Sunday, 19 May 2019

Partizan - Invasion of the Sugar Islands

Today I kept up the tradition of putting on a demo game at the Newark show - first started many moons ago when it used to be held in a school sports hall!,

I had intended all along to do a game based on Stuart Insch's booklet on the invasion of the Sugar Islands and then fate intervened.

Whilst at Falkirk last week Captain Jack (Stuart Hutchinson) put on a most impressive pirate demo game on an 18x6 table which was essentially 3 6 foot square tables each one representing an island.

What was even better was that he said they were for sale, one volcano island was already spoken for but without hesitation Gavin (Gaming Figures) and I bought the other two sets - a quick tweak of the scenario and we rolled up at Partizan with our new game



























So the terrain boards were made by Stuart and that included the fort. The houses are by Games of War painted by Gavin. The ship and boats are Firelock games from their blood and plunder range. The landing stages are by Games Workshop from their ' laketown building kit. With the exception of the militia which are Minden miniatures the remaining figures are either from my Crann Tara range or conversions of my figures.

I shall do another post on the show itself suffice to say it broke all their records for attendance. 
In terms of the game we used Musket and Tomahawks and bound three neither of us could believe the incredibly poor dice throwing by me for the Brits who by the end of the day had been forced to retire.
I sold all the copies of Stuart's booklet which means ((I think) it is now out of print - time for a second print run I think.

Thursday, 9 May 2019

Wilhelmstahl part deux

Last weekend saw my travel to Charles Grants to participate in our second game based on one of the actions at the Battle of Wilhelmstahl, this one based upon Granby's attacks.
The game continued to reaffirm my belief that Ferdinand of Brunswick was a superb commander.

Yet again my opponent was John Dougan and this was the final game to complete Charles' next publication.

As usual a huge thanks to Charles and Liz for their excellent hospitality and to Charles once again for firing up my 18th century inspiration whereby I leave with a long list of figures that we've agreed need to be produced.

Just a couple of pictures of the game showing the Allied columns forcing their way out of the passes - can't give anything else away.

It's a superb game - full of refight playability.



Friday, 3 May 2019

Keith's Highlanders

Keith's Highlanders or the 87th regiment of foot were formed in 1760 and saw action at the Battles of Warburg and  Villinghausen, they were deployed to Holland in 1762 before returning to Scotland in the December of that year and were disbanded at Perth in July 1763.

I am helping Charles Grant prepare for a forthcoming publication on small scale actions of the Seven Years War which is requiring me to make new figures for the Crann Tara range, Von Luckner Hussars and Mounted Freytag Jaegers are already available and dismounted Jaegers are almost ready for production.
In addition Charles wanted figures to represent Keith's Highlanders - in the absence of light infantry the Highlanders were frequently deployed as both assault troops and light troops and therefore make a few appearances in the forthcoming publication.
To date I have completed converting 6 figures to be cast and need to complete a couple more as well as the Grenadiers.
I managed to finish painting a couple of the figures and if I say so myself the conversions haven't come out to bad (🤣)



Wednesday, 1 May 2019

Some more prints

Whilst the motivation is there I have done a few more prints.

So there's now 40mm, my 30mm, 25mm and 18mm - after Falkirk going to do some 20mm and 10mm! What happens after that I haven't a clue. Had lots of interest re the 18's and the 10's!
So lots to think about