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

Has It Really Been Three Months???

Yes it has indeed!!!

A combination of dodgy computers, limited time and workload has rendered the blog a long way down the "to do" list, but I have not been entirely idle. After our outing with Kirkburn Bridge in December, I have managed one whole game of AK47 Republic but did manage to complete four more units, not to mention some civilians and some terrain upgrades, including a church (for the "Kirk" in Kirkburn) and a backscene.

Well, WMMS is now two days ago and a jolly good time was had by the team. We took photos aplenty which will be posted soon, but first, some overdue shots of some of the newer stuff.

I had to borrow a laptop to even post this, but hope to get up and running soon.....

G

Percy's Retinue - Andrew de Astley far left, the Henry de Percy, William de Grandison, Robert Tregoz, Hugh le Despencer and John de Hastings. The far corner is William Vavassour and the "argent two chevrons gules" is Ralph Grendon.

Astley, Percy and de Grandison in close up.

And ditto for Tregoz, Despencer and Hastings.

Another couple of my calico standards/ banners.

Percy's standard in close up.

As usual, the figures are Fireforge plastic Teutonic Knights and Mounted Sergeants.

Smile Sir Hugh....

And another unit of Scottish spearmen, Annandale/ De La Haye. These are also converted from Fireforge plastics, but with two Old Glory dismounted knights in the front rank. 

The English nobility's view of the opposition.

The Annandale flag to the fore, with De La Haye behind.

Kirkburn Bridge c1314 - Wargamer Show, 01/12/13

Hi all.

Some very yellow pictures for you of last weekend's inaugural outing for Kirkburn Bridge - the lighting is terrible at the venue unfortunately. It was often an afterthought to take a picture or two, so busy were we fielding comments, questions and actually playing the game!!! Thanks to all those who took the time to come and see our little offering. We hope you enjoyed what you saw and heard and that we will see you again soon at another show.

The photos at least show that I do occasionally finish figure bases and I even steered away from my usual protective gloss varnish, to good effect I feel. Now, I must invest in another pot of Basetex, some more tufts and static grass before the next scenic session...

G

Terrible photo, with The Last Valley's sundry boxes in the background, but this was the only shot I got of the sole Scots cavalry unit, Douglas/ Keith.

Quite why Paul deployed them like Napoleonic cavalry is beyond me, but these Scottish spearmen do look good en masse.

The first of the Hairies (with dog). The Sean Pertwee film "Dog Soldiers" is set in Scotland, but the mastiff in this unit is entirely coincidental.

Robert the Bruce chivvying along some peasants.

Gloucester's command ford one of the rivers, headed by his Welsh archers and skirmishers.

But his knights, frustrated by the congestion ahead, turn right along the river bank to find room for some devastating lance action. 

Shropshire spearmen and Hereford.

A very jaundiced view of Hereford's attempt to get his knights across the other river.

The Islesmen and Cressingham's clash, victory going to the Hebrideans after a stern fight. However, subsequently pinned to their flank by the Welsh skirmishers, they fell prey to a shattering charge from Clifford's cavalry who were bringing up the rear of Gloucester's column.

The Highlanders smash into Gloucester's Welsh archers, whose arrows fail to stop them. The results were predictable and the Welsh fled the field. The Scottish centre is in the background as it moves forward to confront Hereford's command.

Clifford' retinue, fresh from slaughtering Islesmen, charges headlong into some Ettrick archers and promptly smashes them too.

De Monthermer's knights from Gloucester's command finally come to blows, but the Highlanders hold.

The Scots centre is in trouble, with open flanks and roaming English knights.

Edward Bruce tries to shore up the Scottish centre and launch the Mar/ Fife spearmen back into the fray......

.....where Hereford's fresh units of foot and cavalry await.

Pembroke's command formed the right of the English forces, trying also to cross the river to confront Moray's command.

Moray's command lie in wait on the Scottish left. (I am not sure if that crack is an earthquake caused by the thundering English knights, a ditch dug for their own protection by the Scots or someone leaning on the boards...)

What a month!!!

Just a quick post to let people know I am still alive and kicking.....

But what a month!

After a frantic four weeks finishing Islesmen and others, varnishing 36 whole units (counting each command element as a single unit and my casualties also), then basing the whole collection, making up and altering a few 4Ground buildings and other bits and generally making everything ready for the first outing of "The Battle of Kirkburn Bridge, c. 1314", we finally had that first outing last Sunday, 1st December, at the Wargamer show in Great Barr, Birmingham.

I took a load of photos, but the lighting is not that good at the venue, so I will have to sift through for any half decent ones to post.

I bought a load of stuff - "The Baron' War, 1264 - 7" from Lance & Longbow; some more Fireforge boxed sets to fill out my English and Scots ready for the next outing; the "mega wargames" book from Wargames Illustrated; the Wargamers' Annual for 2014.

I managed to resist Colonel Bill and especially the "Samurai" houses range and the Foundry medievals he also had.

I managed to resist the Judge Dredd boxed game Warlord had on sale...

I played English for our first game and we won, despite my best efforts to get Gloucester killed, which I failed to do!!!

I played Scots for our second game and won again.

2-0 to me and my allies and yah boo to the rest!!!

Loads of very favourable comments received so thanks to all who took the time to come and see us.

Now to tidy the conservatory/ dining room ready for Christmas.

G

Men of Shropshire

With just four weeks and two days to go before the "Wargamer" show in Birmingham and the inaugural outing of the 1314 project that has dominated my work for the past year or so, I am trying to stack up completed units as quickly as possible to save myself some late nights as we wend our way through November!!!

Latest new kids on the block (although I painted them a while ago, and did the flag, and even varnished them, but only based them yesterday!) are these "Men of Shropshire", hardened veterans of many a skirmish against the dastardly North Welsh and now set on meting out the odd beating to the more northerly Celts of this sceptre isle.

These hard-bitten veterans have damaged shields, mixed armour and bad attitudes, but will no doubt help keep the Earl of Hereford's command out of trouble for a while when they finally hit the table.

As with the "Carlisle and the Cumbrians" unit I painted and posted about ages ago, I have taken modern and older references to Shrewsbury and Shropshire and stripped them back to get something I find more plausible for 1314. The blue and yellow is here to stay, but gone are the lions' heads, the modern day ermine on the yellow chevron, etc., leaving just said chevron on its field of blue.

The figures are my usual Fireforge plastics, with just the odd conversion thrown in.

G

The completed West Mercians in all their glory

A veteran bunch of hard-bitten mercenaries

Distressing the shields was easy given their plastic manufacture. Painting some in paler, washed out tones, helped the illusion of them being in regular use I feel.

I like chevrons, especially in the run-up to florry counter-florry!

The whole unit again.

The side the Scots will not see (unless I am playing the Scots when the time comes., of course!)