Go East Young Man!

 

Which rules for the Back of Beyond or the Russian Civil War? There was an overlap what with the Mad White Baron and simply geography. The hobby has reached the stage that a glossy set of rules exists for many a theatre.

So it is with this one. I have been eyeing up Setting the East Ablaze (STEA). Period specific and it has its fans. It has a few disappointed purchasers too. Following a final stroke of the chin I decided not. Unfairly a vision of Mad Dogs and Englishmen arose before me. No one ever said STEA was unplayable. Quite the opposite. It has devotees.

Thence to Setting The World Ablaze an Osprey offering. Full of good ideas this one. It also has mechanisms I like. Cards for example and random events. Lots of solid basic period info’ too. I got it pretty much half price and I’m pleased with it. I might even play it. Certainly it will solidly contribute to what I do play.

Also because Iron Ivan never disappoints I have a copy of Red Sun-Red Death. From Noble Knight who share that very trait. Here I struck gold, the authors really did their research and also know how to write a playable game. Published 20 years ago I note. My copy crossed the Atlantic to me.

Next time we will have a go at constructing a Chinese Company and how our rules provide for Chinese forces.  The Events Table is done, v1 anyhow.

Now to playing pieces. Yes, the toys. I am the bearer of glad tidings. Bow and Arrow Miniatures are now producing Irregular Miniatures in 15mm. Other scales too but here we do 15mm. Above we see Chinese Warlord Mongols, painted as Turcoman. Or just Mongols in red coats. The finished unit will have 12 figures.

Let us continue Horsey with some Chinese Regular Cavalry. I have another 4 of this unit to do. Another Chinese regular Cavalry unit here, four figures left to do.

 Below, Chinese Infantry.  I have a lot of these to do.

I bought a lot of Irregular Miniatures RCW and Back of Beyond 15mm from Bow and Arrow Miniatures. As I paint them they will be posted on this blog. I also have some Eureka WW2 Chinese.

Peter Pig is well represented too.

I increasing appreciate the PP style. Here's more. Note the Irregular figures below in the lighter shade of blue blending in nicely.

Let us not forget Minifigs have much to offer.

A lot of people are still looking for Irregular Miniatures. Here is how to get them: 

Google Irregular Miniatures and the old site will come up. Note down the codes you want. 

Work out how many you want and send your list to Jamie at Bow and Arrow Miniatures. He will tell you the price and the turnaround. 

Once they are cast you will be invoiced. The whole process took me a fortnight or so from order to receiving the goods.

I paid 70p per infantry figure and I got a 10% discount because I ordered rather a lot. So 63p then.

 My aim is to have both a Communist and a Nationalist Force. 

They can fight the Japanese or each other. I have discovered that my Japanese, you will see them soon, are from QRF. Based on Steve Shaw dollies I'm near sure.

I can also manage Chinese Warlord action. 

This Chinese House is nearly finished. It is one of two. It needs gates. We don't seem to have much Chinese terrain pieces on offer. I get the odd bit now and then.  Two irregular 15mm and ditto one Peter Pig for scale.

All in all a fair clip of progress. Happy Days! 

Everything is coming up Wars Of The Roses

 

Interests can lie dormant and then spring up demanding time and attention. This time it is the War of the Roses (WOTR). That’s in general and specifically the Fitzgerald v Ormond feud.

One thing invariably leads to another and I think on unit composition. A great bugbear of the WOTR. We don’t know enough to be sure. We do know enough to argue. 

My own take is that they were mixed. Especially if we are talking Billhooks or Rampant small battle stuff. Skirmish even.

Alright let’s get fiddly. Take a unit of 12 figures of which 4 are men at arms. There might be 8 Billmen. Or, 4 archers and 4 Billmen. Or 2 Men at arms and 10 Archers. I’ll stop there but you get the point.

When it comes to shooting 4 Archers shoot. When it comes to fighting each of our 3 types inflict hits at a different rate. Men at arms hit on a 3, Billmen on a 5 and Archers on a 6. How to do this expediently?

Use a different colour dice for each type and there you go.  I know, fiddly but it bespeaks of additional fun.

Unit cost? Each figure has a notional value, just do the sums. Two Men at Arms cost 2 points, 6 Billmen cost 2 points, 6 Archers cost 2 points. A 6 points a unit but doable.

Not only that but you get to make a decision on whether your unit excels at shooting or the close up stuff. 

Of course you can just make them all of one type.  That's where we came in with Rampant and Billhooks. Pleasingly both are very flexible systems.

Anyhow, here are my new units. Top of the page the Earl of Kildare and his horsemen. Below, with his men on foot.

The Earl's Galloglass, McDonalds and a fairly new addition to the Earl's Power. They had been in the service of the O'Kelly but found themselves on the losing side. They headed east and learned to shout "Crom Abu!" The Earl's Battle Cry. 

Fairly recently it was suggested that that they were hired as expendables. That relies on a particular reading of the Chronicle of Howth. The Chronicle was written 50 years later amid very different circumstances and sentiments.  

I dismiss it, not least because the same McDonalds subsequently became the "Queen Majesties Galloglass". Queen Elizabeth was notoriously tight, only parting with coin in extreme need. Clearly, she valued them.

All the figures so far are QRF or Matchlock. The Flags are from Pete's Flags except that of the Earl's foot men. I'm not sure of its provenance. 

Now, the Earl will need a unit of archers and a unit or maybe two of Kern. Here are the archers.

Both Kern units are in hand. Then we must to Butler of Ormond who requires both Gallowglass and Kern and a mounted retinue. The rest of his force is already done.

With two sides complete we can feud. Not only that but I can use the Hibernia rules I wrote for Billhooks Deluxe.

Next week we are in the Highlands or Russia or China.  Depending on what gets finished first.

Red Roses For Me or Maybe White

 

This is a bit of an odd post. Bear with me and we will get there.

When Andy Callan's Never Mind the Billhooks arrived I was impressed. I reviewed it here. You can see that if you click the Billhooks tag. At about the same time QRF launched a WOTR range that you see on this page. 

Currently I cannot access my WOTR Collection because of decorating. I can access the photos of it.  That's good because I'm about to expand it. I need to know what I have got.  This is an audit and a project plan. Above Percy (2 figs) and (12) Billmen.

Percy Currors (8) from QRF.

Another Percy with (6) Men at Arms and (5) Billmen and a lad with a drum. QRF fig's.

Here we have (12) Percy Bowmen in correct livery colours and crescent badge. Peter Pig fig's.  We are going to need some Neville's. It's all Percy so far.

Butler of Ormond (2 figs) and his (12) Billmen.  QRF figures.  Now it happens that Butler could also access Galloglaich and Kern. I have some to do. Result.

More Butler Billmen (12) from QRF.

Butler Archers (12) from QRF.  What we need is FitzGerald of Kildare and his fellows.  That too can be done.

Yorkist Men at Arms (3) on foot and (9) Billmen above. Banners flying and in livery Yorkist (10) cavalry below.  All from QRF.

Let's pause. First, all of the above are going to be rebased as singles. As Andy, and indeed Lion Rampant Dan, recommended . I'm a slow learner betimes, but I do get there.

In total I count 18 cavalry, 24 archers and 20 Men at Arms and 50 Billmen. To which we can add two Bombards and Crews, 5 Men at Arms, 60 Archers and 12 Billmen and 20 cavalry.  Also 24 Pikemen, actually the pikes can be called spears with no squinting required.  All the foregoing are QRF.

Out of this I want to create a Tudor Contingent, a Neville one and a FitzGerald one. Then two units of Galloglaich and two of Kern.  The latter for Ormond and Kildare. Doable I think. In fact I might double those numbers.

I preparation for all this I bought some of Pete's Flags. One set (Ormond) I wanted wasn't available in 15mm. Pete very kindly made it so and at the same price. Good man.

Next week we will see the Fitzgerald Earl of Kildare's Retinue or most of it. I'm having a Kern compatibility problem. Above, his nibs with his horsemen. I'm pleased with the look of this bunch. All the same I have to tell you that even the Great Earls in Ireland preferred a mail shirt to full plate when serious fighting was required. A mobility thing I think.

Painting an Irish Army – The War of Three Kingdoms

 

I’m putting together an Irish Army for the War of Three Kingdoms-often called the English Civil War. There are two challenges to this.

First, the majority of Irish soldiers were Gaels and they wore trews not breeches and hose.  Khurasan Miniatures gets it right and I’m using their figures.

Second, there is the issue of clothing colours. Irish clothing colours were muted. This was new and a consequence of the overthrow of Gaelic Ireland at the end of the Nine Years War.  There were less resources to go around and it showed.

Some Clans had been dispersed. Others waited for the inevitable dispossession of their ancestral lands. The land was full of men ready to soldier. They lacked arms and training. Once these were available armies formed. The new soldiers went to war in what the stood up in. Uniforms were not provided.

At the top of the page is Eoghan Ruadh O’Neill back from Spanish Flanders. I have chosen to paint "Red Owen" in red, replete with Red Hand flag of his clan. He wears a traditional fringed Brat cloak to remind the boys what they are fighting for. Otherwise he is dressed like a Spanish soldier as is his companion. Many of the Irish officers had seen foreign service and were attired as such.

The rank and file soldiers and junior officers wore Irish clothing. I find a set of WW2 paints come in very handy here. The subdued colours lend themselves nicely to this army.

 

Above we see a Command Stand of an Irish regiment. In reality the kinsmen of the commander would be grouped around him. The man himself has a buff coat, his clothes are colourful. He has a morion helmet, perhaps hidden for decades. Or maybe newly acquired.  The drummer is well dressed in good quality trews and a coloured coat.  The piper is more simply attired.

His pikemen will repay scrutiny. Two are wearing expensive plaid trews requiring much time and labour to make. Robust wear for campaigning. Otherwise one has a sword and two have a scían (Long Knife).  The scian was handier for pike fighting but the sword carried more prestige. The flag is that of the Irish Confederation that claimed the allegiance of Gaels and Old English both. This is a Wargames Designs Flag.

Above we see a close up of Seán O' Brógáín's painting of an Irish pike man. Note the buttoned sleeves allowing them to be opened. An old trait of Irish clothing. We also see part of the scían. The latter was pointed, single edged and, in this period, 21 inches long. Image from Helion's Raw General's and Green Soldiers.

We often read that the Irish preferred a ratio of 1 to 1 for Pike and Shot. That they fielded such regiments is clear. Whether it was by choice is something I intend to pursue.  That is for another day. However, I can tell you now it was not the practice in the Spanish Army where so many of the Irish had served.

Let us look at an Irish cavalry trooper and consider his armament. 

He is clearly more expensively dressed than the ordinary foot soldiers. Plaid trews and a brightly coloured jacket and hat. Note he wears shoes. His armament is sword and lance. Initially, before Eoghan Ruadh, it had been the sword alone. These fellows were the gentry of Gaelic Ireland. Post successful actions helmets and other kit could be acquired.

So armed, the Irish cavaliers struggled to cope with the sword and pistol armed Scots cavalry.  Sometimes a Scots horsemen might have 5 pistols. Meaning he had 5 chances to down the Irish opponent before swords crossed. 

The Irish couldn't cope and demanded armour. We easily follow the military logic. They were happy to fight the Scots but didn't want to die before they got a chance to do so.

Eoghan had little armour to give them. Instead he trained them as charging cavalry and gave them lances. It worked. 

Pistol armed Scots resented being skewered beyond sword reach and Scots Lancers could be met on equal terms. 

Khurasan are making Irish cavalry based on the above.  I'm delighted and will be buying many of them. 

We finish with an Irish Musketeer. Note the muted clothing colours and the longer version of the scían. 

We will return to this subject when I have more to show you. More immediately as part of our Victory without Quarter series we will look at Montrose's Irish Regulars or possibly the Highlanders.

Of Kerns and Gallowglasses by Robert Gresh - A Review

 

If you are interested in Irish Armies of the 16th Century 1487-1587 this is the book for you. Robert Gresh has absolute command of his subject. The authorial voice is pleasant as he takes us through 298 pages. There are also 8 colour plates, five maps, 2 figures and 32 tables.

Let us take a table, a famous one. It is called A Description Of The Power Of Irishmen. It lists the military resources of each Irish Lordship. It is a piece of English intelligence work usually dated to the early C16th. Gresh gives us the true date (1490) of the document and tells us how he knows. This nicely sets the tone for the book. I should say the martial resources of the Towns and the Great Earls are also detailed. The Englishry, as it were. A contrast to the Irishry of the Gaels.

Importantly, Gresh begins with how Irish Society worked. The law was massively different from that in England, as was the social structure. This approach enables us to understand how and why things happened. When we are in the 20 mile deep Pale, English Law pertained. Hence Beyond the Pale.

If Ireland was politically decentralised its concepts were unified.  It knew itself to be an ancient culture and indeed was in the throes of a cultural revival. If the Lords of Ireland appeared like figures out of history that, Gresh notes, is precisely what they intended.

The Great Earls (Old English) were speaking Irish, employing Brehon Lawyers, Gallowglass and Kern. I  have written of them before in the Hibernia section of Billhooks. Gresh takes them in turn and in detail. These were the proto  Macmorris of Shakespeare’s later confection. Ostensibly Irish, but politically English in allegiance.

I’ll note that Fitzgerald of Kildare had the motto “Crom Aboo” on his standard. An anglicisation of “Crom Abú”. Gresh, correctly tells us that “Crom” refers to Croom Castle a Geraldine stronghold. Abú simply meaning “Up” or “Uber Alles” if you like. Literally "above".

Yet, in the middle of the Gaelic Resurgence it was known that Crom, Lord of the Mound, was one of the Old God’s. An old God linked with death. Was this Geraldine humour?

Highly detailed sections on Horsemen, Galloglass and Kern  follow sequentially. The information is first rate and comprehensive. Gresh goes further than anyone else writing on the subject today. 

If you want to know about Irish horse tack and riding style it is here. The virtues of the Irish mount for men throwing darts?  That’s here too. A Continental Comparator? The Jinete of Spain. So said the Spanish. The English view? "The finest scourrers on Christian ground".  Gresh tells you why, and even what colour horses the Irish favoured.

The modeller and the painter are well catered for with a wealth of information. Note the notches on the Gallowglass axe shaft top of post. Ogham, and the owner would know what it said.

He does not give us the big picture. You can find that readily enough elsewhere. He does give us the definitive volume on the Ireland's military prior to O’Neill’s gunpowder revolution and the Nine Years War.  

Colour plates are by Séan O’ Brógáin, a treat as ever. You see two above. An extensive 10 page bibliography completes the work.

Robert Gresh is a participant in Wilde Irish a Living History Group. You can find them online. He has accomplished something rather special with "Of Kerns and Gallowglasses".  I commend it to you.

One of Helion's best so far. Inspirational? Most certainly. As we shall see in coming weeks and months. 

Sitting Bull’s War by Paul L Hedren- A Book Review

 

Sitting Bull’s plan was simple. Don’t go anywhere near the Whites. If they aren’t where you are, they can do you no harm.  

Problematically, the Whites kept coming. Amazingly, in the vastness of the West, Sitting Bull’s people ran out of room. Then they had to stand and fight. Spectacularly they did so, at the Rosebud and the Little Big Horn.

Sitting Bull’s War is my latest acquisition from Paul L Hedren. Hedren gives us 423 pages of text, notes for each of the 16 chapters and a copious biography.   The are 14 pages of photographs.  This is highly readable quality scholarship throughout. I can only give you snapshots of a work of such size.

Hedren says “I consciously intend that the work in hand defy the standard tradition. This is a unique history of the Great Sioux War, carefully and deliberately told through the eyes of its victims, the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne of the northern plains…”

He wants to give us an insiders perspective and largely succeeds in doing so. Indian accounts are personal, selective, and detached. No one wanted to implicate himself for condign punishment. 

Also, the Indian tradition was to proclaim one’s own valour and skill in war.  After the defeat this became personally problematic. They had been crushed and their world was literally gone with the Buffalo. All that courage and killing and only ruination resulted and, what of the dead? Indian losses per capita were huge. 

All the same, Hedren has gathered the accounts and reconstructed the sequences. The result is clear eyed and we see the individuals and share their experiences of victory and defeat.

There is detail galore of the kind that delights the enquiring reader. A key source of arms and ammunition were the Metis of Canada. At first the Sioux fought them. That proved very unprofitable. The Metis could have a fight. They followed the old trading routes their forebears had traversed before New France fell.

As an alternative to fighting friendship developed between Lakota and Metis. We might recall that it was in Canada that Sitting Bull sought refuge. 

A Hudson’s Bay Company Trader recalled “Sitting Bull did not care to arouse the Metis against him”. The two peoples did brisk trade. Metis prices were high but the quality was good. American officials became concerned.  Well armed Indians were a constant fear.

It is often said that the Victors captured significant arms and ammunition at the Little Big Horn. They did indeed. Hedren reminds us that the ammunition didn’t fit the Indian rifles. Also, the Indians thought the single-shot breech-loading Springfield carbine inferior to their own Henry or Winchesters. Not because the Springfields jammed, they didn't.

Additionally huge amounts of ammunition were expended at the Rosebud Fight and then more in the killing of Custer and Companies. Post Little Big Horn the Lakota and allies were much worse off for ammo than pre Rosebud.

Red Cloud's earlier successful resistance is considered in detail. He won and everyone knew it. He was not to know the strategic situation had changed. What Red Cloud defended was no longer key to USA expansion.

The dynamic of the Tribes and Indian Agency is dealt with in detail. It was often a complex interaction. Many Indians liked to summer on the Plains and didn't see why they shouldn't. When was an Indian a Hostile? No one could be sure. Yet many Indians never were. It made no difference in the long run.

Betimes, the population of the reservation was a political barometer. Indian Agents were a key USA intelligence resource. How many and where?

The Blue Coats never stopped coming. Infantry with their longer ranged weapons were particularly hard to deal with. US infantry could and did chase the Indians across the Plains. Hedren tells us about it.

When it came to horsemen the Indians thought the Crow and Shoshone more dangerous than the Cavalry.

All of the famous are found herein, sometimes with visual detail. For instance, Crazy Horse rides a white spotted pony. You might want to replicate that.

The Indians never had enough modern weapons. 

When Crazy Horse, Little Big Man and He Dog’s people surrendered they had 117 firearms for 217 men and 186 boys.  Mind you they had a total of 2,200 ponies, US Mules and cavalry horses. Mobility was good but eating was essential. Hunger broke the Plains People.

Combat detail abounds  as you might expect in a work on this subject. The Army does what it does, by the book. The Indians display tactical brilliance or defiant idiocy depending on who, where and when.

It is not possible to do this book justice in a one page review. There is so much useful information in it.  Buy a copy if you are interested in the Pony Wars, Plains Peoples or Old West. You will not regret it. 

Let me take the opportunity to commend Rosebud and Powder River by the same author. I have them both. Books to revisit.  

As I conclude Hedren's Great Sioux War-Order of Battles wends its way here. Each engagement is detailed with deployments and tactics used. I think it will see much use.

A Russian Civil War update and China WW2

 

I noticed that tchanka teams are often shown as a 4 like above, or even a 3. Most of mine are in two 2s. I may be doing it wrong. I'd have thought 2s handier. 

I have four tchanka in all. Also a staff tchanka too. Peter Pig as usual.  Now, to China.

Two Chinese Maxim Heavy Machine Guns and Crews from Minifigs. Uniforms varied  quite a lot.

A couple of Putilov Armoured Cars. Useful for lots of games.

Early in my China Project I found myself using substitutes. Mostly from Peter Pig.

Also I bought some of Eureka's Chinese WW2 15mm. 

 I'm pleased to tell you Irregular Miniatures15mm are back. Sort of, as we will soon see. I have lots of Irregular WW2 Chinese and Chinese War Lord troops on the way. 

All being well they will be in my eager hands at the end of next week. I will review what I get, hopefully for your delectation.

Comparison pic' above Minifig, Eureka, Eureka, Peter Pig. Not to bad at all. Back to Russia again.

 I made some Officer Cards for TMWWBK. 

I scrupled to use actual photos having no wish to malign the dead. Instead I turned to paintings of the period. Here is a selection Traits and all. 

I can add to the cards as I roll them up. Good for period flavour.  This probably the last Time we have a joint RCW/China post. Both projects having achieved a critical mass. As a consequence I can manage a plausible Back of Beyond game too.