Trouble in Toieland , a Christmas Game (part2)

Farmer Giles and Mrs Miggins are alarmed to see Wurtemburger Infantry clambering over the wall onto the road .

They deploy as the rest of the army moves up .

On the other flank thing do not go well for 'Blue Army' , The Deaths Head Hussars charge down the road at the Red Hussars, who spending two held cards manage to deploy and counter-charge . The Death Heads where roundly defeated and turn tail and flee the table .

'Red Army' forms up , Hussars nearest the camera, then the Rifles  and the Naval Brigade .

'Blue Army' draw a Incident Card - Oh dear ! that's the Gatling gun delayed .

'Blue Armies' Jeagers move forward swiftly and come under fire from the Naval Brigade and the Rifles

And taking heavy casualties - flee ! 

The table as we approach the halfway point , 'Blue Army' needs to pull their socks up ! . Too be continued ......

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Trouble in Toieland , a Christmas game (part 1)

A pleasant rural scene Farmer Giles talks to Mrs Miggins as the local carter arrives .

Mr Collins the Vicar of Toieland Church meets with Mr Wells (and 'lady' friend) and Mr Kipling to talk about the repairs to the church roof as the local shepherd and his flock passes by .

The milkmaids tend the herd of milk cows .

The setting for a clash of arms ! 

The Commander of the 'Red' Army , Major Milton Keynes , sadly the last military man in a long line of soldiers (his son became a Civil Engineer)

The Commander of the 'Blue' Army the Graf Von Zepelin .

The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars move forward on the flank to scout for the 'Blue' Army .

'Red' Armies secret weapon manned by the Naval Brigade . In the background the Volunteers of the 'Performing Arts Own' and the Naval Brigade .

Gabriel Oak remonstrates with the Major about all these soldiers tramping across his land . To be continued .........

 

A pledge for the coming year .

Well it's that time of year again  , I've got my new badge and calendar for the coming year - this will be my fifth year at this challenge so wish me luck .

 

A Merry Christmas to you all .

The seasons greetings to all out there in 'bloggerland' .

 

Wargaming Humour No. 38

The author peering into the 'virtual' wargaming shop window on the internet (quite fancy the gun and limber)

 

The contrariness of Cats

So with the winter upon us I thought I would buy the elderly cat an nice snug 'igloo' to keep him warm - however he has totally refused to sleep in it and regards it with the disdain that only cats can muster .

He would rather cram himself into a box of Christmas decorations to sleep ! 

PS going cheap a cat igloo, an  unused unwanted gift .

 

 

Wargaming decorating .

Today my wife announced that she was going to clean out the kitchen cupboards - this involves her coming to me ever five minutes to say "do we need this anymore?!" and brandishing various objects/items she has found in the aforesaid cupboards . I usually say - "bin it !" and then about a week later say - "where is so and so?" (I draw a veil over the resultant marital scene) However today she found a tub of the bright green paint I had used to paint my gaming board , so I was overjoyed as I had thought it was getting a bit jaded - see above .

Seeing the tub had been sat for about six years I was surprised it hadn't dried up and after a quick stir I painted the board - the one thing the photo doesn't show is it's a bit streaky ! - well as my late father used to say when regarding some painting he had done - "Hmm well perhaps it will dry okay !?" (like me he was not one of natures DIYers ) . So I  hope a) it looks better when it drys and b) it drys !!! 

Of course no decorating project can be completed without a mishap - I leaned across to try and get rid of an especially streaky bit and got paint all over my fleece jacket - I'm told Santa may be bringing me a new one for Christmas - what luck ! .

 

Seasonal Humour No. 37

Freshly reaped from the Internet .

 

F.A.N.Y.

Finally got my F.A.N.Y . (stop sniggering at the back there !) painted and varnished , I thought she should have a horse and was going to cast up a Prince August 54mm one - then I found this plastic one in my spares box , a bit small but it will do - I think it's a French coffee freebie from Morkarex . 

I also found this rather spiffing recruitment poster to attract the 'gals' into uniform (of course the plastic horse should have a 'side-saddle' really)

 

A model of 'The Very Model of a Modern Major General'

Had this chap hanging around for a while and have finally got him painted and varnished and put in a suitable seasonal setting .

 

Seasonal Wargaming Humour No. 17

The author sets up his seasonal 'micro game' watched by his intrigued spouse .

 

The Actione at The Ancient Churche of Perivale .

The game started with the two units of Shotte moving up through the woods , however this is when things started to go wrong , one unit rolled a double one - thus failing it's activation but also triggering another dice roll which ended up with them retiring !

Josiah Grundy lead his Forlorn Hope up the lane but came under fire from the Royalist muskets .

The Shotte continue pushing up through the wood to threaten the enemies flank .

Pargetter's Horse appear to save the Royalist day ! galloping to reach the crossroads . 

Emerging from the wood the Shotte receive a heavy volley from a unit hidden behind the hedge - they fail their morale test and flee the field ! - Oh dear things are not going to plan for the Parliamentarians !

Cardinal Pointe and Lady Aldridge decide the best plan is to retire down the lane back to their coach .

Having failed numerous activations Wooly's Horse finally make it to the lane , whilst the Dragoons having reached the hill sit and take no further part in the action .

They clash with Pargetter's Cuirassier's , there followed a series of inconsequential melees with no clear winner .

So with the allotted number of turns having past the game came to an end . The Royalist personalities having got away it was judged a success to the Royalist force . A strange little game notable by the unwillingness of both forces to get to grips with each other and the number of 'double ones' rolled - 4 in total, which caused one unit from each side to 'quit the field'and others generally behave badly ! . I do like these rules, I think they reflect what happened in the Civil War - with so many skirmishes where none events . We must wait to see how this Actione at Perivale reflects on the situation in Borsetshire .

 

The Celebration of the Finding of Saint Ruperte's Nose .

Hearing that Lady Gennifer Aldridge is to accompany the Spanish Ambassador Cardinal Pointe to celebrate the Feast of the Finding of the Nose of Saint Ruperte * at the Anciente Churche at Perivale Sir Jakabus Wooley leads a force from Felpersham to try a cease them and prevent the 'Popish Idolitary' . 

The Partie arrive at the Anciente Churche of Sainte Ruperte at Perivale .

Sir Brianne Aldridge thought it prudent to send a 'Goodlie Force' with them in these troubled times from His Regiment of Foote , as an after thought he also dispatched Twoe Troopes of Pargetter's Horse to reinforce them .

Which is just as well as Sir Jakabus's force appears - even before the Church Service can start ! , Companies of Shoote sneak up through the woods 

Sir Jakabus leads Twoe Troopes of His newly formed Regiment of Horse , whilst a Troope of Dragoones circle the wood on the left to cut the roade .

Meanwhile Josiah Grundy's 'Roaring Boys' forming a 'Forlorne Hope' seek to attack the Churche down the lane ** , Grundy is carrying an 'Infernal Device' to burn the Anciente Churche down !

The site of the forthcoming actione , Pargetter's Horse has not appeared yet - it is hoped they arrive to prevent any unseemlyness ! 

*this festival no longer appears on the list of recognised C.of E. celebrations 

**a report on the state of the roads in Borcetshire in 1635 reports they are 'narrowe foule and badly overgrowne ! .

 

Don't mention the Toy Soldiers !

 

I was going to do a review of the above book but the good Man of Tin beat me to it - The Young H.G. Wells: Changing the World, a biography by Claire Tomalin 2021 – Man of Tin blog (wordpress.com)

It was not a bad read covering his early life up till about 1911 - BUT no mention of Toy Soldiers !. This could be because the book finishes before the publication of 'Little Wars' - although his later life is covered briefly in the last chapter and has a list of his published works - 'Floor Games' is mentioned but NOT 'Little Wars' !? , or is the biographer to embarrassed to mention this 'childishness ' as it seems do his other biographers . It makes you think how successful was 'Little Wars' was at the time ? - obviously the events of the following year must have put a dampener on sales . I wonder how it was  received by contemporary reviewers ? , we as gamers think it a classic but we are biased ? . I wonder if any literary reviews exist from 1913 ? .

PS Man of Tin has a review from 1913 on his blog 

How H.G. Wells’ Little Wars was reviewed in 1913 part 1 – Man of Tin blog (wordpress.com)