An easy and cheap way to make minefields for Bolt Action

    A minefield section in Bolt Action is a 6" x 6" square area. Larger minefields can be made by placing two or more of these sections next to each other.

   I made four 6" by 6" square minefields. I used mdf, putty, little stones, sand, an old sprue, green stuff and twenty eight buttons!

   First, I cut twenty eight slices from an old sprue.

   Then I used green stuff to stick the sprue slices on the buttons.

   Like that, my mines were ready!

   I cut four mdf squares, scored their surfaces and glued some little stones on them. 

   Then I covered them with putty and placed randomly the mines-buttons. I also added sand.

   Since we will use them for our Western Desert campaign, I painted the ground Desert Yellow, the stones German Cam. Pale Brown, the mines Gumetal and highlighted everything with Iraqi Sand. 

The four minefields

   For the signs I used pieces of the old sprue and 25mm square bases. I cut three of the bases in half.

   I found in internet some minefield warnings of the WW2 in three languages English, German and Italian. I printed, laminated and stuck them on the bases and the signs were ready!

The signs

in German,

Italian

and English

   That's it for today! Stay tuned for more!

Battle at the walls of Minas Tirith

   Happy new year!

   The first post of the year is a Lord of the Ring battle. The battle was fought at the walls of Minas Tirith, recreating one of the most iconic moments of the War of the Ring using the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game by Games Workshop. Three more battles will follow. All four of them are parts of the siege of Minas Tirith.

  

   Though heavily outnumbered, the Forces of Good stood resolute beneath the White City’s towering walls, determined to hold back the endless tide of Mordor.

The Armies

Forces of Good

Gandalf the White

Pippin

Around 10 Rangers of Ithilien

Around 20 Warriors of Minas Tirith

2 Bolt Throwers

Forces of Evil

The Witch-king of Angmar

Around 80 Orc Warriors

Around 20 Morannon Orc Warriors

1 Orc Captain

1 Morannon Orc Captain

2 Catapults

   The battle began with several tense rounds of long-range combat. Arrows filled the air as both sides tested one another’s resolve. The defenders of Minas Tirith made full use of their elevated position: Rangers of Ithilien and Warriors of Minas Tirith loosed disciplined volleys from the walls, while the bolt throwers thundered relentlessly into the advancing ranks.

   Although the catapults of Mordor found their marks throughout the game and inflicted significant damage, the sheer accuracy and volume of fire from the city proved devastating. By the time the Orcs finally reached the walls, nearly half of Mordor’s force lay dead or broken across the battlefield.

   As ladders were raised and the siege tower rolled forward, the battle shifted into brutal close-quarters fighting. The defenders struggled desperately to push ladders away while Orcs clawed and fought their way upward. Each round became a test of endurance, with Minas Tirith holding firm despite constant pressure and incoming catapult fire.

  

   

   Around the fifth round, the Witch-king himself entered the fray, charging directly at Gandalf atop his Fell Beast. In a dramatic turn of events, the bolt throwers were brought to bear on the Dark Lord of the Nazgûl, and through remarkable accuracy, the Fell Beast was slain before it could fully engage. Left vulnerable, the Witch-king faced Gandalf’s power, and—playing under an older edition of the rules—his staff was shattered by Gandalf’s magic, robbing him of much of his dark strength.

   With the Witch-king grounded and weakened, the defenders concentrated their efforts on the siege tower carrying the Morannon Orcs. Sustained fire and determined resistance began to take their toll. After several hard-fought rounds, the Forces of Mordor finally reached their breaking point. With casualties mounting and morale collapsing, most of the Orcs fled the battlefield.

   Only the Witch-king remained, locked in a final duel with Gandalf the White. Steel and sorcery clashed beneath the walls of Minas Tirith, but in the end, Gandalf emerged victorious, slaying the Lord of the Nazgûl and securing the city’s defense.

   That's all for today! Stay tuned for more! 

   

Farmyard Animals and Nativities

    Some sheep and chickens to use as Objectives for our wargames such as Pillage.

   Recently, here in Chania Cultural Center we had the amazing Festival of Nativities 2025, with Nativity artwork from around the world. Some of them are so tiny!

    That's it for today! Stay tuned for more! Merry Christmas!