2026 continues with its relatively gentle pace, hobby-wise. Since my last update I have had two tabletop games and a board game. I have started my next painting project.
Games
At the end of May I played a game with my Beckenham friends. This was a company level game set in Vietnam, with Australians taking on the NVA. I took charge of the NVA but underestimated the firepower available to the opposition, and got generally creamed. No pictures I’m afraid.
The next game was at the club, where I hosted another game of Général d’Armée 2, with a scenario for Mockern, part of the battle of Leipzig. Hugh took the French while Rod took the Prussians. The scenario was based on the GDA scenario book, but it was a little flawed (as a game, not necessarily historically). The main objective in a largely featureless table was the village of Mockern, in one corner. All the action focused on this corner. Borrowing from the Steven Shann scenario (Let’s Fight Leipzig!), I tried to counter this with a secondary objective in the other corner of the field. The players mostly ignored this, committing a brigade each who largely watched each other.
The game turned into a slugging match. We completed 10 of the 20 turns the scenario specified. The French were clinging on, though were greatly weakened. But so were the Prussians and we called it for the French. This had taken some six hours of playing time, including lunch. Both players enjoyed the game, which had plenty of drama. But doing a complete GDA2 scenario in one club session looks an impossibility. More players with strong game management might do the trick, I suppose.
Finally on the gaming side the Beckenham gang played Kingmaker on one of the red heat warning days. It was a fun game though ending in a stalemate (we weren’t using all the KM2 rules, which might have avoided this) – we sweltered, but not as much as we would if we’d played upstairs in the wargames room. Fortunately the car’s air conditioning was up to the 38.5 Celsius it said was the outside temperature.
Command & discipline
At our next Beckenham game, I will host my new Napoleonic rules, Command & Discipline, which are hex-based. I’d like to do another solo playtest first, but they are actually ready. I haven’t decided on a scenario, but that will depend on how many players I am catering for. This will be interesting. It is in the same space as GDA2, but should be much faster and simpler.
One issue though is that I want a new hex mat with hexes aligned to the long edges. Last time I reported that Deep Cut did mats with hexes printed – but on further investigation this applies only to neopreen mats. I want a cloth mat, both for texture and so that it can be draped over formers to make relief. I see that some gamers have been able to get fleeces printed cheaply on Temu, using photo files. Doubtless this could include hexes. I would need to create a file though – and probably it would take more than one go to get right. I haven’t learned the art of creating terrain maps online – and that would be a whole new skill.
My next plan is draw hexes on one of my old green felt mats, possibly after painting them to be a bit more interesting.
Projects
I have now broken cover on the modelling project that I had to keep under wraps – an RAF 1/72 Wessex based in Hong Kong, as flown by my friend – the subject on my previous post here. No wargaming dimension!
I have now started my next batch of 10mm Austrians. This is a bit daunting. I have based the figures – 30 bases of 10 line infantry, 8 of 5 jagers, four of 3 cavalry, 12 generals (1 to 4 figures per base), 6 artillery pieces and three limbers – and given them a coat of primer (gesso mixed with a bit of raw umber. I will take these in four chunks, and I’ve made a start on the first. Feels like I’ve taken on a lot!
One lesser bit of work has been on river sections; my bits of painted cardboard really needed an upgrade! I noticed some rather nice pieces of cut MDF on the Pendraken website, and bought some of these with both 30mm and 25mm width. I have cut them so that I can use the curves with my new hex system, plus to get some variation in the length of the straight bits. I have now painted them. I have decided not to add banks, as is the usual custom – but to add these separately if appropriate. I used oil paints, as these dry more slowly, so it is easier to blend different colours in. I used Payne’s Grey, a bit of Oxide Yellow and white to get the effect I wanted. I go for a darker and murkier appearance than most people. I then applied three layers of gloss varnish – Liquitex gloss medium. This didn’t quit get the watery finish I’d been hoping for, but will have to do!
The month ahead
More holidays, house guests and heatwaves and gardening in the month ahead, which will doubtless slow progress on those Austrians. I should get my first proper game of Command & Discipline, but alas the club meeting does not fall on a good day, so I’ll miss that again.
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