The League of Augsburg

I have just uploaded a new League of Augsburg style video called a Flypast. It gives a 5 minute primier on a topic of interest in this case, the legendary yeniçeri or Janissary Corps of the Ottoman Empire. 

If you enjoy it, please give it a like and subscribe to the LoA channel

A grand fleet - Charles II's battleships 1666

At Partizan this year I am doing something different. I am running a 'demo rules-workshop' where anyone curious about Anglo-Dutch naval wargaming can come along, throw a few dice, try a few mechanisms and ask lots of questions. 

Line of battle developed between 1652 and 1660

I will set up gaming scenarios in three different scales to explain the scope of...

If you don't know much about the Four Days Battle of 1666 there is a hole in your life! This epic sea battle between the Restoration English Navy and that of the Dutch Republic involved a massive number of ships - around 160, over 40,000 men and in excess of 9,000 guns. It was fought over four days (hence the name!) with some fighting also happening at night.

It is crammed full of desperate...

This took a while but it was worth it purely from a personal point of view. Having been a bit unwell I needed something to motivate me and cheer me up. I decided to play a big solo wargame but with a difference. I wanted to do it slowly, recorded everything in text and photos and produce an analysis and compendium reference work for others to learn from and enjoy. 

That meant, playing the game in...

I had fun making this. It is a Donnybrook scenario built around the mysterious death of Colonel Charles Herbert at the Battle of Aughrim on July 12th 1691.  You can see the video here:

Herbert might be described in modern parlance as 'dangerous to know'. His death may have been at the hands of his own side. A chaotic rout provided the perfect cover for Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.

This game called K...

I've been threatening to do an Aughrim video for the YouTube Channel for a while and finally got round to completing it. The Red Bog scenario is a regimental sized BLB game with 1:10 model to man ratio and is played in the 4PlayX format - 4 x 4 table, 8 turns .

It turned out rather well and got me fired up to continue with the Irish output for BLB, 4Play and background reading and reference...

Capital units of the Swedish fleet head north towards Stockholm, June 1st 1676

..... I will get to play my Christmas game which this year I have decided is a version of the Battle of Öland, June 1st 1676. This will be my largest effort with 1/1200 17th century ships and my target is to included 36 models. That leaves me about four weeks to paint up 7-8 ships several of which are big 'uns.

Highly...

+ 

Triremes - aphract and cataphract - very common for over 200 years.

Warfare Miniatures will soon be releasing an extensive range of 1/1200 metal warships covering the period 500 BC till the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. This is a further consolidation of our naval offer. The ships are designed by the same talented artist who created the Anglo-Dutch Wars ships range.

The scenario...

First release in the series on Prince Rupert's campaigns

I have enjoyed reading and exploring the exploits of a quite remarkable figure form the 17th century. Not the fairly well trodden but brief path of his adventures in the land campaigns of the War of Three Kingdoms between 1640-1647, but the far more sustained period of his contribution to history. His activities as a naval commander between...

Kronan heels over in a gust of wind - WiP shot - not yet finished

I am working on various projects right now including several in 28mm but none of those are quite ready for sharing. This little flight of fancy however, is.

The Battle of Öland which occurred on June 1^st1676 during the Skåne War was a major fleet engagement and a disastrous defeat for Sweden. In terms of drama on the high seas, it...

Svärdet (Sword) 94 guns, flagship of Admiral Claes Uggla in the scenario

The naval dimension to the Skåne War is both exciting and less well known that the land campaigns. Many know of battles like Halmstad, Landskrona and Lund. Often the Swedes are seen as the the sharper, ascendant military power and the Danes as somewhat bumbling and plodding. Whether right or wrong, at sea the picture was...