Scratch built ruins

 

This has been a long time coming. I started this project ... hmmm ... I don't know. I'd have to look back at this blog. I built some 'platforms' many years ago but these needed improvement as I didn't have enough ways from miniatures to climb up. Due to this, few people used the platforms in game. 

I also decided I could make something that looked better. The above had a core of foam then I glue hand cut foam blocks over the outside. The fact they are hand cut explains the irregular appearance. Yep, I DO NOT own a proxon. 

I also used some balsa pieces on the corners. I covered the foam with a mix of some builders plaster, PVA and black paint to simultaneously undercoat, texture and bond the foam. 

Now, the large pieces were done some time ago. I needed the impetus to complete the scattered terrain. This again was foam blocks. It was a little difficult to make these as I didn't want to use a basing material like cardboard or mdf. This way they could be used on the platform or on the table as required. 

I just lost my way on this project ... enthusiam fizzled but - during my recent hols - I decided to bit the bullet and finish up. I now have about 14 different scatter pieces. 

The best scatter pieces is the statue above. It turned out well but I feel its a bit out of place. I think I'll do several more statues. 

I have made lost of bridges to connect the platforms - which are around 2-3 inches to height. The bridges have two different widths. 

Painting is simple. Drybrush grey, highlight white, drybrush grey (to calm the white down a bit) then add washes of brown and green to age (dirt and algae.) Most of the paint used is from the $2 Shop but performs well for this task. 

Its on a board I made myself too. MDF which has been stippled with mult-purpose filla and painted. I still debate whether I flock this or not. 

Okay, figure time! My Normans, or Minas Tirith/Arnor, troops would be fighting my Orcs from Middle Earth. I'd just finished 10 new Orcs swinging 2HW's. This, I just realised, is far more that I needed and now I'll have to order more sprues of Orcs to make up Orcs with hand weapon. 

Ah, wargames! The hobby that can never by finished ... I always do something amiss. 

My Shelob - which is now on too small a base - thanks GW! I got 2 games out of that model before it was obsolete. Doesn't matter, I don't play games against people who care about such things. 

Brave Men face the raving fury of Orcs with very brutal weapons. 

Just a shot to show the height difference between guys on the ground and guys on the bridges. 

Battle around the statue. 

A shot from my drone ... 

Fierce battle erupts on another bridge ... an Orc with a mighty scimitar sweeps in deadly arcs to clear his mannish foes from the bridge. 

Hey, that's Faramir! He was a gift from a good friend (as was Shelob) but I've never used Faramir in battle. He does look very good. I'm happy with the hair and beard. 

The other figures are Victrix and Oathmark. 

And ... that's it. Another post that ends without a conclusion. Maybe that's my theme for 2026? 

ADLG Marius' Romans vs Mithridates

 

In 2026, I'm going to try for more regular ADLG games. Its a system of rules I like very much, although I can't say I understand all the movement nuances. I had prepared to play my Gallic army but, on request from a friend, I switched to Mithridatic. This is a list that I enjoy playing and I think I'm close to determining the list I prefer. I was up against Ian and his Romans. 

The Romans in question were led by Marius - a strategist - and were a very small force. To be honest, I think Ian may have stuffed up his points somehow as even the image above shows a very small force. But, he did have many costly options .... legionaries, elite cavalry, 4 light horse, heavy artillery and an fortified camp. 

I didn't have many expensive options. Above you can see my main battle line consisting of mediocre pike and imitation legionaries. 

These are the real legionaries. On the top left you can see Ian's heavy artillery which he promptly advanced past and masked its field of fire for the whole game. This was just one of a series of command mistakes that the Romans made. I don't know what one earth Marius was thinking. 

Marius had failed to protect either flank of his expensive front line. He even had troops in a partial second line seemingly waiting to be outflanked. Above shows my heavy cavalry wing - Sarmatians and Greek cavalry (one elite) plus LC javelin support. These troops would monster the opposing Roman cavalry that was totally inadequate for the task. The entire Roman command would be lost. 

On the other wing, my left consisted of a mass of archers, javelin men and two bases of Thracians with 2HW ... oh, and some gallic heavy foot. 

The Romans threw forward their light cavalry. I didn't have any cavalry to oppose by enough foot to counter and flank this force. 

My scythed chariots were winding up and were protected by enough light foot with javelin to drive away any threats. 

My left wing drove back the light cavalry then began to turn inwards on the very small Roman force. Being elite is good .... but leaves your force numbers low. 

The Romans were marching right down the middle at top speed. They were playing directly into Mithridate's hands. That second line I'd mentioned was struggling to get out from behind the legionaries but this was slow going. My javelin light foot had driven off the Roman lights. 

My cavalry smashed into the Romans. The Sarmatian impact had a direct ... impact ... and my elite Greeks won their fight too. My light cavalry chased their opposition right off the table - you see see this in the top right. I think Marius wanted to hide behind that dice container. 

I also had two bases of heavy spear advancing to support cavalry or hit the Roman line too. 

Those chariots are getting closer ... 

On the other side, the Romans just charge straight into the Gallic foot. The Roman lights had placed a point of disruption on the Gauls previously and this saved the Roman cavalry ... at first.  But now, the Romans were pinned, in a fight they would not win, and were set to be flanked by Thracians with two handed weapons. Again, Marius had blundered. 

Above, the Roman left flank was also evaporating. Marius had lost the fight on both flanks. 

The Romans just tromped ahead but in piecemeal fashion. Some fought the scythed chariots - who had done horrible damage to the legionaries - and heavy spear. Other Romans advanced into my main foot line. But, it was only three legionary based against 6 of mine. 

The Romans were all but destroyed on their right ... by this stage, but their sub-commanders had died. 

The Roman left was a nightmare for them. You can see a lone base of legionaries against heavy cavalry and heavy spear. None of my troops were disrupted and even a scythed chariot remained. 

My light cavalry had even chased down the Roman light foot completely behind the Roman battle line. Marius was in a total pickle as he had lost both flanks and several central fights and completely disjointed his own line. I have no idea what his plan was on this particular day ... but it should never be spoken of again. 

Mithridates humbled Rome. I think the points were something like 19 to 5. I have lost one scythed chariot and suffered 3-4 disruptions across the field. Rome had been crushed due to terrible tactics - just advance down the middle and ignore the movements of the enemy. 

I don't really know what else to write. I guess I just need to make the final decisions on army composition. Maybe some medium spear instead of javelin or reduce the archers by one and substitute medium spear??? Not too sure. 

2026 Rules Ramblings

 This post is just for me to leave behind a record of my thoughts ... yes, a journal might be more efficient and successful, but this blog has always been primarily to archive my wargaming activities. 

So anyone else ... stop reading here. 

In 2025, I battled, as never before, a lack of wargaming enthusiasm and drive. I've struggled to determine a single cause as, with all things in life and history, there is never a 'single' cause. 

To address this issue and avoid 'burn out' in 2026, I think I need to make myself a bit of a promise (hence the formal recording of this in my blog.) Its time for no more rules. I've chased and chased rules that just 'work' or 'pop' compelling me to play and exciting enthusiasm in my breast. But, I think this isn't realistic. 

I've already declared my intention for this to be my 'medieval' year - and perhaps this might hold true - and I have enough of these rules including Lion Rampant, Baron's War, Pillage, MESBG and Dux Bellorum (as well as ADLG for my BIG battle hit.) 

Simplifying my gaming regular club evenings is also a key aspect. 

In short, if one of these don't work in 2026 ... buying another set won't help. But will I hold to this ... ???

(I could also apply similar comments to my ACW, Napoleonics, Colonials and 18th century periods.) 

More Medieval ADLG Venetians

 

It has taken me ages to return to these images and add some simple text. The old '2025 malaise' has struck again! 

I really wanted to play a lot more ADLG in 2025. I didn't work that way for various reasons. Late in the year, I managed to fit in two games and this is one. I trotted out my MUCH beloved Condotta army. It didn't go too well. 

Above shows an image well into the battle. My Condotta, always an elite force, is quiet small and surprisingly missile capable. My pike line was standing off from closing with the opposing German knights due to the missile from crossbow and longbow raining down on them. 

On my left flank, I had a favourable match up against the Germans with my small light command, repeatedly shooting at the medium spear. They were quite caught on the hill as their command needed all CPs to fight in the centre. 

On the right was a different story. I mucked this up a lot and my German opponent rolled out of his skin over several rounds. I dismounted my knights but had fewer troops to fight. I didn't use my lights effectively to 'gum up' this flank and delay this mismatch from occurring. 

The prolonged right hand melee between dismounted knights. 

I was still wearing the knights and other cavalry down. 

Hang on ... these images and going back in time ... shit, I've left the flux capacitor on again!

Above, Italians shooting Germans. 

The Condotta are very, very pretty. 

But, they lost this game. This was a rare loss and really shows how out of practice I was with ADLG. I got my deployment a bit wrong and some of my on-field tactics. Oh, well ... this just shows I need more practice. 

I really like ADLG and want much, much more in 2026. 

Pillage The Dark Ages

 

Ok, I posted these images a couple of months ago, and now I'm attempting to write a report. 

It's not going to work ... 

I like the Pillage rules quite a bit ... I mean, I'm a sucker for this period of history. The game plays a lot like MESBG and I also like this game. 

This scenario had something to do with protecting two or three pilgrims against the Norman aggressors. No doubt, they were on their way to seeing that venerable and holy Anglo-saint - Cuthbert. 

You can see the battle scrum forming in the centre right of the table. The pilgrims on the road. 

The Norman list pricing allows them to have more soldiers in their warband ... I sodded if I know why. It makes them very tricky to fight against, especially with their higher number of cavalry. Cavalry in Pillage provide a extra 50/50 save making the warrior much harder to kill. 

The Norman cavalry have lapped about the Saxon line while their brave fyrd warriors try to fend off the foe desperately. 

I have a vague feeling the Normans lost ... but I don't know how. 

Pillage feels quite hit and miss to me. Warriors are very similar and the only factors that really effect combat is the +1 charge bonus and the spear support. It just feels like, with quite similar army size and composition, its just down to the roll of a dice ... seems very funny to say for a wargame - that is always about a roll of the dice. 

This is another game ... I have now idea what is happening. 

There's fight here and there ... I think the Saxon's were trying to burn down a Norman settlement ... serves the invading bastards right! 

There's some houses with Norman warriors and knights on guard against Saxon aggressors. These images are backwards too ... I'm clearly not very good at this. 

Now, the above is a very pretty picture. I do need another building or two for Pillage - as you can see I've got some scratch built ruined wall plugging up the gap. I think this works as Roman ruins (some not too ruined) were frequently incorporated into constructions across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. 

I'll just stop typing as these feeble attempts at a narrative are setting the fragile hobby of historical wargame back by many years.