The League of Augsburg

Sense the scale of this epic!

Devotion to the cause is the mark of the 17th century gamer. It doesn't come at any higher level than Jean de Dieu Labedoyere's (aka Ian C) game modelling the epic 21 years siege of Iraklion (Heraklio), Crete between 1648 and 1669.

Close in naval support

I am told it was perhaps seven years in the making. My game and this tour de force were side by side at The Other...

Christians approach through the narrows

With the anniversary of this enormous sea battle occurring yesterday, I thought I would fight a little game to mirror the setting and the ships. This is a 1/1200 scale game using Ark Royal Miniatures and a few Langton Christian ships. 

The Ottomans are holding a strong defensive position

I used Mad for Warcombining the galleys and square rigged rules sections...

Héros close in during the heat of the action!

Although co-architect of the attack on the stranded English slaver Temperance, Rupert was prevented from playing anything but the role of spectator on account of a strong north westerly wind. Thomas Darbyshire, master of the grounded vessel, used his long experience at sea to make the best of a difficult position. Lying high and dry in an extremely...

Off the Bakendik Bolong, Rupert attacks the stranded Temperance.

Eight days (15 turns) into the campaign, we are at the 25% mark. It has been an eventful journey so far and the Royalists are no further than four miles from the mouth of the Gambia River. They have had two encounters with Berber pirates coming off worst in the first encounter and being mere spectators to a French victory in the...

I really don't remember having this much stuff, but I guess it has been accumulating over the past few years. Although I will have to top and tail a few units the armies are pretty solid  in terms of numbers and troop types. Here are a few shots of Polish, Cossack, Ottoman and Tatar forces.

They will feature in a few new foreplay scenario packs I am currently working on so, if you are a fan of With...

The campaign has a full and detailed narrative which accompanies the turn by turn mechanics. All of the narrative is based on events which happen in the table-top wargames combined with the role-play conversations and the umpire controlled activities. 

So far, the narrative runs to over 5,000 words for the first ten turns. Below is an extract from 5th March, five days into the campaign and it...

Blog and FB followers of the League of Augsburg can get a £5 discount on this new release from Helion by quoting this code NAP1813. My sources tell me it is flying out the door faster than me when it's my round at the pub!

We've recently begun a campaign recreating the adventures of the itinerant Royalist Fleet on the West African coast in 1652. Under Prinz Ruprecht von der Pfalz known more commonly in Engish as Rupert of the Rhine, a small battered squadron 'privateered' between the Islas Cabo Verde and The Gambia for some weeks. 

Campaign Map

I have manipulated a few facts but nothing too outrageous. We have...

Tomorrow sees a return to Claymore for me. Last time I was there was three years ago and I was lucky enough to win the Best Display game with a land based Ottoman Wars effort in 28mm. This time I am significantly downscaling in line with my green-policy of getting rid of the German tank of a car and opting for a quiet little Nipponese hybrid with much less space inside. 

Having downscaled the...

Let me begin by saying that wargamers and figure painters should have no complaints about this book. It is the most lavishly illustrated guide to the Swedish Army of the GNW period yet produced. My immediate response to a quick flick from front to back was extremely positive. The type face is larger than usual for recent Helion offers which makes the pages look less intimidating. The author is...

Helion are offering a generous 20% discount to League of Augsburg Facebook and Blog followers on this exciting new release covering gaming the 1685 rebellions. Use the discount code Monmouth20. The offer is open until the end of August.