looking-but-surely-an-Indian-crappy-village-not-worthy-of-the-benefits-of-the-civilization, aka a dump. Well, without having any terrainon my side, I was still happy with it, simply because Gordon's nellies would be channelled, while I could go everywhere. 

His army was deployed mainly on my left, while I opted for a more compact solution, in the center.

woops, blurry picture

On Turn 1:

• Gordon's right wing move forward ( wow that is fast), and one unit on his left enters Balamory, sorry, the crappy village. His troups on the center don't do anything (bad curry for lunch?).
• I decide to move my cavalry on the right, while my infantry goes left, ready to strike . The chariots are in reserve.

Gordon s'est surtout masse sur ma gauche, et avance rapidement, mais ce n'est pas grave car mon infantry se redeploie, prete a frapper en direction des champs.

sorry again...

During the following turns, my plan seems to go perfectly well, as Gordon keeps advancing, and my infantry wings creeps towards his bowmen in the field. Meanwhile, my skirmishers try to catch their opponents, and my cavalry is still moving on the right. And then...

Mon plan se deroule sans accroc comme dirait mon heros Hannibal Smith. Je me prepare tranquillement, ma cavalerie va batifoler a droite, je temporise au centre et... je frappe a gauche sur sa pauvre infanterie avec mes tortues et mes taureaux. Et comme vous pouvez le voir, c'est une boucherie indienne que je vais pouvoir ouvrir :)

- Are nellies good to eat? Well, we'll see soon enough

 

Oh look, they're finally moving...

I didn't want to wait for the oncoming onslaught, so.... Chargeeeeee! First the turtles then the bulls raced towards the bowmen, and...

After a few exchange of hallberds and swords, ok, mostly hallberds in their face, the bowmen flee and disrupt/ fragment everything in their path...

Rien ne resiste a mon infanterie...

Weren't there some more Indian troups there before, ark ark...

Gordon knows the end is coming, so he unleashes hell, well his nellies, and tries to attack my cavalry on his left flank...

Gordon tente des charges pour me briser, avec ses elepahnts et sa cavalerie, mais non seulement je tiens, mais en plus je gagne!

Brace yourselves lads!

No need to brace ourselves guys, we're winning!

But it was too late. My units held their ground and the game was over, time was up. Gordon had lost 12 points out of 13 and I lost... 2 points. My chariots were fragmented against... bloody bowmen.

So, for my first game ever of FOG, I didn't do badly. I didn't fell into his trap in the center, and in fact I used it to trash his infantry. The Chinese infantry is bloddy good, very resilient and efficient in melee. But I still need to learn how to use correctly the skirmishers in these rules. 

Bref, Gordon a perdu 12 points sur 13 et moi, seulement 2... Mes putians de chariots qui se font fait avoir par des putains de mangeurs de curry armes d'arcs. Enfin, pour ma premiere partie de FOG, je suis content, car je ne crois pas avoir fait d'erreurs.

Unit of the match: the Tigers: outnumbered almost 3-1, they held and routed one unit and killed a general. Well done!

Worst unit: my chariots! they didn't do anything and got fragged by bowmen though they were better...