Charlie Don't Surf: Experience versus youth...

So, this week has seen me embark upon painting up a platoon of VC for Charlie Don't Surf, along with a couple of support weapons.  After an unscientific review of source material (in other words some DVDs were watched), I decided go for a more irregular look than the last time Charlie got painted.  Primarily this was to avoid masses of figures who look like they could "throw on some pearls and be ready for evening wear" (he misquoted in typing).  The plan is to finish them by the end of Sunday, with the incentive being that each stick of miniatures completed is a Peter Pig pack that can be bought at Warfare 2010. 

Well, that's the plan.

On the gaming front at Abingdon Wargames Club, Junior members Joe and Luke took on the role of the British at the second battle of el-Teb against the wily veteran Nick, and utter gaming newbie Andrew, for a game of They Don't Like It Up 'Em.  No-one left that night traumatised by the game, which is always a good sign. 

Joe clearly remembered from his previous game that charging cavalry up a rocky slope was a bad idea, and the British actually adopted a setup close to their historical counterparts.  However, their initial caution ("I know the card lets my brigade act, we're happy where we are!") allowed the main Mahdist body of troops to actually move up and join their brothers in arms on the central ridge dominating the battle field.  By this point the British finally had begun to advance, with Luke's cavalry spotting like men possessed.  Unfortunately, this merely prompted the Mahdists to rise as one, screaming "Allah Akhbar!" and hurl themselves at the Brits.  This was the most breathtaking use of that particular card I'd seen (certainly better than using it when the enemy are almost two feet away) with only one Mahdist Rub not involved!

It's perhaps best to draw a modest curtain over what then occurred, particularly given the fact that only two units of British had fixed bayonets.  Suffice to say, Big Men of the calibre of Fred Burnaby were low on the ground once the dust settled....

Work commitments (or should that be socials?  Oh, the curse of being in multiple departments!) mean I won't return to a Friday meeting until the 22nd of October.  However, there is the prospect of a one-day Legends Of The Old West Campaign on the 17th.  Already, the Grace Brothers' posse of lawmen are dusting off their six-shooters...