Baggage Wagon

I've scratchbuilt this wagon out of cardboard on some wheels that belonged to a Gypsy caravan I bought at a car boot sale. The horse was 50p - which I found in the bottom of an oddments box at a Toy and Train fair. The man leading the horse is from the Sash and Sabre artillerists pack. I'll post a photo of it when painted.

Pokesay Castle - Part 1

As part of ECW wargaming I would like to have a model of a small castle which could be placed under siege; being defended by about 1 regiment of foot at the most and some artillery.

I've chosen to make a model based on Stokesay Castle (Shropshire), it's really a moated manor house. It was garrisoned in the civil war. A picture of the gatehouse.

More pictures are available on line. A plan of the castle:

I've decided to call my castle Pokesay. The model itself will be quite large (18" x 24") or something like that. I'm planning to scratch build all the structures and the walls. The moat will be a challenge to do as well.

I must be nuts !!

40mm Figure Manufacturers

A breif survey of 40/42mm figure manufactures (plus prices on websites that I have looked at mostly UK):

1. 42MM Irregular Miniatures Renaisiance Range - Good range of infantry, cavalry and cannon.; foot £1.25; horse+rider £2.75

2. 40MM Sash and Sabre ECW Range - Good range of infantry, cavalry and cannon
http://www.oldgloryuk.com/ Example - Example price £35 for pack of 20 infantry - £1.75 each. This this range is also availabe at cheaper bag prices from Caliver Books (Partizan Press + Matchlock Minaitures - http://www.caliverbooks.com/) - £27.50 for pack of 20 infantry [don't know if they have different postage rates though]

3. 40MM ROMANOFF MINIATURES (http://www.oldgloryuk.com/) good range of foot figures. £9 for bag of 5 figs.

4. 40mm Drabant Minaitures (http://www.oldgloryuk.com/); WARS OF MOSCOW STATE range;
DM1125; DM1126 Swedish Musketeers early 17C £4 each
DM1111 12pdr cannon early 17C £9 each
DM1117 13 INCH MORTAR £9 each

5. 1:48 (35mm+) Scale Hecker & Goros (Berliner Zinnfiguren website) - possible useable small range of figures. Consist of 30yrs war artillery and odd figures; e.g 2 foot figures 13 Euros. Also a 2 wheel cart with horse and driver - 18 Euros. They do a cannon and also a limber.

New Horse Regiment Mustered

It's taken some time to get these finished ready for painting; I've been swapping in some Sash & Sabre heads on Irregular Miniatures figs; plus replacing pistols withs swords .

Go Home Spot ...

While the royalists get familiar with using their new culverin, a dog belonging to one of the crew has come to find his master ...

Wrinkleham - A Clash of Armes

1) The Parliamentarian Forces: Commander - Sir Warwick Hunt, 1 regiment of Cuirassier, 1 regiment of Foot and some artillerie

2) The Royalist forces: Commander - Sir William de Walloughby; 1 regiment of Horse and 2 regiments of Foot
3) The Battle ...

Both sides deployed, the parliamentarians seeing the larger number of royalist foot decided to form up with their left flank on the village with the artillery, foot in the centre, and the cuirassiers on the right.

The royalists decided to deploy, advance and attack.

The cavalry melee started first..

and after a charge, counter charge and reform the cuirassier were holding back the royalist horse ..

As the royalist foot came up, musket fire from both sides and the parliamentarian artillery started to thin the ranks down..

After the cuirassiers forced back the royalist horse, the resolve of the parliamentarian foot crumbled and they took to their heels, the rest of the army following behind. The royalists did not pursue as their cavalry was exhausted.

[The rules we used were 'Charge yr Pikes!', downloaded from http://www.angelfire.com/games3/jacksongamer/ecwrules.htm. We had a most enjoyable game, we felt the rules worked very well].

And so it Begins ...

A scenario for a rules play test ...

The leader of the parliamentarians, Sir Warwick Hunt, mustered his troops. After some consideration he decided to take the initiative and set off to try and draw the royalists into battle.

Sir William de Willoughby had raised the royalist flag at Wallingborough. After a couple of weeks mustering his forces he heard that the parliamentarians were on the move. In reponse to this he moved to attempt to intercept them.

Both sides were on the march, nearing the village of Wrinkleham, the scouts from both sides found themselves at the local tavern, after a short skirmish they returned to report. Both sides then advanced on Wrinkleham ....