Further Father’s Day

 A thoughtful selection of gifts from the girls-

Father’s Day remembering

 This is my father Harry Gruber-

He was the first one in the family not to go into the family business . He got a scholarship to the Royal High School in Edinburgh, went onto Edinburgh University and became a solicitor. He died 1986.

Collected Jane’s Fighting Ships, bought me Military Modelling on his way home from work when it first came out, took me to museums , was fascinated by the Romans, drove me to Hadrian’s Wall where he got me Roman nails  ( for a boyhood museum in a box) and guide books, encouraged my interest through Almark books and died a relatively young man.

After his death , when clearing out the attic l found his collection of Airfix vehicles and figures, collected and boxed into units, figures in envelopes marked and identified. Lots of the made Airfix post war missiles too. I heard that they were up there because my late mother felt it wasn’t a suitable hobby for one in the Law. Hence the project stalled and stopped completely.Later on when l had to down size l passed the collection on.

This blog wouldn’t be here today had l not been encouraged at an early age. Thank you Dad!

Book

 Charity shop find this morning-

Good cause and good price, not to mention it looks full of fascinating period info. Anyone read it?

Sizes

 I was asked for hex size by a couple of folk-

Hex are 10 cm across from face to face.

Figures are four figures on 40mm square bases, 2 to a hex.

In the Ducal Library

 I was browsing in the Ducal Library in Tradgardstadt this morning and came across these wonderful illustrations of the Duchy of Volare Cantare in the mid eighteenth century-

Later l was looking through a copy of a book about Boswell’s Grand Tour of Germany and Switzerland. Some authorities claim he spent a few days in Volare Cantare but I looked in book and could find no mention. Here is an online version in case you wish to look yourself-

https://archive.org/details/boswellonthegran006270mbp/page/n5/mode/2up

Personally I blame Professor Pottle for this omission due to his shoddy editing.

Eighteenth Century Hex

 Having enjoyed Jon’s games set in the War of the Austrian Succession recently and just getting into this book , not to mention a set of rules sent recently to me from Brian, I thought l would see if my 18th century troops would fit onto my Hex mat and hills-

Success, they fit! So I set up a wee set up on the mat-

A successful experiment and the promise of some interesting solo games ahead…

Fantasy gaming , of a sort

 Yesterday the postman brought these tokens I had commissioned from Warbases, a delight of a company to deal with.

I was encouraged , by myself, to get these made as I always forget which machine guns are jammed! The morale token are a nice size to use too and will not be too intrusive on the table. I have added in a figure of  Edward vii in 28mm for scale. The rules the tokens are to be used for-

Of all the games I currently play these rules and the whole VBCW background gives me most joy. I was reflecting why yesterday. It is fantasy gaming but rooted in a past just out of reach. It has fascinating lore, characters galore and the rules are fun, yes fun but “ realistic “ within the parameters set.

I love the creativity the period allows, sorry wholeheartedly encourages, folk to use. Moving from the real,  to the  possible to the unlikely but fun. Getting into the period, unexpectedly opened a door to interwar period for me, the art, architecture, social history,the literature, the politics the totality of  it. I learned about things that were new to me . People like Dr Stephen Cullen were kind to a novice like me and shared their knowledge with me. An example of where these rules and this period took me are represented by these books-

Exhibitions to visit and buildings to seek out and enjoy.

 

The arcane and the fascinating too. I even got something published in the lore- The League of St Andrews. Researching backgrounds for units is such fun and seeing your ideas incarnate in sections and platoons on the table top is satisfying. The scale of the rules at platoon level, one man to one man , allows identification with the figures in a way l really enjoy. Enough of this over enthusing, tell me what periods work for you and why…

Right said shed

 A visit to the shed between showers produced these goodies for Rapid Fire Reloaded-

Home guard infantry and special artillery including the Smith Gun.

Lots of German armour, with the great advantage of their name written on the underside, thank you Mini tanks!

And more of the same. These will give Ronnie’s Shermans a run for their money..

This evening saw another game hosted by Jon full of incident and excitement. 

Once again thanks to him and my fellow players for a most enjoyable evening.

Rapid Fire Reloaded again

 Ronnie and I played our second ever game of Rapid Fire Reloaded yesterday. We wanted to try out the paratroop rules. This involved dropping inch square pieces of paper from a height off a ruler-

Here are the paper squares as they landed on the table.

Any that hit a wall on the tabletop or landed on the floor were removed.

I recall doing this many years ago when playing the WRG platoon level infantry rules. 

The paper squares replaced by British paratroopers.

Next turn the German opponents entered the table edge.

The Hertzer is destroyed!

Some photos taken during the game.

An enjoyable and tactically interesting game was had with not that many troops on a smallish table. We are beginning to get to know the rules better and appreciate them. Simple they are but subtle and they give an interesting gaming experience. The figures are Ronnie’s , metal , Britannia and 20mm and I am tempted to get a few figures myself to expand our options. He has British Paratroopers, German infantry and Volksstrum plus allied tanks .I am tempted by some early war opponents for the German infantry , possibly Danes or Home Guard but need to find organisation charts for Rapid Fire Reloaded. As well as this l will continue to collect and paint some Airfix figures up.

We played this game on the 6th and the events of the day were much on our minds as we played , talked and reflected on the anniversary 

It’s me not you.

 l got some figures recently for a long anticipated period. The company had been more than helpful.I did the research, read up  my books and looked forward to the arrival of the figures. I am delighted with the figures and eagerly anticipated their preparation for the table and subsequent gaming. However the paint job I managed was not great at all! So l have popped the figures away for a more auspicious day, if that ever comes. The figures are 28mm , Schleswig- Holstein Revolt 1848. I seem to be ok painting ancients or 1930s but when it comes to anything in between all goes wrong. I looked at the figures and thought it is me not you!

Painting today - 10mm fantasy, Middle Earth .

 After school today l worked on these 10mm fantasy figures . They are Copplestone Castings.

Wolves and Orc wolf riders.

A Twenty Pence piece used as a scale indicator.

Some members of The Fellowship, also by Copplestone Castings. Gimli, Gandalf, Boromir and Legolas.

I am also working currently on some 10mm hobbits.

Another visitor

 This Monday saw another visitor to the milk delivery-

I heard a commotion, went to the window and saw the above. My newly delivered eggs were strewn across the path!

A busy weekend with being out each day has left little hobby time. I caught up with friends and family unusually in the sun, which was lovely. Saturday saw me in Edinburgh at a model railway exhibition-

As ever it is great to see such modelling on display. Note to self - a steam lorry would look great in my VBCW games.

Sunday saw me back in Edinburgh for the Archdiocesan Corpus Christi procession-

Monday saw domestic chores, volunteering and some badly needed gardening, my lawn would hidden a regiment in it at 1 to 1 scale ! Nothing really happening on the hobby front-

The permanent table needs clearing as the detritus of life and gaming has built up again. Not settling to painting really at the moment either.

Foraging- a VBCW scenario.

 Yesterday l ran two games for friends of the scenario l made up set in the VBCW . Food was short , foraging necessary and scouts had heard of some highland cattle in a farm nearby. The aim of the game was to get the cattle and drive them off the table. As no transport was available the cattle could not be shot and had to be escorted by one section, acting as drovers, off the army’s base line . The two forces were Scottish Republican and German Duke of Brunswick. The Scots had three sections of riflemen each with a lmg attached. The Germans had one section of estate workers with one barrelled shotguns and old fashioned muskets, one section with smg and lmg and one section rifle and lmg. Rules used were “ Went the day well?” 

Game two the situation at the end of play. The Germans had one herd of cattle being escorted off table as the Scots advanced.

The end of Game 1 . I forgot to remove the detritus of gaming before taking the picture. I think my mind must have been on lunch. Each side controlled a herd but the Scots had taken many casualties so a German victory was called.

The start of Game 1 . As umpire l took charge of moving cattle not under control using scatter dice. 

All in all it was fun for both players and umpires. A discussion arose where l proposed allowing each Section to move their LMG team ( gunner and loader) independently of the section to provide covering fire. Although adding another complication it might replicate infantry tactics better. I hope to give it a trial in the future.