"There are your guns!"

Amongst what feels like the seemingly endless Roosian Rifle battalion figures I've been painting for the last eon or three I've also been working on this figure from the Great War Miniatures set, 'Charge of the Light Brigade Characters' ~

Of course this ADC is Captain Nolan of the 15th Light Dragoons/Hussars galloping away with the infamous order which would launch the 'Gallant Six Hundred' of the Light Brigade into immortality. 

Finally, as I mentioned the Roosian Rifle battalion figures I ought to say that I've completed them and they will be along in due course for your approval. I've also started on Lord Raglan and staff figures to populate the British army command stand. More on them as and when they are finished. 

We are taking a bit of an early autumn break  then with a few days away 'Oop North' again near Carnforth. Hopefully that will see the creative batteries recharged ready for the next phase of the project ~

Starting with the Grenadier Guards who have reached the head of the queue on the painting desk. There's also a small matter of rebasing more of the Prodigal Foundry Collection, in this instance four more Roosian infantry battalions together with a couple of command stands ~

Rebasing, isn't it fun? Well it will be...when it's finished.

Holding up the sky!

Again! Don't be alarmed though loyal readers, I've not developed Atlas delusions! I've merely been supporting a backboard which is sometimes used by Dan to blot out the unwanted background when taking pictures here in GHQ. He visited GHQ on Thursday to take photographs to accompany the latest piece I've had accepted for publication in an upcoming edition of Wargames Illustrated, where the theme will be Pulp Wargaming. I can't say too much about the piece or the issue involved, but here are a few pictures of aspects of the layout, taken just before 'the balloon went up' ~

Summer 1940, somewhere in sleepy Shropshire... Blandings Castle, ancestral home of Clarence, Earl Emsworth, his family and his prize porker, the 'Empress of Blandings'.

Scenes of rural idyll abound. Sheep may safely graze, or not. Boy Scouts must always be prepared, but for what we wonder?

About as busy as it gets in sleepy Market Blandings...until now that is.

Meanwhile, who can this distinguished guest be arriving with military escort at Blandings Castle?

It's almost 'Opening Time' at the Red Lion inn, but will it be 'Last Orders' for these gentlemen and other residents?

The greatest feat of flying for the Luftwaffe's ace pilot Otto von Bikkel sees the glider land exactly on target! {Matt made this glider model from scratch using card and air drying clay, along with another for the British paras, when he was 13. I've kept and treasured them for thirty years now so I hope you'll appreciate it too.}

Professor Braynstawme, the greatest scientific mind of the age, prepares to fire his D-Ray in an unexpected live test! Some visiting 'foreign Johnny' called Einstein looks on in awe!

What could these strange objects be? Giant mobile pepper pots perhaps? Or some dastardly Hun secret weapon? 

"Is it bird? Is it a plane?" they ask. "No, it's B.E.R.T. at Blandings!" Another of Professor Braynstawme's projects arriving in the nick of time to save the day...or not? 

All taking place under the scrutiny of that great British institution, the British Broadcasting Corporation and that nice Mr Dimblebury.

Even in the midst of the struggle for national survival in 1940 Winston can still find time to visit Blandings to witness Braynstawme's latest 'triumph'. Lord Emsworth and the family gather to welcome their distinguished guest as he inspects the local troop of Sea Scouts.

Meanwhile, it's stiff upper lip time for the staff of Blandings Castle as they face an unknown foe...

If any of this has wetted your appetite, and I do hope it has, don't forget to keep an eye out later in the November issue to see how the action unfolded ~

In the meantime, remember that "KBO!" is the Order of the Day, as Winston Churchill would undoubtedly have remarked to Braynestawm in the heat of the action!

Some more Bretons...

...in the shape of a base of Breton archers, allied to Duke William the Barsteward's Normans for my 1066 & All That project. As with all the other elements of the Duke's forces these were painted by Phil - Olaf's Painting Service - and based by yours truly ~

The figures are from the old Foundry Norman range by the Perrys rather than the more recent range by Matt. I picked them up at Partizan by mistake, that is I thought they were Matt's and didn't look at them closely. But, they are half decent figures and Phil has made a good job of them. In due course I am confident that there will be more for this project, but not just yet...

Some Senior Ivans...

...together with some Rifle battalion skirmisher bases for my Crimean War Roosians have made it safely across the painting desk and are ready to muster into GHQ. Let's face it, the weather over the last several days has not been conducive to slaving over the painting desk! In these circumstances progress with this project of any kind is not to be sneered at. As it is I managed to complete four bases of Roosian Rifle Battalion figures to deploy as skirmishers for the Roosians ~

The figures are from Great War Miniatures via North Star as ever and the bases are from Warbases. There are 12 more in the painting queue to finish, so look out for the whole unit's worth in due course.

I also continued with my approach in mixing into the painting queue various Command stand figures, in this case two mounted and two foot figures to form the Roosians' Army Commander-in-Chief stand ~

Details as to figures and bases are as above of course. I suppose this means that I must work the Army Command stand figures for the British army into the schedule now, again a combination of mounted and foot figures. They will be a while yet though...

I have been to...

...Colours '23 orchestrated by Newbury & Reading Wargames Society and held in the Grandstand at Newbury Racecourse. It was not really the weather for being inside with scores of others and no air-conditioning but there you go. We went, we looked, we spent, we sweltered! A few pictures of just some of the games, I was wilting in the heat and humidity too much to dawdle over photography ~

The programme, a single sheet of A4 is hardly inspiring in the third decade of the C21st, but it contains the essentials in terms of who and what are where. Really though shows in the UK are streets behind events like Historicon when it comes to such basic essentials as a programme. That said, on to the games ~

Starting with my personal favourite game, the Battle for Saigon, obviously a Vietnam War game, played in 28mm and featuring some splendid terrain and a Huey ~

There were two splendid but different Japanese themed games which also attracted my eye ~

The first featured this rather splendid Samurai castle, the second hoardes of figures, some of which were the wonderfully characterful Dixon Miniatures which brought back very happy memories of games with Phil's collection back in the 1980's at Alumwell Wargames Society!

More traditional wargames were on show too, a large 28mm Ancient bash for one...

...and a 15mm Horse & Musket set to for another.

A fine Roman arena, replete with gladiators ready to die for their owners, seemed to be enthusiastically played by the folk around its table 

A Sharpe Practice {I think} game set in the Iberian Peninsula, where else? I liked the carriage in the game 

A rather swish 20mm WWII game played using Rapid Fire rules. Lots of great buildings and terrain and an impressive number of figures!

As to purchases: two bags of Jarvis static grass -Spring & Summer; two packs of Gamers' Grass Weeds -Light & Dark Green, one of Light Green 6mm Tufts; a pack of brass spears with flattened spear heads; a supernatural Viking Wanderer from Colonel Bill's. Last of the big spenders, eh? Next show, all being well of course, The Other Partizan in early October. Hopefully the weather will be more conducive to enjoyment of the event by then!

A Second Look at Soldiers of Napoleon

Phil and I decided to give Soldiers of Napoleon a second run through for this week's game here in GHQ. The armies were substantially the same, the French adding a unit of Legeré, while the dispositions were slightly different. Once again Phil commanded the Austrian army and yours truly the Republican French. We are still at the 'beginner' stage so it's just basic rules still leaving aside the niceties and subtleties of the system. As before an annotated photomontage which I hope will carry you through to the battle's climax and hopefully give a sense of how the game plays ~

The French have the initiative in Turn 1 and use their cards to advance along their front.

The battery of 12lb guns unlimber in the centre of the line to support the infantry assault on the Austrian lines. Pretty much all downhill after this...

French Hussars supported by Chasseurs à Cheval initiate a fierce charge in a bid to break the stronger Austrian units facing them.

The Austrian response is ponderous but a Senior Commander appears in Turn 2 to chivy the Division Commander on.

Austrian Hussars and Chevaux Legeré form line ready to tackle the uppity French!

The cavalry clash on the flank sees Hussars in a fierce charge manage four hits, encouraging De Bykli to think the Austrians may break. 

Sadly a false hope! The French Hussars are thrown back in Disorder with losses! These large Austrian units are proving very resilient.

Not only the first Hussar unit is disrupted, but the second too as the disordered Hussars are pushed back on their supports.

The second Hussar unit trust it's luck, still not having learned from the errors of its fellow in not forming line! Three dice, three 1s, need I say more?

The whole French cavalry brigade is in disarray with one Hussar unit destroyed for 5 VPs to Von Robbinsahn!

Temporary respite for the shattered French Light Cavalry brigade as their opponents seek to Rally from Disruption and Disorder. No cards for the French Rally though. At this point I realised I'd been over concentrating on this flank and neglecting the infantry arm who had advanced far too slowly.

Having neglected my infantry and seen my bold assault on the Austrian left first repulsed and then destroyed, too late I try to organise the infantry assault. Phil disrupts this plan by using a Special Event card to break up my advance and then to bombard the luckless columns! Merdé!

I loose a column of infantry on my right to add to the loss of my whole Light Cavalry brigade! Another 4 VPs for Von Robbinsahn sees him win the game! The French quit the field with De Bykli facing Madame Guillotine if he's not careful!

The final position for the loosing French with their right in ruin and the Austrian Light Cavalry brigade free to savage their rear!

The victorious Von Robbinsahn, obviously motivated by the appearance of the Corps Commander, sees his infantry untroubled by the disjointed French attacks. His extra card from Turns 3-5 made quite a difference as the game unfolded, mostly in bombarding the hapless French infantry and rallying his own Light Cavalry. 

Overall still a great game and a solid 8/10 for Soldiers of Napoleon! The French great gamble on the right failed and in attempting to stem the consequences diverted attention and cards from the infantry assault which never really got underway until the right was lost! Austrian cavalry were used more effectively and rallied when needed, while Artillery bombardments harassed the ponderous French infantry. 

We will return to these rules I'm sure, but next up in GHQ is a photoshoot with Dan of Wargames Illustrated to accompany a piece I've written for a forthcoming Pulp issue, Churchill at Blandings!