Apart from philately, I think wargaming must be the hobby most geared-up to impulse-buying. The sample figures that arrive regularly on my desk excite my son into a frenzy that leads him to mentally begin a fresh army each week, hence I have to preserve a resolute attitude for fear of encouraging him in this profligate approach. Nevertheless, even a hardened wargaming cynic like myself never fails to find temptation hovering over one or other of the new ranges. I found this month's crop particularly hard to resist - a fine range of HINCHLIFFE English and French Medievals; Personality Generals and other Command figures of the Napoleonic Wars by MINIATURE FIGURINES, who have also put out some superb 25mm artillery pieces and accessory details, while their 15mm range has so many table-top advantages that I find myself thinking of "second" armies in that scale. However, everything that lies in front of me as I dictate is worthy of far greater discussion, so here goes!
Always a great admirer of MINIATURE FIGURINES horses, this month I am quite lost in admiration for what seems to me to be one of the finest 25mm (in fact in any scale) model horse I have ever seen - W3 this Large Shire horse is quite superb as its designer has caught the plodding strength so apparent in these animals to the extent that every time I look at it I think of English ploughed fields on a winter's day with leafless trees standing against the background of grey skies and rooks cawing in the sky above as the Victorian farmer ploughs his field. Similarly, the designer has caught the head-down, uphill plod of a mountain artillery mule in W6 - a team of these with the wheels, trail, breech and appurtenances,of an Indian mountain battery, led by native artillerymen moving into action against North-West Frontier tribesmen is a sight calculated to make the Colonial wargamer reach for his chequebook!
Still on horses, take a look at N4, 69 7 and 9 - the recommended mounts to carry Miniature Figurines latest range of British Personality Command figures for the Napoleonic Wars. Complete with furniture, these horses live up to the excellent equine standards that this firm has set. And what of the men who ride them? Well, brought to life with careful painting, these leaders had better live up to the reputation of their forbears! Frankly, coming out today figures such as these facing me on the other side of the table give me an inferiority complex as I look at the nondescript characters masquerading as Wellington, Napoleon, Picton and Ney - all that could be obtained and converted a decade ago when my Napoleonic armies were formed. Here we have personality figures in Uxbridge, Hill, Picton, de Lancey and Ponsonby with un-named Lieutenant and Major-Generals, Staff Officer with orders, A.D,C., a General sitting at a table, and a mounted officer with a telescope backed up by a Light Dragoon scouting and a picket Light Dragoon with a carbine. Also from MINIATURE FIGURINES are some kits that make up into 25mm Napoleonic artillery pieces and accessories - without actually making one up I can say that the finely designed parts even down to rammers, sponges and buckets, indicate that they will look pretty realistic when painted and crewed. For me they came at an opportune moment because I had long since tired of my plastic Napoleonic artillery and was contemplating changing over to some of the fine new metal artillery pieces on the market - providing I can find somebody who needs the money I will pay to have them made up and painted! Here is the list of pieces that are available at the moment: - 5.1ins Field Howitzer; 6ins Howitzer; French 41b Horse Gun; Mountain Howitzer; 9ins Mortar; British 6lb Horse Gun; French Caisson and British Caisson.
Rather than dart about from one scale to another, this month I will review all the 25mm figures before passing on to other sizes. This brings me to yet another range made even more attractive by the fact that at the moment I have nothing in this period yet my latent interest and enthusiasm has always existed since writing THE BOWMEN OF ENGLAND. I am referring to the new HINCHLIFFE MODELS LTD range of Medievals which, at the time of writing, consists of the following - English Man-at-Arms 1415; English Arch 1415; English Knight ' with sword and shield 1415; English Knight with battleaxe 1415; French peasant with spear 1415; French peasant with bow 1415; French crossbowman 1415; French Knight with sword and shield 1415; French mounted Man-atm-Arms 1415 and Heavy horse walking. Undoubtedly, there are unseen hands guiding me towards this period and eventually I shall have to succumb - my most recent interest was aroused by reading the fascinating fresh aspects of Agincourt in John Keegan's extraordinary book FACES OF BATTLE. Undoubtedly these armoured men-at-arms, when fighting on foot, waddled into battle, displaying none of the litheness and speed of foot shown by infantrymen in later years. This gait has been caught by the designer in the four Knights and men-at-arms mentioned above.
Similarly I feel that the French crossbowman seems in a characteristic stance but I A a little disappointed with the English archer who is a rather lumpy figure in the act of firing but unfortunately without displaying in his posture the sheer power and skill that made him one of the most technically competent light infantryman of all times. Perhaps 1 am being a little unfair here because, to me the English archer is an almost immortal man twice as large as life with as his only rival,a 95th Rifleman of the Peninsular Wars. Perhaps it is because I have-been told that my name Featherstone indicates that my ancestors had some connection with archery, perhaps as arrow makers! The French peasants in this range make it possible to reproduce an evident facet of Medieval warfare in the likelihood of non-military locals banding together (often under a Lord or similar commander) to take part in a battle as they did at Agincourt when they attacked the English camp.
Finally, we come to the French mounted man-at-arms which, complete with horse is perhaps the best of all this range and one that will look superb painted up in reasonable numbers. Yes, I am certainly fighting a big temptation here! Although I was most interested to research and write of the Battle of Kadesh, fought in 1288 BC and probably the first recorded combat in military history, I cannot arouse much interest in wargaming the period - nevertheless, the HINCHLIFFE Ancient Egyptian range opens yet another period for the wargamer who wants something a little different. Here we have a Sherden who seems to be a sort of reasonably heavily armoured foot warrior with sword and shield who would certainly frighten me if I walked round the corner and bumped into him. It is quite an impressive figure and should become popular.
The Hittite axeman looked as though he had just stepped out of some engravings on pottery or the walls of an Ancient tomb, because he is in a highly unnatural artistic pose and holding his axe like a Medieval monk waving a wooden cross in a manner that would prevent him from using it very effectively if the need arose! The Hittite guardsman and-spearman are well done, particularly the former who will probably tempt enthusiastic wargamers to grossly overburden their Hittite army with guardsmen.
The HINCHLIFFE Medieval range is completed with yet another of their fine Equipment Groups - this time a Medieval tumbril with wattle sides, a pair of oxen and peasant driver which retails at 1.O. The oxen are great and, added to a number of other beasts of this calibre that I seemed to have received lately, I can see that I shall soon have enough to provide the ox-wagons that will accompany Lord Chelmsford into Zululand in 1879! In case Frank Hinchliffe considers this to be sacrilege, I hasten to add that this wagon when made up and painted looks great and could well provide the reason for a small-scale engagement with a force endeavouring to protect its baggage-wagons from an enemy raid.
It is the expressed conviction of Neville Dickinson, head man at MINIATURE FIGURINES, that the 15mm figure is the wargaming scale of the future - and who are we to argue with such an authority? One factor which prevents a new scale from becoming popular is the lack of a complete range of friend and foe in more than one historical period. In the case of the 15mm scale this does not apply as both MINIATURE FIGURINES and PETER LAING seem to work like beavers turning out a constant flow of new figures. For example from MINIATURE FIGURINES this month I have received four new types of Ancients Egyptian Cavalry Archer, Greek Command Strip; Thracian Light Cavalry with Sarissa and half armoured camel lancers. Then there are six attractive strips of both Horse and Foot for the American Revolution 1776 - British Line Infantry; British Grenadiers; Dragoon Command; American Line Infantry; American Riflemen and American Dragoons. Finally and in yet another scale MINIATURE FIGURINES have turned out a fine American Civil War artillery set with a Union gun crew who can handle either Whitworth or Napoleon guns for which a limber is provided together with a strip of straining artillery horses. Wiout exception, all these figures are well detailed, completely distinctive and capable of being paint as colourfully as any figure in a larger scale. The American Revolution Dragoons are fine as are the armoured camel lancers and the artillery horses - it seems to me that cavalry turn out better than infantry in this scale. The guns are beautiful little pieces, very detailed and quite accurate model! of what they are intended to represent. 15mm scale wargaming is in no way a poor relation and, if you have not already done so, then have a look at this range because you might find yourself taking it far more seriously than you expect!
Second to none is his enthusiasm, PETER LAING who advertises regularly in this magazine, has a most extensive range of 15mm wargames figures - some in the same periods as Miniature Figurines so this both can be complementary to the other but Peter also has a fine and extensive range of Colonial figures (both European and Native) together with Crimean War and Horse-and-Musket ranges. Just as every jaded city businessman dreams of acquiring expanses of fields and longs to be a farmer whilst forgetting that you have to get up at five o'clock in the morning and that the winters are jolly cold, so do I sometimes think a bit wistfully of Peter Laing down there in Hereford, after displaying sufficient courage and force of character to resign from school-mastering and pursue his hobby/occupation of model soldier making for a much harder living. It does not take much reflection to realise that Peter struggles like the rest of us and this fact is occasionally detectable in his letters which however, are always cheerful, optimistic and highly readable. In his latest missive he says "I actually have some new models on offer - mostly Ancients. I have started a programme of re-modelling some of my earlier horse figures, starting with my Normans and I hope you will notice the improvement in the samples I will send you, I have still made the earlier ones available as some customers wish to mate with existing armies. The programme of re-modelling is very long term as it all costs money!
In the present economic climate I have to balance carefully new issues with re-modellers and I am trying to avoid a price increase by internal economies. My prices have remained stable (with a few minor adjustments) since I started in 1972 and I managed to absorb the VAT in the price when I was liable for registration. I have just got my latest load of metal - the price rise on that too was alarming. Anyway, I am glad to say interest in 15mm and my figures in particular is still satisfactory." I doubt if any single manufacturer of any product in this country can truthfully claim not to have raised his prices since 1972 and I am sure that, whilst Peter's devotion to his customers is no doubt greatly appreciate they are sensible enough to realise that the cost of everything has risen greatly in the past four years and I think that Peter owes himself a price rise - how about it Peter?
From Peter Laing came samples of his latest offerings - a group of Sassanid infantry; a group of Goth/Vandal infantry and, from his Feudal range an armoured axeman, a Personality figure of King Harold and another mounted Personality figure so recent that it does not even appear in the catalogue! Then there are four mounted Normans and a group of Sassanid, Byzantine and Goth/Vandal cavalry.
Peter Laing's catalogue is a modest affair but packed with details of his ever-increasing range of figures. At the moment this is really most comprehensive and is as follows:
400 Series: Ancients - this popular and expanding series gives the wargamer, figures covering Assyrians, Persians, Greek, Roman and Gallic troops. Besides foot and cavalry figures, chariots, camels, elephants and a ballista are available. Also Goths, Byzantine and Sassanid. Plus Egyptians, Hittites, Carthaginians and Republican Romans.
200 Series: Feudals - Covers warfare during the 11th century. The figures cover both armoured and unarmoured foot figures, several cavalry items and a mangonel. Besides European forces, there are Saracens to extend the series to cover the Crusades.
900 Series: Medieval - This series has been introduced to cover warfare in the 14th and 15th centuries, and includes, besides fool and cavalry figures, early artillery, battering ram, scaling ladder and trebuchet.
500 Series: English Civil War and the 30 Years War - Covers European warfare in the 17th century, especially the English Civil War. Items from the 1000 Series give suitable Scots figures for Montrosets army.
100 Series: Marlburian - The campaigns of the period 1700-1730. Besides foot and cavalry figures, the artillery train is well represented. As the European contestants of this time wore uniforms that were almost identical, differing only in colour, the figures give a very good scope for the modeller. Attention is drawn to the 1000 series which contains figures which can extend the 100 series to cover the 115 and 451 rebellions. In conjunction with the 300 series and the 1000 series, these figures can be used for the 7 Years War.
300 Series: American Revolution - Warfare on the American Continent during 1773-1781 and can be extended to European warfare using selected items from the 100 series.
Series 1: Napoleon This is an expanding series, with the initial introductions being British and French. 800 Series: Crimean - Includes the main participants of the Crimean War, including, besides British and Russians, French and Turkish troops.
600 Series: Colonials - This covers the British army and its campaigns during the latter part of the l9th Century. It includes Boers, Zulus and Dervishes, as well as the Indian and Egyptian Armies. Besides foot and cavalry figures, a mountain gun, field gun, Gatling, Gardners and Maxim guns are available.
700 Series: World - War I - The Western front at the beginning of the 1914-18 war. The figures cover British, Belgian, French and German infantry, cavalry and artillery. The wargamer can conduct campaigns when the fighting was still fluid, before the construc- tion of the continuous lines of trenches.
1000 Series: Link - This series will contain figures which enable the scope of existing series to be broadened. The first items are Scottish figures, which may be used either with 100 and 300 series for the t15 and 451 rebellions, or with the 500 series for Montrose's army. Also in this series are 7 Years War items.
From HINCHLIFFE MODELS LIMITED come the latest figures designed by Julian Benassi - an Austro-Hungarian Grenadier 1814 and an Austrian artillery carpenter 1808-1812, both in 75mm scale. It does not appear to be generally realised just how big a part the Austrians played in the Napoleonic Wars perhaps because they invariably seemed to be on the losing side -nevertheless, they probably put up as doughty a resistance to Napoleon's aspirations as any other nation. To be a true Napoleonic wargamer, one must have some Austrian formations in their collection because they were present at most of the major campaigns. Typical of those fighting in 1814 was the Austro-Hungarian Grenadier, in this case covered by colouring instructions specifically for the Hungarian Graf Sztarag Regiment No.33. The black fur Grenadier cap, the white coat and the light sky blue trousers make for an attractive figure which will look very nice when complete.
Quite distinctive in his style of design, Julian Benassi similarly seems to follow his own inclinations in his choice of figure - who else would have thought of a Napoleonic carpenter? This is an attractive and unusual figure likely to appeal to the icollector who is tiring of the usual blood-thirsty action poses. I go to Austria on holiday quite a lot and I am most impressed with the quite typical "Austrian face" that Mr. Benassi has designed into this figure. It would be interesting to know if the designer is also adept with a pen and brush because in a sense his figures are 3-dimensional cartoon characters, slightly larger than life and with their salient features exaggerated enough to achieve additional prominence. As a digression, I wonder if there would be a market for similar figures of contemporary statesmen, politicians and the like - the more bitter and twisted among us might find great pleasure in making a model of a hated :politician and then throwing things at it! How about some figures of Wedgewood Benn, Michael Foot or President Amin?
The June 1976 list from NAVWAR PRODUCTIONS LIMITED, 48 East View, Barnet, Herts, EN5 5TN, not only contains a list of ENSIGN 1:1250 scale aircraft models of Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Holland, U.S.A. and the Soviet Union, but also some of the more popular board wargames; Ensign books on warships; a comprehensive selection of rules for fighting with miniatures and with model ships plus a number of different accessories that facilitate naval wargaming. If this is your field then NAVWAR can help you.
From Bob O'Brien of THE WAR GAMES RESEARCH GROUP, 75 Ardingly Drive, Goring-by-Sea, Sussex, I have received their latest production WAR GAMES RULES SIXTEENTH AND EARLY SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 1490-1660 by George Gush. Their price, direct from W.R.G. is kl.30P including postage, U.S.A. surface mail $3.00, air $4.50. A familiar figure in the wargaming world, the patriarchial appearance of George Gush gives him a head-start on the rest of us right from the beginning but George does not only look a wargamer but is also a very talented and deeply thinking one. His beautifully assembled and painted armies for this and the Ancient period are well known, he fights a good wargame in the true spirit without breakng blood vessels if he loses and is noted for the time and trouble he spends in encouraging younger argamers and newcomers to the hobby. If only for all those reasons, then these rules deserve to be success but, over and above that, it is pretty certain that they are accurate, comprehensive and capable of producing authentic results. Originally based on the rules produced by Dave Millward for the 1971 National Wargames Convention (which were in turn based on a prototypeset by the Wargames Research Group developed from their Ancient rules) various modifications and additions have been made, based on playing experience and historical research. Covering the period dominated by the pike and the rise of infantry fire arms, from the Italian Wars to the English Civil Wars, this is a highly colourful and fascinating era in which to wargame.
Additionally, it has its own "Pike and Shot Society" run on similar lines to the Society of Ancients which also produces a bi-monthly magazine The Arquebusier. The Treasurer is Pat Wingfield, 14 Wentworth Drive, Crofton, Wakefield, W.Yorks. As to the rules themselves - seemingly following the general style of rules put out by the Wargames lesearch Group they commence with a section on Scale and Troop Types and their points values. Then comes a section dealing with Orders - always a very strong feature in W.R.G. rules before we arrive it the nitty-gritty of all rules - details of movement; disorder or disorganisation; shooting; melees and reaction tests.
In addition there are sections on flight, pursuit and prisoners; baggage trains; ield fortifications; and an invaluable section dealing with troops of the period - divided into their type, protection, morale, order, essential weapons, optional weapons and the armies to which they elonged. Such tables are worth their weight in gold as they save hours of research.
Under the heading of FIRE AND MOVEMENT - The Forum of Simulation Warfare, a new magazine designed or those enthusiastics in this style of wargaming is being published by Fire and Movement, P.O.Box 20, La Puente, California 91747 1 U.S.A., one year (6 issue $8.00, outside U.S.A. add $2.00 per year. sample copy can be obtained for $1.50 - I imagine extra will be required if outside U.S.A. The leafet in front of me says that the magazine will consist of 40 pages of articles by highly experienced amers and designers on a wide range of topics including an in-depth battle report on a game played by wo or mor play-testers who will look at the game itself, consider how it plays, its play balance, historical accuracy, etc. There will be news on the wargaming front and new games in the course of S velopment together with historical articles and a historical study of the game covered in the close-up r simulation warfare article.
This game "Close-Up" will be a detailed survey of an individual game, studying the basic systems and the rules, the game components, etc., taking an objective view of the game and discussing its strengths and weaknesses with constructive suggestions for changes in the rules, scenarios, etc., to improve the game as a whole. There will be a regular section devoted to World War tactical level games where new scenarios will be designed, rules and tactical game systems discussed and devised; under the heading of Crossfire the reader is able to submit his ideas and views on games in "Scenario Corner" additional battle situations which can be created for all the different games in the field will be discussed. The publishers claim that FIRE AND MOVEMENT will be a magazine that will change with you as through the readers response the magazine will vary to suit their tastes. Noting in the business of manufacturing games, editorial policy is claimed to be based on objective and an analysis of games. There seems to be a need for such a magazine but if it is to remain in existrnce then it will need support - try a sample copy.
TREVIS LIMITED, 19 Woodeastwick Read, Sydenham, London S.E.26, has produced a set of four coloured postcards of different model soldiers, built and painted by "Britain's foremost modellers". They are Dennis Green - Elefant Gun (Tank Hunter) World War II diorama; Jim Booth - Heavy Cavalry 1803 mounted single figure; Max Longhurst - Lancer of Berg Second Period 1812-1513 and Graham Brown Carabiner Trumpeter (with horse) 1813-1815. Each well-produced card of a model soldier sells at 15P each or four for 50p with discount for orders over £ 5.00p. Trevis Limited hope to produce a series of these pictorial cards showing the work of these talented people, who are probably well known in the world of model soldiers.
From John Traynor of Number One Wargames Command c/o 22 Old Cote Drive, Heston, Hounslow, Middx, CW5 ORW, I have received a set of WARGAMES RULES FOR WORLD WAR ONE (Shortened Edition) at 50p plus 15p post and packing. In the letter that accompanied them John Traynor (who wrote the rules in association with Chris Nation) says, "My own belief is that above all a set of rules should be both playable and enjoyable. When compiling my World War One rules I attempted to make them as comprehensive as possible and yet keep the calculations simple - in most cases a matter of addition or subtraction. Rules must have simple, easily understood calculations but at the same time they must cover as many aspects of the game as possible. My own solution when producing the World War One set was to produce a fairly thick pages not mentality!) set of rules covering most possibilities and a playsheet showing all the calculations (additions or subtractions from a dice throws. This advantage of course is that any wargamer looking at the rules assumes by the number of pages that they are very involved. As a result a shortened version of our rules has been produced specially for wargamers new to World War One and for younger wargamers. Whether they will be praised for their brevity or scorned for their unanswered questions remains to be seen."
Well, I do not know quite what to say about these rules because I hate being over-critical and, not having played them, they may contain some facets unrevealed by even my close perusal. MY overriding impression is that they are mis-named in that what they are attempting to simulate/control bears no resemblance to the basic static trench warfare of World War One but only to the first few weeks of 1914 and perhaps the Eastern theatres of war. They seem to me to be rules for almost any sort of warfare from the Franco-Prussian War up to August 1914, albeit with primitive armoured vehicles and poison gas thrown in to give a period atmosphere. Although I could find no specific table of ranges, it seems that artillery can fire up to 5,000 mm which is a much larger area than most wargames tables encompass yet no mention is made of "off the table" artillery firing and surely no realistic World War One simulation can include artillery pieces of all calibres on the actual wargames table? Admittedly the basic aspects of World War One hardly lend themselves to simulation on the wargames table and it is quite possible that these rules will excellently control the warfare of the late l9th century, with infantry, cavalry and artillery but they do not strike me as being able to realistically control the type of fighting, that took place on the Somme, Verdun or Ypres to name but three places recently visited and ingrained deeply in my mind.
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© Copyright 1976 by Donald Featherstone.
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