Ulfhednar

I got some Vikings to paint on commission, the first ones to be finished are 8 Ulfhednar. The minis are form Foundry.

AAR Salute 2012

My 300th post :)

Here a short AAR of my days in London and ofcourse Salute 2012. The trip was well worth. Broke my spending budget by far, dont tell my wife...

Stephen that running Janners Jaunt was kind enought to guide me around in London, introducing me to nice fellows in the hobby and allso showed me the splendid Wallace Collection...or at least the 4 rooms with arms and armours:)

So in short I had some greate days in London and at salute !!!

Stephen was helping out at the Oshiro modelterrains stunning Samurai demo.

Oshiro modelterrain are run by James, a really talanted modelmaker.

Skraelings by Gripping Beast, I didn´t get any... But I picked up my small pre-order and got a chanse to say hi to Andy and Darren, realy nice chaps!

David Imire and Andrew Taylor at Claymore Castings was runing a realy nice demo game. 

Romans vs. caledonians using the in-development version of Dux Britanniarum from TooFatLardies

This game caught my interest, its a Baltic Crusade game using the in-development rules Deus Vult! by Fire Forge games. 

They had a realy nice pre-production copy to flicker through... Looking forward to the release later this year:)

3-ups of the comming Fire Forge games plastic crusader infantry. The pland to release 2 boxes, armoured and unarmoured by the end of this year. 

Now I´m back at the conveyor belt, painting 2 SAGA warbands on commission...then I will continue with my Kalmar Union War Project...

Later Medieval Swedish Army

At last some pictures of stage#1 of my 28mm Later Medieval Swedish army for my Kalmar Union War project.

In my mind a quite typical Medieval Swedish army, about 80% Allmoge Infantry and 5-10% each of Knights, Skyttar (mtd x-bow men) and other specialist like handgunners. It was common for the swedish knights to dismount and lead the Allmoge units from the front.

In Hail Caesar terms... 3 Commanders, 6 average units of Allmoge infantry, 1 small unit of Knights, 1 small units of Skyttar and 1 small unit of Handgunners. The front of each unit are 120mm so they will work fine for Impetus and Scottorum Malleus to. Might get me some movement trays...

The minis are from numerous of manufacturs, but most from Perry and Kingmaker.

Vanward command. Handgunners and Skyttar to scout ahead of the army.

Mainward of 4 units of Allmoge soldiers

Rearward made up of the army elit 2 units of Darlecarlian Allmoge:)

Of to Salute:)

Tomorrow I´m of to London and Salute 2012.

I don´t think I will be able to post here for a couple of days. But I will post some pictures of the finished stage#1 of my Later Medieval Swedish army before I go...promise...

I hope to see some of you on Saturday at Salute !

Best regards dalauppror

Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson

This is the The 3rd command and last stand for Stage1 of my Swedish 15th century army. Minis from Perry and... not sure of the left banner holders...

At the moment this will represent The Swedish Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson from the House of Oxenstierna. But Archbishop Jöns sided both ways as long as he and he´s family had something to gain out of it...

The left banner are the Archbishops personal banner, a combination of the Coat of Arms of the house: Oxenstierna and the Archbishop Coat of Arms. The Right one are the Banner of Saint Erik, a banner that was keept in the Archbishop´s Cathedral of Uppsala.

As King Karl Knutsson (Bonde), to escape from money troubles, increased taxes and confiscated church property, dissatisfaction spread among clergy and people, and Bengtsson placed himself at the head of the opposition in 1457.

Entering his cathedral, he laid aside his pontifical insignia, took up helmet, breastplate, and sword, and announced his intention not to resume his pontifical robes until King Karl should be banished from the country. After the Battle of Älgsundet in february 1457, the King was forced to yield and fled to Germany.

Thereupon Christian I of Denmark was formally recognized King of Sweden, and crowned at Stockholm by the Archbishop.

General discontent soon followed, especially when Christian, on becoming heir to his uncle, Duke Adolph of Holstein, found himself in great financial straits. To meet his obligations, he levied enormous taxes, even in Sweden, without exempting ecclesiastics, religious foundations, or the moneys collected by papal mandate to defray the expenses of a crusade against the Turks.

During a temporary absence of Christian I in Finland, the archbishop held the regency of Sweden; seeing the people in revolt against him and the heavy imposts, he took up their cause and suspended the collection of taxes. The king showed his displeasure by arresting the archbishop and sending him to Denmark.

A revolution broke out afresh in Sweden: Karl VIII was recalled to the throne, and Christian I, to recover the country, became reconciled with his prisoner. The Archbishop went at once to Sweden, where he roused the people against Karl VIII, whom he excommunicated.

The archbishop succeeded finally in bringing about Karls' abdication, and the recognition of Christian I once more as King of Sweden. In reality, however, the archbishop held the effective reins of power and administered affairs as though he were the actual sovereign. He was unable to sustain this role. Discontented factions combined against him and, in 1466, elected Erik Axelsson Tott as regent, whereupon the Archbishop was compelled to retire.

Dissensions continued, and the king of the Swedish party, Karl VIII, once more took the place of the king who represented the union of the three countries. The archbishop found an asylum with his friend Magnus Gren, on the island of Öland. Here he died at Borgholm on 15 December 1467, "poor and exiled, regretted by no one, hated by many, and feared by all".

The key to the political activity of Bengtsson is to be found in the ambition that was a part of his character — ambition for his family and his country. There was a strong antagonism between the great Oxenstjerna family, to which the archbishop belonged, and the Bonde family, of which the king, supported by the national party, was member.

Moreover, the archbishop was aware that the nobility and the leading men of Sweden, before the Union of Kalmar, had in general failed to respect the clergy and the property of the Church. In a union of Sweden with Denmark and Norway, he foresaw a limitation of the power of the Swedish nobles; in his character of archbishop, it was clear to him that such curtailment would be a safeguard to the temporalities of the Church.

Scottorum Malleus Playtest #2

Here come a 2nd AAR from our playtest of Dan Mersey, authour of the upcoming Dux Bellorum, latest (under development) wargaming rules "Scottorum Malleus". The rules are a set of medieval wargaming rules in the same spirit as Dux Bellorum...at least I think so;)

This time we used my 15mm Impetus based Lithuanians and Polish early medieval armys. Based with 80mm front. Gaming area 60x120cm.

OOB

Polish
1xKn(Gen)
2xKn
2xBw
1xSp
1xPs
1xRe-roll (to even the army points)

Lithuanian
1xLH(Gen)
6xLH
2xAx
2xPs

Set-up. The Polish deployed there hard hitting Knights in the center covering their left flank with archers and anchor there right flank against a plowed field with some skirnishers and a unit of sperarmen as support...saddle-up and the Polish Knights are on their way...

The Lithuanians that have an army composed to about 80% of skirmishers was allowed to deploy up to the center of the board. Meeting the Polish with a screan of fast light horses.

The Lithuanians had the initiative and moved their light horses closer to the polish lines to enable some shooting... They had just started to shoot then the Polish Knights made a charge !!!

The Lithuenians made a swifth retreat and continued to harass the Poles with shooting... the poor Polish skirmisher had now had enought and fleed the field...

The Polish Knights continued their impetuous charge over the muddy battle field, catching the Lithuenian light horse one again, this time they didn´t manage to escape...

The red dices behind the Knights show how many hits they taken so far from the Lithuenian shooting...

Even the Polish archers made a charge sins they discovered that there shooting was totaly ineffective against the Skrimishing Lithuanians.

Knights are realy tough on the offensive, as they should, and two of the Lithuanian units was dispatched...smells like Polish victory...

Actually one of the Polish Knights was also beaten, BUT they was saved by a divine intervention in the shape of a lucky one and only Polish re-roll...they can be handy some times...

At the right the Lithuanian Light Horses disengaged the Polish Bows...

The Lithuanian commander gathered his followers and moved out to the left starting to concentrate their shooting on some Polish Knights...

The other Polish Knight turned his attention to the left and charged a unit on Lithuanian Spermen in the flank, they run for their lifes...The Knights just press forward in to the flank of the next unit of Spearmen...

Much damage have been delivered to several units... The Polish bows have had enough...

Unfortunally for the Poles one of the fierce units of Knights can´t stand all the harassment by the Lithuanians so they to flees the field...

With only two units of Knights left the Poles are beaten...

Losses
Lithuanian: 2xLH and 2xAx
Polish: 1xKn. 1xSp, 2xBw and 1xPs

This was a fun, fast paced and intense game. I realy didn´t think the Lithuanian skirmish army would stand a chanse against the hard hitting Poles. But it almost ended with a disaster for them when the Polish Knights started to were down their Spearmen...they should have stayed in the protection of the forest...

We uses a alternative Moral test rules that worked out much better then the one we used in the first game.

Scottorum Malleus have the possibility to turn out to be a realy nice rule system, I will defenetly play more test games.

Polish Commander ponder about how to catch the swift Lithuanians...

Peeking through the snowy trees at some Polish Knights harassed by the Lithuanian Light Horses...

Winner in The Dalauppror paint your egg challenge:)

Congratulation to Paul at Paul´s Bods that are the winner of the 1st "Dalauppror annually? paint your egg challenge" with he´s amazing Medieval Egg House:)

Congratulations Paul !

Rarely written about, these egg houses, built using eggs from the giant Gon-Gon-awey bird of the Blackforest, were a cheap and practical way of getting a roof over your head without having to shell out a large amount of money, in fact..they were very cheep. Apparently the fashion went as they weren´t all they were cracked up to be.
Here, a lokal Yolkel can be seen re-positioning his Egg house after moving a heavy cupboard away from the center of gravity.

1st and only prize are a copy of the book "Medieval Manner of Dress, Documents, Images and Surviving Examples of Northern Europe, Emphasizing Gotland in the Baltic Sea"

Author: Else Marie Gutarp 109 pages Hardback

The English version of a very fine Swedish book produced by Gotlands Fornsal. Contains 68 b/w photos and sketches, and 24 photos in colour. Includes diagrammed Cutting Patterns.

List of Contents:
- Medieval Dress Practices
- Accessories
- Materials and Techniques
- Surviving Clothing from Scandinavia
- Clothing represented in Gotland´s Medieval Church Art
- Church, Monastery and Pilgrims
- Literature
- Sources of Illustrations
- Diagrammed Cutting Patterns

House of Drake

The second unit command base using Claymore Castings minis...and a Perry one to:)

They will represent Arvid Knutsson from the House of Drake to Tofta and Intorp in Väckelsångs parish and Däraps parish in Kronoberg county.

Arvid was probably born in the 1440s and died in the early summer 1497.He was a Squire, Member of the Swedish Privy Council, Judge in Kinds district and was Sten Sture's bailiff at Kalmar Castle 1472-81. Married in 1477 with Anna Göstafsdotter (Stenbock).

By all certainty sided he with King Karl Knutsson (Bonde) and later Sten Sture the Elder in the civil wars during the 1460´s and at the Battle at Brunkeberg in 1471.

The Dalauppror paint your egg challenge

By suggestion from Paul at Paul´s Bods that thougth I should run the "Dalauppror paint your egg challenge"...god ideea as it is still time for you all to paint your eggs during the Easter:)

So...mostly for the honour but I´ll try to find a prize to toss out amongst them that pick up the glove egg and assume the challenge.

Paint your easter egg, put a picture of it at your blog and let me know by posting here and you are then participate in the Dalauppror paint your egg challenge.

Last day to enter... Easter Monday 11:00PM ...your lokal time...not that fastidious, just fun if you start painting your eggs:)

Good luck with the egg painting !!!

Glad Påsk! / Happy Easter! Dalauppror

Easter egg

I hope you all get a nice Easter holliday, at least here in Sweden it´s four days off from work:)

The childerna and I have been painting eggs, here are a picture of an old one I painted.

Scottorum Malleus Playtest

I have got the opportunety to try out Dan Mersey, authour of the upcoming Dux Bellorum, latest (under development) wargaming rules "Scottorum Malleus". The rules are a set of medieval wargaming rules in the same spirit as Dux Bellorum.

Here are a short AAR from the first try out of the rules. I used my 15mm Catalan Company minis, got me a Duchy of Athens army against a Catalan Company army...might be the Battle of Halmyros in 1311...

In the OOB I uses the common DBx classification for the troop types...

Duchy of Athens
1xKn(Gen)
3xKn
2xBw
2xPs

Catalan Company
1xKn (Gen)
6xWb ???not realy the same troop type but close enough.
1xPs
1xLH

The unit was made up with several of my bases with a front of 80mm, 2 bases for the Kn, LH and Ps. 4 bases for the Bw and Wb.

We used a 60x90cm gaming area.

Set-up was quite straight forward for the Catalans...a big block of Almogavars in the center, Light Horse to protect the left flank and some lonely Psilios to the right. The Knights was held in reserv...

The Duchy of Athens mixed the Knights and Crossbowmen in the main line using Psilios to cover both flanks and also held the Knights in reserv...

The Catalans made some swift advances forward the Duchys forces, the plan was simple, hit them hard before they can make use of all their crossbowmen...

Duchys forces was just waiting letting the crossbowmen soften the Almogavars up a bit before the Knights was suppose to sweep them of the field.

The Almogavars didn´t care about all the crossbow bolts, just keep moving. But the Turk Light horses didn´t stay for long and was chasen away as soon as they was hit by a few arrows from the Greek Psilios...

"Desperat Ferro!!! " The Almogavars took the Knights ofguard and charged all over the line... The Almogavars and the Knights are both good in offence but not as good in defense...

The Knights that was sent away from the main line was also hit and annihilated by a unit of hard hitting Almogavars...

It was the start of a quite long and rolling fight...the knights was at first puched back, a unit of crossbow men was slaughtered...but the other unit of the Duchys Crossbowmen managed to fight of and break a unit of Almogavars...

Just before the final disaster for the Duchys troops... The Almogavars keept the initiative and made a last puch cuting down even more of the splendid Knights in shiny armour...

Then the battle ended the Catalan Company had lost 1 unit of Light Horse and 1 unit of Almogavars...The Duchy of Athens had lost a unit of Psilios, a unit of Crossbowmen and 3 units of Knights... A brilliant victory for the Catalan Company:)

The rules worked out quite nice, of course do I need to try them some more to get a cleare picture and understanding of them. The only thing that realy struck me was that the moral was a little to unpredictable, I will try the alternative moral system next time;)