Yesterday I took Caeasar and mate Ian to SELWG. We had a very enjoyable day running my Kent 55 BC scenario, which twice turned into a sort of Roman Isandlwana. The game and rules (my "to he Strongest!") proved particularly popular with kids and their fathers (and one mother). I think at least a dozen teenagers enjoyed it, which is a Very Good Thing! One young Roman commander was called Kaiser, which had a certain symmetry. It was great to see mates including one very old mate, on my last show outing of 2014. The photo above is the only one I managed to take, but I should have some better ones in a few days time.
Monday, 13 October 2014
Friday, 10 October 2014
Caesar at SELWG
I'm bringing a big Ancients game at SELWG in Crystal on Sunday, and am keen to find a few players.
It's the follow up game to my C-Day game at Salute, and features a British counter attack against Caesar's Legions led by chariots and my new band of fanatical British warriors. We'll be using my "To the Strongest!" rules, which will be published (initially as a PDF) next month, so it's the last chance to try before you buy. I'll run it once in the morning at 11:00, and a second time in the afternoon at 1:30.
If you are about, please drop me a line at the address above to the right, and I'll book you in!
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Wagons... roll!
Here are two wagons that fill a gap in my arsenal. Both are from Irregular Miniatures, with Front Rank oxen and resin loads from Colonel Bill's. The top wagon has converted Front Rank crew, and the bottom wagon Foundry/Black Tree. They will serve in the baggage trains of my various Roman armies, along with some more wagons I intend to build later on, and will see action on Sunday at SELWG. Irregular are a great source of cheap components, and the Front Rank oxen are great models!
Monday, 6 October 2014
Fanatics!
"On the beach stood the adverse array, a serried mass of arms and men, with women flitting between the ranks. In the style of Furies, in robes of deathly black and with dishevelled hair, they brandished their torches; while a circle of Druids, lifting their hands to heaven and showering imprecations, struck the troops with such an awe at the extraordinary spectacle that, as though their limbs were paralysed, they exposed their bodies to wounds without an attempt at movement." Tacitus Annals, Book XIV, 30
I've just finished basing a unit of Celtic fanatics, based on Tacitus' above description describing the Druid-led forces at Anglesey, preparing to receive the Roman landing (and golly that is a scenario I will need to tackle, one day!). Pics are clickable.
These are a mixture of Renegade and Black Tree Designs Celts, led by two Druids who are fantasy figures, a Foundry German priestess, and a converted Foundry nymph. I painted most of the figures, and Nick Speller the remainder. Despite earlier misgivings, I am really delighted with the way the unit has turned out, and want to paint a second one at some stage.
In my "To the Strongest!" rules (to be published in November, initially as a pdf), fanatics fight in much the same manner any other unit of warriors. Their fanaticism, however, enables them to ignore the effects of disorder, and they consequently fight with full effectiveness until they drop!
I am gradually basing/re-basing the front rank of all my Celtic warrior bands as 18cm frontage single elements. They look better this way, and are quicker to deploy and move around the wargames table.
These new recruits to my Celtic army, along with Caesar and some invading Romans, will be at SELWG on Sunday- please drop by and say hello if you are there!
Friday, 3 October 2014
Still not feeling it for the Celts...
WIP shot of my celtic fanatics, now almost ready for base gunking.
Who will be first to spot the elf?
Monday, 29 September 2014
Did I mention that I hate painting Celts?
I find myself back at the brush, painting some more Celts for a demo game at SELWG on Sunday week. To minimise painting the detested plaid, I decided to paint a unit of nekkid fanatics and fustian-robed druids. These, however, have turned out to be quite as annoying as their plaid-clad comrades to paint, as they all wear fiddly bangles and chains, and because most of them will need tattoos. Plus skin takes a lot of care to get right. And then there's the shields! So much for my shortcut.
I've been posting rather less frequently, of late, because I've been spending a lot of time getting my "To the Strongest!" rules into a publishable state. With the assistance of a few very helpful chaps who have been spotting errors and inconsistencies, this is going rather well, and today I've been churning out diagrams. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up the modelling and blogging rate in October.
The game at SELWG will follow on from the Caesar's "C-Day" landing at Salute, as the Romans push inland. If anyone coming to SELWG would like to play (for around two hours) then please drop me a line via comments. I've run the scenario before; its a blast!
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
Laager II
Lousy photo, but all the wagons are primed black, and the bases have been grouted.
I've decided that the civilians in the wagons will be removable, so that I can used them for any laager-related need, from Sparta to Adrianople.
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