Cause for Celebration

Just a quick update to say Merry Christmas to all the loyal readers, visitors and followers of the blog. In particular, a big thank you to all who commented, emailed and got in touch to express thoughts and condolences following the previous blog entry. Your words are much appreciated.

On an upbeat note...
Amidst a house move, office move, and the build up to Christmas, emerging from the mist, I have a new wargames room, onto the shelves of which I have found time to place many figures that have been in boxes for a couple of years...
... ooh!
Additionally stimulated by having the opportunity to sort through many old wargames magazines, this has resulted in an upsurge in plans for 2015...

So, what's on the agenda?
1. Continue the 18th Century project, on track to have 8 battalions of infantry per side by end of 2015.
2. Revisit the Thirty Years War project, finish off some units that need flags and basing, and get it out to a show in 2015 as a display game.
3. Do some scratch-building. One can never have too many buildings.
4. Finish the 18th century rules.

I also plan to game some more, including more such as the Dottingheim game conducted earlier this year and reported in previous blog entries wherein online pals act as proxy generals and I play out the action on the tabletop. 

For now, there's a copy of Carlo Pagnano's "Gilder-inspired" Sudan rules winging it's way to me. Of course, these are merely for reading and enjoying. There are no plans to use them... none whatsoever. Definitely not buying any figures. Definitely.

Whatever your plans for 2015, whatever your plans for the festive season, have a really good one... peace on earth, and wargaming aplenty.

Warmest festive wishes!

Phil

Sad news

I can only just bring myself to report that the blog mascot, Jethro, has passed on, aged 16...

Goodnight my little pal. I'll miss you.
Sleep well, cheeky boy...

French Dragoons

I recently recruited into my collection a unit of cavalry figures- French Dragoons- from the collection of John Ray, whose work will be known to many readers.
All I needed to do was add horses, and base the unit, and hey presto...

Originally the Orleans Dragoon Regt, these chaps sport the uniform of a period slightly later than that which I am depicting with my 18th century Pils Holstein collection. I love the green coats and helmets, and although I'm not a purist with this and am happy to leave these anomalies so that the project reflects uniforms from 1740-1760 ish, I wanted to rename this unit, and have labelled them The Chevaliers de Rouen - a fictional regiment, and I'm sure you get the pun. They are lead by their Colonel Theophillis d'En (Theo d'En) for those who need a nudge to get it...

More news on the project soon...
Phil

More TYW pictures added

Have added 38 more pictures to the Thirty Years War archive page (see link on right hand side)...

Here are just a few of what's included, from full table layouts and battle scenes, to individual units, command vignettes and small set-pieces (like the infamous witch vignettes, originally shown on my old Breitenfeld blog)...












Don't worry; the archives updating project is almost at an end, and I'll have some fresh stuff to show for my main 18th century Pils-Holstein project very soon.

Meanwhile, as always your comments are welcome... (it's the only way I know anyone's visiting and interested!!!).

Cheers for your support.

 

 

Archive added: League of Augsburg, Grand Alliance, Great Northern War... plus - more Napoleonics

Continuing the theme of adding old pictures to the archives pages on the right, I have added a page for League of Augsburg/ Grand Alliance/ GNW.
During the 1990s, this was the main thrust of my wargaming focus, and much of that time involved attending shows and putting on games under the banner of "The League of Augsburg" which frequently featured in the wargames press at the time. as some readers and blog visitors may remember.

Few photos remain, and many of the units have moved on to pursue their tabletop careers with other wargamers, in true mercenary style!
However, some pictures do remain, so I hope you will enjoy that little skip through wargaming history (or at least indulge my own nostalgia).

Here are a couple of my favourite units from the period as a taster...

Above: Balfour's Regt... from Killiecrankie.

Below: Jonkopping Regt - Swedish infantry from The Great Northern War.

 

I have also found a few more Napoleonic pictures and added them to that archive too.



Thanks to those who commented last time, and all who have been in touch expressing interest.

More to come soon...

Napoleonics archive page added

And so it goes on...
I've added a Napoleonic archive page - see link on right.
Here's a taster, or two... or three...

 

The ECW was not such a catch then as only a couple of people commented on the previous post and ECW archive page (thanks Jeff and Chris). But I'm sure someone out there must like Napoleonics...?

Anyone?

 

 

Archive page added - ECW

Over the years, I have dabbled in the ECW, though I have never really tackled the period "full-on".
However, I have a few snaps of some of the units I painted a number of years ago, so thought an ECW archive page would be an appropriate addition.

Here's a taster...

For more, see archive page link on right...

Thanks again for your supportive comments posted last time. It's encouraging to receive such feedback and tells me it's worth continuing to add more archives, so watch this space for more in the near future...