Forward March!

Well, it's that time in the yearly cycle once more when bloggers old and new attempt a review of their year on the hobby front and look forward to the coming campaign year. Here at Tales From GHQ things are no different, so without too much blathering on here are my reflections on the past campaigning year and my 'Vague Aspirations' in regard to the coming year.

Beginning as ever with games played my records show I played in a total of 50 games over the year, both here in GHQ and over at Phil's Olaf's HQ in 'Darkest Rawnsley'. I failed to shake off my less than mediocre record throughout the year, winning only 20 and loosing 27! For long spells it seemed that those capricious 'dice gods' really did have it in for me! While I hope for an improvement next year experience tells me that I may be whistling in the wind in that respect. As tabletop generals go I am distinctly average, but I do put on a nice show I think by way of compensation.

Turning to painting next, records in my desk diary show that this past year I have just managed to achieve my modest target of two figures painted a day! I've completed 740 figures over the year, all in glorious 28mm size! Of course I recognise that even after fifty years of practice I am still really only a journeyman painter but I'm gratified that so many folk enjoy my modest efforts and take the trouble to say so. At the year's conclusion I can reflect on the undoubted pleasure painting still brings me, as well as the concomitant contribution to maintaining my mental health mostly in a good place... mostly.

'Back in the day' as the saying has it Phil and I would have attended anything up to twenty odd wargames shows in a year up and down the country. I've even attended two Historicons and two Cold Wars in the USA in days gone by. Since the Plague's malign effects contributing to the demise of many shows and in respect of advancing age taking its toll that total has sadly diminished drastically. This year I visited just four: WMMS, Hammerhead, Partizan and The Other Partizan. My experience at the latter brought home forcibly to me that I'm no longer as young and fit as I'd like to think and that I must plan my time more carefully at future events with that in mind. Sadly time marches on for us all!

As to hobby purchases, well as is usual I'd have to confess that it's been too much of course! Most recently these have been of Matt's ranges for Footsore Miniatures in the shape of his Dark Ages Welsh and his super successful Vikings Kickstarter. In addition I've an Aventine Miniatures Pyrrhic army lurking in the Lead Pimple, as well as a small Warlord Epic range Punic War collection. As I shall {DV} turn 75 in May next year a part of me marvels at the optimism - or stupidity - that all those suggest, while another part wonders at the pointless addition of even more stuff in GHQ! As well as all those, lurking in the Lead Pimple are French Guard infantry and Roosian Cossacks for the Crimean War project, ACW infantry units, Wars of the French Revolution Austrians Uhlans, Saxons/Goths for my Late Roman project and so on...

One unexpected purchase was a set of rules, the new much hyped Midgard. I got my copy from Caliver Books, along with the Wargamers' Annual, as a present to myself. It was slightly cheaper from them and I baulked at £10 for some coloured in MDF tokens. My reasoning was that I'd only play with Phil and he has the full monty as the picture suggests! Cheapskate or what?

Turning finally then to my 'Vague Aspirations' for the coming year I must start with painting the bulk of those! Easy to say that, but much more daunting in the execution I fear. We shall have to see where that takes us, but firstly I need to paint the last of the Late Romans I bought at The Other Partizan and the two Saxon/Goth infantry units! Other than that, health and circumstances permitting, I'd like to visit more Wargames Shows if I can: they give me a hobby buzz like nothing else really, meeting up with friends, chewing the hobby fat and seeing myriads of inspirational games staged by much more talented, and younger, folk! The life blood of the hobby alongside games with my friends! Of course I'd like to win a few more of those than I have this year as well! But, most of all, I'd like to see William continue to expand his interest in our wonderful hobby!

In our family we don't give Christmas gifts for Sue and me beyond chocolate and such. But each year I get a small box from John Aston with a few books he's sourced over the year and thinks I might enjoy. The prize find this year was this ~

That's it, really, thankfully just another typical year here for me and my fellow GHQ Irregulars! I do hope that you got to the end of all this blather without snoozing off! So, it just remains for me to wish you all 

A Happy New Year!

A Howling Addition!

My pre-Christmas order to North Star included a pack of Wolves from the North Star Menagerie range. Having experienced a tad of painters block in the run up to all the Christmas malarkey, while working through the Latest Roman Legion I showed in the previous blog entry, I found it useful to paint the five wolves and unblock my painting mojo! Here they are ~

Foundry Granite Shade washed with Black Armour Wash and successively dry brushed with the Granite Triad, finally lightly dry brushing the heads and chests with Boneyard Light. All that effort and they just look black, so Hel's Wolves perhaps? The same basing process as with the rest of the figures for The Saga of Bicca Biccasson project. Along with the rest of the project they may make an appearance in a future 2025 issue of Wargames Illustrated as I'm off to WI HQ in the middle of  next month for a photoshoot, having submitted a Quick Fire! piece about the project.

Next up though on Tales From GHQ the usual end of year blathering. Then hopefully more Late Romans as I struggle towards achieving my modest 'two figures a day' painting target!

More Late Romans

As an antidote to all the Christmas malarkey ~

In amongst the inevitably busy run up to Christmas I managed to find some time to complete the painting of the latest addition to my Late Roman collection in the shape of another Legion for Pompus Minimaximus' army. As you'd expect they are the Perry sculpted figures from Wargames Foundry's venerable range. The shield transfers are from LBMS as was, now Victrix I understand, and the bases from Warbases as usual ~

With the newer additional elements, as with the rebasing of the rump collection, I tried to give the main base elements an obvious command figure and where possible a Vexillia or Draco. This enables them to serve as individual units in a game where necessary. This should be particularly useful if we extend the use of Midgard into this collection occasionally in a more Arthurian setting ~

Just before the festive season overtook GHQ the whole collection had it's last run out of 2024 when Phil came over for our weekly game. No blow by blow account this time, just a few in game pictures which I'd like you to think of as a kind of belated Christmas present from GHQ ~

The army of Pompus Minimaximus, the rightful Emperor.

The army of Baldinus the Usurper!

Things not going well for Pompus Minimaximus' cavalry Division.

Not on the other flank either, his Heavy Cavalry failing to defeat some Light Infantry and throwing two 1's in the Break Test!

Some success against Baldinus' Medium Infantry, but it didn't last...

Two Broken Divisions leading to the defeat of Pompus Minimaximus who escapes with his life...just!

Finally, if you are not a subscriber to the leading hobby publication {which is of course the excellent Wargames Illustrated} then do rush out and buy the new January addition where over five pages you will find my latest contribution in a piece on my Crimean War project. As a bonus there's even a picture of your host in GHQ, useful for scaring off Jehovah's Witnesses and other unwanted door to door callers!

🎼🎵🎶 'Tis the Season...

...to be Jolly! Well, perhaps not, but at the very least to be content to have made it to another Christmas spent with family and friends. So I'd just like to wish my followers and friends all the very best for...

A Merry Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful New Year!

As to the Late Roman Legion, the End of Year review and my Vague Aspirations for 2025 we will probably all have to wait for the period of renewed hobby activity after the Christmas celebrations. Meanwhile, stay safe and well and have the very best Christmas your circumstances permit!

Heads Up?

Here are two recent additions to the pool of possible encounters with 'bad things' in The Saga of Bicca Biccasson. Firstly, the Lambton Wyrm, a legendary monster from the North East of England. The figure is from the Crucible Crush Flint & Feather range via North Star ~

In games I see it as having attributes similar to a flightless dragon. In the legend it seems that bits hacked off were reattached or regenerated, which seems it might be a useful attribute if it looks like it may die too easily?

The second addition and inspiration for this blog title is from the same source, catalogued as the Monstrous Flying Head. I thought it would make a splendid marker to put down in games when a Spell was cast. After all, if magic does exist it must consist of fooling the senses or muddling the mind of it's victim(s)? I chose to match the colour scheme on this piece with my Shaman seen earlier in the project, using Foundry's Moss Mid shade as the base, followed by the Raw Linen triad. See if you think it has worked ~

The final additions to the possible encounters pile are a pack of Wolves from North Star's Menagerie range. They are ready to base up now, so there will be more on them as and when...

Too many Generals?

Well, of course not; though I concede that it is a matter of budget, space and opinion that we can agree to disagree on. Being a typical wargamer though I do so hate seeing surplus figures going to waste, something which seldom happened in the good old days of buying figures individually rather than by the blister or bag! Sorting out my purchases from both Colonel Bill's and from Wargames Foundry's stand at The Other Partizan I found two mounted figures which although they didn't fit easily into unit bases did make a reasonably satisfactory vignette for a command base. I have painted them up now and in my organisation designated them as a sub command base for my expanded Goth/Saxon/Frank contingent ~

They are from Foundry's Commanders and one of the Heavy Cavalry packs respectively. Currently my Goth/Saxon/Frank element only consists of three bases of Heavy Infantry in mail and two bases of Light Infantry skirmishers. There are two more bases of figures in the Lead Pimple, although I need shield transfers before I will start them, and that awaits the reopening of LBMS under the Victrix umbrella. He might have waited until after Christmas to announce the move and not put me and others to such inconvenience, but such is life. Hardly a life changing difficulty after all.

While on the subject of the Late Roman collection though I am progressing the next Legion allocated to the army of Pompus Minimaximus. Two bases are now completed with the third underway as I type this entry. I hope 🤞🏻 they will appear here by the end of the week. That will leave just two more units to paint: twenty unarmoured levy infantry, from Foundry's Arthurian range, and seven more Heavy Cavalry from Foundry again.

Harald II v William the Barsteward

 Some scenes from Monday's game with my 1066 & All That collection and the current darling of the internet community, Midgard. We added some element of Magic/Sorcery with each side taking a Christian priest with one 'spell'. For the Normans Bishop Philipé de Rounslie, and for the Saxons Father Bycca. The Bishop had the Battle Rage offering while Bycca had the Curse attribute.

The field of battle is open ground with no significant features, we are rule novices and kept it straightforward. The Saxons are on the left, the Normans the right.

William the Barsteward positioned himself amongst his mounted warriors...

...while Harald II was to be found amongst his Huscarls and was accompanied by Father Bycca, Curse at the ready!

Saxon lightly armed Javelin skirmishers were working their way around the Norman left flank when they were caught by the Mounted warriors. The result looked a foregone conclusion given the large dice disparity!

More mounted warriors smashed into the Fyrd while the Huscarls can only stand by and hope!

Father Bycca readies himself in prayer. Can his Cursing turn back the Norman hordes?

Despite the long odds the javelin armed troops resist their opponents for three turns before their Stamina breaks and they are destroyed. A Loss of Reputation for Harald!

On the Norman right flank the Fyrd are proving a four and determined opponent, driving back one unit of mounted Breton warriors and fighting another to a standstill. Is this the moment for the Huscarls to strike a decisive blow in the centre?

Well it might have been had not Father Bycca been admirably placed to utilise his Curse attribute against William the Barsteward. Already reduced to one Stamina by three rounds of Single Combat William fails to avoid the curse with a throw of 🎲! Having used up his Mighty Deeds in combat rerolls he looses his life! (Twice now in successive games!) 

With the Norman Reputation down to six against the Saxon's thirteen, the Huscarls rampaging through the Norman centre, the Fyrd holding off the Bretons and lunch imminent Phil concedes the victory to my Saxons. Once again history is changed... As to Midgard as a rule set, well I'll happily give it another go but I think bigger battles using my Late Romans and my Punic War collection will stay with Hail Caesar, but never say never of course.

 

Stone the Crows!

As I mentioned in my previous Blog entry I bought two packs of Viking runestones from Fenris Games. The product arrived within two days of my order being placed on their website so they deserved to immediately find themselves at the head of the painting queue in my book. I washed them in warm soapy water and dried them thoroughly, leaving them overnight for the best result. I washed the three stones with Foundry Black Armour wash and left them for a day. I had thought to dry brush them but it's not my best brush skill and I was fearful of loosing the myriad of fine details on the face and so I left them as is. 

Out with Sue, Phil and Di for Christmas lunch at Essington Farm gave me a plastic bird medallion in my Christmas cracker, just the right size to pass for a raven sitting ominously on the larger stone, if you squint that is~

I was undecided as to the best basing arrangements for them: all three on one base or on three individual bases? In the end for versatile use on the tabletop battlefield I have settled on three individual bases. The main/largest rune stone is on a bigger base to emphasize it's significance as well as providing additional cover. I added a few larger Woodland Scenics large rocks to suggest decay I hoped and then my usual mix of basing texture from the same company. A wash of thinned Crafters' Acrylic Country Maple, some static grass, clumps and added snow and they will do for me. I hope that you will agree ~

Just for completeness then here are closer pictures of the two smaller stones ~

Back now to more Late Roman legionaries! One base of eight figures are finished ready for basing, with the next four figures for the second base already underway!

Under the Radar

It seems sometimes to me that the Lead Pimple can take on a life of it's own, slowly swelling almost unnoticed. Unnoticed that is until you realise you have no more space in the RUBs under the painting desk! Then you need creative solutions of course. In my case it was rejigging the contents of a wardrobe, to create a shelf for more boxes!!!! What's in them then you are entitled to ask? Well, take a peek if you must ~

Last month I scored a decent win on the Lottery, just enough to compensate me for the 'theft' of my OAP's Winter Fuel Allowance by our new government! Traditionally I'd spent my half on figures so I allocated this win to buying some Footsore Miniatures Dark Age Welsh which Matt had sculpted for them a while back. My intention was not a whole force, but to combine them with his Vikings from the Kickstarter in a sort of cod Hiberno-Norse force for our 1066 & All That games.

Staying with the Dark Ages theme and inspired by Phil's recent palaeolithic stone circle I thought my Saga of Bicca Biccasson would profit from some Viking Rune Stones. A web hunt lead me to Fenris Games who offer several combinations of such. Not as cheap as Phil's finding by a long chalk, but very nicely cast by way of compensation. I chose two sets: the large single standing stone (in the centre of the picture) and one of the packs of two smaller stones (flanking it). After a quick wash in warm soapy water I'll probably give them a dark wash over with a thin black wash and a bit of a dry brush to bring up details. Basing them I've yet to decide on.

I also received another Giant in Miniature from Dan at Wargames Illustrated earlier this week in response to my recently published Quick Fire! piece. I chose the Sir John Hawkwood figure which in the fullness of time will be added to my Italian Wars collection. Not quite yet though as I'm still persevering with my Late Roman project, the first four figures of the Legion being finished now and four more are well underway.

Light on their feet?

Well some, but not all, as it turns out. It's taken a while, what with Norse Mythology distractions and falling out of the loft, but I've added further strength to the Late Roman collection in the shape of two bases of Goth Skirmishing Light Infantry and two bases of Late Roman Heavy Cavalry. All the figures are from Wargames Foundry's venerable range as you'd surely expect and we're part of my purchase at the recent The Other Partizan. As ever the bases are from Warbases, my go to supplier down the years, and the shield transfers are from LBMS. 

The Goths are of course catalogued as Franks or Saxons but they do the job for me and of course fit into the rest of the collection seamlessly. I chose figures for these Light Infantry skirmishing bases from the most active in the packs, together with a more sedated leader from the Command Pack. They will of course feature in the armies of Baldinus or Gornalus.

The Heavy Cavalry are from a mixture of the Cataphractarii, Heavy Cavalry and Roman Commanders packs with the horses rejigged to suit the units added recently (See earlier A Mixed Bag post) to the collection. They will join Pompus Minimaximus' army as his Christian Goth Bucallerii, hence the round shields with various appropriate devices adorning them.

I've started on another Legion for the army of Pompus Minimaximus which I hope to complete before being overtaken by the seasonal festivities! More there in due course as you'd expect. Back to the painting desk now then!