Wargames butterfly

As anyone who knows me could tell you I am involved in too many wargames periods for my own good and the trouble is mainly caused by the latest shiniest, tastiest figures just released, reading a good history book, seeing a film or in most cases inspired by other friends and display games at wargames shows.  As an example of my butterfly tendencies here's an example of what I've been working on over the last month.

These are another couple of stands of Turkish troops to add to my Crimean force.

This gorgeous Greek bireme is from Grand Manner which I had kicking about the house

for a few years but eventually got around to painting it up for our

Temple of the Golden Virgin game a few weeks back.

This cemetery is painted up for a game coming up in October

but is generic enough that it will be appearing in many games before then.

As if these weren't enough I have also started painting up a selection of figures from my mate

Barry Hilton's Warfare Miniatures range which I'll post in a separate page but here is a taster.

On top of that I'm already reworking some Macedonians for another up and coming

Hail Ceasar game.

Crimean game

Barry Hilton and myself eventually managed to get together to fight a sample battle for his up and coming Four Empires book which is a Crimean supplement to go with his Republic to Empire rules.
I don't want to give too much away from the battle but here are a few taster shots of the action which involved a French Division of three infantry brigades and a cavalry brigade supported by a brigade of Turks and a Berseglieri unit.

This shows the main infantry brigade led by their Chasseurs a'pied.

Artillery is seen moving up on their flank and a brigade of Zouaves and Turcos in the distance.

Russian rearguard and village defenders.

Attackers go forward.

Storming the village.

I won't give the game away but suffice to say that the battle swung to and fro

and either side could have won until finally decided in the last move.

19th Century Forces

Over the last month I have managed to get a bit of painting down for my 19th century armies.

First up was a unit of Italian Berseglieri, figures from Mirleton with a couple of Foundry Miniatures added, I was so pleased with the end result that I plan to order more.

Next up is a unit of Turkish infantry for the Crimean war.

All figures from a few different ranges from Foundry

with a number of conversions by me.

I also managed to get some French command vignettes finished

but don't have any pics of them yet.

More Crimean Magic

My mates Aly Morrison and Dave Andrews of Great War Miniatures have just announced the release of these little beauties which will no doubt be making an appearance in some games on this site at sometime in the future.

CRC1 Dragoon command. Officer in full dress, mounted drummer, Officer in cap

CRC2 Dragoon command. Officer, bugler, standard bearer

The only thing that's stopping me from running out and buying some is the unpainted lead pile that is blocking the door.

French and Turkish command

Finally for the French here is a command vignette that I finished for our Alma game last year and has never been photographed.

Here are the Turks making sure the French don't get it all wrong.

The chap on the left looks very like one of our LOGW group.

What I like so much about the French is the multiple use you can get out of them as long as you're not a member of the Fashion Police or the Button Brigade.

My French will happily be shooting Russians in the Crimea, bayonetting Austrians in Italy in 1859 and surrendering to the Prussians during the Franco Prussian War.  As if that wasn't enough, the Zouaves and some line troops could also be used in the American Civil War and the artillery and Chasseurs can double up as Piedmontese and Papal troops for fighting with and against Garibaldi.  I was even thinking of painting up some machine guns and using them for the very early WW1 battles, or perhaps that's a war too many?

French Infantry

Over the Christmas period I managed to get some painting and basing done to combine my figures with Aly Morrison's and some of Jack Glanville's troops that I've added to my collection.

The Chasseurs are all my painting

The last two pics show a battalion in reinforced line.

French Artillery

As promised I've finally managed to get around to getting the camera off my wife but unfortunately I've never really learnt how to use it properly so my pics are no where as good as Barry's.
First up are some shots of the artillery battery I had just finished basing.

Some sappers building defences for the guns

I've already started the second battery but it will be a while before it's finished.

Crimean Update

I've not managed to get a game since the Necromunda game but I have been busy wargames wise by finishing off my French artillery battery, started painting some Mirleton Bersegliere and written two scenarios, Oltenitza and Cetate for inclusion into the forthcoming Crimean supplement, Four Empires.  I've a couple of days off work so hope to get started on the scenarios for Eupatoria and the Ingour river.  Some of you Crimean fans might notice a slight Turkish biase to my scenarios.

Just need to get the camera off my wife and I will try and post a few pics of the recent painting.

More of the Alma

Here are an other couple of overall game shots of the allied right flank table which had all the French and Turks on it.

Turks advancing up to the river Alma with naval support.

The French are advancing against the heights held by the Russians with the Turks away in the distance in the top right of this photo.

Another two French divisions are forming up just behind the Alma.



Battle of the Alma

I'm very fortunate to be part of the League of Gentlemen Wargamers, a group of like minded individuals who get together for large battles three times a year and also put on a number of display games at various shows around the country.  Last year our June game was a refight of the Alma fought over a 28x16' table with thousands of gorgeous figures.  What was even more amazing was that most of the figures came from the collection of Bob Lauder from our group with Barry Hilton supplying his collection of Russians to the force and I boosted the French with my collection.  The troops on both sides were laid out in their historical dispositions and the plan of action of the Allies was to hold back the Brits until the French and Turks had advanced onto the high ground on their right flank.  Typically the Brits and French commanders forgot to even invite the Turks to the briefing or mention their plans to the them, but as I was commanding the Turks I had my own ideas anyway.  The Russian plan had been to sit back and see what the Allies were going to do but when they saw the Brits remain stationary for move after move they transferred more and more troops to halt the French and Barry swept down with all the Russian cavalry to tempt the Brits forward.  Here are some pics of the battle and an article by Barry will be appearing in the future.

The Guards Brigade in all their glory except they didn't cover themselves in glory in this battle.

Highlanders and Guards

The Light Division, the only British troops that actually managed to cross the Alma.

The glorious Turks who marched over 30' across the battlefield, routed a Russian Brigade and had one of their own Brigades across the Sevastopol road at the end of the game but were let down by their supposed allies.

Russian guns defending the central position.

Russian lookout postion.

Russian guns bombard the French.

Russian right wing cavalry put up a fantastic fight but don't tell Barry I said that.

I even lent the Brits my Turkish cavalry but they managed to get them blown away.

Despite the result it was a fantastic weekends gaming.

Crimean Turks

Just for Darrell, here is the only shot I seem to have of my lovely 15mm Minifigs Turks that I used to own many years ago but as I couldn't get anyone in the SESWC club interested in the Crimean War these chaps now reside in London.  Thanks to a certain Barry Hilton I have now started to revisit the Crimean War but at the moment I am concentrating on the French which basically means I can just use my Franco Prussian War figures with some of the Foundry Crimean French added in.