Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Happy Holidays 2016

It’s less than a week before Xmas and Solstice is right on us. Just wanted to get this post out to wish anyone reading this a Happy Holidays and I hope 2017 brings you satisfaction with your endeavors.



2016 was a decent year for me. The usual fumbles but also many wins. The fumbles always involve money for me but I am ignorant on finances so that’s the usual.

2016 Wins In War Gaming-
1) I finished a playable English Civil War collection of models. Scots Covenanters – small unit for Pike and Shotte, big unit for Skirmish Level rule sets. I will add to it in 2017.
2) I learned a lot at Enfilade this year, 2016 being my second Enfilade.
3) My war game group expanded.
4) I learned a lot about the hobby of historical wargaming in general. The ins and outs, why stuff is done the way it is, the history of the hobby (in general and locally).

2016 Wins in non-war gaming:
1) Oakland Raiders made it to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.


 Gift-giving is a thing in my circle and I am hoping to get some new Kolinsky sable brushes. If not I’ll just buy them next month.

Some people call them New Year Resolutions – I like to make myself an oath, a “Viking” tradition for some of them (though I do not follow the modern Asatru religion, I like the traditions). I did not make one last year so I am due. I always try to take my oaths seriously and not be frivolous. I also tend to make them based off self-improvement or knowledge/skill that I lack. I will make this one official here:

In the name of all the delicious things that may fall from the ginger beard of Thor I, Gabe “Rollo” Martin swear to take either Laughing Crowe’s shoe making class or get into Trackers Earth Black Smithing class in 2017.

The pragmatic aspect in holding me back in these is money, as is the usual. The shoe class is $400 and the black smithing class is $1000. I’m not getting a new car in 2017 as rent went up for me in the style of high Portland rent (the city’s problem du jour) but I will try to swing the $400 or $1000. Not sure how but I will try.





Why those and not “world peace” or “to be a better citizen”? Oaths like that are bullshit in my opinion. I like to be useful more than anything else. To me usefulness is the key to both good citizenry and relationships. Why shoes or black smithing though? Why not get better at my weak spots in war gaming (which would be terrain craft)? Well, being useful to me also means being a jack of all trades. I have spent a lot of time at the historical war gaming craft the past few years so it’s time to step back out of that box (just one step!!) and get back into some other skills.

Also, being a child of the Cold War, I fully admit to my paranoia and pre-occupation to the apocalypse. I know, a real disaster looks nothing like Mad Max or The Walking Dead. The whole, “When the shit hits the fan the only valuables left will be beans and bullets…” thing is a total crock. BUT… I still follow that and part of my preps is to have skills like making a Viking turn shoe or hammering out some nails.





I have black smithed before and I have even made a pair of turn shoes (and failed) but it’s always been a try it on my own thing. In 2017 I’d like the most formal training I can get in either.

Next thing I’d like to do is get better at sewing. I know the basics and can hand sew real good but being able to understand patterns and measurements and turn out clothing items on a machine would be a great skill to have and would even be a “legacy” skill for me as my Mom was a professional seamstress.


Looks like I want to be proficient at dressing someone in a sturdy and reasonable outfit – under clothes, shirt, pants, cap, belt and buckle, shoes… 



Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Ambuscade! 2016

Winter is Coming!! Now that that is out of the way let’s talk about a little event we had last weekend called Ambuscade!

Last Summer Spencer had mentioned he wanted to hold a Saga Tournament and that idea evolved into a historical war gaming event. As he moved forward with the idea he made contact with Victor Cina and a few others in the local Portland historical scene. What got planned was Ambuscade! An all-day historical war gaming day.



He planned 2 periods with up to 8 tables per period. His hope was to fill around 6 tables per period for a total of 12 games and some extra room for more in case it happened. The venue was Guardian Games in the upstairs big room that can fit 50 people or so, “tavern” service in the Critical Sip downstairs so 21 and over only.

Many tables were filled but we did not get the full 12-16 games.

I had showed up before 11:00 Saturday to set up and socialize a bit, Bryan and Spencer were the first ones there. I was running a Saga – Feast for Crows game: a four warband game that is usually played with 4 point (smaller) warbands but I like it better with a good 6 point (standard) warband. Plus, we could handle the longer run time of a 6 point game as we had 4 hours per period.

I set up my game at my table as other game-runners came in. *Andy showed up and set up his Check Your 6 game, looked like a WWII dogfight type scenario. A Flames of War all tanks table got set up that looked like a bunch of fun.

*Andy D. was there but Victor C. is the one that set up the Check Your 6 game. My bad!!







My Saga – Feast for Crows game ended up being me (Normans), Brian (Anglo-Saxons), Bill (Scots), and Jeff (Vikings). Jeff was new to Saga so he used my Viking miniatures in a pretty standard set up (Warlord, Hersir x6, Hersir x6, Bondi x8, Bondi x8, and the infamous Old Men With Bows).



My table was set up with a winter aesthetic (my favorite). I used my winter ground Fat Mat, some of my home-brewed birch trees, some winter flocked pines (Xmas time is a great time to get a few packs of those), some rough/rocky ground with snow details, and some frozen ponds.  Play commenced and the un-official Viking-Norman Alliance was crushed by the Anglo-Saxons and Scots. The ultimate winner (by slaughter points) was Brian’s Anglo-Saxons. The game was fun and there was some teeter-totting but by round 4 losing the game was a forgone conclusion for my Normans and it was about not offering points to the Scots anymore. Those defensive dice the Scots get and the mitigating of fatigue was just too much for my Normans who lost the opportunity for a decisive strike and crumbled in the ensuing drawn-out fight.



Mainly, I sent in my knights a bit early and left them and my Warlord exposed to a Scots counter… and counter they did and took me right out.

Looks great for the Normans but looks can be deceiving. 

There was a lot of participation in the other games of the first period too.

The second period offered up Spencer’s Sudanese battle (Brits vs. Bujah tribes in 54mm) using the newish Men Who Would Be Kings rule book – another Mersey offering via Osprey books. Same base mechanic as the x Rampants with enough difference to differentiate the time period. Also in the period was a beautiful looking game, ziggurats and everything, of In Her Majesty’s Service.



In between Periods many went to get sandwiches at the famous Bunk Sandwiches (notably the best Cubano sandwiches in the US … so says a few Food Channel shows) and all throughout the day, while gaming, Grognards went down to the Critical Sip to buy a beer or some other refreshment.

I played in Spencer’s Sudanese battle game using 54mm figures. This would be my second time at this scenario. I played Brits with Spencer while Bill and Jeff played the Bujah tribsemen. The scenario victory conditions for the Brits are simple – go 5 rounds of play without taking a casualty. As we have found in 2 games that is a really hard thing to do. It’s fun trying though.



Spencer and I both made a break for the buildings for cover as the Bujah were hot on our tails. I was able to get 2 squads into and next to a building and formed up to deliver volley fire. Spencer’s squads had a bit more difficulty but finally, a round after me, was able to get a squad into a building. All went well and promising for our heroic British rifles but the sun set on luck and some bad rolls turned into a route of our boys in khaki with my last unit fighting to the last man in the back alley behind the buildings.

All the games of the second period wrapped up and clean up was had. It was barely passed 1800 and Spencer had the room reserved until 2100 so he asked me, “Want to get a game of Saga in?”

“Sure.” I answered. I loaned him my Vikings as I had brought my brand new Norse Gael warband that I had not played yet.

We set it up with a few Grognards left lingering about. Warbands were 6 points and the scenario was Challenge. I opened it with an immediate attack on his warlord with mine leaving 2 points of damage on him. He answered with moving Viks forward limiting my choices of action. I answered with some Challenges, the mainstay of Norse Gael Saga Board Abilities. There was some stumbling there as it is a new mechanic for both of us. The game went back and forth culminating with Spencer’s lone Viking Warlord making a last ditch attack on mine and Norse Gaels winning by just a point or so.



We cleaned up and got out of there just before our time was up in the room at 9:00 pm. I had spent a whole day wargaming and it was great!

EDIT: Beja not Buja.
These People