SoDG

Oh Johnnie . . . ?

The classic, and vintage, Ral Partha Winged Serpent.

SoGD ???  Yep!  Song of Deeds and Glory.  Which is the name of the latest set of rules by Ganesh Games in the Song of Blades and Heroes rules series.  Brand spanking new campaign rules.  And they are a hoot too!

John and I are two games into our campaign now.  Technicaly speaking, he won the first game. Though I at least discovered a Watchtower (property) for my Mountain land after our first game.  That one was an 'assanation' scenario and I wasn't able to get to his cowardly Leader to kill him.

Our second game was a 'place of power' scenario.  So basically the AElves held their rough ground place of power through the battle ~ well, until it was time to come out and mop up the fleeing humans!  (That's my story and I'm sticking with it!)

The campaign system works very well.  We're playing with 600 point Warbands.  With the new campaign rules we're really only getting two games in an evening, rather than the three we had been able to play before.  But we always spend a good bit of time talking, harassing each other and just catching up.  And they are so much Fun it's well worth it!

If Daughter Duty doesn't get in his way, John's supposed to come over for the next installment in our campaign tomorrow night!  He's added a 'witch hunter' to his Warband, in hopes of going after my AElf Mage Cirdan.  Didn't do him any good in our last game . . . 

But, so he would have an apporpriate figure for me to kill off, here's his new 'witch hunter'!

Another classic Ral Partha figure.  This one's in John's livery of green and black.

I had to stop myself from painting a white and red circle on his back . . .  It would have made such a great heraldic charge for his troops and such a perfect target and mine!

Back Again . . .

Hmmm, once more out of the habit of posting and painting!  Then again, looking back it seems like last Fall was a neavy painting time for me.  And I've been painting again.  So, first up is a quickly painted Centaur that I did before our last Game Day for Tim the Younger to use.  I'm not sure who made this Centaur!

Here's a side view of the Centaurs that Tim commanded with one of his Giant Wolves keeping pace witht he Centaur charge!  Very old Games Workshop wolves/wargs, originally given to me by Brent G. many years ago.

We had a great time playing our first group games of Song of Blades and Heroes!  We were very Old Skool; using some of my finally painted favorite old Ral Partha figures, Tim the Elder's 30 year old painted Ral PArtha figures and a set of rules that were just a hoot to play!

And yes, the AElves (aka The Good Guys) won!  At one point Tim the E even fielded a large Orc and Goblin Warband along with his ally Poppa John's human warband.  It looked like they were about to take the day when TtE's Leader crooked, PJ's Dragon got shot out of the sky and TtY's Centaurs ran down fleeing orcs with abandon.

All in all it was a great day with great Friends!

Centaurs and Wolves ~ Oh My !

Here's a quick snap of the Centaurs and (Giant) Wolves that I have finished now.

Since The Valiant Tim the Younger is coming to aid the AEves of the Citadel of the Evening Star with his Centaurs and (Giant) Wolves I painted up a few more Wolves for him to choose from . . .

Yep!  I got four more (Giant) Wolves painted tonight!  Sure their base colors and inkings were done years ago . . .  So what?!?  Except for their eyes and bases I (almost!) finished them tonight!

And that's what counts!

The Sides are Drawn & More Trash Talk

This was found in the Letters to the Editor pages of Ye Olde Weird Herald today.

Greetings to All Good Folk of the Wold ~

A detachment of the Iron Hooves answers the call of their AElvish Allies! We shall arrive shortly.

All Humans and Other Good Folk of the Light are reminded that the AElves of the Citadel of the Evening Star have long nurtured and warded them from all manner of ill. Now that their border is being encroached upon by ill-mannered nasty land-grubbing tree-cutting treasure-seeking uncouth and just plain stupid men it is time for all of us all to send them aid! So that all may know . . .

The Centaurs are coming! The Centaurs are coming!!!
 ~ Long Mane of the Iron Hooves

As soon as Tim the Younger heard that I had Centaurs ready he just had to be on my side (also known as the Good Guys)!!!

He also sent us yet more proof of Tim the Elder's consistent, er, "luck" at rolling ones from their last game a couple of months ago . . .

All rolled at once ?!!

TtE YAHTZEE ??? !!! ???

Another Game Day Coming Up!

We've got another Game Day coming up pretty soon!  Neither of the Tims have played Song of Blades and Heroes ~ yet.  It looks like (appropriately enough) PJ and I will be on opposite sides.

Years ago Tim the Elder ran a really great long running play by mail Kingmaker campaign.  His periodic newletter was called Ye Olde Weird Herald.  It was so hilarious I still have every issue he put out.

This morning I just had to e-mail the guys:

Found in the Help Wanted ads in the current issue of Ye Olde Weird Herald:


Wanted: Brave Allies to share the Field of Glory and Fame with a Renowned Warband of AElves!  Humans, Dwarves and most others welcome. Orcs and Goblins need not apply.  Contact AEthelaxe for details.


Not long after we all recieved Poppa John's note:

Full page ad found in Ye Olde Weird Herald......somewhere between the Chariot Race results and the classifieds.


HERE YE! HERE YE! HERE YE!

ELF HUNT! KICK-OFF LESS THAN A FORTNIGHT AWAY!

Cum one, Cum all (well, not elves of course)! The KING has decreed that the time has cum to clear his royal forests, hills, dales, draws, fields, ale houses and out houses from the persistent and pernicious elvish infestation that has plagued the kingdom for so many years. Some elf named Exlax or something has been poaching the King's elk, and that was the straw that broke the regal back (so to speak).

So bring all manner of pointy things, snarly things, gigantic flying things, or things that go BOOM to the Castle on the morn of September 12th, and jolly good fun will be had by all (except the elves, of course, who shall all DIE). Elf hunting licenses will be provided, and the loyal subject with the most pointy ears at the end of the day gets a Groat and a free magic scroll to take home to the missus.

SO CUM ON DOWN!

Whineous Maximus Erectus
High Sheriff, Master of the Lists, and all-around good guy

Disclaimer: The KING, the Queen, the entire royal family, all royal retainers, any member of the peerage, specifically renounce and disclaim any responsibility for any injury or death to any participant in the above event that may occur by accident or design.

Undead need not apply.

Wowza . . . ! ? !

The Last Turn . . .

A quick shot of the last turn of the last game of Song of Blades and Heroes that John and I played.  The AElves have all died and the last Centaur is shouting his defiance and promising revenge against the forces of nastiness and Dragon-friends!

I haven't posted in how long now ??? !!! ???

But, but, but . . .  I have gotten to Game and have some Fun with my Friends!  So I'm way overdue to get back into the groove and start posting again.  (I'm going to totally ignore all of the Good Work that we've been doing in the last few months ~ after all, that's "work", not Gaming Goodnes!)

The Seasons are turning and we're looking Fall in the Face.

I have been getting some painting done !  I'll take some pics and upload 'em when I can take the time!

Poppa John came over tonight.

Fortunately he likes Song of Blades and Heroes as much as I do!!!

It's such a cool set of (fantasy skirmish) rules.  And someone else likes it as much as I do ?!?  Oh yeah, lets play a Game (or three)!  [This is coming rom someone that hasn't won a single freakin' game since we began playing!!!)

It's Been Too Long . . .

(A truncated view of the first, highlands, table the expedition traveled through.)

Rats. It's been a long time since I've posted and now I am so behind!!!

So, here's a quicky to get me going again. Next will be posting the rest of the lead-in to our Game Day back on April 4th. Just waiting for photos from Poppa John since I got so involved that I only took a few. (Though some of them are pretty special!) Then I hope to go back to Tim the Elder's Battle of Barnet ("Stuck in this Puddle of Goo") game and post some photos and pics (since it's doubtful that'll I'll get around to posting all the rest of the lead up to it) and his Game Song.

We did have a great time with the Dino Hunt/Lost World Expedition Game! And talk about staying in character . . . At one point I was afraid that BB and Fondles were going to resort to duelling ~ over who "called" the dino that they were both shooting at!

I think I did make a fundamental mistake early on though. We're using a home brew set of rules based on the Fun little Big Game Hunt set, with some character add-ons from Rugged Adventures. Basically it's move then another action, which may be another move (resulting in a run), shot or other action. John asked if he could shoot twice and do nothing else. I said yes ~ hey, it made sense at the time (and I was a little worried that everybody would get eaten, despite the Cliff Hanger Rule)!

Yep, it was a mistake. Definitely lowered the difficulty factor. Add in the medicianl plants that were discovered and everybody survived, pretty much intact.

But they did all have Fun. And all of the terrain was used !!! And that was all TtE's fault! Early on he had suggested running an expedition game where we traveled the length of my six foot table, turned around went back to the end, and then did it again! So . . .

Yeah, I got a little excited and ended up spending most of my free evenings and weekend for a month making jungle terrain!

I really wanted them to have a sense of moving through different types of terrain, from the highlands to the river vallery and then into the lost jungle. I think I pulled it. Sure I had to cycle lots of the plants from table to table, but each one had very unique features. And I did customize the encounters for each table. (With a possibility of finding Chuck Steak or his remains on the very last table . . .)

Which is all part of why I haven't been posting regularly. I knew I couldn't resist posting photos of the cool terrain and I didn't want Tim the E to have a clue about what I was up to!

Now that they've played I'm hoping to get caught up and get some photos of the terrain posted and finish off the game's lead up chatter. And yeah, TtE really came through with his figures, yet more dinos, and a killer stockade and gate to keep us all safe from the nasties with long pointy teeths that lurked on the other side!!!

B.B. & The Disreputable Dandies!

My Dearest Disreputable Dandies!

Jolly good! I'm so excited, I am positively beside myself - and each of me is urinating on the other! As to the bearers, indeed, I have contracted with a local band of "boogie boys" from the Uwannitt Ugottitt tribe. Smart looking chaps from what I can glean from the photograph they sent me. Big smiles and all, like they're all in on some secret or what not. Right!

Well, I'm off to pack my Steamers. Grand idea, this Holiday Hunt! We must be sure to "lift a glass", then perhaps "gift a lass" in honor of our gracious host. Cheers for now!

Yours,
B.B. Pantysgawn, esq.

The Professor Appears

And so it continues as Tim the Younger chimes in!


Pip pip and cheerio fellow adventurers, 'tis I "The Professor".

As long as I can find my reading spectacles and my Prince Albert tobacco I shall endeavor to join you blokes on this escapade. There _is_ room for my trunk of books, eh what? (PITHINGTON!!!) I intend to document our little scientific journey but I do insist on proper reference material to be available. Perhaps some sketches of the local flora and fauna will be in order. Oh I do hope that some good specimins of vertebrate palaeontology will get me into The Royal Society.

The Professor
Department of Natural Philosophy at Oxford

P.S. I seem to have discovered a sighting of Pithington in my research!

Organizing the Expedition !

WTF! So nice to hear from you. Oh I say Fondles ~ what a Capital Idea! Ha Ha! BB would you put me down for an extra boy too, please? Simply must have someone to tote my ale, doncha know??? (Not that _I'd_ even sniff Fondles bloddy Scottish Bladder Swill! HA!) Bloody shame about the Cholrea, eh?

And Fondles . . . Not quite sure _where_ you're goin' ta land the bloody thing . . . Assumin' that is that you can get it up. In the air man; in the air! (I say, where _is_ your mind these days old boy?!) Best I remember, you point at the valley and take 'er that a way. Good luck!

We'll do our best for Sir F! (Hmm, Daddy's getting a bit long in the tooth these days isn't he Fondles?!) I do believe I've met this Chuck Steak chap. Definitely a Yank. Not a bad shot, not a Good Shot either, if you know what I mean? Eh? Still if he's out there we'll do our best!

Oh, and, BB? I say, have you heard anything from our Academic Friend?! Isn't he coming along for a bit of sport too?! (Remind me again, is he at Oxford? Or is it Cambridge? Eaton? Bloody Hell! Never can keep these Academic Types straight! Say what?!)

Oh yes; I nearly forgot! The Strand magazine has picked up my successful Serialization . . . Yes, "Tom Teriffic's Thrilling Tales of True Adventure" will once more be published in Merry Ol'! Brillant News that, eh?! Perfect timing for a little trip, doncha know? Eh?!

Must run Chaps! Looking forward to it immensely! ("Charles! Ah Charles. There's a Good Lad. Check my rifles will you? And order in more of those large bore cartridges!")

'Ta Lads!
~ TT

Buxtom Blue Pantysgawn, here.

So what do I find waiting for me this morning? Tim the Elder just might be excited and in the mood!


My Dearest Fellow Ardent Adventurers:Bully I say! April the fourth?

Blasting bloody beasties before bedtime? Splendid! Count me in, my good fellows. Sounds like a right jolly good show, eh what?

Yours with Highest Regard,B.B Pantysgawn

("PITHINGTON! Fetch me my Holiday gear, there's a good chap. What's that my lad? A bigger gun? No, no, my dear boy. We're not hunting elephants; apparently we're going on a "lizard" hunt. I know, I know, but they sound like such likable fellows, I would dearly hate to let them down.
Perhaps some spare underoos, though.")


Immediately followed by PJ's reply!


What HO, Laddies!

Sir Worthington Tongueswallow Fondleballs; MP,OBE, ORG. here!? Also known to my friends at the naughty Hellfire club as "WTF".??

I will be flying in at the controls of the "screaming chicken".? Thanks B.B. for the map and the coordinates!? I'm sure that there will be plently of clear, jungle floor available for me to bring the "chick" in for a soft landing.? Hope I've got enough petrol, though.....Knew that I shouldnt have spilled tea on that bloody map.? (how many miles did you say that it was?)? Ah well, no worries.? I shouldnt let petty details get in the way of such ripping good fun, what??

By the by, B.B., I hope that you have brought some "wogs" along as porters...when I? mentioned this little sojurne to my servants, the lot suddely came down with an acute case of cholera...bloody odd that!? I am bringing along a case of OLD MOORHEN'S SHREDDED SPORRAN (the finest whiskey ever squeezed out of the bladder of a Scotsman), and I will need somebody to tote it through the bush.? I'm sure that our aim will improve after a few tots of this stuff.? HAR HAR HAR!

Oh, and I have been given a task by me daddy, Lord Fondleballs Himself.? It appears that our cousin from the colonies, Chuck Steak, has gotten himself lost in this self-same bush that we will soon be trotting though.? Hope that you laddies will help me keep an eye out for him.? For some reason, me daddy wants him back,? dont know why....daddy never did like Americans...being rebels and all.............

Ta!


As Pat said, I think this is going to be a hilarious game!!!

Dino Hunting Game Day !

I've obviously gotten out of the habit of blogging . . . But I have been gaming, or working on gaming stuff!

Thomas and John and I played a great Dino Hunt game a couple of weeks ago. Since then I've been spending my evenings working on more jungle terrain. I canceled last Friday's game ~ being behind on work and stressing. Though I did end up buying more supplies and working on even more jungle terrain.

Here's a photo of Tomas in the jungle.
I've got some good ideas and am pretty excited about this silly game! I'm hoping that Thomas and John and I can play this Friday. Maybe the three of us and David can get in a game next Friday. And then on April the Fourth I'll be hosting PJ, TtE and TtY as we set out in search of this lost jungle! And do I have some jungle for everyone to explore!


Once we set a date I sent this to the guys . . .

Eh? What???

Things with Big Pointy Teeths?! Rustlings in the brush?! Distant drums echoing through the dripping trees?! Rumours of fantastical prey to hunt!? More ammo than you can carry!? And did you see that giant yellow chicken flying overhead!?Eh? Eh!?

You'll need a good name, any nationality, and a bad accent that you can keep up for the day! If you've got a pith helmet or bush hat bring 'em! We will be using the Cliff Hanger rule ~ so be forewarned that you just might have to tell us all an Incredible Thrilling True Tale of how you survived when we thought we saw you get eaten, or poisoned, or drowned, or crushed in that rock slide, or . . . Well, I say, you're bright fellows. You should have the idea by now. Eh!?Say what?

Oh, yes, of course libations always help. Right!? Right.

Now then, get your little mens painted TtE! TtY, if you're interested I've seen some of the Mage Knight pre-painted figs that can work. PJ you know, you _can_ paint this scale it's the same as those Termies you did. I've got just enough time before the fourth to really make us some terrain! Did I mention my encounter ideas? No!? Well then, 'haps best left unsaid. Eh, what!?


'Ta
~ Tom Teriffic

Talk about Inspiration!

Thank you Alfrik. I do have some trees, mainly ferns ~ nothing nearly as great as your Date Trees from Venus. Thanks for the Inspiration! Now I've got all kinds of ideas about how to use the longer branches I've accumulated. Until now I've mainly been taking them apart and using the leaves as undergrowth accents.

His great how-to is at
http://armoredink.blogspot.com/2009/03/venus-jungle-trees.html

Hmm. Maybe I need to get busy making some Big Trees . . . And photographing them!

Making Jungle Terrain

For the curious, here's a peek at some of what I've been working on for the next adventure in the Lost Forest!
http://www.lead-adventure.de/index.php?topic=9913.0

Let me know what you think!

Walleye's Big Game Hunt

I used the remarkable Comic Life free thirty day demo to put a few of our game photos into this format. This is something else I learned about over at the Lead Adventurers Forum. (If I've done this correctly, they should be clickable for a larger more legible version.)

Check it out! http://www.lead-adventure.de/ There's some great gaming going on and some really nice folks sharing their ideas and techniques. Amazing stuff. And Inspiring too!

Actually I've been so inspired, and had so much Fun Friday night, that I'm using a phto of Tomas for my profile portrait!

I spent the weekend fiddling around on more jungle/lost world treees. Michaels and A.C. Moore have wonderful silk and plastic plants that can be made into all kinds of fantastic trees!

Proof ?

Last Friday Thomas and John came over for a Wings of War game. I've been lurking on the Lead Adventurer's Forum for a little while now . . .

Inspired by some of the pulp posts there, I decided that maybe we'd try something a little different. The guys were okay with the idea, but just in case I rolled out my flying mat. Hastily covered that with my generic green Woodland Scenics mat (which I love by the way!) (Come to think of it, I really like roll up mats for gaming! Fast and easy.) A quick scramble into the attic and I had three large boxes of fern trees that I had made years ago for some 40K games.

Thomas and I set the terrain up and added the dinosaurs we had both bought that afternoon. We used the excellent one page Big Game Hunt rules, a free download from http://www.perilplanet.com/ .

I used my French Foreign Legionnaire, from Askari Miniatures, and Thomas brought along a selection of his Mage Knight figures.

Lets just say the we had a hoot. Beer and giggles and dinos everywhere! We literally laughed ourselves silly. Thomas' Walleye (the sort of steam punk dwarf), armed with an elephant gun took on a TRex. And lost!

My character Tomas ended up the big winner of our first hunt. John's Chuck Steak character survived our first hunt too.

Our second hunt was interesting and just as much fun as the first. Wally the dwarf was the big winner, killing just about everything in sight as we treked the length of the table. He even got to blow up the hideous giant spider that he was so frightened by!

Chuck Steak got pretty badly mauled, but did live. John had to leave before we finished, so we moved Chuck Steak randomly . . . The last we saw him he was running back and forth, fortunately there weren't any dinosaurs around. Though when we went back for him we coudln't find him . . .

I suspect that we'll be playing many more Bg Game Hunt games! I know I can't wait to spring it on the Tims!

Chapter 1, Walleye's Big Hunt

I have PROOF!

After a long and dangerous trek through the Lost Forest of Mirages we have finally returned to civilization. I deeply regret that neither Wally nor I have any idea of what became of Chuck Steak. The last time we saw Chuck he was running back and forth through the underbrush ~ muttering something about, "No! Really! I have it under control . . ."

Despite the unfortunate and hideous deaths of Walleye and his brother Beareye Wally and I continued our exploration of this strange and fertile land. Neither of us have the words to describe the many different BIG creatures that we discovered.

Fortunately we were well armed and had sufficient ammunition to defend ourselves with. In fact the Big Game Hunting was so 'enjoyable' that I believe neither of us will ever reveal the details of the location of this fabulous area. (We might however be able to be, um, persuaded to lead other Hunters to the area for suitable inducement.)

Despite our long search, once we returned to where we had last seen him, we were unable to find Chuck Steak. However we _did_ find an abandoned cache of photographic equipment. The first of these plates have just been processed.

Now we have proof of the tales we have been telling in The Mug Alehouse! I am enclosing one of the prints for your consideration.

Your Friend
~ Tomas

Time Flys!

It really is true ~ Time Flys when you're not painting and blogging!

Somehow it's mid-January 2009. Yes, we have been busy with lots of work. Which is a Very Good Thing. Yes, we are finally almost better and almost over the nasty bugs that we've had since the weekend after Thanksgiving. (Before Christmas the Doctor actually told me that I had worked myself sick, and ordered me not to talk . . .)

And yes I have gotten a little painting done! But not as much as I wanted, or hoped. We're past Christmas and the Holidays. The house is back to normal. And it's time for me to get back on the painting wagon! I need to paint ~ and I need to paint regularly!!!

I must have been pretty good last year . . . Santa Aelf supplied me with a four figure sample pack from Askari Miniatures and a copy of Two Hour Wargames Colonial Adventures rules. The figures are 28 mm and beautiful ~ perfect porportions and great animation. The detailing is amazing! They are very worthy successors to my beloved Ral Parthas. Colonial Adventures look like a great set of fun playable rules too!

Now I'm planning a French Foreign Legion, and Enemies, collection for once I've finished The Secret Project! I'm really looking forward to it too.

In the meantime I'm following Al Maurer's excellent blog, which you can find at http://edsarmy.blogspot.com/ . I highly recommend his lines and company! Al is great to deal with and I am really looking forward to acquiring and painting a lot of his figures.

I was able to almost finish painting my sample Berber while our Family was here for Christmas. The other three figures are primed and waiting. I hope to post photos and review soon.

We did get to play/fight Tim the Elder's brillant Battle of Barnet (which he called "Stay Misty for Me"). It was a great game and I have a bunch of backlogged correspondance to post yet. (Which I will do. The lead up was so much Fun that I really want to preserve the, ahem, "historical record".) I have an incredible number of photos of the game to sort and edit too. So continuing the Barnet Saga is definitely on my to do list.

In the meantime though, as of today I'm getting back into my regular painting and posting regime!

I'm including this photo of my character figure since long psots without any photos can get boring. (Goodness knows my recent posts have been long and haven't had any photos!)


This 25 mm Dixon figure was a gift from Tim the E. Half of the horse armour is finished for the mounted version. Of course I still have six more figure characters to paint for Tim's Castle Devin games!



Even though I'm not very happy with his eyes I do like how he turned out.

Next up is a unit of six Ral Partha AElvish Archers. They are truly beautiful figures that have been waiting for me to paint them for about thirty years!

My goal for The Secret Plan is to finish painting one unit a month. Since I want to get back into the routine and get a unit finished this month I think a small unit is a perfect start! The figures are cleaned and washed and ready for me.

Before I begin I'm going to write back to my sister Terry. She sent me a wonderful note this morning. Pat and I got so busy, and so sick, that it's been awhile since we've been in touch and a lot of really exciting things have happened!

More soon and more photos to follow!

Warwick ~ BoB III

From the pen and demented mind of PJ ~ the Perfect Warwick . . . (He really is! Even though I was honoured to play "Neville the Devil" in TtE's long running, and often hilarious, PBM Kingmaker game, PJ is perfect for a Warwick. And his Roman Commander is Whineous Maximus!)


(overheard during a meeting between Warwick and his military counsel)

"What is pomp, rule and reign? As far as I'm concerned, it's gigantic castles full of tasty food, comfy sofas, and a mistress behind every chamber door."

(loud cheers, hurrah's, etc. from the assembled faithful)

"...and I intend to pomp, rule, and reign now that I have that idiot Eddie right where I want him, trudging up that bloody road from North London. We should be well rested by the morrow, and he, along with that rabble of garlic-swilling Frenchies, should be exhausted"

(more hurrahs and vigourous back-slapping)

" OK. Exeter, you get the left flank. Montagu, the center. I shall be in the rear with the horses....er, um, the Reserves ready to deal with any desertions....um, er penetrations, yes, that's it, penetrations that might occur in our lines! Lord Chisick. be certain that a particularly fast horse is saddled for me should I need to flee..cough, harrrumph, um....fight with the Reserve."

"OXFORD! You ineffable bastard! Where are you? OH, there you are..couldnt see you because of this damnable fog! You get the right flank. Now remember, Chappie, be sure to only attack the guys to your front! Dont turn around if you hear any scary noises behind the line. That would only be me brilliantly maneuvering the Reserve to support your efforts. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know its foggy, dark and scary. But should you stub your toe on assending ground while you are advancing, TURN THE BLOODY HELL AROUND! I dont want to find myself accidentally chopped to bloody rags because you think you see Eddie's banner painted on my breastplate!"

"Oh.........and no column assaults just to see what might happen.....RIGHT?"

"That is all..........for now"

Stay Misty for Me ~ BoB II

Stay Misty for Me

Being a sort of prelude to the Battle of Barnet, April 14, 1471
Re-fought January 10, 2009

The Fog of War
"The air temperature dropped quickly after dark, and moisture that had evaporated from the wet clay of Gladsmuir Heath during the day condensed into a thick mist. Smoke and shockwaves from Warwick's thundering artillery caused a thick chemical fog, so that when morning broke an unusually dense "pea souper" enveloped the battlefield."

Martin Reboul – Richard III Society

In 1471, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, had almost as much money and influence as God himself; "God" of course being the newest King of England, Edward IV. However, Edward had achieved the rank of deity by three strokes of good fortune rather than by his own divine doing.

First, he was born the eldest son of the "true" royal bloodline, at least by the Yorkist scorecard. It is no secret that his two younger siblings – Richard, Duke and Gloucester, and George, Duke of Clarence – viewed this "elder" status as but a minor obstacle to their own paths to fame, fortune, and Godhood.

Second, Edward was fortunate enough to have his dear daddy, Richard, Duke of York, killed by the "false" King Henry’s Lancastrian supporters at Wakefield a few years back. This unpleasant act of treachery gave Edward the chance to play in the big leagues. But he would need some help.

Third, help came in the personage of Earl Warwick – a long time advisor and friend to the late senior Yorkist – who also came with a great idea: Why not claim the crown for young Edward, lock up Old Weird Harry, and become "advisor for life" to the weak and naïve new king? What a plan! What could go wrong?

Women, that’s what. For a while everything went according to Warwick’s plan; Henry was safely locked away in the Tower, the Lancastrians were stripped of titles and lands, and Edward was coming of age, i.e. he was in "rut". Fine, wonderful even. A quick trip to France and Warwick would come back with the daughter of the French King, and not only gain a queen for Edward, but a powerful ally for himself…er, England that is. Unfortunately, the young, naïve King Edward preferred "home grown" Yorkshire pudding rather than the imported variety. While Warwick was away playing royal pimp, Edward married a local hotty named Elizabeth Woodville; bestowing her kin with all those extra titles and lands he had laying about and acted – oddly enough – like the King of England. This, of course, pissed Warwick off, and I do mean royally.

Warwick’s own journal records his thoughts: "Kids. You try to raise them right and what do you get? No respect, no appreciation for all your hard work, that’s what. What’s a powerful, egotistical, megalomaniac to do? Well, one bad apple doesn’t spoil the barrel. I’ll just get me another brother. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Not Richard though. That one is kind of weird, scary looking even. That other brother though, the youngest one, what’s his name… George, I think. Yeah, George. He’ll do just fine."

So Warwick wines and dines George, promises him the world, or at least England, and returns from France with the full blessings of – are you ready? – Queen Margaret and all the former Lancastrian enemies. Seems the silver-tongued Warwick also promised to return Henry to power – failing to mention his little pep talk with George. Soon, Henry is back on the throne, Warwick is back in charge, and George is again in back of the lineage bus. Now it’s Edward’s turn to set sail for the continent. He finds safe harbor in Burgundy, since the Duke there is also royally pissed; only his anger is at the King of France for backing Warwick, as it seems Warwick ALSO promised to send troops to France to help kill Burgundians. Rumor has it that Warwick was also engaged in a lucrative real estate deal, selling land off the coast of Dover to the Spaniards ("Great location. Ocean view. On a clear day, you can see Calais").

Edward soon returns to England with some new friends in the form of unintelligible German and Flemish mercenaries, a "loaner" group of fairly expensive Burgundian handgunners and men-at-arms ("You break ‘em, you bought ‘em"), and a hearty "break a leg" from his supporters in Europe, who, frankly could care less what color rose ended up on the English royal tea set.

Edward marches into London, trundles up poor Henry ("Yippy! I’m going for a horsy ride!"), takes the crown for himself, and heads north to have a little chat with his old friend and advisor Warwick. Along the way, who should arrive on the scene with flowers and candy but younger brother George. It seems George was just "playing along" with Warwick’s scheme, pretending to support the Lancastrians, and, ha ha, wanting the throne for himself. How absurd! I mean, who ever heard of a King George?

Which brings us to Barnet. Warwick, his brother Montague, and his two favorite axe-men, Exeter and Oxford, are waiting at the upper end of Gladsmuir Heath, just north of town. Warwick knows he is no longer welcome in Europe, and without Henry the puppet king, he can’t return to London. Scotland? Get serious.
So tonight, Edward, his brothers George and Richard, along with his old friend Lord Hastings and a trussed up ex-King Henry are stumbling up the Great North road, through the dark and an unnaturally dense fog – which seems to be the only thing thicker than the plot.

The Battle of Barnet ~ BoB I

A fast run down on the state of things before heading into the Fun of Battle or, in this case, the Fun of Pre-Battle Planning and Trash Talking!

We drove Pat's Father to the Charlotte airport this morning. Got home a little over an hour ago, so it was a five hour round trip. Pat got the cold/flu Mike and her Dad brought when they came down from Mike's the day after Christmas. She's crashed out on the couch, sicker than ever now. I don't have the energy to get started on the house yet. We have today and the weekend to recover, then we have to hit the ground running Monday.

I had hoped to get some gaming time in over the Holidays. Don't know why I thought that! It definitely was wishful thinking. Though I'm pretty sure Mike would have had fun with Wings of War. I had thought about trying to set up a date with David and Thomas and John, if he could make it, to play Wings of War sometime this weeked. Now I'm glad I didn't ~ I'm truly beat! So . . .

My first game of the New Year will be one of Tim the Elder's great games using his 15 mm medievals and his "DBA - MACE" rules (Morale and Combat Enhancements). Inspired by and using many of the points of DBA but with a very TtE twist(s)! This one will see the four of us at the Battle of Barnet. With his permission I'll be posting our lead up and then details and photos of the battle.

Since it can sometimes be so difficult to get the four of us together we tend to invest a lot of our lead up time in pre-game trash talking by email. Some of them are hilarious, some of them profane. They are always fun and really help to keep us excitted! So, without any more blatthering, here is our first inkling of our upcoming Battle of Barnet '09 courtesy of the wicked pen (and planning) of Tim the Elder!

"Why, what is pomp, rule, reign,
but earth and dust?
And, live we how we can,
yet die we must."

- Earl of Warwick, dying of wounds from Barnet (Henry VI)

Gentlemen!

Hope I'm not giving away the ending, but I couldn't resist quoting the Bard, or boating the quard, or whatever. But its getting near time to start some Ye Olde royal mud slinging. I don't expect anything as flowery as Shakespeare but come on now! I've seen your work!

Warwick (PJ) is chagrinned, hell PISSED at Edward. He has changed sides more often than his underwear, and is in short, a perfect lawyer. He backed the Yorks, then just Edward, then the Lancasters, then George (never cared for Richard), then the Lancasters, then Edward, then the Lancasters again.... PJ, you were MADE for this part.

Edward (TT) is God's appointed one on Earth. He'll do as he damn well pleases. And screw who he damn well pleases. Queen or "advisor", same thing. He isn't known as "Crazy Eddy" for nothing.

Richard (TtY), damn shame if something happens to BOTH of those ego bloated oafs, and that worthless toad Henry. That would leave you in charge. Hmmm....

Oxford? (me)... Why, I'm just a loyal servant to my Lord Warwick.

I've attached a "precis" of events leading to our forthcoming confrontation, having a blast recalling all these dead guys and times and troubles. Yes, just as TtY brought us some personal history with his Naseby battle, the Battle of Barnet was the first miniature game I ever played: 25mm, Detroit gaming convention, 1978!!!

Didn't know a damn thing about mediaval history, Kingmakers, or mini-wargames. My dear brother talked me into going, had an absolute blast, collected my own set over the next year and put on my own battle at the next convention. Some of those 25mm minis we used for Road Rash are from that first collection. Ahhh, memories.

I'll be sending the order of battle to each of you soon.

Oh, and I got my ass handed to me that first battle playing Oxford (I knew you were wondering).

Happy New Year my laddies! Can't wait to see you all again!

Happy New Year !!!

Wow ~ it has been a busy time for us! I find it hard to believe that I haven't posted in over two weeks, and that it has been even longer since I really got any painting done.

My voice still isn't back to normal. Pat is sick again with, we think, a new bug strain her Brother and Father brought when they came for Christmas!

Despite everything, I couldn't let the New Year begin without posting ~ without beginning work on this blog again! There is so much to talk about too! Painting my Ral Partha collection, The Secret Project, The Next Project, Askari Miniatures and Colonial Adventures and . . .

The Battle of Barnet '09 !!!

So, rest assured, there will be lots more soon!