2024 Begins.

Well I didn't manage to end the year with a game as my car broke down on Hogmanay, scuppering our plans, but we had a fine Chinese takeaway and watched Jools as the bells came in so a nice relaxing end to the year. 

We first footed the Hilditch's on the first after being picked up by Graham and whilst our better halves chatted we kicked off a game with Graham's 40mm SYW figures. Nothing planned - we just threw down some terrain and picked a force of Reichsarmee and a mix of Prussian Fusiliers, line and garrison inf and hussars.

Using Jim Purky's one page SYW rules we were soon under way with Graham's horse charging my leading unit of Fusiliers while I tried to get the rest of my infantry up the table and off the line of march into formation. My cavalry, two units of hussars had no one facing them so off the galloped hoping to get round the rear of the allied force and cause plenty mischief. 

Despite a battering my fusiliers held and despite being forced back were themselves able to drive off the Reichsarmee horse. Graham's foot, a Swiss unit and a German one were now pressing down on my Prussian line while the garrison rgt formed up, refusing its flank. A small detachment of jäger managed to get off a few shots which delayed the allied La Mark rgt and gave me a breathing space while my battalion gun shot up another unit, further blunting Graham's attack. The hussars continued their ride....

On my right I was able to get both fusilier units into line and stabilise that flank. The last of Grahams cavalry took a volley and turned for the rear. In the centre La Mark had reformed but now had a unit of my hussars on their flank which effectively pinned them. The centre was still a bit of a tangle but odds were equal. 

There we left it as the smell of cooking and rumbling tummies got the better of us. But we will continue just as soon as we're able. 

Graham's was kind enough to give us, our sons dog which we were looking after, and our bags etc a lift home yesterday since we didn't have a car (worst time to break down, thankfully it was only a couple of down yards from the flat and not on the country roads).  Now we are back I have started to put my 40th anniversary plans into action and have ordered what will become the Ziggurat and some more plastic conquistadores as I've used up all of mine making pike and shot units.

Good to get '24 off with a bang! 

A Great Christmas Prezzie.......

 The Wargames Annual.

What a great gift. If you've been a good wargamer all year, pop this on your Christmas list.

There's a great wee article in there from me on the exploits of The Black Colonel. 

The Battle of Portlethen - 1780

Whilst looking for an ex colleagues new business I stumbled across an account of a skirmish between Scottish Fencibles and French Privateers in 1780. Couple this with 6 hours in a train and I wrote a wee skirmish scenario for it. 

You can download it on the Free Stuff tab, along with an earlier scenario I wrote as an addition to the Sugar Islands Campaign book. 

Sunday was a sunny day so I had a quick play test in the garden. Let's just say things didn't go well for the Fencibles! 

The Black Colonel pt1

I'm collecting figures for a mini campaign set around the time of the 1st Jacobite Rebellion for an article which I will be writing. 

As a kid my Dad took me to stay at a bothy at Inverey, just up the road from Braemar.  Behind the bothy were the ruins of the "castle" of  The Black Colonel, a staunch Jacobite who blew up his own castle as the redcoats came to take him after Killiecrankie and then hid in gorge to escape. A great story for a wee kid.

More was revealed in a book I have mentioned before on this Blog - Fenton Wyness's Legends of North East Scotland.

However it wasn't until fairly recently that I stumbled across John Farqhuarson once again. This time his exploits were more detailed. Mr Wyness was never one to let the facts get in the way of a good story, but in truth the history was well worth following up.

Not only was there skirmish at Inverey, but at Braemar and another at Ballater too. 

Illustration and Re-enactors skirmishing in the woods at Braemar Castle

From Lesley Weston's blog

As I already have Jacobites it was a case of adding Williamite forces and as they seem to have been dragoons I started to look around for some. The venerable Dixon range is a little limited when it comes to dragoons. The obvious choice - Warfare - didn't come up with the goods either. I need horses as well as mounted and dismounted dragoon and I thought I'd have to make do with a mix of infantry and standing horses. However Ebor have now got Grand Alliance figures AND have dragoon units on foot with horse holders. Sorted! Even better they come with a mix of heads and poses so perfect for skirmish games and their Paul Hicks sculpts fit in with the older Warrior Miniature Jacobites. 

As these lads were far from the the campaigns going on in Ireland I have swapped two hats for highland bonnets and when it comes to painting breeches won't all be regularly uniform either.  These will be packed off and sent to the painter next week. 

For terrain I shall need a bastle house - the Colonel's "Castle". I already have a tower house suitable for Braemar, which didn't have its wall at this time, that's a later post Jacobite addition. For Ballater I thought I'd need more pine trees, but a hunt around the internet shows the pass of Ballater almost treeless in a 19thC photograph, it's carpet of pines is the result of later plantings. 

Whilst the figures are getting painted I will type up my notes into background and scenarios. These will be available later this year as part of a well known wargames publication. 

GNW Game - Baggage Train

 Since I had finished my GNW Swedes and Cossacks it was time to put them on the table for a game. 

On Tuesday evening I ran the King's Warchest scenario from the Pikeman's Lament rules by Osprey at Oldmeldrum. 

In the scenario a group of wagons has been left somewhat unattended while their guards are at the edge of a lake or river. The attacker, the Russians in this instance, see an opportunity and pounce, hoping to snatch the wagons. 

In our game the Russians couldn't quite press their attack and get men close enough to steal a wagon and suffered the loss of both of their flanks as supporting Swedish troops arrived to thwart their efforts. 

As it was only 9 o'clock we decided to play a straight across table fight. This time the Russians came out on top, destroying the Swedish left although the Swedes achieved some honour by forcing the Russian Cossacks to rout. 

Two good games. The ebb and flow of battle is really well represented by the flip of initiative from side to side when an activation test or rally test is failed. It can be frustrating to lose at the beginning of your turn, but in these small games there's no long wait til it's back to you and an option for multi player games would be for each player to have an officer and a separate turn. 

It's was good to see the figures on the table too - nice bright colours, soon to be augmented by regular cavalry for both sides when I get round to finishing the bases for them too. 

Holiday Gaming 4 - Wild Geese 2022

Well it was a long long time coming but 3 years after our last meet we finally managed to get together for our much delayed Wild Geese gaming weekend last Friday to Sunday in Kenilworth.

The Wild Geese began as a group of wargamers who were inspired by John Ray's excellent "A Military Gentleman of the 18th Century". Each year we play a selection of games with great figures in great company. 

This year we had a Mollwitz refight withWill Harley and his Spencer Smiths. Hugomont run by Tony Dillon. Gary Philip ran a SYW refight with his Minden and Crann Tara figures, Steve Metheringham put on a other SYW game, Prague, using his 40mm semi flat Prince August figs and Martin Gane ran a Wellington In India game with Redoubt figures.

Tony's Hougoumont

Gary's SYW

Willz Mollwitz

Martin's Wellington In India

Steve's 40mm Prince August 

Taking part we had a fine bunch of gamers for whom the game important and who know their stuff inside and out, but who also like a real good blether and a social over a drink or three.

So the scene was set for a great weekends Wargaming and catching up with each other. 

I played in Willz game where the Austrians smashed their cavalry into the Prussians in a swirling melee  which ebbed back and forth, capturing Frederick the great, but being driven in on the opposite flank resulting in a win on the field for the Prussians but a mess for both sides strategically. 

Willz Spencer Smiths (Mollwitz with Imaginations)

On Saturday afternoon it was time to take the British and sepoys into action against the Mahratta in India. The British were greatly outnumbered and the rockets flew into them, over them and around them and for a while we were at a loss as to how to take on the the huge army before us....then we thought...ah sod it...Chaaaarge....and for a moment, shattering the Mahratta  centre and putting them to flight...just as our flanks collapsed and we were ourselves overrun. A truly epic game.

Martin's game.

There followed a very very late night or an early morning discussing politicians, common cars, Yo, Beowulf and the vowel change, striking egyptologists and tv presenters with a certain speech impediment, youthful efforts at American football and whisky collections....

Sunday, please don't roll those dice so loudly....and it was time to play the Austrians again - with Gary and his Mindens. Now there wasn't much to do but hang on as long as possible as the Prussians just slowly inexorably moved forward and ground the Austrians into the dust. I wasn't at my most energetic for sure, but god I had some bad dice so no lucky breaks and that was what was needed to survive, so a historical result was very much achieved. It was a challenge to try and change that, which made the game, but it wasn't going to be be our day!

Gary's Austrians 

And with that it was time to tidy up distribute the prizes give Steve a round of applause for organising the whole thing and promise to see each other again next year. 

Paul  - Best General presented by Willz

Tim - Luckiest General, my opponent in two games!

Aly collecting his perennial award - unluckiest general

Gary wins best game with  prize presented by Chris Greig

Dave wins most Gentlemanly Wargamer

And you know what.....this time, I think we will. I'm looking forward to it already. 

And talking of looking ahead -

Last weekend concluded my time off and I'm settling into my new job. It promises to be busy, but in a much more rewarding way than my last one. I can feel the benefits of it already. As it's now midway through the year I will be having a good think about what I want to do with my hobby for the rest of it and I'm going to have a lot more creative headspace.

What is certain is that the 18th and 19th centuries will remain my key periods. I have done a lot of work on my next book, which will cover the late 16th century, a very local theme compared with distant tropical campaigns this time. The Glen Campaign will continue and a different, fictional 19thC campaign will form another project. The next 6 months will be interesting!

A Bit of a clear out - For Sale!

 Having reorganised my study and moved my bookshelves there was quite a few things which I've decided to sell off.  

Use the contact box on the RHS of the blog to get in touch if you want anything - postage will be £2 or £4 where the book is asterisked - these are quite heavy!!

UK purchasers only. PayPal please.

Force of Force - never used it £5

Saga Crescent and Cross - unwrapped but never used, with boards. £5

Field of Glory Napoleonics - never used either  £5

Mad Dogs & Englishmen - Colonial Rules - £4

Attack on the Junger - Charles Grant 18th Century Mini campaign - £10 sold

The Annexation of Chiraz - Grant and Olley 18thC - £10 sold 

Touching History - Spanish Penninsular (slight fading at top, but perfect inside) £4

Jena Auerstadt - Historical Collections £15  sold

Eylau to Freidland - £15  gone 

The Boer War £3

Armies of Early Colonial North America £7 Sold

Lutzen and Bautzen, hardback £12*

Lobositz to Leuthen hardback, as new £15*  sold

Olmutz to Torgau, as new, hardback £15* sold

Art of Paul Bonner, £8

Regimental Fire and Fury £10

Regimental F&F Scenarios vol 1 £8 sold 

Hannibal and Punic Wars WAB £12

Osprey Portuguese Army Age of Discovery £3

Lutzen and Bautzen Campaign Series £3  gone 

Leipzig 1813 Campaign Series £3 gone 

Maurice - Sam Mustapha £12 sold

Roman Military Equipment (w/ a few pencilled notes) £5