Friday, 14 August 2020

Even More Border Ruffians - Irish Hired Help #4 and new Reivers

Well I have worked a small window in to my free time to complete some figures I had been on my workbench and I also found time to start work on some more additions to the Elizabethan Collections...

So the bulk of the figures completed this week are actually reworks of old models I purchased from Steve Cast many years ago, you saw some of these previously and you may remember that they were originally part of my Wars of the Rose collection.

More reworks of Steve's old figures

Anyway, these have now been rebased and repainted, converting them from consolidated bases of five figures into individual figures on 20mm disk bases.

I have additionally ensured that the base colours on the figures all tie into the rest of my Elizabethan Irish collection - in essence the yellowing cloth colour is being standardised to the old Citadel 'Bubonic Brown' tone.

Two right hand figures have had highlights to their coloured tunics,
all have had their base colour standardised

I've mixed in varied hair colours and added some detail to some of the tunics that the little fellas are wearing as illustrations I have seen show they were highlighted in white.

Individual bases and more variation to hair colours, two figures to the left are Gallowglass

One of the figures is a standard bearer and I have to make up a flag for him. Another of the players is a mounted leader.

Mounted Irish Leader

So, along with the original figures sourced from Steve are another two Wargames Atlantic plastic Irishmen, these have been made pretty much out of the box. One armed with a shield and Shillelagh (wooden club) whilst the other has a shield, sword, spear and helmet. the helmet is from the Gripping Beast Saxons Box - he's obviously a wealthier warrior! 

Wargames Atlantic plastic figures

Finally is a preview of the next batch of figures I'll be working on, 50/50 Wargames Foundry and Dixons.

The Wargames foundry figures are from their Elizabethan and Sea Dog ranges, previously discussed here - nice characterful, chunky figures.

The Foundry figures purchased from eBay

The Dixons figures are from their '28mm Flodden' range, very nice figures indeed, however, I suspect these are a re-branding of their old 28mm range and as such are smaller than most others in the collection. 

They are more comparable with the Perry's figures I have for the Irish than the Wargames Foundry figures.

Dixons figures, Pikemen, Billhooks and a Highlander, fabulously detailed
and proportioned figures but 25mm, not 28mm in my opinion.

That said as there are only a few they may well fit in OK when fully painted.

The figures are Scots Infantry from Flodden, plus a gun and crew. Every Reiver family should have have a 'Little Friend' to say hello to, a la Al Pachino in Scarface!

Say Hello Boys!


Wednesday, 12 August 2020

15th Birthday!

 


A belated Happy Birthday to our Club Website! It opened for business on 31st May 2005 and had its first posts on 15th July 2005 - a short piece on the Dakota Wars by Mike W. and a series of three articles by Steve entitled Five and Twenty Ponies which neatly bookends the latest submission by Steve on a couple of Smuggling Games played a couple weeks ago! Nothing changes in all that time...

So what have been the most popular posts in all that time I hear you asking, well here's the Top Ten List.

All Time Most Popular Posts: As of 12/08/20


So there it is, hopefully another 15 Years of wackiness for the club, once we all get through this Covid Patch we'll be sure to have a lot of games stored up to play. Thanks for everyone's support - as can be seen Steve & Dave are by far the most popular contributors (Unless they keep reading their own contributions over and over again to push their scores up!)

So what was my Favourite Article in the last 15 years - well it's hard to say, so I'll cheat and say the Off the Workbench series of posts. Simply because it documents my love for painting figures and and the slow (possibly glacial) rise in popularity in Big Boys Toys within the club!

Tuesday, 4 August 2020

Smugglers Game

By Steve Cast

Mike “Knees” Newman and I had a couple of great games on Friday. What with the weather being hotter than my wife’s breathe after catching me looking at Prawn on the intraweb, we both struggled in the heat. We burnt our fingers on the figures so badly that they resembled miniature versions of David Carradines arms from Kung Fu, and every so often one of the card houses would burst into flame or a resin building would melt into a pulsating hissing blob. 

However, we worked our way around these minor irritations and after the first game abruptly came to an end after only an hour and a half we played a second game this time changing sides but using the same figures. 

Now, guess who won twice! Well, I’ll give you a clue. Mike was the sheep dog and I was the Coyote

I was out foxed by a sheep fox!

Strangely for Mike, he turned up in trousers and trainers. I thought this can’t be right, Mike never wears arctic clothing not even sub zero temperatures. 

He’s famed throughout the wargaming world for his manly knees and hollow legs, there must be something wrong with the poor fella, he must have got a touch of the old sun. 

So, there I was standing in me back Garden not knowing how to broach such a delicate subject when all of a sudden it came to me: 

“Mike, can you see those mountains over yonder dear boy?” 

“Mountains” says Mike “Are you mad?”

“Well yes, remember who talking to. But forget all that and have a glug of my last stand Brandy....can you see them now?” 

“By gad sir so I can”

 “Welcome back to the known world old fella. Now about these trousers....” 

It turned out that Mike had caught the dreaded red knees syndrome from drinking in too much sun. You see, I knew it was something to do with the sun. 

It can do terrible things to a man can the sun, especially when he exposes his knees for too long, I should know, I’m a man with knees of me own. 

Had it been anyone else I would have said that they were carpet burns but as it was Mike I took his story as gospel in that he’d been shuffling his way from Horsham to Winchester for the past week on the Pilgrims way only to find that he’d arrived a week too late for mass due to a typo in the illuminated itinerary and as such had missed out on the wine and biscuits. 

As a penance he then shuffled all the way back to Horsham after which he purged his sins by drinking a whole case of wine and eating a cheesy biscuit, just to make sure that he had some solids in his stomach. 

Now then, all joking aside as you know it was a really hot day on Friday but we did have ourselves a good couple of games despite the heat. Mike started the first game as the smugglers. I’d sent him all the info during the week so he’d had plenty of time to put his smuggling team together. 

We did start by using the markers but these just blew away in the wind so we were forced to put the figures on the table which did take the edge off the game because you could see what everything was. 

However, being the gentlemen that we are we got around this problem by mutual consent and used “Blank” figures in place of blank markers so there was still a bit of uncertainty. 

The map was taken from a part of Crawley as it looked in 1874 and is not too far from where I work. Crawley was quite notorious for smuggling being on the London to Brighton road. Where it says “Farm” (Top middle square) it is in fact Jordan’s farm which is now the Toby Carvery. The road going towards ‘B’ leads to County Oak and where I work is just to the right of ‘B’.

It was a moon lit night and visibility was 1 Dav x 5”. On the first game Mikes route was from B to C going from B across fields 18 and 21. 

His team consisted of 2 good leaders, 1 average leader, 8 smugglers armed with muskets, 8 armed with iron tipped staves and 2 figures leading 4 pack mules. 

My team consisted of 10 militia with a good officer and an NCO plus 10 Dragoons with a good officer and an NCO. 

I had the dragoons hidden in the farm and most of the Militia hidden in the houses to the left of the farm and 5 of them hidden along the left hand field boundary in the field numbered 18. 

I managed to spot some of Mikes figures from the farm just as he came on table at B but I wasn’t prepared to spring my trap just at that moment, but perhaps I should have as you will see later. Mike managed to make it to field 18 at which point we both engaged in a fire fight. 

As the sound of the shots would have been heard across the table this allowed me to roll my activation dice for the rest of my figures which unfortunately wasn’t very good. Being out gunned, one of my militia was killed, two bolted leaving the other two to be beaten up and captured. 

Of the two that ran, the NCO recovered his composure and took shelter behind a tree in field 21 whilst his “Mate” continued to run off table. 

The NCO did however put up a good fight despite his cowardly performance earlier but it wasn’t enough to hold back Mikes Smugglers and allow the rest of my militia to come into action. 

As for the Dragoons they didn’t make it either thus allowing Mikes team to get off table at point C.

In game two we swapped figures and I thought I’d be clever which was probably my undoing. Mike had his dragoons hidden in the farm very much like I did and his Militia were hidden in the houses and in the small enclosure numbered 12. 

My plan was to go from A to B by sending a group of smugglers (Team A) along the houses to find out what was there and deal with what they found, whilst sending the rest of the smugglers and the pack mules along the road. 

Things went splendidly for team A, discovering a fair amount of Mikes militia but on trying to sneak into the houses and duff them up they found that the doors had been locked (Dice roll of a 4, 5 or 6) so all they could do was to skulk behind the hedges and wait for things to develop.

Meanwhile team B was working its way along the road but as word had reached it about the discovery of the militia in the houses it took the left turn and worked its way down road C in an attempt to cross field 21. 

Sending scouts out towards enclosure 12 and not finding any enemy I became a bit too confident and on one turn I forgot to do any observation and moved a smuggler towards the enclosure only for it to be shot at with the muzzle of a militia musket rammed up its nostril. 

This allowed Mike to roll his activation dice for his Dragoons and the rest of his militia. Finding a hornets’ nest of Militia in the enclosure and having sent half of my armed smugglers with team A I was badly outgunned and was getting the worst of it. 

In the mean time team A had managed to break into one of the houses and was having it out with the 4 militia that they found in there. The rest of Mike’s militia came out of the houses marked 352 on the map and were working their way down road C. 

I in the mean time was trying to regroup team B and fight my way into field number 18 but what with the Dragoons coming up fast from the farm and Mikes Militia breathing down my neck, it was a fair cop and the gallows awaited!

Now as far as Friday games are concerned, at the moment the factory is still working a 4 day shift so this leaves Fridays free for me so if any of you want to put a day time game on whilst the weather is still good we could always start at say 12pm. The person who is putting the game on could come round at 10am and set up. 

However the game could only last the day so they’d have to be small enough so that we get a conclusion after say 5 hours allowing an hour to pack up. Anyway the offer is there if you want it.

Sunday, 2 August 2020

XX Corps Burns Nights – January 1865



By Hardy Kenwright

The first Burns Night celebration was held by Robert Burns’ friends on 21st July 1801, the 5th anniversary of his death. It then became a regular event on the anniversary of his birth, originally thought to be 29th January. In 1803, the Ayr parish records were found to show that his real birthday had been on 25th January.

M.G. Paul De Krackere decided that XX Corps would hold three Burns Night Celebrations on 25th, 26th and 27th January, once for each Division. This ensured that each Division in turn would be excused fatigues for a night, cover by their colleagues in the other Divisions.

Highlanders escort the Haggis

International singing sensation Barbara Cerville had been invited to visit the Corps and attend all three events. I was pleased to be invited to attend each evening too.

Piping in:

Bandsmen Tom Brone and Rusty Horne demonstrated their piping skills to greet the guests.

 Host's welcoming speech

The Division Commanders, acting as host at their own Division’s Dinner, welcomed the guests and said the Selkirk Grace.


Some hae meat an canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it;

But we hae meat, and we can eat,

And sae the Lord be thankit.

 

The Haggis Guards
Menu:

Cock-a-leekie

(Entrance of the Haggis)

Haggis served wi tatties an neeps (with potatoes and swede)

Tipsy Laird (whisky trifle

Oatcakes and cheeses

All washed down with the "water of life" (uisge beatha), Scotch whisky.


Entrance of the Haggis:

Everyone stood as Col. Róng Wài brought in the Haggis to the top table, being piped in by Tom Brone. That night’s host then recited the Address to a Haggis.

 

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my airm.

(fa = befall, sonsie = jolly/cheerful)

(aboon = above, a' = all)
(painch = paunch/stomach, thairm = intestine)
(wordy = worthy)

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.


(hurdies = buttocks)

His knife see rustic Labour dicht,
An' cut you up wi' ready slicht,
Trenching your gushing entrails bricht,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sicht,
Warm-reekin, rich!

(dicht = wipe, here with the idea of sharpening)
(slicht = skill)
 
 
 
(reekin = steaming)

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmaist! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit" hums.


(deil = devil)
(swall'd = swollen, kytes = bellies, belyve = soon)
(bent like = tight as)
(auld Guidman = the man of the house, rive = tear, i.e. burst)

Is there that o're his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect scunner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?


(olio = stew, from Spanish olla/stew pot, staw = make sick)

(scunner = disgust)

Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!


 
 
(nieve = fist, nit = nut, i.e. tiny)

But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his wallie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whistle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thristle.


 
(wallie = mighty, nieve = fist)

(sned = cut off)
(thristle = thistle)

Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinkin ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a haggis!


 
(skinkin ware = watery soup)
(jaups = slops about, luggies = two-handled continental bowls)

 A haggis, cut open

At the line His knife see rustic Labour dicht, the host drew and sharpened a knife. At the line An' cut you up wi' ready slicht, he plunged it into the haggis cutting it open from end to end.

At the end of the poem, a whisky toast was proposed to the haggis.

Haggis Chef
Speeches:

The hot gave a speech remembering an aspect of Burns's life or poetry. A toast to the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns then followed.

Address to the Lassies:

Given by the senior Brigade Commander.

Reply to the Laddies:

Given by guest Barbara Cerville.

Close:

Paul De Krackere gave a vote of thanks then all joined in to sing Auld Lang Syne to bring the evening to an end, although the Whisky continued to flow for a good while after.



Saturday, 1 August 2020

Border Ruffians, Hired Help #3 - More Irish

These little guys have been on the work bench for way too long! Finally got them finished yesterday.

Wargames Atlantic Plastic Figures, right hand figure with Warlord Games ECW musket.

There are four plastic figures from the new Wargames Atlantic Dark Ages Irish that can be used in period or easily adapted to Elizabethan Irish period. I have created a mash-up on one of these figures using parts from the Warlord ECW Infantry set to add a musket to the figure to place him squarely in the Elizabethan period.

Kern with Javelins

Kern with Spear and Shield

Kern with Sword and Shield

Kern with Musket and sword

There are also two Irish Wolf Hounds from the Wargames Atlantic set, that can obviously be used for any period as well.

Who let the Dogs Out!

On top of that there are five figures that I purchased off Steve, some years ago and these were put into service in my War of the Roses armies. I have now re-based these and repainted to tie in with the other Irish I have in this current collection. Looks like another 40-50 of these guys, I got from Steve, that I'll work on as well.


One of the re-based WoR Irish, originally painted by Steve

I added hand axe to the right hand figure,
second right figure is a Gripping Beast figure I added to Steve's group.