Wild Geese II - the piccies

So here are my piccies from the Wild Geese weekender. Our third, successfully organised by Colin Ashton, this year. It was great to catch up with everyone and there were a few new folk to meet. Our table even won the after dinner quiz on the first night 😂

My first game was an excellent Zulu War game using TMWWBK run by Gary Philips. The Zulu's were generated by "Mr Babbage" whilst Gavin Winspear moved them about and alternated between great dice throws and disastrous ones. First time I've played liked that and it was fun. We manage to achieve our objective although my blithering idiot officer got all but two of his cavalry killed....he must have been up for a medal!

The British Firing Line with the cavalry in the distance.

The Zulu's try to jump the rear of the British position...and succeed.

Afternoon saw me play Colin Ashton's "Versailles the Game" which involved galloping up the table supposedly to fight the Dutch but in reality to capture as many women and to try and prevent the other French commanders (Steve Pearse and Tim Whitworth) from doing likewise. Lovely figures (and a few cheeky ones!)  and terrain once more from Colin.

Those pesky Dutch

The Maison du Roi


Captured by the Gunners


Colin's town buildings





My last game was my favourite this year. William Harley took along his 18thC Spencer Smith imagination figs, (painted as French and Prussians) and we had a great game across the table using Jim Purkey's 7YW rules. First time I have played them and I'd say they were perfect for a big battle like this.

The French Positions

Cuirassier vs Hussars

Lots of ebb and flowing the left especially between Tim Whitworth and Jim's cavalry and even a chivalric gesture when Doug Thompson's unit got left behind by Jim's retreating centre and was given the opportunity to surrender by Michael Perry. Having given a one word answer, we were forced to bring up the howitzers to make him reconsider!



Willz runs the game while Perry and Purkey face off. Tim's cavalry puts in another attack.



The Spencer Smith's gave the game an old school feel. They are painted in an almost abstract style that really makes them stand out. Will handmade the terrain pieces for his game and I intend to get some instruction or bits from him!







Another great weekend. This highlight of my Wargames year, I am so glad that we will be doing it again next year. Thanks to Colin for this one, looking forward to next June already !

What a Great Weekend - Wild Geese

Well that was fun!
What a great bunch of guys, what a great bunch of games, what a great weekend!

A few new faces this year, including one or two well known ones from the hobby as you can see.

Colin did a fab job of organising things.

Gary, Paul, Will and Colin ran Zulu, Great Northern War, Versailles 1670's and 18thC Imaginations games, pictures of which I will post tomorrow.

Looking forward to Next Year already. 

Flying South with the Wild Geese

This morning to Kenilworth to meet with other members of the Wild Geese for our annual Wargames weekend. The highlight of my wargaming year -fine folk and fine games too.


Pictures of the games will pop up over the weekend but meantime here's a Hessian!

The Sugar Islands......nearly there!

I haven't forgotten this project and indeed have made a lot of progress as my mojo seems to have returned despite being busier at work and home than for several years!

Only the scenarios for Guadeloupe and the campaign rules need adding. I have been editing as I go along but once finished it will need proof read and then it will be ready to print.





On the figures front I finally got round to painting Madame Ducharmey. I decided that she wouldn't be in her best dress, being a practical and no nonsense type a more simple pattern would do. The female gunner from the AWI artillery set was given a new hand and musket and her right hand trimmed. She now looks like she's shaking her fist in rage at the advancing British whilst defending her plantation.

One sneaky peak inside?




Oh go on then!


I will be running a scenario from the book at the Kirriemuir show in November along with Oldmeldrum Wargames Group.

A foray into the Colonial

Over the last few weeks we have been playing The Men Who Would Be Kings. And what a great rule set they are. After our last games at Meldrum using the Risorgimento figs, it was pointed out that we don't really do colonials and for such a popular period that was odd. Well that changed a few weeks later and we got off the ground running since a friend was selling off some (lots, enough!) Zulus that he had painted up and I managed to acquire and paint some Boers to add to a scraping of pith-helmeted British and make up a small field force. Leading how to play with the irregular and tribal troops has been fun and we have had disasters for both sides as the natives have overrun and massacred Boers and British in turn and had the same done to them. Last week the British, led by a bunch of officers with completely conflicting traits and abilities received a bloody good thumping at the hands of some Boers.

What's been so good about the rules is that they are fun. The units are not expensive to build, especially with so much plastic figs,  and the rules themselves quick and easy to pick up. They look like becoming a permanent feature on our tables at Meldrum and if I fancy a kitchen table game I can play against Mr Babbage. Handy that, as I've got a hanquering for India and the 1830-40's.....oops

Anyway here are some piccies from the last few weeks...

A few early games above. With my naval brigade not quite fully up to strength!

My Boers being overrun and then blasting away as the Zulus come on fast!
One more game tonight and then a trip overseas beckons. After which it will be back to the Sugar Islands.....