The League of Augsburg

I am sure you have heard of Blackbeard's ship, Queen Anne's Revenge. When we started with Donnybrook a few years back Mr. Harrison, of this parish, got me all fired up to the extent that I painted and based the thick end of 200 miniatures which feature liberally in Donnybrook. He, on the other hand, painted... none!

Old score's are best settled cold. So this is Hilton's Revenge! I have worked on...

My end of year game this year was novel for a two main reasons.  Firstly, it was out of period - An English Civil War era, full scale naval battle. Secondly, my battle report is not being delivered in the traditional way. 

I have chosen to create a 15 minute video battle report. It has taken quite some time to create but I am trying to set myself a new level of aspiration. I wanted it to be as...

Sovereign of the Seas

Getting the hang of this. I have uploaded a full teaser to the rules on YouTube now you can find it here:

Mad for War Teaser video

Have the first LoA tutorials done. Those are for Mad for Wra but I'll get along to BLB, R2E and Donnybrook very soon.

I have started my long promised commitment to video content. I made a short introductory video to Mad for War which I have uploaded to YouTube on a League of Augsburg channel. My hope is that both Clarence and I will use this channel to support Donnybrook, Beneath the Lily Banners, Republic to Empire, Victory without quarter and Mad for War. 

I have a few instructional videos to upload over the...

I have been working on these behind the scenes to get them ready for release before Christmas. The first is the missing #18. As many blog members are collecting the series, a few of the sharp eyed had noticed that this number was missing from the sequence and had asked about it. 

I had partially finished it during the last release but held it over to make a few tweaks. Here it is at last. The first...

 Why?

My lifelong interest in naval wargaming has only recently been allowed to flourish. The research needed to complete a comprehensive set of rules for the period 1630-1720 made it clear that the vast majority of naval action involved a handful of small ships. The mega sea battles of which there were many, are the mere tip of an enormous berg. By ignoring the small ship action anyone interested...

Off the Scillies Commonwealth and Royalist small ships clash

Table is 4 x 4 - I wondered whether it would be big enough

All of the 28mm stuff I have finished thus far is of 30 guns or less. I will also detail some actions...

The first iteration of this converted Ainsty kit is as a 6 gun ketch Fox serving with the Royalist privateers sailing out of the Scilly Isles.

The vessel started life as a single masted sloop. I decided on a bit of conversion work and ended up with something which I am pretty pleased with. As time goes by and I feel less inclined to be lugging stuff to shows, I decided that permanently rigging some...

Undoubtedly, left field but, when I saw it, several little projects aligned - Tangier, Omani and Indian pirates, 4Play scenarios, Donnybrook and the new naval rules I am devoting a lot of creative time to.

Crew are Warfare Miniatures - Ottoman Irregulars OT11/OT12 packs + new officers

I have warmed up hugely to laser cut models. With a little care they can be lifted from the prosaic to characterful...

 How do you turn two models into twelve usable pieces? With a little bit of lateral thinking, some balsa wood, paint, glue, sandpaper and time.

I wanted to get the maximum scenario use from the two converted small ships I purchase from Ainsty. I will deal with their masts and sails in a later post but I wanted to get all the serious hull building work completed first before frigging in the rigging....