Homebrew Rules

Monday, 26 June 2023

Get yer tots out for the lads

Sorry; ruddy spell check again. The title of this post should of course have read get your TOYS out for the lads. 

Hey ho.

The AWI painting has been cracking along recently, helped in part by a bit of drop off in remote gaming. Every cloud and all that I suppose. The only brake on progress has been the need to rebase everything I’d already done to fit with C & C Tricorne.

Still in the painting queue are highlanders, Indians, Hessians, cavalry, guns, and yet more tax dodging militia.

Here’s a quick photo parade of what’s been achieved so far. The photos aren’t great but I’m using a crappy camera in bad light and attempting to photograph 10mm minis. Trust me they look okay at arms length.

His majesties finest

Yet more of George’s boys

And yet more of the same.  Didn’t bother taking piccies of the Grenadier and Light battalions in the background because I’m too ruddy lazy.



And by way of a change, here’s some of the tax dodgers I’ve completed. 


When you find yourself painting button hole lace on 10mm miniatures you realise there’s no hope left for you.


I was putting them all back in the cabinet just now when I realised I’d got enough units to play a version of Hubbardton, a scenario I’d taken part in at Nundanket’s gaff back in February. 

Quick as you like I broke out the hexon and attempted to recreate the battlefield. It came out okay I think. 

Hubbardton. Sort of. The sons of freedom will be arrayed along the road nearest to the camera while zee britishers will have just fought their way over the bridge on the right.

Using Tricorne I’ll have a go at this in the week and post it up here when I’ve done.

Despite all this positive progress I have somehow managed to fall down another gaming rabbit hole this week. An airship shaped rabbit hole to be precise. More on this later no doubt.

Ooh a quick word to the wise while I’m at it. Being as I’m down with the kids and all that, the word on the street is that the cool kids are turning their back on the AWI and drifting toward the WSS. Seriously guys if you don’t want to get left behind, check out the Prometheus In Aspic blog site, where Msr Foy has some ace new rules for the period. There’s no squares on that trip daddyo I can tell you.

Toodleooh.



32 comments:

  1. Splendid chaps - looking forward to the fight on that battlefield …, very interesting. What are the base sizes?

    Cool Kids! I wish they would say duffle coats, flares and platforms were back in …. I would get mine out of the wardrobe in a hearbeat! I have been saving them in the certain knowledge that at some point, the youfff will rediscover them and claim them as theirs 🙂

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  2. Hi Norm, I went back to 30 x 30 mm for the bases. Three of them fit nicely in a hexon hex and can depict the unit in column if necessary for other rules. As to the fashion thing, you need to reclaim the streets man. Get those platforms and flares on and strut yo funky stuff down the high street. I found a photo of me circa 73 a month or so ago. I looked pretty cool in my brown woolly tank top (sporting a large lime green star) fawn wide collared shirt and bottle green red and black spoon toed platforms. Super cool. So cool there’s not a chance in hell of me ever posting that picture on here.

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  3. The boys look very good - I like them. As for your spell checker, just for a brief moment I was really panicking, wondering what your original headline was, but it seems I was well ahead of the game. Mental note to self: must calm down a bit.

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    1. Tee hee. First rule of journalism. If you don’t have much in the way of content, at least come up with an attention grabbing headline! Not sure it’ll be understood across the pond mind you, nor to gentlemen with refined sensibilities (I hope).

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  4. Is Tots a slang for boobs? is that what you're getting at? because that's what I read. I was expecting pictures of half naked miniatures. Now I feel dirty AND cheated.

    good looking AWI troops. 10mm really is small. if you were a smart man you'd do the ACW in 10mm as the uniforms are SOOOO much easier. LOL
    I like the hex terrain. A good blend of textures and colors.

    FINE. I'll go check out this MSFoy person's blog. As any friend of yours should also be a friend of mine. 😀

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    1. Lol. I should hang my head in shame Stew. I’m afraid it’s a chant sung by usually drunken louts when they see anything female with a pulse, and no it’s not tots - it’s what you thought first time. Msr Foy is a top bloke and the one who encouraged me to start my original 1642 blog back in the day. Well worth visiting. Very much a proper historical wargamer in the Freitag sense of the word, not a skank like me who dabbles in all sorts.

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  5. The title and spell checker 'incident' did make me chuckle and not something I've heard since the 1970's! As for '70's fashion, the less said the better IMHO, yet somehow we always seemed to think we were quite well dressed. How the family photos disabuse my memories on this front!

    The figures look fine and arms length and on the table in terms of looking OK works for me. Afterall I don't have mine on display so only ever see them in action as it were. The hex table looks good and hope to read the AAR soon.

    Rabbit holes or butterfly moments are the curse of us gamers, as I know from bitter experience;)! Looking forward to seeing what you have been up to. There has been plenty of stuff on the Honours of War site for tweaking the rules for the WSS and the games do look pretty good. One of those periods I would like to read up on more as and when time allows.

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    1. Hey Steve, glad you like the lads. There’s little chance of me buying armies for the WSS at the moment, since for some reason the current Mrs broom thinks the money would be better spent on food shopping?! I know right. Anywhoo, as things stand I might be able to do the WSS vicariously through MS Foys enormous collection of 20mm chaps. So I can still hang with the cool kids. :-)

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    2. You’re lucky you have cool friends.

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  6. The units look good, likewise your hexed tabletop.

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    1. Cheers Peter, it’ll be good to get the lads into action after all these weeks of painting.

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  7. I thought you were joking about the button lace! They look proper good. Looking forward to hearing about your Hubardton game.
    Bit worried about having to get into a third tricorne period. It’s expensive being a fashionista.
    Chris/Nundanket

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    1. Hi Chris, it’ll be interesting to see if different rules make it easier to achieve a British win in this scenario. As to being a fashionista, Keith (below) has sprung more alarming news on me about what the cool kids are currently up to!

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  8. WSS eh JBM,......nah, been there, done that, got the collection. If you want the real dope, GNW is the next big thing, daddyo!

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    1. Goddamit, you cool kids are sneaky sods. Put out false rumours about the WSS being the next big thing but secretly you’re all moving to the GNW. Bet you’re all having a good laugh at us nerds now. :-)

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  9. Cracking job on the AWI, Leon and the chaps do a cracking job and you’re motivating me to get back to mine. There’s enough rabbits and associated holes floating around around at the moment without thinking WSS although I did wonder if Tony’s rules would work for the Geande Alliance, another great range from Leon. Looking forward to your refight.

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    1. Thanks Graham, they really are lovely little miniatures - with tons of detail on them that’s just begging to be painted. I’ve had 15´s with less detail in the past come to think of it. Unusually for me, painting them has not become a chore, so I should have some decent sized forces in the near future. It’d be nice to run a campaign with them too, if I could get round to designing one.

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  10. These look fab, JBM! You are a fine painter. The hex terrain is ace too. Hubbardton? Sounds familiar…

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    1. Thanks Jon, yeah I guess it should sound familiar shouldn’t it. lol. It’s a small battle (ish) that is a good start point if you don’t have too many troops.

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  11. Groovy toys JB Man…
    I’ve been hip to Cool Tony’s scene for a while… Straight from the fridge dad.

    A word to the wise… The real hipsters are digging the War of 1812.

    Have yourself a time… Aly

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    1. Aargh no…1812 you say?! Do you think Pendraken will let me send back all the WSS and GNW troops I’ve just ordered? Might have to sell a kidney if I’ve got to get 1812 stuff as well. Man it’s so hard to keep up with fashion. :-(

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  12. All looking mighty fine there JBM, long way from home those boys but I'm sure they give those dastardly Rebels a good kicking!

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    1. Hi Lee, with my dice rolling, maybe not! Glad to here from you though mate.

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  13. Until I read that they are in fact 10mm I was impressed with the painting on 15mm troops. 10mm!!?? Crazy to see such detail picked out so nicely sir. Well done. Going to have one heck of a good looking collection at this rate.

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    1. Thanks Dai, pretty much everything I do these days is this scale, so it doesn’t seem that small to me really, especially when I consider the large ECW armies I used to have in 6mm or even my brief flirtation with 2mm.

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  14. Top notch units here, fantastic paint job and impressive details!!

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  15. Splendid looking troops, I am unfortunately not down with the kids, but I am happy for you to inhabit your own slice of 1950's cool complete with black polo neck , beret and cigarette holder complete with gitaines listening to jazz or Jacques Brel it does explain why you moved to France!
    Best Iain

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    1. Hi Iain, I’ve spent a fortune on cravats and learning to play the bongos too.

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    2. Hi Mark, that does explain a lot...!
      Best Iain

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  16. Oh and BTW I heard a rumour about Jenkins Ear.

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