AUTUMN BIG GAME 2023 - PART FIVE

The fight around Farmer Green - East's farm:

JP's Very Fascist Field Force at the top of the photo;
LAF Moriarty's diminutive Irish Leprechaun Legion and trucks at the bottom.

JP's Intelligence Leader suborns the farmers as Fascist troops enter
 the farm. LAF Moriarty, using his "Mad Bommerz", had
 little luck on counter-intelligence D6 rolls.

A critical moment. LAF Moriarty's Technical rushes for the farm entrance,
only to be counter-charged by two A/T "bomb pigs"

Boom! LAF Moriarty's Technical smoulders on the farm road, no
doubt surrounded by shards of crispy bacon.

Farm Green - East solidly in Fascist hands. JP begins collecting
in agricultural animals (pigs, bottom left) to meet the game objectives.

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2023 - PART FOUR

The best laid plans of the various players were frequently disturbed by randomly generated "Umpire Forces", normally "out of control cavalry" lending tone to the otherwise vulgar brawl:

Tally ho ! The North Herefordshire Hunt rampaged across Hereford West
on at least two occasions, seeking to destroy anything that came between
them and their fox. JP's Fascist Field Force is vulnerable here...

...while here Bolshevik Rob's farm suffers a rude invasion...

..and here Police Lancers support the Hunt's "wild ride".

The North Herefordshire Hunt enjoyed their days sport
in the wilds of Little Hereford.

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2023 - PART THREE

At the other end of the long table, in the "Far East" of Little Hereford, JP's fascist shock troops advanced "out of the sun" and into action:

The advance of the Fascist Shock Troops in the early morning
light. A variety of players look on in awe.

The target of the advance : Farmer Green - East and his defending section.
Well supplied with A/T weapons, including "bomb pigs", a "dynamite dog",
and a home made spherical AT shell with a 'high tech' delivery system
- a borrowed wheelbarrow.

Farmer Green - East in close up.

JP was the first to use the "Intelligence Rules" to his advantage. Instead of assaulting
the Farm, the Fascists have won an "Intelligence Round", inserting their Intelligence
Leader into the Farm and converting all its defenders to the cause of Mosley.

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2023 - PART TWO

It is impossible to form even some kind of coherent narrative from the chaotic events in Little Hereford. The best that can be done is to record that :

(a). everybody (and we mean everybody) started off by bombarding the Big Men and their forces of farmers. Whether this was due to carefully planned strategy, vertical-axis jealousy or simple mindless bloodlust is now rather difficult to tell. It seemed to be only later in the morning that the players discovered that the "Intelligence Phase" also involved throwing dice, and then the carefully prepared "Spies and Intelligence Men" slowly came into action;

(b). on the West Table, Alan's Criminal Entrepreneurs and Jon's Independent Labour Party both headed for the same Farm, thereafter entering into an epic two Platoon battle. This left Jim and Roo to snaffle a Farm each in a relatively undisturbed manner, and then skirmish away quite happily, including such delicacies as casually blowing up A/T milk churns with shots from a Boyes A/T rifle;

(c). on the East Table, after an opening of all bashing all, JP's Fascists beat LAF Moriarty's Irish Legion of Leprechauns to a strategic Farm, while Peter J's forces and Rob's Bolsheviks took over the remaining two Farms. Judging that JP had his hands full stomping all over Leprechauns, Peter and Rob then formed a "Satanic Alliance" to capture the Convent of St. Mary Magdalene and discover its hidden treasure, ensuring bitter resistance from the psycho-Nuns...

As always, a variety of Fleet Street's finest staff photographers were there:

The Independent Labour Party advance at the start of the day.

A long shot of the table, with the advance of the ILP
at the bottom left.

Alan's Criminal Entrepreneurs advance against the ILP,
"Shoddy Tank" conversion to the fore.

Farmer Green-West, with a much reduced section of defending farmers,
awaits anxiously.

Battle is joined -  Farmer Green West in the middle, the ILP to the left, the first
infantry sections of the Criminal Entrepreneurs to the right.

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2023 - PART ONE

The Convent of St. Mary Magdalene dominated the Little Hereford battlefield, naturally dividing the warzone into two : "Little Hereford West" (Alan, John C, Jim and Umpire/Terrain Tsar Roo) and "Little Hereford East" (Rob B, Pete J, JP and LAF Moriarty) with Umpire Clive "floating" (aka "being overwhelmed") between the two.

The Convent of St. Mary Magdalene viewed from west to east.
Nun Self Immolating Bombers can be seen to the right, while in
the foreground are some cavalry under Umpire control.

Six farms dotted the idyllic agricultural landscape, each under the control of a local "Big Man":

One of the Big Men - in this case "Farmer Green - West" - together with his Local Defence Force
of farmworkers and agricultural labourers. A section of infantry, an antique Gatling Gun
and some AT weaponry to the left - "barrel bombs" and Molotov Cocktails.
This farm was in "Little Hereford West".

Another farm, this time in "Little Hereford East". Farmer Brown- East and his section
of militant farmers, together with an AT section (two farmers running with
very threatening "big red bags" full of explosive).

All the buildings (and pretty much all the terrain) built by Umpire/Terrain Tsar Roo - the buildings are 1/72 scale card, and very pretty too. The "Big Men" were literally so, being antique 54mm Charbens lead figures, and therefore quite as old as the VBCW itself !

ON TO PART TWO....

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2023 - SET UP !

 A few teasers of the set up for the Autumn Big Game 2023 ("Big Trouble in Little Hereford"):

The start of the day. A long table, divided in two by the Convent of
St. Mary Magdalene (the prominent red brick building). 
"Patriotic Umpires Table", as per last blogpost, at far end.

JP's Fascist Field Force. Just one of eight WTDW Platoons in play on the day.

Jon C's Independent Labour Party (led by 'Degsy' Hatton of the Liverpool Free State).

Note dark green "Technicals" as featured HERE

Alan's Criminal Entrepreneurs (with VBCW 1/1 scale cup of tea)
Note 2 out of 5 camouflaged "Technicals"
as featured HERE

Certain famous generals renegades criminal faction bosses
esteemed players discuss strategy before "the off".

Add Edit: Alan's "Criminal Entrepreneurs" were led by Frank "Blowtorch" Richardson and his Wye Valley Reclamation Company, together with it’s Belmont Finance and Loan subsidiary, supported by two other notorious local gangs - the well-known Gas Street Irregulars from Leominster and the Wormelow Pest Control Company.

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2023 - UMPIRES TABLE !

While we wait for all the news to filter back from the Autumn Big Game 2023 ("Big Trouble in Little Hereford") some pre-game shots of the ultra patriotic "Umpires' Table", containing all sorts of surprises designed to trap - or at least provide some amusement to - the unwary player:

"Doc Daktari's Shangani Patrol" - 2 South Rhodesian "Technicals" packed
full of "Big Game Hunters" (together with the odd machine gun).
MGs and crew by Empress.

The North Herefordshire Hunt (and fox).
Very old 30mm Johilco figures, apparently designed by Heyde.
Rebased, but original enamel paintwork left untouched.

Police Lancers and Dragoons - Reiver

Red robed cultists and villagers at centre rear, kindly contributed by LAF Moriarty

Sections of "Spies and Intelligence Men" - for full details and close ups, see HERE

And as for the campaign news, we can hear the printing presses cranking up already.........

AUTUMN BIG GAME 2023 - THIS SATURDAY !

The Hereford1938 Autumn Big Game 2023 ("Big Trouble in Little Hereford") will take place this Saturday, 7th October 2023 at YARKHILL VILLAGE HALL in Herefordshire. See LINK HERE.

Players should remember all their usual stuff, plus a pen and pad of paper, £15 for the day fee, and most especially a packed LUNCH. There is no "local shop" at Yarkhill. However, coffee and tea will be available gratis!

Meanwhile, as everyone else anxiously awaits reports from the Little Hereford battlefield, staring at the so-far silent Fleet Street ticker tape, there is only one thing left to do:

ADD EDIT : in shock news, Harry Isaacs has suspended betting on the outcome of the conflict in Little Hereford, concerned that the possible results are simply too uncertain to "justify the book".

TECHNICALS RACE HOTS UP !

It could very well be that Autumn Big Game 2023 ("Big Trouble in Little Hereford") will come to resemble, not the usual painstakingly authentic historical reconstruction, but a warlike episode of "Wacky Races" - for the Modelling Challenge 2023 entries are now flooding in.

First up, the entry of Mr Benn of the Independent Labour Party (aka Jon), who is clearly determined not to be out-gunned:

The ILP "Technicals" - double Vickers K guns, a Lewis Gun, and what appears to be
Soviet multi barrelled AA machine guns to the rear. Good Golly...

Yes, those multi barrelled MMGs are undoubtedly Soviet in origin.
As they say of the ILP, never knowingly under-gunned...

While Mr Benn must be wondering where to find all the enormous quantities of ammunition necessary for his multiple machine guns, Umpire Roo has avoided another "Fell at the First Certificate" and produced a splendid (and extensively photographed) addition to his "King's Own Colonials" recon section:

We're told that Mickey "Chimpy" Gibbons is at the wheel of this KOC recon Technical, while John "Clown" Macdonald and Aub "Guns" Hodgson operate the 47mm AT/Gun Model 1931 "with deadeye accuracy".... 

Saturday can't come soon enough to see all the "Technicals" in action, and who knows what further entries to the Modelling Challenge 2023 might yet come to light:

QUICK REFERENCE SHEETS - AND MINOR RULE AMENDS (AUTUMN BIG GAME 2023)

Some years ago, "Panzerkaput" (Pete Barfield) designed and kindly made publicly available these Quick Reference Sheets for the original "Went the Day Well" ruleset:

Although the Hereford1938 group no longer use the original WTDW ruleset but an amended version, these QRFs are still useful. Print and play with thanks to Pete B !

As to the Autumn Big Game 2023 ("Big Trouble in Little Hereford"), the following rules queries arising from the Big Game Scenario are hereby answered:

"The Table"

Because of the gratifyingly high turnout for the Autumn Big Game 2023, we will be playing across "two conjoined tables" (with St. Mary Magdalene in between) rather than one. Each table will have three farms, with the number of "Big Men", "Farmer Co-Operative Assets" and "Umpire Assets" suitably adjusted (upwards!) for "two table play". The Nuns of St. Mary Magdalene can attack either table, and similarly be attacked by players from either table.

"The Hunt"

(1). No, you can't shoot at the fox. Not only is it a small and highly mobile target, shooting the fox would be totally UnBritish.

(2). Yes, you can shoot at the huntsmen, just as you can melee with the huntsmen should you come between them and the fox.

"Spies and Intelligence Men"

(1). Yes, you can play figures from your "Intelligence Section" defensively, i.e. enter one of them in a challenge against a "Big Man" already controlled by you. The only reason to do so, of course, would be to subject another "attacking intelligence agent" to a "D6 preliminary dice off" before they get to challenge your "Big Man", thereby increasing your odds of surviving an "intelligence attack". If you win the "D6 dice off", there is no challenge to your already established control, but you must sacrifice your defensively used Intelligence Agent/Leader to the Umpires as usual.

(2). A successful "intelligence attack" against a farm entails the "Farmer's Section" from the relevant farm falling under your control as per the Scenario Rules - move them upon your HQ card. What if, however, when you have made your successful "intelligence attack", there are figures from the other player's Platoon within the boundaries of the farm ? The answer is that such figures "run around in confusion, unable to move or fire" for a period determined by a roll of the dice [D6 no of moves divided by two, ignore fractions, minimum no, of moves - 1]. This prevents a player from simply "immediately shooting" a successful intelligence agent (and hopefully avoids the situation of everybody filling the farms with their figures, rather than attacking/bashing on in the spirit of the Very British and of the scenario).

Any further rules queries to be answered on the Big Day !

FARMERS' TECHNICAL !

Just in time for the Autumn Big Game 2023 this Saturday, 7th October, Umpire Clive has produced his "Little Hereford Farmers' Co-Operative" Technical, as described in the Scenario, viz. "a PMW 1.5 ton truck armed with an improvised 'heavy tank gun' using 'homemade ammunition'. Softskin with a crew of 4, Green/Raw for all purposes": 

The Little Hereford Farmers' Co-Operative Technical. A motley crew from Citadel, Reiver, 
Redoubt ACW, all rescued one way or another from the "spare and broken figures" box.

The "Big Gun" is a converted plastic toy from an old "Army Men" playset, and there is no way
of knowing how the "Technical" will deal with its enormous recoil once fired.
 Extensive foliage from (crumbling) 1960s plastic Britains hedges.

In its "snazzy 1930s three colour camouflage scheme" and with a full crew, Umpire Clive is confident that his Modelling Challenge 2023 entry is roaring ahead of the competition at this early stage - in fact, its the only entry so far to be entirely rule compliant. Let's see what Saturday brings....

SPIES AND INTELLIGENCE MEN (8) - POLICE

It wouldn't be the Hereford VBCW without the presence of the local police, and who better to provide an "Intelligence Section" for the Autumn Big Game 2023 than Inspector Robert ("Bobby") Bookem and his attendant constables: 

Inspector Bookem and the Little Herefordshire Constabulary.

Inspector Bookem is a limited edition figure (either Wargames Foundry or Partizan), while all the constables are OOP Citadel figures - see their "Types of the VBCW" blogpost entry HERE. A useful "Intelligence Section" for any supposedly law-abiding faction within Little Herefordshire....

SPIES AND INTELLIGENCE MEN (7) - AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION

The Automobile Association have hardly been seen in Herefordshire since the Second Battle of Shobdon (Spring Big Game 2019), when Commander Camshaft's motorised column of AA trucks and armoured cars was comprehensively blown up beneath him by a variety of Local Defence Volunteers:

Commander Camshaft and the "Little Hereford AA Patrol".
The five "Intelligence Agents" are all repainted Heroclix figures, while
Camshaft, as the "Intelligence Leader", is a Wargames Foundry figure.

Nevertheless, it appears that Commander Camshaft has now re-surfaced in Little Hereford, albeit in somewhat reduced circumstances, leading an "Intelligence Section" usable by any Autumn Big Game 2023 player irrespective of faction........

The original Heroclix figure. Slightly large, but helpfully uniformed and jolly useful.

SPIES AND INTELLIGENCE MEN (6) - "MAD BOMMERZ"

A Very Irish "Intelligence Section" for the Autumn Big Game 2023 - here is Eamonn O'Toole O'Toole of the O'Toole's, known as "The O'Toole" to his friends and "Mad Multi-Toole" to a variety of counter-intelligence bureaus in Herefordshire (and beyond):

Eamonn O'Toole (etc.) and his "Mad Bommerz" Intelligence Section

"The O'Toole" (with stylish bowler in Fenian green) is a Eureka figure, while the "Mad Bommerz" (covered in grenades, with large shell and bundled dynamite on every base) are OOP Faust Studios figures. Determined generally to create the occasional "Fenian Outrage" in war-torn Herefordshire, O'Toole's men can on this occasion be used as an "Intelligence Section" by any player bringing along an "Irish Legion" to Little Hereford (hello, John....)