Historicon: Bargain Basement Longbowmen, or how to improve on horrible Bretonnian models.

 

English Longbowmen in Burgundian livery

    My brother passed away a few months ago, unexpectedly and his wife gave my son all his minis.  Mostly old Gamesworkshop Bretonnians from when we were kids.  I had sold all mine, but since my son won Most Valuable Gamer at Historicon Cog Wars (and consequently an Old Glory Cog)...we are delving back into late medieval gaming.  On to the Bargain basement and the vendors!  I picked up about thirty of the old plastic Bretonnian archers (two poses) and a box of Perry Bros. European Infantry.

Notice the hoods made of blue/yellow modelling putty.

       I dislike the Gamesworkshop figures in general because they are so chunky, but 30 figs for $3.50...not complaining.  I hacked off the heads and replaced with various heads from Perry, Games Workshop Empire (Mordheim) Militia, and Hammer of the Gods.  Adding a few recycled swords and such from my bits box, as well as modelling some hoods out of blue/yellow putty makes them seem less like Bretonnians.

A little work with a knife, pin vise, leftover parts, and putty...

      I am painting these as English Archers in the service of Charles the Bold.  Most Burgundian troops were crossbowmen and hand gunners, but the English did support Charles against his European foes (the enemy of my enemy...).

Finished hoods add variety to the once bland Bretonnians.

Matte sealer by Testors and flocking finish them off.  By the way, I've started using small wooden disks from the craft store for my bases.  I get about 50 for $3.00...a lot better that the plastic bases or laser cut bases on the market!  Just need to put the flags on my Burgundian Infantry (hand gunners, halberdiers) and the army is complete.

Historicon Day 2, Mein Panzer Jr., Buccaneer Wars

Game board for Devil's Den Scenario at Gettysburg: 1863...amazing!

So, day two started off with a kid's version of Mein Panzer.  Well run and a good, simple WWII armor game for kids.  My 11-year-old was bored with it (he started off with watered down versions of Axis and Allies and Muskets and Tomahawks at age 5), even my seven year old was beyond the level of play.  The good thing:  kids are doing math without knowing it.  It's also good to get your kid hooked into analog wargaming, which is so much better for the mind that mere thumb exercise on the 3DS.

Shermans vs. Tigers...decidedly one-sided.

...burning Shermans and Tigers, oh my.

So my one son's platoon of Shermans was knocked out in the first half-hour of gameplay.  This caused me to go to the bargain basement to get him some 28mm ninjas.  That cheered him up.  They were actually free. Everyone was giving free minis to my kids.  I guess I'm not as cute as I used to be...on to Buccaneer Wars.

Everybody wants to be the pirates, so I was the greedy governor, recalled to London to answer for his mismanagement of the Crown colonies.  My four three ships of the line and one frigate had to escape the pirates (who have heard that the Governor is trying to absconde with the treasury).  We had the weather gauge ,which meant that most of the larger pirate ships would not be able to bring their guns to bear one they sailed past my bows.

Waist of the frigate DOLPHIN

The pirates fire broadsides into my bows, but their gunnery is poor.  My frigate will
grapple as the goveror's ship passed through the melee.

Will the Governor squeeze through without fouling his yards?

The answer was no.  I got fouled.  I was boarded on three sides and met a grisly demise, keelhauled along theribs of my own ship.  Great game and another great day at HISTORICON.

Historicon Day 1: Waiting for a game, Cog Wars

Our game for Day 1:  Cog Wars, Normans vs. Turks in the Med.

Mexican Fusileros assault a Texian blockhouse.

So, I haven't posted anything since before Historicon...guess I need to get back on the stick.  We went early Thursday morning to kill some time before our first game.  My eldest son painted while I played a Texas Revolution skirmish with my younger son. 

The Mexicans overrun the Texian skirmishers.  

 The game is a simple d6 game for the boys.  The playing cards are to determine damage after a roll to hit:  Red card=kill, black card=wound.

Light casualties are taken and the skirmishers are swept aside.

Mexicans breach the blockhouse door and fight their way to the second floor.

Last man standing.  The blockhouse is taken.

The best part of playing with your seven-year-old?  Hearing,  "Dad, can we play again?"  We did, and then headed over to Cog Wars.

The setup:  Fifteen cogs on a table, Normans vs. Turks.

The infidel approacheth.  (Both sides hurled insults against their respective faiths...
it was an ugly fight so typical of the medieval Med.)

My large Norman Cog and my son's smaller-but faster cog grapple and
board the infidel. 

Boarders Away!

The fight borke down into three separate engagements...and the Turks won.

Chance gave the Turks higher quality troops on their competency rolls...oh well.  We had a great time despite being sent to the salt mines of Tangiers.

Historicon 2013: Registered today!

Alamo 28mm Kids' Game by Bob Burnham.  My son's minis are on the left. (1)

      So I registered today for Historicon 2013 in Fredericksburg, VA.  Last year was a blast.  The "flea market" and vendors are great.  I still haven't painted all the minis I bought, but that doesn't mean I won't buy more.  I will.

Tenneseeans fend off Mexican Militia (2)

      Took the boys and a friend last year and they played Bob Burnham's 28mm Alamo Siege.  The game was run well and unfortunately it doesn't appear that Bob is scheduled to run a game this year.  I did sign the boys up for Wargame 101 which appears to be a WWII armor tutorial and we will also play Cog Wars:  Dark Ages, and the 1763 Battle of Bushy Run.  What does this mean? It means I have to paint my Saxon Fyrd and Warband, build a kogge/knarr and my younger son needs to finish his Provincial Rangers.  Lots of painting to do before the convention...why does this always seem to happen?


                                              -Cincinnatus










(1), (2) Photos by Mitchell Osborne. http://www.historicon.org/index.asp