Palaeo Diet: Eat or be Eaten

Had a great time at The Abyss last night playing Palaeo Diet: Eat or be Eaten.

The tabletop

My Hunting Party

In a scene right out of One Million Years B.C., two tribes of four cavemen went out looking for a Mammoth and ended up tangling with a Brachiosaurus, a Pachycephalosaurus, and a Deinonychus. The 90-minute hunt ended in success: Mammoth steaks, Brachiosaurus ribs, and enough battle scars to earn our warrior status.

William's/Grug's clan approaches the target

A raptor appears 

And engages one of my figures.

Huge thanks to Graham for running the game game, and to William for being my fellow willing victim. Graham provided everything needed for the game. Below the mighty hunters succeed both in the hunt and fighting off the raptor.

It was a packed room at the Abyss, although the club only had another three SAGA tables in action as members prepare for November's Grand Melee.

Palaeo Diet: Eat or be Eaten is a stand-alone set of gaming rules for recreating prehistoric animal hunts on your table top. The game models a time when humans were not yet in control of the world around them, when the landscape could just as easily give succour to a struggling tribe, as it could cripple a thriving people. Designed with solo and multiplayer games in mind, players take on the role of the hunting party while an integral response mechanism means that beasts react in different ways in different situations. In an unforgiving world, the choice is simple - either eat, or be eaten.

Late Roman Archers

 It’s been a little over a month since my Late Roman warband last hit the table. Following their last outing, I picked up two units of bow-armed Warriors. I hoped to field them last Thursday night, but the paint was still drying! I finished them up Friday evening, and they’re officially ready for the front lines.

Thursday night’s match saw me face off against the Picts. The games were held at the Abyss, the room was buzzing with six active SAGA tables, three of which were running the Ambush scenario. With our annual Grand Melee coming up in November, players are getting in as much practice as possible with their final warband rosters.

The Picts enter the table through their fields

The Romans are bunched up due to the terrain and
the scenario entry requirements

The Pict War Lord in all his glory

The wagons advance between  the battle lines

Two wagons are taken, one by each side

My casualties can be seen to the left of the green dice,
which sit on top of a swamp feature. My initial entry
point was to the left of the hill. I avoided the swamp.

End of the game. One wagon escaped.
Both sides fade back with their loot.

I was lucky. By the end of the second turn, I had eliminated both the opposing Warlord and his Hearthguard. Though I lost a six-man Hearthguard Cavalry unit in the process, it was a trade I was more than willing to make. The Picts managed to capture the first wagon, but I seized one during my following phase. The third and final wagon escaped us both. Under the scenario rules, the game ended in a draw, but taking down the enemy Warlord secured me one extra victory point for the edge.

GPIP -Game Planning in Progress Bosworth Field

 About six months ago, Little Wars TV refought the decisive climax of the Wars of the Roses: the Battle of Bosworth. That inspired our club members to host our very own version of Bosworth Field!

Little Wars TV Video 

Over the summer, everyone gathered their forces, painted miniatures, and prepped movement trays. Like the video, we'll be determining the outcome using the Midgard ruleset.

Foot Knights (Rear) and Billmen (Front)

More Foot Knights (Rear) and Billmen (Front)

2 Units of Archers

One Bombard

Unit of Hand Gunners

Our demonstration game is set for October 10th at The Abyss, with a rehearsal scheduled for October 8th. With just three weeks to go, it's time to gather my host and make sure all the troops I promised are ready for the field! Everyone accounted for and set to travel.

The figures I have are a mix of Gripping Beast, Claymore Castings and warlord Games. They are from my War of the Roses SAGA Warband or my Scots Warband both for play with the Age of Chivalry. 

Sharpe's Practice - Don't Go In the Woods Today

Last Thursday evening, John hosted a French and Indian War Sharpe’s Practice game at The Abyss. William, Graham, and I were the eager participants. I took command of the British line, while Graham led the American colonists and our Native allies. 

The view of the table and the opposition from the British side.

On the other side, William commanded the French forces, supported by John’s Native allies. William won the opening toss, giving him an early edge on the French deployment markers.

Table as viwed from the French side.  The Hills are impassable terrain.

French early placement with a barricade

Initial volleys are exchanged.

Taking early positions, the French allies secured the woods on their right flank. Meanwhile, the warriors of the Six Nations Confederacy deployed to our left, advancing steadily toward their traditional rivals. From the outset, the devastating accuracy of the Huron musketry was unmistakable.

Even the regulars were forced to retire due to the firepower displayed by the native warriors. 

Emerging from nowhere, the Coureurs des Bois fell upon the British redcoat flank. Closing into a brutal hand-to-hand melee, they inflicted devastating losses on a unit of regulars. A spirited countercharge by the other regular British faltered, failing to even reach the fight.

The open ground quickly turned into a killing field with heavy casualties on both sides. Though the French initially held the upper hand, a decisive final push by the British regulars—supported by the remnants of the shattered redcoat infantry—turned the tide. The British eked out a narrow victory, forcing a full French withdrawal.

Time Tripper and The doctor

 As I reported last month, Paul Smith passed away. I was recently asked to look through his miniatures and offer suggestions for their disposal. The figures below have made their way to my home.

While going through his collection, I discovered some figures I had originally donated for the Time Tripper game we ran back in 2019. These included a TARDIS along with a squad of Daleks (purchased from Black Tree Design) which Paul had painted for the event, as well as a Canadian Forces section from the Canadian manufacturer Full Battle Rattle, painted by Les.

Daleks painted by Paul

The original SPI Time Tripper board game revolved around a US squad "unstuck in time" from the jungles of Vietnam in the late 1960s. For our updated tabletop version, we modified the scenario to feature troops representing the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) operating in the mountains of Afghanistan in the first decade of the 21st century.

At this time I am unable to confirm if Full Battle Rattle are still open.

Completed Terrain

First up on the bench was the Warlord Games Stone Animal Enclosure. To break up the monotony of the stonework, I picked out about half of the individual stones across the wall using four different AK Acrylic shades. 

Warlord Games - Stone Animal Enclosure

Once the base coverage was set, I washed the entire model with Liquitex Transparent Burnt Umber to bring out the depth and tie the colors together. 

3D Hay Stack Prints purchased from
The Beaver and the Broadsword

Next, I wrapped up the haystacks I started two weekends ago (purchased from The Beaver and Broadsword after spotting them on Facebook). I gave them a base coat of cheap DecoArt Yellow Acrylic Paint, followed by a dark brown ink wash to settle into the recesses and create instant contrast. The wooden supporting legs were painted an AK Light Wood. They don't contrast well again the colours of the Hay Stacks

The final photo shows the full set—a half-dozen resin haystacks I bought years ago that were tabletop-ready!

Long Time Resin Hay Stack purchase made on eBay

WIP - Late Roman Archers

Late last month, I engaged in a bloody battle in the east—my Age of Invasions Late Roman warband took on Helge’s formidable Sassanids. The Eastern Hordes ultimately claimed victory, but it was a fantastic game nonetheless. Sadly, my grand plans to open a "Fast Elephant BBQ" franchise were soundly thwarted.

That match made one thing abundantly clear: my warband was desperately lacking long-range firepower. To fix the issue, I placed an order with Wargames Foundry on August 21st. Just one week later, on the 28th, two packs of LR019 - Late Roman Archers arrived at my doorstep—giving me enough figures to field two full units of Warriors. Excellent service, as always!

Haystacks and Late Roman Archers are prepped

Yesterday on my Discord Paint & Chat channel, I worked on the archers and a Stone Animal Enclosure. The enclosure was a cheap resin piece I snagged from Warlord Games just to pad my order for cheaper shipping. 

Warlord Games - Stone Animal Enclosure

Wargames Foundry LR019 - Late Roman Archers

Dipping my Toe - 15mm WW2 Miniatures - Part 2

Along with the 25-pounder field guns, I recently finished up four unpainted Morris Quad Trucks.

The Morris Commercial C8 FAT (Field Artillery Tractor)—commonly known as the Quad—was the iconic workhorse used by British and Commonwealth forces throughout the Second World War. I painted these up and based them specifically for a dry, desert environment to match the rest of the force.

To round out the batch, I also completed three sandbagged observation / MG pillboxes to give the battlefield a bit more depth and defensive cover.

The 25 Pounder and Quad combo always brings to mind the classic Airfix Kit. Follow the link for more information on the model kit.