Hi Steve (W), this is the sort of thing that I was talking about. I painted 15 Landwehr cavalry with a view to going with the official basing of 3 bases with 5 horse per base.

I didn't like that more often than not, they would be in line and that despite 15 horse, it looked a little 'thin', so I pinched my nose and jumped in with single basing for the cavalry!

This is an 80mm x 60mm base with just 12 horse, double ranked, but slightly misaligned to give a little sense of movement (I hope).

Having re-evaluated my table space, I may well go back to 2 infantry bases (from the previous 3) per unit, which would have a frontage of 120mm and better match with what I am doing with the cavalry.

Unfortunately the thing about basing is ...... I always change my mind and end up re-basing :-)

I need to do a French cavalry unit next to help keep this pair of 'Pocket Armies' balanced. I was going to do dragoons, but on checking the Epic battle set, there are French lancers in there, which I had forgotten about.

Having got a bit fed up painting the Epic, I gave myself a week off, but not wanting that break to grow into 'a thing' I put the French Lancers on painting sticks yesterday and I am back on it.

Irregular Miniatures have a set of Ancients rules published in 1989 that are still available and which are presented in half a dozen index sized cards. On one side of each card are the rules and on the other, examples of those rules. Each card covers a different part of the sequence of play.

A couple of months ago I tested them against a small situation involving the Epic Punic Wars figures from Warlord Games.

Here I test them in a contained situation with Wars of the Roses figures, just to see how well the rules stretch forwards to 1485.

There is a bit of a write up and some pictures over on the Battlefields & Warrior Blog.

LINK

https://battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.com/2025/08/irregular-miniatures-card-rules-from.html

I picked this up at Waterstones (UK dedicated book store) as it has a fairly tight focus and drills into the detail of the Militiamen, which will help pad out my 'lack of knowledge' of the period.

Part of the blurb on the back of the book says 'but in the South a different kind of warfare was afoot. Local militia, sometimes stiffened by a small core of the Continental Line, played a pivotal role.'

This is exactly the sort of thing I am looking for, especially for when I start out on the painting thing and the forces will be small while I get going. Just initially browsing through the book, I came across an account of the Battle of Blackstock's Farm and that looks a great place to start things off.

The Osprey format is there with nice colour plates of uniform and information about equipment, training and life on campaign.

Irregular Miniatures created a set of rules for Ancients in 1989 which where delivered on what amounts to half a dozen index cards. The front of the card has the rules and the rear has examples. Each card covers one part of the sequence of play.

A couple of months ago I highlighted the rules being used with the Epic Punic War figures. I noted that the amongst the examples the term Billmen is mentioned and the rules allow for cannon, so assuming that the rules will stretch to 1485, I have started to trial them.

I should have something written up, with a few photos, in a couple of days. 

I like to see situations unfold in a boardgame that could create a scenario to take to the figures table. Having just bought the Warlord Games Epic Revolution set (AWI), it brought into focus that my boardgame collection is shy when it comes to American War of Independence games, so I order the new Tri-Pack II package from Second Chance Games, which is a re-print of four previous single games, brought under one cover and given hard mounted boards.

The four battles are Germantown 1777, Monmouth 1778, Newtown 1779 and Oriskany 1777.

This is the ‘Battles of the American Revolution’ Series by GMT, which I have owned before and sold because I was not keen on the swinging results that a D10 combat system brought.

However, I might be changing my mind on such things. Eagles of France does something similar with 2D6, but I have always thought of that system as removing you, the commander, from micro managing the action. So we have the player giving out the general order that might be something like ‘attack that hill over there’ or ‘take that settlement’, but once those wheels are in motion, the commander (player) would have little influence over the actual fighting, the local colonels would be doing that and so perhaps swinging results better reflects that and the frustrations / hopes of the more senior command levels.

Anyway, it is a fine looking game, though it joins many fine games, all begging to be played!

As an aside, I recent bought the Monmouth Courthouse  1778 book from the Osprey Campaign Series, so that should help me put the meat on any scenario building bones that may happen.

The first reinforcement for the Epic Napoleonic Pocket Army rolls of the painting sticks and ‘ride’ into barracks.

This is a unit of Prussian Landwehr cavalry that will make 3 bases.

I will be using 55mm x 25mm MDF bases to replace the 60mm x 20mm plastic bases supplied with the Warlord Games Epic figures as they better accommodate the depth of the horse models and allow the bases to butt-up to each other without horse tails getting in the way!

The reason why I have taken this picture before basing is that I was looking for a pose that I can use to try and paint the unit going into action with either watercolours or oils (I will probable try both) - a tough subject and it is years since I painted, but I thought I would have a crack anyway.

I have a painting on my wall of 14th Cuirrassiers moving up to the front during the Danube campaign and it rather inspires me to have a go. 

To keep the two Napoleonic armies better matched, I will now need to give the French a cavalry unit, perhaps some dragoons. Once done, I will re-run the Gilly game, giving each side the extra cavalry unit, which will allow the scenario to have closer ties to the historical situation.

I started these figures with contrast paint, hoping for a faster painting rate and the completed them with traditional acrylic, but overall, I done think it made that much difference and I like the look less. I will play around with this a little more to see whether there are some Contrast colours that are worth keeping.

I recently saw a very good painter do French artillery and he only used a Contrast paint on the woodwork of a cannon carriage and standard acrylic for everything else and it looked bang on.

The rearguard action on the road to Gilly has now been fought and considering how few troops the Prussians have, gave an entertaining game ….. as always these small actions, like the old teasers, seem to punch above their weight.

Tweaks to the scenario as desribed the other day, play notes and photos are all up over on the Battlefields & Warriors Blog at this link;

https://battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.com/2025/08/a-prussian-rearguard-near-gilly-15th.html

I am part way through the 'Near Gilly' scenario. Six battalions of French infantry plus their guns are assaulting the recently painted Prussians, who are located behind a stream.

I am just doing a couple of turns a day as the bad back recovers, so hopefully by tomorrow the game will have concluded and I should be able to have a write-up with some photos. So far it has been an enjoyable outing and we also have the christening of the new game mat, which is working well with its river feature.

I am using my own rules and play so far has already thrown up one thing that needed covering, so that is good.

On the painting sticks I have some Landwehr lancers and I am trying some contrast paint to see if it helps me pick up some speed. So far it seems okay, but I think I will be mixing the process with some standard acrylics.

I met up for a chat with Mike last night and we pushed some counters around for a learning infantry scenario from the Assault Sicily 43 game (by Sound of Drums).

There is something very compelling about the game, which covers tactical WWII combat and the campaign is beautifully done, but it also has some detractions for me and these days I am preferring to stick with a single series of games per era, so my tactical WWII game of choice remains with the Old School Tactical series from Flying Pig.

Firstly multi coloured dice are used for combat with both sides rolling and the defender trying to defeat the attack my matching dice symbols (critical hits, hits and supressions). Situations will modify the dice. For example if your section is in rocky terrain, you get a basic yellow dice for the defending section, plus a yellow and green dice for the terrain. The attackers dice combination will depend upon the firing range, so you are checking dice colour combinations throughout.

It just feels over convoluted compared to the more tradition type of game that rolls 2D6 with its bell curve effect, involving (say) a stone building getting a +2 for defence etc, the latter is just more intuitive and easier for me to handle, especially if playing solo and especially late at night when tired.

Also, there is a system of hits (attacker) and lives (defender). This makes sense when fighting against infantry, as accumulated hits can reflect individuals in a section becoming casualties and the section gradually losing cohesion, but in vehicular combat, the system means that you don’t often get a straight knock-out, which to me, seems like losing an essential element of a tactical warfare game. A Sherman (say) has four lives (shown as hearts), a good shot might knock out 3 of those lives, so it is now on its last life …. What exactly does that represent. I would much rather see a miss, a hit with track damage or a hit with a knock-out etc.

I do like that position and manoeuvre are given an importance, which comes in part from good map design and so you are continually thinking about how to unhinge the enemy defence, rather than just going for a head on engagement or shoot out and hoping for the best.

How does this fit in with our future sessions? I’m not sure really, we would probably limit ourselves to the smaller scenarios, but then would we play enough for things to become a bit more second nature? Regardless, it was nice to get some dice rolling.

Well it was certainly pushing it, but last night I hit the painting goal for July with three battalions of Prussians done. The last bit of flocking went on just before midnight! In fact I did a little more than the July plan had proposed. 

This leaves me all set to do the ‘Near to Gilly’ scenario that I recently discussed.

Also rather than going with the bare minimum two bases per battalion, I have managed three bases, which is where I want all of the napoleonic battalions to be once enough bases have been painted.

So, painted and based in July, we have;

Two battalions of Prussian Musketeers (white webbing)

One battalion of Prussian Fusiliers (black webbing)

One company (1 base) of Prussian Jäger

One Prussian gun battery (2 models)

Two mounted Prussian Commanders

I also managed to get a few items done for the French which are shown (blurred!) at the front in the photo;

One French Gun battery (2 models)

Two mounted Colonel’s

I got a little fed up doing these by week three, but a push towards the end of two painting sessions a day saw me get over the line and now seeing them as a group, I am quite pleased with the work that went into them.

They now form the start of a Prussian ‘Pocket Army’, but I will quickly expand it with a couple of battalions of Landwehr, a regiment of Lancers and a company or two of extra jägers. That should at least give me a force that can cover all of the scenarios in the Neil Thomas book - One Hour Wargames, though I will also have to do some French cavalry for that to happen.

Anyway, there we are, I hope to get them to the table soon.

The latest Wargames Illustrated magazine (issue 452 for August 2025) hits UK stores today (Sainsbury's now carry it) and it carries a free Epic Sprue for their new Epic release ... Revolution (AWI).

In fact, according to the WI latest video, there are a variety of four different sprues on offer, the one I picked up (there was no choice, all the mags carried the same sprue) is a frame for 'British Army 2'. This is the one that carries the Hessians and Allies.

The artwork on the front of the mag is taken from the box cover of the Revolution battle box.

There is a 4 page article that gives details of what are on the selection of four frames and this is really useful as it is something that Warlord Games don't generally give enough coverage to in their game boxes.

The 'Never Mind The ......' rules series by Andy Callan gets a Never Mind the Bushido article and for Italian Wars 1494 - 1559 fans there is a look at the new Warlord Games Pike and Shotte supplement 'Death and The Landsknecht'.

Plus all the usual pretty pictures including a close look at Bill Gaskin's Seven Years War game at Partizan 2025.

I have just noticed the advert on the back which is for the new Wars of the Roses supplement for Swordpoint rules by Gripping Beast - nice!

I recently picked up a wargame magazine that carried an Operation Sealion boardgame covering the planned Nazi invasion of Britain in 1940.

The game is called Fight on the Beaches and was described in a post here on 24th July. It is a hex and counter game. Anyway, I fancy playing the game and perhaps writing it up on a day by day basis in a sort of ongoing narrative style for the blog.

I thought a bit of background reading would help and came across this title. It is a novel rather than an academic study ..... but it turns out the narrative is based on the wargame run organised by the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst with six senior officers per side umpiring various aspects of the game - how good is that!

I seem to recall the late Paddy Griffiths being involved in this or something like it, so a story based on a wargame sounds right up my street and at just a couple of quid on the Kindle, it is a snip.

Most books on the subject focus on the logistics and planning of the operation that never happened, but this book goes beyond that and explores the landing and subsequent campaign, taking an hour by hour account as a 'what if' campaign for the conquest of South East England and London, with the wargame directed by people who actually have the military knowledge and experience to keep the action within the limits of what was possible / likely.

As something quite different, I have high hopes for this.