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Tuesday, 28 January 2014

York? Anyone?




Am planning to go to Vapnartak in York this weekend.

http://www.yorkwargames.org/Vapnartak.htm

Anyone else going?

I am hoping to raise funds for my recently deceased best friends charitable donation to Combat Stress. Look for me at the Tabletop Sale.

http://www.combatstress.org.uk/





Wednesday, 1 January 2014

Figure Id Required

I recently rescued about 40 figures and horses from my friends scrap pile. They look good enough to be used in my 'Old School' ancients collection but I would like to have a clearer identification of the figure in question.

Here it is:


As you can see it is an unarmoured horse archer, quite possibly Minifigs but could be Garrison or Greenwood & Ball or maybe even Hinchcliffe.

The horse is stamped AHIII and may be a different manufacturer from the rider although it sits very well on the saddle.

Like I say I have about 40 of them, all unpainted apart from this one. I would like to be able to make up 3 or 4 small skirmish horse archer units for my Greek/Macedonian/Persian armies but will be more convincing if I can apply a race or nationality to them.

Hope someone can help!

Saturday, 28 December 2013

My Next Unfinished Project is ... ... ECW

My gaming room looks like this:


Underneath and behind the towering boxes I have 12 x 4 gaming table just screaming out to be played upon. Why not you say? I'll tell you why not!

My best friend died last month, my gaming buddy and all that entails. One thing I have decided to do is to help the family do something sensible with his wargaming collections. Forty years in the making or certainly the best part thereof and I now have most of it in my wargames room.

Going through the various bits and pieces brings back great memories of times and games gone bye and one particular selection jumped up and poked me in the eye, almost literally.

I came across these:


Polish Winged Hussars, Pancerni and Lithuanian Cavalry amongst others, all in 15mm.

And these:


Swiss and Spanish Infantry

Some of these:


ECW Cavalry, Roundheads mostly.

And these:


A few guns, medium sized and small.

Lots of these:


Loads of ECW infantry, 6 regiments, loyalties to be confirmed.

And an unpainted selection:


Now, just what can I do with this lot!

Well, there is this set of rules I wrote in 1975.


And there is this more recent set:


And there is this tome for reference.


First task is to clean up the figures and rebase them. The flock on them is (being polite here) biodegrading, it'll have to go. The bases are different sizes so they'll have to be rationalised.

Biggest problem is that my 1975 rules are geared up for infantry units to be at least 90 figures strong, 30 pikes in a block with a sleeve on either flank of 30 muskets as well as a few officers, standard bearers and drummers. Single figure casualty removal is a requirement for my rules.

The unit strengths pictured above are about half that with no drummers. I'll have to compromise somewhere. I would also want the rules to be useable with the Swiss and Spanish units.

The Warlord ruleset will have its own suggested unit sizes, I have yet to read them but I expect them to be similar to other Black Powder rules with small, standard and large units. I would want the units to be useable in both rulesets as I may decide to sell the collection on.

There is then an Unfinished Project to be converted into a Finished project, wish me luck.

Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Saturday, 9 November 2013

Iain Holt RIP 1955-2013

Apologies to anyone expecting a post about Crisis and whatever else.

My wargaming life has been brought to a sudden halt by the death of my best friend Iain Holt, my wargaming partner and lifelong buddy. I am deeply saddened at his passing and my priorities for the time being are to pay the appropriate level of respect to a favourite fellow of mine.

Wargaming, like football, can be more important than life or death but in this case it will take a back seat while I ensure that my best friend sets off on the next part of his journey through time and space in the best manner because that is exactly what he deserves.

RIP Iain Holt 1955-2013

Monday, 4 November 2013

Absence (Crisis)

I've been away at Crisis.

Here's the proof.


I hope to post a fuller report once I have recovered. (Yes I am wearing a kilt).

Monday, 28 October 2013

Dux Britanniarum - Britons - Finished

Despite a number of distractions I have finally completed the painting and basing of my British force to use with Dux Britanniarum.

I will let the figures speak for themselves in a series of pictures.

The Leadership


The Elites


The Warriors


The Levy


A selection of skirmishers


Light Cavalry


Shock Cavalry


And a peasant with his cart, cost me a fiver at a bring&buy, make and painter unknown.


Now all I need to do is to find some Saxons to battle against.

Previous chapters of this story are at:

http://jim-duncan.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/dux-britanniarum-plastic-cavalry-build.html

http://jim-duncan.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/dux-britanniarum-britons-work-in.html

http://jim-duncan.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/my-day-at-claymore-2013.html

http://jim-duncan.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/all-quiet-on-saxon-shore.html