Albion Pathe News presents Manoeuvres 1933

 “ With visitors from far and wide coming to observe our Albion boys on manoeuvres this week, it would take more than torrential rain to stop the show. The Volare Cantare Air Attaché remain a dapper chap in all  weathers..

Hard times of olde Albion..

 It can difficult  to be on guard duty in Lundenburh, Albion this time of year...

Inside my black box

 As one of my daughters is engaging currently in teacher training I was reminded of this text , so popular for a time in my own career-

I was reminded of this when I was thinking about my own “black box”  my permanent potting bench gaming area. For me it is a black box where any game can take place through the transformation of terrain , rules and figures. It also needs to be pleasing to look at, in my eyes, as it stays up all the time , is played over days or weeks and if not filled up with a game can deteriorate into a dumping ground for books etc. What is needed are different gaming experiences rather than the same with different bits of lead moving around. I am thinking of moving towards my collections having a unique set of gaming experiences in terms of rules and playing environments. I’m not sure how to do it...

Basically for me there are games on grids or not gridded, hex or square or plain. Currently I have an all encompassing backdrop and green cloth ( plain or gridded in various sizes) or a winter backdrop drop with a white ( grid or plain ) cloth. One step would be to get a desert or seascape set up. Man of Tin’s recent post reminded me that my black box is essentially a stage needing sets and lead or plastic actors.  I would like to add height too in some way. Any thoughts on set dressing ideas or how to use rules and scale to get differing gaming experiences are welcome and positively encouraged!

 

Screenshots from yesterday’s Zoom game.

 Yesterday afternoon I played an excellent skirmish game via Zoom. I was the Norman commander who was charged with taking control of a Saxon village which was defended by some troops with others on the way. I had to cross a river by the bridge into the village and also went to look for a ford which my knights found eventually. The game ended with the knights charging into the Saxon garrison aided and abetted by spear men and crossbow armed soldiers. It was an exciting game with the mounted knights proving too much of a challenge to stand against. Great fun. Thanks to P for hosting , making up the scenario and moving the figures etc. Much fun, relatively few figures and an interesting tactical conundrum to ponder upon. Replaying on Friday,probably with me taking the Saxons this time. 

Small steps.

 Things are busy here in the Duchy of Tradgardland as I am sure they are where you are. It is not the time for long drawn out battles against the LeadPile but rather small raids. This is an example of one such raid-

Three rather battered toy soldiers awaiting a game. They are half of a small unit I am working on. One has holes in his hollow cast  trouser leg perhaps from a stray round from a Britains cannon , the middle one has been given a paper and glue hand along with a cocktail stick rifle . The last one has a new Dorset head.  They will be finished in rifle green and are styled after the Robin Hood Rifles. Such a raid will keep eye, hand and mind in over the coming days. 

Norwegian Wood 2: Visual inspiration

 I thought you might enjoy these evocative illustrations from a book first published in 1914 and republished as a facsimile in 1995. For me these illustrations really bring the period to life-

The Battle of Norwegian Wood ( and village) 1808

 I set up a small game this afternoon to be played over the coming days. The Norwegians are attempting to hold the strategic hamlet of Norwegian Wood. The Swedish are advancing with orders to take the village. Unbeknown to them there are Norwegian ski troops and armed civilians in the area along with regular forces.