Weekend Update

As the ECW project continues apace, I've also finally, FINALLY, played my first game of Art De La Guerre (aka ADLG), that wonder of the community who play with 15mm figures that have pointy sticks and stabby-stabby things for weapons. 

I've been interested in playing ADLG for a couple of years or so, but the chance to buy the rulebook at Historicon, coupled with a very off-the-cuff purchase of a friend's unpainted Bactrian Greek army at OttoCon, sealed the proverbial deal. 

Last Wednesday night, I was at the RAP Gamers with John and Steve on one side of the table, and I was paired with Phil, yes THAT Phil, on the other side. 

Dirty Tuaregs on camels on the left and a complicated set of Byzantines on the right

I was given command of the left hand side of the board with strict orders not to, ummm, screw up too badly. Since John is also a new player, but one who has survived multiple thrashings, I figured we were pretty well equal. 

Lovely armoured cavalry and spear pushers with some lads swinging axes. What could possibly go wrong? (Hint: that would be me having to roll dice...)

Annnnnnd.....that didn't go so well for me...see the above picture...

There was this verse from a Johnny Horton song about there "not being so many as they were a while ago" that kept playing in my head as a rolled four consecutive "1's" on a single D6 in one particular turn...ummm, NOT what one should do in this game. 

 Bruce having joined us due to reports of a gap in the space-dice time continuum, whereby I broke something with by ghastly rolling

In theory, the Tuaregs, and their bloody camels, were supposed to destroy themselves attacking us clever Byzantines as we stood against their attack. While Phil and Steve explained the rules as we went along, and there was much jocularity, my first turn of good dice rolls turned out to be my last, and I struggled with the normal mathematical odds for rolling 5's and 6's on a single D6. 

Bags of fun, though, and I am eagerly awaiting next Wednesday where we should see Normans versus Sicilians. I am trying to clear the painting table of projects, so I can get back to my Bactrian Greeks, as well as an Italian Condotta army, and half of a Seljuk Turk army....just need to get t'other half, eh? 

And the ECW project still comes together. This week saw one unit of dragoons completed, along with two units of horse and three of foot that came painted and ready to be recycled. 

Garish blues they may be, I wasn't about to strip and repaint them. 

Next weekend is FALL-IN, then I'll be off to Vermont for a couple of weeks of Government sponsored shenanigans. Hopefully there will be time to paint and post. 

More anon.