South Cheshire Militaire 2024

A quick run down to Nanthwich for the show, now titled Universal Model Show, I spent a couple of hours browsing the displays and traders and met up with a few old friends. No bargains to be had this time but I took a few pictures of the displays that tempted me.

Bridge at Arcola

Eylau

Crecy

Pittenweem in Fife 1890

Napoleonic British Cavalry rebased - part 1

A change in schedule as RSI in my right hand put any painting on hold and only a limited amount while I was recovering. The obvious target was therefore rebasing my British Napoleonic cavalry, which didn't need any careful painting .

These are large 16 figure units, The Inniskillens followed by the Scots Greys.

A pait of 8 figure units, the 3rd light Dragoon and the 2nd KGL Light Dragoons, Followed by the 16 figure strong Horse Guards

Napoleonic British skirmishers rebased

A start to my Napoleonic British army rebasing - all the skirmishers including those for Portugal and Brunswick.

I increaded the base depth to 25mm, which allowed the figures a better fit and also rounded off the corners, which I feel looks better on skirmishers

Each brigade has its own unit of skirmishers, plus one extra unit each of rifles and cacadores

As I started with one unit on new bases

extras for Montgisard 1177

catching up with what was completed in time for the Montgisard game

My scratch built arab/bedouin camp

The Ayyubid Mamluks, these are HaT figures, I would rather have used Strelets Arab or Seljuk cavalry figures but they are no longer available

Another unit of Crossbowmen for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, made up of different sources.

Vapnartak 2024

Had a great but exhausting trip to Vapnartak yesterday. I put on the battle of Montgisard for the Lance & Longbow Society as a participation game. I ran this three times with the Franks (Crusaders) winning all three, but at times it was a close run thing. As a result of umpiring I didn't get much time to look at other games or the trade stands.

Before the start from the Frankish perspective

and from the Ayyubid (Saracen)

In the midst of the first game

and again during the third

Ferrybridge, prelude to Towton 1461

Yarkshire Gamers battle of Mentana

"Kiss Me Hardy" I like the playing surface and the simple but effective coastline and islands

Lovely terrain for Venice

The show was very busy, my guess was that it was back to pre-Covid levels of attendence, but I was rather underwhelmed by the games on display. But there is Hammerhead next month for some eye-candy.

Sir Andrew de Canham has also written a chronicle of his experiences in the Holy Land covering the battle of Mongisard (link) Also see Wargame Amateur (link)

On the Workbench - February 2024

January didn't go quite to plan as although I planned to go on holiday I didn't plan to get a bad cold as well which put a stop on any painting, but now I'm back and OK again and looking forward to putting on Montgisard 1177 at Vapnartak on this Sunday. But by then I have to finish

• Four unis of Ayyubid Mamluks (now being based)
• One unit of Kingdon of Jerusalem crossbowmen (ditto)
• The Ayyubid encampment - six tents (ditto)

Once that is over I will work on

• Rebasing my Napoleonic British skirmishers
• Napoleonic Spanish Artillery in their early uniform
• Upgrading my exisitng WW2 Japanese SNLF platoon by adding extra figures to bring it up to a full platooon and reworking & rebasing my exisiting figures
• maybe continuing by painting the remaining Crusades figures I have left
• As time permits rebasing my Napoleonic British cavalry

Latest additions for the Crusades

I'm madly trying to finish everything I need for the game at Vapnartak. So during a brief pause here is what I managed before the end of January.

Two units of Mounted Sargeants, one for the Kingdom of jerusalem and the other for the order of St Lazurus, the patron saint of lepers of which Baldwin IV was one.

A couple more units of generic "Arab" cavalry from Strelets and a unit of Sudanese Archers fron HaT.

There is also a couple of ford sections I have added to my stream