The League of Augsburg

It's Saturday, I'll build a castle

by augsburgeroberst


I have several new scenarios coming up for the 17th century naval campaign. I needed something that resembled a Scottish castle. I thought - just a tower. Then, what about a tower on a rocky outcrop? Then that morphed into... maybe I could expand it to look like the stronghold of a clan chief with outbuildings etc.. yeah...




Now, how was I going to do that. Well, two cups of coffee, various rummages...
Posted in 17th century naval campaign, Basing, Ireland, Nine Years War, Painting, Restoration and Dutch Wars, Scenarios, Terrain, The War of Spanish Succession, Wargaming

I found it in a box....

by augsburgeroberst



I obviously bought this for my 28mm projects about the time I was making merchant ships and pinnaces however it was long overlooked in a box, buried under other non started projects. During a recent wargaming colonic irrigation I cleared out much accumulated clutter. Purchases which never got off the stocks or even out of the bubble wrap.



I came across this. I remember buying it at Claymore two or...
Posted in 17th century naval campaign, Beneath the Lily Banners, Ireland, Modeling, Nine Years War, Painting, Restoration and Dutch Wars, The Glorious Revolution, The High Seas, Wargaming

Medway Project: the second board

by augsburgeroberst
Completion of the first (and most complex) board for my Medway Campaign fired me up to attack the second. I managed to get it from plain MDF to finished product sans the varnish in less than a week.


Unadorned Board 1 with unpainted board 2 - just sizing it up and getting motivated to begin the paint job.


This section, downriver from the Royal Dockyard stretches from Upnor Castle, an Elizebethan era...
Posted in 17th century naval campaign, Modeling, Painting, Restoration and Dutch Wars, Terrain, Wargaming

Medway stage 2

by augsburgeroberst
A dressed shot of the dockyard looking east from White Wall Creek. 


When I started the project I knew where I wanted it to go but it seemed somewhat of a tall order. Several months down the track and I believe the most difficult bits are behind me. Most of the ships are done. The dockyard board which is the most involved, is done bar the shouting - one minor road change plus the appearance of a...
Posted in 17th century naval campaign, Modeling, Painting, Restoration and Dutch Wars, Terrain, The High Seas, Wargaming

Walking through 17th century naval rules Part 2 - Hail Mary!

by augsburgeroberst
What will happen to the unlucky Eendraght?

The walk through of my evolving naval rules for the 1640-1700 period continues where we pick the action up at the beginning of Turn 4 with the Allies once more winning the initiative which allows them to move first or, compel the French to move.




By the firing step in T4 the Allies had manouevred ships into two opportunities. The first involves Eendraght,...
Posted in 17th century naval campaign, Basing, Modeling, Nine Years War, Painting, Restoration and Dutch Wars, Scenarios, Terrain, The High Seas, Wargaming

Walking through 17th century naval rules Part 1

by augsburgeroberst
Let me start by saying thanks to Neil Fox for helping me get onto this path in the first instance. He sent his Solebay Fast play sheets to me and I played many games with them to get a feel for the issues around naval gaming and in particular the period 1650-1700.

The Allied squadron in line astern

The more I played, the more I enjoyed, the more I tinkered. The new situations offered additional...
Posted in 17th century naval campaign, Basing, Modeling, Nine Years War, Painting, Restoration and Dutch Wars, Terrain, The High Seas, Wargaming

I bet you thought I'd abandoned this..

by augsburgeroberst


On the contrary my friends, or should that be Integendeel, mijn vrienden! It takes focus to get a substantial project finished and I had run out of gas with changing short term priorities after completing three of the four corners of this table during the late summer.


Aerial view of layout to get a feel for how it might build. I completed various buildings before attempting the gorundwork.

The most...
Posted in 17th century naval campaign, Basing, Modeling, Painting, Restoration and Dutch Wars, Scenarios, Terrain, Wargaming

The Big One - The Texel AAR Part 2 and conclusion

by augsburgeroberst
Back with the climactic conclusion to the Battle of the Texel...

Tonnant (far left) stern rakes Vrijheid (far right) igniting a magazine. Royal Therese is already on fire(right foreground).

Turn  9  A breath of fresh air
The wind had moved to a light northerly and ships were permitted only to move at half speed to simulate their emergence from the torpor of a flat sea. The most alarming situation for...
Posted in 17th century naval campaign, Restoration and Dutch Wars, Scenarios, The High Seas, Wargaming

The Big One - The Texel AAR Part 1

by augsburgeroberst
Into battle! Admiral de Ruyter's Centre squadron at the Battle of The Texel August 21st 1673

It was with great anticipation that I got ready to throw the first dice in this scenario. It was in the planning for weeks. The largest number of ships I had managed to get on the table, probably stretching the limits of a 4 x 4 feet set-up. I had some question marks about how the rules might hold up in...
Posted in 17th century naval campaign, Painting, Restoration and Dutch Wars, Scenarios, The High Seas, Wargaming

The Big One - Part 2 The Fleets

by augsburgeroberst
For the game I matched the fleets at around 2575 points give or take. The number of line of battle ships was twelve apiece with the Dutch using one frigate and the Allies two. In addition the Dutch used six fire ships and two hoekers whilst the Allies used four fire ships and two yachts.

 Dutch fleet

de Ruyter's Division

De Zeven Provincien (80)
Voorsichtigheid (84)
Spiegel (70)
Maagd van Dordrecht (68)
...
Posted in 17th century naval campaign, Painting, Restoration and Dutch Wars, Scenarios, The High Seas, Wargaming

The Big One... Part 1 Getting organized

by augsburgeroberst
Cruising off the Dutch coast - d'Estrees White Squadron with the English Red and Blue behind.

I have been motivating myself with the thought of a large-scale fleet type battle for a while. As I have split my painting efforts between English, Dutch, French, Barbary and Chinese vessels I had to find something that would allow me to maximize the number of models on the table within a historical...
Posted in 17th century naval campaign, Restoration and Dutch Wars, Scenarios, The High Seas, Wargaming

Nest of Vipers: Tripoli, July 2nd 1666

by augsburgeroberst
Visitors to the blog may remember Sir Jeremy Smith's failed attempt to convoy merchantmen into Tangier past Berber Corsairs:

Weather beaten? Smith at Tangier

Here, Smith attempts to root them out in their home port....


Looking out from Tripoli at Smith's 'Tangier Squadron'

The humiliation suffered within sight of Tangier on March 5thso enraged the King and the Navy Board that Sir Jeremy Smith was...
Posted in Restoration and Dutch Wars, Scenarios, Tangiers, The High Seas, Wargaming