Projects

 

 

Projects on the go currently, Napoleonic Portable Wargame and Avalon Bleeding. A small foray into modern  infantry warfare beginning too. I was taken by figures and 2A4 page rules . More about this anon..

The Portable Wargame in 54mm

 A border clash ...

Subdivision etc

Yesterday afternoon I subdivided one of my gaming mats with dotted lines. I was reminded of school gym halls with different markings for different sports, if you know what I mean-

The dotted lines now provide 30mm squares and the solid lines 60mm. I wanted also to point to a couple of books-

One is an excellent read about the chap who began the Pendon Museum and the other is a John Curry reprint of  an early pioneer of the hobby. I am interested in his single figure grid based rules from 1967 with a view to trying them out for some Lurland games.

Celt v Greek Portable Wargame

Rainy day in the Duchy and I was browsing through “ Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars “ by Duncan Head ( bought by me 10/1/83 and used ever since) when I came upon  on page 71 a description of the Galatian invasion of Greece in 279 BC. This campaign pitted Celtic warriors against mainly Greek skirmishers and a few hoplites. Something different I thought and set up the first of a few scenarios using the Ancient Portable Wargame rules. Here is the set up-

Battle report later. Here is a link to an article about the campaign-

http://turningpointsoftheancientworld.com/index.php/2018/06/23/celtic-invasion-delphi/

End of game and starting another

Yesterday saw The Portable Wargame Homeguard game come to a conclusion.

I also worked on the Homeguard skirmish game .

The battle commences.

 I have started the WW2 game and here is what has happened so far...

A Portable Wargame

Inspired by David in Suffolk and his blog yesterday I brought forth the 20mm figures and set up a game. I had felt really off my game hobbywise last week but am really looking forward to fighting this little set up. I will play it over the next day or so and post battle reports. As ever click on photos to see them bigger and please do ask any questions you have re figures or terrain.

Now a little closer look...

Mainly outdoors

 The weather was spectacular here and almost all of the day was spent in the garden. I worked on the small halt and primed the cottage. Again some area of the garden was cleared of ornamental grass to see if it could be the terminus for the garden railway. I weeded a great deal, tried to work out why the rhubarb is not giving anything like its usual crop ,tried to halt the invasion of suckers from the raspberry canes and a vigorous rambling (?) rose who is trying to take over the garden underground.

The Laburnum is beautiful at this time of year ,quite spectacular. I managed to tack some figures onto stirrers with pva ready for painting and tried to move on the 10mm figures ( Masai warriors and porters);I had popped on a base prior to painting, not the best decision with hindsight. 

Gardening can be totally absorbing or a chance to mull over hobby plans,yesterday it served both functions at various times during the day. The outdoor day ended with Belgian beer and eating together, a good day indeed,

Progress, posters and a lesser known novel

Yesterday I managed to finish the goblins I was working on and their allies.It is a small force but sufficient for the skirmish or Portable Wargame games I want to play. Combined with the wolves/wargs them could form a bigger force for bigger games. I like the look and feel of Vendel Miniatures, their solidity and restrained fantasy feel

Whilst painting I was reflecting on what contributed to how I “see” the periods I game. For example for interwar gaming it is black and white, Pathe footage . For Middle Earth it has to be the poster below by Jimmy Cauty. I do really like the artwork of John Howe and many , many more but this was the poster I had up in my room during much of my teens and beyond. Framed I would put it up today.  For me it defines the look particularly of Gandalf .

I had others by the artist up too but this was the one. Have a look at his artwork he is a fascinating artist. Finally I was thinking also of novels that define a historical gaming period for me . For Napoleonic land warfare this is the novel I return to

If you don’t know it you are in for a wonderful adventure, go on treat yourself during the current days and get a copy.Finally, what artists and novels evoke the periods you game for you?

An antidote to extreme flitting

Last week saw me begin a number of figures for painting , for example the 54mm Ruslanders and then the 40mm semi flat sailors and Askari. Great enthusiasm turned to I couldn’t bear to continue. My tendency to butterfly flitting from project to project to the nth degree. I think on reflection it is a product of lockdown which seems to do odd things to folk and effect them differently. A general unsettled feeling and this has gone into my painting and to a lesser extent my solo gaming.

So a fight back began yesterday in the form of that cliche tiny tickable targets. This week I am only going a few figures that can be used for skirmish gaming or the Portable Wargame. It also means that I hopefully won’t get jaded so quickly. I began yesterday with some Vendel orcs/goblins and Olog Hai  trolls, enough for a few Portable Wargame units or for skirmishes.

The plan is to paint a few, game a little and so on. No great hobby adventures but tiny tickable targets. This way I hope to beat the listlessness and move forward. The second hobby target is to tweak the Portable Wargame fantasy rules a little. For example reflect the accuracy of hobbits when throwing stones or firing bows and their ability to move quietly and hide. 

Finally a shot of the current game set up as the action comes to a crucial point.

Concept Albums and same period ,different scales

In these lockdown days I have been musing on music as much as listening to it. One thing I have  been thinking about was the Concept Album. Perhaps they generate strong pro or anti feelings within you. For Some of us they were and are part of our musical diet. Today I have chosen one based upon the fantasy novel of the same name by Lord Dunsany. The album cover is very attractive and atmospheric and the musicians involved tell the story well.

Here is a link to some narration from Christopher Lee and Mary Hopkins singing 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uXibb9aU7y8

 Secondly as I set up the game below I thought about how I collect/ game Middle Earth in a number of scales- 28mm using Vendel , copplestone etc, 25mm using Minifigs Mythical Earth, 25mm Games Workshop which enables me to play against others more readily and a collection I started when the figures first came out around 17 or so years ago. Finally some 10mm figures for so skirmishes. What periods do you duplicate, if any?

The Shire invaded or The Portable Wargame , fantasy variant

A bit of bother,part one

The game has begun but not got very far yet. The Colonial Portable Wargame rules are providing a great game so far. One would think I could get the game played but there are so many other distractions, things to do, anyway here is the state of things visually-

As ever click on the photo to read the comments.

A bit of Bother in Tradgardistan, the set up

The figures have a decent plastic box to reside in and the compartments keep them upright and safe . Just enough room for all the Tradgardistani collection so far. I also painted up some Warbases penny movement trays and decorated them with sand and undergrowth to match the figure bases. Three figures represent a company and two figures skirmishers.

The view from the starting position of the Brigadier’s forces. The squares are marked on the mat with a small cross at the corner of each square.

An aerial view of the battlefield and the rules ready to go...

The 

The view from the opposition starting line. The Man with the golden gun and sword commands from the hill top with his drummer for signalling orders. The mortar is ready to fire and the invaders are awaited. Battle report and rules first impressions over the coming days...

Our man in Tradgardistan

In his bright red djellaba and armed only with a pipe and prakirnaka the Brigadier is a larger than life character. Beloved by his men and feared by his foes across the world, he is just the sort of chap to sort out the “Bit of Bother” currently sweeping Tradgardistan.

He has arrived as the self styled “ Man with the golden gun and sword “ is uniting the local tribesmen in an attempt to throw the British out of Tradgardistan. Brigadier Laudian Falls has a force consisting of  A, B,C and D coys of Gurkhas, two coys from the Craigshire Highland Light Infantry, some signallers, members of the Tradgardistani Guides, tankettes and a biplane. Tomorrow he will set out and see if  a bit of bother can be nipped in the bud.

I am looking forward to my first game with “The Portable Colonial Wargame “ rules. The table has been set up and Reggie and his chaps will fight their first battle...

Paper folding Portable Wargame

I just remembered recently about the arcane paper folding my middle daughter did as part of her time at art school. I recall chatting to her about how one might use similar methods to made three dimensional paper terrain. I can’t recall where those conversations went, I will revive them next time on the phone to her. Anyway having watched Kirsty Allsop crafting I decided to see if I could make a n incredibly simple gridded board by folding alone. I borrowed paper from my daughter and did this-

 I like the grid marked out with no intrusive lines or dots. I used too thick paper and folding was hard.

Felt squares and lengths as woods and dried up river beds with plastic trees. Recyclable board and easy to store.

The simple set up. Not rocket science but easy to make. If you have a whim for Naval gaming, the Winter War etc get the correct colour of paper out and fold. Easy.

McVities Gurkhas etc

Yesterday I finished these Gurkhas which are Copplestone Castings. They were in the shed with the figures I posted here yesterday. They are splendidly sculpted and cast. I really like their uniforms.

They will form part of Tradgardistan Force. They are commanded by Captain McVitie, a Scotsman from the Lothians. 

When I was growing up I often went to my father’s office to get a lift home after school. One of his partners was called Mr McVitie and he had commanded Gurkhas during the war. Sadly I never found out any more about him or asked him anything, it just wasn’t the done thing.  So I have named my officer after him.

I also finished the opposition so far-

I am pleased with how they came out. One or two additions have been ordered to allow a small but hopefully entertaining Portable Wargame to take place. Tradgardistan Force will be getting some kilted infantry, a radio on a mule ( just couldn’t resist) and a carrier mounted machine gun. Air support is here already in the form of my interwar biplanes purchase of some time ago. The locals will be getting some more riflemen and a mortar. 

Return to Tradgardistan

I was in the shed the other day and found some Empress Miniatures from their Jazz Age Imperialism range of 1930s figures. They are lovely figures sculpted by the very talented Paul Hicks. As I needed a change in what I was painting and fancying a different focus I came upon this old travel poster-

A little research reacquainted me with this place, how it had originally been a Danish Colony sold to the Duchy of Tradgardland and then came under the protection of the British Crown. That was enough to encourage me to have a go at the figures with a view to some Colonial Portable Wargame games. Here are those I have painted so far. Firstly some fearsome locals-

Time for some figures depicting the Tradgardistan Police-

Note the mix of uniform and non uniform in this unit. Hopefully I will get some more painted up in the next day or so , I can almost feel the stifling heat of the Tradgardistani hills...