Convention Gaming and Works in Progress

Last weekend we had our local miniature wargaming convention, Nashcon, after a year's hiatus due to Covid. It was great to be back with friends I had not seen in a long time!  The convention was in a new location that worked well and the organizers of the event did a masterful job.  Due to Delta, many of us were still in masks just as an extra precaution on top of vaccinations.  While most folks felt safe enough to game without the masks, there were a number of folks wearing them and everyone was very considerate of each others choices.  

Getting a a game of Triumph in with Carson Greene under the helpful gaze of Brian Caskey, who helped walk us through some of the nuances of Triumph

Here my Romano-British tried to hold the hill against Carson's horse archers, while on the opposite flank, I had lured his elephants into some bad going.

 

https://www.wgcwar.com/

Triumph is a DBA variant with the addition of a point based army system, that adds a nice layer of complexity to the 12 on 12 model of DBA.  The combat tables are a bit more easily navigated than DBA 3.0, with situational modifiers being more readily assessed.

Rod Cain with the help of William Hupp and Brian Caskey, hosted a wonderful Grand Triumph battle of Hydaspes.  I played Poros and my elephants were roundly spanked.  Clearly I still have a lot to learn!

Here you can see Poros on his elephant all alone, his elephant riding compadres having all been dispatched by the Macedonians or by a confused retreat into more elephants.  It really was ugly for the Indians!

Beautifully painted armies!

In addition to playing Triumph I have been enjoying L'art de la Guerre.  This game ramps up the complexity level by the addition of more troop types and variations among troop classes, as well as the addition of shooting and evasion on horseback.  A great set of rules once you get the hang of it, but more complex to set up and build armies for.

http://www.artdelaguerre.fr/adlg/v3/?/en/overview

My game with Chris Greene convinced me it was time to invest in the latest edition of the rulebook.

After Nashcon it was time to clear my desk of some projects that have been hanging on and to get started on the next addition to my shiny Napoleonic armies. 

The units on deck and ready to be painted are already piling up.  Chomping at the bit are the French Imperial Guard Grenadiers and Marines, a Spanish artillery battery, a Bavarian artillery battery, additional figures for the French 13th Cuirassiers, and a skirmish unit of Bavarian jagers.

I am also working on the Legion du Midi who were brigaded with the Legion Hanovrienne.  More on this unit later, but here is a quick teaser.  These illustrations were sent to me by none other than Phillip Haythornthwaite in answer to a question I had posed to him regarding the shakos worn by the legion.

When phillip Haythornthwaite tells you there is no evidence of shako cords having been worn by the rank and file, it behooves you to get out the clippers and files.  Also note the addition of epaulets, shako plates and carrot shapped pompoms.

Just a few more little tweeks and this battalion will be ready for priming and painting.

As you can see, lots of painting is in my future.  Thanks to everyone who helped with and attended Nashcon, with a special thank you to all those who ran games.  Was great to see everyone again!

Unboxing the Tennant Collection and a New Fancy Home for Them!

The Tennant collection of approximately 2750 1/72 Hinton Hunt miniatures, all exquisitely painted, have been calling to me in dismay that they have not been released from their shipping containers for more than a few moments.  The wait has been too long, but at long last I have found a suitable display, and with spousal permission to customize our study into a display space for my collections, the time was ripe to set them free!

To properly display such a wonderful collection, I first needed to spruce up the study.  Changes include blinds for the massive windows to help with reflections on pictures and the display cabinet opposite the windows.  Additionally, to open up the room, I relocated a dark secretary type cabinet and replaced it with a more open shelf and a framed print from the battle of Nashville.

 My wife Cindy encouraged me to keep at least some element of whimsy in the room, so below the bookshelf is an old Marx 12 inch action figure of Geronimo, that I have hung onto from the days of my youth.  I did have to find a deal on the box with the accessories as most of mine had been lost through the ages.

 Howard Pyle is a favorite author/illustrator of mine and I was pleased to find he had painted a mural for his home state of Minnesota of the Battle of Nashville, where Minnesotans fought for the Union.

http://education.mnhs.org/portal/battle-nashville-painting

 On the opposite wall I placed a print of Jules Giradet's
 Marie Louise of Austria and Napoleon Bonaparte with their son, Napoleon II, that actually came from my wife's grandmother.  Cindy always hated this print so was only too glad to get it out of the dining room where it has been for probably 15-20 years.

https://mycravatundone.tumblr.com/post/112884101807/tiny-librarian-scenes-of-marie-louise-of-austria 

In addition there are a few framed notecards of a French Hussar and a young Napoleon, as well as a  Knotel print of troops from Hesse-Darmstadt

 Tucked away in a nook of the study is my modest library of reference sources and the like, next to a neat framed first day of issue postage stamp release from the Isle of Man in honor of Colonel Mark Wilks who was Governor to St. Helena whilst Napoleon was interned on the island.

 

 Below the artwork is a small display of some WWII modelling I did, that was actually the source of my re-engagement with this hobby in my middle age.

 I custom built a small insert for the display case so the panzers would have some suitable terrain to roll over.

 

These were in the bedroom for years, and as I am sure you can imagine, might dear spouse was happy to see them depart that room!

Against the back wall is however the central focus piece of the room, not only for its sheer size, but also for what it contains; the Hinton Hunt Collection of Richard Tennant - with a few of my own snuck in as well...  Below are a series of photos that I hope will show the sheer scope of this collection.  I will not attempt to detail the contents but will just let the collection speak for itself.

 Despite the huge collection of miniatures, there was still enough space to display a couple of uniforms that were a gift of a dear friend.  Above is a jacket of the 48th Canadian Highlanders, who are affiliated with the famous Gordon Highlanders.

 Also included is a vintage WWII Air Corps uniform in fantastic condition.

And finally a smattering of patches from American units in WWII.

DBA Marian Romans and Spanish Auxillaries

The new army lists in DBA give the Marian Romans a little extra variety, so I decided to add some of the Spanish, and Numidian allies.  I assume the elephant was probably supposed to be from Numidia, but I have chosen a hang over from the Carthaginians, and in any event thought it would look best as an element in Scipio's army.

VVV decals were used to decorate the beast.  One of Scipio's Iberian allies guards the elephant on foot.

On the other side of the elephant, a warrior in captured Roman armor guards the elephant from the attack of lightly armed psiloi.

Iberian heavy cavalry - ineffective but pretty.

Here's what started this whole project.  I found some Roman Bolt Throwers in my collection of unpainted lead from Testudo miniatures, and couldn't resist getting them into action.  In their first outing versus an Indian army, they proved devastating to the enemies elephants.

Numidian allied light horse - the most feared horsemen on the battlefield.

Spanish light infantry auxiliaries.

And the heavies - really had fun with the shields!

The largish Xyston figures mix quite nicely with the Testudo Romans - next up, the Gallic mercenaries of Caesar.