Showing posts with label Miscellenia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miscellenia. Show all posts

Monday, 21 June 2010

Evil Empire targets Muswell Militia

So I'm on my way to work this morning, and next to the bus stop, perhaps 100 yards form my front door (and right next to the "Maid of Muswell", our local waterhole), a Games Workshop has sprung up overnight!  I can only assume this is a targeted attempt to plunder Muswell Militia's wargames budget.  ;-)

More seriously, I don't buy much GW stuff these days aside from the odd pot of paint, but I welcome their arrival, nonetheless.  It is an interesting place to put a wargames shop; not much passing trade, but there are thousands of well-heeled teenagers around here.  Possibly a shrewd marketing strategy... time will tell.

Saturday, 22 May 2010

Ideas for next year's game... I

I've created a shortlist of 3 battles that we could turn into a Very Big Battle for 2011, and I'll briefly post on each over the next week or so; then we can take a collective decision about which to go for.  I'd anticipate  that all 3 projects would be a similar size, with c. 2000 miniatures on a 20'+ wide table based on the Zama terrain.

The first battle I'd like to look at is Chaeronea, 86BC; a big engagement fought on a flat plain in a Greek valley between Sulla's Romans and Mithridates' General Archaelaus, which is described on Wikipedia.  It is, also, a battle we've previously fought (links to the 3rd part of an article about our game).

Here are some links to photos of the plain near Chaeronea, including one from the hills.  The Zama boards would lend themselves very well to this, and a couple of large hills could be sculpted to represent the edges of the valley.  There is also a river, a fortified hilltop and IIRC there may be a temple; all potetiallly striking terrain, and where there was also some fighting.  It might be possible to fit a camp in, too.

Other plusses are that the troops types involved are fairly varied, and include pikes (including a phalanx formed of former slaves), scythed chariots, thureophoroi, Skythian or Hellenistic heavy cavalry and tons of Romans.  No elephants, iunfortunately.  One further plus is that I already have quite a lot of painted suitable for this game, although  in a sense, this is also a minus in that there would be less to paint, and painting everything for Zama was half the fun.  Still, we could up the numbers and make the game absolutely huge.

Friday, 14 May 2010

Ideas for a big Game in 2011

Hi chaps, I think it would be a fine idea to run another big game in 2011, like Zama, and would love to bat some ideas around.  This would be run at Salute and hopefully on another weekend in March, April or May, when we could play it under less pressure, and socialise.

W:e have a few constraints, which will govern what game we can run:-
  1. The terrain must be predominately flat, arid farmland, as I won't have time or money to make a new set of boards.  However I could add one or two boards to what we already have, such as a big hill or river at one end or a town or a camp along one edge, so we could go up to 20' wide by 5' deep.  Indeed, we need something to signal that it is not Zama!
  2. For the same reason, it needs to look rather different to Zama, for which reason we shouldn't use both the Republican Romans or the Carthaginians. 
  3. To cut the painting load, we should use at least one army we have available, so either Republican Romans (if available, as half are oop North and half across the water) Marian Romans, Early Imperial Romans, Gauls/Germans or Carthaginians
  4. The other army should be a recent (or imminent), pretty range (as were the Aventine Republicans), that we will enjoy painting. 
  5. The battle should include some visually interesting troop types such as pikemen, cataphracts, scythed chariots, elephants, camels, ships or similar flummery.
  6. The game has, to my mind, to be somewhat larger than Zama, which had 1500 miniatures; say a round 2K?
I have a few ideas about battles that might fit the above criteria, but I thought it might be good to start off with a bit of a brainstorm... all ideas weclome.

Sunday, 25 April 2010

A fine day out...

Yesterday was Salute 2010, and I've half a dozen or so photos of the day, mostly garnered from Matthieu's phone (merci!).  They are mostly of the people (I've got a disc of photos of the game at Bletchley from Ian that I will post later).


Muswell Hill Militiamen (Paris chapter) drinking beer outside the Maid of Muswell pub, our spiritual home.

 Matthieu developing a taste for Landlord.

My son Harry, his friend Alex and I arrived at Excel at 7:01, but it took over 2 hours to get in and finish setting the game up.  Various militiamen arrived with their contingents; Ian and Dr. Simon from Muswell, Craig from Leeds, Nick and a friend from Essex.  The doors opened at 9:45 and we kicked the game off at 11.00 with the assistance of conscripted players who included another Simon, Chris and Dirk (apologies for missed names here, I have a terrible memory for names and faces).  Many of the players were novices but they picked the rules up quickly.


Scipio confers with Laelius, whils Masinissa appears to be wearing a Hawaiian shirt.

Gregory Privat, Iron Mitten and yrs truly.   I look almost as crazed as the sapper in the picture!

Gregory in trouble.

The Carthaginian elephants performed very poorly and one of the Carthaginian generals became despondant, but Hannibal kept the battle going right to the end...

Scipio was called away and the other generals decide on cardplay in his absence,.  Leadership by committee  must have been effective, as the Romans did eventually win at around 4.30pm (whilst Scipio was off queuing in the car park). 


Unexpectedly we were awarded the Salute prize for "Most Impressive Troops".  This was a considerable acheivement, because there were some fantastic armies out there!  The judge said that what most impressed him was that the project was the combined work of 6 or 7 different painters, and yet all the figures worked together beautifully.  I think that  this, on top of the Best Game award at Bletchley, is a great tribute to all the people that have worked so long and hard to bring the project to fruition!

So what next?  I think a few weeks are needed to chill out, and then we might bat some ideas around for another grandiose project for 2011...

Friday, 5 March 2010

100Kday!

I'd very much like to thank all the people who have visited this site since last March, and who yesterday took my page load numbers past 100,000 hits, with just over 51,000 unique visits.  I've hugely enjoyed your feedback and comments, and hope to meet some of you in person at Bletchley and Salute.  Here's an old pic of some happy Germanic cavalry, in celebration.


 In other news,  I played my first game of Flames of War last night with some local gamers from Dark Nights and Bloody Dawns in Wood Green.  It was very enjoyable; how did I  manage to completely miss FoW until now?  The 15mm WW2 figures were both numerous and beautifully painted, and I'd very much like to use them again.  We used Western Desert minis, and I will hopefully show DNBD how a Memoir '44 Western Desert game would compare.  Might even try their minis on a big hex grid.

Finally, I will be starting board 7 for Zama, today.  Joy.

Sunday, 28 February 2010

BigRedBat's War Cabinet

One of the younger scions of the BigRedBat clan has laid claim to the room where I've traditionally stored my legions.  Accordingly, as part of a negotiated withdrawl, it was agreed that I could put a storage cabinet in another room.  I found a fantastic one at Ikea; the Bergsbo.  My son and I assembled it today, and this afternoon my troops marched to their new home with banners flying and flautists piping.

What excites me about the Bergsbo cabinet is that has the perfect dimensions to take an unfeasibly large number of the "Really Useful Boxes" in which I store all my minis., with almost no wasted space.  It is deep, and all the shelves are adjustable.   In (and above) the cabinet are no less than 68 storage boxes, of various sizes, containing roughly 3000 28mm miniatures and almost all my terrain.

Another benefit of the new cabinet is that it is now a lot easier to access the miniatures I need for a particular game, and I can see the labels on the end of the boxes.  Oh happy day!

Sunday, 21 February 2010

Mission Statement

I suffer from mission creep, more than most collectors.  I have decided that I had better focus, at least within broad limits.  For ancients, I'm therefore going to concentrate on:-
  • The time: Roughly 400BC to 400AD; Peloponnesian war to the fall of Rome
  • The place: The Mediterranean basin, France and Britain (and later Germany/Dacia)
  • The next army: Pyrrhics (and finishing off various part-painted units from the EIR and Polybian eras).
Once Zama is out of the way I'll therefore flog off some non-core bits, such as my Viking army, which is little used for lack of an opposing army.  Below is an old pic of some of the Vikings, next to their fjord:


I do also have a small Assyrian army, which I'll keep because I think it'll look great once completed, and because I recently bought some great Biblical-era terrain.

Tuesday, 2 February 2010

Nuclear Family

In line with the current trend towards wargaming-related cartoons (congrats again Iron Mitten), I'd thought I'd post a Birthday card that my middle son created for his mum.  This shows the BigRedBat clan in typical domestic mode, clustered around our antiquated Panasonic TV.   


The artist has depicted himself, bottom left, then smallest Bat, Mrs Bat, the eponymous Bat at his painting table, with painting light, and eldest Batson hunched over his laptop.

He knocked this up on a graphics tablet; I think he did rather well!

nb Buy hair tonic; start diet!

Tuesday, 26 January 2010

Arsenal of War

Here is a shot of the BigRedBatCave's arsenal of war, through which every painted miniature passes.  The red boxes on the floor contain a mix of Vallejo and Miniature Paints; the hobby box Games Workshop paints.  The 4 containers, from right to left,  hold brushes, tools, water afor brushes and coffee respectively.  Missing tonight, is the tin tray that I usually store minis on, using their magnetic bases, whilst painting.  The lamp is absolutely brilliant (literally), I'd be lost without it.  Consul asked what I light source I use, and unfortunately I can't recall the manufacturer.  It was bl**dy expensive, though.

At the end of each evening all the figures, paints and impedimentia are stored away until the next night... this only takes a couple of minutes.  The table is opposite our TV which does, unfortunately, slow my productivity somewhat...  but prevents me from getting bored.  It is, all in all,  an odd way of painting compared to a fixed painting table, but a sociable one as I'm around most of the family.

Thursday, 21 January 2010

BigRedBat MSc.

I received an email yesterday evening which advised me that I've been awarded my MSc. in Human Resource Development and Consultancy, from Birkbeck College, with a Merit!  Huzzah!

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

Fellow Traveller

If you have a minute or two, follow the below link to a new blog set up by a mate of mine, Geminian.  Geminian has made much of my terrain, and almost all the best bits, including all my Roman a buildings (below), Middle Easten Buildings and some hills. 



I needed some olive trees made for Zama (I mean, couldn't Scipio and Hannibal have found anywhere more scenic to fight than a totally featureless plain?), and thought of Geminian.  He is making what may well turn out to be the finest olive trees in the history of 28mm gaming...

http://myblogspot-geminianterrain.blogspot.com/

Monday, 18 January 2010

Figgybloggy Blog of the Year



Mon ami Greg is running a competition for "Figgybloggy Blog of the Year".

This has reminded me that I've not recently promoted Figgybloggy, which is an excellent site including most of the best wargames blogs.  If you have a wargaming blog, that isn't already listed on Figgybloggy, then I'd recommend adding it to his list; I've noticed lots of people come from there to read my blog, and I persoanlly read dozens of wargaming blogs that I first saw on Figgybloggy.  Even some of the ones in French!  ;-)


http://figoblogotheque.blogspot.com/2010/01/figgybloggy-best-blog-of-year-award.html

In other news...  I have been highlighting Greg's Bruttians; especially the bronze, to make it "zing".  Hopefully I can finish the highlighting tonight, and start work on the dead nellies...

Sunday, 10 January 2010

Converting catholics?

Last year I posted an image of my celtic army , and I've been puzzled to observe a small but regular number of visitors to the page, coming via Google Images France.

Yesterday it dawned on me that they've been coming via the image searchwords "celtic" and "masse".  The original post was entitled "Celtic Army En Masse"; a celtic mass is apparently a particular form of the religious rite.

Many have gone on to click the image, and even to visit other pages of the site. I find myself wondering whether I've inadvertently lured any French catholics into the world of gaming...

Friday, 8 January 2010

I'm a Dreadnought!

I was surprised (nay delighted) to hear this morning that the Galactic People's Republic have named their latest Stalingrad Class Star Dreadnought after me.  There's a lot more about it on Gregs's Blog:-

http://gloarmy.blogspot.com/2010/01/arsenal.html

I'm very much looking forward to seeing Greg's game; it should be stunning.  It'll need a large table to play on, though!

In other news...  I've not posted for a few days because I've been breaking my back trying to finish the basing on my Numidian army.  It has been a tough job, not helped by the fact I mistakenly used PVA, last night, instead of ScatterGrip and most of my flock has fallen off.  :-(

Friday, 1 January 2010

Resolutions Revisited

Last year's resolutions were to:-
  • 1. Finish the Pictish minis I promised myself I'd finish by the end of December, by the end of January. - I did manage this, bar a couple of standards; I really should take some photos.
  • 2. 2009 is declared "Year of the Early Imperial Roman Auxiliary"- I managed 3 units; a beginning; then I got diverted by the Zama project.
  • 3. ...except that I also have to finish the Celtic army- Which I more or less did but not the Wagon Laager, which would look rather stunning. 
  •  4. Develop a set of rules with Ian that enable me to use my 24-man units- Still thinking about these.  I did have a bright idea about them, only last week, that might help.
  • 5. Run a Roman Campaign- I did; it petered out around mid year, but I'll pick it up again.
  • 6. Buy less minis than I paint... LOL!- I only brought about 200 more than were painted (about 5-600, mostly by friends; thanks!) and spent far more than I had intended, or, indeed, can afford 
New resolutions for 2010:-
  • 1. Finish and deliver a stonking Zama game
  • 2. After that, 2010 is officially declared "Year of the Successor"; I need a couple of feet more phalanx, for a start!  And all those pretty Tarantine cavalry... and a whole circus full of elephants.
  • 3. Pick the Roman Campaign up again
  • 4. Develop the rules 4. above
  • 5. Prune purchases; paint lead mountain!
I'd like to wish a Very Happy and Successful New Year to all my Readers!

Thursday, 31 December 2009

A Happy 2010 to One and All (slightly in advance)!

May your paints never dry up in the bottle, your brushes keep a point and your matt varnish never frost!

Cheers, Simon

Saturday, 26 December 2009

Things to Do for Zama...

With Xmas out of the way, a man's mind turns to war!  We've a lot to do before April.  I'll return to this page and cross things through as they are completed.


Essential things I am doing for Zama
Base 48 Numidians
Repaint/base 32 Velites
Paint and base 20 Spanish skirmishers

Finish and base 48 Bruttians (24 done)
Base 3 more command stands
Base 9 Numidian bodyguards
Paint and decorate 8 terrain boards

Desirable things I am doing for Zama
Make, paint and decorate 2 decorative end boards
Paint 6 dead elephants (4 done)
Paint casualty minis


Things other people are completing for Zama

4 Roman legions plus cavalry (2 done)

128 Carthaginian veterans
24 Numidian cavalry
Paint 4 dead elephants
Paint 2 Numidian elephants
Make a dozen olive trees


After Zama
Paint lots of elephants
Paint a whopping great phalanx
Paint soem Etruscans and Volscians
Paint the wagon laager
Paint more Roman Auxilia
How I want some Tarantines...

It'll be a busy year!  (Updated 13/2/2010)

Wednesday, 23 December 2009

White Figures on a White Background



Yesterday morning I found myself out in the back garden, standing in the snow, getting ready to prime some figures white.  This reminded me of another time, earlier this year, when I was out in the garden at night, priming figures black! 

I try not to think about the time I varnished some minis in the rain.  ;-)

Just in case I don't get the chance again before the 25th (but I probably will as I'm an obsessive blogger), I'd like to wish everyone a Very Merry Xmas!

Tuesday, 1 December 2009

No time to take photos...

...but I have a plan to take lots of pics of another wargame on Thursday night.

I am busy with life in general, but also busy because I've successfully glued 8 of the 9 baseboards for the Zama game together, and finished all the Numidian cavalry that have burdened me this last month.  Huzzah!  Hopefully photos tomorrow.

ps Greg; happily NoMoreNails worked a treat for said gluing; in fact I'd recommend it.  It might be a different formula to the lot that gave you trouble.

Tuesday, 3 November 2009

New Games

Over the last few days I've been very busy with some work and other things... I have been delighted to receive the new C&C expansions.  Expansion 4 contains a new bunch of battles, and 5 the revised Epic rules, for playing larger battles, with a huge new deck of playing cards.



I'm very much looking forward to giving the Epic rules a run through, tonight...