The League of Augsburg

 All systems appear GO! I am expecting delivery of Taste of Victory! in the third week of December so am gearing up for the pre order. Delivery will be as soon as possible after that pending the usual Christmas postal challenges.

The book is 116 pages, full colour, hardback and printed by the same company who did such a good job on With Talon and Claw.

It contains 18 scenarios for Beneath the Lily...

While we're at it, there is a Facebook...

 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....

Wonderful cover art by Neil Roberts

I have been talking about it on an off over the last few months. We are pretty much there now. Over the next few weeks the first full scenarios book for BLB 3rd edition will be sent to print. 

Each scenario begins with some historical context

The book is entitled A Taste of Victoryand offers eighteen scenarios set between 1676 and 1693. The table set ups are all...

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...

4Play has proved to be popular. Visitors to the blog will have noticed the high level of output which has been matched by a lot of inbound emails regarding content. That is just what I need. As an example, requests this week alone have included; more GNW, a pack covering a WTK tutorial game, The Covenanter Rebellions, more on Flanders campaigns, Sedgemoor, more Ireland focused material and,...

Malplaquet - played on a 20 x 12 foot E shaped table

Of Marlborough's four victories Malplaquet was the last and most marginal if it was a victory at all. It is a tactically blunt sledgehammer battle during which horrendously costly frontal assaults incurred casualties at a alarming level for the army of the Alliance. 

The French cavary reserve - over 100 squadrons (50 model squadrons)

Comparing the...

Normally overshadowed by a few myths and tourist-focused, trivial details such as Scotland versus England, the death of the hero Dundee, a Highland charge and Soldier's Leap, the Battle of Killiecrankie receives much less attention than it deserves. 

The outcome was decisive, the tactical approach of both sides markedly different, the armies dramatically different in size, culture and leadership...