Getting ready for Year II

     A lot has happened since we finished our first year in Neulandia, players need to get ready for Year II. Back in Europe an economic boom has freed up more money and each player now has a one-time twenty point bump in investments from home; spend it wisely. In year two I am looking to see each player establish their colony and expand their trade and political connections. Conquest, however satisfying (and good for the reputation) is not the sole path to hegemony.

     I would like to get things off the ground in January 2018 so players will need to have considered their options, bought their new forces and laid their plans. I hope that everyone strives to stay with the VSF ethos, and as inspiration, would suggest that any player considering a Land Conveyance take a look at Landships II they have (under the "Model Articles" link) a wealth of paper models of Great War tanks and armored cars. Even if you don't care to build paper models some of the proposed vehicles are outlandishly VSF and are a great supply of ideas. For people considering aerial exploits a quick glance at Rosebud's WW1 and Early Aviation page will get your creative juices flowing.

     On the continent the indigenous peoples ( those near the coastline, at least) have had the winter to digest what the sudden appearance of the Great Powers means to them. Some see opportunity, others recoil in horror, still others see chances for profitable alliances. Most are no longer shocked by the iron ships and powerful guns of the West. Players can count on something more exciting than the "magazine rifle bashing the spearmen" of most colonial games and may very well stumble across something to put the fright into them!

    Players with questions give me a call or email. Anyone wishing to join as a new player can contact me at daftrica89@yahoo.com put "Neulandia Application" in the title and I will reply with what you need to do to get started. Remember that you don;'t have to actually be able to get to my house to be a Power, just be prompt about sending your orders and troops lists, we have plenty of spare players here to push lead as your field commanders.

A Fight in the Mountain Home of the Bandits

     Feeling the losses among the Boers and Scots the British no longer rejected the offered troops. Two units of Irregular foot were provided by the Governor. Still sniffing the air for trouble the English commander assigned these troops to the advance guard  with the idea that they were best placed in front of the British guns, just in case they went turncoat.

     Breathlessly climbing the ragged mountains on the interior the British troops pressed the bandit army as it fled. With each step the mountains towered higher above and the air became thinner but they pushed on with but one thought in their minds; the rescue of their captive brothers. Spurred by a righteous sense of vengeance they clambered over scree covered hillsides and jagged outcrops of stone until they came to the highland valleys that were the home of the bandits. The Scots felt oddly at home looking at the towering mountains that cradled the little green valleys; that is until they began to take fire from those same mountains, "Back to work Laddies, there is a battle to fight here" shouted the Sgt Major.

seen from the Bandit side; learning a lesson from the last encounter with British firepower the bandits used the ample cover to conceal themselves from the enemy

Vengance on Vectis! (Or; Feel Her Majesty's Wrath!)

        Rightfully wroth at the treatment given to Her Majesty's surveying expedition the Full Might and Righteous Anger of the Britannic Forces were brought to bear against the "bandits" that were responsible. Deep suspicions about the way in which the "bandits" had acquired a cannon in the last battle were set quietly aside (no doubt these will be addressed soon!) on the theory that you can only solve one problem at a time.

     Spurning the offer of a couple of regiments of local troops the English began to hunt the bandits. By a series of rapid marches the British were able to trap the Bandit army before it could escape to its mountain fastness; the speed of their retreat was shown by the fact that the Bandits discarded their cannon during their flight. All was to no avail as they were trapped in a narrow valley just miles short of their mountain home. Knowing that escape was now impossible they turned like cornered rats to face the Fury of the Sons of Albion.

 

the bandit army deployed to cover the escape of its baggage train their flanks were well secured

 but the vast open area between the armies did not bode well against the firepower of the Brits

Up Close and Personal #3, The Forces of the Mexican Emperor

Mexican Empire

 

Our Governor General, His Excellency, Doctor, President, the Conti de Monte Cisco

(in Her Majesty's Name miniature)

Up Close and Personal #2 The Might of Mother Russia

The Russian Army

All miniatures are Old Glory 28mm

These men are NOT our friends

Battle #1, A Villager\ now named Matanzas

1)  The Mexicanish Army resting peacefully in the blessings of God's embrace. 

Revenge For The Fallen, The Battle of Sigmundstad

     Having convinced the allied Vikings that the American forces are worthy and doughty opponents General Custer invited them to join him in avenging the defeated Steam Walker. Knowing that one of Sigmund's giants was now dead, and the other heartily battered the Vikings leapt at the opportunity. Truw to form they called upon Sigmund to rally his troops and meet them on the field in froont of Sigmundstad.
      Sigmund the Harsh, long contemptuous of his southern neighbors, agreed instantly. The situation was now set for a truly titanic battle.

 

Sigmund's array consisted of his Hearthguard in the center, 

flanked on either side by his Berserkers, then the bulk of his warriors and finally some Bondi,

 the giant was held in reserve behind the Hearthguard

OPFOR #7 The Iroquois Conferderacy

a war-party plots strategy

     Recognizing that they needed a stronger response to the advances of their aggressive neighbors the Iroquois and the surrounding tribes formed a Confederacy to guarantee mutual support. As the years passed the Iroquois have taken over more of the levers of power, to the point that they are the de-facto rulers of the Confederacy. Recently they have begun to add tribes to the Confederacy, by invitation, or failing that, by force.The Confederacy has begun organizing at higher levels, building cities on defensive mounds and acquiring more modern firearms. Rumor has it that they have even started to manufacture their own weapons. This shift toward a more settled life has provided them with more staying power in a fight but has tied them to defending fixed positions, so far the strategy has paid off.

OPFOR #6 Woodland Indians

 

peaceful villagers wishing to be left alone

     Scattered across the eastern side of Neulandia are the Woodland Indians. They live in small villages and survive by hunting , fishing and limited agriculture. Experts at living close to nature they are like ghosts in their forest home. Living very simply they make litle worth plundering. Unfortunately for them the place they live is a prize to others who constatnly pressure them to give up land and other resources.

Up Close and Personal, Her Britannic Majesty's Army of Vectis

     OldSarge is running the British forces that have been sent to sort out the problems on Vectis here is his army

the entire force assembled and ready for war

OPFOR #5 The Pirates

Eddy, you have to run up the Jolly Roger 

or they will just wave and say "HI" as we sail past

(worst First Mate ....ever!)

      Roaming the high seas in search of prey the "Free and Associated Brotherhood of Cut-throats and Scalawags" is a bane to shipping all around the continent. The many bays and harbors give these brigands of the sea plenty of place to hide. They have conquered and hold at least three islands that form their main bases of operation and there are many ports in which their "discounted" goods are welcomed. The internal disorders of the Malagassian Empire have emboldened these criminals and the only ships that sail unmolested belong to the Sultan of Oom-Pa-pa-Mow-Mow. Rumors hold that the pirates have recently adopted steam engines and wild claims assert that they are building a dirigible. All that aside the biggest threat is still their fast moving sloops and dhows.

OPFOR #4 Cannibals

 

you are invited to dinner

     The cannibals have an unhappy reputation for eating anyone who opposes or visits them. As a result most of what we know is based on the stories that are told by escaped prisoners or neighboring tribes; and all of it is bad. Wily jungle fighters they are not afraid to enter into the neighboring grasslands in search of prey. They tend to attack right away and are very fierce, never asking for, or giving, quarter.

OPFOR #3 The Pygmies

of course you can't see them,

they really are that good

   The Pygmy tribes tend to keep to themselves, wishing only to be left in peace. Unfortunately there are those that mistake the Pygmy's small stature for a lack of courage and feel that attacking these tiny folk would be a way to make a quick profit. Thus, the Pygmy tribes have learned to make war. At home they are nearly invisible, moving quietly in the tall grass waiting to strike. Few who venture into the lands of the Pygmy seeking to do violence ever return.

OPFOR #2 The Malagassian Empire

    The Malagassian Empire once ruled most of littoral Neulandia. Laziness, decadence, and internal strife have cost the Empire half of its holdings. The core of the Empire is struggling to regain the power it once held. The appearance of the Colonial Powers has been seen as another threat, but an opportunity as well. The Malagassians see the interlopers as effective ways to bring rebellious local governors into line as well as sources of more modern weapons and technology.

OPFOR Army List #1 Vikings

     These far-ranging sons of Scandinavia reached Neulandia over  a thousand years ago. Finding the rugged coastlines and weather strongly reminiscent of home they settled down and established colonies all over the continent. They prefer trade but are not the least bit shy about a bit of piracy if the opportunity arises. Cavalry and Bondi archers are found in the home provinces almost exclusively. Giants and seidhr (wizards) are rumored to be found among the "Dark Norse" who worship evil gods and practice unspeakable rituals.

A Challenge Met

   Having heard the stories of their erstwhile Viking allies about "dark things" prowling the northern end of the island the Murican commander demanded proof. The Vikings brought forth a humanoid skull of such dimensions that a man could fit inside it as proof that giants served the dark Masters that ruled the Northern Realms. Seeing this monstrosity the Murican commander, G. A. Custer, saw that this was a perfect job for the newly finished Steam Fighting Suit MK I.
     Possessed of some understanding of the Viking culture Custer made discrete inquiries as to whether or not the classic "hazelled field" was still considered an honorable challenge. Delighted to find that it was he promptly delivered the challenge to the enemy, a fight between his Steam Giant and any two giants in their service.Unsurprisingly the Northern Warlords boldly accepted the challenge and set a date and place. An open fight between the Steam Giant and the two giants currently in service of Sigmund the Harsh, to be fought in the market field in front of Sigmund's Hall.
     The Muricans appeared at dawn on the appointed day and off-loaded the Steam Giant, the two Viking Giants strode boldly forth from the compound and crowds streamed in from afar to watch. The Murican battleship stood by to ensure that no shenanigans were afoot. All was ready for a truly titanic battle.

     (Apologies to our gentle readers for the unpainted figures, I misplaced my Frost Giants and we had to go recruiting amongst the Fantasy troops. This sort of thing will not happen again)

 

opponents size each other up as crowds approach from all directions

Duplicity Abounds!!!

     In a stunning display of underhanded violence the Khalsa have attacked the British exploratory mission on the Island of Vectis. The British had sent a small force upriver on a Goodwill Mission to demonstrate the benefits of interacting with Her Majesty's Empire and to assess the local peoples and resources. As they camped peacefully on the shore they were vilely attacked by the armed forces of the local governor.

 

as dawn breaks the British sentries notice that there is 

more than the local wildlife in the distance 

no local bandits these, they have artillery!

British Island Malagassy part 1.

THE ANCIENT AND SECRETIVE LAND OF MALAGASSY

 

    Founded uncounted centuries ago by the losers of a dynastic struggle on the mainland the island kingdom of Malgassy has long shunned contact with the outside world. The people display a fanatical devotion to their king and his family. Trading only occasionally with the Caliphate and the Slaver Kingdom the Malagasians have had little contact with the European interlopers.

    The island chain was once entirely controlled by the Kingdom. The southern half of the main island and the southern islands first broke away as part of a dynastic struggle within the ruling family and then fell under the sway of the dreaded worshippers of the Thuggi sect. This has led to a complete breakdown of order in the South, a circumstance that has allowed the Her Majesty to plant a colony with the avowed aim of crushing the "devil worshippers" and restoring order.

    The northern half of the Kingdom remains rich and densely populated. The centuries of isolation have allowed the Malagassians to carefully exploit every natural resource and rigorous management of these resources has made the Kingdom rich beyond what would be expected for such a small area.

    Relations with the British colony are aloof and coldly polite, with just enough hostility to discourage any attempt at commercial or social contact. Secretly the Malagassian ruler fears the new colony and has been feverishly collecting modern weaponry to help stave off any attempt to establish "order"  his lands. The most concerning point is that the colonial troops crushed the Thuggi in just one year, something that the Kingdom had not been able to achieve in fifty!

    Outsiders see the Kingdom as a mysterious land of temples and rituals, adorned with the wealth of centuries and only mildly aware of the progress of the modern world. This is only partially true, the Kingdom is intensely conservative but both the government and the religious orders place a high value on education and intellectual discourse and understand and can apply most scientific principals. The desire to avoid upheaval and the unpleasantness of sudden change has caused the powers that be to use a gradualist approach to modernization.

GOVERNMENT: The island is ruled by a semi-hereditary king. The "royal" family consists of about four thousand bloodlines grouped into five tribes. These tribes take it in turn to choose a new king upon the passing of the old. The next ascendant tribe provides the King's ministers, the third provides the provincial governors, the fourth the bureaucrats and religious ministers and the fifth the leaders of the military. This way there is constantly fresh blood being injected in all branches of government and all of the tribes must educate their children to fit into any role, assuring a well-rounded education.

ARMY:  The Malagassian military presents a confusing spectacle to outsiders. How does one try to understand an army that has Gatling guns but still insists that chariots are not only a valid but an entirely necessary piece of military gear?  The appearance of elephants and chariots may confuse western commentators but the hard core of the army is the long-serving infantry drawn from the military caste. The armaments of these troops have been carefully upgraded with the passing of time. While the costume and drill may be amusingly archaic the troops are deadly professionals at the time of battle. The cavalry is similarly drawn from a specific caste but has declined in importance as the power of the infantry has risen. Still they are useful for scouting and the occasional mad charge. The chariots and elephants are the most obvious relics from ages past but even these have been subtly adapted to more modern methods. the chariots have been armed with light guns firing out of the back and experiments have been conducted with mounting a machine gun to fire out the rear. The elephants are used mainly to transport guns through bad terrain and special armored ones have been trained to batter doors down or attack modern steam transports.

NAVY: Until recently the navy had lagged behind the other services. Using only sailing vessels for combat and transport their only real challenge until lately was keeping the pirates away from the inter-island trade. With the appearance of the Europeans the navy has reconsidered its role and is now rapidly developing a blue-water capability. The recent acquisition of modern guns and steam engines from the western powers has made a radical impact on both the design of the ships and their competitiveness with other powers.

Daring Plan Results in a Stunning Prussian Victory

    Having narrowly defeated the rebel forces the Prussian Governor-General, Victor von
Schimmelpfenning, decided upon a bold plan to run the rebel army to ground and finish it off. He allowed the rebel forces to retreat back to their camp and collect their belongings.

     While this was going on a punishing force-march put the Loyal forces in a position to cut off the retreating rebels. The rebel army, thinking that they had gotten away cleanly, were surprised to find the Loyal forces (and their Prussian allies) astride the line of retreat.

     Surprised or not the rebels recognized that the only path to safety was to fight their way through the Loyalist ambush and they flung themselves at their enemy in a bold fury.They were hampered again by some very unlucky Command rolls that caused their attack to become disjointed. Ultimately the rebel army was shattered and the remnants dispersed into the hills.

 

this game was played using the "Run For The Hills" scenario from the rulebook

the rebel army was made whole again to represent the collection of bivoac guards 

and outlying units as they decamped. The Prussians carried over any unsaved casualties but were graced with abnormally good Command rolls in the first two turns which allowed them to close the gap and prepare for the rebel assault

The Kaiser's Boys move at Last!

    Long troubled by the ongoing conflict in the adjoining Satrapy of Kondoo, the Prussian Governor-General, Victor von Schimmelpfennning (brother to the famous Franz von Schimmelpfenning of  Deustches Ost Daftrica fame)  decided to intervene to stop feckless bloodshed. Backing the late-departed (or as others might claim, recently murdered) Satrap Iben Dunnin's,  oldest son Muuhvin Onup the Governor-General sent his troops into the field to protect commerce and missionaries in the surrounding territories.

    Effective native intelligence helped identify the location of the main rebel army and the Prussian forces, assisted by loyal Malagassian units, took to the field. A swift march hoping to catch the rebels in their encampments was foiled by the horrid state of the local roads and instead of catching the enemy napping the Prussians were forced to fight past the enemy's advance guard and engage the rebels in an open battle. The results was a close run fight as you will see below.

 

the initial deployments, most of the Prussian forces were still stuck on the muddy roads 

as the cavalry and spearmen guided the artillery into position

Old Sarge has been at it again!

       My life-long pal OldSarge has been grinding away and searching the far corners of the interwebs seeking figures to use in our Campaign. He has located some real gems and linked to them om his blog. Take a look at Hinterland Miniatures a company that does some delightfully different figures. He uncovered a company that I was entirely unfamiliar with; Tiger Miniatures who produce figures for the US Army in the Spanish American War,  and of course, the opposing Spanish Army as well as the one that REALLY caught my eye German Colonial troops all are nicely detailed and robustly proportioned minis. Next he has Studio Miniature excellent British Colonial Range in the 1890s uniforms. He also reminded me of the large and wildly mustachioed Artizan Design range of Northwest Frontier minis. Blacktree Design, one company that I was actually aware of, has expanded their range and done a fine job of it. Finally, moving away from the strictly historical figures he points our attentions to Ironclad Miniature, who produce a range of plausible looking VSF troops and vehicles, just the thing I need for my Prussian Armored Corps!

      Thanks again to OldSarge, when I get some time I will dedicate an page solely to links to minis ranges that he has uncovered.

Her Majesty's Expedition forces

The Royal troops for the expedition are as follows

1 x Elite Sharpshooter regular infantry ( Guards)   9 pts
1 x Fierce regular infantry Highlanders                   7 pts
1 x Irregular infantry ( Militia) unhappy Irish         4 pts
1 x Irregular cav unit (Volunteers)                           4 pts
1 x well drill pom pom gun unit                              6 pts
   total                                                                     30 pts

Just to make thing clear

     Just to clarify the situation as to the beginning of the first year

     Each player gets 60 points worth of military assets, if they choose to do so they may trade away some of these for trading posts, embassies and additional outposts. All other structures will have to wait for year two.

      Each player can claim one city and three additional areas in their sphere of influence as their initial colony.

      Each player gets one medium size steam-powered boat  (no, you cannot trade it for a zeppelin)

      Each player now has their maps showing the areas that can be seen from shipboard, they will mark on these maps their plan of campaign for the first  year, if their plan involved going deeper into the interior I will provide them with additional information as they discover it. They are free to release information to the other players about their discoveries (if they so choose).

The Anerican colony

     I seem to have overlooked this before. Here is the American claim  in Nuelandia.

Suddenly the Russians place a claim

After many months of silence and rumors there has been a simple announcement  from the Kremlin:

 

"The Russian Empire claims ownership of this territory for the formation of New Russia. 

The enshrined territory belongs solely to the Imperial Russian sphere of influence, and all past and future claims to the territory are rendered void and/or illegal."

 

So another hat has been thrown into the ring, at least the snowy wastes of the far south will not be unfamiliar territory to the Slavic Warriors of Mother Russia!

 

 

Prussians Make Further Developments!!!!

    In an even more startling discovery our intrepid reporter has discovered yet another Prussian atrocity in the making; the Gruson 5.3cm L/24 Fahrpanzer. A bizarre armored weapon platform that he has overheard the soldiers referring to as the "Dalek type einze". Even the troops involved in the field testing seem unnerved by this horrifying contraption!

 

 actually this is a REAL historical weapon built by the Prussians in 1890

 and used into the Great War

Invaluable Image Resource

        Having lowered the price of Lighter than Air Flyers I expect that I shall see them in everyone's army list  fairly soon. Find yourself a comfortable seat because this one is addictive; I present here an invaluable visual reference, Rosebud's WW1 and Early  Aviation Image Archive  

      For those contemplating Heavier than Air machines take a look at Flying Machines for some period appropriate images and ideas, the warning about a comfy seat applies here as well.

NOTICE!!!

Price revision on small Lighter than Air Flyers

Check the new price and revise your army list if you bought any

Economies Part III; Accounting Methodology

    Having run a huge open-ended campaign before that fell apart after seven years under the weight of the economic system I have decided to impose a standardized accounting  method on all of the players (people who know my political persuasions are allowed to gasp at this point; Regulations, oh my!). The last campaign I failed to do this and was confronted with a different and unique method of accounting by each player. Some were magnificent edifices of clarity (kudos top R.U.P. there) others were, to be generous, inadequate.  This may not be the best system but it is one that gives me instant clarity into the local economy and prevents errors from compounding.

News Alert! Prussians rumored to be testing new light clockwerke tank!

     In a move that seems to be a direct threat to the balance of power in Neulandia the Prussians were caught testing a new armored clockwreke tank specifically adapted to the local conditions. They claim that the vehicle was brought here simply "for field exercises in a real-world environment".  The vehicle seems unlike anything seen thus fer in Europe which argues that it has been designed for local combat conditions.

 

our intrepid reported took this picture in the warehouse that

the Prussians had the hidden the vehicle away in 

     All hyperbole aside this is one of the models from Eureka's Pax Limpopo range and it bears the magnificent title  "Aufziehpickelhaubenstahlspahpanzerfahrzeug Ausf A". They have many other whimsical models, along with a host of other (more serious) products. Take a look.

Economies Part II, Fixed Assets and Such

     The stuff that you came here to build, because nothing says "Civilization" like making other people build things that they don't want. These improvements upon the native landscape such as fortifications, mines, dams, factories and so on help to protect your troops, enhance income  and utilize resources.

Economies; Hey, you guys insisted!

the point of it all

     At the insistence of the other players I am adding this economic section. It will be broken down into three sections; sources of income, cost of improvements and bookkeeping standards (yawn!). I am using the base model that we developed for the old Daftrica campaign and just adjusting the values to reflect the lower points cost of troops under TMWWBK. I am also scrapping the high-powered multiplier effect of factories and steam engines to keep the budgets to a manageable size.

Rules Amendments Part VII; Creatures Great and Small

     There are many creatures that live in Neulandia that are outside the usual; larger, fiercer (or both !) than horses. Some are useful as draft animals, others are just  terrifying bits of local fauna. Elephants, hippos, rhinos, Lions, Tigers and Bears (Oh My!) along with other imponderable terrors lurk in the woods, rivers, mountains and plains of Neulandia. Beasts are always treated as Irregulars for command purposes.

Rules Amendments Part VI, Land Conveyances

     

     Conveyances  are all of the vehicles we will be using that are not powered exclusively by muscle. In our period that means steam almost exclusively (players wishing to research actual alternative power sources will find a lot of creative thought going on in the late 19th Century, and it wasn't only Tesla!).

old Sarge has been active, just a reminder

He is more persistent that I and has found lots of really cool stuff, Take a wander over to his blog and take a look.

He is a rather better painter than I , particularly with models, you will learn a thing or two.

Rules Amendments Part V; Vessels upon the Sea

 

a heavy vessel, with a steam engine, ram and armor

   

       Here we consider the sort of vessels, properly called boats, that one would expect to encounter in a Colonial campaign. No Armored Cruisers and such here, just simple honest ships doing a days work. These fall into two (very) broad categories; Steam-Powered and Other. We will make an admittedly very broad assumption that ships that sail or are powered by humans have a similar susceptibility to fire and treat them the same. Rowers are Tribal for Leadership Value, Sail is Irregular and Steam power give Regular status.

Rules Amendments Part IV Weapons on Flyers

Weapons systems mounted on Flyers are subject to the following rules:

1.  They are always considered Regular for Orders and Leadership purposes, they will have their own gun-captains separate from the airship that is carrying them
2.  Guns and Machine guns are considered to have three crew-members
3.  Due to the extreme measures employed to lighten the weapons they have become less reliable; any time they fire and roll three ones they are out of ammo/jammed for the rest of the game.
4.  They are one point cheaper than the land-based versions
5.  They cannot be dismounted for lack of a carriage and draft animals.
6.  They are considered to be lost if the craft crashes, in the event that they have been mounted on a balloon that has make a soft descent and not been overrun by enemy troops they can be recovered and re-used.
7. Bombs require a separate section of their own thus:
      A. a "bomb-load" consists of four circles cut from common typing paper that are three inches in diameter
      B. these will be "dropped" by placing them on a normal ruler held at the end of the bombing players outstretched arm, they may be stacked or laid one next to the other on the ruler.
      C. The distance of the ruler above the target will be 12 inches for every range band that the craft is above the target.
      D. the owner of the target unit will sit on the opposing side of the table with his fist on the table surface and his chin upon his fist
      E. the bombing player will countdown three-two -one and then loose the salvo of bombs
      F. the target player may (at risk of his dignity) attempt to blow the bombs off-course, he must keep his chin on his fist while doing so.
      G. after the bombs have landed any unit covered (even in part) will be subject to 8d6 worth of Firepower 4+ attacks

In All Fairness.....

     As the game master I know the location, temperament and resources of all of the indigenous peoples of Neulandia. So choosing my territory and "Sphere of Influence" affords  me a undue advantage.

     To remedy this to a degree I am inviting all of the other players to discuss the situation ans assign two peoples to the lands that I have claimed. One on the island, another on the mainland. The only limitation is that they have to come from figures that are already in the collection and fit the VSF/Pulp ethos (i.e. no WW2 Russians or such), so Cannibals, pygmies, Lost Egyptian Kingdoms, Tarzan and company are all true and valid choices.

     Have a field-day choosing. I am the willing victim.

Rules Amendments Part III, Heavier Than Air Flyers

  
  To start off these use the same Weather andAltitude brackets that Lighter Than Air flyers use. They do not have a point at which they begin to descend as they don't leak, tending to fail spectacularly in a ball of fire in the alternative. Unlike Airships which can "hover" by coasting into the wind flyers must maintain forward movement to stay aloft. As such they don't get a free order per se, they MUST move at least one segment of four inches as the first part of movement every turn. After that segment they are free to make an ordered move. They are faster but less maneuverable that Airships.

Rule Amendments Part II Lighter Than Air Vessels

Lighter Than Air craft come in two varieties, Tethered and Free-Flying ( there are several sub-categories of each). All Flyers are considered Regulars for Command purposes.

 

Rules amendments Part I Limbers for Artillery and Gatling guns

As light guns and the mechanical machine guns of the period were roughly the same size there is no need to differentiate between them as far as limbers go. Thus they will be priced the same and have the same capabilities.

Having a limber adds two new Orders to those available to guns; Unlimber and Limber Up

LIMBERS
A normal horse-drawn limber for either costs one point and counts as six figures for transportation purposes. This allows the gun to move at Regular Cavalry speed. A model limber must be provided and will remain within 4" of its gun at all times. The limber can suffer two hits before becoming unusable.

HORSE ARTILLERY LIMBERS
 A horse-artillery limber costs two points and counts as ten figures for transportation purposes.
This allows the gun to move at Regular Cavalry speed but permits it to combine two actions into one Order; move and unlimber, unlimber and fire, fire and limber up, limber up and move. Note that the gun cannot move twice or fire twice. The horse artillery limber can suffer three hits before becoming unusable.

British have name their island Vectis

The island of New Londinium has been named by her Majesty Queen Victoria.  The two ports on the island have been name by the commander of the expedition.

The large Port directly across from the Peninsular shall be called Durnovia. The Port on the opposite shore will be called Isca.   As I write this there is a small expedition landing in the bay.  This base camp will be called Magnis.  

We are now crossing the island from Durnovia to Isca.  Road construction has started to link the to ports.  After which the island will be explored to it fullest.

God save the Queen.

G

Finally Finished the Map!

Behold below the finished terrain map of Neulandia!

It is Magnificent! (or at least I think so)

I have yet to section off the land for movement purposes but that is much easier than concocting a continent and trying to construct some sort of coherent terrain. Players can see what is visible from shore/ship and areas where some local knowledge has come about through casual contact with the natives. Certain areas are not completely obscured, players can feel free to withdraw/amend/or change entirely their previous claims based on a reassessment of the land. The yellow dots represent significant cities. Players are allowed to claim one as the base of their colony. It comes with the adjoining zone. They will be allowed to claim two zones as the basis of the colony. I suggest that they are directly adjacent to (or at least very nearby) to the city. The scale is 50 miles to the inch on the map, the board that it is painted on is 25 inches across, to give a sense of scale.

A Mexicanish Field Force

It seems that the Emperor won't trouble himself to annotate the photos so I publish them here without comment

 

America is heard from!

Gentlemen,

It is my great honor to submit to you, the Council of Great Powers, this referendum on the location, and purpose, for the Expedition of These United States to the continent of Daftrica, so recently voted upon by the Congress.

IHMN for special ops.

Anton,  I have all three volumes of the rules.  They are very simple. Plus there are more than enough factions listed in the books.  They all are ready made to play.  My team plan is made of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.  If you do a google on In majesty name miniatures there is a lot of interesting figures out.   Even a Spanish one called

Organizing Your Forces

Just a quick note;

     We will be using "The Men Who Would Be Kings"rules from Osprey for the larger battles. I'm still not certain if we will be using the "In Her Majesty's Name" or my Really Simple Shoot-Out Rules for small scale operations and covert skullduggery.

     Be that as it may, for the campaign we are not constrained any of the army list limitations. If you are so inclined you may have an army that consists entirely of Regular Cavalry and Well-drilled Artillery. This is one of the aspects that I like best about a campaign, the struggle to match your army and style of play against different enemies and operational environments.

      If this changes anyone's thoughts on their army composition feel free to change your list and re-post it.

More to the Emperor's Liking????

         With the Emperor of Mexico demanding straight lines, and the unseemly squabble resulting from such, the Kaiser has revised his claim. We hope that this revised claim will more suit the Emperor's fetish to rectilinear draftsmanship. Remember, everything inside the red line is ours now, no touching!

 

we also understand that this seem a bit over the top 

but this claim is more in keeping with the rights that should attend 

upon a ruler as wonderful as our Kaiser!!!!

Prussia Orientalis

    With deference and decorum, unlike the brash and inconsiderate remonstrations of the British and Mexicans, The Prussian Empire would like to submit the area that it would like to secure as its Zone of Interest upon of the newly opened continent of Neulandia. One will instantly notice the modest and considerate dimensions of this claim in contrast to the outlandish demands of the other Powers. As with all such claims they are subject to final arbitration of the Council of Great Powers.

The Mexicanish Column

Los Hidalgos

A Troop, Los Coraceros del Poder Supremo {S} (Unmotivated Regular Cav on Penny Farthings) 5pts
B Troop, Los Presidials de Agua Caliente {M} (Irregular cavalry with modern Carbines) 5 pts
C Troop, Los Presidials de Altiplano {M} (Irregular cavalry with modern Carbines) 5 pts
D Troop, Los Presidials de Teotihuacan {M} (Irregular cavalry with modern Carbines) 5 pts
F Troop, Los Federales de Tlaxcala {M} (Tribal Cavalry) 3 pts

Los Soldados

B Company, Second Platoon, 11th Line Regiment {S} (Unenthusiastic Regulars)  5 pts
B Company, Fourth Platoon, 13th Line Regiment {S} (Unenthusiastic Regulars)  5 pts
B Company, First Platoon, 2nd Line Regiment {M} (Fierce Tribal Infantry)  4 pts
B Company, Third Platoon, 4th Line Regiment {M} (Fierce Tribal Infantry)  4 pts
E Troop, Los Californios {M} (Tribal Cavalry)  3 pts
G Company, Second Line Artillery Battery {S} (Poorly served guns)  4 pts
H Company, Second Line Artillery Battery {S} (Poorly served guns)  4 pts

8 Supply Wagons

Total 60 points

A note on Ethnicity, {S} = Spanish, {M} = Mexican

Her Majesty's expedition forces

 With the blessings of Queen Victoria to explore the new land mass known as Neulanida.  The battalion known as Blood tea drinkers have been order to explore and colonize Neulandia in the name of the Queen.  The battalion has seen action in Africa, China, Afghanistan and other uncivilized hell holes.   Lead by some banished leaders from a afghan civil war.  This is their chance to redeem their lost honor.  Having sailed from Australia in the finest British warships.  They have landed on a island which has been named  New Londinium.    From which they set forth to Mainland of Neulanida.  The small bay which was discovered was named Lester. 

The battalion is may up of the following units.

 2 x Regular infantry units
 1 x Unenthusiastic regular infantry unit
 1 x Regular cavalry
 1 x pom-pom gun regular
 1 x poorly drilled field piece
 3 x irregular infantry ( Commonwealth rejects)
 2 x tribal infantry units
 1 x tribal cavalry
 6 x supply wagons

God save the Queen.  Now where is my damn rum rations....


Again with is awaitng approval from the group and the game master.

Anouncing the New Mexicanish Audiencia!

January 14, 2017

His Most Catholic Majesty, Emperor Maximilliano I, wishes to announce that he claims the souls of all residents of Neulandia in the name of Mother Church.  This claim carries the full weight of Papal Bula as expressed in the Second Treaty of Tordesillas.  However, having commissioned a proper artistic rendition of the region by court artist Georges Seurat (shown above); His Most Catholic Majesty finds the indicated area to be reminiscent of certain regions in Baja California and thus will accept this as the headquarters of both the Mexicanish Empire in Neulandia and the Catholic Missionary effort in the same.  Henceforth, the region shall be known as The Audiencia of Cacatormenta, and all residents shall be known as "los Cacatormentatos".

Imperator voluntas fiat

The tea drinkers claim the following area

With your permission John.   I would like to claim the following areas.  Have sent you an mail about what I'm doing....

The Map!

Or at least its beginning. One of the worst aspects of creating a whole continent is that I am the only person that gets to see the whole map until it has been completely explored and the results published. However, coastlines are hard to hide, so the players will get the chance to see where the edges are at least. Below you will find the rough draft of the map with the coastlines laid out and the oceans painted in. I will complete the map but it will not be displayed in its entirety until exploration has been completed. Remember that this is postulated as a very large peninsula thrust northward from Antarctica.

the new continent, 
the large island on the right is about the size of the Prussian Empire,
the small one on the bottom left is the size of the British Isles

this is what the map of Daftrica looked like in its final form

       The mistake I made in the last campaign was letting the players see the entire map. This gave them far too much information and made planning far too easy. I should have secured the map and given the players only this:

you can imagine how this would have changed their planning

Manouvering on the Map

    Campaign turns are weekly. There are eight weeks in a campaign season. As you are operating in an undeveloped countryside you will have to plan your entire campaign season from the start, minor variations to take advantage of/recover from tactical situations are allowed but are very limited. All-mounted forces will be given more leeway to follow-up or retreat.

     You will find the map divided into areas. Your troops will move from area to area each week; infantry moving two areas under normal circumstances, cavalry moving three. You may force-march once every third week but this will incur serious attrition. Your campaign plan with consist of downloading your local map, saving it as a PNG or BMP file, and then drawing on it in Paint or some equivalent program.

     You will mark your intended path and any significant actions you intend to undertake (bridge-building, sieges etc). Against nomadic opponents you are allowed to write orders such as "Pursue enemy contact" but under all other circumstances you are moving in a known direction with a stated objective.; "Advance to Khartoum and lift the siege". Random circumstances may speed or retard your movements (you find the path particularly easy, the weather is better than expected, would speed your march, on the other hand dry wells or an unexpected patch of marshy ground would slow things down).

     As a picture is worth a thousand words I will illustrate this idea. The orders are as follows; "The army will march north on the west side to the Yellow River, crossing the river above the city of Pie Wie and then march south on the east side of the river to lay siege to the city of Pie Wie. The Naval units will provide close inshore support and protect the bridging operation. They will then undertake to bombard the city as the commander of the land forces requests".

 

this shows my old colony from the Daftrica campaign, 

the bright green line is the land force, the orange line is the naval units

     As can be seen, the land forces will march across open countryside for three spaces, construct a temporary bridge to gain access to the eastern shore and the attack the city from the north. The red dotted lines indicate the areas marched through. Thus, the troops will march for a week (two areas), spend a half-week marching and a half-week beginning to bridge the river (one area and beginning an engineering operation)  finish the bridge and march one area (a half-week each) and then march south and invest the city (the balance of the campaign season). Enough time was left to accomplish the mission (we hope!) and to deal with unexpected developments.

     Following this format will allow us to complete a campaign season in one longish gaming session for each player and will help create a unified idea of the campaign in the player's mind. It will also commit players to a plan of action and prevent opportunistic changes based on out-of-sequence knowledge of the results of another player's battles.