Back again!

The Prodigal Blogger returns!!!

Through reasons not entirely of my own making, it has been ages since my last post:

1. The World Cup was on and, even with the (less than) mighty English doing rather less well than at least 16 other teams, it was still compulsive viewing.
2. Workload has been manic at, erm, work...
3. Family members will insist on me taking them to football practice/ matches/ tournaments, hockey training/ matches, swimming, Guides/ Brownies/ Beavers, shopping, etc.
4. Equipment failure of the PC (as in personal computer) kind.

Yet, at the risk of sounding like Yoda, "Idle I have not been."

Which leads me nicely to the X-Wing tournament I entered on 12th July at Stafford Games. I only played my first ever game a week or so earlier, but took my TIE swarm along to test my Dark Side out against all comers. Four enjoyable games, two wins and two losses (to the two guys who eventually finished first and second), and not finishing last was a bonus! Both my defeats were against a four X-Wing set up, with named characters and a few additional skills thrown in. My TIE swarm was 5 Academy TIE fighters (read "crap") and two Avenger Squadron TIE Interceptors (read "rather better than crap, but hardly elite"). Do I intend to stay with the Dark side after being bested by X-Wings??? Well, my two wins were against other Rebel ships and I have not even used my TIE Advanced (Darth Vader's ship at the end of Episode 4) or my TIE Bomber...

We also took "Kirkburn Bridge, c1314" to Phalanx back in June for a third outing. The (less than) mighty English took the wrong football boots to this event too, however, and disappeared faster than an ice cube in the Sahara, but we did at least manage to wound Robert The Bruce! It did not help when Nephew Paul rolled 10d6, needing 5+ saves, and made 8 of them.........Occasional Wargamer Brother Kev was most gracious as Gloucester's knights raced back home via Berwick, northern jeers ringing round their great helms. OWBK even agreed to give Nephew Paul a lift home after my vociferous threast of violence and abandonment drew further mirth from the other side of the table. OWBK is known to be rather more mellow than I...

And what have I smuggled past my lady wife these past two months? Well, apart from Star Wars space ships, my main single purchase was some 1st Corps/ Curtey's Arthurians, actually Saxons, with a view to resurrecting that ideal, using Dux Bellorum, when I have finished.......

the Turks.

The "Malta" project has continued apace, and I will post photos soon, with around 180 done so far. I have also purchased another 180 varied Turks/ Moslems and Christians to finish this off, along with some plastic Arabs who will be converted (as models, not in any religious sense) to bear ladders, etc., for the storming of the town walls in our proposed game. Yet, I have shelved this project temporarily to concentrate for the rest of this month on....

Turks.

15mm ones to be precise, so I can enter another Stafford Games tournament on 6th and 7th September using the "By Fire & Sword" rules. Only 30 more cavalry to finish as I type and I have only played once, using Poles against Cossacks, so a few practice games through August would not go amiss.

So, reasons good and bad aside, I am still here, I am still painting, I am still buying and I am now posting again!!!

See you soon.

G

Kirkburn Bridge at WMMS, 9th March, 2014

Hi all.

Two posts in two days!!! Things are looking up on the computer availability front!

Pretty much as many pics as I took of the Wyrley Retinue game at the WMMS show last weekend. In between talking, playing, shopping, eating. drinking and generally having a great day out, I probably missed loads of cool picture opportunities, but here i what I do have, warts, dodgy photography and all!!!

We hope to be at Phalanx at St Helen in June if they will have us. Come and say "Hello!" if you can.

Two shots of the table, the Kirkburn itself in the foreground, Hereford crossing via the marshy ground to the left of shot and Gloucester over THE Kirkburn Bridge. Pembroke and Edward are top left and the Scots in an arc top right. My attempt at a backscene top of picture. The whole set up was 10 feet by 6 for this outing.

Moray's command formed the Scottish right, under the guidance of Nephew Paul. The flags of Sutherland, Stewart, Atholl, Moray, Caithness, Ross, Keith, Douglas, the "auld blue blanket" and Randolph, Earl of Moray himself are all visible. It seemed a tactical error to set up in a big column, but, as the game went on, Paul was able to feed in fresh units as the first line was beaten to hold and then beat Pembroke's command.

McDonald held the Scots centre and Carrick the left. Robert Bruce shadows his brother's command on the rise at the back.

Gloucester's troops advance on the English right, eager to come to blows with Carrick (until the dreaded command dice rolls came through!). My brother, Kev, a very infrequent wargamer, did us the honour of commanding Gloucester's troops for the day. We scions of the fair city of Glevum stand together against those northern rebels!

Hereford' command had furthest to go to reach the Scots, so their command rolls were crucial. They never made it into combat........

Pembroke's advance across the far loop of the Kirk Burn went well initially, but then those command rolls came into play again...

Angus Og McDonald's hairies, with Highlanders backed by Islesmen and flanked by rabble archers, the man himself at the back. These fellows played to form and went hell for leather at Pembroke's command.

The Scots left shakes out into line to face Gloucester and Hereford.

A brutak encounter between the Royal Spearmen and the Highlanders was going the way of the hairies until Pembroke launched his knights in to support along with his archers and himself. Though the spearmen were disordered, the hairies could not stand against such numbers and were beaten, but the damage to the Royal Spearmen was irrevocable and crucial to the later stages of the game.

The Gascon crossbowmen did a sterling job of holding the Scottish spears at bay whilst Percy's retinue lined up for a charge and the rest of the command took on McDonald.

Keith and Douglas were keen to enter the fray, but had to wait their chance as the Scottish foot slogged it out.

The kirk of Kirkburn Bridge. I scratch built this one from card, foam board and scribed tile grout for the stonework. I do not normally like making buildings or kits, but enjoyed this little project immensely. The looters and civilians are Foundry figures.

The Scottish left in place quietly waiting for the onslaught of Gloucester and Hereford.

The Scots had flank charged Pembroke's archers, who gamely held, but their own flank was too tempting for Percy, who promptly smashed it and them! Even Edward wanted a go!!! The battle on this wing was very finely balanced.

Gloucester's cavalry is finally ready to get stuck in.

Cressingham gets there first though, but is beaten by the Scottish peasant unit standing uphill to receive their charge across the small stream. Even Gloucester could not sway this fight towards the English.

Just a quick shot of the hall as we went up to eat.

Double prizes!!! As you can probably see, we came away with 3rd Place Display Game and Best Painted Army trophies!!!

Ross and Caithness advance into the ebb and flow of battle with Pembroke' command.

And that is it. Pembroke's command finally broke when the Islesmen, led by McDonald, firstly hit Percy stationary and broke his cavalry and then launched into the flank of the Gascons, breaking them too. Crucially, the Royal Spearmen were unable to charge the flank of the Islesmen first because they failed a command roll!!! Edward was captured so England will be held to ransom for many a generation to come!!! We grudgingly gave the fight to the Scots and headed for Berwick.........but revenge will be sweet. A great day out and a great game had by all.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to come and say "Hello!" It was great to meet Ubique Matt and others who have shown interest in what we are trying to do. Thanks for all the kind comments and feedback.

For those who did not figure it out, the name "Kirkburn Bridge simply derives from the tail elements of Falkirk, Bannockburn and Stirling Bridge. We tried to include elements of each battle, as well as of the wider flavour of Anglo-Scots warfare at this time.

G