Thursday, 28 January 2016

Wedges


Pharoah Ptolemy is still recruiting furiously for my big Raphia game. Here are two regiments of Ptolemaic xystophoroi (lancers) in the process of being based as wedges- units in wedge can charge on a diagonal without the usual difficult activation penalty.. Both use Polemarch riders on Aventine steeds. The sharp-eyed will recognise the unit on the left from the cover of the rules (below), they were painted by Welsh Raglan. The all-new unit on the right was recently painted to match by Shaun McTague. I am really pleased with them and might go on to raise a third ilai.  


Unfortunately I couldn't get a table at Salute so Raphia only be played at the Wargames Holiday Centre on the weekend after Salute (22nd-24th April), along with the Sabis, Leuctra, Cremona and a Late Roman bash. Mark still has a couple of places...

Friday, 22 January 2016

Seleucid levies for Raphia

I recently bought these chaps from mate Craig Davey and re-conditioned them after they took a bit of a pasting in the post.  


There are two units of levies equipped from Seleucid arsenals, hence the uniforms and similar shields.


Each unit has some light infantry archer support (behind), for Raphia these will probably be deployed out in front as skirmishers.


In the Raphia game at the Wargames Holiday Centre in April, the levies will be somewhere on the left of the Seleucid line, probably as javelinmen, raw in To the Strongest! parlance. I won't expect much of them but they certainly make a brave sight in their red tunics!

In other news... I'm getting ready for the "To the Strongest!" world championship in Chalgrove, Oxfordshire. Around 20 competitors will compete for the title "World's strongest!". We still have room for a couple more contestants so if you are free on Saturday 13th February please drop me a line at my email address- I can loan you one of my armies for the event, if you'd like.

Friday, 15 January 2016

Raphia re-inforcements...

Mate Craig has very kindly sold me some more of the miniatures he painted for our joint Raphia game back in 2013. These represent Arabs levies in Seleucid service; they are unlikely to be the most resilient element of the Seleucid phalanx.


To some extend numbers will compensate for lack of quality... there are 80 of the blighters.


The minis are mostly lightly converted Perry Ansar and Copplestone archers.  They took a bit of a pasting during the journey South, and one element enjoyed an unexpected four day sojourn at the bottom of the BigRedBatCave's recycling bin, but they are now happily restored and ready for the late April game at the Wargames Holiday Centre.

In other news... I am having a flash sale of the To the Strongest! rules (to cover the purchase of Craig's Seleucid cavalry). If you'd like to pick up a set with a 25% discount, please drop in at the BigRedBatShop and enter "LAKEPEIPUS" at the checkout. I'll also include a free pack of ammo chits with every physical order. 

Sunday, 10 January 2016

Another one bites the dust


This is the seventh phalanx of my recent offensive, bringing me to 120cm. These are Ptolemaic Chalkaspides (bronze shields). After this there are (just!) two more to go, although there will need to be a ghastly week of base grouting and painting at some stage. Most minis painted by Shaun McTague, pikes, washes and varnish by me. Tonight I break ground on phalanx 8.

Friday, 8 January 2016

Retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites

I came across this today at Blogger; Google are (most unhelpfully) closing down Google Friend Connect for non-Blogger sites, so if you are non-Google and use GFC to visit the BigRedBatCave or other Blogger sites) I'm afraid you will have to find another way. I am very disappointed with them.

"In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs. 

As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.

We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.

We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.

Posted by Michael Goddard, Software Engineer"

Friday, 1 January 2016

A metre of pike and a Happy New Year!


Above is the extension to my existing phalanx that I have been working on in November and December. I had planned 70cm worth of phalanx but as you can see I already have just over one metre completed and now hope to end with nearer two. Most of the minis were painted by Craig Davey or Shaun McTague and finished by me. All photos are clickable.

Argyraspides
Antigonid Agema

Note the shiny new Relik shields on the units above and below.


Antigonid Peltastoi
Ptolemaic Leukaspides
Antigonid Leukaspides
Proper photos will follow next year when I have finished the basing.  The new phalanx will be united with the existing 2 metres for a mammoth Raphia game in April.

2016 planned events

Q1 and Q2 are looking really busy and exciting:-

  • The “To the Strongest Worlds” in Chalgrove on February 13th, 20 players will contend for the title of World Champion. I am praying for odd numbers so I have a valid excuse to enter the fray, muwhahaha.
  • The Society of Ancients Battle Day April 2nd- I’ll be putting on an exceptionally large battle of Pharsalus 48BC with some wargaming buddies. Legionaries, sir- thousands of them!
  • Salute- it looks like I left it too late to get a table, but you never know…  
  • April 22nd to 24th The Wargames Holiday Centre. I’m really looking forward to this one- I plan to put on a huge Raphia game plus Cremona, Leuctra, the Sabis and Ruspina. All at the same time.  This will be the ultimate test of the BigRedBatmobile’s suspension!
  • May 22nd- Partizan with Phil Hendry’s Sassanians and Romans, Harry Sidebottom and Ballista.

Resolutions for 2016
  • Finish my Ptolemaic army- this is going very well with the assistance of two painter-mates (both called Shaun).
  • Stamp my feet to rise a couple more legions for Caesar.  And Pompey.
  • New Theban and Wars of the Roses armies.
  • Rattle out a TtS! army list each week
  • Co-write the first TtS! “campaign” book and then get going on the fantasy version.
  • Finish sculpting those bl**dy War Llamas!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my fellow bloggistas and To the Strongest! chums a Very Happy New Year, and...

may none of your cards be Aces!

Thursday, 24 December 2015

Merry Christmas Everybody!



Here in the BigRedBatCave, the presents are under the tree (all of mine would block radiation), the stockings are up and I'm about to tuck into a festive cocktail. Can I take this opportunity to wish all my readers and fellow bloggistas a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Best, Simon

Tuesday, 22 December 2015

White (shield) Christmas


The "Leukaspides" (white shields) from a previous post are now on their bases. The Leukaspides were the less well trained element of the phalanx and presumably included the youngest and oldest men of the levy. To indicate this I have given some of them pikes of various lengths, held awkwardly. Very few of them have armour and only around half have helmets. I'll do a close-up when they are finished, in the New Year.

Most of the above are ex-Craig Davey's collection, with replacement pikes and shields.  I painted 24 more to join them. The above, along with two elements left over from Raphia, give me four new phalanx blocks putting me 80% of the way towards my one metre of phalanx target. I hope to close this remaining gap before New Year.

Thursday, 17 December 2015

Pike Fever II

I'm afraid that I have been too busy painting pikes for much posting. However, here are some WIP shots of some of the units.


Above are the better part of two phalanx blocks, a mix of my painting and Craig Davey's. These just need shields, snagging and basing. These will be scruffy leukaspides with white shields.


Above is a new unit of argyraspides silver shields painted by Shaun McTague. These need pikes attaching, varnish and basing. 
Shaun is currently painting another 125 leukaspides and chalkaspides bronze shields for me, to go with the 30 or so finished minis below. All of these will need to be varnished and based.


Finally (below) are the two blocks from my last post.


In theory, if I can find time to finish and base all of these minis, this would give me another 1.6 metres of phalanx to join the 2 metres that I already own. This would make for a most satisfactory Raphia at the WHC in April!

Monday, 7 December 2015

Pike Fever


It's been almost 2 weeks since my last post and this is because in the meanwhile I been modelling like a madman. Above are 2/3 of the minis that I recently bought from Craig Davey, now re-piked, re-shielded and mostly re-based. The blue helmets are Ptolemaic Agema, and the red Peltastoi. I'll take a proper photo when the bases are finished.

I have decided to use the remaining weeks of 2015 by basing up more phalangites- I intend to add a whole metre of pikemen (240) to my phalanx for my big Raphia game at the Wargames Holiday Centre in April. I am just about 2/5 of the way there! I will be able to carry the phalanx to Basingstoke in the bags under my eyes.  ;-)

Tuesday, 24 November 2015

Pikes, pikes, pikes.

At the Wargames Holiday Centre I was running four games at the same time and briefly ran out of both pikemen and Hellenistic cavalry. I've therefore decided to invest in some more miniatures, below are some Foundry pikemen that I've bought from chum Craig Davey. 


I've removed the previous shields and am going to give them some snazzy new shields that I've bought from Mike at Relik. These have a Medusa head and are perfect for Ptolemaic shields, being identical to the ones in Soldat Lagide. I need to paint twice as many again.


Below are 48 odd pikes; I need to do twice as many again.


Finally I've based up a wedge of companions painted by Nick Speller (left below) and rebased my Thessalians into rhomboid (centre below). These still need to be flocked. I am in the process of recruiting several new regiments to join them; I hope to end up with 8 or 9, enough for 2 cavalry wings each for two large armies.


I shall need them all; I plan to run Raphia again in the spring at the Wargames Holiday centre over the weekend 22nd to 24th April.

Wednesday, 18 November 2015

Norfolk bows


Here are the archer counterparts to the earlier billmen, again beautifully painted by Patrick Connor and based by me on one of my new Bat bases. Those Perry plastics are really lovely. :-)


A pleasant surprise is that they are fairly rugged- not at all brittle. Now I just need another 22 elements and I'll have the pair of armies that I need for a game. I had better consult my army list...

Monday, 16 November 2015

Norfolk billmen

I mentioned a while back that I have bitten the bullet and started to collect my first medieval army. These stunning minis were painted by Patrick Connor and I've unit based them on one of my new MDF "bat bases", of which more anon.


I really like the Perry plastics (and metals) and I am certainly going to need a lot more of them!

In other news, there are a couple of places left for the second To the Strongest World Championships on Saturday February 13th 2016. If you are available please drop me a line via my email address on the left and I'll put you in touch with the organiser. Loan armies are available.

Lastly, yesterday I posted a new Mongol Conquest list in the Later Medieval booklet, which was written by Peter Ryding with a little assistance from me. Looks like a fast "shooty" army with an interesting twist...

Thursday, 12 November 2015

Last weekend at the Wargames Holiday Centre

Last weekend I had a super time running a weekend of To the Strongest! at the Wargames Holiday Centre with Mark Freeth and 14 gamers, many of them veterans of previous events. I'm afraid I was too busy to take very many photos but here are a few that I snapped during brief lulls in the fighting. All photos are clickable.


Above, we ran four games at a time (eight in total). The below game, set in the Peloponnesian War, was one of my personal favourites. The Athenians have the Spartan lights penned into a corner of the table - they chased them off and they returned several times. I believe that Spartan discipline led to them winning most or all of their games. For this game we used a pair of the 20 cm gridded DeepCut mats.


Below is a shot of the action; being flank-charged by Thessalian cavalry whilst double-disordered is no one's idea of fun! That's one of the hills I've re-flocked in the foreground.



Above the three-dimensional nature of the WHC terrain is a nice change from flat boards. Below, a one hit-unit of Roman Principes is flank-charged by Celtic fanatics. Gulp.


This game featured Germans (I used my Celts as proxies) fighting Polybian Romans at Arausio 151 BC. The Germans rather had the better of it, but then they did back in the day, too.


Finally I have a few shots of the Late Roman scenario, which featured Huns and Goths ambushing a Roman baggage train near Chalons in 451 BC.



Above the Martenses are inspired by Bishop Germanus of Auxerre (who died in 448BC, but then, who is counting?). Below is a charge by massed Gothic horse by painter mate Shaun.



Above an ala of light horse lurk improbably in the woods. Below, the Roman baggage train escaped in this game but was "bagged" in the other.


We had a great weekend- I reckon we fought around 2 dozen battles. Even I got to play in a couple of games, notably an epic uphill struggle against Emperor Baz' Spartans, in which he gained a moral victory. There are more pics on his blog.

A fine time was had by all, many thanks to Mark Freeth for hosting. Mark and I have set a date for another TtS! day in the spring, on the weekend 23rd to 24th April. I'll be bringing new scenarios and a lot of new troops, too. We are almost at maximum capacity for the venue so early booking is recommended! Mark can be reached at the Wargames Holiday Centre.

Friday, 6 November 2015

Loading...


53 boxes of minis loaded for a weekend of TtS at the Wargames Holiday Centre, I reckon there are just over 4000 miniatures plus terrain. Should be a riot! I am hoping that I've not forgotten anything... 

Wednesday, 4 November 2015

Terrain Boards


A friend is looking to sell these- they are unused and custom made by TSS.  They are 600mm square, 20mm thick and marked with a 20cm grid.  He's looking for £145 including UK P&P.  Please mail me if they are of interest.  Best, Simon

Aventine archers



David Imrie very kindly sold these lovely Aventine Miniatures Hellenistic archers to me last year.

I felt the original 3mm thick bases were a little too thick, so I soaked and trimmed away the MDF, leaving only the grout and minis behind. I then rebased them on a single 18cm-wide card element (for use with a 20cm grid with To the Strongest!) and overflocked with mid green tufts so as to better match my "plains" gaming mat. They will see action in Pyrrhus' army on  Friday at the Wargames Holiday Centre! Doubtless, as a beautifully painted unit in the front rank, they will last for less than a minute.  ;-)

Monday, 2 November 2015

Valtierra 1110 AD

Yesterday I drove (through dense fog) up to the Hereward show in Peterborough to help James Morris and Scrivs lay on a fantastic game using parts of their "El Cid" collections as previously seen in the excellent eponymous Warhammer Historical publication. We gamed the battle using my To the Strongest! rules and the newly-written Andalusian and Early Feudal Spanish army lists.

The scenario was written by James and featured an attack upon an Andalusian army led by the Amir of Zaragoza, returning from a raid and encumbered with loot, by the forces of King Alfonso I "the Battler" of Aragon.

Here are some random shots I took of the two games on my phone. All the pics are "clickable".



Above Alfonso leads the charge in the first game. I've rarely seen a game where the cards were so favourable to one side; he broke right through the Andalusian lines and took a camp. Below is the Andalusian Emir, at the head of a stunningly painted bodyguard.



Above are some more Spanish caballeros; all of the units had super hand-painted banners. Below, Scrivs has been on something of a painting spree. I asked about the lettering on the banners; apparently it is genuine Arabic poetry that he has copied by hand. Astonishing!



The Aragonese caballeros, above, with Alphonso leading the charge stormed to a swift victory in the morning, but were repulsed and defeated in the afternoon game. 

The layout included the gateway of the city of Valtierra, modelled by James, shot here from outside:


and below, from within.


And lastly for Valtierra we have a pic of Scrivs, yours truly and James Morris; it was such a pleasure to game with their great collections! I seem to have become an irregular Newark Irregular.


I failed to get pictures of the other games which included Huntingdon's "Stop the pigeon" which was a big hit with the kids, and a very impressive Dambusters game. I did take a picture of a demo game of Dan Mersey's coming "The Men who Would be Kings" rules, which was being run by Guitar Hero Andy on a couple of my wastelands gaming cloths. It looked great and like a lot of fun! Oh, and I had an enjoyable interview with the Meeples lads. 


The Peterborough show was very impressive especially as it was the first show there. There was plenty of room, the ceilings were high, the lighting excellent and the food and drink very satisfactory. The Peterborough Club (especially Mike Whittaker) did a fantastic job and I expect the show to become a regular feature of my wargaming calendar!