I will be investing a large part of my pension in November(Battleground show,Stockton) on some new river sections,from Last Valley.These sections are in 300mm lengths,and,being an experienced wargamer,know for a fact that they will "slip" during the games,the same as roads do!
So what is the solution??-well,Velcro strips,is the answer!-I have seen,very recently,as well in the past,that a good looking wargame can end up looking a mess if the river/road sections start to drift apart during the game,so I bought(with real money!!) 1metre of Velcro strips for 3 pounds(gulp!!) and developed the following solution.............................
This shows the equipment I needed-I am using some old and un-used River sections and road sections(on the reverse-clever old me!!) to illustrate the method.The roll of Velcro has both hoop and loop on the same strip,and is self-adhesive,so no need for messy glue.
Detail of the Velcro strip-I will be "sticking" two river sections and a curve/bend to illustrate the solution.
In this shot I have stuck the loops onto a cut piece of card(to act as a join!) and the hoops onto the river sections(the back of it of course!)
I have simply pressed the joining card onto the river section,and a good solid,firm grip is made.
Hey Presto!!-turned over to reveal the river,which will not "drift" apart during a game.
The same method will be applied to the bend/curve......................
Again,stuck and solid-will not move!!
Dismantled,by carefully prising the sections and joining card apart!-simple but effective.
I will be using this method when I get my new river sections.
Any comments??
We will be getting back to "normal" this Sunday,after a couple of weeks of not playing at the club,so I have decided to put on a fairly big Ancients game,featuring Romans against Dacians and Germans.
The scenario-I might just pick sides,working on personalities,instead of our usual "pick up a piece of paper job!!
The table as set out this afternoon-approx. 500 figures per side-should keep us busy!!!
Detail of the Fort,occupied by Auxiliaries,supported by a Legion and Heavy Cavalry.
Roman left flank,facing the dreaded German Tribes!
You've got to smile and wonder and ask yourself, why?-about the Rhinocerrous,not THE WIFE!!
Photographed in Newcastle this morning!!-COOL.
For the past few weeks,I have been working on a "secret" project,but have now finished it and can reveal it to be The Plains Indian Wars 1870's (Custer and all that!!)
I have "scratch-built" 18 Tipi's(Tee-pees,Wigwams!!) and 6 covered waggons,and painted 50 mounted Indians,50 foot Indians,plus 60 US Cavalry,dis-mounted,and 30 Mounted,as well as an artillery piece,scouts,trumpeters etc. etc.
I have actually enjoyed painting everything,and a big thank-you must go to John Holt of Warrior Miniatures who supplied the figures at his usual double quick time,and some "extras" in the way of carbines and sabres. I have taken some photographs today,I hope you like them....
Top photo shows the column of waggons being escorted by the 7th and 2nd cavalry.
Bottom photo shows detail of the 7th.
One of the scratch-built waggons-my modelling skills are limited,but it's amazing what I can do with a couple of cocktail sticks,a flat piece of wood and the foil from a wine bottle top!!(plus some home-caste Prince August wheels!)
The column "under observation"
Detail of the "observers"(note my attempt to paint a Dapple Horse!)
"Form a circle"-the last time I fell for that one was when I was doing a Nude Conga at a party!
Detail showing the variety of poses,and of course the dis-mounted cavalry.
He's about to get a chopper in him-the last time I fell for that one was when I was doing a Nude Conga at a party!!-the gun and crew is from Warrior's ACW range.
What's left of the column has retired to a nearby hill,and is being assailed by Indians on foot,again note the variety of poses!
Oh dear!!
Two final shots of the Tipi's I made(18 in total) from paper and cocktail sticks and just a little UHU glue
I am looking forward to rolling this period out to the club,once I've come up with a few "extra" rules to cover the peculiarities of the period.
I have also been working on another "project" but won't be revealing it until 2019!!
We attended the Border Reiver show on Saturday,and I can report that it was,as usual , a great success! All of the traders I talked to were doing well,and the games put on were of a very high quality-especially the "Pirate" game being played on an 18 foot table!!!!-apparently they have been invited to put the same game on at Falkirk next May.
Other games included WW2,Samurai,Bronze Age ships(spectacular!)Futuristic,Wild West,etc.etc. and of course our Napoleonic game!!
The catering side seemed to be doing well,and the "footfall" had increased from last year-so all in all a great day out-forgot to mention the Bring and Buy-that was busy all day too.
Top photo shows our table just as the doors opened,and bottom photo shows the display at the end of our table.
This was the first year that I haven't organised the game,leaving it to Dave,who did a fantastic job-figures,terrain,scenario were all down to him,plus a healthy contribution from Graham,who provided the Austrians-well done lads!
Two general views of the Hall,c/w Brian looking to the Heavens for inspiration!!But what of our game?
Well',it got off to a cracking start,by a mass cavalry charge in the centre,plus an attack on both towns situated on the flanks-it looked great and we got an awful lot of good comments,one,in particular, was that it was "good old-fashioned wargaming,as it was meant to be"-I loved that!!
Top photo shows Graham's Austrians storming the town,and driving the French out-hurrah!
Bottom photo shows the Prussians storming the other town and driving the French out-another hurrah!!
The mass cavalry battle in the centre has fought itself to a stand-still,but with both Flanks taken,the Austro/Prussians were declared the winners!!
Time to pack up,but still we are getting people asking about our game and rules etc.
A big thank-you to the organisers,and friends old and new-we'll be back next year!
Yesterday Paul,Brian,Graham and I attended a re-fight of the above battle,staged by Charlie Wesencraft's group at Seaton Sluice.
As we arrived we were all allotted tasks-putting out terrain,getting figures into their commands etc.etc.-but Graham seems to have been "excused duties!"
Brian and Mike are setting out the "Rebels"-Paul,Dave,Mike and Brian were in command of these troops,whilst Charlie,Mel,Tony and I were the royalists opposing them.
The game has started,with Charlie already on the board,and Mel trying to deploy,my command was marching up the road(the only access to the battlefield!!) which held Tony's command up ,as he was behind me-this caused two things to happen-firstly,I was shot to bits by Paul and Graham,who had cannon and loads of archers,secondly,poor Tony(the King) didn't get into action the whole of the game!!!
Half time arrived,and so did Paul Kirby's wife(Sue)-she was delighted at such a good turnout,and hugged and kissed everyone-lovely lady!
While we were having lunch,there was the usual banter and tactical discussions,and then it was back to the battle/game.
As my command continued to get shot to bits,and Tony continued striving to get onto the board,the fighting was left to Mel and Charlie,who were both being "pressed" by Brian and Dave!
"When you're smiling,when you're smiling,the whole world smiles with you!!!!"
My command has eventually started to deploy,allowing Tony to get onto the board-but my casualties were 25%,and I had to take a command morale test-would I pass it????(answers on a post-card please!!)
Charlie's son,John, has joined us,and is being assailed by Brian's wild Irishmen,backed up by some Irish wolf hounds!!-John was beaten and driven back!
Mel 's command has decided they have had enough,and my command is fleeing(yes they failed their morale test!!),so it's the end of the game.
One final shot of the Royalists,in total dis-array-history turned on its head!!
I would liked to have played this game with both sides deployed at the start,and maybe it would have a different outcome!
Well next Saturday,we will be at Border Reiver Show at Gateshead Stadium,putting on a Napoleonic demo. game,arranged by Dave-looking forward to that.
First of all apologies for the title!(it's the silly season!!).
Last night we had a most entertaining and exciting game involving Government troops vs Wild Scottish Clans and Irish regular infantry-what a game it turned out to be.
Top photo shows the scenario,bottom is the table as the "boys" saw it when they arrived.
Paul was in charge of the left hand column,Brian the right.
Dave was in charge of the Clans(hidden in the far right hand wood) and I was in charge of the Irish(hidden in the far left woods)
On move number one,as Paul was about to cross the "rickety" bridge,he was handed a note saying his engineers reported that the bridge would not hold the weight of cavalry or guns!!
Oh how we laughed at his expression of disgust!!!
Paul,as a very experienced wargamer/general,diverted his cavalry and guns across to Brian's flank,whilst crossing the bridge with his infantry-however,Brian had not "scouted" the woods he had to pass to get to his bridge(big mistake in our games!!) and was attacked by a clan who inflicted enormous casualties on his rear regiment(who just happened to be Low-land Scots!) before he could drive them off-Oh how we laughed again!!-the game had now started in earnest.
Far from being dejected by the attack from the woods,Brian is getting his troops across the river,as Paul's cavalry and guns head his way-could be a bit of a "log-jam" coming up???
My Irish "exposed" themselves in an attempt to stop Paul's infantry forming line or advancing on the castle-this linked beautifully with Dave's Clans emerging from the woods and threatening Brian's troops-great stuff!!
Dave's leading clan has charged Brian's leading regiment,and although they took some casualties,managed to hit home and a tremendous melee took place,lasting three moves!!
With my gun supporting, a general advance by the Clans was ordered,led by the "Lowne Hounds"(-they could inflict no casualties but would dis-order any troops they hit(BIT?))
As the Clans surged forward,the English line began to form,this was going to be tight!!
The "Lowne Hounds" have attacked the leading cavalry unit of Brian's command,and my "Highland Gentlemen Volunteer Cavalry" are about to capitalise on their discomfort!!-hurrah.
Brian is consolidating his position,and putting Dave in a "spot of bother",in the background Paul is also positioning his troops to assault my Irish,who,it must be said, were putting up a grand show!!
This shows my Irish giving the English a damned good "bashing!"-Paul eventually had to retire his infantry,but Brian was making up for this by driving the Clans backwards!
This shows the aftermath of a most disgraceful incident!!-I have seen "Gloats" and displays of excitement,but Brian's dancing,shouting and waving of arms,just because he had beaten one of Dave's clans and killed their Chief,was the worst I have ever witnessed-However,the exertions he put into his "celebration" almost gave him a heart attack!! and he had to hang onto the table until he recovered-serves you bloody well right!!!!
It was still "touch and go" in the centre and Brian's flank,but the Clans were slowly losing casualties and being pushed back-plus,Paul's cavalry are now making their presence felt,and this could be the deciding factor.
Packed full of his medication,Brian is about to recover,and lead his men to victory!!!
My Irish are still giving Paul's troops a good old thrashing,but Dave's clans are in a bit of bother-because of the situation,we decided that draw was the fairest result-although the English hadn't taken their objective(the castle) so technically the Scots/Irish had won!!
One final shot of this well-fought game-well done lads,and roll on Saturday-we have been invited ,by Charlie Wesencraft,to take part in a re-fight of "Stoke Field" which was the last battle of the war of the Roses.
