Still Shining On

Now you may have thought that after the first "Shinyloo" game earlier this year that  a  chap like me would move on to other projects - especially as I like to have  all my balls in he air at once !  But in this case no - not quite.  The possibilities for the idea are actually quite endless- shiny men or not. I've already mentioned moving the idea into the AWI and am now thinking about the Indian Mutiny. I am also considering moving into the 1809 campaign in Austria  Of course rules modifications for each period will be in order but not at the expense of breaking the simplicity of the basic rules- be they Charge or Featherstone. There simply is no need to get into the gamesey tripe  and modern obsession with "mechanisms" that infests so much of today's hobby at the expense of period knowledge and that always elusive but essential "period feel" .

30mm British by Minot- long out of production . I wouldn't mind some more of these- or indeed some of his other stuff. 

Footguard Colonel- by Stadden in 30mm

This whole "retro-wargaming" thing is actually quite liberating. Not tying any given period to any given game makes life so much easier. I can look at actual history to discover what forces and troop types are available rather than follow the sometimes strange whims of some "games designer"  who of course has his own axe to grind- rather than mine . I can fictionalise where I wish - so the actual scenario may read like a historical novel  rather than a tallying of mere arithmetic as in a points system. But most of all I can throw the game designers spoon , which it often feels as if  he is trying to ram down my throat, out of my pram when and if I choose. The idea of "open the box(close the brain) and play" is simply not what this hobby is about and never has been as far as I am concerned. This is one of THE major reasons why our group prefers Umpire controlled scenario based games rather than "head to head lead" of the same old two player format I endured for the first 2 decades of my wargaming life.

95th Rifles -30mm .The prone figures are Stadden the other 2 Willie.

Some Stadden 30mm British line. 

 So the actual pictures are all  from my 30mm "Shinyloo" collection - a sort of pastiche of and homage to the wargaming of the 1960s and 70s .  For those readers who have followed this project there are no surprises simply additions to the slowly growing forces. Now hopefully the next game in July will be another shinyloo encouter using Charge- that at least is the plan.

,,,and finally. A bit of an oddment, Found in a job lot of secondhand figures. This is I think a Steve Hezzelwood model- o- he of Pax Britannica and RSM, I wonder if there were ever any more?