Thursday, 11 December 2025

An amiable array

 There are many rules that I have enjoyed using over the years but one that stays with me is the Wargames Holiday Centre Malburian Rules. Not that l used them there but often in my own home. They were fun to play, easy to learn and gave an excellent game. I look back on them with great affection. The other day l came across these on the shelf in the Ducal Library-

I got them nineteen years ago and they are an adaption of the aforementioned rules for the mid 18th Century. They were penned by the redoubtable Phil Olley. A quick read through and they came back to me and are just the ticket to use with my mid 18th century collection- mainly Hessians, Austrians and Jacobites. However there are a few basing considerations to take into account-


This is the basing suggested by the rules and the one l use currently with the Austrian forces. Four bases with four figures on each. Has worked well for me . However the Hessians and Jacobites, not to mention the 1780s imagination collection are based thus-
                                Six figures per base and a unit in Grim Panoply would look thus.
 I am thinking of running with the above five figures a base and a unit in Grim Panoply would look thus.
So that’s where we are on Thursday morning. Real life has intervened and my plans have changed so part of today will involve the continued rebasing project.
On that subject a big thank you to the Saturday Virtual Wargames Club members who gave me excellent advice on how to remove figures superglued to washers and pennies. It worked a treat- thirty minutes in the freezer and a tap or twist and bobs your uncle! Here are these fine fellows ( not painted by me and an unexpected retirement gift some years ago) off their old bases and ready for action-





8 comments:

  1. Never seen that rule set before, they look very interesting and your Austrians are lovely, really nicely painted.

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    1. Don’t think they were published. They are , so lovely to have.
      Alan Tradgardland

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  2. Those Austrians (Hungarians?) look great.
    Chris/Nundanket

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    1. Hungarian Austrians l think of them as.
      Alan Tradgardland

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  3. This period has always dreaded me as I find it really challenging painting those uniforms, so I cannot but show my wholesome admiration :O

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    1. Have a go, get a few figures, see how it goes. It is a fascinating period.
      Alan Tradgardland

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  4. Rebasing - isn't that a kind of Cthulu experience?
    I use fours for Renaissance and sixes for Napoleonics, five looks suspiciously like some decimalisation heresy! Still you can always change your mind later and rebase again!
    Are the rules in the style of Grand Manner? I used those for years, then drifted to Black Powder which I went off and now tend to use Sharp Practice 2 for the 18th and 19th centuries though the Napoleonics haven't been out of storage for a good while as there are too many for my table and leaving troops off the battlefield is a discipline I still wrestle with, and they are not based for SP2 either.
    I shall enjoy your first battle report with these figures and rules.
    As Christmas approaches the generosity of past gifts comes naturally to mind.
    Stephen
    Stephen

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  5. Rebasing is fine if you are tired, distracted, Real life intervening or if you are stressed or anxious. Keeps the hands busy. Moves things forward and passes times of waiting. A chore too at times. But worth it to revitalise a collection.
    Not too sure what the rules are like other than like the aforementioned Wargames H C ones. Probs a tad like ITGM.
    Alan Tradgardland

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