Saxe-Bearstein

2012-01-08T21:36:00.000-08:00

Our Wedding Anniversary --

My darling bride, Loraine (known as "Lani") and I were married 15 years ago (January 8, 1997).

Tonight we went out to dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate. And yes, that is prime rib on our plates (yum!).

There hasn't been much to report on the wargames front lately. Between the Holidays and my health, I've not played anything for a while . . . but Murdock, Pete and I have tentatively set up for either painting or playing on January 22.

My wish is for all of you to be as happy in your relationships and my wife and I are in our marriage.

-- Jeff

2011-12-25T14:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to All --

I hope that you all have a wonderful day today. May the joys of the Season and the innocence of children wrap you in a warm happy mood . . . and may it continue into the new year.

And may all of that New Year bring each and every one of you good health and pleasant times . . . with lots of new toys and memorable games.

And, finally, yes, that is me in my "Santa" guise . . . and it is okay to smile at this funny old fat man . . . I don't mind at all.

-- Jeff

2011-12-18T22:59:00.000-08:00

Our 2011 Christmas Trees --

Last week we got both of out trees up.

Our "inside tree", as seen at left, is about an 8' Fraser Fir. We like them because while they are fairly full, they do have spaces where you make place ornaments "inside" them.

(note: try clicking on image for a closer look . . . well depending upon just how Blogger is treating photos today)

Our tree is mostly decorated with red and/or white ornaments . . . although there are many "specials" that we've acquired over the years.

This year's "special" is pretty much right in the middle of the tree. It features a cameo. As my Grandfather told me (and he said that his had told him), "the men in our family have always given cameos to the women they love".

Now while I've given my wife a few cameos, this was the first time I found one for our tree.

Out on our front porch we have a 6 1/2' artificial tree that must be close to 15 years old.

We have found that some larger seemingly garish ornaments (when seen up close) look good from the street.

A few of our other trees may be seen in some of my older posts. Click here for the 2009 tree. Click here for the 2008 tree.

Here is wishing that you may have a wonderful holiday season.

-- Jeff

2011-11-24T15:59:00.000-08:00

A Silly Injury --

A few nights ago I got up in the middle of the night to do something. I raised my left arm up to reach something as I was twisting to the right . . . and it happened.

I coughed.

Pain lanced from my spine along one of my lower ribs on my right side. Very sharp immediate yelp-out-loud pain. . . . all from a silly cough at the wrong time while I was doing the wrong thing.

I didn't pop the rib free from the spine, but I sure did mess up the intercostal muscles. You know, the ones that hurt when you breathe or move or (heaven forbid) cough.

So I've been doing little more than taking pain meds and sleeping . . . all because of a little cough . . . oh yeah, I also feel very silly too . . . but I can't laugh about it because that hurts as well.

*sigh*

-- Jeff

2011-11-10T02:46:00.000-08:00

Gout Strikes Me Again --

Yes, being very Eighteenth Century, I am once again afflicted with an attack of gout.

This time it is in my left ankle . . . and it hurts like something that would get this blog censored.

No, gout does NOT just attack the big toes (although those are common and very painful). It can attack in any joint. Besides the toes, I've had it in ankles and knees . . . none of which are any fun.

My only real other gaming news (as reported on Colonel Hud's Colonial Blog) is that my Afristan Campaign is currently in hiatus due to a serious health issue with one of the players (he is facing heart surgery on Monday morning).

Okay, I'll admit that I have also played a few sessions of 1st edition AD&D . . . well I did get my start back in the '70s with role-playing . . . and I've contributed the use of my figures to represent characters and bad-guys on the table top. But it isn't the same as "real" toy soldiers.

-- Jeff

2011-10-31T23:21:00.000-07:00

(OT) Trick or Treat Report --

Well it was rather disappointing tonight ala "trick or treaters". Last year we had 108 T&Ters over a 2 1/2 hours. This year we only had 63 over a 3 3/4 hour window. That is 45 fewer than last year

I try to take photos of most of the costumes so that my wife (who is a semi-invalid) can get to see them later. Most kids came in groups like the one above (click on photos for a hopefully better view . . . depending upon how Blogger is dealing with photos this week).

The little fellow above was one of the first; and the girl below (who looks out through the hat) probably had the best costume. Overall it seems to me that we had far fewer "little kids" without a corresponding decrease in teenagers.

Now what are we to do with all of the left-over candy? Both my wife and I have Type II diabetes . . . so we can't eat it . . . ah, well, we'll think of something like having it out for gamers.

-- Jeff

2011-10-21T02:43:00.000-07:00

My Paint Rack --

I primarily use "craft paints" . . . you know, the inexpensive ones that come in 2 fl oz (59 ml) plastic bottles. They are usually found in "craft stores" or "dollar-type stores".

Anyway some years ago I purchased a "Provo Craft Spinner Rack". It holds 160 bottles of these 2 oz craft paints. I have found it quite useful for easy view and use of these paints.

Still I had never come close to filling it until this week when my dear wife gave me her collection of craft paints (her "numb hands" prevent her from controlling her brushes) . . . which also explains some of the colors that don't seem very martial.

As you can see from the above photo of the "warm side" of the rack, each side holds 80 paints. (Hopefully if you click on it, you'll get to see a larger image; but Blogger keeps changing the way it acts when you do so . . . so who knows.)

The image below will show you the "cool side" which also contains the varnishes and metallics on the right hand side.

I got my on eBay . . . but you if you want to get one that way you need to take your time. Some folks want outrageous prices for them and others are quite reasonable. I think that I got mine some years back for around $30 plus shipping . . . but check out the cost of shipping before you bid on one . . . again sometimes that cost is unacceptable.

I would suggest that you check with any local craft shops first to see if they carry them . . . or how much they'd charge if you ordered one.

Below is an image of the side of the rack . . . so you can see the central post that the whole thing turns on. By the way, when full of paints like this it is quite heavy.

Finally you will have noticed that I've painted each lid the color of the paint inside. This is because paints can dry either lighter or darker than their "wet" appearance . . . and it makes it very easy to find the shade of color that I want.

By the way, while most come with white lids, some craft paints come with a "gold top" (such as the fourth ones down in the photo above). These I first paint white before painting their proper color on them.

-- Jeff

2011-10-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

Some Thoughts on My Rules --

Over the past few months I have been particularly enjoying Ross Macfarlane's discussion of rules on his "Battle Game of the Month" blog. He, along with Bob Cordery's "Wargaming Miscellany" blog, have had me thinking about my "Tricorne Wars" rules.

When I first wrote them one of my goals was to replicate the steadfastness of line infantry and the slow wearing down of their resolve . . . and I feel that in a way I succeeded in doing so.

The problem is that that also tended to slow up games. Units took hits and then rallied in place too often. Ross and Bob have me re-thinking that approach. I need to keep in mind the fact that I'm writing "game rules" not "copying history".

While I'm not quite sure just how I want to deal with this, I do know that I want to. Mind you there are lots of parts of my rules that I really like . . . but they do need some work in light of my recent convictions.

Finally, if you have not yet read Ross Macfarlane's most recent reworking of his "Hearts of Tin" rules, I certainly suggest that you give them a read. They were primarily written for the 19th century but will flex a bit on either end of that.

-- Jeff

2011-09-23T00:07:00.000-07:00

(OT) A Poem of Mine --

The following is a poem I wrote . . . and read to my dear sweet wife on our first night together.

NIGHT SONG
- - copyright 1995, as an unpublished work, by Jeff Hudelson

Come walk the sky with me, My Sweet,
Let's see what wonders we shall meet
As we set forth at setting sun
And journey through 'til night is done.
We'll leave our clumsy bodies here
And dance tonight by yonder sphere.
Oh, yes, of course, I mean the moon,
That giant pearl that's rising soon.
So close your eyes and breathe out deep;
Let your skin feel Wind's mighty sweep.
Now just let go -- and drift aloft --
Carried up by moonlight soft.
You need not fear the ground below
When souls do walk the ether flow.
So open now your spirit's eyes;
And see the sights full of surprise.
See there that beauteous rosy glow?
It's where the sun just set, you know;
And still the clouds are glowing bright
With yon Apollo's fading light.
On other hand, where moon doth gleam,
We shall set forth 'long heaven's stream.
And sail into the starry dark --
Until we hear the song of lark.
For lark doth warn of rising sun;
And by dawn's light we must be done.
For Faerieland of glitt'ring sky
Begins to fade when sun is nigh.
But still there's time for us to dance,
Come, Sweet, we must not lose this chance --
Throw fear and caution far away,
Tonight it's time for us to play!
Below you, see the lights come on,
Houses lit with electric dawn.
They are but pale reflections, Love,
Of all the stars now bright above.
So let your slender spirit soar
And drink in the wonder evermore,
For all these stars are yours to keep
Within your heart when sound you sleep.
It is my joy to share with you
The sights that only gods can view.
Your hand in mine, we'll journey far,
Even unto the farthest star.
With wonder for our spirits' fuel,
We'll journey out where comets duel.
And talk to constellations bright
As, Dear, I give you all this night.
Ram, Bull and Twins, plus many more
Are here to share with you their lore.
Behold them there, before our eyes,
They've seen so much they must be wise.
They know of ancient mysteries:
They've seen the sights on heaven's seas:
They've watched as Civilizations fall;
And heard nine billion babies squall.
But all their wisdom is but lies
When measured 'gainst your smiling eyes.
Drink moonlight with me, Gentle Heart,
and we shall give cold stars a start.
For fires within me strongly burn
To dance with you in swirling turn.
To sing your beauty to the sky;
And share the bed wherein you lie.
Where better than where stars are dust,
Should ever we find to share our lust --
Our lust of life, of music, joy,
And what are we, but girl and boy?
I give to you, My Gentle Sweet,
All the wonders we've yet to meet.
And ask so little in return,
Please share the heart for which I yearn.
Our spirits journey side by side
As we do take this nighttime ride;
So let our souls give joyous birth
Unto our bodies back on Earth.
There let us join both hand and heart
And Life Together let us start.
Then let us sing out to the sky
Just like the sound that's pealing by.
What sound is that, in heaven's sphere?
Please let it not be what I fear.
Our lives are short, as is this night,
And that sound gives me such a fright.
It is, alas, I know, the lark,
That calls us back from heaven's spark
Unto our bodies far below.
Yet of this journey we shall know.
For this night's dance is ours to keep,
Until we're call'd to Eternal sleep.
So, Dear, I give to you this song,
To keep this night forever long.
I love you deep and long and true --
Body and Soul -- I truly do.
So let me give to you, My Love,
Heaven and all the stars above.

2011-09-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

(OT) EARTHQUAKE --

So there I was, sitting at my computer when all of a sudden my head felt funny. My balance was off. I felt wobbly . . . like my inner ear wasn't working. This went on for a good 30 seconds or more.

Well it wasn't me. We had a 6.4 earthquake about 85 miles due west of us (and about 14.3 miles deep). But unlike some of our fellow wargamers in New Zealand, neither myself, my house nor my "toys" suffered any damage.

Earthquakes are funny things in that it really depends upon underlying terrain as to how much or how little one feels. Apparently some folks a hundred miles farther east felt it more strongly than we did.

I am in Courtenay, BC, Canada . . . on the east side of Vancouver Island (which is different from Vancouver -- which is on the mainland, not on the island). Click on the above image for a slightly better view.

Again, there is no damage to my toy soldiers.

-- Jeff

2011-08-17T04:44:00.001-07:00

1st Colonial Campaign Game --

We played the first battle of our Afristan Campaign on Monday. A report on the action can be seen on Colonel Hud's Colonial Blog.

-- Jeff

2011-08-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

(OT) Public Service Announcement --

My faithful "PC Concepts" ergonomic keyboard has finally packed it in after 15 years (and several computers). During that time my wife has worn out three (much more expensive) MicroScrap ergonomic keyboards.

Well they still worked for her, but the keyboard letters had worn off. If this has happened to you, there is a company that has come to the rescue.

"Buy PC Supplies" sells peel-and-stick keyboard letters that work very well. That's how we rescued my wife's MicroScrap keyboard this last time . . . and how we will now resurrect one of her old discards which I am currently using in place of my old faithful keyboard.

Sure, most of the time we all just "touch type" . . . but then there are those weird "codes" that we have to type in sometimes . . . and we need to look at the keys.

Anyway, the keyboard stickers are $17.95 USD plus shipping . . . a heck of lot cheaper than buying another MicroScrap keyboard with its planned obsolescence.

-- Jeff

2011-08-02T04:30:00.000-07:00

New Colonial Post --

For those interested in my Afristan Colonial Campaign, I have just uploaded the results of the February 1876 turn. Click here to go to the post.

-- Jeff

2011-07-26T05:38:00.000-07:00

Starting My Colonial Campaign --

Well I've just started my Afristan Campaign over on my Colonel Hud's Colonial Blog. It is designed for myself and three other local gamers.

Afristan is a fictional large island in the Indian Ocean. It is ruled by a much-hated Sultan who has asked for British help to keep the lid on.

Interestingly enough various areas of Afristan have been settled by tribes and clans that echo the various natives that Britain faced in Africa and the Northwest frontier of India.

Anyone who wishes to copy this campaign for their own use is certainly welcome to do so. I should note that while I've modified the system found in Stephen Luscombe's Jarania for my own circumstances, that work inspired my own.

Finally I began painting my first couple of units of Zulus this past evening, since I do not yet have any painted.

Note -- I have now posted the January, 1876 Results on my Colonial Blog.

I have also posted the February 1, 1876 map, which you can see at left. (Click for larger view; click again for an even larger image.)

-- Jeff

2011-06-25T03:49:00.000-07:00

(OT) About Ancients --

For those of you who don't know, we currently have no mail delivery here in Canada. After a long period of fruitless negotiations, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers went on a limited strike. They would take off for two days in a rotating series of major Canadian cities.

After two weeks of this, Canada Post's management claimed that this had cost them $100 million dollars (a ridiculous figure -- if they really were losing that much money for missing a few days business in a few cities when they didn't have to pay any wages, they would normally be making so much that they could easily pay down the national debt) . . . so the Canada Post management locked out the postal workers and we don't have any mail service right now.

Anyway I am now awaiting a number of items that I'd ordered. Among these is "Hail Caesar", the new Ancients rule set. I am hoping that it will help me become re-energized about Ancients.

I got my start with Historical Miniatures back about the time that WRG 7th came out. I fell in with a crowd of fellows who were just starting out playing it . . . . And I started building armies along with them . . . and I collected and painted lots of them (mostly in 25mm).

By the way, while I enjoyed the mental challenge of WRG 7th at the time, I would NOT advise anyone to start playing them today. They have a very steep learning curve and do not in my opinion give a very good simulation of ancient warfare.

Later we switched to DBM, which I felt gave a better simulation of ancient warfare, but which I never really warmed up to.

Anyway I haven't played any Ancients (apart from a few DBA games at Murdock's) for at least 25 years . . . and since I have a lot of large painted armies, I am hoping that these new rules will re-excite me about the period.

Using the WRG List terms, some of the large painted armies in 25mm that come to mind (I think there are more) include:

Alexandrian Imperial
Hoplite Greek
Carthaginian
Syracusan
Feudal Spanish
Feudal Scots

I know that I also have unpainted lead for large 25mm armies of:

Indian
Gauls
Illyrians
Early Imperial Romans
Ayyubid Egyptians
Feudal Germans (partially painted)

In 15mm my painted armies include

New Babylonians
Hoplite Greeks
Early Germans
Late Imperial Romans
Arab Conquest
Feudal Germans

I also have a number of miscellaneous 15mm DBA armies . . . so when I come right down to it, I have a lot of reasons to see if I can re-ignite my long dormant interest in Ancients.

When the lockout ends at Canada Post, maybe the "Hail Caesar" rules will do that . . . and maybe not.

-- Jeff

2011-06-19T04:43:00.000-07:00

It's My Birthday --

Yes, strange as it may seem, I was actually born at 6:48 am PWT on June 19, 1948 in Carmel, California . . . so anyone who wants to draw my natal chart can now do so (although I've no idea of why you'd want to do so).

My dear wife did gift me with a few wargaming related items (okay, she asked me to order a few for myself and have them sent to her -- which I do much earlier in the year so that I don't remember everything and they can come as a surprise).

I got four DVD titles of note:

"Khartoum"
"The Man Who Would Be King"
"Zulu Dawn" (yes, I already have "Zulu")
"The Civil War", a film by Ken Burns (actually 6 DVDs)

I also got a number of non-wargaming books and "Flames in the Punjab", a radical variant of "The Sword and the Flame" covering the Sikh Wars of the 1840s.

And tonight we will be going out to dinner . . . so turning 63 isn't all that bad.

-- Jeff

2011-05-18T00:58:00.000-07:00

My Dad in WWII --

My late father was Captain John Elza Hudelson, United States Army Signal Corps.

Don't rush to your history books, he's not in them although he served from before the war until after it.

He wasn't in a "war zone", but he did have a rather adventurous time during the war. For the most part (well, after OCS anyway) he was stationed in Central and South America . . . and this is what he said to me in the 1950s:

"I wouldn't trade my experiences during the war for a million dollars . . . and I wouldn't go through it again for ten million." . . . please note that that was when a million bucks was worth a lot more than it is now.

As an enlisted man he was on his way to Hawaii on a steamship when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. The captain turned the ship about and returned to California, saying that the only weapon aboard was a .38 he had in the ship's safe and he wasn't going to sail into an active war zone with just that.

With the war ramping up, my Dad was sent to OCS and came out as a 2nd Lieutenant. He then shipped out to Panama. But being stationed in Panama didn't mean that he stayed there.

Like the bulk of the Signal Corps in Panama, much of his job was to establish and repair communications throughout Central (and northern South) America. I know that at one point he was even sent to the Galapagos Islands . . . and my mother has photos of those big swimming iguanas that they have there.

We also have the skin of a boa constrictor that dropped on him in the jungle. One of the things that he told me was that, while it is almost impossible to unwind a boa constrictor from the head back, it is actually quite easy to unwind them from the tail forward!

We even have a shrunken head that he got in Ecuador. (click on photo if you need a closer look).

We also have coins and paper money from all over Central/South America.

I don't recall which country it was, but he talked about one of the Central American nations whose currency featured an attractive woman. As the bills went up in value, she shed more and more clothing . . . it was a different time . . . and Dad couldn't afford the larger bills so all I ever saw was a single breast uncovered (note: not nearly as good as those old National Geographics).

Only once did he encounter an "enemy". His unit triangulated the signals of a German agent who was transmitting reports on the shipping passing through the Panama Canal.

It turned out to be an old German fellow who'd long lived in Panama, but who thought that he owed his service to Germany. He was unarmed and offered no resistance . . . indeed Dad said that the fellow was surprised that it had taken them so long to locate him.

In a way Dad's scariest moment came when he was detailed to fly as navigator on aircraft flying out to join a carrier. It took a while for him to convince them that he knew nothing about navigating and had never even been in an airplane.

It turned out that someone had transposed some digits on his MOS. He said that it would have resulted in the death of both him and the pilot (and the loss of the plane) if they'd had to depend upon him to navigate.

He also talked of trekking through jungle that most likely no white man had ever seen when they were sent out in search of a lost aircraft toward a "clearing" search aircraft had spotted . . . but when they got there, there was no crash site, it was just a clearing.

One of the more exciting things he was involved in was blowing up the locks in the Panama Canal. Oh, not for real, but with dummy charges that put out a lot of smoke.

As he told it, a new General had taken command and was not at all satisfied with the security of the Canal Zone . . . however the Colonel who'd been in charge of said security insisted that it was fine.

The same soldiers had been guarding the Zone (or at least the portion the new General was in charge of) for years. They knew what they were doing said the Colonel.

No. They were so bored by their duty that they no longer saw anything.

Anyway the new General called in the Signal Corps and Dad got the job of "mining" the locks with dummy charges that would go "bang!" and put out a lot of smoke. He said some of his men even wore political campaign buttons in lieu of proper identification tags . . . but the guards never noticed.

So, the General, with Security Colonel in tow, reviewed the locks . . . and Dad was given a signal and set off the charges. The Colonel was replaced and on his way stateside that night. After that, the soldiers guarding the Canal were rotated every few months.

Dad said that he got his Captain's bars for establishing a needed telegraph line to somewhere (I don't recall where). It was needed but hadn't been approved. Dad's Colonel gave him the job.

He told Dad that his platoon was on detached duty. He said that certain warehouses would not be guarded at a certain time and that the telegraph line was needed. So Dad had his platoon load everything they'd need up and went to work.

The telegraph line was in operation for six months before it was approved . . . and dad was a captain.

He had much to say about the diseases and the weather (nothing good) . . . the rain wasn't as bad as the humidity. And sadly he also had occasional relapses of some sort of tropical disease he'd contracted . . . one that would lower his temperature. He used to recount how the doctors would be constantly monitoring him and ignoring the guys with high fevers.

All in all, he had a rather eventful career. He never heard an enemy shot fired (although he and his men had times when they had to shoot native fauna). Which reminds me . . . in Central America if you ever eat "chicken" and notice that the "dark meat" is actually light; you aren't eating chicken . . . it's iguana.

-- Jeff

2011-04-27T04:35:00.000-07:00

"Stylish Blogger Award" --

Clarence Harrison of Quindia Studios and author of the ECW rules, "Victory Without Quarter", has nominated me for the "Stylish Blogger Award".

Thank you, Clarence . . . at least I think so.

For, as Clarence wrote on his blog, "this award may be somewhat dubious since it comes with a 'chain letter' style rules requiring the winner to 'pass it on'."

Furthermore, a recipient (such as myself) is supposed to do four tasks:

Thank the nominating blog and provide a link back -- done!
Share seven things about myself, presumably beyond the realm normally covered by the blog -- see below
Nominate more blogs you deem worthy to share your honor. -- see below
Let those bloggers know you nominated them! -- will do

So let's see . . . seven things about myself that you wouldn't know:

I worked as a Theatre Critic for a number of newspapers
I like to fish . . . but the only "big" fish I've ever caught was a 127 lb marlin
I cannot sing . . . but I've been paid to perform in several operas (many operas have non-singing speaking roles -- my best role was Frosch in "Die Fledermaus").
I cannot play a musical instrument . . . but I've been paid to perform with symphony orchestras (Narrator in "Peter and the Wolf").
My wife and I met on the Internet (in a spiritual chat site) some 15 years ago.
When I was with a theatre group in Colorado, I participated in the 5th International Muzzle-loading Biathlon . . . and finished second over-all for shooting (only -- I'm slow on skis).
I've been reading Science Fiction/Fantasy for over 50 years and still have every SF book I've ever purchased (yes -- thousands of them).

Okay, now I need to nominate some new blogs for the "Stylish Blogger Award". Now, while there are a great many blogs that I read and enjoy on a regular basis, I'm going to severely limit my list to a few that seem particularly special:

Ross Macfarlane's "Battle Game of the Month" -- which could win simply for its great masthead photo, but which always has interesting, thought-provoking posts as well as great accounts of games in a wide array of periods.
"Steve's Random Musings on Wargaming and other stuff" -- not only has some wonderful game accounts and photos, but very frequently has interesting historical background material on units and personalities. Furthermore, he has collected and posted most of the early Grant "Table Top Teasers".
"Campaigns of General William Augustus Pettygree" -- The wonderful "photo stories" which Bill Protz creates are truly inspiring.

I strongly suggest that you visit the above blogs -- and do not limit yourself to their current posts, but sample many of their previous posts. Bill's blog should certainly benefit from starting from its very first post and reading forward.

-- Jeff

2011-04-19T05:11:00.000-07:00

Colonial Lead Arrives --

One hundred and twenty-odd Ral Partha Zulus appeared in my mailbox today. When added to previous shipments from Great Endeavors (who have the RP Colonials at great prices), gives me enough troops to begin my Colonial Campaign . . . well, they will once they're painted.

(click on the photo to left for a closer view; click twice for a better view of some of my Ral Patha "small 25s" guarding the Colonel's daughter who found herself in "a spot of bother" a few years back.)

Oh, I don't have nearly enough Dervishes (or Pathans, for that matter), but I figure that I can "flesh out" the Dervishes with Pathans (and vice versa) for a while. And at least now I've now got most of my Pathans painted.

Although I guess I should start calling the Pathans, "Pashtuns", which apparently is a more correct term.

Anyway, now I've got to paint bunches of Dervishes and Zulus . . . but I've almost got enough troops painted for the "Training Game" that I hope to run soon. All I need to finish is some civilians (I'm using Boers) and mules and muleteers. So hopefully that will happen relatively soon.

-- Jeff

2011-03-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

Help! Another Period Threatens --

I have too many wargaming projects as it is. You all know of my interest in the mid-18th century. And I'm concentrating this year on my Colonial Project. I have been acquiring lots of books about the English Civil War (a long range project). And, of course, I have a couple of dozen large Ancients armies; WWI aircraft; Pre-Dreadnought battleships, the "Old West" and various odds and ends.

So what did I dream about all night?

American Civil War miniature gaming! I don't have the troops or terrain or rules or any inclination . . . so why am I dreaming of playing them? (It looked like in 54mm too . . . a scale I've never even contemplated).

Why?

And why am I trolling the TMP ACW Message Board looking for comments on various simple fun rule sets?

Am I going mad?

I fear so . . . *sigh*.

-- Jeff

2011-02-20T01:10:00.000-08:00

Ugh! Gout Again --

Well, I've been very 18th century of late . . . at least my left foot has been (and continues to be). I came down with another attack of gout a few days ago.

For those who've never had it, count yourselves as lucky. It is very painful. While the typical area of attack is a big toe, it can strike any joint. This time it is my left heel. So I've been mainly confined to bed, but occasionally hobbling about the house with a walker, zonked out of my head with pain meds (that don't seem to allow me to sleep).

One of the most frustrating aspects of the meds is that coherent thought seems to be impossible . . . and one of the blessed aspects is that they really do reduce the pain.

All-in-all not much progress with anything . . . but fortunately the bout seems to be easing a bit . . . but it still HURTS.

-- Jeff

2011-02-17T15:55:00.000-08:00

Colonial Map Updated --

Those interested in following my Colonial campaign should take a look at my updated map at Colonel Hud's Colonial Blog.

-- Jeff

2011-02-11T04:04:00.000-08:00

Colonial Blog Updates --

Over the past few days I've added a few posts to my "Colonel Hud's Colonial Blog" for those who would like to find out more about my Colonial project plans:

http://colonelhuds.blogspot.com/

-- Jeff

2011-02-01T03:06:00.000-08:00

A Change of Pace --

After reading Stephen Luscombe's Jarania Campaign rules, I've decided to put together a somewhat similar campaign using my troops . . . and, yes, that means that I intend to concentrate on Colonials this year -- although be assured that I will not be forgetting the 18th Century (or those vile Stagonians).

By the way, Mr. Luscombe is the author of the extensive "The British Empire" website . . . which is well worth some time spent exploring it.

To the left you will see an early version of my heavily revamped campaign map. Each player will be responsible for one of the "rivers" (roughly a quarter of the map).

Each "river" command will contain nine territories . . . only one of which is truly under the control of the ruling Pasha.

The rest will, as in the Jarania rules, need a constantly roving Imperial presence. The longer a territory goes without being visited by Imperial troops the more likely it will be that they will rise in a revolt and attack.

If you look closely (click on image for a better view), you will see that each river has two settlements in a single territory . . . those are the "loyal" ones. You will also see some purple-outlined triangles . . . those are missionaries (and you KNOW that they'll get in trouble).

Each player will have some starting troops and slow replacements (sort of per Jarania) . . . and will have to try and keep the peace in their territory. Of course, when a battle does happen, the other players will get to play the Natives.

Of course there is a lot still to do. I'm painting more Pathans at the moment; then I'll have to paint Zulus, Dervishes and Egyptians . . . so it looks like I'll be spending more moola at Great Eneavors as I get a bunch more Ral Partha Colonials (via their subscriptions, which also allow one to get existing figures at a substantial savings).

I should have enough troops ready soon, so I'm hoping that a "learning battle" can be set up soon.

-- Jeff

2011-01-01T03:59:00.001-08:00

Thinking of Colonials --

Lately I've been wanting to play some Colonials.

And I think that I want to play some "The Sword and the Flame" as opposed to the rules I wrote about ten years ago.

Why?

Well because TSATF is a very good set of rules. It has been the leading (as in most played) set of Colonial rules for over 30 years . . . and, as in the photo above, fights often come down to a very exciting finish.

Okay, that's fine . . . but I have a problem.

I last played Colonials in California. I had (and still have) the Imperial forces . . . but my friend Bill S. had (and still has) all of the Native forces. So we're now 1200 miles apart and in different countries.

That means I need to get (and paint) a lot of natives before I can do much . . . *sigh* . . . so I guess that that will be one of my projects this new year.

-- Jeff

2010-12-13T03:08:00.000-08:00

A Stunning Russian Victory! --

The Battle of the Yellow Sea was refought Sunday afternoon . . . and resulted in a stunning and decisive Russian victory. (Click on thhe photo below for a glimpse of the action.)

While it is true that three of the Czar's battleships slipped beneath the waves, the Japanese lost not only three of their remaining battleships, but two heavy cruisers as well. Indeed, as three Russian battleships sailed to meet up with their Vladivostok cruiser squadron, the sole remaining but heavily damaged Japanese battleship was seen to have fires burning as it disappeared in the distance.

Pete, Murdock and Murdock's son Alex joined me in my game room for our initial trial of the "Naval Thunder: Rise of the Battleship" rules.

I gave Alex his choice of which Division he wished to play and he chose the Japanese 2nd Division (again, click on any photo for a much larger image):

He also wanted to play on the same side as his Dad . . . so Murdock took command of the Japanese 1st Division . . . pictured below:

The Japanese plan was for the First Division (Mikasa, Asahi and Fuji) to take the lead and to cut off the Russian attempt to break out.

Meanwhile the Second Division (Shikishima and the two Heavy Cruisers, Kasuga and Nisshin) was to hang back as a second line.

Pete chose to assume command of the Russian 2nd Division (Peresvyet, Poltava and Sevastapol).

This meant that I was left to command the Russian 1st Division (Tsessarevich, Retvizan and Pobieda).

My "battle plan" must remain a state secret due to its success . . . and due to the fact that my command disappeared beneath the waves with no survivors.

Indeed, Pete's complete 2nd Division survived with little damage . . . so he will get the credit for this stunning Russian victory.

-- Jeff

2010-11-19T03:52:00.000-08:00

First Dusting of Snow --

Well, Thursday (November 18) we had our first dusting of snow for the season. It didn't stick on the ground, but the weatherman says that we'll get a couple of inches over the weekend. Of course, we're on a higher elevation so we might get more than that . . . or it might miss us altogether.

Along with colder weather I'm finding that my joints (especially my knees) are aching a lot more . . . *sigh* . . . I didn't have arthritis when I was younger (but I sure have it now).

Not much to report on the gaming front, I'm sad to say. I have been painting a few 1/2400 scale RJW Pre-Dreadnoughts . . . and hope to get a trial game in before too long. Problem is that Sunday is the best day for my fellow gamers . . . but the next two Sundays are the CFL Divisional Finals and the Grey Cup (League Championship) and I have become very enamored of the Canadian Football League style of play . . . so I'll be watching.

And then we are into December and the Holiday Season when free time gets gobbled up.

-- Jeff

2010-10-25T01:45:00.001-07:00

New Computer Installed --

Well as of today I am writing this post on a new computer. Nothing special, just the least expensive "desktop" computer from STAPLES . . . an Acer Aspire with Windows 7 (instead of PCLinuxDOS I previously had). I don't need "bells and whistles" since I do my gaming on the table top and not on the computer.

In some respects it is a welcome change since our new cable connection didn't work well for the Linux machine . . . and in others it can be quite frustrating since it is years since I had to try to figure out a Microsoft product . . . and I've screamed some "bad words" more than a few times.

Anyway, just one more reminder that my old "uniserve" email account is defunct . . . if you wish to email me, use bluebearjeff@shaw.ca . . . for example, if you want to get your 18th century Imagi-Nation added to the "Emperor vs Elector" group blog.

However I fear that you are likely to hear some more "bad words" coming from Vancouver Island, BC, Canada if you listen carefully. Please forgive me.

-- Jeff

2010-10-15T01:48:00.000-07:00

Moving to a New Computer --

As many of you know, I've been laid up after a nasty fall. I am doing much better now although my knees and head are still sore (as well my right elbow, which I still don't understand). But I'm really only having to take Tylenol now . . . which means that I'm much less zonked than on the pain meds.

So now I will potentially be off-line for a while as I attempt to switch over to a whole new computer . . . moving from a Linux machine to a Windows 7 machine.

Hopefully there won't be too much trouble transferring files and learning a whole different system . . . but I doubt that anyone will make book on it.

Wish me luck.

-- Jeff

2010-10-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

Ouch & Double-Ouch! --

A week ago I took a tumble down a couple of steps in our garage . . . not a good idea . . . and, while fortunately I didn't break any bones, I conked my head pretty good and bruised parts of my body that I didn't even know about.

Because of that the next few days are pretty blurry. My head cleared up a bit after the week-end; and while I still hurt lots of places, I was on the mend . . . or so I thought.

My left knee started hurting more and more . . . I guess that the stress it received in the fall ended up triggering an attack of gout!

So, like an eighteenth century general, I am currently severely hobbled. However, unlike those generals I at least have access to medications for pain relief and to mitigate the severity of the attack. Still I am having to hobble around the house with a walker and getting up or down is difficult and painful . . . and it is hard to sleep due to the pain (the knee screams with every little movement).

It really makes me empathize with those old eighteenth century generals.

-- Jeff

2010-09-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

New Email & Planning a Game --

Well we have now switched Internet Service Providers . . . and, as a result, my email address has changed. It is now bluebearjeff@shaw.ca . . . and I suspect that I may need to get a new computer shortly too.

In the meantime I have a game to plan. Murdock is supposed to come over next Sunday (the 19th) to play something . . . and I have been wanting to give Clarence Harrison's "Victory Without Quarter" rules another try . . . so that's the direction I'm currently leaning toward.

We played these rules twice before, back in 2008 . . . both times with "substitute figures", which would be the case again. For those who might be interested, here are links to our first game and our second game. In both cases, the comments from "Anonymous" are in fact from VWQ's author, Clarence Harrison.

-- Jeff

2010-08-16T00:39:00.000-07:00

Warning: Off-Line Soon --

Because of a number of pending computer changes in our household (both computers and connection type) I will have very spotty internet access for an indeterminate time starting relatively soon.

I will attempt to warn everyone more fully when this is about to occur . . . and sadly it will probably mean a change in email which might interfere with blog connectivity . . . but I will have to wait and see.

-- Jeff

2010-07-31T04:25:00.000-07:00

First Panzerschiffe Ships Painted --

Well I have now painted a dozen of the 1/2400 scale Panzerschiffe Russo-Japanese War ships. I had ordered the six major ships for each side for the Battle of the Yellow Sea.

As I believe I have mentioned at times, I have chosen to use pre-war (or the transition to war) color schemes rather than the boring gray gray gray of wartime painting.

Why?

Because my eyes are not the best and I wish to be able to easily distinguish the vessels of various nations.

As can be seen by the photo above (click on it for a larger image), I have painted the Japanese ships with their black hulls and funnels, and white superstructure and turrets. The Russian ships have dark cinnamon brown hulls, khaki superstructure, ochre funnels and dark gray turrets . . . which approximates the reports of the Pacific Squadrons early in the war.

On the left you will see all twelve ships. The Russians are on the top; with the Japanese vessels below.

By the way, I do know that the Russian Pacific Squadron had white hulls pre-war, but I'm reserving that for the US "Great White Fleet" which I'll eventually have.

For I have gone through all of the Pre-Dreadnought navies that I might eventually want to own and planned the basic paint scheme of each so that all will be unique unto themselves.

-- Jeff

2010-07-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

Finally Back & Able to Post --

I have not been able to post for a few weeks now . . . and I don't know why. Blogger wouldn't fully load the "new post" screen for Saxe-Bearstein. It would for EvE, etc.; but not for this blog . . . *sigh*.

I suppose that my biggest news is that Phil Olley asked me to contribute an article to Pilot Issue of "The Classic Wargamer's Journal".

I of course complied with an article about "The Character of Commanders". For a brief review of the Pilot Issue of CWJ, take a look here.

I've also managed to paint a dozen Panzerschiffe 1/2400 scale Pre-Dreadnoughts for the Russo-Japanese War Battle of the Yellow Sea . . . although when I'll get a chance to play depends upon a number of factors . . . amoung them being basing, choosing which rules I want to try and getting a good "sea surface".

-- Jeff

2010-06-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

Another Birthday . . . *sigh* --

Well it is June 19, which means that I'm another year older.

My darling wife did get me three gaming-related books . . . well, okay, I ordered them for her to give to me some time back . . . but I'd forgotten what they were.

Two were "Colonial". Winston Churchill's "The Story of the Malakand Field Force" and Byron Farwell's "Armies of the Raj". The other was for one of my "hopefully some time in the future" projects . . . "The English Civil War" by Peter Young and Richard Holmes.

So all-in-all I am well pleased . . . now if only I could regain the good health I had in my youth . . . *sigh* . . . but I haven't figured out how to undo birthdays.

-- Jeff

2010-05-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

A Siren's Song --

I'm sure that it happens to lots of us. I have masses of lead to paint in a couple of periods that I really like . . . and I'm being tempted to start another period.

I know that I should stick with my SYW and Colonial projects. I know it. But . . .

But I'm being tempted by a lot of really nice photos of units and games using ECW troops. That's the English Civil War for those who might be unfamiliar with it . . . you know, the various conflicts (there were a number of phases) in the mid-17th century. Not the much earlier War of the Roses (which is what one of our local bookstores thought).

The Quindia series "Collecting a Wargames Army 101" (series of 8 icons about halfway down the page) first excited me. Then many photos on sites like Angus Konstam's ECW page, Lead Gardens , Steve's Fieldworks, For Ye Kinge and others fueled my interest.

So the "Siren call" has been heard . . . but I don't have any figures (I'll probably opt for the Old Glory Army Deal at some point) and I haven't got a rule set that I like a lot yet . . . so I wouldn't know how many figures to paint for a unit . . . and I haven't read all of the history books that I've already purchased for the period.

So why am I wanting to start painting?

It is that darn Siren. I'm sure that you've heard similar calls . . . oh, maybe not for the ECW, but for something . . . for some period.

So far I'm resisting. I am wavering on whether to paint SYW or Colonial figures when Murdock comes over for our paint day . . . but I'm trying not to head that Siren's call.

-- Jeff

2010-05-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

Recovering from a Bad Knee --

I've spent most of the past fortnight in considerable pain. I had some loose cartiledge in my right knee go awry and it triggered a gout attack in the knee.

Between the two of them I was pretty much out of it . . . (thank goodness for strong pain pills). I'm still using a cane to get around the house (and I won't try the stairs down to my "war room" for a few days yet), but I'm now down to just taking Tylenol.

Sadly I've not been able to do much hobbywise because everything was downstairs. I've read some blog posts . . . and left a few comments (some of which made little sense thanks to being spacey with the pain meds).

Murdock called the other day and we've arranged for him to come over on the 30th for a "Painting Day" . . . which I'm looking forward to. I've always found that I get more done when I'm painting with a friend.

I've been reading a fair amount of favorable comments about the "Black Powder" rules . . . but of course the copy I got from Amazon.ca is downstairs and has thus been unobtainable for a few weeks. I think that we'll have to give it a try this Summer.

So, I've been "out of it" for a while, but I'm getting back (I hope) relatively soon.

-- Jeff

2010-04-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

A New Look for the Blog --

Well upon reading the latest post from the Grand Duchy of Stollen, wherein Stokes mentions that adding a photo to the top of the blog is easy, I decided to do so.

I will probably look at several different photos . . . so don't be surprised if there are some different looks here until I decide.

-- Jeff

How to Add a Background Photo

After the above post had been online for a few hours, it occurred to me that I should explain HOW to add a photo . . . it is very easy.

First -- Find the photo that you want to use . . . and look for one that doesn't have a "busy" top half, because you want your blog title to show against this background.

Next -- Go to your blog's "Dashboard". There are several options -- New Post, Edit Posts, Settings, Layout, Monetize. Click on Layout.

Now -- Right under the tabs at the top of the page are a number of Headings. The first of these is "Page Elements" . . . click on it if it isn't already at the forefront.

Then -- Go to the first "block" right under the "Navbar" -- this should be your "Header" area. On the far right there is an "Edit" link . . . click on it to bring up a window.

Now -- You should see a list of items you could edit -- "Blog Title", "Blog Description" and "Image".

Wait -- Do not enter your chosen background image yet. First, scroll down until you see the choice "Shrink to fit" and make sure that this it checked. Otherwise your Header Photo may be way way wider than the rest of your blog.

Now -- Add your chosen background photo by either using the "Browse" feature OR the "From the web" button.

Almost Finally -- Scroll to the right and click on the "SAVE" button.

Now -- Click on one of the "View Blog" links to see how it looks. If everything looks good to you, you're finished. If you dislike the photo, go back to "Page Elements" and click on the "Header" "Edit" button, "Remove" that photo and try a new one.

But -- If the photo is fine, but the Blog Title and Descriptive text color doesn't show up well, is there another text color that would work better?

If so -- On the "Layout" page, right next to "Page Elements" click on the "Fonts and Colors" heading. The 9th color choice down is "Blog Title Color". Click on this to then select a different color for both your Blog Title and Blog Description (I think that they are always the same -- but I could be wrong).

Remember to SAVE!

Also -- If you scroll down farther you can change Font Size, etc. as well.

I hope that this helps some of you . . . it is really very easy to do.

-- Jeff

2010-03-12T13:03:00.000-08:00

(OT) It's what? SNOWING? --

Yes, I woke up today to discover that snow is falling from the sky and building up on the ground.

"Yeah, well you live in Canada, eh?"

Our only other real snowfall this season was on December 14, 2009 . . . that is three months ago. Since then we've had the warmest January on record and a February where the temperature hovered aboud 50` all month. Heck, right across the way, they had to truck snow in for a bunch of the Olympic venues.

Weird.

(note: photo taken at 1 pm from kitchen window -- click on it for larger image.)

-- Jeff

2010-03-08T03:30:00.000-08:00

Murdock's "Grizzlyville" Photos --

My gaming buddy Murdock, who was kind enough to step in when I was ill and run my "Shootouts in Grizzlyville" game at our local convention has post many more photos, as well as accounts of the games, on his "MurdocK's MarauderS" blog.

Above is just one of the twenty photos he's posted on his blog. As usual, click on any photo to view a larger image.

-- Jeff

2010-03-01T23:02:00.000-08:00

My Perfect Rule Set --

I've been reading the new "Black Powder" rulebook between naps (my bug makes me sleep a lot) . . . and this evening I took a break and read Phil Olley's article on his Thirty Years War project in the new "Wargamers' Annual -- Volume 1"

It got me to thinking about "my perfect rule set". One of the things that concerns me is how units look on the table top.

The problem is . . . I really like the "no figure removal" concept of "Black Powder" and other rules . . . and I really like the individual figures (and figure removal) of "Charge!" and "The War Game", etc.

A bit of a problem, what?

I demand simple mechanics . . . but want a great deal of flexibility while maintaining proper period character . . . which usually means detail, not simlicity.

I do not want every unit to look like every other unit . . . I want units to have a variety of sizes. Wow! Guess what? That one is pretty constant . . . what do you know? There's at least one aspect that I'm settled on.

But not settling on the others makes it difficult for me to define my perfect rule set . . . and let me be clear about this, my perfect set isn't necessarily what anyone else would find "perfect" (or even acceptible).

One of the problems that I have with a number of periods I'd like to play is that I really can't decide HOW I would like them to look on the table top. It makes things difficult . . . particularly in finding that "perfect rule set".

-- Jeff

2010-02-28T22:31:00.000-08:00

Grizzlyville Goes with a Hitch --

Well our local gaming convention, Dak-Kon XV, was this weekend and "Shootout in Grizzlyville" won the "Best Presentation Award for 2010".

Sadly I was not there to see it. I came down with a ferocious bug and was too sick to attend (I could barely even talk). Fortunately my gaming buddy, Murdock, was able to fill-in for me.

Instead of using the MDF boards as previously reported, he used one of the Hotz Matz from Hotz Artworks. Specifically it was the "One Horse Town Western Town Mat" and it is perfect for use with the "Whitewash City" buildings.

Murdock was able to run four games (the first simply a "training game") over an 8-hour time frame. As previously indicated, he used the "Fistful of Lead" rules, which are very easy to learn and lots of fun to play.

In the photo to the right it looks like some British Colonial figures have somehow appeared on the table. (By the way, click on any photo for a much larger image.)

Well, Grizzlyville is set in southeastern British Columbia, Canada . . . and the original uniform of the Northwest Mounted Police was in fact the British colonial uniform, including the very climate-inappropriate "pith helmet".

I've only had a brief phone call from Murdock (and a few photos that he emailed me), but one of the highlights was when the NWMP appeared on the table. One of the onlookers suddenly went, "ooh, I want to play them" . . . it turns out that he was a real-life Mountie!

Apparently the games were lots of fun . . . and lots of Dak-Kon attendees were excited about the buildings -- which are available as inexpensive .pdf files -- so it is a good thing that I had printed out about 50 fliers with the web addresses for the buildings and game rules.

-- Jeff

2010-02-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

(OT) "World's Greatest Athlete" --

The winner of the Decathlon is generally refered to as "the world's greatest athlete" . . . but is he really?

The Decathlon encompasses ten track and field events . . . but that is it . . . all are running, jumping, throwing events. While decathletes may well claim the title of "greatest track and field athletes" they don't really have to take on so many other athletic disciplines.

Now let us consider the Pentathlete. The modern Pentathlon is comprised of five athletic events from five totally different disciplines:

Shooting
Swimming
Fencing
Equestrian
Cross-country Running

The Modern Pentathlon is based on the skills that might be needed by an Aide-de-Camp (aha! a connection to our historical gaming).

The Pentathlete has to master such a wide variety of skills (with essentially no overlap -- remember eight of the ten decathlon events involve running).

Perhaps the Modern Pentathlete is more deserving of the title of "World's Greatest Athlete".

-- Jeff

2010-02-21T21:28:00.000-08:00

Grizzlyville Playtest --

Well, Pete, Murdock and his son, Alex stopped by today (Sunday) to playtest the "Fistful of Lead" rules which I plan to use next weekend at our local gaming convention. Unfortunately I was too busy to take many photos, but a fun time was had by all.

(Click on photo to see much larger image.)

This is a scene from late in the first game (won by Murdock). You will note that the figure lying in front of the Grand Hotel's porch not only has a wound marker (the bloody washer) but is also "pinned" . . . and I thought that using a safety pin would be a fun way to indicate pinning.

While the mechanics of the rules worked quite well, the players had some good suggestions as to the layout of Grizzlyville . . . thus it may well change shape a bit prior to the Con.

-- Jeff

2010-02-19T05:11:00.000-08:00

Grizzlyville Has Changed! --

I have built more of the Whitewash City buildings for my upcoming games at our local gaming convention . . . and totally changed the layout for Grizzlyville.

I wanted a more open layout of buildings . . . both to provide more options for maneuvering (and shooting); and to make it easier for players to move characters during convention play (hopefully with no damage to my buildings).

The first photo shows the view from the south -- looking north along Central Avenue. (As usual, click on the photo for a larger image).

The southwest block contains the Brooklyn Hotel & Saloon (big red brown building; the Pioneer Hotel (at the intersection); the City Cafe (moving south); then the Gallows and the Sheriff's Office and Jail; with the Undertaker in the southwest corner (partially cut off).

The southeast block features the Livery Stable (big brown building across from Gallows); then the Grand Hotel (at the intersection); with the Gunsmith to the east; with the Dry Goods store on the far end of the block; there is a corral in the interior of the block; and the Blacksmith in the corner.

This next photo shows Grizzlyville from the West, looking east along Main Street.

The Northwest block shows the Orient Saloon (partially cut-off) at the north end of Central Ave; next to it, the small building is a Bath House; the Bank sits on the intersection of Central and Main, with the Pool Hall just to the west; and the Longhorn Saloon sits at the west end of Main Street.

The southeast block was described earlier . . . and, as with all blocks, there are numerous small outbuildings (mainly privies).

The final photo shows Grizzlyville from the east looking west along Main Street . . . and, as before, the southeast block was described earlier.

The northeast block features the Pink House Bordello at the easternmost end of the block (closest to you); just past it is Grizzlyville's Medical Building (with both doctor and dentist); and the Gold Star Saloon sits on the intersection; the Hardware Store is between it and the Imperial Saloon to the north. It should be noted that there is another Bath House in the interior of the block (the ladies like you to smell sweet) and a large corral in the corner (barely visible).

Anyway, this will be the layout for this Sunday's playtest . . . any changes will be the result of my experience then.

-- Jeff

2010-02-16T00:45:00.000-08:00

Oh No, a Problem Arises --

Today (Monday) I received a package from On Military Matters. In it were four new hobby books (well, new to me).

There were two Osprey Men-at-Arms volumes for Colonial gaming:

# 411 -- Warrior Peoples of East Africa 1840-1900 by Chris Peers
# 453 -- Armies of the East India Company 1750-1850 by Stuart Reid

And two of the new Charles S. Grant / Phil Olley publications:

The Annexation of Chiraz
The Wargamers' Annual -- Volume 1

Okay, that's great news, isn't it?

Well, yes . . . but I'm trying to finish preparations for my Gunfights in Grizzlyville game for our upcoming local convention . . . and the Olympics are taking place right across the Strait of Georgia (channel between Vancouver Island and mainland BC) from us.

So how do I allocate my time? I want to do it all, of course . . . but that isn't possible . . . at least not all at once.

Also my wife was a professional figure skater (seven years touring with Ice Capades), and we both very much enjoy watching all of the Olympic skating . . . and here in Canada we get to see every single moment of every competitor's routines . . . not just the leaders or highlights, but the whole competition.

So tonight we watched all twenty pairs' long programs. And we still have the Men, Ice Dancing and the Ladies coming up,

What am I to do?

I will enjoy all of it eventually, but I'm still a little kid at heart (I ignore the fact that I'm in my 60s) and I want to do it all right NOW . . . and I can't.

And, oh yeah, my copy of Black Powder is due to arrive here next week.

-- Jeff

2010-02-12T02:02:00.000-08:00

Grizzlyville Progress --

I now have 20 large buildings and 18 outbuildings (mostly privies) completed for my "Gunfights at Grizzlyville games at our upcoming local game convention.

Interestingly enough this is more than I will use for the convention games. I want to have enough buildings for folks to manuever around and use as cover . . . but at the same time, I need to allow for enough "open space" for some distance shooting too.

So over the next week or so I will be trying out different layouts in order to get what I like . . . and, of course, there are still a few of the Whitewash City buildings that I want to build.

-- Jeff

2010-02-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

A Nice Buy --

All the buzz about the new "Black Powder" rules made me mildly interested in picking up a copy . . . that is until I learned that it retailed for around $50 US plus shipping!

I'm not THAT curious.

But then I happened to check Amazon.ca (the Canadian version of Amazon.com) . . . where it is selling for $20.07 CAD . . . that is equal to about $18.90 USD, 12.12 British Pounds, or 13.76 Euros . . . so I ordered one (along with some other stuff that I wanted in order to get free shipping). Anyway, today I got an email notice that it has shipped.

I don't think that anyone outside of Canada can take advantage of this price, but for us it is great!

I'll let you know if it was worth it after the rules arrive (in a week to ten days or so).

-- Jeff

2010-02-08T03:11:00.000-08:00

More Pre-Dreadnough Thoughts --

I was thinking of building a pair of fleets of Houston's 1/1000 scale Pre-Dreadnoughts for the Russo-Japanese War . . . . But I had pretty much decided to do that with either 1/2400 Panzerschiffe or 1/3000 War Times Journal ships . . . not only because of the cost factor, but also because of the table room required.

Furthering that, the Houston ships I acquired via Bartertown do not fit into the RJW . . . in fact they are so varied that they don't fit into anything like a historical conflict . . . so what to do?

My intention with the Houston ships was to use the "Perfidious Albion" rules (they look like a lot of fun) . . . and the recommendation from those who've played them is for players to only run two or three vessels until they are very experienced.

Well, looking at the ships that I have, I can put together two or three ship "squadrons" of Battleships and/or Armoured Cruisers for each of a half dozen nations that come very close to each other in terms of "Perfidious Albion" points.

So I'll build those squadrons and then players can pick which one they want (or we can dice for them) and then we'll dice for allies and go to it.

Meanwhile I'm looking at a couple of different rule sets for the RJW . . . and both of these projects are non-immediate . . . but it is good to plan ahead.

-- Jeff

2010-02-04T21:34:00.000-08:00

Change of Pre-Dreadnought Plans --

Some time back I had a post about my plans for some 1/1000 scale naval gaming. Well, I ordered a few of the Houston ships from Great Endeavors . . . two Russian and two Japanese battleships as a start.

My plan was to build up to the Battle of the Yellow Sea (Russo-Japanese War). That was my plan.

Plans change.

A few weeks ago I noticed an ad on Bartertown from a fellow looking to sell a collection of Houston ships . . . some painted, some primed and some still in their boxes. Well, he was asking a very reasonable price (well under current retail) . . . so I bought them.

There were no Japanese ships and only one Russian ship (duplicating one that I already had) . . . but there were a bunch of American and Spanish ships, some British, Chinese, French and Italian ships . . . a real mix . . . not something for any historical battle.

So what do I do now?

Paint them up and play with them is all that I can think of at the moment . . . just have fun.

-- Jeff

PS, I've had a very sore knee for close to a month. Doc says that it cartilage and if I ice it and treat it nicely it will hopefully settle down. Well this morning I woke up with gout attacking the ankle on the same leg . . . so I'm on pain meds and gout medication . . . and I'm zonked . . . perhaps when I'm no longer on the pain meds I'll figure out what to do with my Pre-Dreads.

2010-01-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

Planning Grizzlyville --

One of the things about a "Convention game" is that it needs to be reasonable easy to transport and to set up. In the case of my Grizzlyville game, because I might well have players all the way around the town, I don't want to have a simple, one street town either -- I want a more complex playing surface.

My solution is fairly simple. Since we will apparently be on 6'x4' tables, I picked up four sheets of 2 foot square 1/8" MDF (medium density fibreboard). I'm using Whitewash City paper buildings, which come with floor plans. I will glue these floor plans to the sheets of MDF and then simply place the buildings over the floor plans . . . a quick and easy setup.

Click on any of the photos (such as the one to the left) for a larger view. It is my current plan for the layout of Grizzlyville.

Well, for the major buildings, that is. There will be lots of small "out buildings" (outhouses, storage sheds, etc.) which are not placed on the current layout. In addition, there will be a few other features in some of the "empty" spots.

Yes, I still have three buildings yet to construct . . . although I've placed their floorplans down. In addition, not all of the current structures are completed. Many do not yet have their covered walkways, outside stairways and such . . . but they will.

The upper left quadrant (left to right to top) features the Longhorn Saloon (facing the Hardware Store across the street), a Bath House, the Grand Hotel (which still needs its balcony, etc. attached). Not yet constructed will be a Gunshop.

I should note that there is a basic "cross" street pattern, with streets about 5" wide.

The upper right quadrant (top to bottom, then to the right) features four main buildings and a corral.

The green roof is the Bakery (across the street from the Gunshop), blue roof is a Cafe, then the Frontier Hotel (across the street from the Grand Hotel). On the right side of the photo, is the Livery Stable and a corral.

The lower right quadrant has four buildings and the floor plan of a fifth. Also I have plans for the "empty" area in the corner.

Starting from the right this time and moving left, we have the Dry Goods store (on the edge, across the street from the Livery Stable), then the Sheriff's Office and Jail, then the Imperial Saloon.

On the corner of the main intersection is the floorplan for the Gold Star Saloon (kitty corner from the Grand Hotel) and below it is the Undertaker (dark roof and fenced area).

The final quadrant (lower left) from left to right, has the Hardware Store (grey roof), the floor plan for the Medical building (doctor on ground floor, dentist up the outside stairs to the second floor). then the Bank (facing the Grand Hotel, it's side across the street to the Gold Star Saloon.

Behind the Bank (facing the Undertaker) is the Blacksmith, with a small corral next to him.

My current thinking is that I will be seated at the "top" of this setup . . . and the players on the left right and bottom sides.

And, of course, this all might change between now and the end of February when the convention takes place . . . but it at least gives me a good starting place.

Oh yes, I will be running a playtest of the rules and my town layout the weekend before . . . so there will be time to fix things if necessary.

-- Jeff

2010-01-25T19:23:00.000-08:00

Grizzlyville Painting Day --

Well Murdock and Pete stopped by yesterday (Sunday) and we managed to get 44 figures painted for the Grizzlyville games at our local Dak-Kon convention (end of February).

To the left you can see what we painted. There are six gangs of six. Each gang has its own hat color (white, grey, black, yellow, tan and brown).

(note -- click on photo for larger image.)

You will also note eight "North-West Mounted Police" figures . . . well you probably thought that they were British Colonial figures, didn't you?

Well the NWMP (precursor) to today's Royal Canadian Mounted Police did indeed look like British Colonial troops . . . including having tropical "pith helmets" as their official summer headgear . . . which wasn't very practical . . . the modern Stetson "Campaign Hat" becoming their standard headgear after the Boer War.

Anyway, thanks to the help provided by a couple of friends, I now have enough figures for the Convention. Aren't friends great?

-- Jeff

2010-01-22T22:30:00.000-08:00

Grizzlyville Planning, Part II --

So, what kind of a scenario have I got planned?

First of all, I must plan on a variety of scenarios depending upon the number of gamers who wish to play.

But my primary scenario for 6 or 7, would feature six gangs . . . representing a number of surrounding ranches. Each group would have an enemy and a friend.

They will be recognizable by their hat colors -- white, black , grey, tan, brown and red-brown. Of course there will also be some townsfolk to confuse the issue . . . and, if there's a seventh player, some mounties to provide law and order.

By the way, the photos above and to the left show some of the "Whitewash City" buildings as well as some of the "townfolk".

Note that the gangs will be based on pennies while the townies are on Games Workshop bases . . . but does anyone care to wager against some of them being shot by "mistake"?

(more later)

-- Jeff

2010-01-21T06:18:00.000-08:00

Grizzlyville Game Planning --

We have our annual local "Gaming Convention" coming up at the end of February . . . and I've committed to running a game for it.

First you need to know that there probably won't be very many attendees . . . and most will be playing Role-Playing or Collectable Card games . . . although I think one other fellow will be running a role-playing game with miniatures.

Because we do not have a knowledgeable base of miniature players in the area, I've decided to run a very simple system -- Fistful of Lead -- which is available in .pdf format for only $6 from WargameDownloads.com.

(note -- I've also just realized that these rules were written by "Emperor vs Elector" member contributor "Baron VonJ" who writes the "Baron's Blog".)

Why did I pick "Fistful of Lead"? Because, as Eric Hotz (of Larry Leadhead, Whitewash City, Roman Seas, Hotz Maps, etc. fame) wrote about them:

This game allows for fast and easy play, and players can play using more than one miniature without being burdened. May very well be the ideal convention game.

The mechanics of the rules are simple and easy to learn . . . and I suspect that I'll have some youngsters who want to play and these rules will work for them.

Is it the perfect set of "old west" rules? No, for an extended campaign I'd prefer something like Gutshot: but for a "one-off" game or just an occasional evening's game, "Fistful of Lead" is excellent (and the price is pretty good too).

I've built a bunch of the "Whitewash City" old west buildings and a friend had a couple of cowboy moulds and cast up a bunch of figures for the game. I've got them primed and mounted on pennies . . . and on Sunday, Murdock and Pete are dropping by to help do a mass painting.

So, I'll have rules, figures and buildings . . . all I need now is a scenario. The rules include several good ones, but I've got an idea or two of my own.

Oh, yes . . . what is "Grizzlyville?" It is the name that I came up with for the town where the scenarios will take place.

(more to come in a few days)

-- Jeff

2009-12-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

"Not with a Bang . . ." --

". . . but a wimper." . . . well I'm afraid that I'm ending the year with plenty of wimpers. Yes, it is the kidney gravel moving through my system again. So here I sit at the keyboard, zonked on my pain meds constantly correcting my fumbling fingers.

Now I don't like feeling zonked; but it is better than the pain. Anyway before this hit I'd started a blog about my Colonial gaming. And my most recent post there quoted from something from the "Major General's" terrain philosophy.

Now I do wish to make it perfectly clear that the concepts which follow were written by David Helber of the Major General Tremorden Rederring's Colonial-era Wargames Page and not me . . . although I heartily agree with Mr. Helber's comments and feel that they deserve to be repeated.

I will note that the photo is from an early game of mine and that I built the buildings ala the Major General's philosophy and the techniques from his Building Construction page. (As usual, click on photo for larger image).

-- Jeff

*****

Small is Beautiful

Contrary to what your significant other might tell you, size matters -- especially in tabletop gaming.

Specifically: small is beautiful. Because table space is always so limited, everything used in a game must be as small as it can be and still do its job.

The Ouargistan group uses a 5/8"/15mm (David's preference) or 3/4"/19mm (everybody else's) base size for 25mm military figures where possible, with the occasional base cut larger to accomodate the odd figure that needs it.

Even a 1" base means that a unit of men will take up over 30% more linear space on the table and 90% more area than those on a 3/4" base. A 2-rank unit of 20 men will be 10" wide, rather than than 7.5". Ten inches is a lot on a table which is only 48" across.

When the gaming includes buildings, boats, or vehicles, base size is even more important. Even though we allow bases to overlap when figures are in a boat or structure, a base which is even slightly larger will substantially reduce the number of men which can fit in the same space.

A rooftop which is 2.25" square will take nine men with 3/4" bases, but only four men with 1" bases.

Buildings and vehicles themselves should be as small as they can be without looking completely ridiculous.

In Ouargistan, a small, flat-roofed native building will be as small as 2.25" square with a roof 1.5" off the ground. The difference between a 2.5" and a 3.5" building doesn't sound like much, but it will allow you to put a 5-building town in about the same space as a 3 building town with the larger size.

When building structures and vehicles it is very easy to let size get out of hand. You must exercise ruthless care to keep things to a minimum, or else you wind up with forts or villages that take up half the table, and boats which require so much river to maneuver that there is no room for land.

Generally our native buildings run from about 2.25" square to about 3"x 5", forts are about 12" square, and the largest boats/ships are no more than 9" long.

2009-12-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

My Gaming (Redux) --

Just over a year ago, I wrote a bit of a summary about my table top gaming interests over the years. After re-reading it today, I felt that it was worthy of another post . . . primarily because of my comments as to why I prefer 18th century Imagi-Nations (posted in blue below).

By the way, the photo to the left is from early action in the Battle of Wollmitz from last year. It was a refight of Mollwitz using my own house rules. Ross Macfarlane was visiting and he and his friend whupped Murdock and myself rather soundly. (As usual, click on the photo for a larger version.)

***************

I was thinking today about how my wargaming interests have changed over the decades.

My introduction to tabletop gaming was with WRG's 7th Edition Ancients. For years, even with changes of rule systems, all that I played was Ancients. Even when our club briefly diverted to periods, we always came back to Ancients.

But I tired of them and my many Ancient armies (in both 15mm and 25mm) have languished in boxes for many years. The truth is that I really tired of the constant search by others for the "killer army".

Have you noticed that most of the "armies" that win tournaments nowadays are ones that never made much of a mark historically? Far too many Ancients players play the rules and not the history.

So, I'm sure that you're thinking, "Am I playing the history when I use an Imagi-Nation?".

Well I feel that I am. I'm not re-creating the exact 18th century history. No, I'm playing at being a minor monarch in the spirit of the period. Furthermore there isn't a search for a "killer army" since we all have access to the same troop types . . . so the spirit of our battles is different.

So, yes, the Eighteenth Century is my primary period for gaming . . . but it isn't my only one. I'm also interested in the "Colonial" conflicts of the last third of the 19th Century.

The Northwest Frontier (okay, I'll admit to reading a lot of Kipling in my youth), the Sudan and to a lesser extent, South Africa. And the American "Wild West".

The major difference that all of the above share is a focus on smaller conflicts. Essentially these are primarily "skirmish" periods. The style of the games are different -- and more cinematic. In addition, they're lots of fun.

Are there other periods that interest me? Of course. Among them is the English Civil War for which I've been collecting books and rules. It is a period which I really don't know all that much about . . . so research is the first and most important step. It may be a few years before I feel that I'm ready to start painting troops.

And getting back to the 18th century for a moment. I plan on building a number of "historic" (as opposed to imaginary) units in 15mm . . . but again more research is needed first.

Finally, damnit, I am increasingly drawn to those 28mm "Big Battalion" battles. And I have copies of "Charge", "The War Game" and "BAR" on my shelf . . . and I know that "The War Game Companion" is under the tree . . . so THAT is another temptation.

I think that all of those Ancients armies will just have to wait a lot longer before they regain the table top.

-- Jeff

2009-12-14T21:51:00.000-08:00

Our First Real Snow of the Season --

Yes, we had a brief dusting of snow last week . . . but it barely lasted an hour on the ground.

The prediction for today was for 4" of snow . . . well we've already cleared 7" from our driveway and the snow hasn't let up at all . . . and we still have most of the night to go (currently about 9:30 pm here).

Yes, the photo to the left is of me . . . taken today shortly after the snow started to fall. (As usual, if you should want to see a larger image, click on the photo.)

-- Jeff

2009-12-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

Our Tree is Decked --

Yes, we have another "Frasier Fir" this year . . . and please note the "nutcracker" style toy soldiers that grace some of it's boughs. (click on photo for larger image.)

In addition, to initiate the holiday season, we had our first dusting of snow today at about 4:20 pm . . . just enough to turn the roads white and to give spotty coverage on the lawn . . . although many blades of green emerged from the snow.

May all of your holidays be full of warmth and good cheer.

-- Jeff

2009-12-08T13:35:00.000-08:00

YIKES! Where did the time go? ---

It is almost two months since I last posted anything here.

*sigh* . . . There hasn't been much to report on the gaming front, I'm afraid. We've been very busy with "real life" issues . . . nothing particularly noteworthy, but time-consuming nevertheless.

As my dear lady wife says, "Getting old isn't for wimps." . . . and I fear that we are getting on in years, with all of the assorted aches and pains that that entails. For example my hands didn't start to ache every time the weather changed . . . but they do now.

My dear lady has been having some nasty difficulties with her hip for the past several months . . . and lots of time is spent going to physiotherapists, chiropractors and acupuncturists as well as her doctor . . . and then we've been through the crazy go-round to get H1N1 shots.

Nothing earthshattering, but time consuming. Hopefully the new year will bring more gaming back into my life.

-- Jeff

2009-10-11T02:16:00.000-07:00

Some ECW Reading --

One of my "long range" projects is to build some English Civil War armies. But being as I am an American now living in Canada I have very little knowledge about that conflict.

Yes, I have a number of rule sets . . . and NO, I haven't picked one yet because I don't know enough about the conflict to choose wisely. So obviously it is time for me to do some reading.

Yesterday's post brought a copy of John Barratt's "The Civil War in South-West England 1642-1646" which I hope will provide a good background for that ECW theatre.

It should cover the campaigns pitting Hopton and Waller . . . neither of whom I had ever heard of before starting my inquiries into this period.

Of course I HAD heard of Prince Rupert before . . . it is a community on the northern coast of British Columbia (less than 180 miles from me) . . . but I had not known that it was named for the ECW general:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Rupert,_British_Columbia

"All the King's Armies" by Stuart Reid is another volume that arrived recently. It comes highly praised by various posters on the TMP English Civil War Message Board.

It presents a broader picture of the war . . . covering the armies and events in other parts of Britain (at least I think that it gets into the northern war where the Scots had lots of action).

I would love to do the ECW using Sash and Saber's lovely 40mm figures . . . such as those featured on the Lead Gardens and For Ye Kinge blogs.

However I do not think that my pocketbook could handle the burden (particularly with the cavalry for much of the ECW is quite cav heavy). So I suspect that I will eventually have to join the Old Glory army club and use their 25mm figures . . . and fortunately it is supposed to be one of their better lines.

However I am still a LONG way from getting figures . . . and it isn't like I don't have other projects to work on . . . but right now it is simply "research time".

-- Jeff

2009-10-06T04:46:00.000-07:00

Easy 15mm Fences for ACW --

While reading Steve-the-Wargamer's blog, I was reminded of my easy method for making split-rail fences for the War Between the States.

(note -- click on photo for larger image)

These fences are really simple to make. Start with flat toothpicks. Cut some into sections about 5/8ths of an inch in length. Glue these into "X" shapes.

After these have dried, glue full-length toothpicks into opposite sides of the Xs. (note the three segments lying sideways in the photo -- while they obviously stand the other way --these give a better idea of how the fence segments are constructed.)

Glue one X near the end of the toothpicks; and the other a bit past halfway. Be sure to have the narrow ends of the toothpicks go in opposite directions since they look better that way.

Now you can place the "long" end of a segment against the "short" end of another to get the right look to the fences. And these are very flexible. They can be used to make either straight fences or the irregular fences so common on the rural frontier.

The best part is that these segments are pretty mindless to make. You can do it while watching TV . . . or if you have children, you can probably get them to make them.

Finally I will note that they probably should be painted grey since that is what most weathered fences I've seen look like . . . but they will look okay even if left as is.

-- Jeff

2009-09-14T04:20:00.000-07:00

My Ancient and Medieval Rules --

Peter of The Nyudrev Chronicles posted a list of his wargame rules. I thought that this might be a good idea for me too . . . but I own so many that I've decided to limit this first part of my list to my Ancient and Medieval rule sets only . . . and only to ones that I have published copies of (and not those that I've downloaded from the Net).

My very first wargames were with WRG 7th Edition "Ancients". Indeed, this was all that I played for a number of years (since that was all that my opponents played). I got pretty good with these rules . . . but I never really liked them. To me they were too much of a "thinking" set.

I ended up playing a few other rule sets (but not nearly as many as I own . . . not even close). And I still own a lot of full Ancients armies (big ones, not just DBA size) . . . somewhere north of twenty I fear.

And why do I "fear" it? Because I haven't played any Ancients in years . . . except for the DBA tourney that Murdock hosted a while back . . . and really only then in order to provide an even number of players.

Format of the following list will be Title, (Author), Date . . . and I will try to put them more-or-less in order of publication date. Note also that I will use "shortened" titles for some of the better-known sets (e.g., "WRG" in place of their much longer titles)

WRG 5th Edition (Phil Barker ?), 1976
God's Acre (Dave Milwood), 1976
Condottieri (Dave Milwood), 1976
Broadsword (George H. Schneider), 1977
En Garde! (Darryl Hany & Frank Chadwick)., 1977
Bireme & Galley (Jan Vrapcenak, Edward E. Simbalist & Terry Cheeseman), 1978
WRG 1430-1700 2nd Ed. (George Gush), 1979
Fire, Hack & Run (Mike Gilbert), 1979
The Shock of Impact (Ian S. Beck & Michael Bussey), 1981
Newbury Fast Play (T. J. Hutsall), 1985
A to Z Rules for Ancient Warfare (Andrew Zartolass, Jr.), 1985
WRG 7th Ed. (Phil Barker), 1987 & 1992 printings
Ancient Naval Wargame Rules 500 BC to AD 500 (Martin A. Johncock), 1988
Tactica (Arty Conliffe), 1989
Romans, Goths & Huns (Simon MacDowell), 1990
DBA and DBA 2.0 (Phil Barker & Richard Bodley Scott), 1990 and 2001
Shieldbearer (Michael J. Young), 1991
Knight Hack (The Jogglers), 1991
Classical Hack I (The Jogglers), 1992
Blood Axe Ancients (Lance Runolfsson * David Kaser), 1992
Legio (Simon MacDowell), 1992
Tactica Medieval Rulebook (Arty Conliffe & Ed Regendahl), 1992
Flower of Chivalry (Bruce McFarlane), 1993
Armati (Arty Conliffe), 1994
DBR (Phil Barker & Richard Bodley Scott),1995
Warhammer Ancient Battles (Jervis Johnson, Rick Priestley, Alan Perry & Michael Perry), 1998
DBM 3.0 (Phil Barker & Richard Bodley Scott), 2000 plus earlier editions
Warrior (Four Horsemen Enterprises), 2001
Battlestandard Ancient Rules (Jeff Stuckey), 2004
Warmaster Ancients (Rick Priestley), 2005
Impetvs (Lorenzo Sartori), 2008

Now besides all of the above rules, I have lots of army lists, battle books and army background books . . . and almost certainly more rules that haven't been unpacked yet.

And I really haven't played Ancients in years . . . because other periods have claimed my interest since.

-- Jeff

2009-08-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

(OT) Hot and Sore --

I'm sorry that I've been so inactive of late. Once again "real life" has interfered. We are just over a very nasty heat wave here on Vancouver Island. I'm not sure just when it started, but the past few weeks were brutal.

The temperature here seldom dropped below 30` C. (86` F.) even at night; and most days we were between 35 and the low 40s (say 95 to 110 F.).

Note: our home thermometer is in the shade and in a relatively windy spot so it doesn't "bake up" . . . the official temperature here is at the airport, right near the ocean, not in the "heights" where we live. Still July was the second hottest in 128 years of record-keeping.

Now I am of a much more than stout build. I am not built for warm weather, let alone hot weather; and my dear lady wife suffered even more than I did. Anyway we spent most of our time in the basement . . . and since our computer room is the warmest in the house, we kept it closed off and seldom ventured in.

Additionally I have been rehearsing a play which closes tonight here in the Comox Valley . . . and that eats up a great deal of time and energy. Add to that a fall I suffered a couple of weeks back (nothing broken, but bruises and sore muscles aplenty).

Finally, a very sore right foot. I thought that I'd pulled my Achilles tendon . . . because that is what was sore . . . but as the pain increased and the foot began to swell we discovered differently.

It was a gout attack in my right ankle. I've had a number of attacks of gout before (remember the one in my left big toe back in April?) . . . but they've always been in my big toes. I didn't realize that gout can attack other joints as well.

Anyhow once we knew what it was, I had medication to knock it down . . . but it has been a very hot and sore stretch of time . . . with no gaming (except for some reading).

-- Jeff

2009-07-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Some Colonial Terrain --

Steve Turner of At the Old Dessauer's Table and LITTLEJOHN of Lead Gardens have been contemplating "Colonial" projects.

Both have been discussing some of the terrain ideas from Major General Tremorden Rederring's Colonial-era Wargames Page . . . which is actually not a "page", but an extensive website which is generally simply referred to as the "Major General's".

So I decided to post a few photos from games that show some of the terrain features that they are contemplating. (Remember to "click" on any of the photos to see a larger version.)

The top photo shows one of the "mountains" that the Major General builds out of cardboard. (See Lead Gardens for a look at his "scrap" versions that he put together just to get an idea of how they'd look.)

These not only provide great places for ambushers or snipers, but in line with the Major General's philosophy, they take up very little table space.

They are also very flexible as the second photo demonstrates. Here I've placed two back-to-back in the center of the table, with my other two on the sides to create two "mountain passes.

And finally, they make good backgrounds for photos.

The last photo shows some simple "Arab" houses (note that they are usable for many other cultures . . . mine certainly get used on both the Northwest Frontier and in the Old West.

Using the techniques shown on the Major General's "Building Construction Page", I took my figure bases (in my case, pennies) and planned the interior roof size to fit a few troops comfortably.

I then made a few houses to hold a few more troops, then a few large enough to "nest" the smallest houses in order to make some two-storey structures with room enough for more figures in some cases.

For texturing, I used "spackle" (not sure what the Brits call it, but it is the stuff you use to patch holes in drywall. Then I used slightly different colors of "off-white" to create different looks. I was careful however to make sure that I used the same colors on those buildings that I wanted to be able to "nest".

-- Jeff

2009-07-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

RSM Dismounted Dragoons --

Well my RSM order arrived . . . and it contained their Dismounted Dragoons . . . and here are some photos of them straight out of the bag. (Remember to click on them for a larger image).

By the way, although their website hasn't yet registered the changes, they've increased their prices a bit . . . but they are still amongst the most reasonably priced figures around.

Their infantry bags (36 figures) now cost $29.00 US (up from $27.00).

Their cavalry bags (12 mounted figures) now cost $25.80 US (up from $22.20).

And their bags of 6 mounted generals /aides is now $12.90 US (instead of $11.10).

A brief note on these figures. I didn't even really look at them (I'm zonked on pain medication for kidney stones). I just opened the bag and grabbed four figures. I didn't look for flash or bent metal . . . and I can see a bent scabbard now.

Anyway, here are some raw photos for your evaluation.

-- Jeff

2009-07-01T01:03:00.000-07:00

(OT) I've Started a "Mythic" Blog --

Inspired by reading some of the Accounts of gamers using the "Mythic Game Master Emulator" (the one with the blue cover), I've decided to try running a solo adventure using it.

Sorry, I'm not placing this initial trial in the Eighteenth century . . . or even on Earth. Yes, I'm running a Fantasy adventure (please forgive me). Because of that, I'm not adding it to the "Emperor vs Elector" blog lists -- but I have added it here.

It is called Mythic Fangharm Quest and so far I've just set the scene . . . now I'll spend a few days re-reading the GM Emulator to make sure that my pain med muddled mind understands it.

Anyway, take a look if it interests you.

-- Jeff

2009-06-29T03:25:00.000-07:00

More Kidney Gravel --

*sigh* . . . Not much has been happening here in the Principality of Saxe-Bearstein. Yes, I had a birthday and got some wargaming goodies; but I've been enduring close to two weeks of kidney gravel moving through my system.

Essentially it is sort of like grains of sand slowly working their way out of my body . . . with their sharp little corners scraping against parts of my that don't like to be scraped.

Don't get me wrong, I'd much rather have this gravel than to have actual kidney stones. I've had the gravel's big brothers and I do NOT ever want them again.

What I've got is painful . . . but it is really much more on the uncomfortable and fatiguing side of things . . . and the pain pills that the doctor has given me take care of the worst of it. However they also fog my mind so that I can't really get anything done.

So, what did I get for my birthday? A number of books, mostly ECW and Colonial research material.

I also got some Ral Partha Colonials . . . and I've got some RSM figures somewhere in transit . . . including the Dismounted Dragoons that I've been meaning to get (but forgotten to order) for the last few orders I've received.

I've also been amusing myself reading some of the "Mythic" gaming adventures various places on the web . . . for which I have to "blame" At The "Old Dessauer's" Table. Very interesting stuff . . . I might try writing an adventure using it.

-- Jeff

2009-06-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

Grand Tour Visits Saxe-Bearstein --

Count Wilhelm Hatzof, the Kingdom of Wittenberg's Ambassador to the Principality of Saxe-Bearstein (pictured at left in the gray coat), and his military attache, Major-General Heinrich von Bose of the Duchy of Fenwick (in the red coat) discuss the latest news with the Cavendarian ambassador, Monsieur Dashiell Jeansonne (in the brown coat), while the Lutelande grenadier, Nils Norberg (green uniform) listens in.

The "Grand Tour" has reached Saxe-Bearstein. Reich Duke Wilhelm and young King Basil have arrived . . . and Furst Bruno von Ursa is providing some very different entertainment than that which has greeted them in other states.

"They have started with a 'pub tour' . . . which means that they are drinking beer in various local taverns." says Monsieur Jeansonne.

"And why not?" responds the general, "Saxe-Bearstein is justly famous for its superior brews. I think that they're even better than those of the Reich Duchy of Beerstein . . . and that is saying a lot."

"Indeed", responds Count Hatzof. "I wonder how the Reich Duke will judge them?"

"And later in their stay they are supposed to go 'fouling' . . . which sounds just too disgusting to even consider." responds Jeansonne.

"Pardon me, Ambassador," interjects the Lutelander, "but I fear that you have misunderstood. They are going 'fowling' . . . that is to say, hunting for ducks and pheasants with double-barreled long guns."

Count Hatzof adds, "Indeed, it is quite the sport. Given that the birds are flying and you have to take into account not only the time that it will take the shot to reach them, but that, as you know, there is a time delay between pulling the trigger and the frizzen charge going off and then igniting the main charge. It is quite the challenge to bring your bird down."

"Then it will be excellent training for the young king," replies Jeansonne. "For there is much unrest in his grandmother Princess Theofilia's Morea."

"Indeed", replies the Count, "It is thought that she sent her grandson on this tour primarily to keep him safe during the troubles her country is currently experiencing."

"Indeed." the others all agree.

2009-05-31T02:56:00.000-07:00

Not Much New --

Well this has been a pretty barren month gaming-wise. My principal opponent has been busy with "real life" issues as he tries to get his business going in these economically uncertain times.

Also Stokes has had various "real life" issues interfere with our "Charge!" play-by-email game . . . but hopefully that will soon be resumed.

My primary gaming activity of late has been to order a few things for my upcoming birthday (June 19). I've ordered several books from On Military Matters including an extension of my BATTLEGAMES Magazine subscription. I've also ordered some figures.

I've ordered some RSM figures from the Dayton Painting Service; and some Ral Partha Colonials from Great Endeavors.

So now all I have to do is to hope that they get here in time for my birthday.

-- Jeff

2009-05-05T03:55:00.000-07:00

Thoughts on My Game Table --

Right now I have a 5' x 10 1/2' game table. It is composed of "banquet tables" (such as those pictured to the left) . . . two 8' long (side by side) and one 5' long on the end (perpendicular to the others).

Generally I have been covering it with a green cloth, using styrofoam hills underneath to provide elevation changes . . . as you can see in the second photo (below).

But lately I've been having some "second thoughts" about this arrangement.

Why?

Because I really like the "Old School" look that Stokes has for his "Charge!" games on his Grand Duchy of Stollen blog, I'm thinking of a very easy option using what I already have.

If I were to get some thin 4'x8' sheets of MDF (medium density fiberboard) and have two cut down to 4'x5' and the third cut to 3'x5' (a total of four cuts), I could then paint them my figure-basing color on one side . . . and paint the other side a desert color for my Colonial gaming.

Then, by placing the 5' long banquet table six inches from the others . . . and putting the 3' wide section in the middle (so that a 4' section could span the gap and still have good support on the other end . . . I'd have a nice 5' x 11' gaming surface.

I could get a second set of MDF boards and paint them blue on one side, black on the other, and have tables for Naval and Space gaming too.

Which gets me to thinking.

If I got a 6' long banquet table, I could do the same sort of thing, only with 6' long sheets of MDF. Then, I could split the two 8' tables a foot apart and have a 6'x11' table . . . and if I added another 6' banquet table off of the far end, I could add one more 3'x6' MDF sheet and have a 6' x 14' table!

And, given the size of my game room, I don't think I'd want to go any bigger than that.

But while MDF is inexpensive, the banquet tables aren't cheap . . . so I'll probably start with the 5' x 11' option and see how it works out.

-- Jeff

2009-04-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

(OT) A "Television Moment" for Me --

Okay, this really isn't a "biggie" . . . but it was kind of cool anyway.

My favorite baseball team is the San Francisco Giants . . . (notice I don't claim that they're the best team . . . but I saw my first Giant game back in 1958 when they first moved west).

Anyway, being in the wilds of Canada the only way we get to see them is to watch the San Francisco telecasts on the computer. They have a feature where they have people send in questions and the announcers answer one each day on air during the game . . . well tonight's question was from "Jeff in Canada":

"Do switch hitters use the same bat from both sides of the plate? Or do they use different bats tailored to their different swings?"

Yup, that was from me.

They said it was a really good question and spent most of the inning discussing it. Their conclusion was that most of the switch-hitters they knew used the same bat but that some who had very different swings might use different bats . . . and they said that they would call some about it (although I doubt that they will).

Anyway, a small (rather anonymous) moment of fame.

On a different subject, I (in the persona of my "evil twin") am still waiting for Stokes to post the results of the first round of shooting in the Stollen - Stagonia battle for the Sawmill Village.

-- Jeff

2009-04-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

I'm Back Online, Gout Better --

Yes, after three weeks, my computer is back online (yippee!).

And my gout has subsided a great deal. To the left you can see what my foot currently looks like.

It isn't great by any means . . . but it is so much better than it was! And the swelling has really gone down a lot.

Yes, it still hurts, but not nearly the way it did (I was more-or-less zonked out with painkillers).

For those fortunate enough to have never had it, be thankful. When full-blown, even the air is excruciatingly painful.

But I'm feeling much much better . . . and I most sincerely thank you all for the many kind words I have received from you.

-- Jeff

2009-04-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

Getting Better --

The good news is that I'm doing a lot better than I was. My gout has let up a considerable amount and I can now get around the house with a cane . . . I was barely able to move with a walker for a number of days. Oh, my foot still hurts a lot (and I'm still keeping a rigid schedule of pain relief) . . . but it is waaaay better than it was.

The bad news is that my computer is still down (I'm typing this on my wife's machine) . . . and is likely to remain so through mid-week at least. Between my gout and his work schedule, the friend who is helping me won't be available before then . . . *sigh* . . . so no email for a few more days . . . but at least my foot feels a lot better.

-- Jeff

PS, my grateful "thanks" to all of you who wished me a quick recovery . . . I truly DO appreciate it.

2009-04-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

Owwww, I Hurt! --

Not only is my computer still down, but I have managed to acquire a very painful body since my last post.

I am again posting from a different computer . . . and I had a pretty violent sneeze the other day and felt a "pop" in my chest. I had popped a rib on my left side from the cartilage that attached it to my sternum . . . and, yes, it hurts when I laugh (or cough or sneeze or reach for something, etc.).

But that isn't the worst . . . I woke up in the middle of the night a couple of days ago with my left big toe hurting like crazy.

I haven't had a full-blown gout attack in years . . . but I've got one now. And while we might chuckle at the image of a foot all bandaged up, trust me . . . gout is extremely painful.

This is no fun at all!

-- Jeff

(note -- any misspellings or lack of sense is the result of the pain and/or pain medication -- I hope that you never get gout.)

2009-03-31T01:01:00.000-07:00

Jeff's Computer Down --

The problems I've been having with my computer are more severe than first thought. It now looks like the hard drive will have to be wiped clean and a new operating system installed.

I'm writing this from a friend's computer because mine can no longer connect to the Net. So for perhaps the next week or so I will be unable to do much.

Furthermore this will delay my Stagonian game with Stokes. And prevent the awful nastiness resulting from the Vile King's encounter with the Duchess from coming to light for a while . . . who knows what evil lurks in their hearts?

Sadly we will have to wait . . . because right now my job is to try to copy all of the files I need before my poor machine is wiped.

-- Jeff

2009-03-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

"Small 25mm" Colonial Problem --

Responding to my last post, a number of you suggested selling my Old Glory Colonials or eBay.

Well, the problem with that is my Afristan Campaign. This is a campaign that I'd like to run on a fictional mini-continent in the Indian Ocean. (Note -- click on graphics for larger versions).

I would like to have not only the British, but also Germans, French and the Ottoman Turks (as well as a bunch of native tribes).

Now my Ral Parthas can supply the British (and their Sepoys), the Natives (both African and Islamic) and the Ottoman Turks (by using the Egyptians and Sudanese) . . . but they don't have anything usable as Germans or French.

If anyone can point me in the direction of reasonably priced "small 25mm" figures of Colonial Germans and French Foreign Legion troops, I'd appreciate it. And I live in Canada so figures that don't have to cross the pond are preferred.

Of course with the much larger Old Glory figures, I wouldn't have any problems. And with their "Army Deal", the figures would be reasonably priced. . . . But I don't like them as much.

Today's photos are of some of my Ral Partha Sepoys. As before I don't have full units on display . . . and there is a "base up" figure behind each unit to let you know what they are.

The first photo is an "over view" of these "Colonial" troops. Further photos show some closer looks . . . and, as always, 'click' on the photos for a closer look at the troops.

Above are the 3rd Gurkha and 2nd Gurkha units.

Above are the 23rd Sepoys and 20th Sepoys

Above are the 6th Eygptian, 45th Sepoy and 31st Sepoy units.

-- Jeff

2009-03-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

My British Colonial Foot --

I had a request to provide some photos of some of my Ral Partha Colonials. Well there are far too many to put into a single post . . . but I thought that I'd give you a bit of a taste of them.

While I started out using "The Sword and the Flame", I later gravitated to "G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T." (although without the "steampunk" additions).

Eventually I ended up writing my own rules, "Khyber Knife". which used elements of both of the above and some ideas of my own.

Anyway, my units are all of ten figures (although I just use a few for these photos -- not whole units). Remember too that if you 'click' on any photo you will see a larger version of it.

Next to each unit I have placed a figure on its side so that you can see how I base them.

All rank-and-file are on pennies while the leader (usually a non-com, but occasionally an officer) is based on a nickel.

The bottom of the base of each figure is painted in the unit's 'facing color' with the unit number written with a sharpie.

The first couple of shots are sort of "group shots", but those following are of individual units. The fort and houses are built of foamcore and are very light and durable. The palm trees started life as 'cake decorations'.

Now for some individual units:

Above are some men of the 4th Foot -- the Royal Lancasters

Above are some men of the11th Foot -- Devonshire

Above are some men of the 24th Foot -- South Wales Borderers

Above are some men of the 36th Foot -- Worcestershire

Above are some men of the 42th Foot -- the Black Watch

Above are some men of the 57th Foot -- Middlesex

Above are some men of the 1st Royal Artillery

Above are some men of the 58th Foot -- Northhampton

Above are some men of the 78th Foot -- the Seaforth Highlanders

Above are some men of the 92th Foot -- the Gordon Highlanders

I also have several unit of 'Colonial' foot (mainly Sepoys), as well as a few mounted units. However since the move the only "enemy" troops that I have in Ral Parthas are Pathans. But pictures of those are for another time.

-- Jeff

2009-03-20T00:03:00.000-07:00

My Health & a Colonial "Fix" --

Firstly, today the doctor said that my lungs sounded much much better . . . and I feel a lot better . . . but I still run out of breath with almost any type of exertion. In other words, I'm past the pneumonia but still need to take care for a while.

Then tonight I got a "Colonial Fix" with two Korda Brothers movies. The first was the 1938 film "The Drum" (also known as "Drums") -- difficult to catch all of the dialog due to the various accents, but great images of the Northwest Frontier including a mountain gun being set up.

The second was Korda's wonderful 1939 version of "The Four Feathers" . . . still the best version of this story. This one I'd seen before of course (indeed I have it on DVD too) but since it was on TV without commercials I watched it again.

And, yes, of course these make me want to do some more Colonial gaming.

But there's a problem. I started my Colonial collection with Ral Parthas (as did my California buddy, Bill S.); but when I moved to Canada all of his troops stayed in Califormia . . . and suddenly there were no Zulus or Mahdists.

Ral Partha was no more . . . so I ended up ordering a ton of Old Glory Colonials . . . and I've painted a bunch . . . but the two manufacturers do not mix! And I don't enjoy painting the OGs.

Now I've discovered that Great Endeavors has picked up the old Ral Partha Colonial line . . . and I'd like to get some . . . but then what to do with a few hundred Old Glory's (some painted, some not)?

-- Jeff

2009-03-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

Cautious Optimism ---

The new antibiotic (Levaquin) that the doctor put me on seems to be getting the upper hand on my pneumonia. As my sife says, I'm breathing a lot more easily and not coughing nearly as much.

Of course as soon as I try to do anything (like walk to the next room) I run out of breath . . . but not as badly as before.

My thanks to all of you who have wished me well and a speedy recovery.

-- Jeff

PS, it is a good thing that I'd purchased a gift and a card before I got sick. Today is my wife's birthday and I was able to give her something even though I've not been out (except to see the doctor) for close to two weeks.

2009-03-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

Pneumonia Sucks ---

I've not been posting nor doing anything fun for a while. I'm now on my second course of antibiotics designed to clear out the infection in my lungs.

It isn't so much that I hurt, since I really don't. It is just that I run out of breath whenever I do anything . . . and it starts me coughing and then I can't stop for a while . . . and it is exhausting.

So hopefully this newest drug will work and I'll soon be back on my feet.

-- Jeff

2009-03-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

Wittenberg's Ambassador Robbed --

Count Wilhelm Hatzof, the Kingdom of Wittenberg's Ambassador to the Principality of Saxe-Bearstein and his military attache, Major-General Heinrich von Bose of the Duchy of Fenwick were accosted and robbed while passing through the Kingdom of Stagonia.

The Count (pictured at left in the gray coat), flanked by Maj. Gen. von Bose (in the red coat) recounted their harrowing experiences to the Cavendarian ambassador, Monsieur Dashiell Jeansonne (in the brown coat), while the Lutelande grenadier, Nils Norberg (green uniform) listens in.

Due to the violent rainstorms that had flooded the Spoilwasser, they had been forced to detour through the vile kingdom.

At the border, their coach had been "searched for contraband" resulting in their purses and luggage being confiscated. Then, after crossing through that blighted nation, when they reached the far border, their coach was confiscated "for exit fees" and because the horses would be needed for Stagonia's coming campaign.

Thus they arrived in the Principality of Saxe-Bearstein on foot without credentials, luggage or transportation. Fortunately Gen. von Bose was known to several of the Principality's generals, so based upon his word, Furst Bruno von Ursa has accepted the Count as Wittenberg's ambassador.

Further, he has granted both the Count and General a line of credit so that they may not lack for anything until they can arrange for the transfer of their own funds.

Details about Stagonia's "coming campaign" are very sketchy . . . but it is believed to be aimed at the Grand Duchy of Stollen, which has recently been defeated three times by the Electorate of Zichenau.

-- Jeff

2009-02-13T03:18:00.000-08:00

Getting My Feet Wet --

Riiiiiight . . . just what I need . . . a new wargaming project.

Well actually I've found over the years that it is a good thing to have a "change-of-pace" period to give the occasional break from your main period. So to "balance" the 18th century, I'm going to "get my feet wet" with a naval period.

Ever since I happened to come across Angus Konstam's "Pre-Dreadnought Naval" webpages (and the great photos there), I've been toying with the idea of getting some of the Houston 1/1000 scale ships.

Photo to left is from the Great Endeavors website and shows some American ships from a refight of a Spanish-American battle.

So anyway I emailed Dale at Great Endeavors and ordered some ships. I've got two Japanese BBs (Fuji & Shikishima) and a pair of Russian BBs (Retvizan & Petropavlovsk).

These pairs should be fairly even balanced . . . at least according to their points values in the rules I'm going to try. These are the ones that Angus uses, "Perfidious Albion". I got them and the "Fighting Fleets" books as electronic downloads from DriveThruRPG . . . but they are also available (as well as a lot of other naval rules) from A and A Game Engineering (follow the link at the bottom of the page).

So how will this project turn out? I don't know . . . but if I like it there are a lot more ships from the Russo-Japanese War that I can add . . . and there are other nations too.

I'd best be careful or I might get in too deep and drown.

-- Jeff

PS, Great Endeavors also sells the "true 25mm" Ral Partha Colonial line.

2009-02-06T01:38:00.000-08:00

Exciting Campaign Nucleus --

This week I received both the BATTLEGAMES Magazine "Table Top Teasers" Special Edition, but also Charles Stewart Grant's new book, "Raid on St Michel".

Well, after scanning the latter, I'm stoked! Later this year I will be running a campaign (probably between Murdock and Jerry, with Pete commanding a force in Murdock's command).

Of course first I've got to finish re-writing my rules . . . and prepping some different terrain bits. And finish certain "honey do" projects before I'm allowed to run the campaign.

The forces needed vary from scenario to scenario (there are five in total) but it should make for an exciting campaign . . . and none of the battles are "even" . . . so "victory" is not always easy to define . . . although the overall result of the "raid" will dictate a clear winner.

Murdock, Jerry and Pete . . . do NOT get this book . . . the element of "surprise" will otherwise be lost.

Everyone else . . . oh yes, this is a nice book to have . . . five connected "Table Top Teaser" scenarios providing some interesting command decisions.

-- Jeff

2009-01-28T22:41:00.000-08:00

An Exciting Discovery --

I've been looking for something inexpensive to base figures on . . . and I wanted steel so that I could use a magnetic base. But I'm in Canada and shipping across borders isn't cheap.

Sure, I could use washers . . . but the hole in the middle makes it awkward.

Well tonight I had a stray thought and tried something. I knew that most countries had stopped minting copper pennies because of the rising cost of copper.

So I took a chance and tried a magnet on some Canadian pennies . . . zing! . . . Some of them jumped right to the magnet.

I said some, not all.

All of the nice shiny 2007 and 2008 pennies did, as well as a few earlier ones. I have since learned that Canadian pennies are now supposed to be 94% steel. Supposedly the change-over happened in 2000, but almost all of my pre-2007 pennies were not magnetic (although a few were).

My guess is that they continued using their zinc mixture until the supply (or contracts) ran out. Anyway for those of us in Canada, the newer pennies are now usable with magnetic movement trays . . . and they only cost pennies.

This was a good day.

-- Jeff

,

2009-01-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

Very Disturbing News --

(a report sent to Cavenderia by their ambassador, Monsieur Dashiell Jeansonne)

Your Grace,

I find myself the bearer of terrible news. Before I even had a chance to reach the borders of Saxe-Bearstein, I found myself in a coach with another foreigner.

He was a grenadier, one Nils Norberg, in service to Lutelande and bore terrible news. He too was on his way to the Saxe-Bearstein Court. He had be dispatched by his commander to carry this news to Saxe-Bearstein . . . and, since it also concerns Cavenderia, he passed it on to me as well.

They discovered that those vile Stagonians have newly recruited 8 full battalions of additional soldiers!

These 6,000 men are being secretly trained and while they have not yet been issued uniforms, they do represent a very significant threat to all nations in the area.

It seems that the new vile King, Ludwig the Mad, is brewing some sort of mad scheme . . . but where and when he will choose to use these troops is unknown at this time.

As for Furst Bruno von Ursa, he received me most graciously and has welcomed me to his Court. However he then retired to his counsels to evaluate the news that Grenadier Nils Norberg of Lutelande had brought.

I will write further when I know more.

Your obedient servant,

Dashiell Jeansonne
_______________________________

Or, in other words, I got some 200-odd infantry figures today for the army of those nasty vile Stagonians.

(note that the photo to left shows Monsieur Dashiell Jeansonne and Grenadier Nils Norberg.

Both are 25mm figures. The former is from Eureka and the latter is one of John Bertolini's Lutelande Miniatures.

Sadly the flash has distorted the colors. Both figures look much better in person.)

-- Jeff

2009-01-25T22:10:00.000-08:00

A New Look --

Well I've decided to "upgrade" this blog. I was using the old "template" system that required me to code in HTML (which isn't that difficult), but which didn't allow things like followers to show.

Anyway, I've now moved into the new "layout" system so you might see several different appearances in the next few weeks as I decide just what look I want.

-- Jeff

2009-01-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

"Bad People" --

One only needs to read a newspaper or turn on the TV to know that there are a lot of bad people in the world. This isn't about them.

This is about those "bad people" . . . people like Stokes Schwartz, Bill Protz, Jim Purky, Phil Olley, Henry Hyde, Charles Stewart Grant and so forth . . . all of those people who are tempting me to go the "big battalion" route.

Oh sure, we know them as really nice guys who enjoy our hobby . . . but they post photos and write articles and books extolling the virtues of large units . . . and soon the desire to add more figures begins to seep into our subconsciousness . . . becoming a siren's song luring us toward financial ruin.

But they look so good . . . *sigh*.

-- Jeff

2009-01-08T12:08:00.001-08:00

Scene: the faculty rooms of the University of Saxe-Bearstein.

A special messenger from the Grand Duchy of Hetzenberg is finally admitted to the presence of Doctor Iago Knappenburger, who has been busily engaged in establishing the legal faculty of the university.

However, upon examining the seals on the thick packet that the messenger carries, the good doctor sets his current work aside and opens the packet. After reading for a while he calls for his secretary to cancel all further meetings for the day . . . he has much to research and much to think about . . . the situation presented in the Grand Duchy of Hetzenberg is one of grave import for the peace of all Uropa.

2008-12-26T22:08:00.000-08:00

Books for the Holidays! --

Well the "gift giving" has passed and my wife gave me the books I've ordered recently . . . which means that I'm suddenly inundated with good reading material.

I admit that I am basically rather impossible to buy for . . . at least for someone who knows nothing about historical gaming . . . so my dear wife snags these with my knowledge.

Anyway, I finally am getting a chance to read my copy of "The War Game Companion"; and also my copy of BATTLEGAMES Magazine #15; as well as Grant & Asquith's "Scenarios For All Ages".

In addition I have a copy of "The Campaigns in India During the Severn Years War 1756-1764" by Mike Kirby; and the Osprey Men-at-Arms book "Louis XV's Army (1) Cavalry & Dragoons".

Well, so much for the mid-18th century . . . but for the WSS I got a copy of Sapherson's "The French Cavalry 1688-1715".

And, since I'm trying to build-up my ECW background, I got copies of "English Civil War Gaming Scenarios (Volumen 1)" by Steven Maggs and "E.C.W. Flags and Colours 1: ENGLISH FOOT" by Peachey & Prince.

Finally (and most delightfully), Steve Carroll of the UK was kind enough to send me his extra copy of the "Forlorn Hope" ECW rules by Berry & Wilkins. I am continually delighted by the kindness of fellow gamers.

Yes, I've given things to other gamers and even sent them overseas asking nothing in return but that they "pay it forward" . . . that is to help someone else out down the line . . . but it was a complete surprise when Mr. Carroll kindly offered me his spare copy of these rules.

I've wanted to see these since I've read so many people saying that they give the best "period feel" for the English Civil War . . . and yes (even though he didn't ask) I will "pay it forward" by continuing to help others in our hobby. And isn't that what the spirit of this season is all about?

-- Jeff

2008-12-24T16:50:00.000-08:00

May Your Holidays Be Blessed With Smiles --

Our internet connections help us to inspire each other in our hobby pursuits. But we also develop friendships through our posts.

I would like to take this opportunity to let you know how much I appreciate our blogland contact and how impressed I am with the creativity and ingenuity of our hobby community.

May your holidays be blessed with many smiles as we enjoy the closeness of family and friends.

The photo is of the snowman that young Michaela made this afternoon before she and her mother flew back to Alberta. Please note that the smile on Mr. Snowman's face echoes my own as I think of how much my hobby experience has been enriched by my contact with all of you.

Be ye blessed with smiles.

-- Jeff

2008-12-20T23:49:00.000-08:00

I Hate Stokes! --

No, not really, Stokes of the "Grand Duchy of Stollen" is actually a very nice fellow (we've had some nice phone conversations).

So why do I say that?

He and Jonathan of the "Principality of Hesse-Engelburg" and the "Landgraviate of Ober-Schweinsberg" are playing out one of Charles Grant's "Table Top Teasers" as a 'play by email' game.

To make matters worse, they are using the venerable "Charge!" rules.

I mean that this is the essence of 'old school' 18th century table top gaming . . . and it is extremely appealing (click on photo to left for larger image).

Yes, I confess it. I want to play games like this on my table. I do. But I don't have the 'big battalions' that are needed.

And I want them.

Of course it takes time to paint them . . . lots of time. And I have lots of "honey do" items on my list . . . including finishing the library (currently full of hundreds of boxes of books and no shelving) before I can do any painting.

So it will be some time before I can play some Charge! games . . . therefor I'm spending my time re-reading "Charge!" and hating Stokes.

---------oo0O0oo---------

To watch the progress of the game Stokes and Jonathan are playing, go to the "Grand Duchy of Stollen" blog and use the archives to go back to November, 2008. Find the first move and then work your way forward.

-- Jeff

2008-12-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

(OT) Snowtime on Vancouver Island East --

According to the weather statistics, our area of Vancouver Island (the mid East side) gets snowfall on Christmas about once ever 17 years . . . and has snow on the ground for Christmas about once every 11 years.

Well, while it is predicted that we will get snow on Christmas Day, it is certain that we will have snow on the ground then . . . in fact enough to make up for those other ten years of no snow.

We currently have my wife's baby sister and her three-year-old daughter, Michaela (pictured at left) as house guests.

They flew in a couple of days ago, planning on driving down-island to visit other relatives and then back up to see us before flying out on Christmas Eve.

However the roads south were (and still are) snow-ways . . . and more snow is forecast virtually every day . . . so we get to enjoy their company for the week.

And in case you don't know it, three-year-olds have a seemingly infinite supply of both energy and curiosity . . . but it is also nice to have her bubbling laughter brightening our home.

-- Jeff

2008-12-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

Wargaming Interests and (OT) Outside Tree --

Before I get to my wargaming interests, I've posted a photo of our "outside tree".

As you can see, we've had our first showfall of the season . . . and everything is nice and white.

Well "nice" until we had to go out and shovel off our driveway and the sidewalk. While doing that I kept thinking of what a friend calls snow . . . "damned celestial dandruff".

Anyway, our "outside tree" is an artificial one we got in California about a decade back . . . and the ornaments are plastic . . . but with its red and white lights it looks good fromt he street.

***************

I was thinking today about how my wargaming interests have changed over the decades.

My introduction to tabletop gaming was with WRG's 7th Edition Ancients. For years, even with changes of rule systems, all that I played was Ancients. Even when our club briefly diverted to periods, we always came back to Ancients.

But I tired of them and my many Ancient armies (in both 15mm and 25mm) have languished in boxes for many years. The truth is that I really tired of the constant search by others for the "killer army".

Have you noticed that most of the "armies" that win tournaments nowadays are ones that never made much of a mark historically? Far too many Ancients players play the rules and not the history.

So, I'm sure that you're thinking, "Am I playing the history when I use an Imagi-Nation?"

Well I feel that I am. I'm not re-creating the exact 18th century history. No, I'm playing at being a minor monarch in the spirit of the period. Furthermore there isn't a search for a "killer army" since we all have access to the same troop types . . . so the spirit of our battles is different.

So, yes, the Eighteenth Century is my primary period for gaming . . . but it isn't my only one. I'm also interested in the "Colonial" conflicts of the last third of the 19th Century.

The Northwest Frontier (okay, I'll admit to reading a lot of Kipling in my youth), the Sudan and to a lesser extent, South Africa. And the Americal "Wild West".

The major difference that all of the above share is a focus on smaller conflicts. Essentially these are primarily "skirmish" periods. The style of the games are different -- and more cinematic. In addition, they're lots of fun.

Are there other periods that interest me? Of course. Among them is the English Civil War for which I've been collecting books and rules. It is a period which I really don't know all that much about . . . so research is the first and most important step. It may be a few years before I feel that I'm ready to start painting troops.

And getting back to the 18th century for a moment. I plan on building a number of "historic" (as opposed to imaginary) units in 15mm . . . but again more research is needed first.

Finally, damnit, I am increasingly drawn to those 28mm "Big Battalion" battles. And I have copies of "Charge", "The War Game" and "BAR" on my shelf . . . and I know that "The War Game Companion" is under the tree . . . so THAT is another temptation.

I think that all of those Ancients armies will just have to wait a lot longer before they regain the table top.

-- Jeff

2008-12-07T21:56:00.000-08:00

(OT) A Better Tree --

Well today both my bride and I went out looking for a replacement tree.

As I mentioned in my previous post, my lady didn't like the one I had found . . . and I'll admit it, we did find a much nicer tree.

We haven't finished trimming it yet and the tree lights are unplugged for the sake of the photo . . . but here it is. (note: click on photo for larger version).

Note that the sharp-eyed amongst you might find a few nutcracker 'toy soldiers' on the tree.

May your holidays be joyful . . . and your dice roll well.

-- Jeff

2008-12-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

(OT) Bad Day at Tree Shopping --

My dear wife and I have been "under the weather" lately. We both have sore backs.

Hers is because her sciatic nerve is really kicking up . . . and I have some more kidney gravel (i.e., very small kidney stones -- like sand) moving through my system.

But today I got sent out to find a tree for the holidays.

Well I really really don't like those thick pre-shaped trees. I'm sorry but to me they are too much like topiary (which I'm quite unfond of) . . . I want a natural tree.

So there I was aching back and all driving around through the rain trying to find a decent tree . . . I found some nice ones of course . . . but they were not only quite pricey, but their trunks were too thick for our tree base.

Then there were those 'jack pine' trees. I understand that they are quite fashionable . . . but they don't look right to me.

Anyway, hurting as I was, I finally found the tree pictured at the top of the column . . . and my darling bride tried to like it. She put lights on it and ornaments . . . and then came to me looking downcast saying, "I'm sorry, I know you like an open tree . . . but we can't even put a quarter of our ornaments on it."

So tomorrow we get to go tree shopping again. Anyone want a nice 'barely used' tree?

-- Jeff

2008-11-27T03:01:00.000-08:00

Bad Day in the Old West --

Due to some 'real life' stuff I've not been able to game for a while -- hence the lack of recent posts.

I still haven't played anything (gotta finish some 'honey dos' first) . . . but after my last post about converting 'Christmas houses' to gaming terrain, I realized that I haven't given you a good look at my scratch-built 'Old West' buildings.

Remember to 'click' on the photos to see larger versions of them.

Now I'm the first to admit that I've seen far fancier and more detailed buildings on other blogs . . . but these were actually very easy to build and I think that they look very much like I suspect a lot of the actual buildings did . . . that is to say, a bit rough.

Incidentally, I think most of the figures are from the Old Glory 'Warpaint' line (although it is possible that a Dixon or two crept in).

What you see are four buildings. A hotel (with the balcony), a fancy saloon (wrap-around walk) and a couple of miscellaneous buildings.

All are foamcore shells covered with thin sheets of balsa. If you look closely you will see that the 'planking' on these buildings were simply scribed into the soft balsa with a dull pencil. And don't forget to scribe some board ends.

Okay, I cheated with the windows. They are just squares of craft sticks glued on (I was in a hurry). The sidewalks are made of craft skewers that I've trimmed the pointed and rounded ends from.

By the way those 'fancy' posts (the ones with the 'lathe work' are the fancy bamboo toothpicks that you can often find in supermarkets. (Note that they also make nice flag staffs and for the chunkier figures they're not bad lances).

The shingles were particularly easy to make, by the way.

They are simply strips of card cut from cereal boxes, then made into 'combs' (i.e., irregularly spaced vertical cuts not quite through to the 'spine'). Then cut alternate 'teeth' short and at slight angles.

Overlap the strips and you've got a nice irregularly looking set of shingles.

What else?

Oh yes, the doors are simply defined by some balsa strips to 'frame' them. And I've capped the 'false fronts' with another strip of balsa.

By the way, if you are scratch building your own Western town, I heartily suggest that you do not make 'square' buildings.

Rectangular ones give you more options. Also try to vary the heights of the 'second storey' of the buildings . . . remember that these were not designed and built by professionals. They are NOT built to any sort of architectural standards . . . people just made do as best they could.

-- Jeff

2008-11-08T16:43:00.000-08:00

Ceramic Houses for 25mm Gaming --

Today I purchased another bunch of "Christmas Houses" for gaming. Our local Zellers (a department store) had a bunch of these ceramic houses on sale for $2.24 Canadian (approximately $1.88 US or 1.47 Euros).

I bought eight . . . two of one pattern and one each of six others. Each has a "footprint" around the size of an index card . . . and they are great for 25mm table top terrain.

Well good once you've painted over all of the 'snow' and obvious "Christmas" decorations.

Take a close look at the photo to the left (i.e., click on it to see the larger version). You can see where I've just painted over the 'snow' on the roofs of the buildings at the bottom of the photo.

These buildings were from a previous year (the photo is from the Wollmitz game earlier this year).

The second photo shows another shot from the same game . . . but this time is one one of the ones that Murdock took during the same game.

Clicking on the above link will take you to his account of the battle . . . and he takes much better photos than I do.

Careful readers will note that I purchased two of one of the buildings. By painting the roofs different colors (and turning them a different angles) they really look like two different buildings. The Wollmitz game actually had three such 'pairs' on the table top . . . although I placed them in different locations.

However do be careful . . . some of the buildings you'll find have automobiles or other modernisms that preclude them if you're going to use them for earlier periods . . . but remember that you can paint over signs, etc..

So take a look as you're out doing your Holiday shopping . . . many stores carry this type of building . . . and some are pricey . . . but a lot of them are very inexpensive and quite useful for the table top . . . and each year seems to bring new patterns of them so it is easy to build a very nice collection rather quickly.

-- Jeff

2008-11-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

Meeting a Fellow Gamer --

Today Jerry, a gamer new to our area, stopped by for a visit. He has three blogs. His main one is Hlynrian, where he discusses not only his gaming, but his attempts at sculpting 25mm Tricorn troops as well.

He is also in the formative process of founding two 18th century 'imagi-nations' -- the valiant Duchy of Frisland and its mortal enemy the scemingly nasty Duchy of Loathar.

Of course my characterization of these two duchies is perhaps slightly colored by the fact that Frisland is aligning itself with my own Saxe-Bearstein; while the loathsome rulers of Loathar even sent the heir of the Duchy to be fostered in vile Stagonia.

Anyway Jerry and I discussed a number of things. One of these was the fact that I'm 95% convinced that I should alter the movement rates for my "Tricorne Wars" rule set.

This is a change that has been some time in the making. On Murdock's 4' x 8' table the current rates were okay . . . but sometimes a bit ponderous. On my own 5' x 10' table I noticed particularly in our Wollmitz battle that they are just too slow.

So, as I discussed with Jerry, I've virtually decided to increase the movement in version 0.2 of my rules. More details in a future post.

-- Jeff

2008-10-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Flags, Flags and More Flags --

I am recycling some old posts as an update on flags for units. These posts were originally posted here in the Spring and Summer of 2007.

As a clue to my Saxe-Bearstein 'theory' of flags, please examine the flag to the left.

It is a flag for Artillery (and, no, I don't actually use it in practice although I might add it to a limber some time).

The gray color of the 'rays' indicates that the uniform coat of the unit is gray. The red 'cross' indicates that the 'facing color' is red. The white leaves and central oval, etc. let me know that the button and hat tape color is white. And, of course, the red bear is the symbol of Saxe-Bearstein.

Careful readers will also note that the white 'ray borders' are wider than on the older flags shown below . . . that is because practice made them more visible with the wider pattern.

Now, without further ado, those 'old posts':

My Use of Flags --

(originally posted on April 2, 2007)

Regular readers of this blog know that I am working on a set of mid-eighteenth century rules ("Tricorne Wars") for use by our local club in its "Wars for Arcadian Glory" fictional campaign.

In "Tricorne Wars", flags are not placed on the "command stand"; but on their own "colour stand", which is used to indicate the unit's current condition.

For mounted troops, I will simply use a single mounted figure with the unit's standard . . . but for infantry, the situation is more complex.

Beside the regular "line infantry", I will also (potentially) have converged grenadiers, irregular troops and skirmish troops.

Regular troops will have two flags. The unit flag (such as the one with the light blue cross) and the national standard (the red bear on gold).

Converged grenadiers (who historically did not carry a flag) will only have a "national standard". Contrasting with this, irregular units (such as Grenzers) and skirmishing foot (jagers) will only carry a "unit flag" (such as the one pictured in green and gold).

By the way, for those interested in my flags, the background color of the oval (as well as the leaves and ray borders) are in the unit's hat tape color; the diagonal "rays" are in the coat color; and the "cross" is in the unit's cuff color.

Thus only the "line infantry" will have two flags. . . . . at least, that's the current plan.

Basic Infantry Flag Templates --

(originally posted on June 16, 2007)

You are all free to use these templates if you would like. Certainly change the colors to whatever you want . . . after all, I'm sure that your country won't want to use these without a few changes.

All of these (as well as the cavalry flag templates I'll upload in a few days) are in 16-color ".gif" format. You are certainly encouraged to change these colors (easy to do in most graphics programs) .

The two "German" patterns (as well as one of the "French" ones) have a central oval.

What I would suggest is that you find an image that represents your fictional nation (Saxe-Bearstein, for instance, uses a red bear). Some countries used animals such as lions, horses, eagles, etc., while others used the monarch's cipher. Use what you want and 'paste' it in.

Often, with the "German" style flags, there was something in the corners . . . often a crown or cipher (Saxe-Bearstein uses grape leaves). Sometimes there was something on the ends of the "cross", such as grenades. Use or not, it is your choice.

For Saxe-Bearstein (which uses a slight variation of the German-style with upright oval), I use the 'corner-rays' in the infantry coat color (red for line; green for jagers), while the cross is in the unit's facing color (various). The color of the central oval is the same as the 'hat tape" color (usually white or yellow . . . and black if there's no hat tape).

The "French" style (simple central cross) was actually used by others besides the French. France used a white central cross; England a red cross. Use whatever color you want.

The final template is sort of a hybrid. It uses the French-style cross, but I've added a central oval to take your national symbol.

Of course, once you've got your flags designed the way you want, you will have to "mirror" them so that you can print them and fold them around your flagstaffs. And don't forget to leave a bit of 'blank area' between the two halves for the 'wrap-around'.

And, of course, these templates are too big. You will need to reduce the size . . . and will probably want to copy them to a more easily scalable format . . . but these should do fine for your design work . . . and, of course, they post to the net very easily.

So I encourage you to have fun and again, feel free to play around with these templates.

If you like, post the results on your blogs . . . indeed, I encourage you . . . once you've got something you are happy with . . . to use them as your "photograph" (aka "avatar") if you don't already have something. Flags look great when you leave a comment on someone else's blog.

Have fun!

Dragoon and Cavalry Flag Templates

(originally posted on July 19, 2007)

While I'm still rather zonked on pain meds, I won't try to discuss some of the changes in "Tricorne Wars" that this last playtest has prompted, I think that I can post a few flag templates for mounted troops.

As with the Infantry flag templates which I posted on June 16th, I urge you to come up with something to grace the central ovals and Heavy Cavalry blanks.

This could be an heraldic animal such as lion, eagle, unicorn, dragon, wolf, etc. . . . or it could be the ruler's stylized initials . . . or whatever as long as it has significance for your imaginary nation.

Dragoon standards were almost always "swallow-tailed". I offer you three variations. The first (at the top of this post) is a quasi-French style. The next two are more Germanic and allow for either a tall or wide oval theme.

Note that Dragoon standards frequently had two different colors in the field . . . one of which was typically the unit's "facing color". The other color might be white or a "national color" or something that just went well with the facing color.

Both Dragoon and Cavalry standards were both quite often "fringed". This fringe was very typically in the same metal as the unit's "button color".

Finally, while fairly boring, the final flag was typical for true cavalry. A small fringed flag that typically had only one color on its field, the central device might or might not be contained within an oval.

You are free to use (and abuse) these very basic templates as much as you like.

You might also wish to visit "Warflag.com" to get more ideas. Here's a link:

http://www.warflag.com/flags/select.shtml

-- Jeff

2008-10-08T20:21:00.001-07:00

A Review of the Play --

For those of you who might be wondering how the play I'm in has gone, I've re-posted the review that came out today in one of our local papers, the Comox Valley Record (British Columbia, Canada).

-- Jeff

__________________________________________

Comox Valley Record

Reviewer says actor slips into his role like a hand into a glove

By Paula Wild - Comox Valley Record

Published: October 07, 2008 3:00 PM

Night of Shooting Stars possesses a near perfect blend of hard-boiled detective angst, gritty film noir scenes and surprising moments of humour.

Courtenay Little Theatre’s fall production opened at the Sid Williams Theatre last Thursday for a six-show run, and continues with shows this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Written and directed by Michael Armstrong, Night of Shooting Stars is told through the eyes of aging private detective Nat Williams.

Back in the 1950s, at the height of the Cold War, he offered his hanky to a crying woman in a restaurant and his life was forever changed. The story is one of secrets, spies and intrigue. The plot is fraught with numerous twists and turns. Scenes shift between the present, with Old Nat (Jeff Hudelson) telling his story to the crying woman’s daughter (Vickie Weiss), and the past, acted out by a younger Nat (Robert Conway) and Valerie (Shannon Phoenix), the damsel in distress.

The link between memory and present is forged by the haunting sounds of a saxophone played by Nick McGowan. As Old Nat, Hudelson is on the skuzzy side of disheveled. He, and his room, are unkempt, lonely remnants of days gone by. This actor slips into his role like a hand into a glove. His body language and tone of voice create images as well as the words.

Although only on stage in a supporting role, Selina Duncan’s over-the-top portrayal of Chinese restaurant owner Mary is excellent. On opening night, the scene where Mary chases a Mountie out of her restaurant caused the audience to break into spontaneous applause.

Conway does a first-class job of portraying the classic gumshoe. He’s cynical on the outside and soft as butter inside. Conway has got the whole act, including droll comments and cigarette sticking out of the side of the mouth, down pat.  

The Mob, seven teens outfitted in dark trench coats and fedoras, deftly shift props between scenes, allowing transitions to take place in a nearly seamless fashion.

What I liked in this play: the rhythm and cadence of Armstrong’s poem-like words spoken by Hudelson; the dark set and effective use of few props; the short train/street vignettes that aptly capture time and place and that wonderful saxophone.

What didn’t work in this play: the synchronized movements of the Mob and a noticeable blankout by one of the actors, followed by a remarkably strong recovery. A few scenes need some tightening and some lighting cues were slightly off the mark. But quirks like these are part and parcel of live theatre and are often overcome once opening night jitters have passed.