HOTTs x 3 more!

Bruce and I met at Tower Games a little over a week ago for some more HOTTs. 3 more games, obviously. I brought the Undead, fielding a more Hordes-heavy version this time.

On the far left flank is "Cruella," an Aerial Hero, supported by Flyers. Continuing left to right: Magician General (on a big zombie dragon but still just a Magician), 4 Hordes, Behemoth and 4 more Hordes. The Undead defended all 3 games. We're facing the Sea Kings again; left to right is a Hero General, Riders, Behemoth, 2 Blades, 4 Warband and Shooters sneaking off to the right.

The Sea King Hero General immediately jumped on my Magician General. . .

And sent him back to Hades. . .

With the general dead, I resorted to a desperation move - my Hero versus his Hero. . .

And lost.

A couple Un-dead Hordes later and Game over. Ouch.

In Game 2 the Undead faces a Macedonian Successor army.

 
It's fun to see a historical army represented in HOTTs elements; left to right is the Hero General supported by Hordes (peltasts), Riders, 4 Spears (phalangites), Riders, Shooters supported by more Hordes. And a God, yet to be deployed. Zeus, of course.
Cruella was sent of to harry the Macedonian rear, which prompted Zeus' appearance. Zeus promptly chased off the Flyers, and then settled into a protracted confrontation with Cruella, slowly driving her back over several bounds toward the main Macedonian line.

And just as the Mac General was about to sweep around the Undead left flank, the Magician ensorceled it!

Then Zeus tired of the fight with Cruella (damnable 1 Pip Roll!) and headed back to Olympus.

Cruella helped the Behemoth mop up the remaining resistance for the Undead win.

For Game 3, the Macs traded Zeus for a Magician.

As the two armies advanced on each other, Cruella was able to work behind the Macedonian line to catch the Magician alone, and kill it.

The Mac Hero General then attacked the Magician and lost (bad dice!), while Cruella swooped down and killed some Riders.

Some pushing and shoving as the two lines crashed together. . .

 . . .as the Behemoth chased the RIders up onto the hill where Cruella helped deliver the coup. 

Game Three to the Undead!
Another 3 fun games, all different from one another. Tower Games made us feel right at home and will be our venue for the next HOTTs game day.


Happy Thanksgiving!

The Desert War Then and Now

Just got a fantastic book: The Desert War then and Now: The Campaign in North Africa 1940-1943. It's a large format book, 592 pages crammed with photos from. . . wait for it. . . then and now, lots in color. If you model or game the North African theater of WWII, this book is for you. It's definitely for me - the aerial photos of Tobruk alone are worth the price of the book.

You can't tell - yet - by this blog, but the North African front is another of my favorite historical periods. Someday I'll game it : )

Some Colonial American Reading Goodness

Found an interesting new book in the latest ERH catalog: The Pennsylvania Associators, 1747 - 1777. Partial description from Amazon:

Organized on December 7, 1747, at Philadelphia, the Military Association, an all-volunteer military establishment pledged to the defense of Pennsylvania, served as the de facto armed force for Pennsylvania, a colony whose leadership, a loose coalition of Quaker and German pacifists, land barons, and merchants, foreswore military preparedness on religious and ideological grounds. For the Associators, including their most noted supporter, Benjamin Franklin, a defenseless colony was no longer practical. During the War of Austrian Succession and again in the Seven Years’ War, Associators organized defense efforts in defiance of the Pennsylvania colonial leadership. Associators also helped defend American Indian refugees against the infamous Paxton Boys in 1764. By 1775, Associators found themselves as the colony’s only legitimate military leadership and, by capitalizing on electoral gains in the lead up to the American Revolution, Associators assumed offices vacated by former officials. During the critical battles of 1776, the Associators in their distinctive round hats and brown coats proved a decisive asset to the Continental Army.

After playing our first HOTTs game together, Bruce took one look at this blog and asked if I had this book in my library: Fortress America: The Forts That Defended America, 1600 to the Present.

I have it now! The book includes some very good plan drawings of principal forts by Polish illustrator Tomasz Idzikowski that I've not seen elsewhere.

Also a couple new Ospreys with nice artwork and lots of good scenario fodder.

 
See ya!