My first game of 2014 was the oldest wargame of all, a game of chess fought with my godson Brendan, whom I've bragged on here before. The game actually took two years to play, because we started it on New Year's Eve and finished it the next day. For a little chap of almost nine years old, he is good. I had to use all of my leetle grey cells to pull off a win. I predict a bright future for Brendan.
These figures were finished before the turn of the new year, but because they are getting blogged in 2014, I'm going to count them in this year's total. Here are the other two Wargames Foundry Russian staff officers.
Here Major General Arkady Renko receives a report from an officer of Pandours. The Pandour figure has been sitting around in my spares box for years, waiting for honest employment, and I think he fleshes out the vignette rather nicely.
Colonel Fyodor Korolenko, a dragoon officer, who will be my cavalry commander. For now all he has to command is an unruly regiment of hussars, but I am hoping that some dragoons and cuirassiers will be in the procurement pipeline in 2014.
I am very fond of the Wargames Foundry ranges. For many years Front Rank was my go-to line for SYW figures, but I like what Foundry does and have some more chaps on order, some Prussian infantry and some scruffy Russian hussar types.
Does anyone have some suggestions for other manufacturers of 28mm SYW Russian and Prussian figures?
Cheers and thanks for looking,
Michael
I reckon you might have him in a bit of trouble there, Michael! Just a suggestion (though it is something mentioned in the Laws of Chess): you might want to turn the board 90-degrees before setting up (Queen still goes on its own colour square).
ReplyDeleteNice command elements - not something I do myself, but I quite like seeing them built up as 'mini-vignettes' like that. Speaking of which - I have a small number of orphaned musketeers I could employ in like fashion. Thanks for the idea!
Cheers,
Ion
I can't tell from that photo if we had the queen on the right colour. It would be embarrassing if we set it up wrong. My chess skills are rather rusty and there are some rules, like castling, I had to dredge up from my memory. You play chess, as I recall. Not sure if I'm brave enough to cross swords with you but I could be persuaded.
DeleteI noticed the board was set up with a dark square at the bottom right hand corner as the players see it. According to the laws of Chess, it must be a light square (if you like, the long light-square diagonal should lead from your right hand to your opponent's right hand). To determine which squares the King and Queen go on at the start, always remember it is the Queen that goes on the square of her own colour.
DeleteIf castling you find tricky, it's quite simple... with tricky bits. In short, provided there's nothing in between, you move the King 2 squares towards the Rook, then bring the Rook over to the other side of the King to stand next to it. BUT: the King and that Rook must never have moved yet in the game, the King may not be in check (you can't castle your way out of check), The king may not cross a square 'covered' by an enemy piece or pawn, and of course yopu can't castle into check neither. Just by the way, if the Rook is under direct attack, you can still castle with it (something a Russian Grandmaster didn't know when visiting this part of the world in 1966), nor, if castling Queen side (0-0-0) does it matter if the b1- or b8-square (respectively) is covered, as the King doesn't actually cross it or land on it. Finally, all castling is along a rank (you can't promote a pawn to a rook then castle with it! :-) ).
Shall I tell you about the 'en passant' rule, concerning pawns?
Do you reckon I could still persuade you to play me? I was thinking, though, depending how keen your godson Brendan was in the game, he could join the Gameknot site. It is available to non-paying subscribers (I was one for a few years, though these days I do pay a sub - recently I changed my cognomen to, yep, Archduke_Piccolo...). If he doesn't like the pace of games with a time control of several days per move, he might prefer the real time 'Blitz' options. Anyway, just a thought.
Cheers,
Ion
Hello Ion:
DeleteI would love to play chess with you. I am registered on GameKnot as michael_peterson_3 but can't challenge you or message you because I am new to the site. However, there I am. Maybe you can challenge me? Looking forward to it,
Michael
OK. Challenge issued!
DeleteCheers,
Ion
Mike
ReplyDeleteNice looking command stands - I like the tree and the flowers.
Cheers
PD
Thanks, PD. I disapprove slightly of all these bases one sees now where panzers frolic amid delicate flowers, as if Blitzkrieg had come to the Butchart Gardens, but the visual appeal is undeniable.
DeleteHi Michael,
ReplyDeleteThe vignettes and figures look very good.
If you are intereseted in another manufacturer of SYW Prussians you should have a look at the figures of BlackHussarMiniatures.
Cheers
Mike
Thanks, Mike. I just checked out your blog, and praise from you is high praise.
DeleteAs a matter of fact, I did learn about the Black Hussar range thanks to a mention of them on the Wargame News and Terrain blog. They look terrific, and I was quite taken with their chaplain figure. I suspect I shall be sending off to Germany for some this year.
Best,
Michael
Great command element.What rules do you favour for this period?
ReplyDeleteAlan
Thank you Alan. SYW rules of choice currently is Sam Mustafa's Maurice, which I have only just scratched the surface of. However, milord Archduke Piccolo kindly send me his own SYW rules and I want to give them a try this year. Ross McFarlane also has a generic set of horse and musket rules which I like.
DeleteI love the command stands and like you I'm counting anything blogged about as part of this year's tally, regardless of when it was painted - this way at least I know I will have something to count come the end of the year!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Michael. We are quite in accord of our counting methodology. I'm glad that someone else is as sensible as I am.
DeleteNice work Padre and well done Brendan. I have very fond memories of playing games with my father (my Godfather was more of a yarn spinner than a game player), though it took me years to beat him.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Kinch was very taken with that picture.
Also, bowties are cool.
Bowties are indeed cool.
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPGTizdGwSc
Thank you Andrew!
ReplyDelete