wargaming is everything from gaming on the table top with dice, painting figures, reading history, collecting figures, scenery and rules through to geography, politics, art, crafts and imaginative writing……..
Gabriele Esposito has written a fine Osprey about the Italian Wars of Unification. In fact he has two: Part 1 covering Sardinia/Piedmont plus the two Sicilies while part 2 covers Papal States, Minor States and Volunteers.
They are Men-at-Arms series Nos 512 ansd 520.
This quartet of Ospreys are excellent resources for Italian Wars of Unification.
This particular unit is based for my preferred rulesets by Neil Thomas and Piquet Field of Battle.
With only 12 figures for a battalion they may not be to some people’s liking. Equally they are 1/72 and plastic so 28mm metal fans will have no joy here.
I am quite taken with MAA 520 because it is not just the colour plates that offer so much opportunity and variety. Often in the past Ospreys offered little on uniforms beyond the text for the plates – much of the other text dwelling on potted histories and organisation. These MAA’s offer lots of uniform detail. The black and white plates are very relevant (not always the case in Ospreys), well chosen and in the case of volunteers lots of choice.
I have discovered that there was an English battalion of volunteers in the Sicily campaign of 1860 during the Second War of Unification. It was followed by an English Legion which saw no action. They were all part of the Brigade or Brigata named Dunne after its English Commander.
Plate H1 showing an english volunteer of Brigata Dunne also figures on the front cover of MAA 520.
I used Strelets 1877 Russians in summer dress as they offered the nearest thing to this figure in my view. You might say – well there are plenty of ACW figures that would fill the gap. Well I did look and somehow none looked the part when compared with Strelets 1877 Russians.
Plastic Solder Review complained about the missing bayonets which applies here as well.
I can live with that – 1/72 plastics is often about compromise. I am pleased with the result. In this case Guiseppe Ravas’ illustration made the job easy.
Next up are my first attempt to deal with riflemen or sharpshooters in the Austrian Empire armies. Better known as Jagers or Feld Jagers or the ultimate Kaiser Jagers.
Waterloo1815 did not do this figure type so I found the nearest thing which was the Hat Napoleonic Austrian Landwehr.
This quite unexpected trip into post Napoleonic periods has meant I am quite prepared to compromise and these chaps work at 3 feet distance with shrubberies! I am definitely warming to the Piquet 4 base battalions which also do nicely for Neil Thomas rulesets as well. And the 3 figures per base feels ok in this mid 19th century era.
I have included a mounted officer from the Line Battalions which are still on the paint table.
My Wars of the Italian Unification (WotIU) see the grip of the former Holy Roman Empire, now the Austro-Hungarian Empire loosened and then effectively removed. Some consider the period to be 1848 to 1866. Others take a more broader approach of 1815 to 1870.
Waterloo 1815 fortunately produced some key figure sets covering the Franco-Austrian War of 1859 – as Italy did not exist! it was not considered a belligerent in this war…….The Kingdom of Sardinia was the junior partner of the French side. To be fair the Kingdom of Two Sicilies (Naples) and the Papal States still sided with Austria.
So Waterloo1815 Bersaglieri should be called something other than Italian for 1859. Strelets call their Bersaglieri Sardinian and are shown in the Crimean War (1854) section by Plastic Soldier Review.
Whichever period you settle on, two dates are signficant. 1848 and 1859. In 1848 it was a last hurrah for the Austrians while in 1859 it was the last hurrah for the 2nd French Empire under Napoleon III. As usual the “Italians” provided the battleground and a lot of suffering.
Thats why 1870 is the best date to view Italian unification when the French were effectively removed from the peninsula as the Prussians marched on Paris.
My 1859 Austrian artillery – two Piquet batteries although I think I might just double them up when I get enough done. 2 guns always “looks” better as a battery on the game table.
During the period 1815 to 1870 the Austrian army infantry uniforms changed from all white with tails, gaiters and helmets or shakoes to white kittels with blue trousers, maybe short gaiters and kepi’s plus greatcoats.
The Osprey Nos 323 and 329 Austrian Army 1836-1866 give you the infantry and cavalry but sadly no artillery. Both authored by Darko Pavlovic these pair are an excellent reference book to get started in this period.
First up are my Austrian Artillery who are made by Waterloo1815 in 1/72 and present in 1859 era uniforms and kit. Plastic Soldier Review was not impressed picking out detail errors plus deciding “the look” was all wrong.
Once you get beyond the Napoleonic period though, apart from the Amercian Civil War, it is like tumbleweed blowing across the painting desk until you arrive at World War 1!
I like the brown and blue uniforms
And Plastic Soldier Review comes up short on ideas for the 1859 Franco-Austro-Italian wars anyway. Just 10 sets on offer.
Having opted for 1/72 and essentially 24mm high = six foot tall real humans, I have made this my problem.
I think the artillery pieces look very good although plastic soldier review were appalled at the lifting dolphins locations.
Dolphins a problem? For the solo wargamer though it is an opportunity – CHANCE CARD – Austrian foundries supply miscast barrel dolphins leading to breakages in handling. D6 for number of batteries unavailable at start of campaign!
In previous posts I have set out my thoughts on figure choice and especially the tricky issue of scale figure height.
Given that 28mm scale which is relatively new could not establish some fixed limits then I think the rule is always “if you like it go with it”.
Back to these Austrian Artillerists. They will do for me and as it happens I quite like the quirky design style with their tall kepi’s balanced on their moustachieoed heads.
Back in 2008 Richard Clarke of Too Fat Lardies published Sharp Practice. I had always considered this black powder ruleset very Napoleonic. Yet it is for black powder wars and these ran well into the 19th Century.
Take Two books – published in 1907 and 2008 but connected in just the right way
Enter George Macaulay Trevelyan (GMT) who a mere 100 years before Sharp Practice wrote a trilogy on Guiseppe Garibaldi hero of the Wars of Italian Unification (WotIU).
This little post is not about my current interest in WotIU. We must travel back to the 1830’s and sail to South America. Uruguay to be more accurate.
If I was not up to my armpits in Bersaglieri and Kittel dressed Austrians I might just be tempted south……………
The War for Rio Grande do Sol was fought out between Uruguay and Brazil. Later Uruguay fought Argentina along the rivers that fed the Rio de la Plata.
Garibaldi fled Piedmontese execution in 1836, having failed to cause rebellion in its navy, served in both these wars and became a local hero by 1848.
Garibaldi on his return to the Papal States and revolution
In the process he developed his expertise in warfare, leading bands of highly motivated and very mobile forces. This experience would serve him well on his return to Italy.
Warfare in and around Uruguay was fast, furious and often mounted
I am not sure how you might acquire the GMT trilogy – I got mine from Paul Meekins Military books. There are a few other more modern Garibaldi biographies.
In the introduction to Richard Clarkes Sharp Practice the author makes it clear the rules aim to relive the exploits of 19th century literary heroes. GMT hero worships Garibaldi not least because of his political leanings – a true revolutionary of the people. GMT adds a lot of praise and enrichment to the story shall we say.
Contemporary accounts and later biographies recount small naval actions with Garibaldi being shot on deck and his wife Anita Riberas also being shot as she fought with him. Lagoons, amphibious assaults, cattle rustling (the key cash crop), sieges, river gorges, forests, upland ridgeways, prairie, pampas, arroyas (wooded streams) and canadas (ground dips deep enough to hide your forces in!), not to mention lancer cavalry fighting musket armed soldiers.
If your desperate for figures maybe you could try the Carlists, while at least some of the regular enemies kitted out in napoleonic kit with british style shakoes.
In fact the Risorgimento continues to be fought over as a literary subject in itself. I have enjoyed Lucy Riall’s book which injects some 21st century objectivity into it all. Lucy has also authored a book about Garibaldi, that might be a good starting point for using Sharp Practice in a different way.
Those pesky Bersaglieri cannot be left alone…………..postings to follow
So my offering today is to the jaded “Richard Sharpe” player – cast way those green jackets and take on the slaughterhouse cloth of Monte Video* and march or should I say ride with Garibaldi across the uplands of the Rio Grande do Sol, grossly outnumbered yet most often victorious: And he lived to tell his tales.
*the famous italian red shirts apparently started life as a very cheap industrial clothing for Garibaldis Italian Legion in Monte Video.
In my last post I talked about Neil Thomas and his simple rulesets. For my Virtul VAP21 wargame I have chsoen his rules “Wargaming 19th Century Europe 1815-1878”. A snappy title!
The rules come with some scenarios. I used No1 the pitched battle.
Map 1 was as per the ruleset and objectives of victory the same.
North is up the page and Oldtown is objective B to the left where a north south road leaves town and crosses the river. Objective C is the other town where an east west road crosses and railway at Newtown. No railway tracks – so my excuse is the contractor has laid the track bed but no tracks. Objective A is the hill to the south of the two towns and roughly midway between them. A wood is located in the south east corner.
Monarchist A defends to the south while Monarchist B attacks from the north
The defenders ended up with the following diced up
5 infantry units 4 average quality and one elite
1 skirmisher unit average
1 elite cavalry unit
3 artillery units
The attackers ended up with
8 infantry units 7 average and 1 elite
1 skirmisher unit average
2 elite cavalry units
2 artillery units
Prebattle events were used resulting in “bogged down” for the defender – they lost 1 artillery unit and 1 average infantry unit wandering around looking for a way to march to the gunfire. Maybe it was to march away from the gunfire?
The attackers had the benefit of”Flank March” which meant 2 average infantry units and 1 elite cavalry unit set off to outflank the enemies position.
Both commanders were average so cancelled each other out.
With 15 turns it was simply a case of defender A holding two of the three objectives at the end of turn 15.
I used written rules. A luxury a solo player can enjoy as part of this type of game. This approach allowed me to disassociate myself from both sides. A fog of war was added because I was always writing the orders for the next move +1. So sometimes my anticipated view failed to materialise and my orders which could only be altered by yet another round of orders might seem strange indeed.
abbreviated orders cause no confusion or argument for the soloist.
Let battle commence – no narrative today folks. Its dawn and attacker Monarch B swoops on objective B – Oldtown.
march formations are encouraged under rules, which deploy into line for firefights and just maybe hand to hand combat. Neil Thomas makes the point that morale is flaky so getting close is easy enough, staying in position to attack is quite another matter.I randomly drew cards to place units and this led to some congestion around the wood – yet more problems for Defender (Monarch A)at least Defender (Monarch A) secured Objective AIn the south east a defender (Monarch A) infantry unit struggles through the wood to avoid congestion; the rest of the defenders march boldly forward. Attacker (Monarch B) sends a lone artillery unit along the quite useable railway trackbed to take objective C while an infantry unit discovers the river is quite fordable.The Defender (Monarch A) has determined to take objective B……………Attacker (Monarch B) has put his elite infantry into Old town to secure it.and Objective C – is being approached by the defenders sole elite cavalry unitdefender artillery drop into action near objective C being able to support the attack on Oldtown (objective B) as well. This defending commander is not expecting much is he – ha ha.The defender cavalry drive away the attacking skirmishers near Newtown not realising an enemy artillery unit is hidden nearby.KABOOM the attacker artillery rake the defender elite cavalry. I use small rings of different colours to denote a unit strength as it declines.KABOOM a lone attacker artillery starts to exchange fire with the defender artillery near Newtown. The Attacker infantry are across the river in force making for objective A the hill.a fusilade of fire erupts from the Attacker elite infantry holding the river line.The pesky attacker artillery is swept away by the Defender elite cavalry except the artillery let loose a decimating volley at their demise. Meantime the Attacker has pushed an infantry unit into Newtown. A fire fight continues at the south edge of Oldtown – defender infantry have no desire to rush the bridge.In this scenario extra options included the bogged down defenders late arrivals from the south east ner the wood. And the attackers having a flank attack. Needless to say the flank attack turned up in the same corner of the battlefield that had seen delayed defending units struggling through the wood. The attackers – led by an elite cavalry unit simply went round the wood and onto the railway track bed.The infantry action around Oldtown was warming up with the firefight at the river bridge. The attacking infantry columns are supported by the lone artillery battery directed by the Commander in Chief no less. The defenders left flank infantry now belatedly march toward the defenders collapsing centre.The defenders cavalry attempts to catch the attacking infantry unit before it scuttles into Newtown. In the distance the attackers flank attack is developing nicely with the defenders poor initial deployment now coming home to roostBottom left the attackers flanking infantry arrive while the elite cavalry unit makes ground along the railway line. The defenders right flank infantry only now escaping the wood do not realise the enormity of the situation (this was the elite infantry regiment of the defenders army!). On the central hill the defending commander in chief with his reserve of one infantry unit and one skirmisher unit can see all his problems not least the advancing attacker columns who have crossed the river and see only some skirmishers between them and securing their third objective.The defenders cavalry make a last desparate charge across the river to destroy the enemy artillery battery. They destroy the artillery but are destroyed in turn by the final attackers cannonade – thus depriving the defenders elite cavalry of capturing the Attacking Genral himself!!!!
The attacking elite cavalry attack the hill allowing the defenders right flank infantry to march towards the gaping hole in the defending army centre. The attackers centre columns split to tackle the infantry on the hill and on the enemy left flank.The attackers are not winning everywhere, peppered by the artillery and some infantry fire and finally yet more fire, a central attacker infantry unit succombs and retires.The defenders attack on Oldtown ends as its infantry unit dissolves under the more resolute fire of the elite attacker unit holding the key objective.The flanking elite attacker cavalry crash into the defenders infantry holding the hillThe attackers cavalry attack on the hill fails while defending infantry close in on the remaining attacker infantry who are still south of the river.A second attack on the defenders hill fails and the cavalry crumple, scattering away toward the wood.The remaining attacker infantry taking their queue from the scattering attacker cavalry also abandon the fight and stream back acrioss the river.The defender army has finally secured the hill. It has failed to take Old town and Newtown has fallen into enemy hands.
Add to this the serried ranks of yet more flank attackers and the Defender General knows his position is now untenable and he must retreat.
Victory to the attackers!
It is turn 13 and the attacking General despite his heavy losses has already secured two of his three objectives. The third will soon be his through his flanking troops advance. He does not realise that as night falls they will gain the hill without a fight.
The game was most enjoyable with events quickly evolving in unexpected ways. Confusion in the centre where no clear battle lines appeared felt plausible. The requirement to write rules ahead of each turn meant units could not simply react to the most obvious opportunity.
And it created some narrative
The famous charge of the defenders elite cavalry destroying all the enemy artillery, driving off their skirmishers and nearly capturing the enemy commander!
The stoic defence of old town by the elite attackers infantry
The frustrated defenders elite infantry struggling in the woods near Newtown
The repulse of the Attackers elite cavalry by the Defenders rearguard watched by the commanding general
And while the setting of objectives was mechanical they did not become the sole issue and in fact the defenders position was turned as intended by the attackers flank attack.
In that sense the rules scenario plus the pre-battle options made the game sufficiently complex despite uncomplicated and relatively small armies being used.
So all in all a very nice scenario. Thank you Neil Thomas.
Now where are those white kittel coated Austrians?
I guess I have become an accidental acolyte for Neil Thomas. Why?
In wargames rules terms we live in an era where there are “gazillions” of rules. There are probably AI engines knocking them out these days: I am of the view that wargaming is the multi billion dollar hobby that includes every online gaming app from fortnite to defend the cauliflower patch from aliens (ok I made one up). Miniatures is just an oxbow lake in this mighty river of gaming. And this particular oxbow lake is up to its ears in rulesets for miniatures gaming and seems to love it.
So who needs another ruleset and especially one that is so “retro”?
I do.
Sometimes you have to go back to go forward and just sometimes you can go back and rework an idea using more recent thinking to go somewhere else instead.
I like Neil Thomas rules because there is a hint of Donald Featherstone in his thinking. He is quite direct in his writing – this is useful – and his approach is to apply the right amount of abstraction.
It is quite interesting to reread Donald Featherstone occasionally. For example one of his books is ladled with “scale” as in movement, time and distance: yet Donald says at one point he would rather just approximate matters so he can get on with the game – a battle. The book is his offering on Wargame Campaigns!?
This is my key to Neil Thomas. He wants you to play games and specifically battles. That is his endpoint, the outcome desired.
Neil’s book “Wargaming Nineteenth Century Europe 1815-1878” delivers battles using miniatures. It starts at the end result and is designed to give you a game in a space – typically 6’x4′ or 1.8m x 1.2m and very often less.
Neil presents his take on the various elements that defined the era and then puts all these into a neat package of rules that are brief and to the point.
The rules mechanisms are familiar to those who have his other rules to hand. Not too many and simplicity is the order of the day.
I think the important thing about his rules are what he leaves out – which of course you need to fill in – so abstraction is all.
Neil normally achieves a balanced asbtraction in his rules. They feel right to me. So did I like these rules?
A qualified YES, I have only used them once after several rereads of the book itself.
If Neil Thomas were an artist I would fancy his work would look like this – a detailed landscape of a pretty coastal portI do not think Neil would be offering you this much detail as an artist. Just look at that sky as well.
Both paintings are to be found in the excellent Hull City Ferens Art Gallery: Go visit when lock down ends.
The rules come with scenarios and cover all the key changes in weapons and fighting that occurred from the demise of Napoleon to the Russo-Turkish war of 1878. His rules are so abstract or rather to the point, that technology changes like the railway and telegraph get little mention. Actually covering this periods scope in itself is quite a feat – a bit like a ruleset mixing Napoleonic, AWI and most of the Seven Years War yet along with significant weapon/technology changes.
In 2020 I was at the Lance and Longbow Society stand where Lithuanians and Poles were fighting it out with the Teutonic Knights at the battle of Tannenburg (1410). There were live opponents that day.
For Virtual VAP 2021 I have time warped to around 1850 to play a solo battle.
My latest project is about the Wars of the Italian Unification (WotIU). The outlier campaign is 1848 when the world also first saw Garibaldi play a signficant role in the peninsula.
By 1859/60 Garibaldi was ready for a star role leading 1000 red shirts driving out the Two Sicily’s Kingdom troops from Sicily in short order. I have already discovered some new aspects in my expanded reading on this fascinating period: That Naval muscle helped him was a surprise. And there seems a varied range of battle situations with the red shirts not having it all their own way.
The real wars seem to be fascinating. I normally like to fight with “imagination” forces which offer freedom to generate many battles and situations without the confines of “well that happened next”.
My WotIU armies are still “under the brush” so to speak. This means my game is populated with what is to hand. And the protaganists are the elusive “Empire” and “Kingdom”.
Back to the rules. I chose to start with the early period set – 1815 to about 1850. Smoothbore muskets and cannon. So pretty much Napoleonic era kit.
I had bought the “e book” as a limited dip in the water for a new period. I struggle with using rules in this format even though it is quicker to flick the pages!
So I wrote out on two sides of A5 the rules that seemed to matter.
When you look at them they amount to about a quarter page on movement, a quarter on firing and half on close combat plus a bit on morale.
Neil parcels up his principles clearly even if my scratty writing undoes some of this!So on one side of A4 (2xA5) you have all the rules for a game – neat – unlike my writing
So the usual fare then from Neil. Neil likes his saving throws and uses this double dicing to achieve some of his flavour/depth or granularity. So even though for solo play it seems avoidable this step provides a bit of subtle ebb and flow.
Both the Empire and the Kingdom fielded “Monarchist” armies.
I will run through the resulting battle in my next post.
Wargame shows in the UK are destinations for buyers. Wargamers love to buy at shows. Traders dominate proceedings and given the hobby has been off the high street for decades this is understandable.
So VAP is always a show that involves some buying. For my virtual VAP I have dug out some previous VAP show purchases – not even used – there’s a surprise – NOT!
Not a lead mountain more like a timber mountain. First up the previously bought items are two bridges.
First up is a 15mm scale “corduroy” bridge by 4 ground
The Corduroy bridge is easy to put together although the parts are small and easily damaged if not carefully removed from their frame.
This will serve as a small bridge in my 1/72 20/25mm battles.
The stone bridge in 15mm by 4 ground
The stone bridge is more of a scale item so will look out of scale in 1/72 20/25mm encounters. Unless of course you simply accept the lack of scale compatibility!
The stone bridge takes my element bases so that is a plus.
two useful bridges allow me to “bridge” across to my purchase the other day.
Ian Kay at Irregular Miniatures very quickly supplied some of his mid 19th century figures in both 25/28mm and 20mm.
These are Austrians – a general, cannon plus 4 gunners, two frenchies!!? several austrian infantry all bought as a taster.Arranged around Waterloo1815 1859 Austrians (confused? you ought to be) are Garibaldeans to the left, Piedmontese Line Infantry to the top right and yes some Belgian WW1 infantry bottom right as a tester for 1866 onwards Austrians.
All these purchases are to test my liking for the figures and their matching qualities with my 1/72 plastics.
The dainty Waterloo1815 Austrians were savaged by the Plastic Soldier Review. I quite like them though. The Garibaldeans are slightly smaller while the PSS Reviewed Lucky Toys equivalent (grotesque?) are hitting 25/26mm and with bulk.But not bulky enough to work with the other austrians which are proper 28mm chapsI am going to give these 28mm figures a go. They feel very suitable for a “little wars” type game without the live ammunition! Perhaps even a deliberate “shiney” finish?
I thought I might console myself with a virtual VAP this year via this site. So first up is something about traders.
Vapnartak is run by York Wargames Society volunteers and has a sizeable trader attendance. The York Racecourse site allows plenty of space although the organisers always ensure we all just about fit in!
In more recent times breakout space has improved yet I get the impression the number of traders remains unchanged? Maybe some of the games space has reduced. I am not sure on that.
The traders I have most often shopped with over the years have included
Caliver Books – no links at present
Dave Lanchesters Military Books – no links at present
Caliver Books have always given me a steady supply of books and especially rule books.
Currently preoccupied with mid 19th century warfare, I plan to use Brent Omans Piquet bought from Caliver Books.
I have also dipped into their figures occasionally plus the odd terrain purchase. At the show Caliver are the nearest thing to a street general wargames store before they became gaming cafes or just cafes and now just empty buildings!
These cast and painted buildings from Caliver Books have proved their worth in 2020 in my Saxon, Norman, Viking and Roman Britain outings.
Dave Lanchesters books have been a great source of the older Ospreys and I have often picked up Pen & Sword or Helion publications at great prices.
Many of these Ospreys have been bought at Dave’s store at various shows, all sadly missed.
And Dave has some really excellent condition out of print books.
Irregular Miniatures provide simply a vast range of figures and items that is staggering. Always something tempting to buy.
No pic, I hope to have some news in another post in Irregular.
Magister Militum, Westwind/Forged in Battle and Museum Miniatures have been my preferred 15mm suppliers – mainly ancients.
Forged in Battle command pack, detail is excellent.
All their figures have character despite their small size. I owned some 6mm Naploeonics back in the day but never got the bug so 15mm is as small as I go.
Museum Miniatures “Red Guard” drive off some pesky out of production Corvus Belli Cathaginians. Museum Miniatures got me into 15mm.
Funnily enough Peter Pig is another 15mm supplier yet it is his rules I have loved over the years – RFCM (Rules for the Common Man) remain the only other ruleset for pick up games I automatically think of for WW2 outings aside from my house rules based on the venerable Don Featherstone offerings. OK I do own Too Fat Lardies rules which really are the most engaging game rules in my view. However I have to be in the mood to play them!
Peter Pigs Bloody Barons have also found out my interest in the past although the figure scale has been 28mm or even Mike Tittensor’s SOA Bronze Age deriviative that saw 1/72 plastics take the field.
Peter Pig gave excellent pre game rules in their Wars of the Roses ruleset.
S&A Scenics have given me some excellent scenery of the “precise” kind and which give a nice “gamey” feel to a table top.
That clipped grass and trees from S&A Scenics just cries out for some shiney victorian era soldiersS&A Scenics do offer some nice crossover trees as well
In stark contrast Last Valley offer you trees and hedgerows which do feel very realistic to me. I like both – and yes use both together on occasion!
Last Valley make some nice pieces that often appear in my games.Many a time this last valley copse has held a unit or some piece of armour
Sally 4th have offered various companies products and I have often bought the Foreground pre coloured laser cut wood kits along with original citadel paints.
The detail on these buildings is so fine it is wasted in the gaming context at 3 feet or 1 metre. Mind you Foregrounds view on chiminies just does not chime with the rest of these exquisite models!
Dice are always in demand even if I don’t need them. The Dice Shop does what it says!
Pendraken Miniatures have also yielded some nice dice and I invariably get my bases from them. Alas their delightful figure ranges are just too small for me.
you can never have too many Pendraken bases in store!
I have a soft spot for 1/72 or small 25mm or large 20mm (take your pick). So Tumbling Dice have supplied some nice Dark Age figures.
Scale has always been a problem – Lamming 1970’s 20/25mm norman/saxons bookend 4 Tumbling Dice 1/72 true scale Saxon/Norman foot command figures
Last but not least are Magnetic Displays although I always remember them as Coritani. I buy their paintbrushes and occasionally paints. While their range of terrain features are always compelling and Renedra plastics have often figured in my purchasing, I always obtain spear reinforcements from Trevor & Paula who I just find are simply the most helpful and engaging of traders.
You always need a store of gabions and versatile bridges! Yes this is very old stock I rediscovered – which means I have too much stuff.
And of course there was the “infamous?” bring & buy scrum alley where pitches were offered on a time restricted basis. I could never make up my mind if it was any better than an ordinary bring and buy, except it crucially saved the wargames club members acting as intermediaries – double handling cash and items.
I managed to make some purchases. I never bought bad due to the selling mechanism so thats a good thing.
Whatever your wargaming activity I hope you are able to support your favorite traders despite the pandemic and the decimation it has caused to so many people in so many ways.
No pictures for this weekend show. Usually VAP is the Wargames show that kicks off my year, I often spend quite a bit having saved at Christmas for a show that to my mind always offered an excellent mix of traders.
Over at the Duchy of Tradgardland blog the pleasure of well illustrated uniform books was raised.
So, I thought I would put some of my favourite uniform books on parade.
Before I do that, I am parading a book that many wargamers will not be familiar with. I picked it up in a shop clearance in Exeter. A book on costumes might seem irrelevant to wargamers: Army uniforms were designed to meet the needs of warfare. That is true, also true is that civilian fashion will have driven those aspects which were not entirely driven by the practice of warfare.
For my latest project – the Wars of the Italian Unification – I can say that civilian costumes for men seem fairly static from 1800 to about 1880, loose trousers and frock coats abound, even tailcoats are still in evidence. Prior to 1800 the combination of tricorne, short waistcoat, knee breeches and stockings spanned roughly 1750 to 1800.
I noticed that if anything military uniform seems conservative with mid 19th century Kingdoms like “The Two Sicily’s” still equipping some troops in what looks like 50-year styles, without tricornes though.
So, looking at the civilian costumes makes me feel more relaxed about what soldiers would be wearing and when during those 1800’s. When you add in regulations being only periodic and often reliant on funding and supply you can make the case for some latitude in what a unit was wearing.
On the other hand, Wargamers love military uniform books and probably cannot survive without the certainty of that presentation. That assumes the uniform you want is the one shown!
Onto the book parade
First up are “ageing nicely” my four Funckens, Ancient Egypt to the 18th century; 18th century to the present day plus the Napoleonic Wars Parts 1 & 2. I have had these 40+ years.
I really like these books because the artwork is literally that. Paintings where the brushstroke give an enduring roughness to the figures and horses. These books ideas are most transferable to wargames figures in my view.
Next up are two smaller A5 sized books from Denmark – authors Niels Saxtorph (illustrated by Stig Bramsen) and Preben Kannik having their work translated into English and published by Blandford. These are more sharply defined figures with crisp artwork. Yet the style is still visibly “pre-digital”.
Rounding off the “old style” are the three volume Funckens – “the Age of Chivalry Parts 1,2 and 3. Fantastic is an understatement.
Modern day wargamers might say – no need for this book lark as I get all my images online. Well, I guess that is so, although many will be photos of publications including those I have mentioned and possibly not attributed.
More to the point is the issue of OSPREY publications – the elephant in the room. For sheer volume there is no competition. Osprey have delivered the hobby an immense range of work for decades. Most of it as good as the Funckens or Blandford’s or superior and often backed by better research which is to be expected.
And yet despite the illustrations becoming ever more “accurate” digitally there seems to me something lost.
I can best illustrate this with my final offering.
4 Ospreys from their “men at arms” series Nos. 323, 329, 512 and 520.
The Austrian Army 1836-1866 parts 1 & 2. Both written and illustrated by Darko Pavlovic they are an excellent read and the colour plates well chosen and detailed. Yet there is something cold about them.
And this is illustrated by the Armies of the Italian Wars of Unification 1848-1870 parts 1&2. Written by Gabriele Esposito and illustrated by Giuseppe Rava the illustrations are richer and warmer. They hark back to the pre digital Funckens in a way that perhaps Darko Pavlovic’s Austrians pay homage the work of Preben Kannik instead.
So, in this digital era I still think there is a place in uniform illustration for roughness, approximation and a level of abstraction – which is what wargames really are about.
And I really do enjoy opening a book and turning a page – no amount of digital paraphernalia currently does the same thing.
As Leo Tolstoy wrote “if you look for perfection, you’ll never be content”.
The Wargaming Erratic 