Dec 31st 2025 Year End Game

William and I played two games of DBA 2.2 yesterday afternoon. A great way to end the year. It has been a while since I had the troops out on the table. First match was a Western Cho Other Chinese Army (I/32C) vs Mongol Conquest (IV/35). 

First Clash

 

The Cho Victorious

The 2nd match was two Chinese armies (2x I/32C) vs Mongols (IV/35) and Seljuq Turks (III/74). William had the first victory of the day and I the final. Our second game involved a river crossing, his choice of the terrain.. The Mongols found out the hard way you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them cross the river.

Played on the Steppes, the terrain was very minimalistic. We had the river, a hill and a rocky patch. The Steppes was a GF9 Flames of War gaming mat, and the river was by Armourcast. The figures were mostly 15mm Essex Miniatures. 

15mm Polish Winged Hussars

 As part of my Paint and Chat, today my established goal was to complete some projects. I managed to complete one as the chatting seemed much more productive than the painting. Very little paint was used this afternoon, but glue was applied. I had to get 24 wings attached to the Hussars as well as get weapons in hands, and the men seated upon their mounts. Mission accomplished. Six three man calvary elements are ready for action.

15mm Polish Winged Hussars

WIP 15mm Polish Winged Hussars

 As part of my ongoing triage, I came across three zip locked baggies containing some 15mm Polish Winged Hussars. I am unsure of the brand but they have the look of Essex Miniatures. They were from the collection of Joseph Lappin, and have been sitting in a storage box for far too long. 

A jumbled mix of figures from a baggie has enough for 2 elements of Wing Hussars. I have 18 figures in total that I am working on.

I wonder if the figures were originally Joseph's to begin with. 

I have memories of sitting at one of the chess tables in the Halifax Public Gardens in the summer of 1976 or 1977 painting figures along side Charles Gallagher. Charles was a larger than life character, unofficial leader of our gaming circle in the mid 1970s and a mentor to many of us as we discovered the joys of miniature wargaming in the early 70s. I clearly recall him painting some Winged Hussars that day. Charles unfortunately passed away in an auto accident before the decade was over. It was to Joseph, that fell the task of dealing with Charles' estate. 

Hilltop Hovel - 15mm

 In truth, this is more than a hovel. I picked up this resin kit on sale years ago, and finally painted it about 2017. I am in a state of having to downside and I am making my way through my various storage boxes. This is an item I will keep, but I don't think I ever posted it to my blog. The AHPC is keeping me busy painting on new projects, but I may be resorting to unpublished items to provide my own Blog with a little more content. 

The troops used to provide scale are  Dark Age 15mm Essex Welsh that I purchased at Cangames in the early years of this century. 

The Welsh Dark Age Army (DBA III/19) was a really decent purchase. I don't think I paid more than $30 CDN at the Cangames Marketplace. It was a steal. That weekend I participated in the Cangames DBA tournament with it and won 2nd place. As you can see it came with lots of options.

Roman Carroballista - Part III - Completed

 I am very happy with the the final results. The merging of 30 year old Ral Partha/RAFM war machines that were rusting away in my private junkyard, crewed by some superb looking Essex Miniatures, all around or mounted on ox carts purchased from Warlord Games. 

To quote Hannibal Smith

WIP - Roman Carroballista - Part II

Last year I posted about the Roman Carroballista that I had cobbled together using Warlord Games - Hail Caesar ox carts and some rather old Ral Partha or RAFM scorpion bolt throwers that were buried in my pile of lead. I lamented that I lacked crewmen for these war machines. Last month I had reason to place an order with Essex Miniatures and discovered on their website that they listed EXR23 Artillerymen in Segmenta Armour & Helmets. Exactly what I was looking for. Service was fantastic, with delivery from the UK to Montreal in only 8 days. I ordered three packs along with my other needed supplies.

Beware of Gifts...

 Last Christmas Museum Miniatures offered an .obj or .stl file of the Trojan horse as part of their annual good cheer. not having a 3D printer, I forwarded the file to a friend, who I knew had purchased one for his son. Both are gamers, and eventually I received a figure in the  mail.

I kept the paint job basic. Natural wood for the main body. Tail and hooves are black. Gold for the helmet with some red trim, and a headdress/mane of purple and white. 

I sent the photos off to my friend and he asked if I could send something showing figures for scale to show his son.  I took a picture of the horse with a DBA Seleucid (166 to 83 BC) Greek army.  It is  DBA II/19D and the figures are by Essex Miniatures. The period is wrong, but they are the only 15mm Greeks I have.

DBA Army III/73 A: Seljuk Turk 1073-1276 AD

I purchased this army from David at Crossed Swords while at Cangames in May 2012. My intention was to be able to field a matched pair with the Nikaian Byzantine (IV/31) army that I already owed.  It was my hope to have it ready for this year’s Cangames DBA tournament but it sat on my worktable only at the undercoat stage. It became my initial project for July. Other than needing to finish the bases, it is done and I am happy with the results. 

DBA Army: The Sultanate of Rum (Steppe Ag 3)

The Seljuk Turks have two options available to them and I purchased the "A" Rum option. The Sultanate of Rum was a medieval Turko-Persian, Sunni Muslim state in Anatolia, It existed as a state from 1077 to 1307.

1 x 3Cv (Gen), 1 x 3Cv, 1 x 3Kn, 6 x 2Lh, 1x 4Sp, 1x 3/4Bw or 2 Ps, 1 x 2Ps or 3 Bw or 3 Aux

1 x 3 Kn (Armenian and Georgian vassals)

1 x 3 Bw/ 1 x 4Bw

1 x 4 Sp

2 x 2P

1x 3Cv (General)

1 x 3 Cv (The emirs of Anatolia)

1 x 3 Aux

6 x 2Lh (Mounted Seljuk and Turkoman tribesmen)

DBA Army IV/35 Mongol Conquest 1206AD - 1266AD

1x 3Cv (Gen), 2x 3Cv, 8x 2LH, 1 x 2LH or Art (need to borrow 1X 2LH Element)

As I explained in the chart a couple of postings ago, I purchased a painted Ancient Chinese DBA Army at the Cangames Booth 7 years ago. It included a large number of unpainted figures, with more on sale at the booth the following year. The story that follows should be divided into three acts. Where better to start than Act III. The Chinese are totally painted, mounted, but not fully identified, and are divided into two groups each of about 24 Elements.

Based upon the Elements that were left over, I felt that I could throw together a Mongol Army. The 14 elements available were:

3x 3Cv Elements



1x 3Kn/Cv (Gen), 1x 3Kn/Cv

 

1 Artillery Element

4 x 2LH Elements

4 more 2LH Elements

As you can see from the photos, there are two distinct painting styles on display with these figures.  Some figures were partly or fully painted when they were purchased. Others were untouched. Some elements combine both styles of painting.

By borrowing between one to three elements from other armies I find that I have a very flexible force that can be used to field a number of possible armies. How can you be more economical than fielding nine armies for the price of one.

II/80 Hunnic 356AD - 570AD
 A) 1x 3Cv or 2LH (Gen), 7x 2LH, 1x 3 Kn, 2x 4Wb, 1 x 2Ps (need to borrow 3 Elements)
C) 1x 3Cv (Gen), 8x 2LH, 1x El, 2x 3Bw (need to borrow 3 Elements)
D) 1x 3Cv or 2LH (Gen), 11x 2LH (need to borrow 3 Elements)

III/11 Central Asian Turkish 550AD- 1330AD
D) 1x 3Cv (Gen), 2x 3Cv, 6x 2LH, 1x 2Ps or 2LH, 2x 7Hd or 2LH (need to borrow 3 Elements)

III/14 Early Bulgar 559AD - 1018AD
A) 1x 3Cv (Gen), 1x 3Cv or 2LH, 10x 2LH (need to borrow 3 Elements)

III/30 Magyar 650AD- 997AD
A) 1x 3Cv (Gen), 1x 3Cv, 10x 2LH (need to borrow 2 Elements)

III/44 Tribal Mongolian 840AD- 1218AD
A) 1x 3Cv (Gen), 1x 3Cv or 2LH, 10x 2LH (need to borrow 3 Elements)

IV/46 Ilkhanid 1251AD-1355AD
1x 3Cv (Gen), 1x 3Cv, 9x 2LH, 1 x 3Ax or Art or 2LH or 3 Kn (need to borrow 1 or 2 Elements)

IV/47 Golden Horde or Sucessors 1251AD-1556AD
1x 3Cv (Gen), 3x 3Cv, 6x 2LH, 1x 3Bw, 1 x 4 Bw or 4Cb or 3 Wb or 2LH (need to borrow 1 or 2 Elements)

IV/52 Later Nomadic Mongol 1266AD - 1508AD
1x 3Cv (Gen), 4x 3Cv or 2LH, 6x 2LH, 1 x 7Hd or 2LH (need to borrow 1 or 2 Elements)

SELEUCID 166-83BC DBA 2.2 Army Pack Book II/19d by Essex Miniatures

I finally completed my latest DBA army.  I think this is the first time I painted an army in the same year in which  it was purchased. Essex Miniatures have a complete listing of all the DBA version 2.2 armies for sale. I find their line of  miniatures to be crisp and clean. My one complaint would be in the style all the cavalry figures in this army are sculpted. They all seem to hold their spear in the same position. I really have no idea how prevalent it is with their other army sets but it is clearly evident in this army, as the photos will show.

The army itself consists of the following elements

1x 4Kn (Gen)

 1x 4Kn

1x 2LH or 3CV

1x 4Bd

4 x 4Pk

 and the following elements  or choices to be made.

 1x 4Ax or El

1x 2Ps or 4 Ax

2x 2Ps

Elephant

2 Elements of 4Ax

3 Elements of 2Ps

 Most of these elements are also included in the other 3 eras of the Seleucid empire. In order to field armies 19a to 19c, I need to purchase another Elephant, a Scythed Chariot, one element of Auxiliaries and a Warband (4Wb) Element. Additionally I should have two 3Kn Elements and three 3Ax  Elements to properly field all of the possible configurations available to a Seleucid commander.