Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Barca longas, windmills and capital buildings (and a global shortage in coffee stirrers).







Recently finished several projects for my 28mm games.  I try to make them as generic as possible to move between the various eras I play (Wars of the Roses, 17th c, 18th c, and Texian Revolution.

I've been playing Pulp Alley Westerns, so some of these will feature in Western skirmishes as well.

The Barca Longa, or a pinnace, depending on how its rigged (Leg o' Mutton, Gaff, or Square). 








So this could be a medieval merchantman, or a flat boat bringing supplies to the beleaguered Texian Army.  I started with poplar for the shape and added mat board and birch coffee stirrers for the gunwales and decks.  I'll use scrap linen for the sail as I have on a caravel and cog I finished in the past.



The farm house and outbuildings will be used from the French and Indian War up through...maybe old west?  This is foam board and the coffee stirrers again.







The windmill (ubiquitous coffee stirrers) is one from a drawing of archers in the 14th c, but could be used in the Americas (there is a similar one at Colonial Williamsburg). 





The sails are just some linen scraps and its based on a steel disk t keep it from toppling over and to give it some weight.
The warehouse or barn is again coffee stirrers and match sticks for the docks.






Finally a signboard for a tavern, and...



the first government building of the Republic of Texas (Washington on the Brazos)...




again, birch coffee stirrers.


Monday, May 1, 2017

Pulp Alley BATREP: Davy Crockett and the Spy at San Sebastiano






Finally got around to playing this scenario for Pulp Alley.  Pulp Alley is a skirmish game that plays like the old radio and television serials of the 1930's-1950's felt.  So, taking my characters from Disney's Davy Crockett series, We started playing a campaign set in 1835-36 during the Texian Revolution.



The sides included Col Crockett and his band of volunteers against Capitan Vargas and his Cazadores, both are ordered to San Sebastiano for the same reasons.

Col Crockett and his Volunteers

Capitan Vargas and his Cazadores


We started out at opposite ends and I began moving along the alleys as my son fanned out across the plaza.

Crockett and his band merrily stroll down the plaza.


My cazadores made first for the jail and the chapel, to secure the Texas Ranger and the suspected spy.

Cazador Chavez moves to the iglesia.



My son's character George Russel went to stop a soldier harassing a girl at a cantina and was knocked down for his gallantry.

Georgie is knocked down, either by the soldier or the girl.
He never explained which.


 Eventually, he won the challenge.  Also in the first round, Asa Walker strayed too close to a Prickly Pear and was knocked out of the fight after failing a peril challenge.

A good old fashioned San Sebastiano street brawl.


By the third turn, Culebra was in the jail securing the Ranger as a prisoner, Chavez was in the chapel and Sgt. Mendoza was about to start a brawl.  As Hector charged Davy Crockett, the good Sergeant fired at Busted Luck across the street and waded into the fisticuffs. Davy's indian ally also joined in the fray, which lasted about three turns!

Busted Luck helps Davy out of a tight spot.

We interrupt this game to bring you a two year old that kept hogging all the dice.

More dice, please!


Now back to our regularly scheduled program.


Meanwhile, Thimblerig had made it into the Commisario's headquarters and evaded a peril, spiking the cannons in the courtyard.

Spiking the cannons.

Shortly thereafter, Capitan Vargas raced in followed by George.  There was some gunplay in the courtyard, but Vargas made it into the office, with a slight wound.

Gunplay in the courtyard.


The Commisario had his orders, secured the Mexican maps and jumped out a window, leaving George and Thimblerig behind.

My son was able to play a card to disengage Davy from the brawl.  Davy and George then converged on the church to secure the spy, firing at Capitan Vargas and Culebra on the way.  He also played a card to trip up Culebra, who fell down by the fountain and got in a brief gun fight before running into the iglesia.

Can Culebra make it into the Iglesia through a hail of Yankee bullets?

In the end, Busted Luck knocked down Hector and Sergeant Mendoza after Davy disengaged to help George.

Busted Luck had some good brawl rolls on the dice...despite his name.


My plans didn't go well inside the church, either:  the Priest/Spy put up a fight and knocked down Culebra (which caused the Ranger plot point to escape)!

One scrappy priest and Culebra is down before play ends.


 That meant my son had two minor plot points (Save the girl and spike the cannon) and I only one (deliver the plans to the Commissario).  No one had secured the spy, by the time the game ended.