Irish sea raiders were pillaging the coast of Saxon Britain long before the Vikings arrived, they later opposed the Viking incursions into Ireland and continued fighting alongside anyone who would pay them until well after the Normans appeared on the scene. So a useful addition to any Dark Ages collection, sadly nobody ever made 54mm toys soldiers depicting Kerns or Gallowglass, so I gave them my own twist:
When I have a little money, I buy Toy Soldiers; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes. (with apologies to:) ERASMUS
Friday 15 September 2023
Irish Warband
Friday 1 September 2023
Shell craters
Feeling the need for some crafting therapy I cast around the projects I've started over the years but left unfinished, there were plenty to choose from.
Already feeling better for having achieved something.
Saturday 20 May 2023
Plastic Warrior 2023 - Conversions
Apart from collecting old toy soldiers and gaming I also like to convert and paint figures, sadly I don't get enough time for this part of the hobby but it gives me a great appreciation for the work of other people. Here are some I picked up at the show which will be gracing the games on my table at some point in the future.
Tuesday 16 May 2023
Plastic Warrior Show 2023
The PW Show has been running annually since 1985 (2 years COVID lockdown excepted), and on Saturday someone said to me "It pretty much runs itself now doesn't it". Well, no it doesn't, there are always problems, there are so many things outside of our control, and the Gods love to have fun with mortals who make plans. This year they had a lot of fun and we had a lot of challenges but the support and camaraderie of the enthusiasts who overcame the travel problems and turned up carried the day. So if you were one of them, thank you, you're the ones who really make the show.
Saturday 2 April 2022
Woking Wargames Day 2022
A couple of weeks back (how time flies) I went along to the Woking Wargames Day organised by Mike Lewis of the Little Wars Revisited Group, there were four games in play throughout the day and here is what they looked like:
Thursday 29 July 2021
Friday 28 February 2020
Still limping on the long road home from Moscow
And suddenly it was all over! Time to pack away all the toys and sit down for tea.
The rules used for the game were a Napoleonic variant of Funny Little Wars which are as yet unpublished and are here being playtested. One new development is the use of polystyrene foam balls impaled on a matchstick (shown here in the centre foreground) so they can be fired from a cannon, this makes their flight rather erratic but it also makes it much easier to see what has been hit. The figures were drawn from too many sources to list, and included many conversions, but most sharp eyed readers will be able to guess their origin (and if you're really stumped you can always ask!)
Saturday 22 February 2020
Limping back from Moscow
Somewhere in the deep expanse of Russia the Grande Armee of Napoleon I has begun the long march back to it's homeland. A successful invasion had seen the most glittering army ever assembled in history, chase an elusive foe all the way to the gates of Moscow. But then the snow began to fall........
The French rearguard fall back steadily, contesting every inch of ground, selflessly sacrificing themselves to buy time for the rest of the army.
Lurking in the shadows and on the flanks are the ever present and watchful Cossacks!
It was originally going to be a quick game put together at short notice between a couple of players, but such is the enthusiasm of the Funny Little Wars aficionados that it quickly escalated to seven players pitching in a few hundred figures on a thirty foot snowscape.
Well what else are you going to do on a wet, windy Monday afternoon in London?