OF ALL BASE PASSIONS, REBASING IS THE MOST MOST ACCURSED

 Pikes in progress: part of the great rebasing project

(Apologies to the Bard, Henry VI, Part I [V. II. 18] for the title of this post)

Greetings fellow shut ins (well, here in the US, many of us are still in shut in mode).  Like many others, one of my aims for this extended lockdown period has been to put a dent in the lead mountain, and also to give the toy-related detritus a good sort and clean out.  I've already completed my first goal, painting up my Romanians, and I've now moved on to the clean out in the form of a major rebasing project that I've been putting off. Specifically, I've accumulated a goodly number of painted 28mm Thirty Years War figures via ebay and other sources over the last few years.  Time to do what I've been avoiding: rebasing them. For those who really have time on their hands, you can check out my related post on basing figures. Moving on to the here and now, in this post, as usual, you may clix pix for BIG PIX.

For starters, I began with this unit of dragoons, which is double the fun because there is a dismounted figure for each mounted one.  The cavalry bases are 1" x 2" and the infantry bases are 1" circulars.  In the days when I first started this collection, I hand painted numbers on all of the pegs, and so for consistency still do so today.  This has given me a great appreciation for the calligrapher's art (which I stink at).  Nevertheless, I assauge myself by imagining that what my crude numerical renditions lack in style is made up for in their rustic charm (that's my story and I'm sticking with it!).  I should add that this marking and basing scheme is intended to allow me to use these figures for a variety of systems. Let me digress for a moment to explain those prior to moving on....

This basing scheme will fit into my Smalle Warre 17th Century skirmish system, which employs units of 10 to 12 individually mounted figures, identified by  color coded pegs on the back (and upon reviewing my page for this system, I see that I need to add a few lines of clarification  to the rules). A game report on this system can be found on this blog for the curious. These same basing conventions and figure counts will allow me to also use this collection for a number of  "company level" systems such as the Pikeman's Lament,  Irregular Wars, Terra Incognita, and the Perfect Captain's ECW and Spanish Fury Actions systems.

I can also use these figures at the man-to-man level, with each figure having individual statistics (wounds, etc, etc).  I have run multiple games  using a home grown rules system for this level, but have yet to publish it on this blog (the next project!). 

 Next up are the pikes: five units of 12 each (not counting command figures)

Given that in my system pikes would be more limited than musketeers and other foot and have to be deployed in  geometric formations, I decided to mount these both more closely than 1" per figure and on multi-figure stands. So I mounted these 12 figure units on  2, four figure stands (each 1" x 2") and 1, 2 figure stand (1"x 1").  

This configuration gives me the flexibility to show a 2-rank configuration without having an odd stand of four in the back (if all were on 4 figure bases), as  well as facilitating the more standard 3-rank configuration. In addition, it allows for "making change" should a full stand of 4 loses 2 figures.

I also have command figures for each unit (should I need them).  These are on 1" x 1" squares.  

Given that the pikes won't be employed as individuals, I'll dispense with the numbers and pegs and instead just have a colored square on the back (eventually).  In addition, each unit has a unifying "highlight" color (the Orange pike to the right and the Yellow to the left).  In connection with adding the highlight color, any rebasing project I go into also tends to include some level of repainting in order add these kinds of touches and to make the figs consistent with the collection in general (yes: when I pay for painted figures, I almost always wind up repainting them--some more than others--too; makes no sense and makes perfect sense all at the same time).  Next up will be applying the wood filler to each base (the most time consuming bit) and then the marking and flocking operation. When I'm done with this batch of 80+ figures, it will be on to the next ones in the queue...

 ...a unit of reiters and a unit of musketeers...

 ...another unit of musketeers...

 ...a unit of cuirassiers plus a contingent of Petardiers and Engineers...

 ...and a parcel of Scots (musketeers, pikes, cannoneers, and leaders).

Lets' see if I can complete this project before they come out with a COVID 19 vaccine!

Excelsior!

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE OF WARGAMERS (VCOW) 2020: SERIOUS FUN

 

 "Eye Candy" From the VCOW

Greetings, fellow shut-ins!  This is just a quick post to report on an excellent--and unprecedented--hobby experience I had this last weekend.  As an inveterate rules tinkerer and home rules writer, I have been an on and off member (via subscription) of the excellent UK based Wargames Developments for the last few years.  Each year, this longstanding group in the UK has been convening a Conference of Wargames to discuss game theory and design, play games, and socialize.  

Like most events, the pandemic curtailed any such gathering this year. However, the organizers moved the conference online (mainly via Zoom), making it the Virtual Conference of Wargamers (VCOW).  Suddenly, what had been out of the question became plausible: attending this event in the UK.  The only barrier (outside of a modest registration fee) would be the time zone difference (which did catch me up once). 

WHAT I DID: I attended the following sessions:

Friday:  

Welcome (Tim Gow)

Wargames: What and Why (Peter Perla)

Professional and Hobby Wargaming (Mark Herman)

Saturday:

Remote Wargaming (David Burden)

Wargaming & History  (Prof Gary Sheffield)

Defense and Recreational Wargaming (Graham Longley-Brown)

Sunday:

Adventures in Lockdown  (Mike Elliott)

I had intended to do one more session on Sunday, but my alarm failed me and I did not rise soon enough to make it for the 4:30 am start time here in Eastern Standard Time in the US.

Although there were opportunities for interaction during these talks, and the company was most cordial, I found myself mainly following along and just taking things in.  In short, I found that spending the weekend in a new (to me) community of gamers, talking gaming,  listening to talking about gaming, and looking forward to the next session about gaming, was a great boost to my wargaming mojo.  I both congratulate and thank the organizers and presenters of the VCOW!

WHAT I LEARNED: All the discussions of remote gaming brought home that maintaining the human/social element of the hobby--via Zoom and other means--had been (and continues to be) of primary importance, whether that be through distant gaming or just via connecting with colleagues and friends.  I know that in my club here in the US, for instance, there are some who have managed to do some remote gaming.  However, the "main event" has become weekly zoom get together on Sunday.  In this session, which can last anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, we just go around to each and do a "show and tell"--and chat in general from there.  This has been going on since March, and has become something of a new tradition, one that I suspect we'll probably be maintaining in some fashion into the future, post pandemic.  

WHERE WE ARE GOING: On the larger scale, I think the VCOW and similar events are a first step in opening up new dimensions in the hobby, and not just for remote gaming. In the same way that we tend to follow and comment on blogs of interest, and meet like minded people in those places, I could see those connections expanding into opportunities for virtual gatherings for "show and tell," information sharing, or any number of things.  

WHERE WE WANT TO RETURN: The promise of the Brave New World of virtual gatherings aside,  I think we are all still are looking forward to the very retro pleasures of pushing actual toy soldiers on a table and shouting gleefully at other fellows in the room,  sans mask. 

Excelsior!

E BOOKS FOR ANTIQUARIANS VIII: HISTORY OF THE LAST CAMPAGNE IN THE NETHERLANDS 1693

The Meanderer's Copy of the subject volume. 

The History of the Last Campagne in the Spanish Netherlands, Anno Dom 1693, Edward D'Auvergne, can be read online or downloaded in pdf form via Google Books.  

In this post, dear readers, we take a diversion (a meander) into the the eighth installment of my e-book for antiquarians series. In these, I share passages and commentary on an open access e-book of interest that has been scanned and made available in its original form on the interwebs, rendering as close to an authentic reading experience as possible--for free--of an antiquarian volume of interest. If you click the "e-book" link in the blog labels to the right, you can find the other e-book posts. In this case, we visit a contemporary English language account of one of the the wars of Louis XIV: specifically, an account of the campaign of 1693 of the Nine Years War (or War of the Grand Alliance.).  This account was done by Edward D' Auvergne, Chaplain to the Scots Guards, and has first hand accounts of the campaign--it was also penned in November 1693, so is told from a contemporary viewpoint as events were unfolding.  The 1693 campaign had the major battles of the war, Steenkerke and Neerwinden (or Landen) primary among them, as well as the engagement of Leuze and several major siege operations, such Charleroi and Namur.  In addition, this narrative provides a complete picture of a military campaigning of the era, providing both information and inspiration for big battles and small unit actions.  The latter is perfect stuff for rules such as The Perfect Captain's Actions series, Osprey's Pikeman's Lament or my very own modest Smalle Warre system.  Finally, for those peculiar fellows who, like me, derive some small and unreasonable pleasure from reading 17th century typology where "f" is "s"--this book is right up your alley!  

 ORDERS OF BATTLE

Despite being from an English perspective, this little tome has complete orders of battle for both the French and Grand Alliance.  Of particular interest is the contemporary convention for publishing army lists, which runs in order of preference: Page 1 is the Right Wing of Horse. Page 2 is the "Body" of Foot. Page 3 is the Left Wing of Horse.  Each section is then divided into a first and second line, with the squadrons and battalions bracketed into brigades.  Interestingly, this format provides both a listing and an abstract representation the army deployment--albeit "mirrored" since we read from left to right but the list proceeds from right to left.  Also of interest is the term of art of the era, which provides insight into operations.  The middle of the army is not referred to as the "center" but as the "body"--and this is  synonymous with the infantry lines (ie, the "body" of foot).  In this post, as in previous ones, I have included images from the original text as samples: you should be able to clix pix for BIG PIX in order to view them for yourself in this blog. Nevertheless, I encourage more in depth reading via the online text:

FRENCH

(Marshall Luxuembourg)

(Marshall Boufflers)

GRAND ALLIANCE

(Detached Allied Body of Horse)

HORSE THIEVERY AND OTHER "SMALLE WARRE" INCIDENTS

 Although often mentioned, this narrative brings home how much operations were shaped by the imperatives of logistics--particularly with multiple large armies operating in a relatively small theater of operations.  It is safe to say that pitched battles represented one form of conflict, but there was an equally, if not more important, form of conflict going on all the time as armies fought to both control resources and deny them to the opposing sides.  All of these provide grist for the gaming mill.

The imperative to provide grazing and fodder for the thousands of livestock, the cavalry in particular, was often a major consideration in army operations as well as a security challenge. Here is a fascinating narrative of combat between small bodies of troops over grazing horses, one that probably is not unique to this campaign:

Below is an account of a more sizeable mission to gather forced "contributions" from enemy territory (something we would call a "raid" nowadays).  It is interesting to note in the below how flexible these armies actually were. Note the specific task organization of the raiding force gathered together for this kind of mission ( also the types involved: dragoons, grenadiers, etc):

There are several accounts of combats brought about by either protecting or trying to intercept convoys--another common component of warfare in the era that is not often mentioned:

There are fascinating glimpses into assumptions and imperatives for managing armies on campaign during this era, such as avoiding wooded areas in order to limit desertions.  In this particular passage, a common set of woods between the armies becomes an avenue for desertions from both. It is also interesting to note the illustration of another bit of 17th Century military culture--captured or deserting troops taking up service in opposing armies. In this case, it mentions Swiss deserters from the French army getting rounded up and impressed into service with the Swiss regiments in Dutch service:  

One normally associates lines of entrenchments stretching across (modern day) Belgium and the low countries with the Great War. However, this was also the case during the War of the Spanish Succession and the Nine Years War. In order to control territory (and to prevent the enemy from raiding and denuding territory) there were extensive "lines" dotted with redoubts stretching across the landscape. For instance, during the War of the Spanish Succession the "Lines of Brabant" consisted of an arc of 70 miles of fieldworks stretching from Antwerp to Namur. The same thing happened during the Nine Years War, which preceded the WSS. Punching through these lines in order to raid the territory on the other side provides another model of operation not often thought of. Below is a particularly interesting narrative of the allied operation to storm the Point David Redoubt in order to break through the French lines, led by four battalions with a task organized group of grenadiers and pikemen in support--the pikes being bundled together in fours to be used as planks over which fascines would be laid to get over the ditch: try finding that in a set of wargame rules!

The full account of this action is too extensive to reproduce here. I would recommend finding it and reading it in the online text (it starts on page 41).   After the above breakthrough, there is an account of the ongoing operation into enemy territory. It provides both an example of how the armies operated in these missions as well as a reminder of the brutality of warfare, in this case the burning of towns prior to withdrawing in order to denude the area of resources. 

Well, I think that's more than enough to give a sense of this small text. There are also quite detailed accounts of the major battles and sieges, which I will leave to you, dear reader, to discover for yourself in the readily available online e-text. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the era! 

 Excelsior!