Armor and Weapons: Dark Age and Rennaisance games

 This battle fought un 1410 between the Teutonic Order and the Polish Lithuania. It's an interesting battle as there were so many nationalities. So I'll throw in all of my medieval troops. And with the current situation going on its interesting to see how confusing the history is there  Teutonic Knights and Allied Europeans Teutonic Knights: Knights of St John crusaders Earl of Derby, England: Archers  Men at Arms Normans: Saxons Polish/Lithuanian Army Rus: Cossacks: Tartars: Mix of Muslim, Asian types(Japanese Samurai) Spanish Conquistadors as Polish  Viking looking types Scots From my recollections, I refought this battle in my garage in the spring of 2022. However, I failed to take any pictures of the game. I also got side tracked by real life and also I took a job posting in Nunavut, which meant my gamming switched to my other eras. However, I do plan to try the action again, and to fill out the forces again.

 One of my new campaigns I'm going to work on. I have figures who need paint, I have some terrain I have also borrowed the Osprey publishing book on this from my friend. I will see about doing these battles as a project. I've painted up more of the figures and began to paint them.

  I'm in the process of increasing this era figures. I have the Accurate Minature set but not this one. They shall fight on the continent, Scotland and Ireland. The first campaign they will find themselves in is Grundwald  I got bases, just need to begin mounting 

  So these figures will find themselves either in the Middle East or in Europe.  I've painted most of them, just need to mount them on bases shortly 

  Despite the ongoing issues in 2022, these fellows will duke it out on a table top in the near future  I have begun to paint these up but will need to get them based shortly 

  The entire set is made up of mounted Knights. I'm in the process of painting them then mounting them. Got bases, will be mounting them shortly 

 Some of the men at arms I'm painting up who fought against and with my ancestors. I may need to do a second coat on them and I'll get on to the basing. May get them out on the board yet.

 This is an old Airfix reissue which I am going to paint up for War of the Rose's and Irish Wars. I also found a few of my Roman Barbarians so I shall be putting together a Gaelic force. Whoops, I finally got a shot they just need some paint

I just need to touch up these fellows with some colour to faces, and any feathers I missed my go to rules for this era  Osprey Publishing And do some small scale skirmishes with the battles that I have listed in this blog. The Landscknect I have painted up and will be using for some very interesting games. Since I am laid off from work due to the pandemic, I shall see what I can do for battles.

This covers a long period, but the majority of actions which I will try to play are heavily linked to the Irish wars period, (1485-1603) This also happens to coincide with my family history as the Redden family were down in the border area and would have found themselves fighting as mercenaries The idea for this game has come from WarGames Illustrated issue 386 December 2019 they did a very interesting article on Pirates of the Hebrides  and it utilizes elements of on the seven seas and lion rampant rules however I'm going to be utilizing the field of Glory Renaissance rules. A lot of the fighting would have been between Scottish clans, Viking raiders. So it shall be the MacNeils of Barra against Norwegians, English, other Scottish clans so my figures will definetly be an exotic mix of Highlanders, Anglo-Saxons, and Conquistodor looking types.

So my figures for this era are a smattering of several eras but can nicely fit into a Genoese force to use in the Holy Land or the Med. The idea comes from the August 2019 issue of Wargames illustrated Maybe crossbows?

Right, another scenario from Wargames Illustrated October 1997 is a small scale battle between a forces of Richard IV claimaint and  those of the ruling Tudors. Cornwall, Fenny Bridges Richard IV rebels 1 Men at Arms, 9 blades, 10 bows Royalist Tudors 1 artillery 3 blades 4 bows 2 men at arm's 1 light horse 4 bows The battlefield consists of a church on an island over a road with two Bridges spanning a river. Hedges span an area to the west, the rivers could possibly be forded but the bridges are your best bet. Oh what fun, and I so want a pastie I set the battle up, and I shall try to make a quick run of it. And I got my pastie! And I had set this battle up, then I got busy again, so it was a quick roll of dice to see if in fact that the force had morale to fight. After seeing the Royalists in a strong position and with a gun, the rebels lost heart. I just forgot to take pictures.  I shall try for take 2 in 2020. Or 2022 And on top of this, my Alma matter, L...

One of the battles I read about in Miniature Wargames Magazine August 1999 issue. This was one of the battles in the War of the Roses Yorkists vs Lancastrians. The article gives a good historical brief, and twoaps, one being a traditional interpretation and another with a more practical and tactical view. I appreciate the order of battle so that I can try and model the battle with the figures I have in my collection. Yorkists would need 120 figures While the Lancastrians need 150. I believe that I have these by mixing up several of the medieval figures in my collection. More to come

I'm going to see if I can mash together some Pike and Shot and some Medieval types into 16th century games. Flodden comes to mind, as does the Irish Wars and some Border Reivers style games. I have the figures to do some really interesting things with. perhaps a castle siege may also come into play? Who knows, the fun is in thinking up the stuff and then doing them when I have the time. Tyrone Rebellion in Ireland looks interesting as I can mix in my Spanish aiding the Irish and my Scots Highlanders can probably lend a hand. Should be interesting to see how a battle looks with Pike, shot, crossbows and archers.

Back in the 1990s I was buying up as many Revell sets as I could. I only bought a set of each so I couldn't very well play Hastings My Norman army. I began to paint some of them. I seem to have also lost one of the mounted knights My Saxons however I have nearly completed in painting. I will be fielding both armies in engagements where I need to flesh out a Crusader army.

Another project I should work on are the figures that my son likes namely being knights. I have debated getting rid of this collection but I do see some skirmish options As well, if I can mix these into early Pike and shot, I should be able to keep them. I shall get some pictures up today My French Knights are almost completely armoured. I noted that they have no archers. This might give them some issues in battle, so I will draft in Norman archers or make sure to have crossbows 

Some English for late medieval and early rennassiance These sets were produced by Accurate Minatures. I am using these figures for any fighting from 1000-1500. I shall be getting some pictures up today

Some Celtic units for 1500s-1600s I've been so busy that I've forgotten about this little project. So today, I shall take some pictures of what I have. This force began as a Braveheart inspired gamming. However, once I began building the units, I then went off to Asia to teach for 20 years. Now that I'm back home, I will see how I can use these figures in Dark Age or alternative history scenarios

I plan on ressurcting this blog in the coming year. focus will be on historical games as my son has lost interest for a bit in his toy soldiers. Ideas include a castle siege game, a Crusader action, some Hundred Years War, or British conflitcts

The men at arms form a line the barbarians form up The Knights, men at arms and pikemen begin  to advane