Partizan 2026

 I made the long trip south for what is the premier wargame show in the UK, Partizan. It is held at the Newark Showground, a fine venue with good car parking. It was packed, but the queue was reduced fairly quickly.

Partizan is primarily a show for great games. From the big eye candy spectacular, to lots of smaller games, you can spend half an hour or so enjoying. Most of the main traders were there as well (43 of them), and they seemed to be doing well, as did the societies and the author's corner. 

There were about 70 games, and although I had most of the day, I didn't attend all of them.

The Siege of Lucknow was the first big game to greet me in the main hall. Terrific job on the scenery.

Wings of Glory is always a popular participation game.

I think this was a Bolt Action game, but the work on the street scenes was very good.

I loved the use of Playmobil or similar figures in this game.

A good example of a smaller game. Tyrolean revolt.

This Charlie Don't Surf Vietnam town scene was superb.

I had a good chat with Simon Miller, who was running a War of the Spanish Succession mega game for his forthcoming Lust for Glory rules, which we have been playtesting.

Wargames Illustrated has a lovely temple scene for their Assassins and Templars game.

One of several ACW games.

British Grenadier is an old rule set, but still played.

Eastern Front Bolt Action, if that isn't too obvious.

Border Reivers using Ruckus rules. A fine setting.

The Wild Geese is still encouraging games, 50 years after the film came out.

Samurai, with a very nice fortress.

This is a new set of Napoleonic naval rules in development. Looks very interesting.

Quality table for a WW1 trench raid.

The mad baron is always an excuse for an RCW spin-off game. Excellent table.

As I have been busy painting pre-SYW Austrians, this Austrian v Prussian SYW game was superb. Lots of well-painted figures and a great castle or Schloss.

Rorke's Drift with a more realistic size final redoubt than you usually see.

Battle of Lewes using Midgard rules.

A little bit of Arnhem in Newark. Chain of Command.

Great show, well organised, and well worth the trip. I didn't buy a lot, but met up with lots of old friends and had some good chats.

Brougham Castle

 I was heading south for the Partisan show and decided to take a break at Brougham Castle, which is on the A66 near Penrith. The staff will be quick to tell you that it is pronounced 'brum' or 'broom', one of those strange quirks of the English language.

The site was originally a Roman fort called Brocavum, as it was on the intersection of three Roman roads. The medieval castle was founded by Robert I de Vieuxpont in the early 13th century, on land (Barony of Westmorland) granted to him by King John. He built the stone keep, but the walls would have been wooden palisades. 

As the male descendants died out, the castle came into the possession of the powerful Clifford family. Their lands and castles are scattered across northern England. He built stone walls and the outline you can see today.

All was well until my ancestors, the wicked Scots, arrived after Bannockburn. Clifford was killed in the battle, and the castle was wrecked in several raids. It was partially rebuilt and garrisoned in several civil wars, but never really recovered.

When George Clifford died in 1605, his wife Margaret became dowager countess and began repairing Brougham Castle, which became her favoured residence. You can see the Tudor influences in the windows and some of the stonework inside.

It was a cavalier castle during the War of the Three Kingdoms, and was slighted by Parliamentary forces commanded by John Lambert. It has been a ruin ever since. It is still a picturesque ruin in a lovely spot by the river. Well worth a visit.

Austrian Army 1737-39

 My current project is the Austrian army for the war with the Ottomans, 1737-39, in 28mm. The core elements have been done, unusually for me, ahead of my deadline. They will form the basis of the GDWS participation game, The Battle of Banja Luka 1737, at the Carronade show in Falkirk on 7 June. Most of the figures come from the Front Rank range. They are individually based on movement trays, so I can also use them for the bigger battles using Lust for Glory!

The Austrian army in the period before the 1737 war against the Ottomans was basking in the victories of Prince Eugene, culminating in the 1718 Treaty of Passarowitz. These, together with the victories in the Austro-Ottoman War at the end of the previous century, secured Hungary and much of Serbia for the Habsburgs. Prince Eugene died in 1736, after mixed outcomes for Austria in the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718-20) and the War of the Polish Succession (1733). The generals closest to Eugene, including Daun, Konigsegg, Mercy and Seckendorff, were not highly rated. Eugene may have been outstanding, but he didn't manage what today we would call succession planning.

I call the project the Austrian Army, although the Habsburg Emperor Charles VI could call on two army structures. The Army of the Holy Roman Empire (Reichsarmee) and the Imperial Army (Kaiserliche Armee). Support from the former was becoming less guaranteed, although several elements fought in the war. Both armies recruited from across Europe and included several soldiers of fortune from Britain and elsewhere in their ranks. Wallis, of Irish descent, was the most senior. Native tongues included German, French, Flemish, Italian, Czech, Hungarian, Serbo-Croat and Latin, which was always a challenge for this empire.

Let's start with the infantry. In 1737, there were 44 ‘Austrian’ (or German) infantry regiments, although not all recruits came from Habsburg lands; many came from independent German states. In addition, the Hungarian Diet funded three infantry regiments. The grenadiers were crucial to any Austrian victory. There were no guard regiments.

Then the line infantry. Infantry regiments comprised three battalions, each with five fusilier companies and two grenadier companies, which could be combined into grenadier battalions. This was the first time I have used contrast paints to any extent. It didn't quite get the slightly grey shade was was looking for.

The Habsburg Military Frontier (Militärgrenze) was established in Hungary and Croatia in the 16th century and was under the direct control of the Habsburg military. The population totalled around 350,000, consisting mostly of Croats, Serbs and Vlachs (the latter often used as a catch-all term), who had fled the Ottoman Empire and were allowed to retain their Orthodox faith in a largely Catholic country. The exact number of soldiers for active service is unclear, but it was around 39,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry. These military colonists were known as Grenzer. In return for a grant of land, they provided military service and guarded the border. Not to be confused with the later Pandours. I have lots of Grenzers who, in this conflict, retained their traditional dress, which varied by district. I have added in some figures with more recognisable 18th-century dress, but still not a uniform.

In 1737, there were 32 cavalry regiments, comprising 18 cuirassiers and 14 dragoons, plus eight or nine hussar regiments funded by the Hungarian Diet. By this period, the cuirassiers were usually deployed in three lines, trained to charge, at least for the final 30 paces, with pistol use discouraged. However, against the Ottomans, firearms were used in the traditional Austrian cuirassier tactical mode. Dragoons could still be used in the older dismounted infantry mode and had not switched to a charging cavalry role, as in some other armies of this period. Hussars skirmished with firearms on the flanks of the army but could charge after firing their weapons. I will use Hussars from my earlier Austrian army, as they were not uniformed in this period.

The highly regarded Austrian artillery dates to a reorganisation after our period in 1744. During this period, the artillery was a separate organisation from the rest of the army, reflecting the earlier view that gunners were technical specialists rather than soldiers. You might have been expecting brown coats, as I was. However, the 'wolf grey' only started to evolve into brown after this war, and even then, it may have been much later than we traditionally think. I have also added a couple of heavy guns to my collection that will be needed during the siege of Banja Luka.

Of course, no wargame project is ever finished. I will need more cavalry for the next participation game, the Battle of Grocka 1739, at the Claymore show in Edinburgh on 1 August. I am planning to visit this battlefield, in modern Serbia, next week, so my thoughts might change. If you're coming to either show, come and turn over some cards with us.

I have previously visited Banja Luka, which has a well-preserved fortress. 

For the Austrians, a visit to the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in Vienna is essential. Although I couldn't find many pictures of the period in my photo folder from the last visit, and the stunning museum handbook has a noticeable gap. I'm sure it hasn't got anything to do with them losing this war 😂. They do have lots of great Ottoman kit, looted in 1683.

Scourge of Princes

 I have long convinced myself that I need a decent set of Renaissance battle rules. A cursory glance at my rules bookshelf will tell you that this is nonsense, but what can I say? I'm a wargame butterfly. And yes, I will almost certainly buy the Pike and Shotte supplement on the Ottomans at Partisan on Sunday. I have been hooked on this period ever since being introduced to it by the sadly recently departed George Gush. His book and rules dominated my gaming for a long time.

Into my mythical void comes Scourge of Princes by Sam Mustafa and John Holly. It covers the whole period from Machiavelli to Cromwell. My first reaction was that it looks like Blucher, but it also has features from his other rules, particularly Maurice. I am a fan of Sam's rules and have many of them. Some I even play regularly, particularly Blucher. So, despite the price, even the PDF isn't cheap, I went all in. In fairness, you don't have to buy blind. Sam's introductory YouTube videos are excellent; there are free downloads of a chapter, QRS, scenario and army lists. And no expensive cards to buy.

For this price (£37 for a printed copy), you get 118 pages, Osprey size, in colour. The Amazon print binding isn't ideal for rules, but after a few games, you won't have to refer to it often. There is limited 'eye-candy' padding, and as ever with Sam's rules, they are a model of clarity and layout. Unlike others I could name, there is very little need to go backwards and forwards to find an explanation. The language is concise, supported by clear diagrams. 

Sam usually names his rules after a key general in the period. He didn't this time because he felt there were too many. Of course, he is completely wrong about this. He should have named it after Suleiman the Magnificent (Lawgiver)! The Magnificent would be a great name for a set of rules, even if his Dad, Selim I, arguably did more to expand the empire. However, a ruleset titled The Grim doesn't quite have the same marketing vibe!😂

There is a free download of the basics, which reassures you that no rebasing is required. Although not explicit, it is based on 28mm, but you can use any scale, and there is a section on how to play smaller games than 6' x 4'. We used 15mm figures at full scale, and it worked fine. The core rules are 30 pages, clearly sequenced, followed by advanced rules, an open architecture to create your own army lists (the main ones are available for free download), and a campaign system. There is even an index, hurray!

I won't give a detailed account of the rules, as the YouTube videos do a better job than I could. It's an IGO-UGO system based on Momentum (MO), which you dice for each turn. You get one MO for most units, unless you roll one on the dice. This sounds fine until you realise that most moves require two MOs or more. The exception is when you place your commander within earshot (4") of a unit when it requires only one MO. This is not as random a command mechanism as, say, TtS, and is intended to allow you to concentrate your effort where it is most needed. The downside is that half your army stands still every turn. This is what happens in Maurice, which is why I don't play it often. In our trial game, it was less of an issue as the game developed, because you are likely to be defending somewhere on the battlefield. MO is required only for movement, not for shooting. It can be argued that this reflects the reality of command-and-control in the period, but I can see it irritating some players at my clubs. The earshot distance is quite short given the size of the units, and I might consider tweaking it or adding just a bit more MO. 

Movement distances are quite long (12" for cavalry and 8" for infantry), which means the armies get stuck in quickly, assuming you can move the units. The shooting and combat rules are simply elegant. Blucher players will be at home with them, split into skirmish and volley fire. Skirmishing is more likely to slow up command than inflict casualties, which is sound. There are only a few plus factors which make for quick play. The combat system is a little more complex, but again is not bogged down by too many special rules and factors. As you complete a full turn with each unit (move and shoot or charge), it means you can soften up a target before charging in. This is as it should be. The downside of the long movement distances is that shooting infantry doesn't get a round off before cavalry charges in, and there is no defensive fire before combat. It is presumably factored into the combat factors.

There are advanced rules for brigades in the later period and adjunct commanders, which might help with the MO issues. There are rules for field works, commanded shot, war wagons, caracole and others. I had a few issues with the Ottoman army lists, no change there, but the open architecture allows you to tweak them to your own historical view.

For the trial game, we played Ottomans v  Holy Roman Empire in 15mm at full scale. I would recommend the latest edition of the Prime and Load podcast for a discussion on the Holy Roman Empire. Although I am not convinced about the USA analogy. I still think Voltaire got it right: "the Holy Roman Empire was in no way holy, nor Roman, nor an empire."

We should have used the points system as the Ottomans were a bit outgunned, but it was a good trial. I am also off to Serbia next week, so a battle there was appropriate.

The Ottoman left wing charged across the table, while the rest of the army stood still. My opponent did the same on his left, unhindered by my daudling Tatars and segbans! Even my elite Kapikulu cavalry bounced off the cuirassiers. The Imperial left broke through my right centre, and what was left of the Ottoman army was flanked on both sides. Back to Constantinople and come again for me.

I will be playing more of these rules.

The Wolf Cub

This is the first in David Pilling's Soldier of Fortune series. I enjoyed the second, The Heretic, so I thought I would go back for this one. It covers the life of an English mercenary during the reign of Henry V.

Our hero, John Page, is the bastard son of minor gentry in England. He gets into a fight with his cousin, who wants the manor, and kills him. He flees with the intention of joining the English army in Normandy. However, he is captured and then joins a band of outlaws in Sussex, taking part in their raids on local manors. He escapes that life and eventually arrives in Normandy.

This is the post-Agincourt campaign, in which Henry V is still seeking the French throne. This involves a long, drawn-out campaign to capture and hold Normandy, culminating in the epic Siege of Rouen (1418-19). Our hero catches the king's eye for his valour in a previous siege and for his flattering poems about the siege. He is captured and tortured by a French baron, but is awarded the landholding when he escapes and captures it. Holding it is another challenge. 

While I enjoyed The Heretic, yet another Hundred Years' War tale didn't quite catch my imagination like the Hussite Wars. In fairness, the author has made an effort to pitch a different story, not least by making our hero a man-at-arms rather than the ubiquitous archer. The poetry is historical, although we know little about the real poet, John Page. The outlaws in Sussex were real as well.

I couldn't quite grasp what was different about the writing style until I realised he was writing in the first person. There is nothing wrong with this, although it means you cannot describe events happening in another room or reveal the secret thoughts of other characters. It can make the story one-dimensional, and that is a problem here. Just OK for me, but I might return to the series if he heads off somewhere interesting after the Hussite Wars.

Some of my 15mm figures of the period.