Rhyfelwr gyda chwrwgl

Title courtesy of Google Translate, 'Warrior with coracle' of course. As I have previously mentioned I had intended for him to grace the Welsh Command stand but it just looked too crowded to my eye, so here he is with his coracle and dragon pennant on his own base. I'll probably just put him down next to the Command stand in games, to look interesting if nothing else ~

The first base of partially armoured warriors are finished and ready for action on the tabletop battlefield, while the second base has four figures ready for varnishing and the final five in various states of base colours painting. When that second base is completed the Welsh contingent for my long running 1066 & All That project will be done! Next up then I plan to start some Dixon Miniatures ACW figures!

Dafydd mab Buddugwr

As the Footsore Welsh have been making their way over the painting desk relatively briskly of late I thought that I would enjoy a bit of a breather from working on units by painting three figures for the Division's command stand. They comprise the Welsh Leader, Standard Bearer and a spare from the Warriors with Dane axes. The standard is a reduced photocopy of one of my LBMS standards I used for my Late Romans back in the day.

I had originally intended to fix the Warrior with Coracle on the command stand, but it looked too crowded to my eye so I swapped him out for the Dane axe armed figure. Don't worry though, he will be along in due course! I'm also working on a first base of partially armoured Welsh Warriors armed with a mixture of spears, swords and axes.

The Fury of the Northmen!

Earlier in the week Phil and I met up in GHQ for our regular game. Almost at the last minute I elected to switch from the ECW to a 1066 & All That game ~ it's a long story that boils down to age! Philip de Rawnsley, Lord of the manor of Hednes' Ford led forth his men against the invading Northmen of Bicca Biccasson. Marching south Bicca gathered support from disaffected Saxon Earls, Thegns and Coerls. Reaching the outskirts of Staffa's Ford the ragtag army was confronted by de Rawnsley's Normans and Bretons. Both armies prepared for the coming battle ~

Philip de Rawnsley leading his loyal knights, from the rear it seems. Did Bicca see this as an open I wonder?

His Norman infantry held the centre screened by crossbow armed Light Troops. Bishop Ranulf can be seen blessing their efforts as they pass St Caliver's rough hewn church.

Earl Egfroth has mustered all the men he could, sensing a chance to give those Norman barstewards a bloody nose, not to mention the anticipated boots! He holds Bicca's right flank.

Bicca himself with his loyal Northmen holds the centre position. His men are ready for action after long days marching south.

On Bicca's left Earl Egberg has taken up position with his loyal herthguard and as many able-bodied men still on his estates. Bicca's army is poised ready to unleash a reign of brutal terror on these effette Normans.

Breton cavalry on de Rawnsley's right advanced smartly to support the infantry in the centre and threaten the flank of Bicca's thrust through that area of the battle line.

Norman heavy infantry make steady progress in the centre of the line of battle.

The Saxons on Bicca's right Blunder! Each unit takes a casualty and the whole Division falls back! Not the best of omens Bicca feared.

Worse was to come as the skirmishers emerging from the woodland come under fire failing their Morale test and Break!

On Bicca's left the Breton infantry, supported by their knights, hurl themselves against the Coerls catching the skirmishing light infantry napping!

Amazingly the Coerls throw back the infantry and the supporting knights break. Perhaps the Old Gods are will him after all Bicca muses...

The Breton right is thrown back in disarray. Bicca's small mounted unit gallops forward to see them off decisively! There is still no sighting of de Rawnsley's knights who are held back on his left.

The Bretons are Broken and the Norman centre is pushed back in confusion. At last the Norman cavalry is moving forward. The Saxon Hirdmen steady themselves forvthe coming shock, their Dane axes glinting ominously in the sunlight.

Bicca's Viking Hirdmen make short work of more of de Rawnsley's Norman infantry!

It's not all going Bicca's way though as weakened by losses in brutal fighting the Saxon Hirdmen are Broken! Is the tide of battle turning against him worries Bicca?

They may have been defeated. But their sacrifice was not in vane. De Rawnsley senses that God is not with his army and his cause today. His knights have failed to turn the tables on Bicca's right despite earlier successes for the Norman infantry.

His centre Breaks under mounting losses and with it his army is Broken too. The victory belongs to Bicca's host! All played out in nine Turns using Hail Caesar, though not without some rules checking from time to time! Even then I'm confident we still got the odd thing muddled! It's an age thing, as I said at the outset...

Maredudd ab Owain

Just a brief entry to show you my rendering of Footsore's Maredudd ab Owain, a Welsh king of the C10th, who is posed on a bit of Welsh slate for appearance's sake. He will stand as a command figure alternative in Hail Caesar games or as a champion in any Mudgard games in which we might use the Welsh. On the death of his father Owain in AD 988 he became king of Dyfed, Ceredigion, Brycheiniog, Gwynedd and Powys. He most probably died in AD 999. Not a great deal more to say about him really ~

Next up are three figures for the command stand which I'd hope to have finished to share with you soonish. When those are completed there will be two bases of armoured Poor Welsh Warriors with a mixture of spears, swords and hand axes to process. I still hope to add some slingers and a bard at least, when those are all done that is.

More Welsh, thankfully not singing though!

I've been plodding on as and when I've felt like it painting my Footsore Welsh to add to the 1066 & All That project. This offering consists of Poor Welsh Warriors with spears,  two bases of eight figures, seven being unarmoured and armed with spears with an extra figure added for command; one the Welsh Commander [an eye watering  £5.00!] with the other from the armoured warriors pack. It appears that little or nothing is known about shield designs so I opted for plain shields in the main. One base has shields in the red range, the second in the green. See what you think anyway ~

Now I have got through 22 of the figures I think I can reflect on a couple of points if you'll bear with me. Firstly using my limited range of drab and dull colours has been a challenge, rather as I remember painting ragged Confederates for my ACW project was. Secondly, without LBMS shield transfers there is little to detract the eye from my modest painting efforts, prettifying the bases excepted ~

Next up are some figures for a Command stand and then possibly my favourite figure from the range, a warrior with coracle! What could be more Welsh? I may even add a few figures to the project once I've finished those in the queue, especially a pack of slingers and a bard! Afterall, they must surely have at least one singing Taffy amongst their ranks!

Welsh, but no Druids!

I had a short intermission between finishing the 'Gothalikes' for my Late Romans and starting on something different. On the upper reaches of my painting desk awaiting their  moment under the brush were two regiments of Dixon Miniatures, slated to be Pennsylvania infantry, and the Footsore Dark Age Welsh which Matt also sculpted for them. I thought I'd give the latter a go first, so three bases of two skirmishing Poor Welsh Warriors with spears are the result ~

These are nice, delicate figures but as full of movement and vim as the more robust Vikings I finished last month. In all I bought enough figures for two bases of eight Poor Warriors with spears, two bases of armoured Poor Warriors with a mixture of swords, hand axes, Dane axes and spears, a command stand of Chieftain, standard bearer and warrior with a coracle - in case a quick get away is needed! Oh, and a Hero in case these get a Mudgard run out! 

One thing I've already noticed is that my range of drabbish colours could do with being a tad more extensive! I've started on the figures for the first base of Poor Welsh Warriors with spears,  four are ready for varnishing and four more to start after tomorrow's SCW game over at Phil's.

The Battle of Wolverhampton Airfield, April 1936

Earlier in the week Phil and I met up in GHQ for our regular game, in this instance a VBCW scenario I'd been toying with for a good while set around Wolverhampton airfield. I guess you didn't know Wolverhampton once had such a feature, I know I didn't until I came to live on it in 1980! From our upstairs windows you could still see the control tower and hangers of the post war airport and just up the hill were the myriad of nissan huts from WWII when it was a dispersal airfield for Boulton Paul, makers of the Defiant and the gun turrets for bombers! The tabletop battlefield laid out ~

Some table dressing to suggest the airfield was all I had available, along with two Corgi diecasts ~

Flying Officer Bicclesworth and his ride of choice.

A Hawker Fury being prepared to taxi out onto the runway to join 'Biccles' ready for take off.

The Government forces enter from along the base line, the right side 2' being impassable. 

While the heroic Socialist Alliance enters on the road and must make one full turn on the road. The Socialists have sneakily emplaced some heavy weapons groups overnight to support their attack.

A Vickers MMG & crew, with a 3" Mortar just out of view 

A Heath-Robinson Trench Mortar!

While the BUF spearhead the Militia attack on the Government right, the Regulars of the South Staffordshire regiment advance on the left in their lorries.

The mounted Manders' Horse take post on the left of the Hilton Main Miners' Collective, who have bought their Silver Band along for support! 

The BUF and supporting Militia units are rapidly advancing to size the airfield. Mander counters with all he has available, the Horse and the Miners. A brisk firefight erupts between the opposing forces!

The Socialist's Vickers Medium tank advances to engage the Government's Mk VI. A protracted exchange of fire proves largely indecisive, although the Mk VI's turret jams as the result of a glancing hit!

While the tanks slog it out the South Staffords debus partly screened by the corn field. ( A nod to the acres of corn grown on SSWW farmland opposite our house for several years after we first moved in.)

The BUF have stalled, engaging in a firefight with the distant Manders Guards, while the Tettenhall Militia press forward having driven Manders' Horse back with heavy losses.

The Chillington Rifle Volunteers are trying to size control of the workshops in support of the main advances on both Government flanks.

The South Staffords' HQ Company takes up position where it can control both the Company advancing through the cornfield with the MMG in support...

And the second Company advancing on the road from the Red Lion pub! 

The Trench Mortar team are lobbing their tin can bombs (Light Mortar effect) on to the advancing enemy troops.

Their fire proves though to be largely ineffective in halting the enemy advance!

Emerging from the cover afforded by the cornfield - it's as high as an elephant's eye you know - the South Staffords' fire knocks out the Trench Mortar and crew!

Losses mount for the Socialists, their 3" Mortar and crew are neutralised. The miners are also hors de combat and with their Bolt Action dice down to 4 there is no choice but a dignified withdrawal leaving Rawnsley's Government forces in possession of the airfield.

We played 10 Turns using Bolt Action 3 supplemented by our own random event cards - see Phil's blog for details. Both sides started with 9 Bolt Action dice, but the Socialists had 11 units to the Government's 9, meaning any losses disproportionately affected the choices I could make. In the end I lost so many that further action was pointless, the South Staffords being over my right flank with no effective opposition to halt the advance! Nevertheless, a grand tussle played out either side of a Hogroast lunch courtesy of the local Co-op!