Chasseurs de Fischer

Activities on the hobby front continue winding their way through the month of May in the seasonal downturn mentioned in an earlier post (see A Few Spanish and a Seasonal Funk).  Contributing to this stall and recent lack of posts was my week away in California.  Nine days between posts is likely the biggest gap in more than a dozen years.  Returning sees even more work to catch up with on the home front.  Hopefully, I will be back to normal operations soon.  The forced hiatus presents one interesting fallout.  Having not posted in more than one week, I find it challenging to actually restart the blogging routine.  I considered holding off for even a few more days needing a little recovery time to collect my thoughts.  Once jostled out of a routine and regular habit, I am a little surprised how easy it would be to either slow down or stop altogether.  

Anyway, back to today's offering.

Mustering out earlier in the month are the French Chasseurs de Fischer.  This body of 15 light infantrymen are added into the French Army for the 18mm SYW collection.  Figures are Old Glory.  Still a number of units awaiting their turn at the photo booth.  With luck, I will return to the painting desk soon and the next post with not be nine days away.

Until next time.

Babylonians on the March

 

With heads barely peeking over the tops of their large tower shields, a body of Babylonian infantry is on the march out from the painting desk.  These 28mm Newline Design figures are some of my favorite sculpts from the Biblical range and I have many.

The shields these fellas carry are so large that they obscure the figure almost entirely.  Great figures and a pleasure to paint.

With Mother's Day coming up this Sunday, it is time for the crabapple trees to be in bloom.  Right on schedule, they are!

Weather has been pleasant and cycling has kicked up over the last few weeks.  River is running high from snow melt and recent rainfall.  The Lower Falls sees a complete inundation by the torrent of water.

South channel of the Upper Falls is much the same!

I close out today with a big red barn from a recent ride.

A Few Spanish and a Seasonal Funk

Springtime is proving to pose a number of challenges to focused work at the painting desk.  April saw only 54 painted figures muster out from the painting desk.  Even though May has only just begun, my schedule suggests that this month may see a similar fate.  That is unless my efforts at the painting desk are kicked into a higher gear.

To console my drop in production, I brought up a seasonal painting tendency I last updated more than four years ago.  Fours years ago?  Time certainly is flying by.

Looking at this graphic ought to provide a bit of solace to my current state.  Over the years, painting productivity typically takes a dip in spring with May signaling the bottoming out of production for the year before activity increases.  Perhaps May will once again pinpoint the low point for the year, and I will shift painting production to a higher level as the summer builds?  I can hope.

Since the productivity analysis has not been updated in years, time to give this study a re-examination.  Perhaps this pattern has evolved from the last iteration?  A future study to move up in the analysis queue.

Anyway, out from the table today is a twelve-figure regiment of Spanish cavalry for the 18mm SYW/WAS project.  The troopers march out as the Principe Cavalry Regiment.  Figures are from Eureka Miniatures.  

UK: Center of the Miniatures Wargaming Trade?

With trade, deficits, and tariffs pushed to the forefront, thoughts turn toward the effect on wargamers brought about by any such policy changes.  Already, the boardgame industry is feeling the impact of these supply chain changes.  How many miniatures wargamers are subject to the tug of international trade arrangements outside of currency fluctuations on international purchases?

To gain some insight into this question, I turn to the WSS 2024 Great Wargaming Survey (GWS) for possible answers.  Fortunately, there is a relevant question added into the 2024 GWS.  That question asks,

When you make a purchase online, do you regularly make purchases outside your home country?

The word "regularly" could be open to interpretation.  I answered this question in the affirmative.  When I make purchases, these purchases are regularly from international vendors.  While I frequently purchase figures from international vendors, delivered cost definitely enters into the calculation.  Now, many foreign manufacturers retain online vendors in a wargamer's home country from which orders can be placed.  Foreign goods are still purchased but these goods are imported and then sold through domestic channels.  To me, these purchases would not qualify as "online purchases outside of your home country." 

Of the 5,995 survey responses, Figure 1 illustrates a roughly 50/50 mix of "Yes" and "No" responses.  Slightly more survey respondents keep their regular online purchases to domestic vendors.

Figure 1

This view does not provide much in the way of interesting insight, though, does it?  We end up with a coin flip between having regular foreign purchases or not.  More exploration is warranted.  In this analysis, two familiar attributes are singled out for further examination.  These attributes are Primary Interest and Location.

Primary Interest

With the Fantasy/Sci-Fi genre having seemingly more domestic points of sale opportunities (at least in the USA), analysis turns to examining foreign purchases by a wargamer's primary interest.  As in past analyses, primary interest includes three groupings: Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Historical, and Mixed.  If the Fantasy/Sci-Fi genre has more domestic points of sale, then differences ought to appear between groups.

Looking at Figure 2, wargamers having either Historical or Mixed primary interests still show about a 50/50 mix of regular foreign purchases.  Focusing on Fantasy/Sci-Fi, here, a difference is seen.  Of those respondents having a primary interest in Fantasy/Sci-Fi gaming, only 40% regularly purchase from foreign sources.  Results seem to support (well, at least not dismiss) the notion that this genre has more domestic points of sale.

Figure 2

Location

When diving into the results with an eye toward a wargamer's home location or home country/region, Figure 3 highlights a remarkable result.   

Figure 3

While the USA/Canada still sees a split leaning toward regular online foreign purchases (53.6%) over domestic (46.4%) online purchases, foreign purchases comprise only 16.4% in the UK/Ireland respondents.  For the Rest of World (non-UK/North America), about 70% of online purchases are directed toward foreign vendors.  Of course, if total sales are included, a different picture may emerge.  

To me, this is an unexpected result.  With the disparity between UK and non-UK foreign trade, where are non-UK wargamers sending much of their foreign business?  Seeing that roughly five in six UK/Ireland wargamers do not make online foreign purchases regularly, is making a leap to infer that UK/Ireland vendors are the primary source for miniatures worldwide a step too far?  If true and these sample results hold for the larger population, the UK may be the center of the wargaming trade.  What are the implications of any increased trade restrictions or costs on the hobby, in general, and to UK vendors in particular?  While UK wargamers may not be significantly affected by international trade, UK vendors and miniatures wargamers outside of the UK could experience some turbulence.   

Will the 2025 GWS provide a clearer picture to answers to these questions when it rolls out in August?  Perhaps the 2025 survey could aid in addressing these topics by adding a question on the foreign country of purchase?  At least then we would know the direction of trade flow.  Likewise, a question asking about relative frequency of foreign purchases comparing 2024 to 2025 might be insightful.

More questions remain on evaluating spending tendencies from the 2024 results, but those answers remain for another time and another analysis.

New Recruits: Men-at-Arms

With the WotR collection out for the first time in a handful of recent games, it may come as little surprise that I pushed some more WotR figures into the painting queue.  Not very surprising at all that these games sparked inspiration and motivation to bring some more figures to the painting desk.  Besides, at least one box of Perry Foot Knights remained unopened with a second box only partially used.

Mustering out today are two bodies of Men-at-Arms.  While there are no more boxes of Perry Bow and Bills left to form a complete ward, these foot knights will be used to augment standing wards when some extra punch is called for in a scenario.  Figures are 28mm plastic Perry figures.

After finishing these knightly fellows, I sat down and started in on glueing together Perry mounted Men-at-Arms.  

There is one annoyance I have with the Perry plastic foot figures.  That annoyance stems from the many extra arms and weapons left over after all of the bodies are used.  I am creating a small pile of surplus arms and heads that could be put to good use if only I had some more headless and armless bodies.  If Perry offered a sprue of only bodies, I would happily order a few.  Anyone else suffer from this problem?

Next WotR game is slated for Friday when I put away the hexes and play the Solden Hill battle upon open ground.  We will see how no grids slow play at all.

Solden Hill, Another Look

Peter (Grid based wargaming - but not always) joined me in a remote game on Wednesday (Thursday for Peter) to bring the Battle of Solden Hill (see Battle of Solden Hill for scenario specifics) out for an encore performance.  While this was Peter's first crack at the game, he is quite familiar with the OHW scenario.  Peter chose to command the Yorkist Army (blue dice) in this contest.  I commanded the Lancastrians (red dice).

Pembroke, alone on Solden Hill

Somerset and Northumberland

Yorkist army of Edward, Stanley, and Suffolk

The battle opens with Pembroke positioned alone on the high ground of Solden Hill.  Stanley advances on Solden Hill with Suffolk advancing on his right.  The King, Peter, holds back in reserve.  In the initial missile fire, Stanley's archers hit Pembroke's Battle.  In a calamitous way to start the action, Pembroke's archers break under fire and his whole ward retires from the high ground.  I hope this is not a harbinger of things to come!    

Pembroke retires from his dominant position.

Having fallen back so unceremoniously, Pembroke recovers and finds himself in an archery duel.  While Stanley gains a foothold on the hill with his archers leading the way, Suffolk pushes his melee line through his archers and arrives at the foot of the hill, adjacent.  Edward decides that now is the time to make his grand entrance onto the battlefield.  The King moves up on Suffolk's Right.  Looks like the Yorkists are trying to outflank the Lancastrians by putting Pembroke under pressure early.  Somerset marches onto the battlefield from the north to support Pembroke.  As Somerset reaches the hill, Stanley's archers fire into Somerset and then retire back through their melee line.  Stanley's melee line advances up the hill to replace the archers.  

Archery duel.

Stanley and Suffolk move up with Edward in support.

The battle lines close.

While all three Yorkist Battles have come up and formed into line abreast, Northumberland remains to fully come up on Somerset's Right.

Yorkist Army ready to rumble.
Lancastrians not all there, yet!

Choosing not to wait for Northumberland to come into the fray, Stanley charges forward into Somerset.  In a long hack and bash melee, both melee lines are taking casualties and losing cohesion.  Finally, Somerset is forced to retire.  Still despite his losses, Stanley follows up in pursuit.  Somerset is sent backwards once more but in the fighting Stanley's body of MAA is destroyed.

As Stanley and Somerset are locked in extended mortal combat, Northumberland has time to maneuver his Battle inward toward the fighting.  The problem Northumberland faces is that he cannot encourage his ward to go over on to the attack.  When Somerset is driven back and Stanley's MAA scattered, Northumberland finally sees his men take to the attack.  He strikes!  Into the unsupported billmen Northumberland charges.  Standing firm, Stanley's billmen repel the enemy.  Hoorah!  Perhaps, Northumberland was not completely convinced that attacking was the right choice?

Northumberland attacks Stanley's bill...

and Northumberland is repulsed!

Seeing both Northumberland and Somerset repulsed, Suffolk moves up to take command of the high ground while the King swings around on the right.  The two Yorkist Battles face only one Lancastrian Battle.  Peter announces that Pembroke will be on the receiving end of a one-two punch!     

Yorkists poised for a one-two punch against Pembroke.

The King attacks!  Pembroke's archers see the writing on the wall and fall back through their own melee line before the King can close.  The King and Pembroke fight desperately.  Both Pembroke and the King are wounded in the melee.  Poor Pembroke is carried from the field by the enemy!  The King falls back but is determined to fight on despite his wounds.  Seeing the King under pressure, Suffolk's melee line comes down from the heights.  Suffolk hits Pembroke driving him backwards.  Unfortunately for Suffolk, he cannot encourage his melee line forward into pursuit.

Facing overwhelming odds, Pembroke is driven back.

Battle overview

The King has a second body of MAA, however, and those lads are sent into the fray with billmen in support.  This time, the outcome is different.  The King's melee line smashes into Pembroke and Pembroke is pushed back.  Pembroke's archers flee!  Exhausted, Edward does not immediately pursue allowing Pembroke a brief moment to rally.  Brief moment, indeed!  Edward re-energizes his troops and back into Pembroke he goes. The mounting pressure on Pembroke is too much.  Pembroke breaks and quite the field!  

Edward charges into Pembroke...

pushing him back.

Pembroke rallies but Edward hits him again!

Having seen Pembroke off, Edward turns toward the center to finish off these usurpers.  Before the King can swing around to re-enter the fray, Somerset strikes into Suffolk.  Fighting is brutal.  While Suffolk's MAA are destroyed, these men fight hard enough to see Somerset's first melee line off.  Losses are heavy for Somerset.  Somerset commands a second melee line composed of MAA with archers in support.  Passing through his now exhausted first melee line, Somerset hits Suffolk driving him back upon supports.  As Somerset pursues Suffolk back up the hill, Somerset's first melee line is uncovered.  The Lancastrians have regained Solden Hill!  Before Somerset's first melee line has a chance to rally, Edward smashes into them scattering them to the winds. 

Somerset attacks Suffolk!

Edward destroys Somerset's first melee line...

as Somerset pursues Suffolk.

Back on the Lancastrian Right, Northumberland goes in against Stanley.  Using a series of clever tactical moves, Stanley brings his archers to the fore, lets loose a volley of arrows before falling back through his bill as Northumberland closes.  Already much depleted from earlier efforts, Stanley's archers are successful in destroying Northumberland's body of MAA before the enemy can close.  In the following clash, Northumberland's unsupported billmen are scattered.  Northumberland breaks!

Northumberland charges in...

loses his MAA...

and then loses his bill!
Northumberland breaks!

Even though Edward is now in position to mop up the remaining Lancastrians, with two of three Battles broken, the Lancastrian Army has endured enough, Somerset lays down his arms.  This battle is over.

The Lancastrian Army is broken!

Edward's ward poised for more.

With Suffolk looking on, Somerset lays down his arms.

A decisive Yorkist victory!  Congratulations, Peter, for a finely played contest.  Mid-game and even after Pembroke fled the field, I figured the Lancastrians not only held Solden Hill but were in position to deliver heavy blows to both Stanley and Suffolk.  It was not to be.  Northumberland's tardy commitment to battle and some clever tactics by Stanley held Northumberland at bay until he could be destroyed.  Stanley's archers performed marvelously on this day.  Although wounded in the action, Edward retains his crown.

Post-game discussion centered on expanding yet simplifying leader priorities and a future test on a non-gridded table.

Great job, Peter, and thank you for an entertaining contest!  Game duration just under three hours.

On Deck, British Cavalry

Last week saw a complete bust at the gaming table.  One game was cancelled due to illness (not mine!), and a second game scrapped due to a Zoom server outage.  This was the first time that Zoom technical issues caused a game cancellation.  This event was surprising after five years of no interruptions.  I will give Zoom this one, this time.  With my annual contract coming due, this could have been an inopportune time for system failure.  

Last week also saw a pick-up in activity in a PBEM SYW campaign that had fallen silent for several weeks.  We ready ourselves for a big battle at Prague.  Prussians have a tough task of dislodging the Austrian Army from their White Mountain defenses. 

The week ahead looks to see the game schedule back on the rails with games slated for Wednesday (make-up game from last week's Zoom outage) and Thursday.  Thursday sees a playtest of Tony's WSS rules.  Beautiful 25mm figures played on a hex grid with a lineage of Commands & Colors, what is not to like?  I may even get a call to join into a F2F gaming session at some point in the week if I am lucky.

What the gaming lull allowed was a couple of meaningful painting sessions.  Seeing an increase of effort at the painting desk was a needed boost.  With other hobby activities taking much of my time, painting had decidedly taken a back seat to these other activities.  Good to be back on track with April output looking to be not brilliant but at least respectable.

A couple of Biblical units are mustering out and will be queueing up at the photo booth once they have been based.  First, though, is a regiment of British cavalry for the 18mm SYW project.  These troopers muster out as the 6th Dragoon Regiment.  Figures are Eureka Miniatures.

For now, back to the painting desk.