G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. detachment: 1/72 Sikh Rifles

Assembled for action, the 23rd Cuminpore Rifles.

A little break from Sword and Sandals slaughterage. I painted these lads up a while ago on a whim and tucked them away forgetting about them. I finally rediscovered them when the Pre-Teen Visigoth and I started considering playing some G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. 

I rank G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. as one of my three top miniature games. In fact after DBA I really don't bother playing anything else. Your Victorian Sci-Fi May Vary, but if you dig Colonial and Steam-funk this ruleset delivers the goods. And it's short, simple and utterly lacking in pretense.

For the game, your detachments operate in 10 guy (more or less) squads. Guns, vehicles, giant robots and angry dinosaurs are deployed singularly.  The rules work just dandy when if you are playing straight-up Colonial wars type stuff and flexibly port the oddball things in when you want to take a detour into Verne-ish Sci-fi or the current Steam-Punk (I grow tired of that phrase) genre and esthetic. 

One of G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T.'s more appealing features gives your leaders and heroes an almost RPG-ish detail and latitude of action. The troops are left characterless, consigned to a Red Shirt existence of short, brutal but potentially heroic lives.

The Pre-Teen Visigoth was taken with Sikhs and claimed them for his own. He's organized them into a snappy little squad. Here they are, ready to take on any threat. I'll post their G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. stats when I find them.

The Doughty Leader, Jemadar Garam 'Masala' Singh.

The figures are HaT's more recent production of Colonial Indian Infantry. A nice set, well thought out and most useful. Only one duff pose in the box and no big deal, as well all need head swaps. Speaking of head swaps, the softer plastic now used by HaT is superior for conversions and painting. Not sure why there is so much whinging about it. Each to his own.

The paint job was a quick and splotchy Teenage Visigoth style followed with The Dip and the All Powerful Dullcote. I think I will lighten up the skin tones a bit next go  'round for contrast with khaki uniforms.

 

His trusty NCO Havildar Josh Rogan

Together with a ranker for the 'Charlie's Angles' shot.

By now, the clever among you have suspected that the Pre-Teen Visigoth has a fixation with the cuisine of the Indian sub-continent.  You'd be right.  So please, consider his punny Indian take out names given with great respect. He's an aspiring chef and for him, it's a mark of honour.

It's a funny thing, naming for pseudo-historical games. We here at Chateau Visigoth have no delusions that we are recreating history.  As such, we are somewhat loose and silly about naming our heroes and villains. Food related names have a long and sketchy history, both is wargaming and the real thing. Unimaginative or lazy? I'm undecided. I'm going to address the topic in a rant later-on.

We have two battle reports to follow, in which our band of bold Sikhs will encounter the nefarious Ali Sin Bad and the Pirates of the Nile.   

Gripping Tales of Adventure for the Daring Son or Daughter of the Empire to read about! *

-TV

*You know it's got be some Badass 19th Century Action in the works as the writer has started using Creeping Capitalization.

Only cause it's true.

FallCon 2012 Friday Knights

Once again, into the breach dear friends. I will be hosting DBA at FallCon 25 on September 28th here in Calgary.

Let's celebrate that high point of European history, the High Middle Ages!

With violence and calamitous battles!

With the help of DBA 2.2 and the armies of Book IV (1100 to 14 something or other) we take you to that glorious time of pointless feuds, religious massacres, sketchy cuisine, tin pants and of course THE PLAGUE. 

Relive the time when smashing some ingrate peasant with your mace was just one of the many things you did before breakfast. The Crusades, War of the Roses, Hundreds Year War, Hussite Wars, Mongol Invasions, and Braveheart are all tragedies that should inspire you.

In the proud traditions of FallCon and the Calgary Camp Followers, the Friday Night DBA game is one of easygoing, friendly wit replete with guile, bloody endings and treachery.  
Families and children are welcome.

It's easy, just register and show up. Loaner armies will be provided to villeins, serfs and others without worldly goods. Otherwise, bring your DBA V2.2 or 3.0 Book IV army and slug it out! . Whilst the focus is on the bloodshed of Feudal Europe, you can bring an army from another part of the world...Aztecs? Sure, but we'll laugh at you behind your back. Let's try to keep in the theme shall we? That way you'll be eligible for the Best Army prize. Prizes to the winner (scoring to be made up the night before) and the prize for the biggest single loss/debacle of the evening will be rewarded with beheading or burning at the stake (winners choice). Prizes for the best newbie and junior player as well. Time to GET MEDIEVAL.

 -TV