Very Old school

Found this useful diagram about how to make rivers. I enclose also some other pages from the book.

Basing for garden gaming

The weather continues to be rainy here. In my last garden gaming post I curtailed the game and turned it into brief manoeuvres instead. I was worried that the Mdf bases might get affected by the damp grass. Good suggestions were made including varnishing the bases. I thought about it for some time and came up with an all weather solution- 3mm thick 60mm square or round bases, incidentally the same size as the Mdf ones. As soon as the rain went off I went outside for a field test-

Success, the bases worked well both in terms of look and waterproof nature of them. I will rebase the armies and get ready to enjoy the great outdoors! The acrylic ones are just the ticket.

Battle in the thaw part one

Somewhere in Tradgardland...

Thaw rules: any infantry crossing the  river will fall through the ice on a 1  and any cavalry crossing will fall  through the ice on a 1or 2. Dice to see if they survive the water, a 6 needed to do so.

Scandinavian field fortifications , the brate

A brate is an obstacle built across a road ( in country where there are not many roads) built of logs, stones etc to stop cavalry and to delay infantry. They were defended with bows and crossbows as well as  spears/ two handed axes. Here is an old woodcut depicting one in use.

And some pictures of them in use on the wargames table-

Swiss Army manoeuvres today.

Tried to play outdoors today but the grass was very damp and I was concerned about the mdf bases becoming soggy. Plan changed to brief manoeuvres instead-

One hour wargames , Up the Blue etc

Yesterday I saw a presentation at the VWC of an AWI game in 28mm using the “One hour wargames “ rules. It got me thinking ( along with https://narrativesolowargames.blogspot.com/2020/01/take-high-ground.html and his splendid games using “Up the blue” variant of the Neil Thomas rules) of using the One Hour rules with my 54mm set up. So a game was set up, just to try things-

In the meantime the new recruits were training in mountainous terrain and are currently making their way along a narrow ledge somewhere in the mountains...

What I am working on...

Spent some of today moving some figures forward-

Firstly some Albion desert infantry, from various manufacturers, for use with the Frankish foreign legion and Arab figures. Secondly some ancients - an Expeditionary Force Druid which will be a fine addition to my Celts and a legionary standard bearer ( thanks Tidders for these unexpected recruits) who with some Roman odds and ends will form a group of first century Romans ( survivors of a defeated army)  trying to get back to to their own troops. In other words a skirmish game with a little role playing element re skills etc.

Later in the day the post man arrived with some Frankish recruits-

In the form of AIP ww1 French. I am painting them up as 1930 Chasseurs a  pied to fight alongside my Chasseurs dAlpine to oppose the Duchy of Volare. In the background are some Roman damaged figures getting new shields and others converted to auxilia. I hope to get a little more done tomorrow.