David Bickley's Wargames Blog

The occasional ramblings of an average gamer, journeyman painter, indifferent modeller, games designer, sometime writer for Wargames Illustrated and host of games in GHQ.



Sunday 17 March 2024

WMMS 2024

Back in the day Phil and I might have visited over 20 shows in a year, with WMMS often being the first of the campaigning year. We had even been it's organisers from the mid 1970's to mid 1980's. So I'm sure you will understand that it holds a special place in my hobby interests. Nowadays it's held at Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton, an Olympic qualifying stone's throw from home, so it's an easy visit. Usually traders are plentiful and varied, while games are almost all of a high standard and wide genre. Add in the modelling societies' inspirational displays and even several groups of uniformed reenactors and you get good value from the modest entry fee. You could ask my grandson William if you don't believe me. He had a whale of a time being a proper wargamer, buying troops, tank, bases and paint all himself. He managed to find the Star Wars game pretty smartish too!

As ever there were lots of really splendid games on show. Well done to all those clubs and individuals involved in bringing such excellent and varied a spectacle for visitors to enjoy. Being a bit constrained by time I took just a selection of game pictures to give a sense of the spectacle on offer. First up Wellington in India by John French and friends. Some good looking figures and terrain items, just right for Pendawar I thought ~



























Next some American Civil War action, of course. The Battle of Frederick in this instance. Marvellous figures and terrain here I thought! There was a second game I liked as well but I couldn't get a decent picture of it as it so popular.

Followed by a splendid AWI game which came complete  complete with a splendid log fort! I covert that feature, just no storage space in GHQ sadly!


Lots of splendid forts and castles on show in fact!

William and Phil liked the desert war game located just as you came in to the hall ~

As ever Dave and friends from Kinver were there with a typical 20mm game offering in their own unique style. I wish I had his stamina to put on games at our age!
I hope you agree with me that these are enough to inspire even the most jaded wargamer, and there were many more splendid offerings I didn't have the time to photograph. Well done to all concerned!
Now though to a different matter. There was a good range of traders selling their wares providing pretty much every period and scale you might fancy, but not some who have supported the show down the years. If traders don't have a physical presence at shows, using the excuse of the cost of living crisis perhaps, they have noone to blame if they subsequently loose customers. I appreciate each and ever trader who makes the effort to attend any show and deplore those who declined. Some like stalwarts Dave Thomas carrying Perry Miniatures and Andy at The Last Valley travel considerable distances to shows without complaint. They get my thanks and respect every time, not to mention my custom! The show was busy and buzzing during our time there and traders seemed very busy taking customers' money. On that note though my purchases were small I must confess. My excuse is that I was helping William with his choices! So, from The Last Valley, a collection of small gardens for India and three trees ~
From Ironclad Miniatures a Russian church for the Crimean War (which Phil has spirited away for painting, hence no picture!) and from Athena Miniatures a mounted French officer for my embryonic French Crimean War brigade ~
 Not a great spend I admit, but every little helps I am sure. This was the 46th WMMS held in the last 48 years - two years missed by the Plague of course. I have missed only two of those forty six and I'm already looking forward to next year's offering, which I'm confident will be just as splendid! Well done Paul and Dave and the members of the Alumwell Wargames Society!


Thursday 14 March 2024

Edgar the Aetheling's...

...last grasp at the throne? Having repulsed the invader's advance on London near the Forest of Andreas Weald, Edgar has rallied his battered and weary force for one last throw of the dice, to defeat William the B*stard once and for all and secure the future of Saxon England. 

William has been forced to make a temporary camp, throwing up a hasty palisade while sending out scouts to learn of the enemy's intentions and dispositions as the bulk of his battered army rest and recuperate. He knows that his grasp on the throne of England is weakening by the day as more stragglers from Haestingas rejoin Edgar's rag tag army blocking his advance on London. He knows that he may only have this one last chance of victory, though recognising Edgar may have something to say about that. 

The rules used to facilitate the game are Hail Caesar in its second iteration. The game was set to last a maximum of twelve turns. If William and two units reach the point where the London road exits on the Saxon table edge he wins the game and claims the throne of England regardless of outcomes elsewhere. If he fails then similarly Edgar triumphs and the invaders sculk off back to Normandy. On then to the action as it unfolded through my usual anotated photomontage ~

William's army, or at least the bulk of it, shelter behind hastily erected palisade defences as his scouts seek out Edgar's forces.
Breton cavalry supported by bow armed Medium infantry and a screen of skirmishing Light Infantry are everywhere it seems as they probe for Edgar's host.
They discover Edgar's army drawn up blocking the London Road. He has added a force of Viking mercenary warriors as well as stranglers from the Great Fyrdd defeated at Haestingas.
Wearily William rouses his army. The men are all but spent yet know victory or defeat depend on them over the coming hours. The infantry advance determined to prevail and soon encounter Olaf's mercenary warband 
Lead by Olaf in the fire the Vikings crash into Williams heavily armoured Norman infantry. They are beaten but not repulsed!
Steel clashes with steel, flesh tears, bone breaks and the screams of the wounded and dying rent the air. Saxon Medium Infantry and Thanes rush to Olaf's aid hoping the throw the invader back before his army is deployed.
Saxon javelin armed skirmishers burst from the cover of the dense woodland surprising William's bow armed Heavy Infantry. They are halted by the hail of javelins but do not falter!
The Breton cavalry clash with Edgar's remaining Thanes on horseback. If they can defeat them then the London Road may yet be opened to William's sluggish main force.
The Thanes break in panic out fought by the Breton's. Will this be the decisive moment for Edgar and William's hopes?
Despite Olaf's mercenary warband retiring from the fight with William's Heavy Infantry the Saxon line holds and then breaks the enemy's line. William's Heaviest flee and Saxon skirmishers threaten the supporting Normans.
Refreshed, and possibly paid overtime, Olaf's mercenary warriors return to the fight clashing with the bulk of William's Norman infantry lead by Foot Knights.
Hoping to outflank William's sluggish army before it is fully formed for battle Edgar send his massed archers forward, screened by bow armed Light Infantry skirmishers.
The mounted Thanes reform and advance again with the support of skirmishing Light Infantry. More Normans are hastening slowly towards this section of the battle line!
Many of William's Knights have not yet left the camp and are surprised to come under a hail of arrows from the advancing Saxons. While William's problem remains the sluggish response of his army Edgar's is the uncoordinated piecemeal successes of his army.
In the centre Olaf's mercenary warband struggles to hold back a much larger force and his losses are mounting.
One last push and the Vikings break, the remnants fleeing towards the rear and safety!
Before William's tired men can take advantage of their success they are assailed from front and flank by Saxons. The latter are outclassed in the fighting but sell their lives dearly!
Alas they are overcome by weight of numbers and flee rearward. William's exhausted men's cheering is curtailed by the sight of the Saxon shield wall forming ahead of them along the rise. Edgar is far from beaten and William's army has much fighting ahead of it if he is to triumph.
The road to London is still denied to William and his army as the Saxon Heavy Infantry supported by the remnants of Edgar's Hearthguard form a solid shieldwall blocking his path. As the Saxon skirmishers are driven off, the first of William's Knights arrive on the scene whilst the Breton's explore a route around Edgar's flank.
In the centre Saxon Medium and Light Infantry continue to slow the Norman advance. Although ought classed the Saxons are making William's advance here very difficult.
On William's right though more mounted Knights arrive in support of his tired infantry. The Bretons also appears to have discovered Edgar's left is exposed and unsupported.
Supported by his Hearthguard Edgar surveys his last line of defence as the shieldwall forms along the ridgeline blocking the London Road to William still.
Sadly for Edgar the Breton's have managed to force a passage around his left flank and hordes of William's heavily armed Knights are sweeping around his rear unopposed. Edgar can do nothing to deny William any longer it seems.

Snatching victory in the face of defeat William leads his mounted retinue of Norman Knights along the road to London and his coronation in Westminster. Edgar and his Hearthguard will leave for the continent with the remnants of Olaf's mercenary warband and a life in exile. The remains of Saxon England's last army disperse to their homes. For them the fight is over...for now.

The game was enthralling from beginning to end, going the full twelve turns and William only reaching the target victory position with his final Follow Me! order of his final command phase. Edgar put up a valiant resistance with many early successes but was undone in the end by lack of coordination in his plan's execution and the telling loss of his only mounted element. Hail Caesar! delivered in spades to facilitate a splendid and gripping encounter.


Tuesday 12 March 2024

2nd Battalion, the 1st, the Royal Scots

The latest unit to march across the painting desk and muster into GHQ for the Crimean War project is the 2nd Battalion of the 1st, the Royal Scots. The figures are Great War Miniatures, the bases from Warbases and the flags from North Star. This brings my Highland Brigade up to three battalions now, with a fourth kilted regiment next but one in the painting queue ~

I've almost completed the second Command Stand I mentioned for the Jaeger regiment, so after finishing the two mounted figures off I'd hope to start on my third Jaeger battalion. These will be in a firing line configuration, so fewer figures than on my marching/advancing posed battalions. Hopefully they will be finished before the end of the month, hopefully.

The Lead Pimple, at least in respect of the Crimean War project, was almost down to manageable proportions; comprising two Roosian Jaeger battalions, a Roosian Dragoon squadron, a kilted Highland regiment, a British Line infantry regiment, the 7th Royal Fusiliers and a number of Light Infantry Firing Line bases to represent skirmishers probably. Then I was gifted six partially painted French Guard Voltigeurs by Phil. Well, no harm in bringing them up to battalion strength by ordering three more packs? Might as well order a French Line Infantry battalion and some flag sheets too. Projects grow like this without meaning to don't they? Already I'm planning on buying more French and these are not even cleaned up yet!

 Off now though for a few damp days in the South Lakes to celebrate Sue's birthday on Friday! Back later in the week with an account of yesterday's 1066 & All That game with Phil! Á Bientôt mes amis!