Tuesday 31 May 2022

Latest Version of the TtS! Medieval Army list eBook is published

I've just released the latest version of the Medieval Army List eBook. This release includes two new lists - Later Lithuanian or Samogitian, and Frisian Free Cantons - bringing the total to 122. The former list provides able opponents for the dread Teutonic Knights. The latter is an obscure but fun list, since the Frisians are equipped with spears that double as vaulting poles!

There are significant edits to the Breton list, and Bretons in other lists. There are also edits to Western Franks, Pre and Post Mongol Russians, Nikephorian and Thematic Byzantines and possibly others. I removed Livonian light cavalry from the Teutonic knights list; apparently they never existed. I've also added additional background and army note material to some lists. The next version of this eBook will come out around the end of August, there will be several new lists. The next Ancient Army list eBook update is due out at the end of July.

If you have ever bought a paid-for version of the eBook (as opposed to free versions) you should have received a copy either by email (if bought from the BigRedBatshop) or as a download link (if bought from Wargames Vault). If you would like to buy a copy, you can find it here or, if you are in the EU, here.

Here I'm recovering from the exertions of Partizan and trying to push on with several projects in parallel- some more ECW for an extended version of Roundway Down, some more regiments for my 1672 project, some Renaissance knights and ancients for Ipsus. Photos in the weeks to come!

Tuesday 10 May 2022

Gridding

 

Here's chum Ian helping me to mark up cloths for the Roundway Down game with a very unusual 26cm grid, that is required because of the somewhat unusual configuration of the battlefield (7 boxes wide). This proved to be quite involved, since the cloths I had picked are from Geek Villain and use a fleece that is lovely but stretchy, being designed to go over hills. But Ian and I are grizzled veterans of marking up cloths with grids - heck, we've even done hexes! - so it wasn't unduly taxing.

The reason I like these GVs is because they are a great shade of green and there's a nice nap to the fleece. Unfortunately I had to use the last three I had in stock, so I can't sell you any, but I'll hopefully receive more in June, both gridded and un-gridded.

Friday 6 May 2022

Bring on the Empty Horses


Above are the completed horse casualty markers for the Roundway Down game (click for a close-up), and below are the infantry casualty markers. The miniatures are a mix of Bicorne and some old Redoubts and a couple of Warlords The dead horses, above, I converted from a Bicorne horse and Bicorne very kindly then cast a bunch up for me (I've not seen them added in their shop). All the minis were painted by Shaun McTague or me, and chum Ian did the expert flocking, which I then tufted, dry-brushed and varnished. I added the flag for the wounded ensign; poignant, or what?


The title reference is from a David Niven auto-biography. The phrase was used by Michael Curtiz, the Film Director of The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), when attempting to explain on set that he wanted a lot of rider-less horses in the background of the climactic charge; so it is fairly appropriate for Roundway Down!

My recent lack of posts has been because I've been very busy writing modelling for the Roundway Down game at Partizan.  I've almost finished this- just a few hundred tufts to go. I am currently working on the next release of the Medieval Army list book for the month end- I expect to add at least two or three new lists. I'm also finishing my contribution to a Helion book on Ceresole 1544, and writing some ancient army lists, and doing a little work on Renaissance. Lastly I was interviewed at length on the Plastic Crack Podcast, you can watch it here.  Busy, busy, busy!  :-)