Sunday 15 January 2023

Back to the future

Sorry about the posting gap, but in the last few weeks I’ve deliberately spent less time looking at screens and more time on painting. For any bloggers whose recent posts I’ve failed to comment on, apologies are in order…I still love you…it’s me not you…etc etc.

Anywhoo apart from a few progress piccies below I have two items of gaming related news. Firstly my expected AWI order never turned up, so I can only assume they’ve deserted the kings colours. Leon at Pendraken has been very good at organising a replacement so hopefully I will be able to get started on that project…before I lose interest and start something else. 

Second bit of news was that I took part in my very first zoom game just before Christmas, and jolly good it was too. Apart from playing against my two lads when they were growing up it’s the first time I’ve played against another real life opponent since 1988. I know. As a wargaming hermit and general technophobe this has been a big old step for me. Potentially on the strength of that game I have now been invited round to nundanket’s house to play, so I think I’ll wear my PJ’s for that one in case there’s a sleepover. 

Work on the 10mm Elizabethan pike and shot stuff has recommenced and here’s where I’m up to at the moment:

English pike and shot company circa 1590. Note the bowmen still included in its order of battle. 

Another English company of foot though this lot are sporting the latest « muskets » to complement the more numerous but shorter ranged arquebus blokes.

Demi lancers. Partially armoured cavalry relying on the shock of impact. English forces of this period suffered from a general lack of cavalry, through Elizabethan parsimony (they cost a lot to raise and maintain) and the rise of pike heavy infantry formations that initially made them less effective in their direct combat role.

Petronels. Mounted infantry who predated the later dragoons and harquebusiers. From what I have read they were not intended to dismount and fight but shot a mix of pistols and carbines from the saddle. Another troop type not really available in large numbers since the individuals asked to raise them were frequently also funding foot units as well.


One of my command stands. Difficult to see in the picture but this bloke is sporting a pair of red and yellow striped puff ball loon pants. Right on brother.

I’m now working on artillery before branching out into some Irish opponents for them. Despite creating my own set of rules I’m probably going to use the excellent C&C ECW ones available at the brilliant Prometheus in Aspic blog, jiggered around a bit to allow for unit facing and new unit types. 

Righto I suppose I’d better sling my hook and break those ruddy brushes out again.

Toodleooh.


29 comments:

  1. Good that some progress is being made. The postal strike in the UK has had an ongoing effect of parcels taking a long time to deliver. Even this week, when things should be settling, I paid for 48 hour priority postage despatched Tuesday and it arrived Saturday. So it will be interesting to see whether the original AWI order ever finds its way to you …. or whether chaos reigns!

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    1. If the original lot do turn up at some point I’m going to have to hang a few of them, as a warning to other new recruits. I placed an order for my new geek villain furry mat this week only to discover that the royal mails having problems sending stuff overseas due to a malware attack - so God knows if or when I’ll ever see that. Honestly I’ve only been gone from the ruddy country for three months and it’s all gone to pot!

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  2. Some very nice work there JBM! A period I keep pondering on gaming, but frankly have too many stalled projects already. I had hoped to have done some painting by now, but a bad back followed by a nasty cold have put pay to this. Such is life:(.

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    1. Hi Steve. Sounds like you’ve good reason to defer painting for now. My main problem is pure bloody laziness. Hope your ailments get better soon matey.

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  3. Now they look great, my love affair with the campaign in Ireland was many years ago using Freikorps 15 and Charlie Wessencrafts rules ! But still the games were great fun. Keep up the good work and I’m looking forward to seeing these march over the new table soon

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    1. Hi Graham, there should be some interesting asymmetry in the conflict between the two sides - especially the earlier Irish fighting. Gallowglass and kerns look more like medieval soldiers and the fighting will be a lot of hit and run skirmishy stuff (which the more formed english soldiery will find hard to counter).

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  4. Once you step over the threshold to remote gaming via Zoom, there is no turning back.

    Good looking troops!

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    1. Thanks Jonathan. I have to say I was surprised how well the whole zoom thing worked. It’s definitely the future of gaming for me.

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  5. Nice work! How do you tell the difference between arquebus and muskets?
    Post has been very hit and miss lately. A football ticket I ordered in mid-November arrived nearly a month after the match took place.

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    1. Hey matey. The musket has a much longer barrel which in its earliest iteration requîtes a forked rest to steady it on. The guys in the front rank of picture two are carrying the rests in their right hands. Later muskets had the barrel shortened a bit and the rests weren’t needed. Yeah the posts definitely a problem at the moment. Good to know it’s not just cos I is forin.

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  6. PS looking forward to the game.

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  7. Welcome back JBM. Nice paint work on the little chaps. Also I have to say that I used to be able to rock a pair of Loons, the seventies version with vee-seam at the knee. Good I was a fashion victim.

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    1. Well hello sir, how are you diddling? I hope we can see pictorial evidence of your loons in action on the blog at some point? My biggest fashion faux par was platform shoes in bottle green red and black. Man they were cool…and yet simultaneously really nasty. Wore them along with a brown tank top with a big yellow star on the front and some noddy holder checked fawn bell bottomed flares. Them was the days.

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  8. You don’t love us! Lol
    I can’t talk. I took 3 months off as well.
    Glad you broke the seal on gaming with an opponent. Games are more fun that way. (I think). 😀

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    1. Hi Stew, yeah you did take 3 months off - which made me think he’ll if he can do it… It was definitely more fun playing against someone than playing solo. I hope I can pick up some more zoom gigs in the future cos where I am now it’s the only way I’m ever going to play against an actual opponent.

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  9. Good to see that the new wargame room is getting a good work out JBM! Unlucky with the post but I have learnt from experience not to purchase in November / December from Pendraken. Not their fault, I just think that small heavy packages fall to the bottom of very big piles in the post office sorting rooms and take a while to make their way to you. Mine took about 12 weeks, rather than the usual 6-8.
    Good luck with your next game.

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    1. Thanks Ben, I’m only on the other side of the ruddy channel…you are at least half a world away which is at least a decent excuse for the odd delay. You do have a point about timing but the winter is always a time when I need a bit of retail therapy to cheer me up. Catch 22.

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  10. Glad to read your news....I thought you might have gone all French on us, and decided to stop posting in Englsh or something ! Look at you Mr Technology with your Zoomng.....very impressive. No game with an opponent since 1988, whereas I had my first solo game in forty plus years only a few months ago....the only constant is change!

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    1. Posting in French might be a step too far Keith, even for me. I had a period in my 20´s where the only other gamers I came across were rules nazis, know all grognards, or the win at all costs type. Solo games became preferable. With that said, times have definitely changed and the internet has finally proved useful for things other than porn or pictures of cats. Hope your solo game turns out to be a one off!

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  11. Splendid looking new toys JBM…
    And good to hear you got a game in… did you win?😁

    All the best. Aly

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    1. I’m afraid so Aly, but it was a C&C game so very much down to the cards I had in my hand and the fact that mine host was a gentleman who allowed me to play the easy side!

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  12. Cheers on your first Zoom game! They’ve been keeping me, & my small group of Old Friends, going these last couple of years. Amazing how well it can work at any level of game. Skirmish works very well. Larger multiplayer games might take a few sessions if you only have an hour or two. But that just adds spice to the of expectation of getting together again. And laughing at the die rolls. (Anything but a One TtE! Oh . . .)

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  13. Dreading the next game. It looks a lot less one sided and it uses rules I’ve not played before. Could be in for a drubbing! That’ll teach me to put myself out there. Lol.

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  14. Looking forward to a report when you have a chance! Who needs rules? As long as _somebody_ knows how to run the game system and somebody can set up the remote connection. Have fun, an al, roll some dice & giggle about it all!
    ~ TomT

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    1. Problem with attending other peoples zoom games Tom is that it’s really their game (in which you are a mere participant) and I feel the “honour” of posting about it should really go to them, n’est-ce pas? Still fun mind you, even if in a supporting role.

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  15. Splendid looking troops and good news on the game, I'm really tempted by both the period and campaign but I will have to live vicariously through you!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks Iain, I am in turn currently living (gaming wise) vicariously through others. There’s only so much money available for toys at the end of the day, and only so much time that you can devote to the hobby.

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  16. Hi Mark (if I may be so bold!) here is the link to the Devil to Pay free download rules https://www.thedeviltopay.com/_files/ugd/852841_0fe1541a07b842049a2b1fb387f1b2a8.pdf

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