Back to the Painting Desk

Work at the painting desk has been slow with so many distractions.  One of which is rebasing the WotR collection.  Rebasing has required painting a few additional figures to conform to the new scheme.  I am happy to report that the project is behind me, and work continues on adding a new subprocess to the rules which are a work-in-progress.  Once I can clear enough space on the game table, I will present a parade of the newly based armies. 

Until such time, a unit of Arab spearmen muster out from the painting desk to form up with the other opponents to Christendom in the 28mm Reconquista project.  The more I paw through The Lead Pile, the more suitable figures rise to the surface.  This is the first of two such Arab units to march out from this rediscovery.  Excavations also brought up a few Arab crossbowmen and a handful of cavalry.  Figures are 28mm Black Tree Design. 

With the calendar turning over to August, a look at my painting seasonality chart (see Painting Seasonality) suggests that painting output ought to begin ramping up.  We will see if that holds true.  I certainly feel more energized to get back to the painting desk.  Let's see how long this sensation lasts!

Don't forget to fill out your GWS 2026 before the end of August.  Details can be found at If It's August....  Early reports are that completion percentage is running ahead of last year, but it is early in the month.

Andalusian Spearmen

On one on my recent digs through The Lead Pile, I turned up several blister packs of Artizan and Crusader Reconquista figures.  Most of these packs were likely picked up from a Caliver Books' order from a long time ago.  Anyway, with the Reconquista games still in mind from the beginning of the year, I figured why not push some of these figures into the painting queue.  Well, that is exactly what I did.

The dozen figures formed up today are a body of Andulasian spearmen from Artizan Designs.  Fine sculpts and easy to field.  When will the Reconquista see action back on the table?  I do not know but next time these spearmen may just take to the field.

A second installment of the Battle Among the Tombs is up for later this week.  Should be fun to refight the scenario and see if I can improve upon my results.  I have yet to see which army my opponent will choose.  After this, one-to-one battle is in the books, I may schedule a multiplayer game and see how that goes.  

Activity on the painting front has slowed (OK, even slower than before!) as I undertake a rebasing of my growing Wars of the Roses collection.  Details on that task another time!  In addition to the rebasing of the WotR project, idle time has been spent sticking together more Perry WotR figures.

Holy Moly!  This post showed up in the blogroll almost immediately!

Spanish Infantry for El Cid

Following up on a string of Reconquista games, it is likely no surprise that seeing these armies out on table prompted more figures to be pushed into the painting queue.  Today's offering is no exception to that tendency and, typically, the rule.

Out from the painting desk is a twelve-figure body of Spanish spearmen.  Figures are 28mm Crusader Miniatures.  Nice figures and really a joy to paint.  These fellas will be used to bolster the Spanish Army next time this collection takes to the field.  More Arab infantry are waiting in the ready-to-paint box but many more units are ahead in the queue.  A lot of variety is working its way through the production line.

On the gaming front, Monday saw me joining the Rejects in a remote game hosted by Richard.  Richard used Koenig Krieg played on a hex grid with tiles.  My Russian army faced the wily Ottomans in an 18th Century clash.  I leave it to Richard to tell the tale of this battle.  Once his story has been told, I will weigh in with my thoughts.  Richard always hosts an enjoyable game.  This one was no exception.

Uzaktan Savas (Russians in blue)

Later today sees me dropping into Matt's for the next installment of our long-running AWI campaign.  This time, my beleaguered Americans attempt to avert disaster at Paoli against the even more wily British.

Paoli Set up
(photo courtesy wargamesinthedungeon)

Beautiful table.  Too bad it will soon be covered in American casualties!

Zallaqah, One More Time

After playing Richard in a one-on-one game (see Zallaqah Round 3) and confirming that the game can be played comfortably in about two hours, I was ready for my next one-on-one opponent.  Next opponent up, Matt!  Being able to eke out a draw against Richard, I reckoned I might have a chance against Matt.  Given my recent thrashing at Freeman's Farm, I should have been less optimistic.

Having offered army choice when I sent out the Battle Briefing, Matt decided upon commanding the Arabs when we joined into the session.  Interesting!  I expected Matt to want to command the Christians and the heavy-hitting cavalry but no.  Recalling Richard's devastating Christian opening attacks, I entertained visions of enjoying similar success.  I am getting ahead of myself, though.  As a reminder, starting army dispositions are as shown in the following two battlefield photos.

Christian Army

Muslim Army

Alfonso VI holds initiative when battle erupts, and the King leads his Christian Army forward as it steps off toward the enemy.  First to strike the Arabs are two bodies of heavy cavalry.  Muslim skirmishers fail to evade and are trampled underfoot as the heavy horsemen plow into the Granada Taifa foot.  The horsemen's momentum overpowers the Granadinos.  The tercio is pushed back.  Alfonso's knights fail to pursue, pausing to catch their breath.

In the center, Alfonso's white knights charge forward against the Sevilla tercio.  This time, the protecting skirmishers evade falling back behind the safety offered by the tercio.  For the knights, the distance is too great to reach the enemy's main body.  Disordered from their efforts, the horsemen's attack stalls.  On the Christian right, a body of heavy cavalry charges forward into a body of enemy cavalry.  The Christian cavalry is repulsed!  Already, Alfonso's plan is falling behind Richard's impressive schedule of success seen in Game #3!

Charge drives the enemy back...

but the attacks stall.

Christian charge repulsed!

Yusuf swings cavalry out to the right wing.

Seeing Christian cavalry charges all but stopped, Yusuf goes over on the offense and takes the fight to the enemy.  Advancing with the Badajoz and Sevilla tercios, Alfonso's white knights and a body of Caballeros Villanos are driven away.  While unable to pursue the fleeing horsemen, Arab spearmen grind forward into the red knights.  These heavy cavalry are, likewise, sent trotting to the rear!  All of the Christian cavalry in the center are on the run!  The only fleeting bright spot for Alfonso is that a Muslim body of camels is repulsed after a failed charge out on the Christian right wing. 

With Christian cavalry stalled...

Yusuf attacks!

A small consolation sees camels repulsed.

Into the red knights...

Christian cavalry on the move...to the rear!

Infantry oblige by leaving a large retreat path!

The situation is not all bad for the Christians.  Having repulsed the camels, Christian horsemen counterattack.  A body of Muslim cavalry is driven away and the Christians follow-up in pursuit.  The camels are caught and scattered.  Now, the cat is among the pigeons but has the cat ventured too far?

Wrecking the Arab Left.

Arab battle line is breached!

While Yusuf's Left is crumbling, he presses on in the center.  With crossbowmen shooting and then falling back out of the way, two large blocks of infantry step forward into their place.  Out on the right, Arab light cavalry drives off a body of enemy light cavalry and lunges forward in pursuit.  The enemy is destroyed!  Facing Christian heavy cavalry blocking their way forward, the Sevilla and Granada tercios strike.  First, the heavy horsemen on the right are driven away and then the black knights retreat.  The pride of Alfonso's Army is in tatters.  Even the knights not put to flight are wavering.  Is Alfonso's Army nearing a breaking point?

Crossbow shoot and retreat as light cavalry charge in.

Muslims advance on the enemy.

Christian cavalry are forced back.

Christian light cavalry scattered in pursuit.

Even the Christian cavalry holding on are wavering.

It seems it is!

First, retreating heavy cavalry are caught from behind and dispatched.  Then, Muslim camelry destroy the black knights.  With most of the Christian cavalry neutered, Yusuf's Army advances with impunity.  Still clinging to hope, the Christian battle line regroups.  As the enemy continues to bear down throwing back his Christian warriors as they advance, Alfonso sees the writing on the wall and disengages.

First, one Christian cavalry destroyed...

and then another.

Noose is tightening around Alfonso...

as infantry push on to take the ground.

Determined to keep on fighting...

until Alfonso orders a retreat.

With Alfonso disengaging and Yusuf holding the field, this battle is over.  Victory to the Almoravids and Matt!

Yusuf holds the field.

Congratulations, Matt, for a battle well-played!

When the Christian Army broke, the Butcher's Bill suggests that losses were not so uneven.  The near parity in units lost is deceiving, however.  The Army Breakpoint Clocks showed a big advantage to Matt's Muslim Army.  The point differential (7 points differential) between the two armies suggests that Zallaqah ends in a major Muslim victory.  The Christian knights and Caballeros Villanos are worth much more than other units when destroyed.  Alfonso cannot play a battle of attrition by trading his heavy cavalry for other units.  This is an exchange Alfonso cannot ultimately win.  And he didn't!

Butcher's Bill

Since this outcome follows the historical account closely, what could Alfonso have done differently?  Facing Matt, perhaps nothing!  I certainly did not see the same level of success that Richard enjoyed against me!  However, once the initial Christian cavalry charges were either blunted, stalled, or turned back, withdrawing some of these valuable heavy cavalry from battle may have been a better solution.  Would deciding victory or defeat by the spearmen offer a more sensible approach?  Christian infantry hardly saw serious action.  A tactic to consider next time the Reconquista armies hit the table.

Thanks again, Matt, for a very fun, entertaining, and challenging game.  We finished off in about two-and-a-half hours.  Very good result for a remote game!  As an added bonus, the recently introduced dice frames and smaller dice are working brilliantly to show unit status.  Yay!

A Mixed Bag

Today's offering is a bit of a mixed bag.

To start off, Matt (Wargames in the Dungeon) joined me in a remote game on Friday.  We fought the Battle of Zallaqah with Matt taking command of the Muslim army.  For those taking count, this is Game #4 in the Zallaqah refights.  Not unlike Alfonso VI, I learned an important lesson in this battle.  Hope I can commit this lesson to memory for next time!  Details for another day.

Spanish cavalry's inglorious retreat!

On the painting front, December painting productivity has really picked up.  Not unexpected given my seasonal painting tendencies over the years.  Completed units are stacking up at the light box like cordwood before winter.  Some units from projects not seen in a long, long time are moving out.  Well, a few, never!  I may be winding up the year on a high note on the painting front. 

First out from the workbench is a bit of a clean-up.  That is, a few miscellaneous figures were pulled out and sent into the painting queue for a quick win or three.  What emerges are three units from three different projects.  Mustering out are a three-figure command stand for the Reconquista (BTD and Crusader), a two-figure command stand for the SYW (Eureka), and a Norwegian two-figure machine gun stand (Peter Pig) for WWII.  Whew!  Glad to have these out of the way in order to tackle some bigger units.    

On Tuesday, I expect to see Pharsalus return to the kitchen table in 6mm using Commands & Colors for a series of games before Christmas.  Have not had Caesar v Pompey out in a long time.  Should be fun.

Pharsalus

On the big table, downstairs, Zallaqah will be cleared away and a new battle contemplated.  Current thoughts point to the anniversary of Wakefield on 30 December.  I need to design a scenario and get busy.  Wakefield poses some challenges for a scenario design and requires careful thought.  Wakefield may be the first game to see action in the New Year.  We will see.  My mind and motivations wander.

Next time, either more painted figures, the last Zallaqah battle report, or something completely different!

Onward Christian Soldiers

While I am still enjoying a steady stream of games of late, most of the combat has been raging across tables other than my own.  Without the work of hosting a game, I have the luxury of dropping in on my remote host and playing a relaxing game.  An added benefit of this short hiatus is that work at the painting table is beginning to pick up.  Now, a winter pick up in production is not unusual.  In fact, I have documented my seasonal painting tendencies more than once.  This analysis may be something to update and present after the books are slammed shut on the Painting Log for 2025.

Back to today's painting effort.

Sticking with the Reconquista theme from the last painting update, today sees two, 12-figure bodies of spearmen emerge from the workbench.  These 24 figures are all BTD and are among of the last "Christian" BTD figures left in The Lead Pile.  There may remain a few handfuls to make up a command stand or two, but the bins are running empty. 

I like these figures quite a lot with their, somewhat, grotesque facial expressions.  These fellas will be a useful addition to the Christian armies for turning back the Moors.

With more time at the painting desk, a whole array of figures is marching through the production line.  Units from a wide variety of projects will be meandering through the painting queue and into the photo box soon.  Well, that is my hope and plan!

I am back to hosting a game on Friday when the Battle of Zallaqah sees one more outing.  After that game, it might be time for something new.  But what? 

Horses for Courses

The horses in this case are Christian heavy cavalry. The courses are the battlefields of Spain.

Now, few are likely surprised that a battery of Reconquista games would not spark thoughts of fielding more units for the 28mm Reconquista project.  That is too easy.  Of course it did.  As I formulated a plan of action to bring Zallaqah to the table, I pawed through The Lead Pile to see what could be dug up.  I knew I still had some leftovers from earlier excavations.  How many?  Quite a handful, I thought.  Well, 15 heavy cavalry were dug out and brought to the surface for inspection. 

A few more heavy Christian cavalry remain to bring to the surface for a later dig.  Perhaps enough for another command stand or two?

All of these cavalry are the HUGE Black Tree Design figures bought many, many years ago when BTD service was reliable and prices cheap.  Ah, for the good old days!  How many years ago?  Receipts show that my last orders placed were in 2017.  That was a long time ago.

Anyway, on to the parade of three heavy cavalry units of five figures each.  Maybe they will see action in an upcoming game?

A couple of handfuls of BTD Christian infantry were extracted from the strata so these 24 fellas might show up sometime soon.