The two latest games saw a Neil Thomas One Hour Wargame set during the Russian Civil War on Tuesday and a Sunday Biblical battle between Canaanites and Hittites using Field of Glory. More than five years has passed since I last played Field of Glory. My impressions remain unchanged... 
Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
My fledgling Sumerian project now can field four units with two spear and two bow. For this project, next off the workbench will be a handful of slingers. After those, I may return to fielding more spearmen before tackling a battle cart or two.
Off the painting desk today are two units of Sumerian archers. Each of the nine figure stands muster out as a 'T' bow unit under Impetvs or massed archers under other rules (including TtS! and To Ur is Human). Figures are Newline Designs.
Great looking minis Jonathan!
ReplyDeleteWaiting for a Singers now :)
Thanks, Michal!
DeleteExcellent looking archers Jonathan :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mark! Have you played any moro "To Ur is Human" games?
DeleteYes, please tell us if you have!!
DeleteNice archers Jonathan! CP Models’ Sumerians are superb, if you want some variety from Newline.
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated, Mike! I will look into CP Models.
DeleteThe CP Models are really nice figures, I think. Very much like Newline, so my views on poses etc are the same. Mark who owns them has been a supporter of TUIH, and stocks the rules. You can get them in a deal from him with a couple of nice figures.
DeleteGraham, I know your views on poses very well. I fear my next unit of heavy spear with be a disappointment.
DeleteThey can still be a thing of beauty, even if the poses are wrong. Most of the 28mm side of the hobby works on that basis.
DeleteGreat looking Sumerians!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks!
DeleteThe figures looks great Jonathan and your colour scheme and painting look terrific. I have FoG and but haven't read them To me they look a bit like a drier version of DBMM with some of the character (ie quirks) removed. I'd still like to give them a go some day.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like them, Lawrence! FoG is a drier version of something, for sure. I certainly like the army booklets, though. Great reading.
DeleteOh and tell us about your views on Field of Glory,I'm intrigued!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Well, this could be a long diatribe but I will keep it short.
DeleteTo me (and my opinion alone) , the rules are tedious, fiddly, long playing, and feel more like work than fun. When the terrain placement process takes 30-40 minutes before combat can even begin, I lose interest. Seems more set for tournament play than for historical refights. Of course, YMMV.
The decoration on the archers is bob on and very eye catching. AAR writing can consume as much time as actual gaming, so I think for the sake of your painting, a light touch AAR will be the way to go.
ReplyDeleteYou are very kind, Norm. Thank you. "Light touch" AARs may be the way forward out of my current morass.
DeleteNifty looking archers there Jonathan. I would look forward to a photo montage, perhaps with some brief words about them?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Phil! On my MIA AARs, a brief synopsis may be a reasonable solution.
DeleteSplendid additions, no doubt!
ReplyDeleteMerci!
DeleteNice looking figures. I'd say FoG is a good game if you use it to resolve how the outcomes during a game, but less so if you play it to the rules and exploit rule based tactics rather than historical ones.
ReplyDeleteThank you! You may be right but the game seems quite complicated (unnecessarily so) and takes a long time to play. Sunday's battle took nearly five hours. As mentioned above, terrain setup took at least 30 minutes alone.
DeleteWell...I wouldn't use the terrain set up, and I wouldn't play it as a game, as in I wouldn't say "Let's play FoG", but I would be happy with "Let's do a refight of Arsuf and use FoG to resolve movement and combat". The two are subtly different. FoG, as a rule book, is a noble attempt to be complete and comprehensive as a description of how the rules work. I can respect that as an exercise in rule writing - in my own experience writing rules to publication standard to keep just my restricted group of acquaintances happy is no small feat. It is probably a game that it is best to be taught, rather than learn yourself, and to be taught by someone not intent on stuffing you inside out in the process.
DeleteAns I mention Arsuf because Phil S did use them at an SoA games day for that purpose and they worked very well. Much better, I regret to say to you, than the pregame run out we did with Basic Impetus.
The guys I gamed with on Sunday have been playing FoG regularly since v1.0. They know the rules inside and out and the game still is a slog.
DeleteThe rulebook, itself, and the Army List books are especially well produced. I use the Army List books all of the time as reference material and as a check against other rulesets.
I have not played BI in years so getting BI out on the table again might make a useful comparison to my recent FoG experience. My memory is that BI is much more quick playing and not as fiddly. Perhaps BI might make a reasonable MNG session?
Don't think we've BI'd online yet, so that might be a good shout. I've not played FoG a lot, but when I have (including FoG-R) I haven't found it a slog. Phil & Chris A have normally handled the game mechanics for the game, and they were both involved from the beginning too. Having said that they have both moved on. CA is an ADLG man, and Phil mostly plays DBA.
DeleteNew Sumerians - what a pleasant surprise. Great paintjob.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Andrè!
DeleteI like em. Their clothing looks like they are ancient Dalek cultists from Dr Who. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Ancient Daleks? I like that! Maybe I should consult with you on clothing colors?
DeleteThose look great Jonathan! I used to see FoG played at the club years ago, and only tournament players took to them and even then, only a few. I much prefer simpler rules that don't try and cover every conceivable situation, which is of course impossible!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Steve! FoG seems to be very much a tournament game. It still has its adherents, though, some of those are local to me. I prefer a less complicated and faster moving game too.
DeleteLovely looking archers Jon. Not sure I have played FoG, but it doesn’t sound like it is quite my thing ?
ReplyDelete
DeleteThanks, Matt, and welcome back from your wall walking trek!
I think if you had played FoG, you would remember. If I was placing a wager, my bet would be on "not quite your thing".
Great looking figures
ReplyDeleteGlad you approve!
DeleteHow do these keep the garments so white in biblical times? My own T-shirts’ aren’t that white.
ReplyDeleteLooking good!
Can’t comment on FoG as I’ve never played. Sounds like I’m not missing anything. 😀
Stew, the white clothes here are not so white. I give them a brush of Minwax stain to dirty them up.
DeleteAs for FoG, gamers like what they like.
Having travelled in a number of less developed countries and given clothes to local laundresses, it seems that beating things against rocks is quite effective at cleaning clothes. We just can't get the right sort of rocks in the West these days.
DeleteIs this what Levi Strauss means by ‘stone washed’ denim?
DeleteDefinitely rocks not stones. Stood on the deck of the boat and watched them at it. Came back lovely.
DeleteAs a lot of people already stated, nice troops!
ReplyDeleteGlad they will work in other rules' environment.
Thanks, Joe! It is good to have options...
DeleteSmart work on these chaps.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you painting again, hope to read more battle reports in the coming days.
Thanks, Paul! For now, back at the painting workbench. With so many past games to chronicle, I am at a loss as to where to begin.
DeleteVery nice Jonathan an attractive looking unit you are doing those Newline casts proud!
ReplyDeleteThanks much, Tony! I do like Newline figures and have been tempted by your work in 20mm. Maybe I need a 20mm project so I can give the 20mm figures a try?
DeleteYou could take a look at the new Strelets WSS ranges. They're rather nice. Dabbling your toe in 20mm without too much expense.
DeleteFor WSS, a 10mm project has been under consideration for a few year but I keep getting distracted by other interesting projects.
DeleteI would say charge right in but I would wouldn't I 😂 at least there is plenty of choice in the 20mm catalogue
DeleteTnoy, yes, you would recommend a 20mm project!
DeleteNice to see these coming together. Re: FoG, would it be fair to say you were unimpressed?
ReplyDeleteIt is a start, Markus. On FoG, that is a fair assessment. Of course, that assessment does not stop me from playing when a friend hosts.
DeleteThe army is looking good.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a start!
DeleteVery nice indeed Jon - as always, the Newline figure look to be excellent sculpts and I love your desert basing too
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keith!
DeleteThey look very fine, Jon.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the backlog of Battle Reports, if its weighing you down, how about a Compendium report or two, perhaps by era. Say three key pictures from each, a brief description of who played, what rules, and any key decisions or combats that influenced the outcome?
Thank you, Peter! That is a good idea on battle report catch-up.
DeleteGreat looking unit of Bowmen - I especially like your basing for the Biblicals 👍
ReplyDeleteThanks, Andy!
DeleteLovely bunch of Jonathan.
ReplyDeleteBunch of bowmen that is…Blogger playing up…
DeleteThank you, Mark!
DeleteExcellent bowmen, Jonathan!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dmitry!
Delete