A few more civilians..

Some 40mm female civilians painted... painted simply and they just about right for 17th century (and usable for 18th century).

After the Hook .....

The four musketeers - Von Messing, Scharfe, Fischer and Hofler (and their servant Limburger); have been sent to capture the Hook with some extra support from the Kings Musketeers.

They've located the Hook in a yard adjoining the residence of the Count de Monet on the outskirts of the town of Kleingeldstadt. Its early in the morning and ......

---oXo---

The Hook gives instructions to some of his gang who have just got up, he has ordered someone to go inside wake to up the others and get them moving....

The four musketeers have left the cover of the inn...

Von Messing has sent four of the Kings Musketeeers round one side and two around the other...

They hurry to get in position....

by the entrances towards the back of the yard area...

as Von Messing leads 'the four' and their servant towards the gate ....

The four musketeers enter the yard, Big George tried to stand in their way, von Messing gave him a dazzling display of swordplay at which the Big George took a couple of steps back...

The rest of the musketeers moved into the yard from the other entrances ...

Hofler skewered a man who ran out the building, badly wounded he fell to the ground.

More of the Hook's men come out of the barn to confront their attackers...

The Hook urges his men on as all the musketeers cross blades...

Three more of the Hooks men come out of the nearest building to join the fray ....

The fighting continues.....

Scharfe keeps Big George at bay as the musketeer brethren get drawn further into the fight... (some of the Hook's men are down and a couple are badly wounded and are hanging back..)

Hofler always impulsive, weaves his way through and attacks the last man between him and the Hook.. as Scharfe and Fischer take on Big George, von Messing deals with the man with the red sash...

slowly the Hook and his crew are being forced to the back end of the yard ....

von Messing takes a step back as Limburger swipes the man in the read sash with his trusty cosh - leaving him somewhat dazed

By the barn one of the Hooks men has had enough and exits via the back gate, while the others badly wounded fall back...

Hofler has a clear path to the Hook; Big George holds off Scharfe and Fischer, with Two Swords keeping a musketeer at bay...

Hofler takes on the Hook ...

Limburger chases away the man in the red sash .....

Big George having been wounded and von Messing is keeping him in check, as Scharfe &  Fischer take on Two Swords....

Hofler has wounded the Hook and is pushing him back towards the barn ....

The Kings musketeers, with some wounds, are keeping a couple of the Hook's men occupied...

The Hook makes a break for it and runs into the barn, Hofler follows ....

Before he can reach the Hook, Hofler is distracted by one of the Hook's men who comes up behind him; Hofler un-phased turns to face him, as the Hook makes his escape....

Hofler makes short work of the man who attacked him, but the Hook is nowhere in sight ...

Outside in the yard, the Hook's men are surrendering ... as they are outnumbered and badly wounded ...

It's all over, the gang is broken and a number of them have been detained - but their leader The Hook as escaped and is still at large ...

---oXo---

Resulting casualties form the afray ...

The Hook and his gang

• The Hook - 2 wounds and escaped into the woods. ... (he'll be back no doubt !)
• 6 of his gang made a run for it after taking two wounds (three wounds and you are down dead ...)
• 3 of his men were captured (with two wounds each), including Big George and Two Swords.
• 5 men dead

The Musketeers

• The Four: von Messing one wound; Fischer, Scharfe and Hofler ok
• The Rest (6 in Tabards): 2 Ok, 2 with 1 wound and 2 with two wounds.

Rules Used : My own Simple Combat Rules

Barn Interior....and Game Setup

While setting up for a 'Musketeers' skirmish game, I decided to use a large barn - as action could occur in the barn I thought it a good idea to make the interior reasonably realistic...

I had a look through my printed paper sheet folder for something suitable for the main floor area; a sort of rammed earth look - cut some to size and stuck it into position.

I took some photos of the exterior of the barn, and cropped them for pieces to print....

the printed pieces stuck onto the interior...

a little bit of brown paint to disguise the joins and some uprights added using some strip wood painted brown...

In position on the game table with some items stored in it...

With the interior of the barn finished, I finished setting up the table for the game ....

most of the action will be in the yard area, with spill over into the barn and the road outside.  

More figures for 'Musketeers' games...

 A selection of figures for my 'Musketeer's swordplay games; figures on clear bases - a fiddly job but worth the effort. A small selection baddies and some King's musketeers..

Registered Cossacks (WIP)

All figures cast for two units and prep done. I bought a commander and standard bear from Irregular Miniatures... 

These will initially join the Polish army; later they will be the nucleus of a 'cossack rebellion' force 

Two regiments of foot recruited ...

The recruiting seargent have been out - (i.e. me down the garage casting figures)... 

Enough figures for two regiments of foot, now prepped and ready for painting. I had to buy in a couple of drummers as the mould for the drummer is starting to get a bit squiffy.

Sourcing animals for 40mm...

 Tricky to find animals suitable for 40mm...some larger ones from 28mm usable..

• Over the years I've added animals as I found them. Most of them are plastic toys and come from Car Boot sales, Toy & Train fairs and Charity shops.  I just picked up bags of oddments, took out the animals which were the right size, then donate the remainder to charity. 

• Wolves - these are from Sash & Saber 40mm Napoleonic range ..  code 40RFMX1

• The Hounds - these are model railway O gauge scale 1/43, which I picked up at a model railway exhibition along with a fox.

• The White Stag is a Britains zoo animal - a deer ( a bit oversize, but OK).

• The giant lizard and large snakes are from Otherworld Miniatures (codes WE4b & WE17a)

• The big dragon is an old Ral Partha one, which I assembled and modified slightly. The small dragon is a Papo toy with the 'fire breath' removed.