The League of Augsburg

I  have been blogging less frequently these past days because.... Clarence and I have been rushing to get Mad for War Essentials  ready for release later this week. 

What is Mad for War Essentials ?  The core rules to get gamers started with the new system. It contains everything you need except the tape measure, dice and table to get  Mad for War launched and find your sea legs. Eh, everything...

I have been working on these behind the scenes to get them ready for release before Christmas. The first is the missing #18. As many blog members are collecting the series, a few of the sharp eyed had noticed that this number was missing from the sequence and had asked about it. 

I had partially finished it during the last release but held it over to make a few tweaks. Here it is at last. The first...

 Why?

My lifelong interest in naval wargaming has only recently been allowed to flourish. The research needed to complete a comprehensive set of rules for the period 1630-1720 made it clear that the vast majority of naval action involved a handful of small ships. The mega sea battles of which there were many, are the mere tip of an enormous berg. By ignoring the small ship action anyone interested...

The first iteration of this converted Ainsty kit is as a 6 gun ketch Fox serving with the Royalist privateers sailing out of the Scilly Isles.

The vessel started life as a single masted sloop. I decided on a bit of conversion work and ended up with something which I am pretty pleased with. As time goes by and I feel less inclined to be lugging stuff to shows, I decided that permanently rigging some...

Undoubtedly, left field but, when I saw it, several little projects aligned - Tangier, Omani and Indian pirates, 4Play scenarios, Donnybrook and the new naval rules I am devoting a lot of creative time to.

Crew are Warfare Miniatures - Ottoman Irregulars OT11/OT12 packs + new officers

I have warmed up hugely to laser cut models. With a little care they can be lifted from the prosaic to characterful...

 How do you turn two models into twelve usable pieces? With a little bit of lateral thinking, some balsa wood, paint, glue, sandpaper and time.

I wanted to get the maximum scenario use from the two converted small ships I purchase from Ainsty. I will deal with their masts and sails in a later post but I wanted to get all the serious hull building work completed first before frigging in the rigging....

The overnights are in on the two small warships for the Anglo Dutch Wars period. I have blocked in basic colours only on everything except the decks which habe been drybrushed  UP 3 as I would say (ie basic coat + 3). 

Some of the colours shown are not the end coulours which will be used for example, the yellow will be overlaid in gilt. The ochre hull will be darkened down to a more oaken shade.

No...

Lots of prep work. The masts are scratchbuilt. Some additions to the hull were needed.

I have been working pretty intensively on multiple projects over the past 6 months the largest of which has been the two books due to be published this year. One is finished the other just about to be. 

The 4Play scenarios came out of nowhere but have consumed probably 200 hours - nevertheless, that has been fun...