A return to the Crimea .

I was tidying the wargaming room today and I picked up the cardboard box that my unused Crimean war figures are kept and the bottom fell out of the box and all the sprue cascaded over the floor . So after a bit of bad language I repaired the box and started repacking them , this got me thinking - was it about time I did another unit or two ? . 

I looked on this blog and found it was 18 months ago since I did anything with these figures , so I thought I'd do another battalion of Russian infantry , to go with these I have cleaned up a Russian religious group of 2 religious banner bearers , an icon bearer and a priest . These are from the Strelets Russian General Staff and Hospital box and perhaps will be incorporated into the rules - Russians re-roll poor morale tests if within 12" ? .

The last figure I painted for this project all those months ago was Lord Cardigan so I thought it was time that I did a Captain Nolan to pass orders to him. It is converted British Lancer officer , I trimmed the czapka into a pill box forage cap and cut away his sword so that it looks like he is gesturing " there my Lord is your enemy !". 

Played by David Hemmings in the 1968 film .

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Well ! - that only took 20 years to finish ! .

About twenty years ago I snapped my Achilles tendon and was off work for nearly six month , during that time I painted a lot of figures including some for other people . With the money I acquired I bought a couple of 28mm Foundry Nordic Bronze Age armies - this was the time when Foundry used to do 'buy one army - get the second half price' , they were very good deals indeed ! I really enjoyed painting them up , they were not the most colourful army , but I did quite a lot of research on the period and they were very nice figures . I finally finished painting them last year - then in a clear out the other week I found another blister of 'Bronze Age Civilians' - so I thought I'd better finish off this project which had dragged on for so long. The last off them are illustrated above - 'Phew finally done !'

Third world problems .

One problem I didn't foresee about the effects of the pandemic was running out of 2p's ! , we are using swipe card and chip and pin for shopping and have hardly used cash at all the last two month  and to my horror I had found I had finished the last of my hoarded coins !. I use them a lot for basing individual figures, luckily I have ordered some MDF 2p's  from off EBay - phew ! panic over !!

Featherstone on the tabltop ( part 3 )

The Prussian reserves come onto the table, a unit of Bavarians followed by some Wurtenburgers .

Not a moment too soon as the Prussian infantry on the ridge are taking heavy casualties from French musketry.

The Prussian infantry fail a couple of morale tests and vacate the hill .

The victorious Turcos advance and take the enemy position .

The French reinforcements arrive (in sepia ) .

Things go badly wrong for the Prussians , the Bavarians are forced to take a morale test having received heavy losses from the French artillery and flee - which took them off the table . I stopped the game at this point to save more Prussian humiliation .

The Prussian General Staff discuss where it all went wrong . Another good game (well not for the Prussians ! ) , I must get my jumble of notes together and sort out a new playsheet for these rules . 

I live up to my mug !.

My mug says 'Grumpy Old Man' and this morning I have lived up to this epitaph . Over the last few weeks I've noticed my computer monitor 'blinking' when I switch the computer on and at intervals during the day - this I took to be a sign from the Gods of Technology that it was dieing . On consulting my wife she estimated we had had it over 10 years or more (she's better at remembering things like that) which in this throw away age is not bad for a bit of electrical equipment, so I thought I'd better purchase a new one off  Amazon , which duly  arrived  . As my wife left for work this morning she said "are you going to set that new monitor up" (with that hint of command rather than request) - so I dismantled the old one and started setting up the new . This involved me crouching in a fetal position with my head under the computer desk trying to feed the various cables round the back whilst accidently banging my head on the table/wall frequently with the dog trying to help by running off with my screwdriver and various bits of cable and pushing his way  into the confined space to see what was going on . Luckily I was alone as the language when down hill rapidly . Of course the instructions are in about twenty languages and printed in the tiniest print possible and there is a cable that has nothing to do with U.K. electrics which was a puzzlement  , however I persisted and it's up and running and looking rather splendid and my grumpiness is subsiding - time to fill the mug up with tea and have a biscuit or two to restore my humour .

Featherstone on the tabletop. ( part 2)

For various 'real life' interruptions I have not got on with the game this week , so I thought I'd better update the blog with my progress so far . The French infantry have deployed and supported by their gun are attacking the Prussians who have moved up onto the hill . On the left the cavalry clash in a series of melees .

The 'Turcos' move forward .

The French gun lines up on it's Prussian adversary , both sides counter-battery fire was inconclusive .

One of the cavalry melees on the left , both sides caused casualties but the Prussians retired in the end . However the French cavalry was much weakened and couldn't maximise on their victory .

The Prussian cavalry's position after the melees . I am in the progress of re-writing my amended Featherstone rules for this period from the jumble of notes I've jotted down and will put them on the blog when I've got them sorted . Part three to follow soon ....... (click on photos to enlarge)

Featherstone on the tabletop. ( part 1)

I was musing about how I had not played a game using my O.S. FPW for quite a while , so I decided to set up a small meeting engagement using these figures and Donald Featherstone's rules . The Prussians are coming onto the table nearest the camera the French on the opposite table edge . Each force consists of a Cavalry Brigade of two units and a Infantry Brigade of two regiments plus an Artillery gun and crew , , the game will last eight moves and each side will receive reinforcements on move four . 

The Prussian Infantry Brigade and supporting gun and crew .

The Prussian Cavalry move down the road and start to deploy .

The French Infantry move through the village .

The French Cavalry Brigade deploys on the tabletop . The figures are of course Spencer Smith's and the rules my adaption of the Featherstone Horse and Muskets rules . ( click on the photos to enlarge them ) 

Mad , Bad and Dangerous .

Lord Byron Bygon is not the only celebrity to be attracted to the fledgling Hellenyk Republic , in hot pursuit is his ex girlfriend Lady Caroline Lambe , feeling slighted by his behaviour she is out for revenge ! - she's Mad. Bad and Dangerous to know !!!! ( a Irregular 42mm figure from their Deutsch Homage range)

Lord Bygon.

The 'romantic' poet Lord Byron Bygon has rallied to the cause of the new Hellenyk Republic , here he poses for the camera ( the figure is a 42mm Irregular Miniature ).

He has raised a unit of young men attracted by his charisma to serve as his bodyguard , again Irregular figures .

This flamboyant chap and his merry men should be featuring on the tabletop in the near future .