more NEW game books (okay new to me)

 a fast trip to Vancouver recently allowed me the time to pick up two rules books I had meant to acquire for a while now, and also a new version of one I have had the older one of for many decades

first the new one:

version 3.0 from 2014

 

I have been doing DBA since the early 1990s, introduced to it by gamers in Winnipeg and Minnesota.

I have had versions 1.1, 2.1 and now 3.0.  Giving the quick glance at it, I think I will need to make a new measuring 'fork', otherwise all my minis will still work with the system - neat part is that DBMM stuff is also covered in this rules set (it looks like - I haven't read it all the way yet).

 

hardback Brigade Fire & Fury

 I have been playing this rules set, using others books most of the time and have been busy building my own game set of the full armies for Bull Run 1861 and Shiloh 1862; now started on the battle of Gettysburg 1863 armies, with the aim of having a full campaign set for 1863 (with all of the cavalry for both sides) and the intent to use games like Bobby Lee and Sam Grant for the strategic setup, then transition to an operational system (of my own devising), then to the tabletop - most likely with BF&F, thus the need to finally have my own copy.

softcover P&S

While "Black Powder" might have worked out as well, I chose to pick up Pike and Shotte, as Rob has been using these rules for many of the English Civil War games that we have run and many of the minis I have are from the Warlords set, it was time to have the rules set to go with them all.

Victory Without Quarter, ECW set - the Scots take the field for the first time!

 With the coming game of 7YW with Jeff's minis, the plan was to use Scenario 11 in "Programmed Wargames Scenarios" by Charles Stewart Grant.  So I decided that the likely last tabletop game here (move still in a limbo) would be to learn about the scenario before doing it in front of folks at the AJs game store.

panorama of the field

one of the Scots arrival road

the other

mostly a straight forward sort of scenario

set up as two advance guards
'meeting engagement'

I did up a Royalist force

and a Scots force

Fun time to share with my eldest son, he commanded the Scots and won a straight forward victory!

 

Scots Command stand

Royalist Command stand

again the 'clip 2 comic' feature is fun to use

Next up will be the much anticipated return of Jeff's Seven Years Wars game set.  Then likely a final painting project completion from this location, another few space ships for my middle son's collection.

Border Horse - red caps

 The border horse for ECW forces has begun, this is the final stretch for my expected ECW troops.

Closing in on the completion of the ECW project for the tabletop minis.  I have begun to put more thought and assemble the materials for an ECW campaign system (beyond a simple digital mapping tool).

I only had enough piano wire for two units, this was the first of them, then an opportunity to search for wire in Victoria came and I found some that will work, the store clerk said that getting the wire in was getting harder and the exact thickness I wanted was not in the store, nor had they had any for more than a year.  The hobby world is having supply issues also...

Again I used the fast paint method, though the troops got to the ink stage in only three days, (painting for about 30 minutes at a time) - it was more than a week later that I got the time to put into getting the later stages done.  They have been finished for a week now, and I was only able to get them out for a few photos and assemble this blog post as the 'life' workload has suddenly jumped up.

no shots of bare metal this time
as I had the shots of them bare in an earlier post

after the base coat, comes the dark chocolate under layer

then a 'damp brush' white light tan highlights layer

earth tones under color
(you can see how wet it is as it just went on before the photo)

ink stage
then they all sat for a few days
which was probably for the best
in letting the ink dry completely

first of the colour layers
I did dark blue to go under the
brown inked silver chain-mail I was planning

the red goes on, with some orange highlights

the riders are all then mounted to the horses
before getting the matte coat spray

all matte coated, and flocked, awaiting their use in battle
or at least one more photo shoot on the base stands

the unit assembled on the metal base stands
with teddy bear fur and flocking

the beauty shot, featuring the commander
with a crown on the St George cross on their shields

forward, reverse view, showing the armor a bit better

Now I have some space ships as a project for my middle son to do up - before returning the the ECW forces.

House changes are still looming as the family seeks changes, there's a big game in November now (see previous post here) and I'm still on call for the tones dropping with the volunteer fire rescue along with regular and possible extra training in the coming months.

Travelogue V: Battle of the Boyne

 The Boyne Battlefield has been converted into mostly a pastoral walking and picnic area.

I think it was a wonderful way to both preserve the field and keep it alive at the same time.

There was a 4 minute film in the interpretation center about the battle, along with a few more display items that were kept in cases in the tea house next to the center.

We had limited time, so not so much exploring around the grounds, yet still it was neat to see them alive with so many people - with dogs all off leash!  Excellent living history place.

Then a visit to Douth

Travelogue III : Drogheda C

 There was still remaining a small section of the 12th Century walls, which had been part of the Norman Motte and Bailey fortification.

Our local (here on Vancouver Island) terrain expert might have some real value to gain from these images, which is a big reason why I took the time to get these photos.

weather was gorgeous on the day, with fair weather cumulus the only clouds

Obviously there are 300 years more of moss accumulation, plant adjustment to the nearly 1000 year old walls, yet still the color and presentation of these walls can be seen.

After visiting the commercial museum, or perhaps merchant museum (?) where the merchant history of Drogheda was showcased, we did a little road trip into town to view one of the last gatehouse towers that still exist from the 12th Century outer walls.

the reason why this place was so defended
it made life worth living in so many ways

what the city would have looked like in plan
just before the English sieges began

St Laurence's Gate

with my bride and I for scale ...

St Laurence's Gate as seen from the inside
of the defensive perimeter

we then went on to Four Knocks, a stone age/iron age site, with a similar history and carvings as Newgrange.