Topping up the archers

Part of the work on my medievals involves upsizing units so they can be used with Hail Caesar. For someone coming from WRG 6th/DBx the best frontage is a multiple of 60mm. This allows the use of all the different individual base sizes. I've gone for 120mm as a general rule, although I could upgrade to 180mm for some of my forces. However this leaves some units undersized, for example my HYW English bowmen were organised in units of 12.

So I picked up some cheap 99p Robin Hood figures in Modelzone and attempted to match the figures I painted back in 2008 (link). Here they are as a front rank with the originals behind

For those who like close ups, here's one. I normally don't bother as I can't see them that close anyway. It also demonstrate the tube I have added to these bases so I can add a suitable standard as necessary.

More to clear from the stash

After quite a clear out, the following items still remain

Books Aircraft of the Aces 9 American P-38 Lightenings £2.00
Books Schwartzer Adler Seven Years War Rules £1.00
Books Soldiers John Keegan/Richard Holmes £2.00
Books The next Moon Andre Hue £1.50
Books Zulu War Rules £1.00
Dwarves (3 painted figs) £1.00
Airfix Asiatic Archers (15 figs) painted and based £3.50
Airfix Asiatic Archers (6 figs) painted and based £1.50
Airfix AWI casualties/Lying down (30 pieces) £0.50
Airfix AWI casualties/Lying down (30 pieces) £0.50
Airfix AWI casualties/Lying down (30 pieces) £0.50
Airfix British Commandos complete set on sprue £2.00
Airfix British Commandos (#) £0.50
Airfix British Paratroops complete set on sprue £2.00
Airfix British Paratroops (34 figs) £1.00
Airfix French Grenadiers (6 figs) £0.30
Airfix German Paratroops complete set on sprue £2.00
Airfix Japanese Infantry painted £4.00
Airfix RAF Ground crew (11 figs) £0.30
BP Casts BP Casts - US 57mm & crew £2.00
Esci Japanese Infantry painted £4.00
Fujimi German Infantry in Gasmasks Mortar missing £2.00
GNW Russian Artillery (2 guns & crew) painted and based £10.00
GNW Swedish Artillery (2 guns & crew) painted and based £10.00
Hasegawa Japanese Pilots (4 figs) £0.50
Hasegawa US Pilots (4 figs) £0.50
HaT French line lancers (2 figs) £1.00
Perry 28mm figures (2 Foot Dragoons) 0.5
Perry 28mm figures (6 riflemen) £1.50
Revell 8th army painted £3.00
Revell German Infantry complete in box £3.00
Revell Panzer Grenadiers one rifleman missing £3.00
Revell SYW Austrian Dragoons (12 figs) firing figures £2.00
WSS Austrian Artillery (2 guns & crew) painted and based £10.00
WSS Austrian Artillery (2 guns & crew) painted and based £10.00
Airfix Chieftain part assembled in box £3.00
Airfix Panther Assembled £3.00
Airfix Scammel Tank Transporter complete in box £3.00
Airfix sdkfz 234/4 Assembled £3.00
Airfix Sherman Assembled £3.00
Airfix Sopwith Camel some struts damaged £1.00
Hasegawa Panzer IV Assembled £3.00
Italeri Tiger II missing hull hatches £3.00
Matchbox M40 GMC Gun missing £2.00
Zvezda P40 Tomahawk complete in box £3.00
German Festeshaus fortified building £15.00
Set of 7 Mediterranean buildings (see below) £25.00

First Newbury refight

After Phalanx it was time on the Sunday for our tradional Gentlemen Pensioners get together and big game. This year it was First Naseby from the English Civil War. Against my personal preference for parliment I took Prince Rupert with his cavalry on the Royalist left flank.

An overview of the battle

The parlimentarians deploy

The Royalist deployment

The mass cavalry scrum commences

Gradually I force back Stapelton's cavalry as my cavalry have a better melee rating.

On the right the partlimentary cavalry are having fun in the hedgerows

In the centre to clash is limited to an artillery duel

Lunch stop, the ruler marks where we got up to before going to the pub for a Sunday roast

The King (Ian) wonders why I haven't finished off the Parlimentarians, while Essex (Chris) sees a rather nasty threat emerging

Crunch, the three remaing Parlimentary cavalry regiments break simultaneously

Ganging up on the infantry at the end of the Parlimentary line

The pressure tells and the regiment surrenders

By the end of play the battle in the hedgerows continues


A great day and great company.

Rules used 1644 and the 28mm figures used were from Steve's and David's collections amassed over the years, including some of my old minifigs!

Phalanx a good day out

But not many photos as the hall still suffers from the dreadful yellow cast to the lighting.

First off the Lance & Longbow battle of Deepdale (Preston) 1315 the climax of the Banastre rebellion of 1315. A full write up of the details and a game report should appear in the Hobilar in due course

The "Loyal" cavalry find that there are rather more Rebels than they expected. But they succeeded in driving some of them off before being driven back themselves.

Before numbers began to tell

Nearing the high point of the Rebel advance.

Overall it was a close fought contest and it certainly could have been won my the rebels, but in the end with the destruction of their cavalry and most leaders they were doomed to failure. Rules used were Warhammer Ancient Battles More details of the game and the heraldry can be found on the Wargame Amateur blog.

A very nicely painted Roman/Celt DBA clash from the Liverpool Wargamers (the picture really doesn't show how good they are)

Wellington's first victory

I quite liked the village.


I managed to clear quite a bit of the heap on the B&B, but I'll be sorting out the remainder ready for Gauntlet (only 3 weeks to go)

Purchases were quite moderate
4 x Zvezda motorcycle combos to be converted for my DAK
2 x Brittania Sdkfz10/4's and some Grubby DAK AT rifles for the same.
A few 20mm Napoleonic bits from SHQ, some pontooners, settlers (female camp followers) and Camel riders for Egypt (all of these are from Fine Scale Factory)
"Race for the Reichtag" and "The Siege of Kustrin" both by Tony Le Tissier picked up on the B&B for £7 the pair
An Airfix Lee/Grant again from the B&B for a £1, I'll probably paint this as an American one for the Gauntlet game!

Off to Phalanx

Finished sorting out all the stuff for the B&B late last night, hopefully I've listed everything properly.

As usual I'll be helping out on the Lance & Longbow stand and game. This times it's an obscure battle, Deepdale (Preston) 1315, the climax of the Banastre rebellion.

If you're passing please stop and have a chat.

Je Lay Emprins - Burgundian Cavalry

So the cavalry os now complete, six units corresponding to the 3rd, 4th, 11th,12th, 13th and 14th ordonnance companies. Each unit has the relevant standard for the company and an extra banner with the coat of arms of the conducteur of the company. I've given each company a theme in the coat and lance colours.

Rather than fix the flags permanently I've use the same techique as the Jacobites and glued a tube on the base, so I can swap them if needed for a different army. Although I'll be using the army with Hail Caesar I've based the figures so they can be used for WRG 6th and also have the option of deploying the units in wedge.

The figures are the Miniart French and German knight sets,reasonable figures, but a bit short on ornimentation such as plumes.

Unfortunately I miscalculated and forgot that I would need some mounted commanders, so I'll have to track down a set of the Miniart Burgundian knights to fill that gap.

On the Workbench - June 2013

Hmm, May didn't go well; going on a last minute holiday; crushing my thumb and failing to get back into the swing of painting because of the good weather all contributed. Add to that sorting out the pile of models and figures I bought and I'm not surprised I'm all behind.  June is the big month because I have to sort everything out for the SOTCW game at Gauntlet, but already sitting on the workbench is all this lot -

and there's more nearby.

From back left working clockwise

• A few Napoleonic generals and a Polsten gun
• two trays with the nearly finished Burgundian cavalry 6 units of 6, just touching up and basing to do
• A mass of halberdiers some will be Burgundian, and the rest for the War of the Roses, I hope to be able to interchange some units
• A box of Burgundian handgunners, and archers to round out my WOTR units
• Then my portion of the second hand models needing some repaint, stowage and then painting

Off to the side are the two boxes of Strelets Crusader Transport, that are now desprued and awaiting assembly.

It's going to be a busy month