Bits 'N' Pieces

 (It's 02.32 GMT on Thursday 16th June)


Monday 13th June 2016 

DBM Western Sudanese v Early Welsh - held onto the left flank (just) while my C-in-C broke the enemy centre.  No bows to contend with but masses of Wb(F) plus some Cv(O).  Our expensive Cm(S) ended up fighting some lowly Ps(I).

Other tables - Square Bashing (Germans v French); Empires of the Middle Ages (boardgame).


Wednesday 15th June 2016 - still painting the WW1 East African figures - sigh! 

En passant I finished a few DBA-RRR elements:

Left to Right: Moldavian (Pi); Ottoman Turk Qullar (Cv); Spanish (Kn/Ln)
This completes the first two (revised) DBA-RRR armies.

Front Left - Spanish (early) command (Bd);  Front Right - Spanish (later) command (Bd)
Back Left - Portuguese Xbow (Bw);  Back Right - Transylvanian Musketeers (Sk)

The musketeers, plus one other element, can transform the Moldavian into a Transylvanian army.

Getting the Spanish, Portuguese and English armies into order is proving more difficult.  Still I do have 13 armies organised already with 13 elements each (including 2 generals).


Hopefully I will be going to Phalanx on Saturday - need some square MDF bases and might be persuaded to buy some more Vikings! As I'm taking the train I will not be taking my camera.

Khaki is the New Black

Monday 6th June 2016

DBM medieval game with King John versus King Richard (I think!).  I took the left flank while Chris attacked in the centre and on the right.  My knights (and 2 cavalry) were facing off against a large group of Lh(S).   Well it looked like a hiding to nothing but the dice gods were on my side for a change.  Movement was good and the two cavalrymen fought heroically (before they went down).  With one enemy command broken we pulled stumps.  A 7:3 win!!!

On the other tables:
      Impetus Medievals (English v Burgundians);
      Square Bashing (French v Germans) plus a
      WW1 High Seas boardgame from Strategy & Tactics.


Otherwise............................I have been far too busy with calling to do anything but snatch odd times to work on my WW1 East African troops.  Slapping on khaki (uniforms & hats) and brown (boots) felt more like undercoating.  A bit of flesh has also gone on (African, Indian & European).  It's the equipment that's going to take the time.

It's The Second Mouse That Gets The Cheese

Friday 27th May 2016 - finished another book:

"The First Colonial Soldiers" - part 2b - the Southern Colonies and the West Indies.
Pub: Wienand Drenth & Jonathan Riley 2015   ISBN 978-90-818887-3-8

Another treasure trove for those interested in the early colonial era and for players of "Musket & Tomahawk".  Starting in Maryland and working its way south the book's coverage ends at the short lived Scottish colony of New Caledonia (approx Panama). 

Don't be put off by the long lists of officers - useful for scenario setters and local colour.  The footnotes are also copious reflecting the characters of the time. 

Altogether a very interesting read (like parts 1 & 2a).  As I recall it was £40 for all three volumes - and well worth it.


Monday 30th May 2016 - not available for wargaming today - guess I will find out what happened next Monday!

Found some more Partizan pics:

http://blenheimtoberlin.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/partizan-2016.html          
 [Thursday, May 26, 2016]


Tuesday 31st May 2016 - finished another book:

"The American War 1812-14" by Philip R N Katcher Pub: Osprey  [for cover see a previous post]

Well it didn't take long to read the book.  No doubt it is out of date and better information is now available on-line!  For those who complain about modern Ospreys ("there's nothing to them", etc) then the old days (1974) were no better.  As a brief introduction to the war it's OK.  If I ever get around to taking up this period of American history (watch for flying pigs) I will do further research.


Thursday 2nd June 2016 

Going back through my posts I noticed a comment about the 1st June 2015 - only 9 degrees at 1700 hrs.  At 14.44 hrs today it is dull and overcast, 10 degrees with a light wind.  Annoyingly the weather reports keep telling me how good it is in the west of the country - 22-23 degrees and sunny.  Such is Life!

Footnote:  the title is a line from a poem by Les Barker "The Verb To Be." 

Postscript:  Just found a suitable scenario for my East Africa game - more later.

 

Books & Partizan

Sunday 22nd May 2016 - Partizan @ Newark

Held in an 'aircraft-hanger' type building - high humidity, much noise, good light.  No cash facilities on site.  Very few 15mm figures around.  I should have taken my camera - some of the demo games were notable - Witch Racing (Terry Pratchett characters) - Clothes Pegs armies that looked both retro and spectacular - Very British Civil War.

Also met up with several of my fellow bloggers including the semi-legendary Tamsin.  Still didn't ask her about 'Junglegrave'.  Damn!

My only purchases were two books:

Published by the Pike and Shot Society in 2009 - £10 (courtesy of a loan from John Smith).  I had looked at this tome at another show and then 'hummed and harred' about it.  This time I took the plunge.

Published 1974 (hardback) for £1.95 - I bought it for £3.  Been interested in this war for some time - and it would use up some of the mountain of half-painted Airfix Napoleonics.

It took me 1 hour and 5 mins to travel the 50 miles to get to Newark.  Turning off the A1 was easy enough but the three lane roundabout that you are pushed into was a nightmare. So would I go again?  Well......maybe if they have a few more 15mm figures for sale!

Pics at:    http://wargaminggirl.blogspot.co.uk/    (Sunday 22 May 2016)


Wednesday 25th May 2016 - Still waiting for summer.

Dull and rainy all day - 9 degrees in the evening,  Managed to get some painting done - various bits for my Renaissance armies.  

Must get around to splashing some paint on the new WW1 British (Tropical) figures for the upcoming 18th June scrap.  Probably use "I Wish I Was in France".  Would help if I worked out a scenario as well.

Almost finished another book - third in the series - "The First Colonial Soldiers".  Review in due course!

Knights & Days

Sunday 15th May 2016 - Halifax shop purchases:

1 x Waterloo 1815 - AP035 - Roger's Rangers -
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=2047
I already have some of these - they could end up as dedicated French-Indian wars troops; be added to militia units of the American Revolution or be utilised as 'woodswise troops' for a (Renaissance) colonial army?

 1 x Dark Dream - DDS72005 - European Knights -
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1618

 The back of the box

The figures look more orange against the black background. Neither this nor the PSR shots do credit to the hideous pink they are extruded in (be thankful).

The obvious destination for these is for my proposed (DBA-RRR) Spanish  army of the Dutch Rebellion period.  I am also minded to replace the French 30YW Knights....then again some would make splendid generals!  With only 12 figures I will have to prioritise (or wait until I get some more).


Monday 16th May 2016 - WDW

DBM scrap between Sea Peoples and Makkan.  Pitting Bd(F) against Wb(F) means that you have to break through at initial contact.  After that the Wb numbers will tell.  What do you think happened?   Well at least it's a fair distribution - I have lost heavily with all three partners in turn.

On the other tables - Medieval Fubar between Sub-Roman British and some Arabs. 
                                  Impetus 100 Years' War fight


Wednesday 18th May 2016

Finally got a bit more painting done - nothing completed yet though.  Started on the Spanish mastiffs so that I can, eventually, field a Warband unit in my Colonial Spanish army. 

No plan survives contact with the enemy.

Monday 9th May 2016

DBM - Samurai v Southern Dynasties Chinese - the latter being an experimental army.  It was a slow business with the Chinese starting to take losses near the end of the game.  I doubt that I will be fielding this army again.

Chang Cheng (boardgame) - with rival officials competing for favour by holding the Great Wall against the Mongol hordes.  It wasn't obvious at the start that the  'optional' two-player rule' was a must.

Square Bashing - Germans x British 1916


Tuesday 10th May 2016

 My Jinetes arrived from Model Hobbies: 

Red Box 72076 (set 1):             
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1708
& 72077 (set 2):                        
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=2404

After this sudden influx of 'Spanish' troops (Conquistadores & Jinetes) I need to re-appraise my armies.  New decisions need to be made - hence the heading - a quote from Helmuth von Moltke the Elder (1871, paraphrased in  1964)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Helmuth_von_Moltke_the_Elder

Some of the Jinetes have quilted armour which would be more suitable for the Spanish or Portuguese 'lancers' of the New world.  Methinks I will carry out some substitutions!  Similarly I now have sufficient numbers to carry out the same exercise with some of the foot units. 

I'm inclined towards creating an English Colonial (1.40), a later Dutch Colonial (3.20) and, possibly a Low Countries Spanish (1.47).  The last of these gives the direct opponent of my existing Dutch Rebellion (1.48) army but I lack the necessary Knights. 

Waiting for the dust to settle would be the wisest course .....but we shall see!

Some Slight Progress

Saturday 30th April 2016

Horbury Library -  one of WDW's 'outreach' days - 4 battles of the Hundred Years War - 2 against a young lad who did pretty well.  Afterwards I passed through Thornhill (near Dewsbury) where a heavy sleet shower almost stopped the traffic.

Sunday 1st May 2016

Halifax purchases:

2 x HaT 8293   WW1 British Infantry (Tropical) - these will go to my WW1 East Africa project.

1 x Mars 72019 Conquistadores
1 x Caesar 025 Conquistadores

The Mars (ex-Revell) have the war dogs but far too many sword-and-buckler men.  Renaissance troops for my English or Dutch Colonial army.

1 x Red Box 72051 Militia and Loyalist Troops (1745). 
 Still looking for suitable horse for the Jacobite Rebellion but otherwise now have a decent number to, at least, skirmish with.

1 x Model Color 70.927 Dark Flesh

Monday 2nd May 2016

Still only 8 degrees.  DBM - Tupi v Scots Common - heavy defeat for the South Americans.  
Battle for Normandy (SPI boardgame); Little Big Horn (1964 boardgame).

Thursday 5th May 2016 

Slight progress on the Renaissance front:

On the left - the Spanish Colonial general is now on foot - seems that his shield has taken damage already!
On the right - the final element for the Safavid Persians - Tufangchis shot.