Memory Lane: Landsknecht Fun from back in 2012

It is always nice to get comments on posts but I was pleasantly surprised at getting one from 2012 when I was playing about with the Renaissance period and 28mm Maximillian Italian Wars armies. I also struggled to find everything on one place as it spanned over two months. So as much for my benefit as anyone else here are the Blog postings in one place:   

• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/03/renaissance-impetus.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/03/clatter-of-dice-opening-rounds.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/03/meat-of-affair-all-forces-engaged.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/04/swiss-bleed-maximilians-men.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/04/from-fires-of-hell-dragons-teeth-are.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/03/gun-for-all-seasons.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/03/web-link-landsknecht-painting-guide.html

This has of course caught the attention of the wargaming butterfly in me. So who knows what "winter project" might emerge from this unexpected comment in 2020 on something I played with in 2012 (thank you Mike B). 

The New Old Game back on the Block: Impetus (2)

Well, apparently these were five years in the making. I really enjoyed Impetus (1) but I have to confess that I did not follow in earnest (there were five extra supplements each of which tinkered with the rule system in small ways) but this dissonance may come in useful as major revisions have brought it to market as a new product (see below, no army lists but plenty of rules - its generating some excitement in my local clubs already - https://twtrb.blogspot.com/2019/02/impetus-2-like-reunion-of-old-rock-band.html#comment-form):

Therefore: It's time to bring out my 28mm Italian Wars Army for some TLC and new additions (courtesy of plenty of Perry 28mm plastic), base up my 28mm Imperial Roman Army, crack out the 28mm WOTR potential from the various Perry boxes and re-use my DBA+ collections of 15mm Greeks, Macedonians and Persians.

Reference: Impetus Forum
http://impetus.darkbb.com/

Don't Miss Out on Warlord Games FREE Rules (PDF) Giveaway (Hail Caesar, Pike and Shotte and Black Powder)

FREE PDFs (usually £20 each)

Hail Caesar
Pike and Shotte
Black Powder

https://store.warlordgames.com/collections/rules-books

Also check out:

Blood Red Skies
Test of Honour (usually £5)
Terminator

Battleground 2017: The Haul

Slightly overdue in coming ...

I was quite sensible (well to my strange mind) and all these purchases made a sort of practical sense to expand and fill out my existing collections. Firstly I acquired some Britannia Miniatures 20mm British Paratroopers from Grubby tanks so I could cover the Order of Battle for a Chain of Command "Red Devil" Para Platoon and therefore have no real excuse for painting up a WWII 20mm platoon in metal. I bought three - two man Bren gun teams, one - three man Vickers HMG, two [wait for it as this bit is a tongue twister] - two man: two inch mortar and one - three man: three inch mortar (see below, D-Day and Arnhem "we are go"):

Next came something sensible, Perry's Renaissance Light Horse, so I can expand my Renaissance Impetus army building project (see below, I think this was a "sensible" purchase - mug of coffee not included):

And finally the mandatory "mad saw it on the day purchase and could not say no" three WWII Soviet late-war JSII 20mm pre-made and painted plastic metal assembled kits (ones that are usually given as the toy part of a magazine offering .. Del Prado or the like). For three pounds each I could not complain or say no but in a way I was good in limiting myself to three (there was a big box of them), knowing I also had two JSII plastic kits already made but needing to be painted in the loft (see below, "Uncle Joe" says hello):

As a bonus ball I was honoured by Renko giving an early Xmas present from a bookstall of (another) Bismarck book. This comes recommended as the author "knows his stuff" (see below):

All in all a nice bag of goodies and all of which should find a good use and home in my collection(s).

Paint Experimentation: Vallejo .. Things other than paints, inks and washes.

What's this? What's this? Other things apart from paints, washes and inks from Vallejo. Whatever next and what do they do? (see below):

The "Retarder Medium" this slows down the drying time of the paint which gives you longer to blend colours together. I think this may be of use in larger scales and models (tbc). I do remember some painting blogs extolling its virtues.

A few drops of the "Matt Medium" makes the colour more transparent, increase paint (i.e. runnier) and produces a 'matter' finish. To me this has WWII 20mm (plastic and metal figure) potential to get a dirty camouflage look!

Lastly the "Metal Medium" again mixed with metal paint gives a paler metallic shade and can be also used for metallic highlights. I was thinking 25/28mm Wars of the Roses (Perry's), Renaissance (Perry's, Warlord Games) and other plastic 28mm ranges such a Normans, Vikings and Saxons - even up to Crusades (FireForge, Conquesr and Gripping Beast).

Watch this space for some results ;) 

Armada Naval 1588: Battle for Britain Series

Still on a nautical theme and still being inventive with "paper" (and granted with graceful permission to photocopy ship pages for personal use), being a much cheaper entry point into a wargaming period than metals or even plastics for that matter, plus some simple wargame rules (see below):

I must confess this was something of an "impulse purchase" while doing a more boring Amazon book purchase. I wonder how much "Amazon trade" is generated this way ;)

Foot Sergeants (FireForge) The first "few" of the "many" 28mm

The 'plastic mountain' is being attacked. The next box of 'sexy 28mm plastics" under scrutiny is the "foot" equivalent of the Mounted Sergeants, the humble "Foot Sergeant". As a complusary Impetus 'Crusader Army' maneouver element the "crossbows" are assembled first (see below):

I am planning to mount six to a base (2 x Trained Crossbow), needing two for the army minimum, leaving enough in the pack of forty four to assemble the four compusary (FP) Foot Sergeants, again mounting six to a base. As there are ten figures left over I could even up the figure count to eight a base if necessary wrt the Foot Sergeants, all depending on how the aethetics of the base looks!

Footnote: The more I look at my current FireForge boxes, rather than looking to the Holy Land the boxes point to a Teutonic interest. The "good" news theer is that their enemies (Mongols) come in "Plastic Box Sets"! Hmm, a cunning plan is forming in my tinty mind ;)

Missing "Back Four" Found - 28mm Mounted Sergeants (FireForge)

Handed back to me by my errant son, the four Sergeants-At-Arms were made, finally armed in the end with short spears (see below):

I had toyed briefly with the thought of geting four metal mounted handgunner figures from Redoubt Enterprises (and there is still the chance that I may) but looking at these I am hoping to fit them into a Renaissance army .. but looking at the army lists they seem more Crusades. Am I branching out (again) should realy just paint them first and then decide ;)

Mounted Sergeants-At-Arms (FireForge Games) aka Mounted Crossbowmen for my Impetus Renaissance Army.

After all this work on micro (1/3000) scale stuff I had the urge to put together some 28mm plastics (aka the "big stuff" that I can see better - 15mm scare me these days) together and chose the FireForge Games Sergeant-At-Arms (mounted) as it was on top of the "stack" (a "last-in" but "first-out" of data structure). Nice kit and I have been waiting to do these for some time. The box is a direct copy of the Mounted Sergeants but it has a 'sprue' of six crossbowmen which was the deal breaker as it will be ideal to give me an extra Impetus stand (or two, if I hide a sword armed chappie in the midst of the block of four and get eight from six .. a cunning plan) for my Maximilian 'Italian Wars' Renaissance Army (see below, notice how there are only two sprues of bodie parts to make up eight men, strange at first I thought I was going mad as I thought I had counted twelve, I then thought it must have been a packing error. I then found out I was the victim of a childish prank by my eldest for pulling him out of PS4-land making him see natural sunlight - silly as he obviously forgot his birthday is coming up soon .. looks like the Physics or French text book it is then! So all is well I have twelve to play with):

So the horses went together sweetly, very reminiscent (in a good way) of Games Workshop standard troop types that will lend themselves well to good brush stroke painting, The mounted crossbowmen were cool to put together although I cannot vouch for the poses I chose given the horses were all going at the gallop. The boys might in reality "fall off" in real life (see below, there are eight here but now that I have been reunited with the missing 'body sprue' I have another four axe, sword, spear and mace ones to make):

They are a good but and together with the Mounted Sergeants (FireForge Games .. still to assemble), the Men-At-Arms (Perry's Miniatures .. still to assemble) and the Teutonic Knights (FireForge Games .. assembled but still to paint) I have more horse than I can shake a stick at (or should that be 'pike at'). I do still have the mad urge to get the Perry, Light Renaissance Horse too, but that is because I am getting a little "28mm mad" seeing everything that comes as plastic in a box circa £20 as a bargain!

Four Mounted Men of Renaissance

Four Renaissance "mounted harquebusiers" finally are completed (see below):

These are from the Redoubt Enterprise Renaissance range and are lovely little things. In Charles V's Impetus Holy Roman Emperor's army list they are Skirmish capable but for some reason in the Italian Wars they are Medium. They are much more useful in the former role as they can shield the heavies (Burgundian or Men-At-Arms) from unwanted harassing attention

Nice to finally get them done :)

Painting Tray

A variety of toys on table (see below):

• Fairey Battle (mostly made and with it's base coat of paint)
• Renaissance Crossbowmen (Painted and Based)
• Mounted Renaissance Harquebusiers (slight bit of basing work to be done)
• Chaos Space Marines (Primes, Washed and in the throes of an experimental Gold and Red colour scheme)
• Five Mini Plaster Cast Lego Star Wars Figures (say no more)

They are cluttering up the bathroom shelf at the moment so I need to get a move on ;)

28mm Renaissance Mounted Harquebusiers (Impetus Troops)

This posting has been over a year in the making.

Ever since my Burgundian Knights and Germanic Men-At-Arms were added to my Renaissance army I felt the need for lighter mounted troops to cover them to create a sense of balance (speaking of which the infantry needs more Pike). My Mounted Crossbows (CL) were only one half of the equation, these Mounted Harquebusiers (CM in Impetus terms) are the other (see below, in their current most advanced state, with the basing 'half' complete):

"Impetus" has fast become my favourite wargaming rule set for linear pre-musket era (stretching back to the ancients, but I still am active in the DBMM camp). It certainly ranks alongside "Chain of Command"  for enjoyment an non-deterministic "shock" value. My only problem is that I have kit but seemingly not the time to paint them! The painting started over a year ago (see below, a basic undercoat black):

Though technically not Light Horse (so it is harder for them to get out of the way) these are destined to be an important screening force to 'shove in front' of some decent impact cavalry to avoid them getting cheaply spent. Wanting them to do "them proud" I searched the Internet and pulled this useful  "crib painting sheet" in the below  photograph from:

http://rctlittlesoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/detail-on-knights-and-light-cavalry.html (see below):

I tried to give the horses a three-tone treatment, but always feel I chicken out of washing the legs dark enough. My lack real horse experience shows here methinks, I paint almost a typical cartoon representation, but at least try and vary the shades of colour. I decided to make these rider's jackets a bit more brighter (see below):

Then the riders were 'browned-up' in the legging department (see below):

The good news is that the 'boys' have already made it to the tabletop for an Impetus wargame in a "basic paint form" (see below):

They did well enough, shooting at some offending infantry at close range, but true my earlier comment "got in the way" of the very troops they were supposed to be screening. CM cavalry seems to have been more useful in earlier ancient times, when armoured four-legged tanks were less common. I might even 'pretend' they are Mounted Crossbow if the need comes in the next game ;)  

At the moment they just need to be finished off with the basing painted, highlighted and flocked. Watch this space for a final photo later.

Impetus: Renaissance versus Medieval

My 350 points Italian Wars Renaissance army deployed in a compact formation. My newest unit (of Mounted Arquebusiers) had reached the 'minimum painting' threshold to be allowed in my eyes to take to the field (see below):

I was facing a Burgundian Ordinance (packed with Wars of the Roses English Long-bowmen) medieval army, the nearest historical opponent I could find on the Impetus battle club night. It was a long, long, long line of Men-At-Arms/Spears backed by a rear rank of Longbows for the most part, with no cavalry (see below):

The battlefield was constrained by impassable and rough terrain, leaving a Central Valley for my invading Pike Blocks to concentrate on. As my army (quite unusually) was devoid of artillery and I was facing an army of massed bows, there was no point waiting so I advanced. The only subtle thing I did was to swing my left wing of cavalry to the left to get them out of arc from the dreaded English Longbowmen (see below):

Onwards came the colourful Italians, engaging the Burgundian skirmish line and having the better of the affair. Through a hail of arrows the Pike advanced into contact. After an initial in stately Italian recoil the momentum of the huge mass of infantry was the deciding factor and the Burgundian line stated to buckle (see below):

The embarrassing buckle turned into dangerous bulb and although losing the supporting smaller Italian Pike Block, the main (three layers thick and with the C-in-C General in it) Italian Pike Block swept the Burgundian/English infantry away. On the flanks both Burgundian Knights and Germanic Mounted  Men-At-Arms were waiting their chance to test the mettle of the remaining Burgundian/English infantry. However they were not needed as the Burgundian/English had to their dismay also lost both of their leaders to the sharp "pointy points" of the victorious Italian Pikemen. The contest was therefore effectively over (see below):

I sat dazed an befuddled at the result. I had not played Impetus in such a long while and had forgotten how literally bursting with surprises it can be. The combat is quite brutal and the fact that the Pike Blocks could rasp their way through the English infantry came as a complete shock to me. Equally stunned was the Burgundian/English commander's disbelief in his longbow backed infantry had failed to stop the Pike, the multi-armed phalanx being less successful that perhaps "blocks" of pure bow would have been. Still it (Impetus) had something which will bring me back to the well again and again!

My goal is to raise a 600 Italian Renaissance point army, which means at least another Pike Block is needed. The bigger the armies the more the 'feel' of the battle changes. The test to me will be two wings (mounted) and a center (infantry) command. First up I must finish off the painting on my Mounted Harquebusiers before I move onto more Pike!

Renaissance Elizabethan Campaign Board Game: Tutorial Testing

Next up, wargaming , the Renaissance period, Elizabethan style courtesy of GMT games and The Virgin Queen (see below):

DBR is the designated rule-set, I sense many battles between the Turks, Spain and England. 

Wild (Armoured) Horses Running Across my Desk (Perry Miniatures) Part 2

The armoured horse become mounted Men-At-Arms "without weapons", bar the one at the back (see below):

Now fully armed, they are grouped as either two formations of six men to a base for (poor) "Knights" or one deep formation twelve of "MAA" - which is my preference (see below):

The assembly may have caused me to 'curse all the saints profanely' and it really needed to take several nights of uncharacteristic patience, but I love them as they are beautifully detailed (see below):

I like them, especially the upright lance pose (see below):

Assembled is one thing, but getting them painted is quite another, see you next Xmas for that ;)

Wild (Armoured) Horses Running Across my Desk (Perry Miniatures) Part 1

In a valiant effort (inspired by some brilliant paint jobs on other blogs I may add) I started assembling the Perry mounted MAA. Not as easy as you may first think as there are many pieces to fiddle together (see below):

The 'intelligent half' of the rider-horse combination done I can now move onto assembling the two legged participants. The Perry's models are beautiful and definitely worth the effort in assembling :)

The acquisition of the above is my attempt to balance out my Impetus Renaissance army with two wings of horse comprising of a Knight Unit, A "deep" mounted MAA formation and a Light Skirmish unit (mounted crossbows and mounted harquebusier). If truth be told I may need another unit of Light Horse for each wing.

But that is a far away 2014 purchase ;)

Renaissance Campaign Update

I returned to assess the state of affairs of my local Redcar Wargaming Club's Renaissance (Thirty Years War) campaign. As a free-lance mercenary general I am expected to drift in and out of tactical commands, but every now and then it is good so see the world from a strategic perspective.

The major news is that Vienna has fallen to a Protestant army which is a huge coup (see below, bottom left corner - those are not HRE counters):

But Protestant Prague itself finds itself on the cusp of falling to the mighty HRE siege-train arrayed around its walls (see below): 

All-in-all the HRE is coming off second best with the Protestants having more active pieces on the board, but there is still plenty of fighting to be done.

All I am interested in is a warm bed, sack of wine and purse of gold.

Is this the first Elf of Xmas? (Mystery)

Have I spotted the first "elf" of Xmas?

According to my Renaissance campaign friends no, it is a legitimate element of a DBR (Thirty Years War period) Army List (see below):

In the manner of a "competition without prizes" but bestowing prestige and praise from friends on clever or correct answers .. "What is it"? He certainly rides a strange four-legged beast, but some may argue there should be more white, of a snowy nature, on the base (see below):

Note: This is not a extra cast-off from the second Hobbit film GW collection!

I will be intrigued if there are any answers, next week I will post the answer as it was told to me, in a comment.

Have fun thinking on this one :)

PS Sadly I do not own this figure, which is a composite from legitimate historical figure ranges and purchased from reputable historical figure manufacturers, nothing 'fantastical' at all about it.

The Infantry Battle: "Many Face a Few" (Vienna Battle Part IV)

The battle drew to it's climax. 

My wing of horse 'pulled back' (tactical not cowardice) to delay any combat on my flank for as long as possible. My mission was to guard the flank of the Protestant guns (who had dealt death all day) while the infantry went in and won the battle for the Protestants Princes (see below)

My wing (above) was the one part of the battlefield where the HRE outnumbered the Protestants as in the centre of the battle field the situation was dramatically reversed (see below): 

The HRE troops faced a devastating "combined arms" attack as guns, shot, pike and mounted pistols all spoke (see below):

The Catholic troops in the centre were brought within a a stand of demoralisation and could not continue to fight it out at a distance (see below):

Meanwhile I was trying not to "lose any men/ground" or "give the HRE any glimmer if hope" as I prepared to face a HRE 'death or glory' charge (see below):

In teh centre the HRE commander decided that desperate times called for desperate measures as the HRE infantry and their "C-in-C's cavalry" piled forth 'while their morale was intact', hoping for 'sixes' from their dice and asking for 'ones' in return from their enemy (see below): 

It was not to be a day for HRE 'heroes' as the HRE  central command broke, ending the game and opening the road and this starting the 'Siege of Vienna' justr this time not y the Turks (see below):

Inches away from combat the HRE cavalry backed away and I did not even have to roll a combat dice all game, but still even as a mere spectator it was a 'job well done' and a satisfying game played to a conclusion in an entertaining evening (which is a big plus).

Closing to Contact (Vienna Battle Part III)

My "wing of horse" follow orders and "pins" my adversary within 20 cm to stop any 'march movement' away from the enemy and also protect the vulnerable flank of the Protestant guns which are blasting away at the enemy Pike in murderous fashion. I am tempted to charge in and turn the Catholic flank but that house is probably full of hidden musketeers (see below):

The Protestant infantry chase away the 'newly revealed' Catholic 'wing of horse'. As four legs is faster than two legs they disappear using multiple march moves (see below):

To my concern they reappear facing my side of the table. Perhaps this is not going to be so quiet for me after all. I pull back my Pistol armed cavalry and place my Dragoons in anticipation of holding off an attack on the valuable Protestant guns. My light cavalry are left as a harassing screen to stop this 'march move' nonsense going too far (see below):

A wider panoramic view sees my flank in the context of the central infantry assault going in (see below): 

The Protestant killing infantry attack is poised to go in. Already two Catholic artillery stand have been lost as well as a Pike and Shot unit. The Catholic centre is already approaching its break point (see below):

Next: The infantry "musket volley" and "charge"