The Great British Beer Festival

What I sampled on my Thursday.

Brains' SA 4.2%
Highland's Orkney IPA 4.3%
Wells Bombardier 4.3%
Young's Special 4.5%
Dark Star's American Pale Ale 4.7% (This took Bronze overall, I believe)
Karg's Weissbier 5% (Unsurprisingly a German beer; prompted remarks along the lines of "What the hell is that?  Chicken stock?")
Aecht Shlenkerla's Rauchbier Marzen 5.1% (Also unsurprisingly German; very much smokey bacon in a pint glass)
Fat Cat's Marmalade Cat 5.5%
Milestone's Raspberry Wheat Beer 5.6% (Not to be confused with Berliner Weisse)
Kinver's Khyber 5.8% (Naturally, this provoked a round of Carry On Up The Khyber-inspired bandinage)
Greene King's 5X 12%

Having breakfasted on a rather nice fry-up, this was then all soaked up with a mixture of biltong, Cornish pasties, bratwurst (with currywurst ketchup; brilliant!) and fish and chips right at the end of the day.  Yum.

Mind you, for an event encouraging (sensible) drinking of real ales and so forth, it also sadly managed to push home how pricey the stuff is getting...

We interupt our normal service...

Pas de wargaming tonight, as it'd the end of term and there's a pub crawl to mark this momentous moment, as well as the moving on of various colleagues.

Mind you, in an effort to maintain some kind of tenuous relevance, the night will undoubtedly see ale and pork scratchings. 

Diamond...

Spent the afternoon at a Diamond Jubilee street party organised by my sister and the rest of the family.  Jolly good fun.  Not sure who moved faster when the ice cream van turned up- the adults or the children...

The Empire strikes back....

Not pictured: the enormous quantites of barbecued pig product, and firkins of West Berks Brewery's Jubilee ale and Mr Chubb bitter, both behind the photographer.  Good show.

Umm...hello again/Wotta Lotta Lard

Hm.  Quite.  Let's cut to the chase.

Life got jolly busy all round, and I naturally invoked the annual "forget/not get around to updating the blog" clause."

However, let's look at what I have been up to gamingwise over the last eighteen or so week:  The 7TV campaign came to a successful conclusion, with the S.P.A.C.E. Man emerging as the victorious TV series, and the whole affair being wrapped up in a six-player game set around an expanded version of club member Overlord's superb volcano-rocketbase lair that you may well have see in action at the 7TV/Crooked Dice stand at Salute 2011 (let's not dwell on the fact that my entire cast- admittedly four figures- were wiped out by the end of turn two).

It was then all hands to the pumps for our (Abingdon Wargames Club) own show, Overlord 2012 (the coordinator of which is naturally club member Overlord).  We enjoyed a well-deserv'd curry after setting up on the Saturday, enjoyed our highest footfall for over a decade on the Sunday itself, which was fantastic, and we managed to raise about £265 for this year's chosen charity.  I put on a participation game of Charlie Don't Surf on behalf of the club and that seemed to get a good reception; or, at least, the author of the rules commented favourably on the kit being used...

Many more games of Charlie were to be had, as we were also due to run it at Salute 2012; the first time we've actually run a participation game at Salute (although no doubt a club member is emailing a correction to me even as I type).  Other than dashing off to pick up some scenery/figures for 7TV from our chums at Crooked Dice and Ainsty (as well as some M113s for Charlie from Peter Pig), I saw nothing of the show, but the rest of the club seemed to have suffered no pain in piling into a minibus and having a gander around.  I can also use this forum to publicly acknowledge the sterling support of my fellow-conspirators Doc Neodynium and Mr. Smallridge in running the game and fielding public interest.  Thanks again, chaps, and not least for the Leninade and wooly Cthulhu.  It was also rather jolly to have an all-too brief few words with various members of the Too Fat Lardies Yahoo group who swung by.

With Salute out of the way, it might be thought my copy of the Charlie Don't Surf rules could get a rest (they're on the verge of collapsing through ungentle over-use).  However Overlord had cunningly booked us a table at Campaign 2012, hosted by the wargaming chaps of Milton Keynes this Saturday past.  Out came Charlie again, and again it seemed to be enjoyed by the wargamers AND non-wargamers who had a crack at it.  Lovely stuff.

In case you believe none of the above, I shall attempt to put a photos up to prove otherwise, if I get a moment.

Now, as my Rabbi- Mr. Burns- oft says, "the best-laid plans of mice and men aft gae googly" or some such.  Nevertheless, what are the gaming intentions for the immediate future?  

Well, various Darkest Africa games are taking place in preparation for a club campaign based around the same.  I've gone for Zanzibaris, on the grounds they're the only non-colonial force I actually can field in strength.  They are looking somewhat Persil in their white robes at present, but a good dose of Magic Wash should sort 'em out.  Counting chickens before they've hatched, there's a subsequent plan to bring A Very British Civil War to Oxfordshire- or North Berkshire, as it would have been back in '38.    This will possibly involve me recycling my Darkest Africa Brits as part of JOSHUA Force...

In both cases, the rules proposed are distinctly Lard-light.  In fact, I found it very difficult to get my head around the rules after my Lard-rich gaming.  However, I'm looking on this as a chance to focus on the painting/building side of things, so hopefully later in the year I can Lardify another element of my gaming.  At the very least, I might have a crack at some river terrain and Brown water units for Charlie, or have do a bit more work on my Bag The Hun Battle of Britain forces, or sort out some mounted assets for They Don't Like It Up 'Em, or...let's be honest, I've about as much focus as a monkey with the keys to three different banananana plantations.

Ah, almost forgot.  I've discovered a British-made chorizo.  Patriotic porky perfection.

Incoming!

Despite the recent deluge of 7TV posts, I have been keeping my hand in the Lard, so to speak in the meantime, metaphorically nibbling away at the leadpile for Vietnam and Charlie Don't Surf.

Firstly, the Peter Pig door gunners for an under-strength aero-rifle platoon are now all painted and ready to be attached to the four waiting Revell 1/100th Hueys.  Just need to check that there's nothing more that needs to be done to the Hueys.  Once they're sorted, the Hogs and Cobras can be attended to.

Likewise, a start has been made on three firebase terrain pieces from Frontline Wargaming.  As is usual with these things, on the day the Frontline parcel arrived, Timecast released some more goodies for Vietnam firebases and similar military installations!  This is not a problem though, as this means a less uniform look can be generated by mixing the various manufacturers' pieces- everyone's a winner!

Lastly, green stuff has been applied to the gaps in some paddy field I've attempted to make, in an effort to increase the likelihood that I'll have a crack at slapping some paint on them over the winter hols.

This level of (relative) organisation really is most perturbing.

Oh, and there was a black pudding and roast parsnip jumble for lunch today.  Good-o.

Slowly but surely...

Amidst prepping for work next week and making like Agent Orange to clear up the garden (fortified against the cold and rain by some rather nice cabbage and bacon), a little bit more work was done on the lead pile today, with continuing inspiration coming from IABSM.  

The Peter Pig Early WWII Brits have now been inked and blacked, ready for the detailing going on.  To be precise, twelve sections, four ATR teams, three 2" mortar teams, two 3" mortar teams and four ATGs (with some crew) are in line for the detailing.  By normal standards, it'll have been a productive week if 3 sections get completed!

Fuelled by a lava-like flow of tea, I even began to black some of the PP Late WWI Germans.  Slowly but surely indeed.

In other news,  Doc Neodynium has passed on some snapshots he took of Friday's Charlie Don't Surf game at our local club, Abingdon Wargames Club.  Sadly, the Combat Engineer mission marked the end of Captain Bowman's tour of duty...all will be revealed once the pictures have been cleared by the censor!

Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines...

Game #2 of 2011- Aeronef, and a large scale bombing raid scenario, cooked up on the spot.  1630 points of Anglo-French versus 1907 Brasilian-Benelux.

Don't ask.

Anyway, my dice-rolling was appalling!  Fortunate enough to be able to fire off three 26-dice salvoes, I nevertheless managed to get not a single score of 6!  Still, I maintain my British squadron acquitted themselves well, considering the relative amount of enemy hull points they *finally* managed to destroy.  The game itself reminded me that of the epiphany I have had about point systems- they can be of use, but there's nothing as fun as having unequal sides, and scrapping away as the under dog!

Tomorrow's January's Club Sunday, and the enquiries of a junior member of the club mean there's a very strong chance of jungle in the game I'm running...

It's been a Black Pudding and sausagey kind of day.

Charlie Don't Surf; Softly, softly, catchee monkey...

Game #1 of 2011- Charlie Don't Surf (CDS), and The Great Rice Hunt from the Surf's Up scenario booklet.

I reffed for Andrew and Doc Neodynium, both relative newcomers to wargaming.  Cutting to the chase, their first experience of CDS left them asking if we could replay the scenario, only with them swapping roles.  They particularly liked the air of tension created by various game mechanics and the lack of abstraction/degree of simulation.  Not too shabby considering I was doing my usual multi-tasking (collect subs and take my turns in the ongoing Civ campaign being run) and also making various cock-ups in terms of the rules (but at least I realised, confessed and made good my errors).  It was in all honesty a fairly bloodless and very cautious game, but the newbies left with a clear idea of how CDS (and by extension other TFL rules) worked, and the thinking behind various mechanisms.

...Captain Martin reflected on his company's part in Operation Attleboro thus far.  Listening to Captain Neatherway's experiences had paid off, with Martin's extremely cautious advance through the jungle south of the hamlet enabling to ascertain the approximate location of some of the VC forces arrayed against him.  He'd had a further stroke of luck when a VC squad gave its position away with its poor fire discipline.  



However, the VC as a whole proved to be very elusive, if not particularly aggressive.  They managed to evade various US platoons lumbering amidst the jungle in search of them, and gave the distinct impression that they had been expecting the UD to arrive from some other direction.  A brief spate of opportunistic fire saw some US squads to take shock, and in some very lucky shooting, casualties, but fortunately medics were on hand.  Remembering his secondary objective was to search for VC supplies, Martin ordered a squad to search one of the hooches close to the treeline.  This was fortuitous, as a very thorough search revealed one of the sought-for caches.  Perhaps this prompted the VC's unexpected withdrawal at this point.

 

...Captain Manh Ng wondered what fate awaited him.  True, he had failed to both protect vital military supplies and press home his limited attacks on the Americans, but he felt confident that the limited losses inflicted upon those same Americans would not play well in Peoria politically...

In the background, the club's WH40k campaign seemed to get off to a good start as far as we could tell.

Of course, there were pork scratchings at the post-match discussion in the Con Club bar...

Resolving to be unresolved...

So, with plenty of snow over the last fortnight, attendance at AWC has been lower than might be expected. Nevertheless, the Sunday Dr Who game saw Overlord and New Andrew pit wits over four games each, each with very different but always plausible* results.  The two final AWC meetings of 2010 saw an evening of Pandemic (I was too knackered/full of head cold to sort out something myself, and Mr. Manning kindly proffered an empty seat to his game) and then an evening of Flintloque.  New Andrew had recently expressed an interest in trying out the rules, and the fortuitous temporary return of Rob Alderman meant we could indulge in a game set in the world of Valon, a Yule/Solstice tradition of ours**.

December saw no other wargaming, amidst the festivities.  A flying visit to Kenilworth and Rob (a budding sculptor of Flintloque/Slaughterloo miniatures, incidentally who has his own blog here) saw him break out various boardgames he'd owned for a long time but had yet to play.  One was Bugman's Bar Brawl or some such, and the other was War On Terror.  All good fun (I hesitate to say clean, given the content of both...).  As for New Year's Eve, a posse of workmates came over for a Western-themed murder mystery party, and no-one seemed to suffer any pain as a result (except the murder victim of course, and those foolish enough to over indulge in both grain and grape).

However, most importantly the last two weeks has seen my 15mm US Company for Vietnam games completed! Three platoons plus four MG squads, or 128 figures.  No excuses for me not to roll out Charlie Don't Surf  at AWC, particularly as it may offer a nice alternative for any members not involved in the WH40k campaign being set up (16 AWC members have signed up for this, which is being organised by Wily Nick).

So, a New Year and the knotty issue of resolutions.  I've never been any good with these, so instead here are some aims:

• Get some pictures on here.
• Be in a position to copy this brilliant idea by December 31st, 2011...
• Finish my 15mm WWI late war Brits for Squarebashing by November
• Finish my 1/600th German Battle of Britain aircraft by May

  Have all my Vietnam kit ready for a CDS game at Overlord 2011 (failure is not an option; the committee'll kill me otherwise).
• Paint some 28mm stuff, anything really- didn't touch any of the 28mm lead pile in 2010.
• Pick a period in the Lead pile that will distract me from completing one/some/all of the above...

As for pig-product, I received my share of the ridiculously oversized Christmas ham prepared by my folks, whilst some barbecue glazed mini pork sausages complemented the Murder Mystery's sippin' whiskey.

*Yes, I know we're dealing with Dr Who here. 

**At least, Rob and I consider it a tradition long-standing since 2009.  Let me know when it's appropriate to define something as traditional.

It is the end but the moment has been prepared for...

Term has ended, so my US company for Charlie Don't Surf has been arrayed on the worktop and is ready for two week's worth of attention, barring Christmas festivities and so forth.  As ever, the good intentions are based around getting one stage of painting done per day, so ideally these should be done and dusted soonish in plenty of time for Overlord 2011.

In the meantime, it's Club Sunday tomorrow.  Checklist time:

• Dr Who Miniature Game rules?  Check.
• Various Daleks, Robomen and Human Resistance miniatures?  Check.
• Dalek Invasion Of Earth 2150AD tournament scenario?  Check.
• Prizes?  Check.
• Inordinate quantity of snow?  Most definitely check...

 As for dinner, that ham hock in the larder definitely has possibilities.

What The H**l Just Happened?

Sweet Mother of Invention, where does the time go?  In the case of the day job, that's easily answered by Y11 and Y10 controlled assessments, and the marking of said assessments.  So...I've been bad at updates.

News in brief therefore:  The VC company are all painted (and rebased where necessary) now, for Charlie Don't Surf and Men of Company B.  I've foolishly offered this as the club game at our show Overlord (10am onwards at FitzHarrys School, Abingdon, Oxon, Sunday March 6th, 2011).  To be perfectly honest, hopefully it'll serve as some reasonable eye-candy to draw in some punters who can be brainwashed persuaded into joining Abingdon Wargames Club.  Another bout of jungle terrain building has thus been embarked upon, thanks to a timely and generous resupply of plastic palm trees (Thanks to Overlord, nom d'email of a fellow AWC member who happens to organise our show; yes, he's Overlord, the Overlord overlord...).  Now to pick a suitable scenario from Surf's Up and get in some more practice games.

Popped to Warfare.  First time as a punter, having usually gone to the show with a participation game.  Stocked up on essentials (paints, brushes), a couple of Kaiser Rushforth storage cases and some Skytrex goodies.  My Google-Fu failed me in the search for a Vietnam-era combat 'dozer, so I've commited heresy and will substitute a British WWII era 'dozer whilst the search continues... 

Got in a playtest of 7TV, the latest wheeze from the suave criminal geniuses behind the Dr Who Miniatures Game.  Jolly good fun- it may have been unrealistic, but as a simulation of cult TV like the Avengers,  Adam Adamant and the Man from UNCLE, it was on the button.  Having Doktor Zermitz wave an ineffectual fist in the last turn as agent Bonaparte Singleton escaped via jet-pack gadget was the icing on the cake!

Obligatory pig-product references- a rather nice chilli using chunks of pig cheek, a chorizo and chestnut soup (just as it snows, too) and naturally pork scratchings at the recent committee meeting. 

Plus some Haggis on St. Andrews Day.

Rockets and rillons...

Today was Club Sunday, with Mr. Neatherway having bravely volunteered to coordinate three linked games set in GW's WH40k universe.  The important word here is bravely, as this was Mr. Neatherway's first attempt at such an undertaking.

By the end of the day, all agreed that he'd made a fair fist of it all.  Having never played any of these games, I opted for the space combat game, and my opposite number Matt and I had an enjoyable time, firstly trying to intercept my dropships, and then trying to knock out my orbital artillery.  Nothing ground-breaking, but Matt and I quite liked the way that both of our games swung back and forth, rather than being foregone conclusions.  In terms of the linked nature of the games, the Div managed to keep the Ground-to-Space lasers mostly occupied on the skirmish table, but they did cause havoc to my shields when they did get through.  On the other hand, despite Matt's best efforts, I was able to furnish Nick on the "Apocalypse" table with half of his possible reinforcements.  My orbital strikes were less successful, not so much destroying enemy units as merely indulging in gentrification of the general area.  As stated, a good turnout, an enjoyable day for all concerned and a promising debut for Mr. Neatherway.

So, before the horrors of the forthcoming week make themselves known, I find myself enjoying a civilised supper of home-made rillons, washed down with a slightly fizzy Portuguese white.  Jolly nice, but I would say that, wouldn't I?