The Pillars of Rome

Having really enjoyed Jack Ludlow's Conquest trilogy I decided to try his Republic trilogy, starting with The Pillars of Rome.

This is set in the post Punic Wars Roman Republic. Two young boys of noble birth get a glimpse into the future when they visit an oracle. Then we fast forward 30 years and the same boys are now senators. One made his name as a soldier in the Macedonian wars and the other as a wily politician. The scene moves from Rome to Spain and Illyria engaging families and their allies in the events and plots of the period.

The strength of the tale is the understanding of the power structures of Republican Rome. The factions and role of senators being different to the more familiar Imperial Rome.  This does slow the pace of the story somewhat and involves a number of sub-plots that requires some skill in knitting them together.

I didn't enjoy this as much as the Conquest trilogy, but it is still a good read and I will probably persevere with the trilogy.

Over the Top

Just scanned the arrival of the Great War supplement 'Over the Top'. Half price at present from Warhammer Historical.

This supplement primarily covers trench warfare in WW1. Not the most attractive gaming option but Alex Buchel has developed a very playable game using the excellent GW rules. He starts with an historical overview before setting out a whole batch of new rules and what he calls 'grand manoevres'. These add in heavy artillery barrages and some special troop types together with fortifications for defenders and stratagems for attackers. These are built into the points options so you can opt for bigger fortifications at the cost of troops.

There are new missions that are set in the context of actual battleground operations throughout the war. Followed by new army lists for the major combatants. All of this is generously illustrated with good figures and great scenery.

The supplement only covers the Western Front. So I will have to give some thought to how this could be applied to the Salonika campaign. Doiran is an obvious scenario choice. I also use these rules for A Very British Civil War and parts of the supplement will be useful for that.

Polish Renaissance

First time out for my FoGR Polish army today in the GDWS competition. And very well they did too with a 25-0 win. Aided it has to be said with some early devastating artillery fire and very poor dice work from my opponent.

This was one of my favourite DBR armies utilising the war wagons and firepower infantry on one side and charging Winged Hussars on the other. FoGR puts an end to that tactic as the battle wagons (as they are now classified) are far less manoeuvrable. But they can still help block off a flank, allowing a concentration of cavalry elsewhere on the table. Winning the initiative and getting a nice empty steppe helps.

It was also a sad day for all the members of GDWS. One of our longest serving members Iain Forrest passed away suddenly yesterday. Iain was a great guy to play with and will be missed by everyone. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.

Wars against Napoleon

This is a book for the Napoleon buff. If you think Napoleon has been harshly treated by history you will love this book. The sub title is "Debunking the Myth of the Napoleonic Wars". The authors, Michel Franceschi and Ben Weider take on the role of historical spin doctors for the great man.

They take the reader through each stage of the Napoleonic wars to show that Napoleon was a builder in love with peace and an enemy of war. His strategy was to build defensive alliances to protect France and each conflict was forced upon him. The usual culprit was Perfidious Albion.

There is no doubt that, in English speaking history at least, insufficient credit is given to the positive aspects of Napoleon's rule. The laws, infrastructure, education and economy of France were revolutionised by Napoleon and his legacy can still be seen in France today. The case for Napoleon the peacemaker is less convincing. However, he certainly wasn't the only villain in Europe and the reactionary regimes certainly conspired in most conflicts.

So on balance the authors make a good case for Napoleon, even if they stretch their case on a few occasions. A good balancing work.

The Ismaili Assassins

Just finished James Waterson's The Ismaili Assassins. This is the story of a religious sect based in the Middle East that waged war primarily through assassination.

I picked the book up some months ago having heard of them, but without any real understanding of their role during the medieval era. The author explains the religious and social context before setting out their impact on the empires of the period. They were largely successful in the early period and in their conflict with the disunited Seljuk's. However, as the initial fervour declined they became less effective before finally picking an unwinnable fight with the Mongols. Interestingly, I didn't know that the sect's modern day successors include the Aga Khan.

This is not a light read by any means, but worth the effort to dispel some myths and learn more about them.

Hellfire & Back

This is the latest Flames of War supplement covering the early war battles in North Africa. Usual FoW format with high quality production values, well laid out organisational charts and some fine eye candy.

I largely bought it for the stats for my Greek campaign, only to learn that a further supplement is due out next month that will specifically cover this and other 'fringe' campaigns around the Med. Look forward to that.

Then it occurred to me that while I don't have 15mm figures for the desert, I do have lots of 1/200 figures based for Spearhead. So Italian and British tank companies duly assembled and onto the table. It made a short and sharp battle with the Italians coming out on top. I will try some Afrika Corps next. Using 1/200 opens up some other campaigns as well.

FoW has somewhat rebuilt the reputation of Italian troops in WW2, at least from a British perspective. My recent reading has been on this subject including Iron Arm, the story of the mechanisation of Mussolini's army 1920 to 1940.  Creating a mechanised army in a non mechanised society was beyond the capability of Italian industry and the army. Non the less an armoured force was developed and at one stage arguably led the world. This book takes the reader through all the stages.

Wellesley in India

The Black Powder supplement Last Argument of Kings got its first run out on Sunday. We did a Wellesley in India scenario using the colonial India data from the supplement.

The opposing forces:

British
Unit	Size	Type	Weapon	H to Hand	Shoot	Morale	Stamina	Special
Wellesley (9)
Dragoons	Small	Reg. Cav	Sword	4	1	3+	3	Ferocious Charge, Valiant, Marauders
Dragoons	Small	Reg. Cav	Sword	4	1	3+	3	Ferocious Charge, Valiant, Marauders
Sepoy Btn	Small	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	4+	3	First Fire
1st Foot Brigade (8)
Line Regt	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	3+	3	First Fire, Reliable, Steady
Sepoy Regt	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	4+	3	First Fire
		Artillery	Smoothbore	1	3-2-1	4+	2
2nd Foot Brigade (8)
Line Regt	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	3+	3	First Fire, Reliable, Steady
Sepoy Regt	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	4+	3	First Fire
		Artillery	Smoothbore	1	3-2-1	4+	2
Native Prince
Unit	Size	Type	Weapon	H to Hand	Shoot	Morale	Stamina	Special
Nawab (7)
Bodyguard	Small	Reg. Cavalry	Sword	6	3	5+	3	Lancers
		Artillery	Smoothbore	1	3-2-1	4+	2
		Artillery	Smoothbore	1	3-2-1	4+	2
		Rockets		1	2	4+	2
Ist Brigade (7)
French' Battalion	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	4+	3	Reliable
Native Infantry	Standard	Irr. Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	5+	?	Untested, warband
Native Infantry	Standard	Irr. Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	5+	3	Unreliable, warband
Native skirmishers	Small	Irr. Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	2	5+	2	Skirmish
2nd Brigade (7)
Sepoy Battalion	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	4+	3	Reliable
Native Infantry	Standard	Irr. Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	5+	3	Bloodthirsty, warband
Native skirmishers	Small	Irr. Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	2	5+	2	Skirmish
Right Wing Cavalry (6)
Native Horse	Standard	Cavalry	Sword	6	1	5+	3	Warband,
Native Horse	Standard	Cavalry	Sword	6	1	5+	3	Warband, Wavering
Right Wing Cavalry (6)
Native Horse	Standard	Cavalry	Sword	6	1	5+	3	Warband,
Native Horse	Standard	Cavalry	Sword	6	1	5+	3	Warband, Wavering

The native cavalry started the battle with a bold sweep on the left that was eventually fought off by the dragoons. The British infantry advanced and engaged the native infantry. Superior fire power won through but it took some time. The right flank cavalry battle was less decisive.

The rules played well and gave a pretty accurate feel for the period. Artillery isn't very effective at long range, and don't bother with rockets - they killed more friendly troops than the enemy! By beefing up the dragoons with special rules they were able to disperse the native cavalry, but it wasn't a foregone conclusion. The infantry battles were more closely fought affairs.

VBCW - The People's Armies

Picked up a nice booklet on the Very British Civil War theme called The People's Armies. This is available from Solway Miniatures.

This booklet describes the various Worker's Defence Corps, largely based on trade unions, that sprung up around the country to resist Moseley's Blackshirts.  My own Clydeside Brigade fits in with this idea very well. Plus Anarchists and the Communist People's Assault Columns.

The text covers the type of unit together with their weapons and uniforms. Poorly equipped compared with government forces some French and Russian equipment started to arrive together with some foreign volunteers. Similar to the Spanish Civil War.

The booklet has some nice photies of available models and excellent 'Osprey' style colour plates by Peter Barfield. The naval figure is particularly good and an order has been dispatched to 1st Corps who do a suitable figure. These will make a new platoon to add to the Clydeside Brigade. All very Battleship Potemkin!

The Last Argument of Kings

Just finished working my way through the first Black Powder supplement The Last Argument of Kings.

Pete Brown has done a lovely job with this supplement covering the main conflicts of the 18th Century, in Europe and the colonies. After a general introduction each section gives an overview of the conflict, some detail on the armies together with army lists and special rules. Finally a battle scenario together with an ORBAT.

And of course no rule set would be complete today without eye candy. This supplement has it in buckets. I know some gamers criticise this trend, but I simply don't agree. Well painted and displayed wargame figures should inspire the reader. Several members at my club are looking to try new periods based on this.

I am planning to use two sections as soon as possible.  Storm on the Danube covers the Ottoman conflicts with the Austrians. I also plan to dust down my Mughals for Plassey and other battles in India.

Hail Caesar

Played my first game of the new ancient rules, Hail Caesar today. We have been playing Black Powder for some time and the mechanisms are similar. So the learning curve was not too steep.


I brought an Ottoman army with a foot division based on Janissaries and two flank divisions of cavalry. My opponent brought a Wallachian army. Although the rules don't have a cut off date, there aren't many troop types for the medieval period, so you need to improvise.

The game was very enjoyable and like Black Powder full of uncertainty in the movement phase. My left flank stubbornly refused to move for the whole game. Other divisions charged across the table and got into contact quickly. What we really like is the simple mechanisms and the absence of  micro measurement and other complexities that complicate other systems.

We really do have a glut of good rule systems at present. All have their strong features and I expect we will play most of them for now. 

Sworn Sword

New historical fiction authors appear to be pouring off the shelves recently. As regular readers of this bog will know I am fascinated by the Normans, so spotting a novel based on the period is a guaranteed buy for me.

Sworn Sword is the first novel by James Aitcheson. Based on the period after 1066, it covers the northern rebellion against Norman rule. Durham is captured and York besieged, before William comes north with an army to relieve the siege.

In that historical context our hero, Tancred, not only gets involved in every battle, but also a sub plot involving the hidden body of King Harold. The battle scenes are excellent, covering the typical clash of mounted Norman knights against spear armed foot in shieldwall formation well. I enjoyed this and I hope to read more by this author.

Very British Civil War starts

Got the new units onto the tabletop for the first time today.

The scenario involved a Clydeside Brigade attack on a Scottish Government outpost garrisoned by a Territorial Company. The workers militia were tasked with this assault while the Communist Company advanced on the right flank to protect the attack from the expected relieving force of regulars.

The militia attack soon ground to a halt. Insufficient troops and firepower to get through the sandbag defences. The Territorial's rifle fire was pretty impressive, just wished I could roll as many 5 and 6's in competition games!  The regular company then arrived very quickly and dispatched a platoon of the Communists. However, the second platoon fought them off and the action ended in a stalemate.

I used Warhammer Great War rules and they worked very well. Once I remembered the key elements the game moved quickly. The one irritating aspect of these rules is that they are badly presented. Key rules are hidden away and the reference sheet is possibly the worst I have ever seen. Whole sections are simply missing. Must see if someone has done a decent one, if not, add to the must do list.

I don't think I have mentioned the trucks before. They come from Simon at Solway Miniatures. He does a great range of conversions.

Rif Raf: 28mm Greeks

I have been working my way through some review packs of David Burns new range of figures for the Greek army of WW2 in 28mm. And very nice they are too. In fact too nice as the last thing I want is another scale for this conflict!

These are well proportioned figures, perhaps slightly smaller than some ranges, but will fit in. There were two types of helmet in general use, the British Mk1 pattern that was gradually being replaced by a model similar to the Italian helmet. This range has gone for the latter. The right decision in my view because the Greek army uniform was similar to the British, so other types can be represented by British ranges, at least in the smaller scales. 

Some examples from the range below. Painted examples are on the Rif Raf site done by David himself. They really do look the part. Highly recommended.

Clydeside Battalion

The next unit for my Very British Civil War project is the Clydeside Battalion.

These are better trained troops financed and organised by the Communist Party to stiffen the ranks of the workers militias. Not quite regulars, but very committed to the cause and more likely to stand up to any fascist or regular army units they may come up against. Red Clydeside rises again!

Honour and the Sword

My latest historical fiction reading has been Honour and the Sword by A.L. Berridge.

This is the author's first novel and takes place in a French village during the Thirty Years War. Not the usual setting for historical fiction and that is probably what attracted me.

The essence of the story is the Spanish invasion and occupation of the village. The young son of the local noblemen becomes the focus of resistance to Spanish rule. There are a number of acts of resistance leading to the liberation of the village with some belated assistance from the French army.

The characters are developed well on both the French and Spanish side. Operating a resistance force within the social structures of French society of the period is very well presented.Not exactly a full bloodied action adventure but there is plenty to keep the reader interested and the author has done her research on the tactics and equipment of the period.

The story is told as a series of interviews after the event. I am not sure about this format. For me it breaks up the narrative and can be repetitious. As a consequence I had to force myself through what is a long tale anyway. Not sure it quite lives up to the 'fast paced' hype on the cover, but something a bit different.

Blood on the Snow

Just finished reading Blood on the Snow: The Carpathian Winter War of 1915 by Graydon Tunstall.

I thought I knew a bit about most WW1 campaigns in SE Europe, but I was not aware of this one. It was fought mostly between Austro-Hungarian and Russian troops in the Carpathian Mountains during winter. I have walked part of these mountains in the summer, the idea of fighting through them in winter is just mind boggling.

But that is exactly what two, million man armies did during the winter of 1915. The campaign was predicated on the need to relieve the Austro-Hungarian garrison of Przemysl consisting of some 135,000 men. The A-H CinC, Conrad, inexplicably decided to launch three offensives through the mountains with troops that were not equipped or trained to fight in such terrain. Supplies of everything were totally inadequate. The Russian's, commanded by Ivanov, were only slightly better prepared. The casualties far exceeded the size of garrison they were attempting to relieve and the A-H army was fatally weakened for the rest of the war.

Words just do not do justice to the horrors of this campaign. Troops lasted on average 5-6 weeks before being killed, wounded, captured or committing suicide. Battles in snow two metres high along the Carpathian ridges and into the valleys.  

The author has extensively researched the campaign, mostly from the A-H perspective. Eye witness accounts add much to the archive material.

This is probably not a book for the general reader. The author assumes a degree of knowledge of the area and each offensive is dealt with in great detail. The maps could also have been better. One for the specialist, but a campaign that fully deserves to be told.

 

Scotland's Festival of History

Popped down to Lanark today for Scotland's Festival of History. This is a two day living history event with a wide range of re-enactors and a supporting cast of stalls.

This is an excellent family day out with lots going on. Big thanks to the different societies who clearly put a huge effort into getting their uniforms and equipment just right.

Workers Militia

Just completed the first unit for my Very British Civil War project. For those not familiar with the concept it is an alternative historical take on the events of 1936-38. Civil war grips Britain with a range of armies seeking control.

My units will mainly be Clydeside Workers Militias, formed to defend Glasgow and the West of Scotland against the Fascists.

A range of figures including Musketeer and Anglian.

Claymore

It was the Claymore show in Edinburgh today. As well organised as ever by the Edinburgh club in a fine venue. Even the weather was cooler, a boon if your game is in the atrium.

We took a Peninsular War skirmish game, Carry on Bohlsup, using the Sharpe Practice rules. This is a fun set that you shouldn't take too seriously. Generally they play well although I think movement and action is a little too random. It plays better when you remove the Tiffin card. This means that the cards determine the order of action but still ensure that every 'Big Man' moves each turn.

There was a good range of traders and display games. Numbers seemed reasonable and the Bring & Buy looked particularly busy.

This was an interesting Polish renaissance game in I presume 40mm.

And this Scots ECW game also caught my eye.



  

The Vikings

A bit of film nostalgia. The Vikings is a film starring Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and Ernest Borgnine and based on the novel The Viking by Edison Marshall. It claimed to be based on legendary material from the sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok and his sons. The film used great locations in Norway although Aella's castle was the real Fort de la Latte in north-east Brittany.

This was one of those films that make the partners of military history buffs groan. You know the scenario. A night out at the cinema, your turn to choose, so of course it's an historical film. What do you do? Yes, you moan that the medieval armour isn't right, the tanks weren't even built in WW2 etc. I once loudly complained during Braveheart,  when my partner swooned at the seduction of the English Princess by Wallace, that given their historical ages he would have been arrested today as a paedophile. Not the most popular comment at at the first showing of the film in Scotland!

Well this film had all the faults you can imagine. Medieval castles, 12thC armour, horned Viking helmets and much more nonsense. Still a good tale and what do I know, because it was a great box office success.

This film came to mind when I was in France visiting the castle they used in the film. Fort de la Latte is on the Brittany coast west of St Malo. Incidentally another very well preserved set of fortifications. Whatever the historical failings of the film this is a well preserved 13th Century castle in a great setting. Well worth a visit, although hopefully not on a day as wet as the one we had. I can also recommend the fishing village of Erquy, a little further along the coast, if you like fish for dinner. The scallops were excellent.