The King Weasels Out!

 Wednesday 30th March.

The Royal Usurper with his bit stuff chaperoned by Ace Lister.Actually I think it looks like the Duke and Duchess of Garvald.

                 

                     Out to the Garvald Film Studios this spring evening for a delve into one of our fav games VBCW.I’m saying a spring evening as that just meant 2 inches of snow on the deck.Welcome to a Garvaldian spring.

Where the streets have no name.

Still the same film.

The Duke and archbishop protected by a half naked woman with a Lewis gun.

                           Tonight’s scenario found us in Northumberland with the king and his American floozy doing a little recce in the north to see the lay of the land support wise and as well as finding it was a tad sparce,found even more ignominiously he had been cut off from his Northern Army meaning the G&T had to be quickly put away and a mad dash had to be made to Acklington Aerodrome in order to purloin a plane and escape to safety.He also wasn’t taking any chances as he brought his own fuel and his pilot Ace Lister just in case.As the king said’It’s terrible the price of fuel,2p a litre-I shudder to think what would happen if it ever went up to £2 a litre -no that will never happen!’I took charge of the Royalist troops whereas Bill Gilchristi,commisar of this parish,took charge of the rebels without a clue.Later on Herr O’Brien appeared to bolster the Royalists leaving El Presidente left to succumb to the commisar’s indecision.

The good guys command vehicle.

An unusual WW1 armoured vehicle.

Trying to recruit.

                 The game kicked off with myself sending out the local militia entitled the Weasels to search for bad guys or in reality draw fire and ending up as sacrificial ‘Prawns’.The first gunshots came from the local cricketeers ensconced in their cricket pavilion obviously having run out of cucumber sandwiches.Their target was my Bicycle recce section which was clearing a way for the recruiting van which had come north hoping for a few converts and although they pinned the unit their rifle shooting was as bad as their bowling.Herr O’Brien wasted no time in bringing up our armour and eventually doing away with the cricketers for a duck.

Our means of escape-pilot and fuel providing.

Escorting the propaganda.

The Weasels weaselling their way up the side of a hedge.

The local woman’s darts team-The Winchester Wenches.

                      The Weasels duly entered the Winchester Arms hoping for some libations when lo and behold came across the local local darts team partaking of a few Pimms No 1.The inevitable scuffle took place and of course the Weasels came out on top-just!The cyclists had got as far as I thought without drawing fire so I had them dismount which was a good thing for as soon as they had taken their bicycle clips off machine gun fire erupted from the local cinema doing away with a couple of them.The rest of them legged it towards a nearby row of houses and the cover of brick walls.The Weasels immediately came to their assistance and with the help of our vintage armoured car complete with twin Vickers machine guns done away with these even more female interlopers.

The cricket pavilion about to have some air conditioning.

The air conditioner.

Getting a better view.

The pub in question.

            Obviously Bill hadn’t a clue where the usurper king and his misses were but he wasn’t the only one so Dave and I had a quick confab and decided they would be split amongst the two Mark IV tanks with Ace Lister in the fuel bowser.Well one wouldn’t be worth it without the other as starting a plane could have proved to be a wish to far.

Northumbrian rush hour.

The rebel’s biggest asset.

Machine guns on the prowl.

The Weasels getting wasted.

               Bill’s heavy firepower began to arrive with first an Armadillo truck complete with Lewis gun shortly to be supplemented by  beautiful Lanchester armoured car albeit once again just with machine guns.The Lanchester at once took umbrage with the Weasels partaking of a few ales and proceeded to rake the pub with bullets diminishing the lads even more but still they hung on.

The Guards ready to advance-Busbies to the fore.

The alleged ‘hidden’ Morris Dancers.

           This was the signal for us to pour everything forward bringing up all our infantry hoping to pave way for the King’s great escape.El Presidente then let the cat out of the proverbial bag by accidentally informing us of squad of infantry hidden in the local garage so we done a quick random dice roll to decide if we could see them and lo and behold we did and helped air condition the building with bullets. The inhabitants turned out to be the local Morris dancer troupe.It wasn’t long before it was their last waltz.The old expression’Loose lips sink ships’came to mind.And their was me thinking I was the blether!

You can have any colour you want as long as it’s green!

Waiting for check in.

            The cyclists scooted towards the now empty cinema where they remained for a few turns as they wouldn’t be commanded for love nor money.Must have been a good film.Probably a naughty X.They eventually ended rolling a FUBAR making them head east towards the table edge right into the firing line of the Airfield Alarm company taking a few casualties along the way. I just had to say’Sod It!’and charged  right into them taking five of them with me before evaporation.

The Royal Bodyguard,gas masks and leather coats to the fore.

              Dave and I committed all our forces to try and run interference.The guards left their trucks and proceeded to enter a factory building hoping to use that as a stepping point to glory but in their way was Bill’s Lanchester armoured car guarding the way.The only plus point was since El Presidente had found some random event cards from way back when Bill had a breakdown occur on one of his Armadillos and that basically kept it out of the game as it needed two positive activations to get back into working order.This didn’t stop his second Armadillo entering the field but this one was brought to a standstill by the amorous attentions of one of our tanks.

Northumbrian stand off!

            The game was bogging down into a slugging match and although we moved the royal party up our left flank the airport duty-free was a long way away.My Royal bodyguard were committed along with our last remaining infantry squad but firstly the bodyguard came off second best against the Lanchester with the remaining bodyguards hiding in somebody’s back garden as the other squad had taken shelter in the terraced house.The last entry to the fold was a Ford Model T with twin anti aircraft guns but too late to do any damage.The game ambled into a draw as although the King didn’t get away there was more chance of that happening than Bill’s forces getting the upper hand.

                  Another great Garvald Film Studios production with of toys on display.Many thanks to El Presidente for devising and putting on the game.

                  See You All When I See You!

                         This has been a Garvald Film Studios Production!

      

Police Brutality versus Headless Chickens!

 Wednesday 9th March.

             This evening found us out at the Garvald Film Studios indulging in a 7TV game involving the Lurkers of the Deep but was played sans any Lurkers as the game only lasted into the second chapter-just!

Downtown Marsport

Only One Owner.

Local Transit.

El Presidente had just cleared the games table of the Starport game that had attracted our attention for the last few weeks.Tonight’s game involved the evil professor Fiske trying to bring into this world some evil hybrid fish folk but was thwarted by the local police who as well as bringing along some weapons also brought along some good dice rolls for good measure.

The Good Guys-sort off!

The Fishfolk Making Machine 

The Forces of Law and Disorder!

               The bad guys were all placed around the professor’s evil machine and before they could produce some walking cod,were fired upon by the local constabulary without even a warning being shouted.This made my men think that the best way was the highway and therefore like headless chickens they headed for all points of the compass even although the objective apart from preservation of the device was to escape either to the east or west.Obviously my poor lads were denied their rights as arresting was the last thing on the minds of the bobbies as Andrew who was in charge of them obviously wanted a quick result so he could indulge in more of the ale he was quaffing.

Picking on the Little Guy 

Before the onslaught.

Shir Shaun.

             Two of his officers ganged up on one of my poor unsuspecting lads who was just passing the time indulging in some fresh air,threw him straight on the ground and dispatched him without even giving him the offer of probation.This set the scene for even more brutality as across the other side of the yard ,El Presidente was dispatching one of my lads courtesy of a Shir Shaun figure.Obviously my lad couldn’t understand his Edinburgh acshint and went down like a bag o tatties!

Making a break for it.

My Sharpshooteress stepping out.

               A bit of revenge came about when my female sharpshooter stepped away from her day job of minding the professor’s machine and fired her Tommy gun at the two cowardly rozzers hiding behind some crates.Success but only one target was taken out leaving the other one counting his Hail Mary’s.

Shir Shaun moves up.

        Another one of my lads had freedom in his grasp when he went down courtesy of some meddling amateur sleuth with nothing else to bide his time away but shooting people in the back.My unfortunate lad’s partner in crime(allegedly)dived behind some sandbags and returned fire but without any luck.This unfortunate lad’s gunfire drew gunfire from the remainder of the ambushers and due to some lawful trait his cover was negated and he soon went down albeit with guns blazing.

Professor Fiske alone but definitely not intimidated.

              This was the bad guys down to three and this was further reduced by my girl sharpshooter being gunned down by Shir Shaun and his two accomplices in the back.Further police brutality where not even a girl is safe.Professor Fiske had some revenge by throwing vial of liquid over Shir Shaun making him neurotic and waylaying him for a bit.My bruiser was also trying to get within punching range but being the true cowards they were the police officers just stood back and “let him have it”meaning my lad went down powerless.More police brutality!

A neurotic Shir Shaun.

                Professor Fiske was on his own and the forces of law and order were encircling him so his plan was to throw another vial at one of the police extras and turn him into one of the Fishfolk but alas the vial landed short and the Professor was forced to try and break through the cordon but alas he went down in a fusillade of bullets-Or did he???????????? Watch this space!

The Professor’s last stand-or is it?

            Yet another dip into one of the 7TV offshoots taking us back into the serial days of our youth and the Saturday afternoon matinees complete with black and white appetiser.A great game played with the usual accusations and aspersions but all pals at the palais afterwards.

       Thanks to El Presidente for putting the game on and providing the figs and scenery.

                See You All When I See You.

              This has been a Garvald Film Studios Production.