Sunshine Ottonians and Saucy Second Empire novels

I slowly started with 10mm Franco-Prussia, Prussian Infantry, to get myself into the mood for painting again and then derailed straight into more Norman (Ottonians), of which I decided to show here a bit. The Perry miniatures are a bit "elven"-like against their Crusader brothers. Next time I‘d like to get some Gripping Beast beauties, even though their price tag is a bit too proud. But I need more horses!

I am reading (still) Tuchman‘s "The Guns of August" and bought Alaistair Horne‘s "The Terrible Year", The Paris Commune 1871 and "The Mistress of Paris" from Catherine Hewitt, about the Comtesse Valtesse de la Bigne (the inspiration for Zola‘s Nana) - to kindle my fire for the Franco-Prussia War again.

I will do some 6mm Baccus for my WW1 project Guns of August. For that I‘ll  take with me the BEF and half of the early French army (counters) on my holidays in France; we stay with friends in the French-Comte, where we will discuss further plans how to erode the British Empire with a bottle of wine or two at the pool. ;)

Au revoir, messieures.

Non-allegro at the Adige 1515

I should have known this, being the umpire and a participant at the same time wasn‘t a good idea. Not only for obvious reasons, but you getting screamed at for rule help while you can't concentrate on stuff that happens right in front of your nose. Like a flank attack from stradioti into my seemingly un-occupied men-at-arms which needed a "straight" single move to charge. Bart convinced me somehow that this includes a 90 degree turn also ... hmmm.

I intended a slowly starting game along the short edges of a 8x6 like two approaching armies, but forgot that anything more complicated than a linear stand up seems to be too complicated for my renaissance bitches. Including extra printed battle orders that leave no doubt about the minis coming in. The French had more arquebusiers than the rest of the 3 armies. Well it turned into something like, to quote Boris Vian, an orgy like tohuwabohu of dim witted throw-up, but it was fun in the end.

The good thing was the sheer amount of troops available, masses of pike blocks and lines of ordonnances after the other. As for the spectacle one of the best lately, truly renaissance-style.

The next game of the league of whisky, I‘ll sent out the order of battle strict in one line on two 6x4s  in a long panorama-like table, each of the slugs just 24" apart, each player opposing another player.

Other views on this:

Angus:
http://www.edinburghwargames.com/Journal%20120.htm

SESWC:
https://www.facebook.com/South-East-Scotland-Wargames-Club-SESWC-158670127504302/?fref=ts

The vanguard on the table, the rear up to the 1st pike block of table, the rest was main...

The race to the bridge

The Florentines are coming

lots of re-grouping ... 

A spanish amount of arquebusiers in the French army ... 

The French centre attacks ... or comes nearer ...

rows of Landsknecht pike blocks

the Maximillian ordonnance deployed

the cowardly Venetians hiding behind trees

the valiant Florentines fighting for the kaiser! (the other kaiser) 

Wll the gendarmes clash?

the two armies converge on a bridge

the German gendarmes try to do a last attack ...

... at the end too much troops alive!!!

Andante at the Adige, Renaissance 7th of July 1515

This time our little monthly renaissance assemblage, lets name it, "The League of Cognac" (or rum or ale or lager) for it has a nicer ring to it, meets for battle at 7th of July playing Pike&Shotte with a dash of amended useful rules.

I didn't want to go for a historic battle this time, so I choose a simple two-armies-approach-each-other-scenario, on a 8x6 table, with most of free space in the centre and some hill, maybe 2 houses (BUA), a rivulet( 3") a bridge, and some trees. French (provided and played by Donald) against the Imperialists (provided and played by me) and some Italians, The Venetians (provided and played by Angus) and the Florentines (provided and played by Jack), who will side to even possible odds out.

All armies will be divided into Vanguard, Gewalthaufen and Rearguard (as at least one battalia each). the armies come in from the short opposing edges. Who can get the baggage train (led by one unit) to the other short edge or get the enemy one wins.

As to simulate the slow approach of these two giants, we will split the two big armies into:

 • Vanguard = light cavalry, skirmishers and light artillery, they arrive between the1st-3rd turn (1d6 dice for each), from 1-4 the short edge, 5 the left side 24" into or 6 the right side 24" from the short edge of their side.

• Gewalthaufen = the pikes, all infantry, medium and light artilery, Men-at-arms; arival 4th-6thturn(1-2,3-4,5-6 dice for each 2 units), from the short edge.

• Rearguard = Gendarmes d‘Ordonnance, and baggage train, heavy artillery (all at the 7th), from the short edge, heavy and medium and artillery, for this scenario can move 12" limbered -  once limbered they use the original movement rules. For avoidance of doubt,  heavy guns can pivot, but are otherwise immovable.

The two Italian forces may just built 2 battalions coming in at the slowest speed of their slowest units.

I also like to introduce or suggest (not for this battle, but for discussion/ future use) some (looseley) national differentiators as follows ...

French: can hire the Swiss, can move 2 artillery pieces per battalia into battle (as they are one of the big players with the money to). Can have max 3 Gendarmes units, and 3 Archers (or men-at-arms or similar) and can only hire 1 Landsknechts unit. 1 Arquebusiers per pike block. Can have crossbow units with pavises. No Rodeleros (Sword and buckler men). Can hire stradioti only if Venice is an ally, then max 1 unit.

Imperialist: Cannot hire the Swiss, 2 Artillery per battalia, max. 2 gendarmes and 3 men-at-arms, can hire landsknechts limitless of course. 1 Arquebusier unit per pike block. Max 2 2-handed-sword units (special useful rule +1 combat result against pikes). Max 1 Rodelero unit. Can hire stradioti only if Venice is an ally, then max 1 unit.

Spanish: Cannot hire Swiss, 2 artillery per battalia,  max. 2 gendarmes and 3 men-at-arms, can hire landsknechts, Spanish pikes can have 2 arquebusier unit per pike block. Max 3 Rodelero units. Can hire stradioti only if Venice is an ally, then max 1 unit.

Italians: Can only hire Swiss, if not against France, only 1 artillery per battalia, 1 Arquebusiers per pike block, can have crossbow units with pavises. No Rodeleros. Italian hellebardiers can have extra shields and thus get a +1 to morale save.

Venetians: As per Italians and can have 1 crossbow units per pike block. Can hire Stradioti, limitless

Florentines: As per Italians and can have 2 crossbow units per pike block. Can hire stradioti only if Venice is an ally, then max 1 unit.

My roll call for the battle ...

Stradioti for potential allies, the Van, the main and the rear.

The pike block for the baggage train

The baggage train and the heavy Imperial guns

The Imperial gendarmes and men-at-arms

The gewalthaufen, lots of  landknechts pikes

... and men-at-arms

... and the CinC

The Vanguard with some Light Cavalry and skirmishers

and some Stradioti to share ..

 

 

 

The First World War

Q: So, you want to set up a game and re-play the First World War?
A: Yes, in 6mm, sort of, that would be the size of the minis bases representing a corps.
Q: The complete First World War?
A: Yes, the complete First World War, inclusive the naval actions, various political and economical aspect and yes and maybe even the fight in the colonies, maybe as a interphase module.

In fact I would just "customise" the late and great 80ies Avalon Hill game by the name of Guns of August, designed by Rob Beyma and transfer it to something what could be called table top. Of course as in the mid 80ies the modules and variants spawned, it offers a wide basement for rules and scenario possibilities and rule changes and amendments.

I was inspired by the latest cross-over from Bluecher that used cards literally and blurred the line between two genres of game concepts. So why not board game?. It would be 4 6x4 ft "maps", which I customised design wise and some 1040 counters that had to be transferred into miniature bases, corps, artillery divisions and sabbot templates that will be used for entrenchments and forts.
4 to 6 players, 1 turn equates to a month,  in a club night, I estimate, we could get 6 month behind us, which leads to if played once a month (in real life) maybe to less than a year.

Q: Doesn't that sound a bit mental?
A:  Yes.

Some early Germans, artillery (WIP) and a Entrenchment and Fort sabbot

the germans behind barbed wire (split up, rolled  up, train cable from H0)

under the basements will be the specs, but that will be for the ones who can't count figures

NW europe (sorry my RAM displayed some of the rail shadows wrongly, that big is the file)

SW Europe together with the NW it will form "the West front" table 8x6)

NE Europe (Northern half of the "East Front" 8x6 table)

SE Europe  (Southern half of the "East Front" 8x6 table)

Oldhammer – Lets get rid of some lead ...

As I stumbled over the warcraft trailer for this summer (uuuargh!!), I just decided to get rid of my Orc & Goblins, and the Empire army, that I fielded since the late 80ies back in Germany.  All are painted to tabletop standard, reasonably well, some of them are quite rare items from old Citadel, including some Nick Lund figures ...

I'm not quite sure if I shall go on ebay or maybe wait until Claymore.  We‘ll see ...

Apologizes up front if they are a bit dusty ... it has been years since they  have seen the light.

2 armies 

facing each other ...

the old Azagh metal from around early 90ies

some very old metal goblin wolf rider

some old metal boar riders (90ies)

a Black Orc unit that encompases the minis from the 80ies through the 90ies

the "real" metal Giant, who does not look like a long shank

some of the oldest, Harboth‘s archers

very dusty empire

again all mid 90ies very old

"Famous" Seamus R.I.P.