Gatekeepers can grow the hobby

Gatekeepers can grow the wargaming hobby if they throw open the gates rather than hold them shut.

 

The Other Partizan 2024 - Photos

The Other Partizan Show took place today in Newark and as usual, the quality of the games on display was amazing.

Remote Wargaming: Is it the future of the hobby?

Is remote wargaming a fad, the future of the hobby, or just another way to enjoy doing what we love?

Remote wargaming has become a regular feature of my group's gaming calendar. It started during COVID and we enjoyed it so much that we have continued to play remote games, even after returning to our beloved face-to-face wargames in the shed-o-war. We will always love moving our little metal men around a physical table, but games across thousands of miles, facilitated by the World Wide Web, have become a permanent feature.

Shot Down in Flames: Wargaming in three dimensions

How do wargames tackle a problem like 3-dimensional space? This week I discuss aerial combat wargames and (briefly) discuss how a few handle the complexities of warfare in three dimensions.

Dogfight over the Channel: 100 Octane and Supercharged

Over the weekend the Rejects gathered in the Shed-o-War for something different to our normal fayre. Richard has been writing again and has come up with a cracking set of rules for aerial warfare in WWII. The rules could work for other periods (within reason), but the test games, particularly this game, are set firmly in WWII. I donned my lucky lederhosen and flying goggles to join the Luftwaffe in a linked pair of games somewhere over the channel, with the white cliffs as our backdrop. 

The first game was a simple dogfight with two flights of aircraft battling for supremacy. The Germans were flying Messerschmitt Bf 109E and the British were flying Spitfires. For this introductory game, there was no spotting required and no cloud cover to complicate matters. This was to be a straight-up fight with both sets of pilots finding their wings and learning the rules. 

The second game was more interesting because each pilot started the game with two Blinds which had to be 'spotted' to either identify an enemy aircraft or eliminate it as just a speck on the windshield or a bird. There would also be clouds at various altitudes and as the game progressed these played a very important role in enabling pursued pilots to escape tails or jump enemy aircraft.

I found the clouds to be a welcome respite from being shot at when I was tailed by a Spitfire. Bullets were whizzing past my plane and it was only complete luck (or the lack of it) that saved me from Dan's relentless pursuit. Desperate to share the tail I dived for the clouds and safety. 

When I exited the clouds I was able to get behind my erstwhile pursuer and pump his aircraft full of holes. The pilot managed to bail out moments before his Spitfire exploded in a rather spectacular fireball. 

Unfortunately, I didn't have long to enjoy my win because Sprog Pilot, Stuart (shot down earlier in the game and respawned as a lower-level pilot) was able to put several bullet holes through my own fuel tank. Unfortunately, my pilot wasn't as lucky as Dan earlier and was lost in the resulting explosion. 

Richard has posted more photos on his blog My Wargaming Habit and I recommend you read that for a fuller review of the game/s. I'm sure this won't be the last time we play this game, and everyone seemed to have a good time, even when we were being 'bounced' by the enemy! 

How to protect your miniatures during transport

How to protect your miniatures when you transport them from one location to another? 

This week I discuss the options available when you want to take your miniature armies out on the road, to a show, convention, tournament or even just to a friend's house. The last thing you want is for your miniature works of art to be damaged in transit. So here are a few tips on transporting your troops safely from A to B, and back again.

Can Science Fiction Wargames ever be realistic?

Can Sci-Fi wargames ever be 'realistic'? This is a subscriber question from some time ago that got missed (sorry). But its was an interesting topic to explore. 

 

Wargaming Waterloo

 

Bosworth Photo-book: A Quick Look

A quick look at a relatively inexpensive way to keep a record of your games or your collections. 

 

I'm back: Thank you for sticking with me

 

How to make Archer's Stakes for 6mm Wargaming

A few weeks ago I made a set of test models, Archer's Stakes, for my 6mm Medieval armies. A few people asked if I would do a tutorial. It's taken longer than planned, but finally, here it is 😉

Hobby Update: A new project

 

The Fighting Retreat

This week I discuss the Art of the Fighting Retreat in tabletop wargames. Some rules have mechanisms that allow this, others don't, and sometimes this reflects the historical period those rules are designed for. But I also suggest how to introduce suitable rules into your existing games to make the fighting retreat a feature of your games.

Apologies: Once again I forgot to post my video from Sunday... my schedule has been shot all to hell this week and future disruption is likely, but I'll do my best to keep a basic schedule if possible. 

Terrain maketh the Wargame

Handmade or shop-bought wargame terrain turns a flat table into a landscape worth fighting over. This week I discuss my love of making terrain. I ask, have you ever made or used a piece of terrain that has changed the course of a wargame? 

 

How to Keep new players

Last Sunday's video which I inexplicably forgot to post...well it was prepared but left as 'draft' instead of 'scheduled'....doh! 

 

Bottisham Airfield Museum

The Bottisham Airfield Museum is a small enthusiast-run collection dedicated to the memory of the pilots who flew from this site during WWII. 

Bottisham Airfield (Designated Station 364) was home to the US 8th Air Force 361st Fighter Group between November 1943 and September 1944.

www.facebook.com/bottishamairfieldmuseum/
www.instagram.com/bottishamairfield
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk
www.bottishamairfieldmuseum.org.uk

The Battle of Bosworth: Orders of Battle

Last weekend's game saw my entire Wars of the Roses / Battle of Bosworth collection of 6mm figures out on the table. I built my armies with one aim, to include as many of the nobles and Lords who were present at the battle, and feature the flags and banners for them on my bases. I'll let you decide if that last objective was worth the effort, but I was certainly happy with the outcome on the game table. 

My orders of battle were built from the lists of known participants for each side, although the specific number of troops and of what kind each brought to the battle, requires a bit of guesswork. I couldn't find any specific details, so I had an approximate size and arrangement in mind for the overall army compositions and worked towards that. You may disagree with how I built my armies but from my own research, this 'best guess' is probably as accurate (or inaccurate) as any other variation I have seen. 

 

I highly recommend the Freezywater publications of flags and bios (the Lance and Longbow Society) and there is also a book by Bob Pritchard "Battle of Bosworth Nobles and Knight Profiles" packed full of the heraldic banners for everyone who took part. I can't find anyone selling it at the moment, but it's worth keeping an eye out for it on eBay. They also sell copies in the shop at the Bosworth Heritage Cantre which I highly recommend visiting if you get a chance. 

The Battle of Bosworth 1485 - A 6mm, Test of Resolve, Quick Strike Battle Report

On Saturday I finally got my Wars of the Roses / Bosworth game on the table in the shed-o-war for the Rejects. It's been a long time coming, but it went well, with just a couple of issues I will discuss later in the week. Before the game I gave the players a briefing of the rules, but also an outline of the scenario and why I had chosen to represent the battle the way I had.

The location of the Battle of Bosworth has been debated and plotted by antiquarians and historians many times in the 539 years since the battle took place. For several hundred years it was linked to Ambion Hill where Richard probably camped the night before the battle. This seems logical because it is one of the highest points in a semi-circular range of hills, with good visibility for miles around. However, few artefacts had been definitively found to tie the battle to this location, and core samples of the surrounding terrain revealed no evidence of the now-famous marsh in which Richard lost his life.

 

Between August 2005 and August 2009, the Battlefields Trust undertook a major new study of Bosworth battlefield, on behalf of Leicestershire County Council. Combined with new analysis of documentary sources, this analysis shifted the location of the battle away from its traditional site to a position two miles southwest, on either side of Fen Lane. A wealth of artefacts was uncovered, including the single largest collection of medieval cannon balls ever found, numerous sword hilts, buckles, spurs, horse tackle and the by-now famous Boar Badge which would have been worn by one of the king's closest entourage. All of these have definitively identified the site of the engagement and indicated the orientation of the battles, the location of the guns and even the infamous marsh. This game is based on this most recent interpretation of the evidence.

UPDATE: The Battle Reports of Richard and Ray have more excellent pictures of the game:

My Wargaming Habbit: Bosworth AAR and Don't Throw a One: Bosworth Batrep

Sound Effects: Using music to enhance your games

Can adding music and sound effects improve your tabletop wargaming experience?

 

Tankfest 2024

Just came back from a weekend away with the family, centred around a trip to the Tank Museum at Bovington to attend Tankfest 2024. If you like your living history loud and exciting, this is one not to be missed! 

 

Creative Distractions: Blogger, Vlogger, Wargamer

Am I a blogger who wargames, or a Wargamer who blogs? I've touched on this subject before but decided to discuss it in more detail today (I've had a couple of questions about this). I am happy with the mix of gaming and content creation that is 'My Hobby', but I am aware that I could game more if I wasn't writing blog posts or scripts for YouTube. However, I think the benefits of the social interactions from blogging and vlogging far outweigh the impact on gaming time.

Dice have no Memory

Wargamers exhibit many superstitious and peculiar behaviours when it comes to their dice. We've all seen it (and probably done these ourselves) but the simple truth is that Dice have no memory.

 

The Medway Gaming Festival 2024

Today I have been to the Medway Gaming Festival with my daughter. She didn't just come because it was Father's Day, our fandoms overlap significantly in the ven-diagram of geekdom, so we both had a great day at the festival. Like me, she also has a YouTube Channel (TheNerdyGoth) so I challenged her to a 'Short-off'! We both shot videos during our day out and published a Short mini-video of the event today (both went public at 17:00 today). The winner is the video with the most views by 8pm tomorrow night. Let the battle commence! 

The festival includes a selection of Tabletop Wargames, Roleplaying Games, Cosplay, Computer Games (modern and retro) and can only be described as a celebration of geek culture. Here are a few pictures form the day.

The QRS Conundrum: The Pros and Cons of Quick Reference Sheets

What are the pros and cons of Quick Reference Sheets in wargame rules, and how does their inclusion impact gameplay and player engagement? And I ask, do you love them or hate them? And have you ever written your own QRS because you thought the ‘official’ version missed something?

 

Does being a Tabletop Wargamer make you a natural optimist?

Does being a Tabletop Wargamer make you a natural optimist? Or do you need to be an optimist to be a wargamer?

 

Broadside Wargames Show - Meet the Rejects

Posties Rejects are running a demo game at the Broadside Wargames Show in Gillingham this Saturday, 8th June 2024. We have been running games at this event for many years and this time it's Ray's turn to put in a game. We have had a couple of practice games recently and a very nice-looking game for visitors to see. I don't want to give away too much at this point, but Ray has put together a lovely-looking game which tells the story of what is often called the only successful slave revolt in history. Here's a sneak peak, but check out this post on Ray's Blog for more details. 

If you're in the Medway area next Saturday, or within driving distance, please pop along to this great little show and come and say hello. 

Epic Wargame Campaigns: Free yourself to play unsafe

Wargame Campaigns provide a framework for linked games on the tabletop and a fruitful opportunity to inject narrative elements into the story of the conflict you are exploring. Take a leaf from the roleplayers' skillset and play unsafe and unscripted for a more exciting experience for all involved.

 

Measuring scale: Confusion & Controversy

Scale means different things to modellers and wargames and is a highly contentious subject. This week I prise the lid off the worm can to discuss the difference between various scale measurements and try to address the foot-to-eye or foot-to-scalp controversy. 

Check out my Scale Guide page in the tabs at the top of this blog. 

If you have any suggestions or see any mistakes please let me know... it's been a while since I have updated this and something is bound to need to be updated.

Partizan 2024: Pick of the Photos

It's a few days since Partizan 2024 and I wanted to share some of my favourite pictures from the games on display. For the full lineup, I recommend watching my video (linked below) or visiting Ray's Partizan post for more pictures. The photos below only represent a tiny proportion of the 550+ pictures I took and don't show every game on display. They are just my favourite photos from a day that was a visual feast from beginning to end. 

 

All Hell Let Loose - Bloody Omaha in 6mm

Hornsea Contemptibles - ECW

The Gentleman Pensioners - Sharp Practice on the Cape Frontier

Huntingdon & District - 28mm AWI - Guildford Courthouse 1781

Harrogate Wargames Club - Welcome to the Jungle

League of Gentleman Alchemists - 28mm Home Guard

Morris & Chums - Midguard - The Silmarillion

Simon Miller - The Relife of Norchester

Peter Dennis - 10mm Plexiglas The Battle of Plexidorf

The Bodkins - 28mm Rove v's Sassanids

The Bodkins - 28mm Rove v's Sassanids

Derby Wargames Society - 20mm WW2 Eastern Front

Boondock Sayntes - Indian Mutiny

Westbury Wargames - The Successors

Yarkshire Wargamer - Italian Wars

Barely Legal Wargames - 28mm South American Wars of Independence - Battle of Carabobo

Chesterfield Old Boys - 1/35th WW2 Skirmish -  Into the Reich

Forest Outlaws - Battle of Blandensburg

1st Corp - Mexican American War

1st Corp - Mexican American War

Phil Olley - One Steppe at a Time

North Riding Wargames Club - Sudan it's Hot Here Sir

Durham Wargames Group - Battle of Fulford Gate

League of Extraordinary Kriegspeilers - Back of Beyon down to the Adriatic Sea

Steve Jones - Freemans Farm

Steve Jones - Freemans Farm

Kallistra/Forest Outlaws - Siege of Belgrade