500 followers ! Thank you all !

Seems I reached the magic 500 follower line, Thank you all for following my blog and have a interest in my Swedish connected wargaming adventures.

Of course 500 have a historical connection to, at least here in Sweden where our 500 kronor bill´s have the picture of the Swedish King Karl XI, the king that won the Scanian War 1675-79 and also was the creator of the Karoliner army.

One again thak yuo very much for following my blog !

I got this 500 picture from my friend Jan, the Swede in UK exile, made up of his Swedish Greate Northern War force, very appreciated Jan !

Swedish Shots for the Pikeman´s Lament

Here comes some pictures of 3 units of Shots for my TYW Dalregiment. All minis are Warlord plastics.

Honours of War in the post

Yesterday I got me a review copy of Honours of War in the post. The rules are writen by Keith Flint and is a part of the Osprey Wargaming series and are due to be released 20 November 2015.

The rules are in the ordinary Osprey wargaming series style, 64 pages of lovely gaming pictures, drawings and the rules ofcours, that this time are dedicated Seven Years War rules.

I haven´t had the time to read it all yet, but I will be back with some sort of review later on when I have had a test game of two. Now I just need to find some suitable minis to use, maybe my American War of Independence collection will see the daylight again after several years in the boxes... and yes I know AWI was not a part of SYW but close enought for some test gaming at least;)

While you waiting for the release of the rules be sure to take a look at the authur Keith Flints blog.

Dalregiment in Russia 1708 #1

My mateyes Sören and Jesper have started up a Greate Northern War campaing at the Club, revolving around the Swedish invasion of Russia 1708 and using the Black Powder rules.

Each of the participating club member have painted their own battalion of a Swedish Regiment that they wanted to command during the campaign, I ofcours painted the Dalregiment...

The first outing was the Battle at Holowczyn 1708 and we was 11 players in cluding the 2 umpires that run the Russians. Here are some pictures from the game and with focus on the heroic 1st battalion of the Dalregiment :)

The Swedish Batallions

Swedish attack in the unprotected flank of the Russian fieldwork

Repning´s Grenadiers defending the fortifications...

The 1st batalion of the Dalregement charges...

Clering the Russian filedwork...

...was to a cost, but Karl XII came and rallied them...

...so they could continue their heroic battle...

...at least for a while...

I´m not sure how it all ended as I had to retire with the remaining part of the 1st batallion of Dalregimentet...

Swedish Pikemen for the Pikeman´s Lament

I have started to paint some Thirty Years War minis for a Club project I will run during our playtest of the Pikeman´s Lament rules. Several of the other club members that participating in my playtest have already started to paint TYW minis, very nice to see.

For my infantry company I will ofcourse depict the Dalregiment... I have aimed for a battleworn unit with a mix of uniform (blue and red uniform, no historical evidence for that unitll 30 years later...byt anyway...) and odd clothes as well as true men from Dalarna mixed up with Germans, Scotts and other to fill the depleeted ranks of the company.

To keep the 2:3 ratio of Pike and Shot the compossition of my 24 point Swedish company will be:

1x6 Forlorn Hope (Colour guard with the Officer) @ 4 pts
2x12 Pike @ 4 pts each
3x12 Shot @ 4 pts each

If I would feel the need for some skirmishers I will divide one of the Shot units in to 2x6 Commanded Shot @ 2 pts each.

Here are som pictures of the Forlorn Hope and the Pikes, the Shots will join in a couple of days.

The FireFirge Medieval Russians pre-order are up and running

It seems like the The FireFirge Medieval Russians pre-order are up and running, You find it here

In the plastic box you will get 5 sprues, each consisting of:

5 different bodies
11 different heads
1 Faceplate
5 Shields (3 different types)
5 arms for shields (3 different types)
1 arm with sword
1 arm with mace
2 different set of two-handed weapons
2 different set for bow
2 quivers for arrows
1 bow case with bow
4 spears

Some pictures of  3-ups from the upcomming plastic box.

Some conceptart pictures for the resineminis.

Plastic Medieval Russians from FireForge Games

I´m very glad for the news that Fire Forge games will release a complete new range of figures, Medieval Russians :)

What I´m most exited about are that there seems to be a box of Plastic Russians Infantry in the plans, as well as extra minis in Resine.

The range will be:

• Russian Infantry (Plastic Box): 25 multi-part figures of Russian Infantry/dismounted Druzhina with lamellar and chainmail armours. You can equip them with bows, spears, maces, two handed axes, swords. 2 types of historiated shields, 1 simple round shield. 
• Russian Infantry Command (resin blister pack): 3 multi-part figures, 1 commander, 1 horn blower, 1 standard bearer (2 type of hystoriated banners) 
• Alexander Nevsky (1 resin mounted figure) 
• Druzhina Cavalry (resin blister pack): 4 mounted figures in each pack. There will be different packs to assemble Junior or Senior Druzhina with several weapon options. 
• Chernieklobuki (resin blister pack): 3 mounted figures in each pack.

I seems like they will try finance the expensive production with a "Forgestarter" that will be some kind of pre-order run starting next week, if all go to plan, and it will en by 31 December 2015, I hope you all will join in so we can get some propper baltic Crusades going on;)

As a part of this Forgestarter and pre-order you will get the figures early and also the chanse to get hold of some unique and free, limited-edition pieces as the Swedish Commander at the Battle of neva Birger Jarl :)

Burn and Loot ruleset
Fire Forge will also launch the Burn and Loot ruleset: a skirmish version of  Deus Vult game system, they are at the moment updating army lists that will remain downloadable for free from their website. With Burn and Loot you will be able to play with  20-30 figures up to large battles, from the little clash of patrols up to city fights and sieges.

I haven´t seen the rules yet so can´t tell much more about them but as soon I get the chance I let you know what I think, but I suppouse it will be hard to put Lion Rampant out of the medieval skirmish game throne;)

That was all info i managed to get hold of I hope that FireForge will tell more on their webb or facebook page soon.

Have a really nice weekend !

Here are 3-up of one of the plastic Russians, looking good to me and I really hope it will be possible to mix them with the other Fire Forge Plastic sets as I want to use some of them for my Swedes as they could use armour inspired by the russians but with more westernized head gear...and beard :)

Stockholm 1392 model at the Letchworth Showcase 2015

Just wanted to give you a heads-up if your are closeby Letchworth on sunday 18th October 2015 as the Stockholm 1392 Terrain that Jan built and the minis I painted for our Salute game will be shown at the Showcase 2015 run by Letchworth Scale Model Club at the Broadway Hotel,

Jan will be there to show the model that he have worked some more on, added details etc and his matey Peter will probably run one of the scenarios from our Stockholm 1392 article in Wargames Soldiers and Strategy Issu 80. don´t know if it will be a demo or participation game, but Jan´s model in it´s self are well worth a visit in my mind as wll as talking to Jan about swedish history and terrain building, in swedish if you prefere;)

I didn´t find much info on the Letchworth Scale Model Club about the event, but they might have more info somewhere on their page.

I did find some more info at the Letchworth Event page.

Letchworth Scale Model Club Showcase 2015, Sunday 18 Oct 2015

Discover art and history in miniature. Visit the local event of the year for Modellers, Gamers, and Collectors. Enjoy club displays, painting demonstrations, modelling, war games, trade stands, competitions, and a raffle/tombola!

Open from 10am until 4pm.

Adults £3, Seniors and Children under 15 £1

And if you don´t have the possibility to go there here are some more pictures from Salute taken by Sidney Roundwood, as all Stockholm 1392 pictures in this blog post, please also have a look at his most exellent blog Roundwood´s World.

Håtunaleken, Lion Rampant, AAR #10

We have had one more game in our Lion Rampant club campaign "Håtunaleken" Håtuna-Games, a Swedish Games of Throne from our 14th century history.

For this game we actually run a scenario that probably will be included in the Pikemen´s Lament rules... The poor allmoge have collected all their food and stuff by the church as theu think that it is as sanctuary... 

Both the Attacker and the Defender dont give a s... about the church sanctuary and will try to retrive the supplies to feed their armies, but the allmoge are as usuall berlingiant so they will do their best to defend their property...

Each side had 36 points, for the rebell brother´s they was split in three 12 point hoast and for the Kings men tey was split in two 18 point hoast. The table was 180x120cm.

OOB´s 

The Rebell Brothers: 

House of Bjälbo (Duke Valdemar), Top right

1x6 Mounted Knights @ 6pts 

1x12 Foot Serjants with Mixed weapons @ 6pts

House of Bjälbo (Duke Erik), Top middle

1x6 Mounted Yeomen @ 4pts

1x12 Foot Serjants  @ 4pts

1x6 Bidowers @ 2pts

House of Algotssönerna, Top left

1x6 Foot Knights @ 6pts 

1x12 Foot Serjants with Mixed weapons @ 6pts 

The Kings men: 

House of Ulvåsa, Bottom right

1x6 Foot Knights @ 6pts

2x12 Crossbowmen with Pavises @ 6pts each

House of Banér, Bottom left

1x6 Foot Knights @ 6pts 

1x12 Foot Serjants with Mixed weapons @ 6pts

1x12 Expert Archers @ 6pts

Before the game started each of the players had the opportunety to choose Boasts in secret, we have found that this is a very good way to allow some hidden agendas and backstabbing during our games. 

In this game the only one taking a Boast was me and my leader Knight Gudmar from the house of Ulvåsa that I gave the 3point boast "My own Sword shall not be drawn" as he start to feel betrayed by King Birger, that in the last game let Knight Gudmar do all the fighting himself to the cost of all his Allmoge units and no Glory...So in this game my plan was to keep him and his unit of foot knight back and let the mercenary crossbowmen with pavises do the fighting...

Duke Valdemar advance to cross the bridge and bring his men to the church to collect some extra tax...

To the left foot knight from the house of Algotsönerna and moving in the field Duke Erik´s men...

Hired crossbomen in the service of the house of Ulvåsa slowely advance thorward the church...

Duke Erik´s mounted knechts reached the church wall very quickley...

Duke Valdemar with Bishop Bååt of Linköping (the Knight in yellow) crosses the bridge.

General advance all around the church, the allmoge within the church walls still think they will be protected by the church sanctuary...fools...

Duke Erik´s foot serjants was the first to break the church sanctuary by crossing the wall and attack the poor allmoge that just tried to protect their hard earned property...

...but with the help of the lord and some sharp agricultural tools they managed to repulse the attack...

...at the same time by the stream the leader of the the house of banér, the laterst house to join our Håtunalek, chalanged the leader of the House of Algotsönerna to a duell mano a mano...but it was refused...sending a chockwave throught the men from the House of Algotssönerna and their Foot Serjants fledd the area leving their Knights al alone...

Knight Gudmanr had also made a swift advance with his knight and ruched throught the church gate...

..."Give me all your food or I will slay you all" he souted and then he just remembered that he had got paied by Duke Valdemar not to engage in this battle...

...so Knight Gudmar made a swift retreat, with his somewhat pussled fellow knights, so he would not risk to be attacked and have to defend himself and loose the reward from Duke Valdemar...

Duke Erik´s Foot serjants awaited fire support from the Bidowers and...

...the mounted knechts...

... Knight Gudmar retreats... sending his crossbomen forward to engage the Allmoge with some hard hitting crossbowbolts...

Soldiers closing in to start looting the church... damantion upon you all !!!

As Duke valdemar and his mounted knight makes a detour around the church his Foot Serjants have managed to retirev some of the food, so has also the Foot Serjants of Duke Erik...

Duke valdemar havent decided if he will try to capture more food or if he should retreat with his Foot Serjants... Duke Erik have sent his bidowers over the church wall to engage the remaining Allmoge...

Duke Erik´s mounted med also prepere to make a final charge to retreav the last two piles of food...

Angriff !!! the german mercenary knechts in Duke Eriks service arn´t hold back by the Church sanctuary, they ride in and cut down the last of the poos Swedish allmoge...

Duke Valdemar see his brothers soldiers get even more foos and feels that he to need more so his brother would not get to powerfull...

With all the allmoge shoot down by the crossbowmen Knight Gudmanr dare to approach the last pile of food without risk to get attacked...

Now Duke Valdemar set in a swift move to capture the last pile of food in front of his brothers Bidowers and the Aproaching Knight Gudmar from the House of Ulvåsa.

stand off...who will dare to approach the food pile...

at that moment the house of Banérs archers open fire at the Bidovers that take heavy casultys and retreat...

...as the hothead his is Duke Valdemar ruch his men forward to he food pile in front of two units of crossbowmen...

...that both open fire...slaying all of Duke Valdemars followers including Bishop Bååt...

Duke Valdemar consider to make a heroic charge...but choose to retreat with the food he allready have retrieved...

Knight Gudmars Crossbowment move in and caprute the last pile of food...

The House of Ulvåsa will indeed celebrate tonight, no loss of men, food and glory...

Indeed a really nice and tense game and very nice that i managed to fulfill my boast so I got 5 Glory:) Duke Erik got 4 glory and Duke Valdemar got 2 glory, House of Algotsönerna and House of Banér didn´t get any glory at all...

The Håtunaleken will continue...