Going Out of Business Shopping Spree

I have a confession to make.

Despite the amount of money I spend on my wargaming hobby I can be a cheapskate thrifty.  There are lots and lots of games, miniatures, supplemental material and playing aids that I’d be interested in buying—I just don’t want to pay full retail price for them.

But in my defense, space is now a limiting factor.  When I buy something to add to my gaming collection, chances are I have to get rid of something else to make room for my new acquisitions.

Well, regardless of the excuses justifications of my buying habits, my fellow gamers and I were stunned and saddened to hear the The Panzer Depot was going out of business.

I’ve frequented the store often, but since it’s a bit of a drive for me, my visits weren’t often enough and I was never able to stay long enough to get involved in any of their gaming sessions.  Most of the times I was in the Kirkland, WA, area were on Sundays when the store was closed.

The only sliver of a silver lining was the Depot’s going-out-of-business sale.

So while the “angel on my right shoulder” is sad to see the store close, the “devil on my left shoulder” was all-to happy to take advantage of the 70%+ discounts on the remaining items. 

I made it up to the Depot last Monday and met up with my friend Jim, who was happy to purchase my collection of 25mm French and British Napoleonic figures, done-up by our mutual gaming buddy “Dean the Painting Machine.”

It was also great to catch up with him on personal topics we didn’t want to broadcast all over social media, away from the ability of the <insert name of nefarious group here> hackers to harvest.

Anyway, Jim & I spent nearly two hours wandering around the small store collecting small piles of goods.

Jim bought numerous miniatures along with all the shield and flag decals remaining—3 full boxes.

As for me, I’m still getting my remaining unpainted & unassembled Warhammer 40K figures worked on, plus plugging along at painting my Cruel Seas collection, 

So I wasn’t in the mood to buy any more items that needed to be cut, pasted, painted and assembled, and therefore “limited” myself to buy rulebooks and supplement books I was too cheap thrifty to buy at full price. 

Normally, my rule-of-thumb regarding boardgames and miniature rules, I don’t buy subsequent editions unless I’ve played the 1st edition game at least once.

However, proving there’s exceptions to every rule, the first thing I grabbed was the last remaining Bolt Action 2nd Edtion rulebook, despite having an unused 1st Edition copy.

Thanks to my frequent ventures to a nearby Half Price Books, I picked up the Rapid Fire core rulebook a few years ago for about $5, but haven't bought any supplement material since then.

There were several copies of various Rapid Fire books, and I scooped up the following rules supplements: Battle of the Bulge, NW Europe, Monty’s Desert Battles, Russian Tank Units ‘41-42, and German Tank Units ‘41-42.

I’ve always been intrigued by the Skirmish Campaigns booklets, but I usually found scores of them stuffed into vendor boxes at crowded game conventions with little or no time to make an impulse buy informed purchasing decision.  Plus there were other goodies to buy with my “convention budget.”

Now there were several books available for a fraction of their retail cost.  So I picked up the following titles:  Finland ‘39-‘40, Poland ‘39, Norway, France ‘40, Russia ‘41–Minsk, Russia ‘41--Ukraine, Russia ‘41–Smolensk, The Gross Deutschland Division at Kursk, Normandy—Red Devils and Normandy—The Firs Hours.

Continuing with what was evolving into my World War II-themed shopping spree, I picked up Nuts! The Final Edition by Two Hour Wargames...

...and Patrol: WWII by fellow NHMGS alum Damond Crump.

While I said I didn’t want to buy anything I needed to cut, paste, paint or assemble, I couldn’t pass up the remaining two copies of Panzer Digest, Issues 2 & 4, which are currently out of print but may be available in PDF format.

My final purchase, was a slight detour from historical World War II, and into the world of Two-Fisted Tales with Rattrap Productions Amazing War Stories (not listed on the website).

I haven’t played any pulp magazine—style games, my friend Peter just finished painting some modern, western, and various other figures from Reaper Miniatures.

My total bill was $283 for $660 worth of goods, but at the risk of sounding like a credit card commercial, getting together with a fellow gaming buddy was priceless.

When I returned home with my ill-gotten gains, my shopping spree didn’t end thanks to on-line shopping.  I logged on to The Miniatures Market and Noble Night Games to “fill in the gaps” of game systems I bought during the last days of The Panzer Depot. 

Fix Bayonets 2018, Napoleonic Black Powder Game AAR

(Somewhere near the border of Spain's Provincia de Steilacoom)

Introduction:

The first game I played during Fix Bayonets 2018, was a Napoleonic battle run by my friend Dean, and using the rules Black Powder. While I wrote a review over two years ago, I spent the days prior to Fix Bayonets re-reading the rules.

In the meantime, Dean readied his miniatures and terrain:

(Picture by Dean:  Britian's Steilacoom Province Expeditionary Force)

(Picture by Dean:  France's l'Armee du Province de Steilacoom)

The Tabletop Situation:

The French currently hold Spain's Steilacoom Province.  The British assemble a force to retake the region, but shortly after crossing the province, bordered by the Rio de la Steilacoom, a French force advances to intercept the British.

The Players:

Game Master--
--Dean M.

The French Players--
--Left Flank Brigade Commander--Scott A.
--Center Brigade Commander--Tim M.
--Right Flank Brigade Commander--Bruce M. (also overall commander)

The British Players--
--Right Flank Brigade Commander--Yours Truly
--Center Brigade Commander--James S. (also overall commander)
--Left Flank Brigade Commander--James M.

(Dean, the Gamemaster in the flannel shirt)

(The French Players)

(A couple of my British teammates at the far end of the table, with Dean and another friend)

Order of Battle:

Each force consisted of three brigades, containing at least one line infantry unit, one or more light infantry units, one or two cavalry regiments, and possibly one or two artillery batteries.

My command consisted of one infantry regiment, a cavalry regiment, and an artillery battery, and was positioned on the British right flank.

The Objectives:

Both sides were to seize and hold the church, the bridge, and the tavern, identified in the picture below:

(The objectives identified in "Google Spanish")

The Course of the Battle:

In general, both sides attempted to advance and engage each other somewhere in the middle of the battlefield.

Note:  Black Powder requires players to "activate" their units through die roll and comparing it with the leader's Staff Rating.  So it's more than likely your units will spend some time during a game unable to do anything, but react to your opponent's actions.

The details of the battle are illustrated in the following photos:

(The British General issues his orders for the entire expeditionary force to advance)

(My brigade commander urges his men of the Right Flank Brigade forward)

(The British Left Flank Brigade advances towards the woods)

(The French Center Brigade advances)

(The British Right Flank Brigade, forms a defensive line along the Rio de la Steilacoom)

(The French advance stalls)

(An overall view of the battlefield)

(The British Right Flank Brigade battery opens fire)

(The French Brigade commander urges his men forward through shot and shell)

(British cavalry mass in the center)

(The French Center Brigade opens fire on the massed British cavalry)

(Empty saddles among the British cavalry)

(The French Right, and British Left Flank Brigades advance towards each other

(French cavalry charge British light infantry near the tavern)

(Surprisingly, the light infantry hold their ground for a bit...)

(...but are driven from the field)

(The French Center Brigade advances toward the church)

(British cavalry counter charge their French counterparts near the tavern)

(The line battalions exchange fire near the tavern)

(The cavalry melee near the tavern ends, causing both sides to retreat)

(An overall view from the center of the battlefield looking towards the tavern)

(The British battalion near the tavern receives enfilade fire from another French battalion...)

(...and routs)

(Meanwhile, the French finally advance on the bridge)

(The French charge the British guns!)

(And are wiped out by a "whiff of grapeshot," while British heavy cavalry engage French light cavalry)

(The British heavy cavalry scatter the French light horsemen and charge the center gun battery)

(After dispatching the gunners, the British heavy cavalry charges into another French cavalry regiment)

(As horsemen exchange sword strokes, a Royal Horse Battery unlimbers and fires into a French infantry battalion)

(Another French battalion gets a whiff of grapeshot)

(French and British horsemen continue their duels)

(But eventually tire and retreat from each other)

By the time the last cavalry duel in the center ended, both commanders had their buglers sound the general retreat.

Conclusion:

We finished the game shortly before the period ended.

Objective-wise, The British controlled the church, and the French held the tavern.  However, since I didn't have any of my troops physically on the bridge, the game was considered a draw.

Dean always runs a good game, and I had an enjoyable time participating in this one.

Note on the rules:  While Black Powder is a fairly easy game to learn, it does play fast & loose with Napoleonic tactics.  It is definitely a "game" as opposed to a "simulation."

WAB Corner Collection Correction

(Image: Bavarian Infantry at Borodino by Alexandr Yezhov, found on Pintrest)

Okay, I know the title is a tongue-twister.

But alliterations aside, I received enough feedback from my previous post, that I needed to redeem myself among my fellow gamers thought a correction was in order.

Among my newfound collection of Napoleonic miniatures, I assumed the handful of miscellaneous troops were Austrian.

Some of them are, like the figures in the middle (maybe)...

...but not all of them.

For instance in the picture above, the figures in the yellow coats are from the Canton of Neuchatel, while the white coated figures on the opposite end are from the Kingdom of Italy.

[Update, 0930 hours, 15 October] Correction II:

The troops on the right end are, in-fact Austrian while the figures in the middle are their Hungarian comrades-in-arms.

As for this picture...

...I'm not sure who the mixed unit on the right belongs to, but several people reminded me the troops on the left are part of the Bavarian Army.

All of these are from Wargames Foundry Miniatures.