Giving Midgard A Try

 

        I have long held an interest in the period commonly called the "Dark Ages" (I prefer The Heroic Age) and have equally sought a rules set that, to my mind, would reflect combat in that age. Coming from the era of WRG dominance I first sought comfort in crushingly detailed rules (which often gave the gamer more detailed knowledge of the status of troops that any general of the era could hope for) before breaking with that idea with Tactica and then the unique Dark Ages Infantry Slog found in the original iteration of Wargames Illustrated. These both provided entirely different mechanisms and came closer to my goal but lacked the feeling that I got from reading the Viking Sagas and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Leaders were larger than life in those stories. Then along came SAGA.

       SAGA promised much; leadership-driven combat, small units, a lot of characterization. I gave it a try, I wanted it to work, but walked away unsatisfied. Tiny units whizzing around the battlespace on their own, only one hero (in most cases), and the games looked nothing like the battles described in the chronicles of the era. Add to that I had to learn all of the "trick rules" that applied to my army AND all the trick rules of any potential opponent. Oh, and I hate custom dice.

       Hail Caesar is great for large disciplined armies but simply doesn't cut it for Dark Ages. It has some good ideas and the neat special rules make it possible to customize units, but the leaders are bland. We tried for years but again were left unhappy.

       Lion Rampant provided more unit types than SAGA and was dead simple to learn and play but ended up too "gamey" for my taste. I enjoyed it and still play from time to time but in no way assume that it has any semblance to historical combat.

        Needless to say when I first spotted Midgard on the shelf at my local Brick & Mortar I didn't expect much. At first glance I wasn't particularly impressed. But, as I read more about it, I went back and picked up a copy. This seemed to have everything I was looking for. Leaders and Heroes figured large in every step of the game. The mechanics were simple to learn and made sense. Special rules allowed to customize both leaders and units. The morale system emphasized army cohesion and the importance of leaders being seen to lead from the front. All the best bits of the many prior rules sets seemed to have coalesced in this one book. I was intrigued.

Not So Quiet On The Western Front, a Scouts Out game

 

the troops were deployed using blinds (see below re: blinds)

 

 

as the Germans got to the wire most got spotted and took fire from the French

 

casualties mounted as the Germans tried to cross the wire

 

a second game with less wire was equally lethal  

 

        Scouts Out is a simple and easy to play Great War skirmish game, it is intended to provide a  quick a straightforward game while still giving the player some granularity. It makes sacrifices of reality to emphasize playability. As usual I felt I needed to tinker with it slightly to recover some historical veracity and to reflect historic squad organization. Below is a list of tweaks I have made to the rules to bring them (to my mind at least) to give the gamer a more realistic game.

UPDATED: Gallocelt's Map of Germany during the Thirty Years War UPDATED

         UPDATED: Gallocelt has updated his map in light of input from readers here and on other forums. These changes are minor but bring the map into compliance with known facts. The map presented below is the current version.

         I have had the pleasure of communicating with a fine fellow via The Miniatures Page over the past few years. We share an interest in the Thirty Years War and wargames campaigns. Over the past several months he has been laboring away on a period-appropriate map of Germany from the Denmark clear the way south to Austria and Switzerland. This is a work of the heart, it is truly beautiful, reflecting the terrain, roads and cities of the period in exquisite detail. 

        It is the sort of map that I wish history books would include; accurate, full-color and bursting with information. A quick perusal of it an one begins to understand why battles occurred in the sane area  year after year, the terrain and road-nets force armies to move along certain predictable paths. The map is overlaid with a hex pattern to make matters simpler for gamers wishing to march their imaginary armies across. 

        In an act of stunning generosity Gallocelt has decided to offer this labor of love to his fellow gamers free of charge. All you have to do is click on the picture below and then download the map. I am not certain of the level of compression that Blogger uses so some detail may be lost. To remedy this, and to answer any questions that may arise in connection to this map Gallocelt has offered his email address and is happy to respond to queries. He may be contacted at gallocelt@yahoo.com. 

        Now if we could only prevail upon him to continue this magnificent effort and expand the map to encompass the rest of Europe :)

28mm Wargames Atlantic Medieval Peasants 1100-1350

 

 

the box front, with some beautifully painted minis

        I got this set the from the good folks at Michigan Toy Soldier who kindly provided it for review.

        Completing the triad of Medieval Warfare with the prior sets of Knights and Serjeants this newly released set provides the opportunity to build large forces of the "lesser folks". Peasants were the most numerous, if not the most effective, troops on most battlefields in the Middle Ages. This set allows the gamer to build anything from the poorly-armed farmer with his pitchfork up to the well-armed mercenaries. In addition the parts are compatible with the previously released sets which expands the options even further. 

        As has become standard with Wargames Atlantic offerings this set is offered in a medium hardness gray plastic devoid of flash and with only the faintest of mold-lines. Within the set there are enough bows to equip every figure with a (longish) bow or spear, there is a wide assortment of other implements of destruction from farm-implements to battle-axes. Again, the chance to cross-pollinate with the prior two sets broadens the opportunities for customization. In the box you will find two sprues of pole-arms (with enough spears to give all the minis spears as well as an assortment of other pole-arms) and five sprues with the bodies. The torsos are divided at the waist which increases the options for poses during assembly (something that I am entirely in favor of!).

Wargames Atlantic 28mm Age of Chivalry Foot Serjeants 1150-1320

 

the front of the box, with some beautifully painted examples

        A welcome addition to the Age of Chivalry range this box gives us the hardened professional warriors that formed the steady foot element of medieval and Crusader armies. I just picked up this box from the folks at Michigan Toy Soldier and it meets all of my expectations. Inside you will find twenty four of some of the best looking miniatures you will have seen in a long time. Excellently sculpted, perfectly proportioned and finely detailed figures with a wide choice of weapons and a huge choice of heads, these will be a great addition to your medieval collection.                                                                     The models are cast in a medium hardness light gray plastic that takes detail very well and are cast without a trace of flash and barely a trace of mold-lines. There are two sets of sprues; two frames supply a selection of weapons the other provides the miniatures and further selection of weapons.

Wargames Atlantic 28mm Great War German HMG

 

       I have to confess that I've been waiting (impatiently) for a long time for this release! The good folks at Michigan Toy Soldier provided me with this box for review. Now that they are finally here it seems the wait was worth it. Nothing says "stuck in the mud of Flanders" quite like a set of the classic Maxim MG-08 heavy machine guns. The box comes with three identical sprues each of which has a crew of three and two models of the MG-08, one with the base in the low firing position and another in the high firing position. I do find it thoughtful that we are provided with two machine guns to go with the different bases, more extra bits for the spare parts box! 

       Each sprue come with three crewmen and a staggering total of thirty-three heads in every imaginable combinations of headgear and gas-masks. The crews are all crouching/kneeling/prone but it would be a simple matter to attach the arms to a standing figure from the German Infantry set to make figures that are manning a gun in a trench section. The models are cast in a light gray medium hardness plastic that shows detail very well and is entirely devoid of flash. Only the smallest amount of mold-lines are present which are easily cleaned up with a hobby knife or file. The three crew depict the gunner, a loader and a spotter and the proportions and anatomy are realistic. The clothing drapes well over the figures and will reward both careful "three-layer" painting as well as contrast style approaches. The uniforms and equipment appear to be accurately sculpted.

Wargames Convention Update; Battlefields 2025 15MAR25

        A sure sign that Spring is coming (despite the single-digit temps as I type this) is the approach of Battlefields.....who needs groundhogs anyways? Saturday March 15th starting at 8am this perennial favorite will be back. This show always has a friendly atmosphere, a great Flea Market and an interesting selection of games all for the small price of ten dollars at the door. You can find them at Tabletop Events to get a look at the game schedule and attending vendors. Set the time aside to see some great games, see old friends and make new ones!

       You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com//proorcon. The tables of the Flea Market are free and there are always some neat door prizes to be raffled off.

Curtiss P-36 in 1/72 scale 3D print

        You have seen this pair in an earlier post but I thought that the comparison would be better after the print was painted. It is easy to spot the differences between the models; the 3D print lacks a delicacy of edge and has opaque glass for starters. As wargaming models I have to confess that I prefer the 3D print for several reasons. First is cost, on average the 1/72 scale model of the P-36 will run around $18.00US once shipping etc is accounted for, the print requires less than a dollars worth of filament. Second, survivability, the difference in durability between the print and the model is similar to that between a hockey puck and a Faberge egg, and we all know that gaming figures can lead a hard life. Third, time; we must understand the significance of the passage of time. Cleaning up the print takes a fraction of the amount of time that assembling and finishing a plastic model requires, both take the same amount of time to paint and decal. In light of those considerations I am willing to sacrifice a level of detail in pursuit of fielding the forces I desire with the limited funds and time that I have available.

 

I had to buy after-market decals for the print, that ups the per-unit cost to almost a dollar

Curtiss A-12 Shrike, my first 3D print in 1/72 scale in Chinese service against Japan

 

 

I finally found a Chinese aircraft in an interesting to paint scheme and just look at those spats!

       After cleaning up and prepping my 3D prints I went looking for an interesting paint scheme, Nationalist Chinese aircraft usually came in monochrome schemes but I found this sweet (and easy, unlike the Dewoitine D-501) scheme. The usual Americana colors and Acrylic floorwax provided the colors and glossy surface for decals while Vallejo matte spray knocked the shine down. 

 

       The Curtis A-12 was part of a series of attack aircraft that Curtiss designed for the USAAC during the thirties. It was proceeded by a similar aircraft (coincidentally all named Shrike) with an in-line engine the A-8  and followed by the twin-engine A-18. The links will take you to the corresponding Wiki articles

More monkeying around with my 3d printer

 

 

a Curtiss A-12 fresh off the printer on the left, supports removed and a coat of paint to the right

       I have been slowly building a collection of 1930's air forces to wargame with. Out of old habit I selected 1/72 scale for my collection (this was back in the days before 3d printing and the internet). In this process I came to realize that there were a LOT of designs that were not available in 1/72 scale and  a good many there were available were very expensive limited-edition kits. Not having the money to buy, or the time to build, dozens of high-fidelity scale models I figured that I should give the 3d printing world a try. 

        To my surprise and delight I founds that there were dozens of generous souls out there who were creating and giving away STL files of aircraft (and tanks and ships, etc etc). Taking advantage of this kindness I promptly downloaded  some files and scaled them to 1/72 and fed them to my handy Bambu Mini. After a couple of hilarious misprints (always add the supports!) I managed to print a couple of  good looking models. These cost me about 60 cents worth of filament and a few hours print time. Cleaning up the prints takes less time than building a scale model so its a win regarding my time. 

 

inadequate supports created this Cuthulu-esque looking thing

 

I found this file of a Curtiss A-12 Shrike scaled at 1/100 and took a stab at scaling it up to 1/72

not perfect but the scale model runs over fifty bucks and this is less than a buck!

 

 

I did the same with this file of a P-36

by changing the orientation of the print to nose-down produced a much smoother print

the painted model is a 1/72 scale from Revell

       On top of the cost savings the 3d printed models are far tougher than scale models. This is going to make a huge difference in the speed that I expand my airfleets (and save me piles of cash).

8 x 10 Full Color Photographs of Flintcon 2025!

 Without circles or arrows, but with brief explanations underneath them!  (there is no prize if you get the reference)    

 

Free Blades

 

Here is a Rollicking game of Free Blades, they are always fun games and the people running it are very into their game.  

Confederate Navy Gets a boost from my Bambu mini

        The other day I offered to bring a "standby-game" to Flintcon (just in case there was a weather-related cancellation). When I looked at my ACW fleets I decided that I didn't want to run the same scenario again.With that in mind I designed a scenario wherein the Confederates had managed to secretively assemble a fleet to challenge the Union blockade of the Gulf Coast, This would require a much larger Confederate Navy. 

       With no time to order additional models from Thoroughbred (or any other manufacturer for that matter) I turned to the internet to find some free STLs to feed to my Bambu Mini. A few hours later I had a freshly-printed fleet of Confederate boats.

 

looking at them now makes me wish I had gotten that .02mm hot-end

the striations are prominent!

 

 

the light color doesn't help at all,

 fortunately most are a lot darker and it hides the lines better

 

beer-mats provided the basing material and Americana Prussian Blue provided the water color

 (yes, I realize the these were mostly riverine craft and should be floating in a greenish-brown ooze) 

while Future floor wax gave the water a nice glossy shine

      Now all I have to do is knock together data sheets for my really simple ACW naval rules and I'm all set for the convention.

Wargame Convention Update, Flintcon February 1st

 

        With Spartacon just barely in the rear-view we find Flintcon arriving on the first of February. This is a great little convention hosted by the tireless Rod Cain at the St.Paul Lutheran Church and School located at 402 S. Ballenger Highway, Flint MI 48532. Gaming will start at 9am and run through 1030pm. 

       Further information can be found on their website  or their Facebook page 

       This con always has a fun and friendly atmosphere  and usually has a superb flea-market

Finishing The Polikarpov I-15 series, decals, details etc

 

 

       I had a chance to sit down and paint the pilots and attach the windscreens. I then touched up some silvering on a few of the decals. All that remains is to do the weathering (which will be a while as I have grown tired of this project and have a dozen other projects on hold). As such I have released the planes to their respective air forces and sent them on their way.

th Soviet Biplanes, Some Paint At Last!

 

       Frustrated by the continuing bad weather I just went ahead and primed these indoors, They were then brush-painted using Americana paints. Acrylic floor wax was used to gloss them for decals and Vallejo spray matte finish was shot over them to dull them back down. Two have joined the Nationalist Chinese air force, one has chosen to serve Republican Spain and the remaining four are under orders of Stalin. Pilots, details and weathering still need to be finished before they can be released to their respective  employers. 

Further Adventure In Soviet Biplanes, Aviation USK I-15 series

  

 

       Continuing my effort to get all of my Polikarpov I-15 series models done in one push I sat myself down and confronted the pile of USK models. These kits were far from what current standards are but they are thirty years old and short-run kits of aircraft with limited appeal. Even with those caveats in mind they are frankly rather rough. Molding quality is below average, detail is foggy, parts fit is dodgy and the instructions are vague. The kits do have rather nice decals. They are the only option unless you want to spend thirty bucks a kit for I-15s.

 

 

yes, that is the sum total of the instructions

With the holidays behind me it is time for another Mass Build; The Polikarpov I-15 series

        Rumors of my demise are greatly overstated. The blog and I are not dead, just overwhelmed by the hectic pace of the holiday season. To start the new year off in grand style I decided to build the complete selection of 1/72 Polikarpov I-15 series that I had stashed in The Vault. These would provide aircraft for the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Spanish Civil War, The Nomonhan Incident, the Winter War and the early days of Operation Barbarossa. While the kits come from two different manufacturers (and thus demand separate builds) the painting process will link up nicely and I shouldn't spend too much time watching paint dry during this exercise. 

       First seeing the light of day in 1995 the Encore kit was originally released by ICM, the different versions on the box-cover matter little as all the parts for all the versions come in each box (all being molded on the same sprues). By modern standards these kits are primitive, requiring a lot of clean-up of mold-lines and putty on the gaps. Counterbalancing that are the very good quality decals that are usually found in Encore kits, which is happily the case here. The Aviation USK kits, circa 1992, are frankly crude, parts molding and fit are dodgy, and the instructions are scarcely more detailed than Mesolithic petroglyphs. Pretty much all that can be said is that building them is easier (slightly) than scratch-building. On the flip-side the decals are excellent.

 

there was another USK kit that I was still looking for when I snapped this shot