Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The Cure: The Splendors of 18th Century Classic Wargaming!








In the face of a recent lull in operations...I figured the best way to banish the malaise was to return to the essentials....classic 18th century gaming! I resolved to reconfigure my table sections in order to build the largest table I could construct with the table sections I have on hand expanding the "Green Mile"  to a 4x10' table and to deploy ALL of my 18th century collection! That meant that the intrepid forces of the Konigreich der Bleiherzen and the Grand Duchess' infamous Grolsteiners were in due course arrayed across 4 feet of soon to be contested European countryside.




Just laying everything out consumed a pleasurable afternoon and I could feel the old magic seeping back into my gaming starved brain.


Blieherzen infantry

 After all, these guys are what really ramped up my gaming not to mention my blogging two years ago now, and they deserve to get some table time.


The Royal Bleiherzen Howitzer Battery with the military engineer, Compte Dugas and his manservant surveying the opposing Grolsteiner lines in the distance.


The Grand Duchess' Leibguard in the position of honor to the right front of the Grolstein battleline.


Two Squadrons of the Grand Duchess' Cuirassiers
"Red Grenadiers" holding the chateau in the center of the Grolstein line supported by a howitzer...the Grolstein CinC and staff in the background.

French mecenaries (actually Eureka miniatures Aquebusiers de Grassin)
French mercenary light infantry in the service of the Konigreich lurk at the edge of a forest.



Bleiherzen General staff observes a battery of the King's artillery preparing to fire.

Prussian mercenaries and Bleiherzen fusiliers prepare to assault.


View from the town church


Grolstein lancers (the Grand Duchess' coach escort) and a squadron of Hussars



Still deciding on what rules (my usual Grant or perhaps another go with Black Powder...or maybe some others...) to use for this battle...but it's shaping up to be a big one regardless.....More pics of this upcoming battle in the next post.

(....having a bit of trouble with blogger getting pics to be clickable....so some work and some don't...)

15 comments:

Martin said...

Hi Littlejohn,

WOW! All those troops looked fantastic. I'm looking forward to the battle report. WOOF!

Martin

Bluebear Jeff said...

I will echo Martin's comments . . . wonderful troops and everything looks fantastic.


-- Jeff

abdul666 said...

What a magnificient and inspirational eye-candy!
18th C. Classic Wargaming at its best, indeed!

Guidowg said...

Now this is true wargaming as I remember it, the huge games with classic figures as shown in the old "Battle for Wargamers" magazines I had as a kid.
Not that I ever owned such a grand collection of figures. Absolutely amazing Littlejohn.

Steve-the-Wargamer said...

Oh yes!!! Lovely looking set-up!

Capt Bill said...

Simply the most magnificent collection of all our imagi-nation friends. Makes me wish I lived in West Virginia just to see them in person. Thanks for all your inspirational postings.

Capt Bill said...

Oops, make that Virginia! Sorry, I had a senior moment...

BigRedBat said...

Old school! Very impressive.

Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.com said...

Nothing like getting the lads out onto the table. and what fine lads they are!

After my last encounter with BP, I'd vote for the Wargame (if you're taking votes...)

-Ross

Der Alte Fritz said...

I like the church. In fact I like everything that I see on your table.

littlejohn said...

Thanks guys for all the inspiring comments! It really gets me up to game again. ...and I think Ross is spot on and I am going to fight it out "in the Grant-ian manner"...hopefully in the next few days. Though the table is pretty dense, I think the rules can handle it.

Thanks again everyone!

Neil said...

Fantastic! It is indeed classic wargaming. One of my favorite periods is the WSS; I have enjoyed following the exploits of your fictional countries.

MIK said...

Truly a spectacle you have here, as tabletop gaming *should* be!

Kudos.

Keith Flint said...

A pleasure to view those photos. All those RSM figures looked great. And I'm glad to see you paint your brass cannon the same shade as me: I found your blog searching for images of 18th century cannon to check my painting!

littlejohn said...

Keith, Glad to have you tuning in! though I might not be the best authority on gun colors...but I do know the Colonels of both the Army of Grolstein and the Army of the Konigreich insist on a high polish to their brass field-pieces ;)...! ...wouldn't be "old school" otherwise!