Tuesday, 10 April 2018

To the Strongest! at Salute


At our table GG07, circled in whtie on the plan below, Andrew Brentnall and I will be running not one but TWO games of For King and Parliament. We'll start games in the morning at 11AM and afternoon at 2:30 PM. If you'd like to play for an hour or more, email me and I'll book you in! I have invested in some big banners, to help you find us... :-)


I don't sell anything at Salute- I'm always far too busy chatting. However, Wargames Foundry at TH14 and Caliver Books at TJ12 (circled in red on the plan above) are near to the games and will each have a stock of To the Strongest! and the new TtS! For King and Parliament rules.

There won't be any coins, mats, bases or chits on sale- however, if you order from the BigRedBatShop before lunchtime on Thursday, and add a note or email me, I can refund your postage and bring the package along for collection; I might even add some samples...

I hope to meet lots of chums, new and old, on Saturday- do please come by and say hello!

Wednesday, 4 April 2018

Welcome to Soggy Bottom


The Borsetshire village of Soggy Botton will feature in our Salute game on Saturday week. All of the buildings are painted- the red-primed areas need to be textured and covered with mud or grass, and the brown strips around the edges with wattle fences. All the buildings, except for the tithe barn, are from Hovels' splendid 25/28mm range. 

If you are coming to Salute please make a beeline to us and say hello! We have spaces for up to a dozen players in the morning and afternoon. Many cards will be turned...

We are GG07, near the stage in the centre, circled white in the below diagram. As well as my 28mm game, For King and Parliament co-author Andrew Brentnall will be bringing the same battle in 10/12mm. 


Thursday, 29 March 2018

Preparations for Salute


Above are the "reinforcements" for the Salute game- eight regiments of horse and six of foot - have a click! Chum Ian has been helping me to grout the bases- just 2 regiments remain ungrouted- next week comes the dreaded flockathon that precedes any show game. 


A huge thanks to everyone who has bought the "For King and Parliament" rules so far- sales are off to a storming start! By close of play today I should have all the remaining orders despatched. At one stage, I ran out of chits but I have restocked, so if you couldn't get your dash chits they are in the shop, now.

Friday, 23 March 2018

For King and Parliament is in the shop!


TtS! “For King and Parliament” is a simple set of wargames rules for the Civil Wars in England (and Scotland and Ireland) of the mid-Seventeenth Century.


Written by myself and Andrew Brentnall, they use mechanisms that will be immediately familiar to players of the popular “To the Strongest!” ancient and medieval rules. Using For King and Parliament, a battle can be fought and won (or lost!) on a dining room table in less than two hours. The same rules, however, also support huge battles, involving thousands of miniatures and up to five players a side. The use of subtle grids dispenses with the need for measurement- and consequently play moves along at a cracking pace.


A unique activation system driven by playing cards or numbered chits introduces uncertainty; in some turns a regiment will fly across the battlefield; in others it will stubbornly remain rooted to the spot. The same deck is used to swiftly resolve shooting and melee; no dice, whatsoever, need be rolled! Special rules model the various firing systems used by the foot, and the occasionally uncontrollable nature of ECW horse.


The rules are written in plain English, and illustrated with appropriate diagrams, photographs and period images, sample army lists, examples of play and an introductory scenario.


The rules are available as a book (£19.99) and as a digital download (£9.99), or together for £24.99. Along with various accessories, they are now for sale in the BigRedBatShop. We do hope you enjoy them – and may none of your cards be Aces!

Tuesday, 6 March 2018

Saint Something-or-other


Here's a quick shot  of a WIP terrain piece for my Salute ECW game; a Hovels church and scratch-build chirchyard. David Davies painted the church but I've detailed it- it stands around 25cm tall- a fine piece. The churchyard disassembles and packs away. I was going to fill it with gravestones, but apparently these were pretty uncommon until after the ECW. I will need some yew trees, though. I am looking for a name for it- the nearby village is named Soggy Bottom, after the local marsh- all suggestions considered!

In other news, For King and Parliament is finished, and I'm waiting for the Proof copy- very exciting- and I have a flash sale of rules, chits, bases and cloths in the BigRedBatShop! 

Wednesday, 7 February 2018

More hosses


Chum Shaun McTague brought in a load more painted cavalry yesterday. These are most of the additional "Swedish" horse (gallopers if you like) for Salute; around six eighteen-man regiments worth. Dauntingly I also need to complete at least three larger regiments of Dutch; not shown... 

Monday, 5 February 2018

Still trapped in the ECW

In the lead-up to Salute, all my ancient and medieval projects are currently on hold and most of my recent posts have been on my new ECW blog. So I thought I'd pop in here and say hi, even though all I have to post is a pic of a couple of extra ECW regiments that are approaching completion.


Above are two 18-mini regiments of "Swedish" horse. Below, these minis were painted by David Davies but I painted some of the horses and added a little highlighting. 


These chaps will become "Northern Horse"; hard riding, hard fighting and turbulent Yorkshire Royalists.

I am very much looking forward to the TtS! Worlds at Chalgrove in 3 weeks time. We have all the army lists in and I was very surprised to see that there are more medieval armies, than ancient ones! In fact, there are several surprising trends, of which more anon....