30/06/2017

More wagons - but 28mm

A change of scale - a pair of 28mm wagons bought from Warbases at Phalanx - I need these to go with my English Civil War figures to provide objectives when playing Pikemen's Lament.

Nice models, easy to put together. I just need to find some larger stowage for the bigger wagon, or make another load of hay.

29/06/2017

A diversion - snowy roofs

A quick diversion from the TYW I created some new roofs for my ordinary buildings so I could use them for the Vaasgo 1941 game at Gauntlet this weekend.

I used two approaches on the left I used some thin acylic sprayed white using self adhesive felt as a hinge so I could keep the existing roof and especially the chimney. On the right I just used the felt fixed to simple card cut to the correct roof shape.

28/06/2017

TYW rebasing - more wagons

Finished the remaining wagons and added a couple of extras (at the front)

I took the opportunity to add stowage to them all. Basic models are from the rare Airfix Waterloo accessories set plus a water cart conversion using a spare Revell gun with a barrel found in the bits box from the Airfix Scammel Scarab

24/06/2017

TYW - Swedish/Saxon Infantry rebased

Phew! it's been quite an effort to get these done. A total of 6 Swedish and 2 Saxon regiments each 28 figures strong.

A lot more effort than anticipated as I found that the figures were not organised consistently with my new basing plan so quite a number had to change colour. Flags had to be refixed and in one case a new one created.

The "blue" Swedish brigade



The "yellow" Swedish brigade


The Saxons

22/06/2017

Wooden Jetties

The new Blotz wooden jetties bought at Phalanx are now completed and they complement my existing stone jetties

20/06/2017

Booty from Phalanx

Not a particularly busy day, until I spotted some platic figures on the B&B

In order of purchase
  • A couple of bags of static grass, I'm using quite a lot with all the rebasing
  • The various Persian figures will add to the gradually expanding stash for a discount Persian army as an opponent for my Greeks
  • The TYW Imperial Artillery was a must buy in case I need some to finish off the upgrading of my TYW armies
  • A few MDF jetties for the Vassgo 1941 game
  • A pair of 28mm (!!) wagons and horses that I need for a few Pikeman's Lament scearios
  • Then a heap of mis-casts from early war miniatures - the building facades will be cut up to fit my modular terrain (I'd never try doing it at full price)

A close up of the mis-cast vehicles

  • The Bishop turret will be used as a turret swap for an existing valentine
  • Humber scout car - I've got various scout cars already but I'll find a home for another one
  • Fiat TL37 light truck
  • Fiat TL37 artillery tractor
  • An airborne jeep
No major issues that can't be fixed with some filler and filing

19/06/2017

Cheriton 1644 refought

As is traditional following Phalanx the Gentlemen pensioners gathered in Manchester for a game, this time it was Cheriton 1644 refought using a much modified set of "Pike & Shotte rules". I was a Parliamentary cavalry commander and for much of the time my units were hardly involved.

The Parliamentary right wing with part of my cavalry in reserve


Our left with our cavalry looking decidedly outnumbered as all the Royalist Cavalry were concentrated there.


A view of the massed Royalist cavalry with Cheriton wood in the far distance


The hedgerow came to our aid on this flank as it reduced the Royalists to trying to funnel through a small number of gaps


Some of the Royalist cavalry tried to filter though the centre but a decisive charge by one unit of my cavlry stopped them in their tracks


The was mass of the Royalist infantry spent most of the game wandering around Cheriton wood and were only just beginig to emerge at the end of the day


Another intervention my my cavalry, eliminating an infantry unit that had become disorganised, unfortunately they were unable to withdraw in time and broke from casualries caused by fresh infantry regiment following up behind.


By the end the Royalists cavalry had begun to turn our left. Partly this was due to three turns of me failing dice rolls to move my cavalry across in support.

A great days gaming!

Another report and pictures on Wargame Amateur


18/06/2017

Pictures from Phalanx

We were fortunate to have Jan and Peter from the "Alde Garde" in the Netherlands to provide the Lance & Longbow game at the show this year.

The attack on Venlo, 1372 (from the First Guelders War of Succession)

During the 14th century the Duchy of Guelders is one of the prominent regions of the Netherlands, then still referred to as the Low Countries. Duke Reinald II is married to Eleonora, sister of King Edward III of England and he is also member of the Imperial Reichtag. As he dies in 1343 his two sons both claim the throne. As they are too young of age, noblemen who want to profit form supporting parties. The supporters of Eduard are led by the Lord of Bronckhorst and those of Reinald III by the Lord of Heeckeren and rivalries culminate into a Civil War. It ends with the imprisoning of Reinald III. In August 1371 Duke Eduard I is killed in the aftermath of the battle at Baesweiler near Aachen, where Guelders break the supremacy of the Duchy Brabant in the Maas-Rhine region. In December 1371 Duke Reinald III dies of bad health.

Eduard and Reinald have 2 half-sisters from the first marriage of Duke Reinald II: Maria, who is married to Duke Willem II of Jülich and Mechteld, widow of both the Count of Chiny and the Count of Kleve.
Old rivalries flare up and the Heeckeren party sympathize with Mechteld and the Bronckhorst party with Maria.
Maria claims the Duchy for her son as the legal male heir. As a counterstroke Mechteld in February 1572 marries very quickly with the older but very rich Count of Blois, from the hous of Châtillon.

Venlo is one of the important towns in Guelders, along with Arnheim, Nijmegen and Roermond. At the start of the War Jülich bribes Venlo to join Maria. In late Summer 1572 the Heeckeren party lay siege to Venlo with an army, that probably includes contingents from the Bishopric of Utrecht and several noblemen and retinues from Holland and Zeeland under the Count of Blois. Details are scarce and we only know that in November 1572 the Heeckerens occupied Venlo.
Both English and French mercenaries are in support during a lull in the 100 Years War activities.

In our partly fictious scenario the Heeckerens are laying siege to Venlo and a Bronckhorst relief army surprises the besiegers, who have to fight the enemy mostly on foot.
The demo game displays a broad selection of Low Countries Heraldry and 25-28mm wargame figures ranging from good old Lammings to the latest outstanding Claymore figures.
Rules used are Hail Ceasar.


The view of the beseigers of Venlo (Heeckerens)


The relieving force (Bronckhorsts)


Bronckhorst knights


The surprised beseigers form up.


Nice eye candy - a cannon being unloaded from a wagon


More seige weapons


The harbour of Venlo.


Some more pictures are on Wargame Amateur blog

Some of the other games

Samurai in the snow.


Cambrai 1917 in 10mm


Kunnersdorf 1759 in 15mm


More SYW action in 28mm


Battle of the Bulge in 28mm - nice backdrop.






Curse of Dead Man's Hand





16/06/2017

TYW rebasing - lots of guns

Although I had rebased a few earlier I painted up 12 additional gunners to bring the crews for the rest up to 4 strong.


Off to Phalanx tomorrow, come and say hello if you are passing the Lance & Longbow stand

15/06/2017

TYW - Swedish & Imperial Dragoons

My first new units to go with those I've been rebasing, a pair of Dragoon units, Swedish at the front, Imperial behind. At the back are a couple of hay wagons to be used to general scenic effect.

At last I have a new printer so once I sort out to operate it I'll be able to add/replace flags where needed.

10/06/2017

TYW rebasing - yet more cavalry

Eight new units made up from the remnants of the old regiments plus a dozen new figures

Imperialist to the left Swedes to the right.


A fair bit of time was spent getting the units to have a similar appearance, but I still need to add flags (once I get my printer sorted)

05/06/2017

TYW rebasing - wagons and dragoons

No change in bases, but these have been resurfaced from the old grass scatter to my current approach

The coach is a plasticard/miliput conversion of a gun and limber


Dragoons are always difficult as the usual horses are too large for the nags used by them, these used some slightly underscale versions.

While at work on this army I realised that the last time I solely used enamels was sometime in the early 1990s


02/06/2017

On the Workbench - June 2017

Quite a simple month for once, the main task is continuing the work on rebasing my Thirty Years War figures. I'm about halfway through the cavalry and artillery so about a third of the way through the project.

There is Phalanx in the middle of the month and I'll be participating in the Lance & Longbow game "The Attack on Venlo, 1372" presented by the Alde Garde from the Netherlands. Then at the very beginning of July there is Gauntlet where I'm participating in the SOTCW game covering the raid on Vaasgo in 1941 (so I might need to work on some extra "winter" terrain).

01/06/2017

TYW rebasing - Imperial Harquebusiers

Another batch touched up and rebased, this time some Imperialists.


The figures are all the pistol armed figures from the Revell TYW Swedish Cavalry set


As before these units are 9 out of the original 12 in the units, so I've built up quite a stack of part units to reassemble into "new" units