Imaginations and AK47

There is a current trend across the internet to create 'Imagi-nations' based typically around fictional 18th century nations as a basis for table top battles. These harken back to the like of Charles Grant and Peter Young and encouraged building units of 40 or 50 individually based figures almost in a toy soldier style. Of course back in the mid 90's when the first version of AK47 came out you were encouraged to create your own country, giving it a name, a flag and a name for the army such as the Freedom Party for Democracy and Truth. Very much in the 'Imagi-nation' theme. In fact there were tables on which you rolled dice to come up with original names and flag designs, going as far as to encourage you to get your crayons out to draw your new flag. This theme continue in AK47 Reloaded.

Spurred on by the excellent AK Day last weekend, I feel like creating my own Modern Africa 'Imagi-Nation'. I know of only one dedicated blog on a similar theme, set in the ficitional country of Bongolesia. I may create a seperate blog, or just put the occasional post on here. I'll use it to link some games of AK and explore my creative side, whilst hopefully not crossing any boundaries of taste and decency.

More soon...

Weymouth Battle Day

Ralph Ashdown with his trophy. Well done Ralph!

Friday saw me travelling down to the south coast for the Peter Pig Battle Day in Weymouth. AK47 Reloaded was the order of the day. Martin at Peter Pig had kindly agreed to put me up for the night and take me down to the 'Levellers' club night for a warm up game.

On arrival Martin greeted me and we settled down to some wargames chat, before the arrival of Rob Roriston for some tea with the rest of the Goddard family, Julie, Rachel and Grace. Following this we took the short drive to the club where two games of Reloaded were played to blow away any cobwebs. Myself and Martin took on Paul and Lee. Having performed poorly in the pregame we found ourselves with very few on table forces, but managed to hold on to the objectives somehow and won the game despite Lee's attack helicopters causing havoc for Martins armour.

We left our stuff at the club ready for the following day where battle would commence in the Church next door. It was again back to Martins for more shooting the breeze over a cup of tea. I also got to look at a pre-release copy of Washingtons Army. Unlike recent RFCM rules they will be spiral bound which I think is a good idea for the longevity of the book. It was then bed with a 7.30 alarm call, breakfast and then back down the road to the Church.

The Peter Pig Battle Days are organised by Stewart Meecham in Weymouth or Miles Milton in Bournemouth. Both have a similar passion to me for friendly games where there is no emphasis on crushing your opponent , just a fun few hours rolling dice and pushing around toy soldiers.

Although only a handful of us were there, it didn't matter a jot. For me so long as I play a couple or three games, preferably against different opponents in the right spirit, it doesn't matter whether 6 or 60 turn up. In fact the more people that turn up, the more stress for the organiser!

Anyway some pretty pictures of the games.

A nice day had by all. I came 6th which is some kind of record for me. I think my first top ten finish in one of these things!

Ralph was a deserved winner even if he did shoot my militia in the back as they were running away! We had a great game in the true spirit of RFCM games. My game against Miles was much closer and could of gone either way. Miles will tell you he won 39 points to 35, but the book say it was a stalemate and I'm sticking with that! Again played in a spirit, just how it should be.

We had a lovely dinner too, fish and chips for me. I think with less chatting and more urgency we could have fitted three games in but, in hindsight, two was enough and allowed me to get on the road early enough to get home around 8pm. So well done to Ralph for winning and Stewart for organising and the Goddard family for putting me up. Certainly as long as these events are run I will support them.

New Year

First post of 2010.

Hope you all had a great time over the holiday period. Personally it was very busy with work followed by catching up with family and friends, so not much time for wargaming or blogging. However my 2010 painting points are under way with a few Samurai Generals and a unit of AWI Yankees in Hunting shirts.

Wargaming plans for the new year are manifold. Possibly most looking forward to C.O.W. in July, but also the Towton game I will be putting on at the WMMMS show in Wolverhampton in March. AWI will feature heavily come April with Peter Pig releasing their Washingtons Arny rules and figure range. I have made a start with a couple of American units done and a British battalion on the stocks.

With 2155 painting points for the year, I have to say it has been the most productive year ever for me. That includes a lenghty hiatus over the summer during which I scratchbuilt an Imperial City for the clubs 40K players. I have doubts that I will hit that points total again, purely because I completed two large projects that had been sitting around for a while. Both the Wars of the Roses and the Samurai collections were figure intensive, and though I plan to add to them they are both at a point where I can play most of the scenarios in the Bloody Barons and Battles in the Age of War rule books.

ECW, AK47 and Sudan collections will be getting some attention with additions here and there.I didnt play as many games I would have liked but I hope to improve on that this year with more games at home and hopefully at the club too. I do hope to get at least one game in for each of the periods I play. Not too ambitious I think.

As well as the AWI, I will look to complete one other new project, either WW1 for which I have most of the figures (both early and late war) or else Wild West. Cowboys would only be a small project so I may be able to do both but wont punish myself if I dont!

Show wise I intend to get to the usual suspects. York in February, WMMMS in March, Triples in April, Partizan in May and September and Phalanx in June. COWS fills the gap in July. I most likely will miss Salute this year and may replace it with Fisticuffs in Weymouth. I also would like to get to a couple of Stuart Meechams RFCM days and Miles Miltons PBI. I need to be careful with my planning and hope some of these days fall on rest days otherwise I will be using a lot of annual leave up!

The big change for the blog will hopefully be more photographic content. I hope to photograph most of my collection over the year.

More soon!

AK47 and bits

No pictures, but Keith, Ade and Mark had their baptism with AK47 last night. Ade and Mark were the Peoples Popular Front with Keith being the Dictatorship.

Peoples Popular Front

1. Militia
2 x Tanks (standard)
120 pts
2. Militia
2 x Tanks (standard)
120 pts
3. Militia
8 x S/A bases (56), 2 x RPG’s bases (14), 1 x Hmg base (14)
84 pts
4. Militia
4 x S/Abases (28), 1 x Hmg base (14), 2 x Mortar bases (40)
82 pts
5. Regular
6 x S/A bases (60), 2 x RPG’s bases (20), 2 x Trucks (20)
100 pts

Popular Leader
25 pts

Political manoeuvre
69 pts

The Dictatorship

1. Militia
5 x S/A bases (35), 1 x Hmg base (14), 1 x Mortar base (20)
69 pts
2. Militia
5 x S/A bases (35), 1 x Hmg base (14), 1 x Mortar base (20)
69 pts
3. Regular
4 x Toyotas with Hmg’s (100), 2 x Toyotas with RCL Gun’s (40)
140 pts
4. Regular
2 x A/Cars with Hmg’s (60), 6 x S/A bases (60), 2 x RPG’s bases (20), 2 x Trucks (20)
160 pts
5, Regular
2 x A/Cars with Tank Gun (80)
80 pts

Dictator Leader
25 pts

Political Manoeuvre
57 pts


Following th Politcal Flow charts, the game was probably won! Keith upgraded unit 1 from militia to regular and managed to arm all but 1 of the small arms bases with HMG's. Then with typical luck, during Ade's politcal manouvre, he upgraded one of Keiths units by one level and Keith rightly chose unit 1 who were now Professional! With 5 HMG's!

To be honest the army lists I used were the stock arnies from the Peter Pig ready made armies. In hindsight, they aren't very good with lots of militia as units 1 and 2 (which are generally the first units on the table. Common convention in most AK armies is to have professional or Regular troops on first to take a foothold and follow that up with militia. Oh well!

Ade won the dice off for attacker (using the optional rule of roll 1 dice for every 5 political points, most 5's or 6's becomes the attacker). Then with more typical luck Ade only got on 2 units of militia to attack Keiths 2 units, one of which was the professionals, who occupied the shanty town and were never going to be shifted. Keiths other unit was the Toyota technicals.

When Ade lost one of his T55's to HMG fire in turn 1 or 2, we knew this game was going only one way. Even when turn 4 came around and Ade and Mark got on all of their off table units, it was a touugh ask. Ade managed to occupy a jungle template where he had put his 10pt objective, but the 20pt and 30pt objective were in one of the shanty town templates and at the road crossroads that dissected the shantys and they were guarded by Keiths pros.

Mark made a valiant attempt with 2 more militia tanks and a large unit of militia foot troops, but Keiths technicals played a blinder and took both out.

In the end it was a massacre to Keith, who went away writing the histroy books. The game was part of a small solo campaign I am running. The narrative being that despite free election in umBongo, a central west African state formally colonised by Belguim, no clear winner emerged following allegations of vote rigging. The town of Mumptu was one of many where re counts were ordered. Keiths army led by General Chumbawumbo got their first and held off the PPF who were looking to balance the ballot some what. Chumbawumbo is now off counting the votes for himself....

On another note, Jase Hurst of 'the Bunker13' painting service and a member of my club has finished the first unit of Levy Ashigaru for my Battles in the Age of War samurai game. And they are fantastic. Pictures will e forthcoming but you can find his link at...
http://www.jasonhurstthebunker13.tk/

At £1 for a 15mm figure including basing, he offers excellent value for money. He is very busy however! Highly recommended.