Buy a Monster for Scouting

This recent TMP Posting has a photo of a monster that a Boy Scout sculpted, and then one of the adult leaders has casted 100 of them.

These are for sale for $2 each and the proceeds benefit the Scout Troop that the boy is from. See the article for details.

Personally, I think these would make great Austrian Grenadiers, but then who am I to judge an Austrian.

Tags: miniatures

Drovian Highland Warriors

A lot of information has been spread around concerning the troops of Drovia (the western mountain province of Furstenburg, known for its fiercely independent tribal warriors, and the high quality of Drovian sheep).

Drovian tribal chiefs each have a quota of men they are to provide to the local hetman, which will form a regiment. There are 6 regiments spread through the mountains, one in the trading town of Katrinka, and the other five based on different valleys where sheep villages are located. The highland clans who live in the heights over the sheep valleys provide the warriors that make up these regiments. These men (the drovian highlanders) are natural fighters, given to tribal feuds and raids, and only require a modicum of training in the base martial arts. Getting them to adopt a uniform, however, and to take up ways that the rest of the Furstenburg army observes is an altogether different issue.

As the picture above shows, they wear a somewhat loose "zouave" type uniform, based on the native dress of the highland tribes.

Now for the rumors:

Rumor: Drovian warriors eat only raw sheep and drink their blood. FALSE - although there are some Drovian recipes that call for raw sheep (especially small meats) for the most part, it is cooked.

Rumor: Drovian warriors come to battle with their women, barefoot and barely civilized, following after the regiment to strip the enemy dead of any equipment or clothing they die with. FALSE - Drovian women, like the mean, wear footgear almost always when outside their croft-houses.

Rumor: Drovian officers do not rely on buglers or whistles to make their orders heard, but rather have a strange battle-language based on a sort of ocarina constructed from a sheep's femur. TRUE - the distinctive sound of ocarina playing means that Drovian warriors (always adept at hiding among rocks and forests) are afoot and they mean to do mischief.

New Rules from Priestley

Blackpowder are rules for 1700-1900.

The link above goes to a playtest session highlighted at Warlord Games.

The neatest thing about the Very Large acw game shown in the playtest pictures is that almost all of the empty beer bottles are at John Stallard's corner of the table.

I like John Stallard.

Tags: wargames

Medieval gaming

stone_fort
Originally uploaded by Land of Chuck

I have been listening to a Teaching Company lecture series on the Crusades, and it is really whetting my appetite for some Medieval gaming.

I am full up on activities for Fall In (Russo Japanese War, and British in Sudan), but after the convention, I might break out some of my 15mm armies, or take stock in what I still have in 28mm.

Bill Protz' blog on a fictional NWF Campaign

Nice blog from Bill Protz concerning the military campaigns in the Northwest Frontier of General Pettygree.

Rif War (1909-1927) Resources

Steven Thomas has a great set of resources available at his website, Steven's Balagan

He has a lot of periods with a lot of history, images, and good wargaming information, but the one that has caught my eye is his series of pages on the wars of the Rif. This was, apparently, an offshoot of his interest in the Spanish military leading up to the Spanish Civil War (which he also gives a good treatment of.

The Rif War information includes a painting guide, history, and a guide to the miniatures available. Great Stuff, Steven!

Tags: Rif, Spanish Army, Wargames

S&S Article and Color Plate for Egyptian Army 1880-1900

Savage and Soldier have made available this Egyptian Army (1880-1900) guide that describes the army, gives its makeup and unit roster, and also has a very nice color plate for painting, as well as some B&W period photos.

This is the painting guide that I relied on when I painted up my Egyptian units for TSATF. They will be making an appearance at Fall In this November.

Thanks, Savage and Soldier!

Tags: Egyptian Army, wargaming, toy soldiers

WI Painting guide for the Sudan War 1883/1885

Wargames Illustrated has available a Sudan Painting Guide for the first Sudan War, 1883-1885.

This was done by the Perry Brothers and is an absolutely great painting guide. It gives not only a brief overview of the uniforms and the organization, but also gives simple color samples (like the one shown here) that have all the pertinent uniform parts shown, to good advantage for a painter.

Thanks, Wargames Illustrated, for making this available as a download.

Tags: wargaming, British Army, Sudan War

Furstenberg Enlisted Men's Uniform

The mainstay of the regular Divisions of the Furstenberg army all wear the standard 1856 uniform.

This uniform is distinguished by light blue trousers, a dark (prussian) blue coat, or frock, a matching dark (prussian) blue kepi, a knapsack and a bedroll. The equipment (kit) is black leather, and consists of a belt, bayonet scabbard, and cartridge box. Completing the standard field equipment, other than general goods found in the knapsack, is a forage bag and a wooden bottle type canteen. Shoes are black leather.

Badges worn on the kepi have the Furstenberg seal (which is a round disk, with the dog from the Uzlov family arms on top). The badge on the front of the equipment belt has the regimental number or symbol on it.

For wargaming purposes, ACW Union Infantry should suffice nicely. Of particular interest are the new Perry plastic figures, in 28mm. Other pictures here and here.

Tags:

Furstenberg calling out general muster of troops

In response to unsettling events in Papaschlemo (capitol of the Rumpwhistle province of Nikovena), and the general call for an Urb uprising, the authorities of Furstenberg have issued calls for a general muster.

This includes, of course, the Household regiments of the Margrave, as well as the provincial "obligatore" regiments, and the various "traditional" regiments, many of which are tied to specific ancient families, or unique regions of the Margrave.



I. Army of the Mark
1. 1st Corps
2. 2nd Corps
3. 3rd Corps
4. Reserve Corps

II. 2nd Army
1. 4th Corps
2. 5th Corps
3. Drovian Corps
4. Roznia Corps

III. 3rd Army
1. 7th Corps
2. 8th Corps
3. Schuster's Corps

IV. Home Guard
1. North Muster
2. South Muster
3. Border Muster

Fantastic map Blog

Strange Maps is a blog with all sorts of very interesting maps, and good comments on them, posted. There are literally hundreds of maps, each with very interesting comments.

And the maps are very cool too, not just a run of the mill 1967 Esso travelers map of, say, rural Pennsylvania, with all the Esso gas stations marked, along with icons for the great tourist locations (Monkshood Caverns, anyone?). No, these maps on the Strange Maps website are very cool.

Come to think of it, I would actually like that 1967 Esso map.

Papagena - the Shrike of the Bosniaks

The heart and soul of the fighting Bosniaks of Rumpwhistle is represented by the lovely female leader of the "brown shoes", a band of hill raiders raised form among the squash growers of the Carfathian mountains. Known only as the Papagena of Carfathia, the hillfolk leader is herself a vicious killer and has been known to murder an almost endless number of Urb peasants.

With Urb armament imminent, the Bosniaks will most surely rise, the only question is can they be contained, or will they invite border raids into Rumpwhistle from surrounding nations?

Ethnic Urbs prepare for uprising

Following events in the provincial capitol of Papaschlemo yesterday, ethnic Urbs are taking up arms and organizing.

19th Century Imaginations - Shots fired at Vulgarian Prince!

Things are rapidly coming to a head in Balkania. With the Pan-Urb league pushing ever stronger for their own state, and relations among the ancient states of the troubled region, how long will it be before this powder keg erupts into open war!

Clearly the Prince of Vulgaria had no idea that August 30 was the anniversary of the brutal response to the Fez Uprising, in 1346. Otherwise he would not have been traveling with such a small entourage. In fact, Det. Levantine of the police department of Papaschlemo has scoffed the security efforts of the Prince publicly, while posting handbills describing the open-topped nature of the Prince's carriages, and noting the best angle for taking a shot at the occupants of such a carriage. When asked about such actions, the Detective responded, "We are just pointing out the weaknesses in the Prince's plan. What the good citizens of Papaschlemo do with such information is their own business. Especially my good for nothing brother, who couldn't hit the broadside of a barn."

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Three Sicilies couldn't be reached for comment, but when the Vulgarian Ambassador was contacted, he responded, "Oh, so the Prince was shot at? Well, we were wondering where he got to."

The official Paypale position is unknown yet, yet it is likely to be arriving escorted by the four battalions of Schniss guards who are escorting Cardinal Robin in the region, on his mission of peace.

The Daily Balkanian will continue to report on events as they unfold, however making sure that all of your wives (and their sisters) are safely at home at night seems to be a wise course of action. Also make sure you have plenty of ammunition. The 43rd peace talks are about to begin.