Combat Patrol

I am getting ready to host a game of "Combat Patrol" in a few days.  This a hypothetical battle of two small American platoons attacking some German bunkers in 1944.

Brothers of the Coast

After renovating my gaming room I decided to get my pirate game out on the table.  This game has changed bit by bit over many years.  This game is for up to 6 players and as you can see it fills the table.  The ships are modified Pirates of the Spanish Main plastic ships.  The islands are all home made.  Miniatures are from Foundry.

This game straddles the boundaries between miniatures game and euro-style boardgame (or more appropriately ameri-trash boardgame).  The game mechanics try to be fast and simple, yet the components allow for an unfolding narrative.  Included are various characters and their abilities, different types of ships, treasure maps, quests, missions and wars.  Players control merchant ships that make money primarily through delivering cargo, and each player also controls a pirate who can seek after treasure and/or attack and plunder merchant ships.  Combat is fast and brutal.  Movement is also simple yet thematic.  Here are some photos.

The first version of this game began in 1999.  The only thing remaining from that one is the name.  It was played at Historicon in 2000.  After many years of modifications it was again played at Historicon in 2010.  Since then the ships, minis, cargo and islands that you see in the pictures have remained but nearly all of the other mechanics have continued to be altered from time to time.

It is a big long game that in my opinion is best suited to a convention type of setting.  I don't expect it will ever be published except perhaps in a pdf do-it-yourself kind of format.

Republican Roman Hastati

Here is the first unit of Republican Romans that I have painted from my recent order of figures from Aventine Miniatures.  This is a unit of 18 hastati.  I am now starting another unit of 18 hastati, then I have another 36 principes, 24 triarii and 12 equites plus 3 mounted commanders.  It should be a pretty nice army when finished.  Enjoy the photos.

Carthaginian Commanders

I finished these miniatures several months ago, but just now got around to photographing and posting them.  These miniatures are from Armorum & Aquila (CAR8) but I swapped out the shorter horses they came with for a pair of horses from my Crusader Spanish Cavalry.  This pack of four figures is intended to be the same guy both mounted and on foot, so I painted them that way.  Having just finished reading Hail Caesar (yes, late to the party) I am looking forward to getting these guys into action!

Gettysburg - Day One

I am getting ready for a first play test of this new scenario.  Here is the setup with all of the reinforcements waiting on the edges of the table.  I've also re-tooled my rules a bit and renamed them "Double Canister".  This particular scenario starts with Buford's cavalry on Mc Pherson's ridge.  Archer's and Davis's brigades are advancing forward supported by Pegram's battery.  Most of the forces on both sides arrive as reinforcements throughout the day.  I am going to run this through a few times to see how it plays out.  Enjoy the photos.

The town of Gettysburg is in the bottom right, North is up.  Herr Ridge is on the far left.

Buford's Cavalry

Heth's men.

Confederate reinforcements due to arrive.

Cards, charts, markers and dice.

Union reinforcements.

Union game components.

Looking west from McPherson's Ridge

Valbona Castle Scratchbuild Project

Last fall my 14 year old son had an opportunity to do a presentation for a class unit on Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew'.  So he put on his thinking cap..."How can I do a Shakespeare project that will benefit the Wars of the Roses army I'm painting?...I know I will build a model of a castle!  But not just any castle, it has to be a castle where the action of 'Taming of the Shrew' could have taken place."  So he found pictures of a Renaissance era castle in northern Italy.  Here is the real Valbona Castle.

Our model of Valbona was constructed from foam card, pizza boxes, some chipboard and balsa wood.  Along with glue and paint and various textures.  Many of our techniques and ideas were taken from Mel the Terrain Tutor.  His Youtube channel is a great inspiration for wargame terrain.  And yes, the presentation went great.  Afterwards, as you can see here, the castle was transported to England in the  1400's and occupied by a Yorkist army!  Here are the photos...and let my boy know what a great job he did!

Iberian Cavalry

This unit of six Iberian Cavalry is the last unit to be painted for my Carthaginian army.  The figures are from Crusader and the shield designs are hand painted.  Here are a few quick photos of them.