Friday, 7 March 2014

A new project

Whilst yesterday's celts continue their all-to-stately progress towards completion, I've started another project.


I needed some small Roman boats for several of this year's games. I couldn't find any custom-designed Roman boats*, and so decided to convert some existing models. I found some cheap pirate rowing boats for a modest £5 each, and bought 8. The irritating Celt is only present for size comparison purposes.

Unfortunately, the rowing boats have square sterns which are wrong for the period, so I sawed them all in half, glued the halves together, and disguised the joins, leaving me 4 boats around 20cm long. Later, I may add removable masts.  They'll do; their first outing will be Salute.

I have 8 pirate rowing boat sterns, going cheap, if anyone should need them!  ;-)

*at least ones that that I could afford

Thursday, 6 March 2014

Latest shot of the irritating Celts

Now partially based; the largest bases I've ever made, with 24 irritating Celts on each, and a few singly based irritating "heroes".


Did I mention that I hate painting Celts?

Monday, 3 March 2014

Celtic update

I've made up shields for all of last week's celts.  I love the Little Big Man Studios transfers, in this case all applied on A&A shields which are delightfully thin.  Plus Steve is such a nice chap... and, in any case, I could never paint anything half as well.


Hopefully I'll have time tonight to matt varnish, and also to do the metallic highlight on the celts.

Friday, 28 February 2014

Chaeronea 86BC dress rehearsal

I'm putting on weekend at the Wargames Holiday Centre, in late June, and have been rehearsing some of the games I intend to run there.  Chareronea 86BC is one of my favourite battles, and last night Dr. Simon, Ian, Jay and a new visitor, Steve, fought it to a bloody (and somewhat unexpected) conclusion, using the rules I am developing.

Below are the Pontic host; General Archelaus leads his xystophoroi bodyguard and Scythian heavies forward, whilst scythed chariots and archers screen the Brazen Shields and Slave phalanx.


Below, the Roman lne is drawn up, below the acropolis of Chaeronea.


Both sides advanced and battle was joined along the length of the line.  The greek allied cavalry on the Roman left did a sterling job throughout the game, resisting and eventually defeating twice their number of superior-quality Pontic cavalry.


Below, the pert buttocks of the Galatian garrison of Mons Thurium; these were surprised and destroyed by an attack from the rear!


The Romans advanced quickly, but were pushed back by the enemy phalanx.  On the Pontic left, their horse archers and thureophoroi, units which have never previously so much as scratched a Latin, managed to kill several cohorts and the course of the battle began to turn against the Romans. 


Eventually Pontic pressure all along the line told, and the Romans broke.  It was a close-run thing, though, as by this time, much of the Pontic phalanx was, itself, ready to break.  A little more Roman luck might have seen an entirely different result.  This re-fight was the best ever showing for the Pontics, who have previously been very roughly handled by the Romans.

If you'd like a chance to play this game (amongst others), please drop Mark Freeth at the Wargames Holiday Centre a line.

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Did I mention that I hate painting celts?


At least the blighters are all blocked in, now.  I just need:-

  • one session to paint in details on shields and scabbards, and wash with ink
  • two sessions to finish and fit an additional 27 shields with LBMS transfers
  • one session to highlight metallics, and snagging
Hopefully I will be basing by this time next week.  I have something special in mind, for the basing....

Saturday, 22 February 2014

More celts...


More celts hit the painting table.  I really hate painting celts.  :-(

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

Ruspina 46BC

I fought the battle of Ruspina 46BC, with mate Ian, tonight (all pics clickable).


Ruspina is a really interesting engagement, as the forces were asymmetric; Caesarian Roman legionaries fought against very large numbers of Numidian light troops, under Labienus, who encircled them on a featureless plain.  I wanted to see whether the rules I am developing would work with this unusual engagement, and they did, rather well.  I set up a relatively large table with open flanks and a complete lack of terrain.


Initially the Numidians moved forward, but a bit too fast; they were soon pushed back by Roman charges, and several units were caught and destroyed. It wasn't going at all well!


Later, however (as shown below), gaps emerged in the thin Roman line, and Numidian units penetrated through these, and lapped around its left flank. The consequent flank and rear charges, and Numidian superior numbers, told, and we judged Labienus and Petreius would have been victorious in a turn or two. 


Learning points were that the Caesarians need to be in a double line (rather than a single one), the next time we try it. Reading between the lines of the Caesar's Civil Wars text, I really do think that they must have been in a double line, on the day, rather than the single line suggested in my translation. 

'Twas an enjoyable game, which threw up a few ideas that I'll build into the rules, tomorrow.