The Battle of Casino 1705

Back in 2019 I set up another War of Spanish Succession game using Twilight of the Sun King.  This time it was the Battle of Casino in 1705.  You will see a number of units acting as proxies for the real units.  Here are some photos:

Perilous Island - Chapter 5: Blood Sacrifice

After surviving the terror from the deep in the lagoon and securing clues from the wrecked steamer, our explorers know for certain that Lord Darrow made it this far, but his ultimate fate is still unknown. The only solution was to continue searching for more clues.  They all made camp in the jungle near the shore but their sleep was interrupted by the bellowing cry of a strange beast echoing through the jungle canopy, reverberating off the leaves and through their ribs as if the beast were within each of their tents. A distant scream drew them to their feet. Was that Lady Elaine Darrow or someone else in distress?  

The prints of bare feet about our heroes’ camp indicated the local Natives are involved. The beastly cry, this time much closer, is answered again by a blood chilling scream...

The Battle of Fatehpur, 12 July 1857

An East India Company force under the command of General Sir Henry Havelock was advancing to the relief of Cawnpore, which was being besieged by Nana Sahib, supported by the rebel Company sepoys. 

Nana Sahib sent an rebel force to check the advance of General Havelock’s column and they met at Fatehpur on 12th July 1857.

Last year, when we were still allowed to gather and game, I decided it was time to recreate the battle on the tabletop.  I decided to use the Sharp Practice rules from the TooFatLardies and my figures from Mutineer Miniatures and Iron Duke Miniatures.  Here are some pictures from the game:

Perilous Island - Chapter 4: Lagoon of Terror

After tracking a package from Lord Darrow to Hai Phong and locating the old sailor, the leagues made their way to the legendary Perilous Island. Located deep within the Indian Ocean, Perilous Island rises from the sea, surrounded by sharp rocks, sheer cliffs, and enshrouding fogs.  

The more scientific amongst our adventurers speculated that combined with an active volcano and numerous lava flows dividing the island, Perilous Island and the surrounding seas are able to maintain tropical temperatures. And that it was quite possible that the island had survived the Ice Age intact and may have predated the Jurassic period. They wondered what mysteries remained preserved in the strange isle. 

As our intrepid adventurers sailed towards shore across the rocks, anxious to explore the island, a monstrous beast burst from the depths, rending metal, splintering wood and capsizing their various craft. The vessels either capsized immediately or took on water rapidly.  Most were thrown into the water and desperately swam for shore, the screams of crew echoing behind. Sputtering and exhausted, they saw the wreckage of a steamer within the lagoon itself. It could only have belonged to the Darrow Expedition! 

All could see that the deadly terror from the deep could arrive at anytime; could they defeat the beast, recover any clues, and unlock the secrets of Perilous Island?...

Big Chain of Command - France 1940

Back in the good old days BCE* when we were allowed to gather around a tabletop, I staged a 28mm early WW2 game using Big Chain of Command on a 8’x6’ table.  The game pitted the advancing German forces against the stalwart French defenders with both sides having armoured support.  Here are some pictures from the game:

*Before the Covid Era 😀

Perilous Island - Chapter 3: Hai Phong Manhunt

The package our adventurers daringly recovered in Hong Kong contained a grotesque stone idol and a  dozen photographs of strange ruins and strange beasts. How could such things exist? The package offers no clues to Lord Darrow's current whereabouts; however, the smeared label lists the originating location as the city of Hai Phong. Our heroes continue to follow the trail to determine the whereabouts of Lord Darrow and what magnificent discoveries he has uncovered. 

Reaching Hai Phong and making inquiries into Lord Darrow's activities reveals that he had befriended an old sailor, who most of the locals consider quite mad, mainly due to his outlandish tales of a lost island inhabited by man-eating lizards, tribes of flesh hungry cannibals, and unfathomable terrors.  

Lord Darrow spent many weeks alone with the old sailor before departing on his expedition to locations unknown. Although the old sailor departed with Lord Darrow, he mysteriously reappeared with two other members of the Darrow Expedition in a local hospital, the old sailor nearly blinded by, they assumed, exposure from the sun. 

After the other two survivors died in mysterious circumstances, the old sailor escaped the hospital and is rumored to be hiding in the back alleys of Hai Phong. Can our explorers find the crazy old sailor and find out what he knows? 

After plenty of high jinks, including Dick O’Donnell commandeering a motor boat and some impressive diving antics from Tarzan, the old sailor is located.

“Listen and listen well. The road before you is beset with many perils… Others turned back but Darrow went on… some died… we ran away… the monster... the monster protects the godless isle… Genesis… they died… the doctor tortured the others... they died… I got away... stay away from the hospital… 4:17... he lives in death...” 

Peace washes over the old sailor's leather cracked face. With his last breath, he reveals several important pages of Darrow's personal journal, one containing the coordinates of this Perilous Island! 

Do our heroes dare to journey there and can they find anyone mad enough to help them?

MWS Open Day: Beyond the Pale

Back in June last year (how long ago that seems!), I ran a 28mm game set in Tudor Ireland using the Irregular Wars: Conflict at the World’s End.  Here are some pictures of that game:

Perilous Island - Chapter 2: At Death's Door

Lady Darrow’s correspondence starts a trail to one of Lord Darrow’s follow explorers, Jonathan Carnahan.  After arriving in Hong Kong, our intrepid explorers find Carnahan tortured and unconscious body inside his ransacked apartment. Any clues here would have been taken by his vicious attackers. Unexpectedly, a messenger arrives from the local Customs Authority regarding a package from Hai Phong — addressed from none other than Lord Darrow!

With Carnahan unconscious in hospital, Lord Darrow still missing, and Customs unwilling to relinquish the package leaves our adventurers little choice but to take matters into their own hands. Learning the package has been moved to a long term storage facility, they formulated plans for a daring night raid on the building.

Each of the groups approached the facility from different directions, seeking to avoid the attention of the armed guards.

After sneaking through the shadows and various scuffles with the guards they began to search the yard and the warehouse.

After a shoot out and some fisticuffs the package was found and with a daring leap from the upper floor of the warehouse over the heads of their frustrated opposition one of our leagues dashed off with another lead to Lord Darrow!

The Battle of Speyerbach 1703

Sometime ago, when we were allowed to meet at my local club, we had an other outing for my 15mm War of Spanish Succession figures using the Twilight of the Sun King rules for a re-creation of the Battle of Speyerbach.  Here are some photos of the game (please excuse the fact that quite a few units are by necessity proxies):