Flag unfurled

A new banner flies in Umstrittental (The Disputed Valley) produced with love and care by women from all the towns that comprise the Umstrittental League. Each of the towns will fly it for a time before taking it to the next.By such a means all will get to see the Great Banner for themselves. In battle the Great banner will accompany the League's troops into action...

I hope ( although no doubt things will intervene) to set up the first battle of the Umstrittental Bund over my September long weekend when there will be time and energy to set a game up and leave it up overnight, playing a solo game over the weekend and when the family are at work and school...

Brief encounter...6.00am Tuesday

Just a very brief post to say thanks to all who have voted in the recent poll! There has been universal ( almost,but that is another story...) rejoicing at the decision to see the Disputed Valley becoming the League of Umstittental. Gentlewoman have embroidered through the night to produce a League Banner which I will reveal here shortly in all its glory...

Real life ,in the form of issues resulting from the dismantling of our concrete garage and preparation for the the new wooden one,not to mention increasingly arcane short and long term planning formats at work, has left me with little time and even less energy for the hobby!
Finally I am looking to extend my knowledge of 13th century Danish armies- any suggestions most welcome.

Base fellows and a period sojurn...

Saturday morning at last! My middle daughter is off under canvas with the Guides for the first time, the garage project ( old one being demolished prior to re erection elsewhere and new one being built by joiner) needs work,I have vile work-related paperwork to do and I feel like a wargaming period holiday...



I don'y know about you but I have a core of interests I wargame/collect figures for and others I dabble in. As interest in a period waxes and wanes( 3 holidays to Denmark including a day trip to Sweden 18 years or so ago sowed the seeds of an abiding love of that part of the world,wargaming related to Scandinavia and even the formation of that country known as Tradgardland) I work on another for a bit and then another and so on. The transition one from another is often caused by what I am reading,viewing or even a chat (virtual or real) with fellow wargamers. I immerse myself for some time (days or weeks) move things forward and then go into another period/ I wonder if this rings a bell with any of you?




The core projects remain although they can be lain aside for months ,even years before being revived. Clearing out the garage has shown me the relatively big lead mountain I have and some figures caught my attention again . This combined with the reading of Scandinavian themed Ospreys on the train - catching up on holiday purchases and my ongoing interest in the history of the region,not to mention the recent medieval week postings at

http://dalauppror.blogspot.com/ has provided me with with an interesting wee task this weekend. I have decided to depict 13th century Danes....
Two other thoughts- firstly I continue to be awe struck at just how much research info a wargamer has access to on the Internet. Gone are the days of library crawling on the whole. We are blessed with being able to research the obscurest of armies from the the comfort of our own home -wow I still say!
Secondly I have browsed medieval rules of all shapes and sizes this week as well as reading your helpful reviews/useage of them. I have found them to be a very mixed bunch but none completely filled the bill. Yes I will come back to Retinue and Terry Gore's medieval warfare for other projects but not for this. So my thoughts returned to Fitzbadger's excellent post-
http://soweiterleague.blogspot.com/2010/01/we-dont-need-no-stinkin-rules.html as inspiration. So here we are at last - no/minimal rules and figs on 40mm bases ( like the look and I have loads in the spares box) we shall see what happens. Please excuse the waffling nature of this- up early and the absence of ground coffee have not helped! Enjoy your day...

Frustrations

I have spent ages trying to leave a comment at http://dalauppror.blogspot.com/ re a kind offer of his to no avail...
Sometimes I could see Blogger far ,far away!!!!!
Technology makes us it's servents rather than the converse I fear- please excuse this grumpy old man.

Cast your votes here...

I originally posted this last Friday-

"Behind the town walls of one of the most heavily fortified towns in the Disputed Valley men are gathered from all the towns in the valley.Some are the Electors ( who failed to agree upon the election of a new Duke) others are men of influence or those who have seized the opportunity in these difficult days... The Electors ,furnished by Tradgardland and the Imperium, have been forcibly ejected from the town and are making their ways back to their army's respective camps within the Valley. Within the Rathaus a fierce debate rages into the night,through the dawn and into the next day. The men are forging the future and hammering out the Constitution of The League of Umstrittental... "

I have always tried to make my blog intereactive by asking for feedback and comments now I wonder if I can ask you to imagine you are present at the above gathering. Please cast your vote for or against the formation of The League of Umstrittental at the poll at the side. I would gladly bribe/encourage you with free ale and suckling pig but there are is limit to even the Internet I fear. Vote now and have a good day...

Syldavian troops

I've not been one for "mix n match" armies where the same figures double for different armies. Many do it with ancients but I have not. However I am coming round to the idea more. Here are my Imperium soldiers which , with the aid of a different flag, become units of the Syldavian army! These fantastic flags are by Jiminho and look great with my figures...

Sumpf Speil...

Sunday morning.

The week and weekend have been too busy so far to paint.I am always surprised,but should not be so, by how little spare time and energy I have upon my return to work. The needs of family come first and hobby takes third place- at least in terms of practical gaming and painting.However there are opportunities to plan,day dream and most importantly scribble notes down for future reference. And so "Sumpf Speil" was born...

Sumpf is German for bog or marsh and is also the name of a town in the Disputed Valley located in a marshy area. The idea came from two main strands- firstly medieval troops in Ditchmarshen using their spears to vault over dykes and some Minifigs I had ordered. The syw figure of an Austrian sharpshooter resting his musket on a spear ( yes ,you know the one) was ideal to portray the light infantry from Sumpf. I imagined them crossing the marshes and drainage channels musket/rifle slung on their back vaulting with spear. The figures are stuck on 2p coins and undercoated awaiting work.

The game emerging in my head involves moving small bodies of troops across a marsh ( with or without a local guide malicious or otherwise) using dice for random movement and hazards.The Sumpf jaeger troops using their local skills to lure their enemies into difficulties perhaps. I had also thought of night actions where a guiding lantern and will o the wisps get mixed up and sow confusion. Maybe some folkloric element of real or imaginary danger can be filtered in too. I am at the early stages but am enjoying the process as I iron,garden and other tasks.

Well that's where we are at present .Over to you for some more ideas or comments- thanks !Sumpf Speil awaits your contribution...