Tuesday, 14 June 2022

Flash TtS! Early Summer Sale


I've put a bunch of To the Strongest! products on sale for the next few days.  


There are rule books, chits,  bases, magnetic sheets, terrain pieces and tokens on sale.


Discounts vary from a modest 10% to a mighty 50%. Get them while they are hot- sale must end on Friday!  

In other news, I'm currently working on a TtS! scenario for the battle of Ceresole 1544, and (re)painting another regiment of ECW horse, some minis shown below. These will become a Royalist regiment, probably Prince Maurice's, who were at Roundway Down. Maurice's had red cornets so I'm giving them matching red sashes.

Tuesday, 31 May 2022

Latest Version of the TtS! Medieval Army list eBook is published

I've just released the latest version of the Medieval Army List eBook. This release includes two new lists - Later Lithuanian or Samogitian, and Frisian Free Cantons - bringing the total to 122. The former list provides able opponents for the dread Teutonic Knights. The latter is an obscure but fun list, since the Frisians are equipped with spears that double as vaulting poles!

There are significant edits to the Breton list, and Bretons in other lists. There are also edits to Western Franks, Pre and Post Mongol Russians, Nikephorian and Thematic Byzantines and possibly others. I removed Livonian light cavalry from the Teutonic knights list; apparently they never existed. I've also added additional background and army note material to some lists. The next version of this eBook will come out around the end of August, there will be several new lists. The next Ancient Army list eBook update is due out at the end of July.

If you have ever bought a paid-for version of the eBook (as opposed to free versions) you should have received a copy either by email (if bought from the BigRedBatshop) or as a download link (if bought from Wargames Vault). If you would like to buy a copy, you can find it here or, if you are in the EU, here.

Here I'm recovering from the exertions of Partizan and trying to push on with several projects in parallel- some more ECW for an extended version of Roundway Down, some more regiments for my 1672 project, some Renaissance knights and ancients for Ipsus. Photos in the weeks to come!

Tuesday, 10 May 2022

Gridding

 

Here's chum Ian helping me to mark up cloths for the Roundway Down game with a very unusual 26cm grid, that is required because of the somewhat unusual configuration of the battlefield (7 boxes wide). This proved to be quite involved, since the cloths I had picked are from Geek Villain and use a fleece that is lovely but stretchy, being designed to go over hills. But Ian and I are grizzled veterans of marking up cloths with grids - heck, we've even done hexes! - so it wasn't unduly taxing.

The reason I like these GVs is because they are a great shade of green and there's a nice nap to the fleece. Unfortunately I had to use the last three I had in stock, so I can't sell you any, but I'll hopefully receive more in June, both gridded and un-gridded.

Friday, 6 May 2022

Bring on the Empty Horses


Above are the completed horse casualty markers for the Roundway Down game (click for a close-up), and below are the infantry casualty markers. The miniatures are a mix of Bicorne and some old Redoubts and a couple of Warlords The dead horses, above, I converted from a Bicorne horse and Bicorne very kindly then cast a bunch up for me (I've not seen them added in their shop). All the minis were painted by Shaun McTague or me, and chum Ian did the expert flocking, which I then tufted, dry-brushed and varnished. I added the flag for the wounded ensign; poignant, or what?


The title reference is from a David Niven auto-biography. The phrase was used by Michael Curtiz, the Film Director of The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), when attempting to explain on set that he wanted a lot of rider-less horses in the background of the climactic charge; so it is fairly appropriate for Roundway Down!

My recent lack of posts has been because I've been very busy writing modelling for the Roundway Down game at Partizan.  I've almost finished this- just a few hundred tufts to go. I am currently working on the next release of the Medieval Army list book for the month end- I expect to add at least two or three new lists. I'm also finishing my contribution to a Helion book on Ceresole 1544, and writing some ancient army lists, and doing a little work on Renaissance. Lastly I was interviewed at length on the Plastic Crack Podcast, you can watch it here.  Busy, busy, busy!  :-)

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

Even Stronger V10 published


I've just published an updated version of the Even Stronger Rules Supplement- the first in over a year. There are a handful of changes, notably a new troop type, straddle cars, which I hope will help to raise interest in the Sumerian and other Third Millennium armies. There is an interesting, significant change to javelinmen. There's an extra ammo chit for all wheeled vehicles such as chariots. I also simplified the (formerly somewhat Byzantine) rules on massed lights and supported mounted. There are sundry other minor changes. If you've previously downloaded it, I've sent you an update link. If you haven't received it you can download it here.  It's free.

Late this week I'll publish an updated version of the Ancient Army List eBook. There are three new lists, and quite a few other lists will have some revisions, in particular the Third Millennium lists which are receiving something of a spring clean.  If you've previously bought  the paid-for version, I'll send you an update or a link.

Sunday, 24 April 2022

Roundway Down Roundup


I've been busy writing this month and haven't had time to post anything, so here's a sneak peak of the last minis for the For King and Parliament Roundway Down project. The officers are based, the casualties based, two new regiments of cavalry based. There's just these bit bringing up the rear - six artillery pieces and a limber. These are all painted except for the three light guns in the foreground, which I'll hopefully tackle tonight. 

I still need to do some work on the battlefield which is a huge, bare hill. I more or less know how I'm going to do it but that's not quite the same as having it done!

In other news, I'm working on the next update to the TtS! Ancient army list, which is due out on Saturday 30th. There will be three new lists bringing the total to 166 lists.  I'm also ready to publish the next Even Stronger, the first update to the rules in over a year. There will be some interesting new rules which I hope people will enjoy, in particular a new take on Sumerian battle cars.

Finally I recently found a big bag of gold and silver (plated) treasure- literally- and have completely restocked the shop with Victory Medals. Unfortunately these will be the last such medals I'll be stocking, because the supplier's wholesale price recently went up by 50%, which makes them unaffordable- once these are gone, these are gone.  So if you want to add some bling to your game, now's the time! Below is one of my favourites, the Pegasus of Corinth. Of course the best sellers are the Roman denarii.

Sunday, 10 April 2022

ECW progress

I'm conscious that I've not posted on this blog for almost a month- it can get that way when I'm busy in the lead-up to a display game (in this case Partizan). Above and below, I've been making command stands, pursuit  markers, casualty markers and artillery pieces for the Roundway Down game. This has been going pretty well, with the first three categories close to completion, and only the artillery needing very much work. I should have them finished with plenty of time, which is good news, since I still need to build a darned great hill. When they are completely finished, I'll take some decent photos. 


In other news, I'm working on the next release of Even Stronger, which will include some new troop types and streamlined rules, due out at the month end- it'll have been a whole year since the last version! I'm also editing ancient army lists for the month end release and a book. Busy, busy busy!