A Late Roman Frippery

When I received the last pieces of my order from Footsore Miniatures last month for Matt's Dark Age Welsh I also found two complementary figures were included, as there had been some mix up over the shields included. I gave Phil the one warrior figure as it fitted nicely with his Romano-Britons and I kept the female civilian for myself as I had an idea for a small vignette to liven up the tabletop battlefield! While plodding on with the French Garde Voltiguers for my Crimean War project I have also been working on the two figures for this vignette ~

The female figure is from their Gangs of Rome range and depicts a fishwife while the bored looking sentry was left over from my latest Late Roman Legion and is a venerable Wargames Foundry figure. The two figures seem to compliment each other nicely in both size and style to my eye. The sentry's shield transfers is from LBMS, you might remember them! The small base is from Warbases as ever. While it won't win any prizes I'm quietly pleased with how it looks on the tabletop battlefield, and as an added bonus it has reduced the Lead Pimple by two figures!!!!

Return to the Wars of the French Revolution

On Monday Phil and I met up in GHQ for our prearranged weekly game. We had settled on a smallish Wars of the French Revolution battle pitting the French, commanded by Phil, against the Austrians, lead by yours truly. The rules would as usual be Black Powder and the game length set at Ten Turns. Each side had three Brigades: Light Infantry; Light Cavalry; and Line Infantry respectively. The French had two batteries of 4lb guns to support their attack, the Austrians one battery of 12lb guns. The French would receive a fourth brigade as reinforcements in Turn 5. Their objective was to command the higher ground on either side of the road bisecting the tabletop battlefield north to south.  As you've no doubt come to expect, an annotated photomontage follows which hopefully will carry you right in to the unfolding action ~

On the Austrian right the Hungarian infantry advance to the crest of a low ridge. The French 10th Demi-Brigade de Ligne is slow to pass through the farm in support of their artillery deploying on the low rise to their right.

On the Austrian left O'Donnell's Freikorps, supported by Grenz and a lone line battalion, advanced and give an ineffectual volley against the massed columns of French Legeré.

In the French centre the Light Cavalry Brigade moves forward to engage their Austrian opposite numbers supported by their Horse Artillery battery. In the distance the foot artillery is making heavy going as it attempts to reach the higher ground in support of the Legeré.

French Hussards and Austrian Hussars clash! Sabres flash, flesh is rent, the mass of cavalry swirls around seeking to throw back their foes.

The Austrian morale collapses as they get the worst of the action and they break and flee to the rear, all cohesion gone! First blood to the French!

On the Austrian left a second ineffectual volley from the Freikorps fails to halt the columns of French Legeré! It's down now to the cold steel of the bayonet! A second battalion is moving up to flank the Freikorps.

On the Austrian right the leading battalion of the Demi-Brigade crashes into the Austrian infantry. Fighting is fierce but indecisive at first.

In the centre a second cavalry action unfolds. Despite being out numbered the smaller unit of Emigre hussars crash into their larger

French counterparts and inflict serious losses on them.

The French Hussards' morale breaks and they flee for their lives. All along the Austrian front their army is standing steadfastly against the Revolutionary French!

Back on the Austrian left the Grenz have moved swiftly to prevent the Freikorps being flanked. Again though their ragged volley fails to halt the columns of Legeré who crash violently into their thin line. Fighting is raging all along this part of the line with only the understrength battalion of Line to support the Austrian effort.

The Freikorps are broken by the French and flee to the rear. The Grenz are now isolated and face a numerically superior enemy. If the Line do not throw the rampant French back the Austrian right will be turned.

In the centre the Grenadier battalion finds it's advance on the French Horse Artillery suddenly blocked by enemy cavalry. They form square hurriedly in an attempt to deter the charge!

The French Hussards charge home as the Grenadiers fail to give any closing fire as they lack sufficient time in their haste to deploy into square. The outcome of the ensuing melee is almost a foregone conclusion...

The Grenadiers suffer immense losses and becoming Shaken so it is no surprise that their morale crumbles and the Square is ridden down. Despite their victory, in the face of two steadfast Line units the Hussards do not risk a Sweeping Advance and opt instead to Rally Back.

On the Austrian right fighting is intense and casualties are mounting on both sides. Which side will break first may determine the outcome of the whole battle as the French look for their expected reinforcement to shore up their attack in this sector.

The Austrian losses mount and the battalion is forced to fall back both Disordered and Shaken! The French attack the Austrians supporting battalion with renewed belief!

The whole Demi-Brigade presses home the attack. There are no reinforcements available to shore up the line, they must hold the position at all costs.

On the Austrian right the Grenz are Shaken, meaning the Brigade is Broken. They and the understrength Line battalion must retire leaving the Austrian centre flanked. In an attempt to break the French centre before they are overwhelmed the Austrian and Emigre Light Cavalry move forward en masse. If they can throw back the French the battle may yet be won.

The Austrian right has not only held, but has repulsed the Demi-Brigade and driven them off Broken by losses and falling morale. The Austrians sense victory is within their grasp.

There is no respite to be had though as the French reinforcements arrive opposite the battle-worn Austrian right. With no hope of reinforcements and seeing their cavalry advance in the centre Broken the battle is lost!

Stirring music from the French Demi-Brigade's bandsmen and the loud cheering of the victorious French all along the line announces a great victory for their commanding general. He is spared an appointment with the guillotine...for now at least. As ever Black Powder gave us a splendid game where fortunes ebbed and flowed unpredictably until the Austrian morale finally collapsed. Look out for more from the Wars of the French Revolution here in GHQ in the coming days.

Sir John Hawkwood

 This figure is one of the Wargames Illustrated Giants in Miniature. He represents Sir John Hawkwood, famous Condottieri commander of the White Company in C14th Italy. I received him from Dan in return for the most recent Quick Fire! piece which he included in the magazine last year. I have painted him up to serve as Sir Daniel Faulconbridge, a commander for my small Papal Guard for my Borgia Pope, Alexander VI, in our Italian Wars games ~

If (or when) my next submission - see previous blog entry - makes in into print then I shall hope to receive the new Giants in Miniature figure (sculpted by Matt Bickley), Giovanni Della Bande Nere - Giovanni of the Black Band - who when painted up can then join the ranks of my mercenaries! 

His image can be seen adorning the cover of the February issue of Wargames Illustrated, in shops and superstores by the end of this month I'd assume if you are not a subscriber.

A Trip Out...

...finally!! After almost two weeks of being confined to quarters following my bout of "There's a lot of it about!" last Thursday Sue and I went over to see Dan at Wargames Illustrated HQ in Attenborough, Nottingham. The reason for our invite was that Dan wanted to take some photographs of my figures to accompany a short piece I have penned on my Saga of Bicca Biccasson project.

Dan and I spent a pleasant couple of hours chewing the hobby fat and both Sue and I learned a little more about the best techniques for photographing figures correctly. I hope what I learned might eventually lead to better photos accompanying my blog posts! After the photo session was successfully concluded the file of photos was emailed to a graphic designer, somewhere in sunny Spain I gathered, and by the time we had finished lunch at the café located in the Attenborough Nature Reserve the first rushes were back with Dan for comments and approval. When Sue and I arrived back in foggy Wolverhampton later in the afternoon I found I had a sample picture in my email inbox to look at! The wonders of the modern age, eh?👴🏻

So that you might get some idea of how the professionals can make even the most mundane painting efforts look acceptable, you might like to compare these two pictures: my quick snapshot of the photo booth with some of my figures set up on one of many pieces of WI terrain and an image just back from the Graphic Designer ~

Firstly my quick snapshot during a lull in proceedings, I think probably while Dan made us all a mug of coffee. The red pieces are wooden blocks of various dimensions to raise or lower figures in the rear of the terrain piece.

The same set up but photographed by Dan, who definitely has far more of a talent for this than yours truly, and having been worked on by the Graphic Designer. The sharp eyed may notice that the raven on the large rune stone has been removed for example. I'd hope we'd all notice the dramatic sky effect! While it may be true that the camera doesn't lie, it certainly can enhance the image and deceive the eye... It's almost modern day magic you might think?

I imagine that my piece may appear at some point in the early Spring, perhaps in the March or more likely the April issue, such is the lead in time involved in the production and publication of a print magazine. 

The Late(st) Romans

I've recently completed the last Roman unit for my Late Roman refurbishment project, all the venerable Perry sculpts from Wargames Foundry, some via Colonel Bill's (before he ditched shows!) and the rest from Foundry at The Other Partizan ~

The shield transfers are from the now defunct LBMS though they may one day be available again (come on Victrix, get your act together) and the bases from the ever reliable stalwarts at Warbases ~

I have several Saxon/Goth infantry still to do which will add two more unit bases to the army of Baldinus the Usurper or Gornalus. Without shield transfers being available - see previous moans above - they will languish in the Lead Pimple for now.

Instead I've started on some Garde Voltiguers for the Crimean War project, figures from Great War Miniatures via North Star of course. I must say that the larger and bolder sculpting is much more gentle on the old eyes and hand! More on these I'd hope in due course.

A Brief Encounter in the SYW

I felt well enough for us to play a smallish SYW game here in GHQ on Tuesday, with Phil leading the Allied army as Lord Rawnsley, in our first meeting since before Christmas! I put out about a half of my collection on a table top battlefield largely free of terrain features for a simple encounter game ~

Although Phil won the dice roll-off for the initiative his army showed little inclination to advance, his first infantry brigade order producing a Blunder! The Brigade advanced but one move though, his 6 being undermined by a 1 for the number of moves on the enemy. The French, lead by the largely incompetent Comte de Merde, on the contrary advanced with splendid Gallic elan, right onto the enemy's guns!

Volleys crashed out in the second Turn, as Lord Rawnsley steadied his men in the face of the intimidating French advance! Disorder resulted for the two leading French units, with one being flung back Shaken and exposing their supporting unit to further withering fire in the following turn.

Although the Grenadiers De France threw back their opponents, on their right flank another unit fared less well with a second Irish unit being Broken by a combination of Closing Fire and the bayonet in the ensuing Hand to Hand combat. 

Lord Rawnsley's right was held by a battery of 12lb guns supported by a rag tag of Hanoverian cavalry. Although his Lieb Garde were forced to retire his remaining units were able to first hold off and then repulse the Hussards de Bykli, their supporting Dragoons showing no inclination to come to their aid!

Despite more success in the centre the French found it impossible to capitalise significantly as Disorder gripped their leading units preventing rapid exploitation of opening gaps in the British lines.

Suddenly in Turn 5 we realised that both the French infantry Brigade's were Broken! With that realisation the Comte de Merde was obliged to quit the field, conceding the victory to Lord Rawnsley. In fact losses were about equal at this stage, but more concentrated for the French and rendering their army Broken. The French cavalry left much to be desired both in elan and in combat. The British infantry was Steady as you'd expect, absorbing losses across the board without loss of cohesion. French successes were notable for their failure to be exploited due to Disorder.

No complaints though, a thoroughly enjoyable start to the gaming year here in GHQ despite being given a thumping. On to Olaf's HQ next week all things being equal and a WWII game with Battlegroup.

Tumbleweed here in GHQ?

 

Not a lot of action seen at either my painting desk or across the tabletop battlefield here in GHQ since the onset of the New Year and my bout of "There's a lot of it about!" Finally though things are moving towards what passes for normal here! I've picked up my brush a little more each day over the past few days and have progressed the last of my Late Roman legions, I'm over half way through them now so I'd hope to show them to you later next week. Games wise I'm less sure what's happening: I'm waiting to hear from Paul and Phil to see what their plans could be now I'm on the up.

Still no LBMS transfers news from Victrix, so my Saxons/Goths can't be processed next as I'd hoped to complete the Late Roman collection's refurbishment. In their stead I've sorted out a unit of Great War Miniatures French Voltiguers of the Guard for my Crimean War collection, which incidentally you might have seen featured in the latest addition of Wargames Illustrated. If there's still nothing on the transfer front by the time they are done then I've a unit of Dixon Miniatures Pennsylvania sharpshooters to add to the already overstaffed ACW collection! Mad, I know but I just fancied them! There are still two Confederate and one Union infantry regiments in the Lead Pimple too!!!! They've been there two years about I'd think...

I'd rather hoped to be painting more of Matt's Footsore Vikings too, but again the lack of shield transfers has pushed them, and the Dark Age Welsh, down the batting order! To finish though on a positive note I'm due over at Wargames Illustrated HQ on Thursday for a photoshoot of my Saga of Bicca Biccasson project. The pictures will I hope accompany a short piece I've had accepted about the project in a future issue, perhaps March or April given the lead in production times.

A Second Christmas Gift to myself

Towards the end of last year I mentioned that I'd ordered two items from Caliver Books as a Christmas gift to myself. These were a copy of Midgard, which I went on to blather about, and also the Wargamers' Annual 2025, which I made no further mention of at the time. If you'll bear with me now I'd like to put that right in this post.

I must admit to a fondness for this very Old School concept, a Christmas annual for wargamers of my vintage I'd guess, a nostalgic throwback to Christmas annuals of childhood! In fact I own the full set, including the Summer annuals that featured for a number of years, and often enjoy dipping back into earlier iterations. But this year's has given me cause to pause and reflect more than usual. The fact is that the first article was penned by Peter Nicholson, one half of The Iron Brigade (with Kevin Calder), who sadly passed away unexpectedly towards the end of the year, while the last article was by Tim Hall on his experience in dealing with a large Wargamers' bereavement sale. Obviously Peter's estate must include a large element of figures, terrain and books which perhaps his family have little idea of either value or avenues of disposal? 

Tim's article is timely there perhaps, but also in a wider context relevant to those of us with veteran status and decent sized collections. I know I've blathered on about this issue more than once, but I felt the article in question had a wider application so I invite you to get hold of a copy if you need the benefit of Tim's advice and experience in either planning or dealing with disposal of a wargames collection.

To end though on a more cheerful and positive note, I continue to recover from my bout of "Theres a lot of it about!" and have managed some painting in short sessions. Some Wargames Foundry Late Roman/Arthurian infantry, of which more in due course I'd hope. 

Tempting Fate?

It seems that I spoke too soon when I settled on the title of the first blog entry of the new year! I have been struck by a serious bout of "There's a lot of it about"! The result is four days pretty much spent asleep in bed feeling like, well, you know I'm sure... Although I feel a little better there's not much prospect of any hobby activity in the coming week for any number of reasons combining with health. Luckily I finished these the last of my Late Roman cavalry additions right at the end of last year ~

Two bases of Late Roman Heavy Cavalry first of all. As you'd surely expect they are from Wargames Foundry's venerable range, with a mixture of shield transfers from the now defunct LBMS - I believe Victrix intend to sell the shield transfers for other manufacturers' ranges, though if/when they do then I fully expect to be ripped off by a price increase. Call me a cynic if you like, but there you go. Bases are from Warbases as usual ~

As ever I was wont not to waste the odd figure remaining in the Lead Pimple, so I've mounted him on a base as a single figure. He can be either a commander of a Division in Hail Caesar or a Champion if we give Mudgard a run out with my Late Romans.

I need to lie down now after the effort of typing the entry. More hopefully in a day or three when I feel more human.

Things can only get better?

For the first post of 2025 I find myself needing to report on the last game played here in GHQ in 2024, a Punic War three hander with William and Phil leading the Republican Romans and the Allied Etruscans respectively, leaving me to lead the Carthaginian army once again. A few pictures I managed to take during the hurly burley of the battle which hope will give a sense of how the game played out. Rules were Hail Caesar of course! On to the action ~

Viewing the field of battle from behind the Roman lines, Republican Romans on the left, Allied Etruscans on the right, Carthaginians in the distance.

The Carthaginian centre comprised the elephants, Celtiberian warbands, Numidian skirmishers backed by Haztrubal Bicca's veteran Heavy Infantry.

On the Roman left flank Billius Secundus deployed his Medium Cavalry screened by many Small Units of Cretan archers.

The Roman centre comprised two Legions with their Velites ready to skirmish with the elephants and their screening Numidian Light Infantry.

Both armies hurried to close with each other. Velites and Numidians exchanged volleys of javelins and casualties mounted along with Disorder on the Carthaginians.

Spanish Light and Medium Cavalry on Haztrubal's left find themselves facing a storm of arrows and slingshot from the Allied Etruscans' right.

On Haztrubal's right his Celtiberian Heavy Cavalry clash with Secundus's Mediums and come off second best.

Loosing the Hand-to-Hand combat results in a Morale Test. With two 1's the result, they Break!

The second group of Celtiberian Heavy Cavalry fare better in the early exchanges, the Romans are Shaken but survive to fight on!

The Numidian Light Cavalry supporting the struggling Celtiberians are thrown forward against the victorious Romans. Haztrubal's attack is coming unravelled all too quickly.

The Numidians suffer the same fate as the Celtiberians at the hands of the Roman Medium Cavalry! Haztrubal's right is Broken and his centre is stalled by widespread Disorder. 

The Spanish Cavalry on Haztrubal's left are Broken by missile fire and an Etruscan cavalry charge. The victorious Romans sweep behind his centre and take the Allied Greek infantry in the flank! It's all up for Haztrubal's cause, again! He can only watch the destruction from alongside his veterans who Blundered off the table in Turn 2 and struggled to get back in time.

Billius Secundus enjoying his victory over Grandad Haztrubal Bicca!

You may have noticed that Phil has made some very Old School movement and range sticks. In practice so much less fuss to use than a tape measure twinned with Arkwright's Till!

I can only trust that in the coming year those capricious 'dice gods' will show some favour on my dice throws. They most definitely didn't favour me in this game at all! Next week, Lurgi permitting, we are planning a SYW game here in GHQ.