Back in the Saddle.

 It has been a long time since  our last game at the pub, indeed it has been a long time since our last game. The  idea of remote gaming never appealed as I'm simply not that enamoured of the dice rolling to bother with the extra faffing about required. No games fanatic me - there has always been far more to this hobby that the mere gaming. If the dice rolling and counter pushing was all there was I wouldn't bother. It's not as if I was lying about doing nothing during the various lockdowns and boozer shuttings that I was desperate to roll dice.. had that been so then possibly my mental health would have been in jeopardy!

The Spartans - or wa it the Athenians - anyway Andrew's army 

The Athenians - or was it the Spartans- Shaun's army though of course they were all Shaun's armies.. 

General view of the terrain. 

2 views of the punch -up. 

 Happily that is not the case, so when the Tantobie Warfare And Tactical Society had the chance to re-activate its monthly meetings we  agreed - not least because of the lure of Landlady Jean's Beef Butties 

 However there was a snag - only 3 of us could make it due to other chaps having work commitments so we decided upon a 15mm Peloponnesian War encounter as Mechanical Shaun has more Hoplites than any sane man should have, so it was a piece of cake for him to provide Spartan and Athenian armies for the coming encounter. ( Ignorant games loonies please note, these are not mere gaming 'factions' but the armies of two Classical Greek City states. Read a book why don't you?.)

Tactica - being our usual go- to set for Ancients games- was the chosen rules set as it's style and mechanisms really do suit Classical Warfare. Nevertheless Gentle Reader you good Umpire will admit to being a tad 'ring-rusty' here so it took a while to get properly back into the saddle. The scenario was deliberately over simple for that reason.

Basically the scenario was built to get a Hoplite  slogging match  with 2 armies that were fairly evenly balanced. Differing only in detail. The idea was simply to get us back into the wargaming saddle after a lay off of 19 months.

Mostly it all came flooding back- especially after the application of throat lubrication in the form of Consett Brewery's fine light ale - lovely 'session beer'  not too heavy so easily quaffed brought all the wargamey stuff back into soft focus.

Oh and the game?  Shaun won the Hoplite grind by ranking his troops deeper - Theban style- 4 ranks deep on the table despite some early bother with Andrew's  peltasts. He had forgotten how effective they could be-  but in the event they were only a nuisance.

As usual a good time had by all and thanks as always to Landlady Jean  for looking after us.

 Next in the chair is Andrew with a Cold War Naval encounter ......  

A few more for India.

 So ever so slowly the various 'India' projects grow. Now regular readers might have noted previously that I'm a bit of a butterfly painter- I land upon what I want when I want and brushstroke boredom is my avowed enemy. Nevertheless slowly armies appear.

 This batch of pics are all of Old Glory 28mm models though some have had minor conversion work such as adding muskets or shields. They come from a variety of packs . Sikh High Command Sikh Ghoracharra cavalry and Persian High command.

 I find the results rather pleasing so I shall go off and do a load more ...... 

These five are all from the Sikh High Command set. 

A close up of General Allard one of Ranjit Singh's French mercenaries. 

A mixed bag from various packs - mostly Sikh Ghoracharra but including some from the Persian High command set. There are a few minor conversions here. 

 The two  pics are the same but with different lighting effects. 

Third Light Dragoons

  I  managed to base all 20 of the 3rd Light Dragoons for the Sikh Wars collection over the weekend.

 The figures were painted for me by David Allan who has painted stuff for me previously. Most notable some rather nice ECW cavalry and some 40mm French Hussars which I no longer own . 

I have organised these in 2 10 figure  'wings' as the regiment began with four Squadrons when it went to war in 1845 around 500 or so strong but operating in wings was not uncommon.

  Jim and I now have between us about enough for a small introductory game for the period though both of us are still painting. I'm doing some Sikh irregulars and the 24th foot  plus some more British artillery. Jim is doing Sikh regulars.

Published- and in my grubby mits too!

 Arrived earlier today so I am feeling just a tad pleased with myself 

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The colour plates by Giorgio Albertini look splendid and as usual Helion's productio values are right up to the mark. 

Of course now all I have to do is source some figures for the various armies ...... 

Publication Date.

 

I have been given a publication date of July 21st - that would be NEXT WEEK DUDES !  for the publication of this my first book so you can see I'm just a tad exited about this.  Looking forward to it. 

Catching up on my reading 7

 

Last Christmas my wife Carole bought be a subscription to the BBC History magazine. I'd bought the mag of and on from newstands for several months before and found it always interesting and occasionally fascinating. Now the is not a Military History mag but rather general History and frankly all the better for that. Let's face it quite a number of the wargaming fraternity have a pretty narrow view of History - just like much of the general population only more so - therefore getting a more rounded view of the past cannot be but a Good Thing  (Sellar and Yeatman take note !) I may not always agree with the writers but they make you think which again must be accounted a Good Thing. The precise worth of individual copies will depend upon individual tastes but in the above issue alone we have mention of - Old Noll as you can see, but also Mary Wollstonecraft, The Tokyo Olympics- 1964- and Slime mould to mention only four highlights in a magazine that is full of both longish readable articles and fascinating little snippets. Past issues have included pieces on the Battle of Thermopylae, the Peasants revolt and the Sikh War.

All issues also have a plethora of book reviews and notices of historical events and event of interest to  the historically minded.  Never had a totally duff issue yet... wish the same could be said for wargames mags.

More "Spare Units" - well sort of ....

After a bit of heart- searching I have decided to unload my Front Rank Seven Years War units. I know plenty of chaps like Front Rank models and they do plenty of lovely stuff  but these have never been entirely to my taste. I bought them when I was building up my 28mm Seven years War collection  but the time has come for them to move on.

 All are for the French army. Most of them are cavalry as that is what I was short of a dozen or more years ago but there some Schomberg light Infantry  and an artillery piece with crew as well. Most were professionally painted, either by Steve Skinner or Rob Anderson. though the gun and some of the dragoons are my work.

  

Schomber Dragoons- Painted by Steve Skinner 15 figures 

Schomberg Light Infantry 26 figures painted by Steve Skinner 

Royal Dragoons and a gun and crew. Painted by me.

French Line Cavalry  painted by Rob Anderson.

More French Line Cavalry. Painted by Rob Anderson.

 2 shots of the Royal Dragoons. Painted by Rob Anderson. 

So in total there are 26 foot 57 cavalry and a gun and crew. These is also a 2 mounted figure command group - also painted by me but I don't yet have a pic of that.All of these pics were already in the files so to speak.  the 3 Rob Anderson painted units are each 12 strong. 

 Once I get a bit of time spare- rare currently-  I will post each unit individually on FB  Historical Wargames Buy Swap Sell .  But if anyone  fancies the lot  well offers in the region of £700.00. Shipping cost will depend upon where you live of course.