Stokesay Castle

Stokesay Castle
Just a great place to visit

Monday, 11 May 2026

MKWS Campaign

 Hi!

This weekend (9th & 10th May) I went to Milton Keynes Wargames Society open day in Middleton Hall at the city centre.

As usual the event is free and open to all. 

There are various competition s ongoing and various participation games as well as traders.

Having dropped of a load of sprues at the bring and buy stall I went hunting for a games to play.

First up was The Battle of the Little Bighorn based on the '60s game of the same name.





I controlled the Indians on foot and someone else controlled those on horseback. I killed several but we lost the game when all three chieftains on horse got killed.
The rules and movement was simple but it was a really enjoyable game as were the others.


Next up was Peaky Blinders with rules based on What a Cowboy. I got to save the woman and win the game for the Peaky Blinders




I had an enjoyable game of Dead Mans Hand in which my outlaws killed 3 deputies to win the game, though my leader bit the dust also.




Continued on Sunday.

The sprues didn't sell well. Included Warlord games D.A.K and various epic sprues. Talk about taking a horse to water.... and they were only £5 each sprue!

Monday, 4 May 2026

A New Game

 Hi!


There are times you see something and think ''I'd like to try that'' but for one reason or another you don't follow through with it.

This was one of those things with Mike Lambo's solitaire series. I liked the idea and look of it but didn't feel 100% about it. I've thought about it for around 14 months.

But I took the plunge recently and bought this:


It could have been several other games, ECW, other WW2 or anything. There are many appealing ones to try. But as I'm muddling my way through WW2 with Bolt Action I chose this one.

Perhaps I was thinking of Five Men at Kursk by Nordic Weasel Games, another I'd like to try!

I'm just edging my way into it.

The rules are quite streamlined and the AI for the Germans has its limitations (imho) but it is worth a go for the price.

The first game resulted in a defeat for my Russians, but like the EU and Starmer when referendums don't go their way I want a re-run in the expectation I'll get the result I want.

No. No re-runs in this democracy.

Time to read the rules again and maybe print them out so I don't have to flick back and forth to make it easier for myself.

You can play the game from set-up to finish in about 20 mins, or less. Ideal, I think, if you haven't time to set up a game with figures.

Thank you for dropping by

Tuesday, 28 April 2026

Painting desk

Hi!

I haven't been idle this last couple of weeks.

After Salute I ambled along with the painting. Days out and about slowed things down but it was a lethargic period that held me up.

But, here are the finished products of that painting spell. Bar finishing the cart and basing the crows.

The three horses without riders is because I likely left them behind in Sarasota. They can do for riders being gunned down for now.





A very mixed bag. Bad Squiddo (kickstarter women), Wargames Foundry (cart), Crooked Dice, Blue Moon (US cavalry). Unfortunately I don't know where my son bought the 16thc soldiers and priest from. They look old school but nice to use in the witches game.

Saturday, 18 April 2026

Salute

 Hi!

Just a couple of pictures of the two set-ups I liked best:

First:

One of the first in and off I trot to the Crooked Dice stand!













That isn't to detract from the many other excellent set-ups, and there were many, but these I liked the best.

Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Salute

 Hi!


Salute 53

Saturday the 11th April was Salute wargame show at the Excel exhibition centre in London.

The layout was much the same as previous years. A tried and tested formula that works. There were a few bottlenecks in places but overall it was fine and people could skirt around and come back later to those games/stands.

I had ordered two Sarissa Precision buildings from Warlord Games:-


which I picked up eventually. I'm glad I did as they were weighty objects!

They will go with these I ordered before my travel to Florida.




That ups the buildings for my town very nicely.

My first port of call was Crooked Dice Games were I bought:



The two wheeled cart is From Foundry Miniatures.

Of course the figures will be for 7TV games and are sure to have other uses.

From there it was casual browsing and looking at all the games going on.

Until I saw these and bought two mats with these roads for 10mm games (really I'll use them for my 6mm games) and they look useful as dirt tracks for larger scales. That was something I noticed after putting them on my table were the Bolt Action game was in its dying embers.



Thanks' for dropping by.



Sunday, 5 April 2026

Bolt Action

 



German forces from the left


German forces centre and right



View of the British forces right and centre



British forces on the right


Germans

On the German left:-
NCO with smg
7 men including 1 LMG and ammo carrier


In the centre on the road:-
Lt with 1 man
Medic and 1 man
Mortar spotter



To the right of the centre:-
1 medium mortar and 3 crew



On the German right:-
NC O with smg
7 men including 1 LMG and ammo carrier


British
On the right of the British line is:-
 NCO with smg, 7 men and 1LMG

In the centre:-
Lt with 1 man
Medic with 1 man
Light Mortar, 2 crew


On the left for the British:-
NCO with smg, and 7 men with 1 LMG




First moves
Fired at British right wing section missed

Moved around the building

Run order on the right

Run order on the left

Advance order on the left

Run orders for the 3 British commands in the centre

Sunday, 22 March 2026

On the paint table

 Hi!

Back from Florida and looking forward to some painting and gaming.

I had a few days for sorting things out and got down to painting.

Instead of starting with the figures I took to the US I chose the new figures. As you do!

Blue Moon Miniatures which I got from Noble Knight Games (nobleknight.com) 15mm US Cavalry for the Little Fox Ford old west town and environs.

I must do a map for the area.



Some 28 kickstarter figures from Bad Squiddo, the ladies back left as you look (badsquiddogames) and Crooked Dice (crooked-dice) the folk for the inn (coming soon as I'm picking it and a manor house up at Salute).



Almost 2 weeks to Salute so I hop to finish these and set about those doughty 16thc witch hunters.


Until next time