What's been happening this week and The Other Partizan

League of Augsburg 

Last Sunday I attended The Other Partizan, the room was full of wonderful games and the show seemed well attended. On arrival a bacon bap was ordered and after consuming said bap the first circuit of the room was begun. I only took a few photos, not my usual number. I did spend time chatting to a few people but not as many as I would have liked as I felt a little under the weather, all symptoms associated   with a long term condition, which should be eased following my regular treatment tomorrow and energy boosting B12 injection due Wednesday. Brushes will be out with a vengeance then! Regarding The Other Partizan, The Shrewsbury Wargames Society, were very welcoming and as I live not too far away extended an open invitation to pop over for a game. Their game won best game at show with an alternative history to the outcome of 1066, featuring a clash between Normans and Vikings using Lion Rampant 2. I also had equally pleasant chats with Barry Hilton of the League of Augsburg who was present with another stunning display, and Ken of Yarkshire Gamer renown. There was a little "Get thee behind me" moment in the conversation with Barry Hilton as he touched upon future plans for the Warfare Miniatures range of figures, as if the Ottomans on display were not  temptation enough! Conversation with Ken left me with the impression that I should reconsider 10mm after discussing his stunning work with the Pendraken 10mm WSS range. I have dabbled slightly in 10mm but decided to park them as I found they were taking too long for me to paint, I think I need to be a little kinder to the scale and give myself time to adjust.  I managed a little light painting this week making a start on the 28mm New Kingdom Egyptians. The Yarkshire Gamer podcast was the background for my session, a thoroughly enjoyable wargames chat, and highly recommended to anyone who hasn't listened in yet. That brings us to the goodies from The Other Partizan. I've provided a new home for some unpainted 18mm Seven Years War figures and some 28mm New Kingdom Egyptian Archers from Colonel Bill, these were supplemented with a few more Seven Years War figures from Eureka Miniatures and the Blue Moon range sold by Old Glory UK, though the pickings were slim as their stock had been decimated prior to the show. A visit to Warbases completed the purchases, more bases, a bridge and a set of their new fields (I've been thinking DBA terrain and easy transportation to the club). 

Despite managing a little painting the week has mostly been one of rest.

League of Augsburg

I'm ashamed I can't remember

Strength and Honour Game

Warbases Fields with 15mm figures on 40mm x 20mm bases for scale

Seven Years War return - Prussia's Glory

 

A recent acquisition is Prussia's Glory Rossbach and Luther 1757 by Christopher Duffy has focussed my attention on the Seven Years War. I've had a stockpile of 18mm Seven Years War figures from Eureka and Blue Moon languishing for years, additions to the lead pile have been made periodically, but with no overall plan finalised. I have to confess I'm not a planner, more of an impulse buyer. I've also been internally debating base sizes, as this will dictate to a degree unit sizes. Options under review have been 40mm frontage with 8 figures to a base or 30mm frontage with 6 figures to a base for foot. Cavalry units will be either 12 or 8 figures strong. In an ideal world the 40mm frontage would win, but I have had to be realistic and take into consideration a number of important factors, most notably cost and table size. I'm currently restricted to a maximum 6ft x 4ft table, and games need to conform to this reality. Larger games may be possible but will not be the norm. There is added bonus that less figures per unit means the armies will be game ready sooner. So, at the moment I'm leaning towards 30mm as a frontage per base. Artillery will have to be on 40mm frontage as I've mocked some up on a 30mm base and don't like the cramped look. Rules will be Maurice, and I don't feel having the artillery on a different frontage will matter as long as all armies are based the same. The armies that I'll be building are Prussian, Austrian and Russian.

I still intend to continue with the Bronze Age project, and will work these in alongside the Seven Years War and other projects I've started in 15mm, Late Rome and her enemies and the Italian Wars. In fact I've nearly finished my first starter army for Furioso, the French.

Some exciting news, well for me. I'll be attending The Other Partizan this Sunday, the first post covid outing. I'm really looking forward to seeing the great games on display and maybe making a few purchases. 

Kingmaker on Kickstarter

Kingmaker has come to Kickstarter! I have to confess that I have a soft spot for this game, it was one of a set that included Escape from Colditz, Diplomacy, and Samurai Blades that my gaming group played regularly when I was  teenager....a long time ago! So for me to see this veritable classic remade and with four options of play ranging from Kingmaker 2, Classic Kingmaker, Kingmaker Extended Classic with an optional battle system, and SOLO, it was something that I had no hesitation backing. I never owned a personal copy of this game, and it was my favourite out of the suite of games we regularly played; I cannot wait to get my hands on this upgraded version....the added bonus of Solo rules makes for one happy gamer. Just has to get funded now!

Link to Kickstarter below if you are feeling nostalgic.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kingmaker-rerelease/the-royal-rerelease-of-kingmaker?ref=discovery&term=kingmaker

Queen Elizabeth II - 21st April 1926 - 8th September 2022

 

This is a difficult post to write as I have not so long ago lost my Mum, and I am first and foremost reminded that a family have lost their Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother. Like many, Queen Elizabeth II was the only monarch I have known, and takes her place as possibly the greatest monarch this country has ever known, I doubt we will ever see her like again. Condolences and thoughts go out to her family, especially the Great Grand children in this difficult time.

As a mark of respect there will be no further posts on this blog during the period of National Mourning. 

Newcastle Rifles and Buffalo Guard - Anglo-Zulu War

28mm Anglo-Zulu War cavalry representing Newcastles Rifles and the Buffalo Guard. The figures are from Empress Miniatures. Observant readers may notice a stray mounted and dismounted Natal Mounted Police figure, I'm unsure where his fellow officer is, likely misplaced in a box during packing for a move, this particular chap has also seen action, having lost his helmet spike. Just like the Mounted Infantry set there is a horse holder set included. The intention was to combine these with the Mounted infantry to form a cavalry detachment for a small game. I also have in the lead pile some Mounted Natal Native Horse to paint. The Anglo-Zulu War project has very much been a slow burner, with small additions being infrequently made, in fact I've only managed to paint one of the Rorkes Drift Buildings and the Zulu huts have remained untouched!

 

Anglo-Zulu War Correspondent

 

War Correspondents were important in informing the public of the trials and tribulations of the ordinary soldier, failings of command as well the battles the occurred in the far distant parts of the empire. I've included this 28mm miniature set from Colonel Bills to represent a war correspondent in the Anglo-Zulu War, the intention is to provide a nice bit of table dressing or an objective. War photography was very much in its infancy during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879,  most pictures are portraits of leaders and groups of soldiers pre and post conflict. Battlefield photography was rare and would have consisted of post battle shots of  the dead prior to burial, despite this I decided on including a cameraman to represent an Anglo-Zulu War correspondent for easy distinction on the table top, and because I liked the model. During the Anglo-Zulu War the war correspondent Archibald Forbes famously reported on the death of Louis Napoleon Prince Imperial of France, a story which reportedly caused more distress than the defeat at Isandlwana!

Source: Best, B. Archibald Forbes - War Correspondent https://www.anglozuluwar.com/images/Journal_6/J6f_Archibald_Forbes.pdf

Hobby News

I'm often late to the party and this can be illustrated by my finally getting my hands on a copy of Commands and Colours as a present for my Birthday. I've always wanted to play this system, so it was a very welcome present. I'm contemplating adding 6mm figures instead of the blocks. 

Also arrived yesterday hot off the press is Lion Rampant version 2, I'm also looking forward to giving this a got one of my friends is a keen fan of these rules. Arriving at the same time was a set of wargaming rules for knights at tournament, Steel and Steed, which I picked up for the princely sum of £1 from the Northstar bargain basement. I'm planning on doing this in 15mm as I have some figures in the lead pile I can use, it also fits into my club portable game remit and should fit on a 2ft x 2ft board; ideal for those winter nights when I don't want to carry much. 

I've also included a shot of painted figures being based, these include the Mycenaean spearmen and archers, some 15mm Italian Wars and some skeletons for Mortal Gods Mythic.