The WORLD’S PREMIER TABLETOP GAMING MAGAZINE

Issue 436
April 2024
UK £5.99

PAINTING PERRY VARSOVIANS ACHTUNG PANZER! SALUTE 51

Using Army Painter Fanatic Paints The game’s designers reveal all Painting your free pirates

THEME: From the Screen. Wargaming Movies, Tv, And Video Games
 FEATURED wargames illustrated issue WI436 april 2024

THIS MONTH

FROM THE EDITOR

I’m writing this editorial from a position of ignorance. Currently (early March 2024) I have
got everything crossed that a container ship transporting, amongst other things, several
thousand plastic frames of Special Ops figures, will be docking at Portsmouth, England, with
enough time for said frames to be unloaded and transported up the country, to then be bagged
with this issue of Wargames Illustrated. By the time you read this you will know if that has
happened. If there is not a free model frame with your magazine you will know that, despite
our best efforts, events beyond our control have conspired against us.
Big Screen to
Small Board ............................ 20 Those events have been on the fringes of world news for a couple of months now, as the
Houthi rebels in Yemen continue to target shipping in the Red Sea; striking at a number of
western container vessels, causing massive delays for goods, including our model frames as
they travel via that route.

Regardless of whether this magazine is bagged with an accompanying Special Ops frame, it
does contain an article influenced by those figures (page 60), and you will have to do a bit of
interactive editing by replacing the introduction text: “… this month’s free Warlord Games
Special Operations team frame…” with “… a future issue’s free…”, if forces have conspired
against us. If the Special Ops frames haven’t made it here in time, they will be bagged with a
forthcoming issue of the magazine. Thank you for your understanding.

That protracted explanation has left me with very little space to point out all the fantastic
content we have for you this issue, and to highlight our theme of From the Screen. We
Ridley Scott present six articles inspired by wargaming’s relationship with TV, movies, and video games,
at Austerlitz ............................ 34 and there’s a whole lot more too. Phew! I just about managed to mention everything!

Dan Faulconbridge
Editor

This month’s cover illustration, by Neil Roberts, shows members of the LRDG at rest somewhere in
North Africa, circa 1941.
Below: The Warlord Games Special Ops figures, discussed above.

The Warpaints
Fanatic story .......................... 42

29 Eldon Business Park

Attenborough, Nottingham
NG9 6DZ
United Kingdom
wargamesillustrated.net

wargamesillustrated credits contacts

Produced in the UK. Customer Service & Subscriptions:
[email protected]
The Wargames Illustrated team:
Daniel Faulconbridge, Asun Loste, Tel (UK): 0044 (0)115 922 5073
@wargamesill
James Griffiths, Joe Smalley, Contributions:
Matt Parkes and Charlie Brittle. [email protected]
Advertisments:
/WargamesIllustrated Printed in the UK by: Warners. [email protected]
Quick Fire:
Copyright © Wargames Illustrated 2024 [email protected]
Distribution:
wargamesillustrated [email protected]
CONTENTS Designer’s Notes: Celtic Fringe
and Montrose ............................... 56
OBSERVATION POST ............................. 6 Paul Reynolds provides a guide to
This month’s reviews include Wargames two new For King and Parliament
Atlantic plastics, Dead Man’s Hand cowboy supplements, which he has co-written with Djins from the Dunes
scatter, Oathmark characters, and interwar two other enthusiasts of these popular
MDF kits. (SAS Rogue Heroes) .................... 50
17th Century rules.
RELEASE RADAR ................................... 12 theme: From spec ops
Dom Sore’s here to tell us about a stack of to CoD ................................................ 60
new and upcoming releases. Matt Parkes builds iconic Call of Duty
QUICK FIRE ........................................... 16 characters from Warlord Games’ Special
Short, quick-read posts from Wi readers Operations team frame, and we probe how
about their hobby projects, notes, news, other video game offerings can inspire our
and observations.. tabletop warfare.

theme: Big Screen Designer’s Notes:

to Small Board ............................. 20 Achtung Panzer! ......................... 68
Want to translate your favourite movie or Mike Bradford, author of Warlord Games’
new rules Achtung Panzer!, tells us about
TV show to the tabletop? Pete Brown’s
the development and mechanics of this new Celtic Fringe
here to help you out.
‘skirmish’-level tank battle game. and Montrose ............................ 56
Salute 51: Pirate Painting ......... 28
Wi Painter extraordinaire Matt Parkes theme: Home Guard Heroes .... 72
applies brushwork to preview versions of Paul Mackay examines the Home Guard
this year’s Salute show minis. in history and in the classic BBC comedy
series Dad’s Army, then shows how he
theme: Ridley Scott painted his troops in miniature.
at Austerlitz ................................... 34
Colonel (Retired) Bill Gray compares two Painting Polish Plastics .............. 76
very different versions of Austerlitz. One James continues his experiments with
is seen through a historical lens, the other, Army Painter’s new Fanatic range and
through the lens of director Ridley Scott’s paints a couple of the new Perry Miniatures
Arri digital movie camera. Duchy of Warsaw infantry.

Designer’s Notes: The Warpaints theme: Genre hopping

with 7TV The 80s ........................... 82 From spec ops to CoD ............. 60
Fanatic story ...................................... 42
We’re very impressed with The Army 7TV: The 80s lead writer, Helena Nash,
Painter’s new Fanatic paints and asked provides insight into the design process
Adam Abramowicz to shine a light on the of the popular skirmish game’s latest
development of such an expansive range. Genre Guide.

theme: Djins from the Dunes Designer’s Notes: ‘Alala! ............. 88

(SAS Rogue Heroes) ...................... 50 Simon MacDowall talks about the
Glenn Clarke takes TV inspiration from development and playtesting of his new
SAS Rogue Heroes and drives out into the ruleset for Greek hoplite battles.
Egyptian sands during WWII. Jack Alexander obituary ........... 93
Bob Black bids a fond farewell to his
friend Jack Alexander who, through his
Jacklex range, was one of the early icons of
miniature making. Home Guard Heroes .................. 72

follow
us on
INSTAGRAM!
 SUBSCRIPTIONS
ENJOY WARGAMES ILLUSTRATED PRINT OR PRIME

WI PRINT CONTENT INCLUDES:

12 ISSUES
FROM ONLY
£60

QUARTERLY
FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS
SCAN S AVAILABLE FROM £20
T SUB
PRIN

RECEIVE THE WORLD’S BEST-SELLING WARGAMES MAGAZINE DIRECTLY TO YOUR DOOR AND SAVE ON THE COVER PRICE!

PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
AVAILABLE DIRECT
IN THE USA VIA
IRONHEARTSARTISANS.COM

AND
IN AUSTRALIA AND
NEW ZEALAND VIA
KHAKI-GREEN.COM.AU

ERY ORDER!
UCHER WITH EV
FREE $10 K&G VO

4
 Prime CONTENT INCLUDES:
MONEY 0FF EVERY MONTH AT:

SCAN FOR
PRIME
BEHIND THE SCENES GOODIES:
MEMBER SH
IP EDITOR’S EXPLOITS, FROM THE VAULT,
AND ARTICLES FROM UPCOMING ISSUES

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT

AMAZING DIGITAL
MINIATURES FOR FREE
EVERY ISSUE OF WI AVAILABLE
(AND SEARCHABLE!) VIA THE VAULT
ALL FOR A
MONTHLY
MEMBERSHIP OF
£5.99
£5 OFF BILLHOOKS DELUXE WITH
YOUR WIPRIME MEMBERSHIP COMBINE THE TWO FOR A
DISCOUNTED MONTHLY COST OF £10
INCLUDES THE MONTHLY PRINT MAGAZINE AND ALL THE BENEFITS OF A PRIME MEMBERSHIP.

WARGAMESILLUSTRATED.NET
5
 OBSERVATION
POST New and forthcoming wargames
stuff you need to know about

RULES, SUPPLEMENTS, FIGURES, TERRAIN, HOBBY GEAR, AND MORE

WARGAMES ATLANTIC - GREAT WAR RUSSIAN INFANTRY

We look to World War One in the first of a Wargames Atlantic (WA) double bill for OP. Details
The US plastic producers have made a set that brings the massive army of Russia onto • Scale: 28mm
the wargaming table, joining the British, German, and French Infantry boxes that are
• Period: WWI and Russian Civil War
already in their Great War range.
• Price: £25
There are five identical frames in the box, and each one has seven leg and torso parts,
meaning you can ultimately build 35 Russian infantry. The poses are varied, with some • Material: Hard plastic
upright officers, men on the move, running, and a crouching figure. • Available from: wargamesatlantic.com
Considering plastic kits are usually restricted by the angles that frames can be cast at
(and have some rather flat areas as a result), there’s an impressive amount of equipment
already fixed onto the models. Mess tins, entrenching tools, ammo pouches,
and more protrude in different directions, giving a pleasant sense of realism,
and adding dynamism. The kit on figures that are moving seems to be bouncing
along with them, which breathes life into these 28mm men. There are a few
little extras, mostly for your leaders, but not needing to glue a load of extra
equipment to each figure will save a lot of build time, which is perfect if you
decide it’s your mission to undertake a large Great War project.

Above: Civil War Reds are an option thanks to

alternate heads.

Above: The Russians advance. Above: Gas-masked troops move from their trenches.

BEYOND THE FRONT

Officer options include the standard Nagant Model 1895 pistol,
This was a fascinating and restless time for The Bear; the Russian and also a Mauser C96, along with drawn and scabbarded
army quickly saw diminishing returns in battle, and things back sabres. With some grenades options included, no two men need
home were increasingly unstable, leading to revolution, civil war, look alike, regardless of their rank.
and the formation of the Soviet Union, all by the end of 1922.
All but the officer come with greatcoat wraps over their
This set embraces those possibilities by going beyond the shoulders. This makes them look a little more parade-ground in
standard trench dwellers (though you can certainly create a broad style, yet it’s matched with combat poses. It would have been
variety of them) with other head options. There are a staggering fabulous if some men were in their greatcoats, or came without
45 heads on each frame, and, with their differing helmets and their rolls, but we’re aware we’re being a little unfair here,
hats, you’ll be able to make figures that will work in the February demanding excess when we’ve already got years of Russian
and October Revolutions of 1917, as well as Reds and Whites for history to play about with!
the ensuing Civil War. It’s always great when a new set of figures
brings the potential for fresh wargaming, and this box set has By trying to cover a broader swathe of Russia at war the
certainly caused some excitement in the Wi office with its variety. figures somewhat lack the focused Great War feeling, but the
flipside is they’ll slot nicely into interwar action too. Overall
Gas-masked troops are present, and can have hats or helmets over this is a great set with some impressive detail and dynamism.
them, while the weapon of choice is the enduring favourite, the
Mosin-Nagant rifle.

6
WARGAMES ATLANTIC - SKELETON CAVALRY AND CHARIOTS
Games Workshop’s recent release of Warhammer: The Old World
has seen the Tomb Kings (sand-cleaned and reanimated skeletal
warriors from the desert) return to stores. These figures haven’t
received flashy new kits though; old plastic frames in updated boxes
have been flying off shelves and, perhaps, left GW wondering why
they tried to shift their fantasy world from squared regiments to
round bases in the first place… but we digress! With wargamers’
craving for the restless dead at an unprecedented high, it would
be a fine time for a plucky upstart to swoop in and capitalise.
Enter Wargames Atlantic (WA) and their new box of skeletons,
which joins their own Classic Fantasy range, and provides a
complementary set to their existing skeleton infantry plastics.
This new box includes two different frames, the biggest of which
features skeletal horses and some terminally undernourished men. The
other, smaller frame has a simple plastic chariot’s parts on it. Five of
the large frames and two of the chariot frames are packed into each
box, and you’ll need to find your own bases to put them onto.
A VERSATILE HORDE
Stylistically, these are appealing sculpts from WA regular Rob
Macfarlane, hearkening back to Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion
skeletons, with a historically ancient look to them. You could add
some spare helmed heads and weapon-bearing arms from this set to
Trojan War terrain, as unfortunately abandoned dead, and only the
most tediously eagle-eyed observer would raise an eyebrow about
them looking too fantastical.
There are possibilities galore: bare and helmeted heads (with spare
plumes), shields, swords, bows, javelins, and command options.
At the core of each figure build, though, are the combined body-
and-legs parts of your skeletons: two are skeletal warriors with
flat feet while three have splayed legs, designed to ride on the two
horses that also feature. Across the five frames you can construct ten
skeletons on foot (optional puddle bases are included, to be glued to
your skeleton’s feet, which is a nice touch), ten standard riders, five
more heavily-armoured riders, and ten horses. How you go about
mixing these is up to you, and will be influenced by the other frame.
This is a generous set of varied figures, perfect for
fantasy gamers, but also with some appeal to fans of
history. At £30 it offers far better value than GW’s Tomb
Kings boxes, too, which makes it even more alluring.

Under the Microscope

PLASTIC CHARIOTS
Adding to the possibilities are the two chariot frames, which have been designed
with no dramatic fantasy details in sight. Adding skeletal steeds and crew will
make them look utterly fantastical, but mixing them with Ancient figures and
horses (how about WA’s own General Accoutrements Horses, which have
minimal tack?) will give them a very different and historical feel, which is going
to appeal to some keen kitbashers. We hope that WA will make these chariot
frames available separately for such purposes.

Details
• Scale: 28mm
• Period: Fantasy
• Price: £30
• Material: Hard plastic
• Available from: wargamesatlantic.com
Above: There are alternate open
sides included in the kit, along
with yoke saddles.
7
 NORTH STAR - OATHMARK HUMAN COMMAND
Ready to enhance your new unit of plastic Human Light Infantry [reviewed in Wi435 -
Ed] are two blisters of three human characters. These will add command options for your Details
Oathmark army, but could also fit into some historical forces or village terrain. • Scale: 28mm
One pack contains three champions, and they all look like they’ve rushed from their daily • Period: Fantasy (or Medieval)
work in the area. That doesn’t mean they aren’t more than ready for a scrap, though! There’s • Price: £10 per set
a hefty hirsute bloke with a massive mallet, a warrior woman with axe and wooden shield,
and a wily poacher reaching for an arrow. Sculptor Bobby Jackson has imbued these figures • Material: Metal
with a ton of character, and they look like they’ll be a dream for painters. • Available from: northstarfigures.com
The other pack has more specialists, with a King taking centre stage. This ruler is
dramatically posed to look like one half of Middle Earth’s Argonath, with a sword at his side
and bow in his hand. The witch is the most fantasy/fairy-tale of the bunch, with her bubbling
cauldron under her arm and an unfortunate lizard hung from her belt, while the hornblower
has a dramatic kneeling pose, and would make a good ranger.

GREAT ESCAPE GAMES - DEAD MAN’S HAND STREET SCATTER

You can never go wrong with some good scatter terrain, and this set, made for Dead Man’s
Hand but usable with other Wild West games (or in European and Eastern areas, for that Details
matter), is certainly that. Two frames are included at the very reasonable price of £10, and
• Scale: 28mm
with them you can build a broad selection of boxes, barrels, and crates to lay around your
run-down camp or bustling gold rush town. • Period: Wild West

Beyond the basics, there are increasingly specialised items that you can make into objectives • Price: £10
or add to your gaming board to make narrative areas. Suitcases and packages can represent • Material: Hard plastic
the connections that the expanding rail network brought to the US, and could be found at
• Available from: greatescapegames.com
stations or on trains. Bundles and ammo boxes might be stored away in the Sherriff’s office,
ripe for a bold gang to snatch and grab, or be hidden in a secret hideout.

Grain sacks will give a stable or general store extra character (Wi painter Matt added produce names to his, below), while cowpokes
could protect a churn full of the state’s finest, prize-winning milk in an entertaining game.
Maybe the local drunks have gotten together to rush a saloon and swipe a tray of hooch (some of the bottles are removeable, so could be
used as a tracker for gaming, or added to a vignette or bases).
The possibilities with this set are broad, and if you play this period (or various other ones where the pieces would still be useful), there’s
really no reason to not get yourself a set or two. Because of the texture detail, you don’t have to apply a Matt Parkes finish to get them
looking good, either; a splash of Army Painter Speedpaint or Citadel Contrast will get the job done.

8
 SARISSA PRECISION - COPPLESTONE RANGE
This is not the first time Sarissa have produced MDF kits in colour; they
have a range of tokens, accessories and several dice towers
that come ‘ready painted’, but this range of tanks and
planes (plus extras for 28mm tabletops) marks the first
time Sarissa have made vehicles using colour-printed
MDF. Designed to accompany Copplestone Castings’
Mark’s Little Soldiers range they go together
easily and look really charming when
constructed.
Mark’s Little Soldiers is a range
of 30mm miniatures reminiscent
of the early days of wargaming and
toy soldier collecting. The figures are
intentionally simplistic, with clear, fairly
flat features, and they evoke the feeling of games
of yesteryear. These eight new tanks and aeroplanes
from Sarissa that supplement that range, along with hedges,
walls, smoke, and blast markers, are of a complementary style, with a
very ‘toy solider’ look and feel about them.
Like everything Sarissa produces, these models go together really well; all the parts cleanly detach from the frame and fit neatly
where they should, without the need for any knife or clipper work. The ‘Copplestone Tank 1’ seen here took about 15 minutes
to piece together, and looked just the job for ‘Little Soldier’ - or indeed H.G. Wells’ Little Wars - battles.

Some of Sarissa’s new range of colour terrain is ‘full-colour

double-sided’ (like the Smoke & Blast Markers), while other
kits are printed in colour on one side only - like the tanks
and planes. If you are sensitive to small areas of ‘raw’ MDF
showing through, you will need to dig out the paint brushes
and touch-up the exposed edges of your tanks and planes.
Sarissa already set the standard for top-quality MDF kits, and
here’s hoping that these trailblazing colour models are the
beginning of a new age in their evolution.

Above: The wheels are a neat idea; hidden behind the outer ‘skin’,
they subtly allow the tank to trundle across the table. Right: The
gun sponsons are the fiddliest bit of the model, but even these
aren’t too difficult to work with. Below: The finished tank.

Details
• Scale: 28mm
• Period: Early 20th Century
Right: The
• Price: £10 or £12.50
full-colour
• Format: MDF Smoke & Blast
Markers and
• Available from: sarissa-precision.com Hedge Sets.

9
 ®

UNLEASH ARMOURED
FURY THIS APRIL!

GOT ARMOUR? JUST ADD THE RULES...

Achtung Panzer! calls upon the extensive range of enormously popular
Bolt Action vehicles to bring exciting tank-on-tank battles to the
tabletop. There are a great number of players already in command of
impressive platoons of armoured fighting vehicles, and raring to jump
into Achtung Panzer! with their existing collections. We’ve crafted some
rules-focused bundles to aid such tabletop tankers in getting straight to
the action!

These ‘Vital Intelligence’ bundles contain the rulebook and all the cards
and tokens needed to get playing. A host of Datacards allow you to field
a wide variety of WWII armoured vehicles, and additional cards allow
you to employ powerful Assets which bring additional firepower or
supporting infantry elements to bear, play Events to force your opponent
to adapt to an ever-changing battlefield, and deploy renowned Tank
Aces, replete with unique Ace Skills, to dominate the battlefield.

Check out the exclusive bundles at

warlordgames.com!

COME AND PLAY A DEMO GAME AT SALUTE!

We’re running demo games of Achtung Panzer! at Salute this year. Just stop by our
booth and we’ll get you commanding a tank in a game of Achtung Panzer!
GET STARTED WITH
ACHTUNG PANZER!
Achtung Panzer! puts you in command of a tank platoon and thrusts you into the
heart of the action on the battlefields of World War Two. Take charge, and lead
your armoured forces to glory!

Achtung Panzer!
Blood & Steel Starter Set
£100 / €120 / $150
Achtung Panzer! is the brand-new game of WWII tank combat that lets you
fight exciting close-quarter battles in dense terrain, showcasing the mettle
of iconic armoured fighting vehicles as well as their crews. With enormous
customisability and a rewarding campaign system, no two games will be the
same. The Blood & Steel starter set arms you with everything required to get
playing, including a rulebook, a quintet of highly detailed plastic tanks, cards,
tokens, and terrain! Can your tactical acumen and the fighting spirit of your
tank crews carry the day?

Contents: • 52x Events cards

• 1x 108-page Achtung Panzer! rulebook • 4x Tank Ace skill cards
• 1x Blood & Steel booklet • Phase & time tracker
• 2x Panther Ausf. A medium tanks • Full-colour decal sheet
• 2x Sherman V medium tanks • Vehicle damage markers
• 1x Sherman Firefly Vc medium tank • Tokens, markers and Datacards
• 2x Ruined Farmhouses • Tank stowage & accessories
• 20x Asset cards • Six-sided dice

British Army Tank Force Soviet Army Tank Force German Army Tank Force US Army Tank Force
£110 / €132 / $165 £110 / €132 / $165 £110 / €132 / $165 £110 / €132 / $165
Contents: Contents: Contents: Contents:
• 3x Churchill infantry tanks • 3x T-34/76 medium tanks • 3x Pz IV Ausf F1/G/H medium tanks • 3x M4A3E8 Sherman ‘Easy Eight’ tanks
• 1x M10 Wolverine tank destroyer • 1x Iosef Stalin 2 heavy tank • 1x Tiger I Ausf. E heavy tank • 1x M18 Hellcat tank destroyer
• 1x Humber armoured car • 1x KV-1 heavy tank/KV-2 assault tank • 1x Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer tank destroyer • 1x M5 Stuart light tank
• Assembly guides and full-colour • Assembly guides and full-colour • Assembly guides and full-colour • Assembly guides and full-colour
waterslide decals waterslide decals waterslide decals waterslide decals
• Vehicle damage markers • Vehicle damage markers • Vehicle damage markers • Vehicle damage markers
• 10x Asset cards • 10x Achtung Panzer! asset cards • 10x Asset cards • 10x Asset cards
• 2x Tank Ace Datacards • 2x Tank Ace Datacards • 2x Tank Ace Datacards • 2x Tank Ace Datacards
• 4x Tank Ace Skill cards • 4x Tank Ace Skill cards • 4x Tank Ace Skill cards • 4x Tank Ace Skill cards
• Phase & time tracker • Phase & time tracker • Phase & time tracker • Phase & time tracker
• Datacards for 18 vehicles • Datacards for 16 vehicles • Datacards for 16 vehicles • Datacards for 16 vehicles
• Tokens & markers • Tokens & markers • Tokens & markers • Tokens & markers
• Tank stowage & accessories • Tank stowage & accessories • Tank stowage & accessories • Tank stowage & accessories
• Mounted & Dismounted tank crew • Mounted & Dismounted tank crew • Mounted & Dismounted tank crew • Mounted & Dismounted tank crew

PRE-ORDER NOW AT WARLORDGAMES.COM© 2024 Warlord Games Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Warlord Games is either ® or ™, and/or © Warlord Games Limited, variably registered around the world.
 Release
Radar
Dom Sore’s here to tell us about a stack of new and upcoming releases.
ECW EXCITEMENT
You wait ages for one English Civil War This will be my last column
(ECW) release and four come along at once! for a couple of months as
Looks like now’s a good time to get into I am taking a sabbatical
the period and, if you haven’t dipped your while I get married,
toe before, then you’re going to need some
but don’t worry, guest
rules. How about giving Alternative Armies’
(alternative-armies.com) Furioso: English contributors will step in to
Civil War a go? The 80-page rules are man the Release Radar in
somewhat scale agnostic, so 6mm to 28mm my absence. I’m sure they
figures can all be used, but Alternative will do a banging job, but
Armies have provided some handy 15mm
before they slide into my
metal army packs for the Parliamentarian
and Royalist Armies of the West Country, well warmed seat, I’ve got
and a mega bundle with both armies, some smashing new hobby
bases, and the rules. This will allow you releases to share!
to refight the Civil Wars in the West Country and finally
determine whether the jam or cream is applied first to
your scone… which is, of course, the inciting incident of
this conflict! It’s jam first; any other way is just wrong
[with absurd talk like that we might not invite you back,
Dom - Ed].

If you do opt for 15mm scale, then the new ECW

General figures from Peter Pig (peterpig.co.uk)
would be an excellent accompaniment. There are
eight Parliamentarian and six Royalist Generals
to choose from, covering the big boys you would
expect, like Charles I, Rupert, Cromwell, and
Fairfax. Each one comes packaged with a standard
bearer, so you will not need to raid your cavalry
packs for them. The Generals would be excellent
models to use as the basis for small vignettes
to make the army really stand out. A big part of
the Civil War’s appeal is the commanders, rather
than the foot sloggers, so why not make them
look pretty. You might still need to raid your
other cavalry to provide extras for their base, as
everyone needs an aide-de-camp.

12
 Still in 15mm white metal are the new shotte with musket rests figures from Steel Fist
Miniatures (steelfistminiatures.com). With 24 in a pack, and twelve different variants
included, they are great for forming big units with a lot of variety. Each figure is an
individual, so you can base them in whatever way you please, and they are all on the march
while holding their musket rests, with defined twelve apostles strapped to their chests, and a
variety of helms. Most are suitable for the earlier part of the war they can also be your more
ragged, or regional, later war troops.

Upping the scale to 28mm, we have a favourite range

of mine, and of Wi readers, if the results of the 2023
Awards are anything to go by [see Wi435 - Ed] -
Bloody Miniatures (bloodyminiatures.co.uk). In this
release it is the turn of the Pike and Shotte with five
packs of four figures covering the main troops of
the war, collected into A Regiment of Foote. Bloody
Miniatures are probably the best 28mm English Civil
War producer operating at the moment and these
figures keep up that standard. Full of character
and wonderful detail, this collection is led by The
Gentlemen of Warre - a command pack - with The
Upright Pikemen and The Advancing Pikemen to add
melee support. Finishing off this lot of 20 minis are
The Shotte At Readie and The Shotte Give Fyre to
bring some ranged damage. These are figures that
could stand alone as display pieces, thanks to the
detail, and the price is right!

MODERN INDUSTRIAL AND VICTORIAN RESIDENTIAL

Industrial buildings often suffer more than any others in war and these buildings from Brigade
Models (brigademodels.co.uk) are the type of structures that tend to get fought over long after
they have served their usefulness. Coming in at the 1:1000 scale they are very small indeed and,
although they are based on buildings from
the UK, they are not so different from many
industrial buildings of the same type found
across the world. That’s one advantage of
the modern age; utilitarian buildings all
seem to look the same.

13
 In the much larger scale of 28mm, and designed
for the Victorian era, is the latest release from
Oshiro Models (oshiromodels.co.uk). This rear
façade compliments Oshiro’s previously released
terrace façade and is a kit designed to be placed
on the edge of a table, with space to still get into
it. It comes with windows, coloured roof tiles, and
internal dividers to denote rooms. I would suggest
adding some ballast to the bottom, or clamping it
to the edge of your table, to lessen the chances of
it being knocked over. The decision you need to
make is whether to decorate the interior or leave
it plain. What is nice about terraces like these is
that they still exist today (I live in one) so they
can be used from the Victorian era right up to
now and into the future.

THE RESTLESS DEAD

We’re still months away from Halloween but the undead are trying to bring the spooky season
early with a corpse-load of new releases this month. Maybe Games Workshop’s Warhammer:
The Old World is to blame, inspiring other companies to get their skeletons out there. Wargames
Atlantic’s new plastics are examined in Observation Post (page 6) so I’ll show off Crooked
Dice’s (crooked-dice.co.uk) two packs of skeleton archers. The full set comprises eight figures
in various stages of using their bows. It is
extraordinary how much character is packed
into these piles of bones and while one skeleton
is giving an impolite salute the rest look rather
angry. So might you if you’d been rudely
awakened from your eternal slumber by an
enthusiastic necromancer!

The new Einherjar Warlord from Gripping Beast (grippingbeast.co.uk) is a

warrior who has been called to Valhalla, so he is technically undead. He may
look a little unusual leading a horde of Skeleton warriors, but who’s going to
question a burley bloke holding his warhammer aloft? This figure is primarily
designed for warbands in Saga Age of Magic, but there is no reason you cannot
add him to you standard Viking or Jomsviking warband as a particularly large
and fearsome leader. Someone may mention the winged helmet as a bit of an
anachronism, but it looks cool, and the rule of cool always wins with me!

PRE-GERMANY GERMANS
In the UK we often forget that Germany, as a nation, is
quite a modern creation. For much of history it was made
up of a number of City States, Palatinates, and other small
nations, such as the Saxons during the Great Northern
War. A number of them are modelled in this set from Ebor
Miniatures (eborminiatures.com) in the form of a regiment
of Dragoons in floppy hats. The pack of 28mm white metal
figures contains twelve troops, plus horses, which is a fairly
standard number for games like Black Powder. There are
three mounted horseholders who will look after the nine
riderless horses, and nine dismounted figures consisting of
six dragoons firing plus a command group of officer, standard
bearer, and drummer.

14
A little later in history, and less
independent, are the new Bavarian Light
Infantry of the Franco-Prussian War of
1870. This release, from Bavaria Miniatures
(bavaria-miniatures.com), comes armed
with the Werder Rifle, the best that Bavaria
had at the time, but no match for the
French Chassepot. You can choose between
getting these figures as cast metal or as
digital STL files (right), which will cover
all hobby bases. It will be interesting to
see what new files come out of Bavaria for
Bavaria! I am looking forward to it.

SOVIETS ON THE OFFENSIVE

There’s a new range of World
War Two Soviets on the way
from Offensive Miniatures
(offensiveminiatures.com) that is
shaping up nicely. This range is
28mm, produced in white metal, and
proportioned realistically, without
the bulk, the bigger hands and
heads, and the oversized weapons
you’ll see in a Warlord Games
release. If you need an army to take
on some Perry Miniatures from other
nations, then these Soviets would be
a great choice.

The initial release comprises command, infantry the riflemen. There is an in scale scope on one
sections, HMGs, and 80mm mortar. On the way rifleman/sniper that blows my mind with its
are anti-tank weapons (I’m not sure if that will minute size. This sort of thing shows off a lot of
involve dog teams, but I hope so), anti-tank gun, sculpting, mould making, and casting skill. Just
troops with German weapons, and tank riders. try not to remove them like I nearly did!
All the figures are nicely sculpted and detailed,
The Commissar with SMG and megaphone is a
with a variety of equipment, which adds to their
great figure, maybe the best of the bunch, but
realism, as not all troops carried the same things,
I’m rather smitten with the whole set. Well done
especially during World War Two. The excellent
to Offensive Miniatures on producing a great
casting accentuates the details present, some of
addition to the Soviet options out there.
which are so fine you’ll want to be careful when
prepping. The officer/NCO has a pistol strap Ok, time for me to head off and leave my
that, at first glance, looks rather like the flash Release Radar with the house sitter. Until
left over from casting, as does a strap on one of next time, fare thee well, and happy gaming!

15
 QUICK FIRE!
Short, quick-read posts from Wi readers about their hobby projects, notes, news, and observations.

GETTING TO GRIPS WITH A WET PALETTE

By Adam Cross

I received the new Army Painter wet palette for Christmas from my wife,
and have been using it for just over a month. I had mixed results in the
beginning, but I realised it was due to adding too much water, which
caused the paints to thin, and now I’ve got the palette at the right level
of saturation I’m finding it to be a great benefit. I mix a lot of my own
colours from scratch and the palette keeps these moist and usable for days
and it is helping me with blending colours.
I get my love of painting from my late father, Derek Cross, who owned
and ran All the Queen’s Men, and I have recently finished a regiment
of Napoleonic Austrian infantry in 28mm (below right and below) for a
friend. I did a lot of research into the correct colour for the uniforms and
the best match I found was using Vallejo Color Silver Grey as a base and
adding a wash of Vallejo Color German Camouflage Beige WW2 over the
top. Once that had dried, I went back over the jacket, highlighting with
Silver Grey before a final highlight of Silver Grey mixed with white.
Amongst other figures, I have finished a 95th rifles officer from Perry
Miniatures (above right) and the sepoy general from Warlord Games. The
rifle officer’s jacket was a specially mixed colour using Army Painter
Angel Green and Vallejo Dark Prussian Blue, kept fresh on my wet palette.
I painted the Vandyke using an army painter extreme detail brush.
With the Sepoy General - a limited availability figure of Arthur Welsley
at the Battle of Assaye - I wanted to add a bit more detail to the horse,
so I painted on some spots of dappling. I also used paints from Vallejo’s
Leather and Wood set on the leather parts of the figure.
My next painting plans are to finish Perry Miniatures’ Marshall Ney set,
which I am part way through, and am converting some figures to add to it.

16
THE OLD DOMINION MUSTER
By Art Kenney

This past weekend, 16 to 18 February, in beautiful and historic

Williamsburg, Va, the Old Dominion Military Society held its annual
Muster: three days of gaming and shopping, along with the requisite
drinking and catching up with old friends. Not nearly as big as other US
conventions, such as Historicon with its thousands and GenCon with tens of
thousands, the Muster has been steadily growing and had an estimated 360
attendees this year.
A mix of tournament games, miniature wargames, and a few boardgames
make for a varied event. The Bolt Action and Warhammer tournaments
were packed, as usual, with the organisers doing an amazing job of running
things and motivating the players and other attendees.
The main space - a hotel ballroom outside of town - was given over to
miniature wargames with games and vendors fitted into it. It’s not huge
but each of the sessions had room for around 15 games. With two sessions
on Friday and three on Saturday, that's upwards of 75 different games to
see, watch, or play. Here, the play is the thing! For those not in the US, our
conventions don't do static displays; these are all participation games.
I played a variety of games and there were lots of zombies to be found,
including in the Wild West. This was a variation of a variation, played with
the Mein Zombie rules based on the Mein Panzer rules. Survivors survived,
zombies were put down, and mayhem was ended with a drink at the saloon.
A homebrew pirate game, Avast, with a low model count featured
impressive scratch-built buildings. Things got piratical and my crew did not
survive. Another set of homebrew rules allowed the Wolverines to stop the
Commie invasion of ’80s America in fast paced Red Dawn action.
This was just a small taster of what’s on offer. The Muster isn't advertised
for any specific genre or period, so we tend to see large-formation
Napoleonic or AWI games alongside pulp detective or horror themed
games. This weekend saw a refight of Cowpens beside a crowded table
playing Gaslands, a 2' tall factory for Stalingrad made an appearance, a 14'
long version of the board game Circus Maximus ran alongside a similarly
sized game of WWII tank combat, and each game appeared to be packed
with players having a blast.
Vendors were present all weekend, but most of my shopping is done at the
flea market on Sunday morning, when the ballroom is taken over by people
selling the remains of past ambitions: games that were and games that never
quite made it. Amongst the people scouring dollar bins for single minis
and some dropping hundreds for entire armies, I managed to find an MDF
factory kit for $10 and a Lost World rulebook for $5.
Old Dominion Military Society hosts the Muster yearly and holds a few
other events throughout the year. A good event, a good location, and some
fine gaming.

17
 @
SPECIAL OFFERS
FOR Wi PRIME
MEMBERS
NEW RELEASES

• £5 OFF NEVER MIND THE

GiM 71
BILLHOOKS DELUXE Sgt. John
M. Stryker
(Revisited)
• £1 OFF ALL GIANTS IN
MINIATURE PACKS
GiM70
Flash Harry
• £1 OFF NEW MAGAZINES (Revisited)

• FREE PLASTIC FIGURE FRAMES

• FREE ENTRY INTO THE DICE- OFF:
TO WIN HUNDREDS OF POUNDS
WORTH OF PRIZES!
1) Sign up to WiPrime before the show: GiM 72 Fidel
Castro and
WARGAMESILLUSTRATED.NET Che Guevara

2) Call by our stand at the show to claim

your discounts and goodies.

- SPECIAL OFFERS FOR NEW SUBSCRIBERS -

FREE MAGAZINE
FREE PLASTIC FIGURE FRAME
FREE ENTRY INTO THE DICE-OFF

See you at Salute! 13 April 2024, Excel, London

 A wonderful selection of inspirational holidays for the discerning traveller
Discover the great moments of world history with internationally renowned historians

The Battles for Dunkirk

In this insightful tour we visit the site of the evacuation

of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk, a set-
back prominent in the country’s war story. Uniquely this
tour will explain how, utilising fresh research, the Ger-
mans failed to grasp the opportunity and allowed their
foe to escape their clutches. With countless inland wa-
terways, stunning beaches and golden sand dunes we
learn about this poignant event in a simply beautiful
setting.

6 – 12 August 2024 With Colonel Bob Kershaw

The Battle for Berlin The Rise & Fall of Nazi Germany
The Holocaust

In this 8-day tour to Poland, we visit the This tour will focus on the fierce and bit- This tour traces the dramatic and harrowing
sites of the former ghettos in Warsaw, ter action from the point when the Red story of the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
Lublin and Krakow alongside four of the Army approached the Oder River to the chronologically from its birth in 1919 Mu-
concentration and death camps. eventual fall of Berlin. nich, to its bloody end in Berlin in 1945.

Apr/Jun/Oct 24 with various Experts Apr 24 With Dr Matthias Strohn Jun 24 With Prof. Alexander Korb

Finland 1939 Holocaust Landscapes The Battle Of The Bulge

This tour follows the fortunes of the 9th This tour takes us through three great cen- This tour brings to life the decisions of com-
Soviet Army attempting to cut Finland in tral European capital cities, all of which had manders under extreme pressure and the
two at its narrowest point in time for significant Jewish populations before the experiences of soldiers and civilians in des-
Stalin’s 60th birthday. Second World War. perate circumstances.

Sep 24 With Col Bob Kershaw Sep 24 With Prof. Tim Cole Dec 24 With Maj Gordon Corrigan

www.theculturalexperience.com
Tel (UK) 0345 475 1815, (US) 877 209 5620
 BIG SCREEN
TO SMALL BOARD

Want to translate your favourite movie or TV show WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST ABOVE?
to the tabletop? Pete Brown’s here to help you out. TURN TO PAGE 25 FOR THE ANSWERS.

The link between movies and wargaming you create a game around Operation screen media, is whether you want to
is a strong one. Many wargamers will Market Garden you will have to explain faithfully follow and recreate it, or stay
openly admit that it was a particular a good deal to your players about the closer to the historical event. Should
movie or TV show that inspired them background and setting, the tactics, and people who see your game instantly
to research and collect a certain period the forces involved before kicking off connect it to the third episode of Band
or build a game based on it. Many of us the game. By putting on a game that is of Brothers - ̔Carentan̓ - because you
grew up watching the Saturday matinee either inspired by, or a direct copy of A specifically recreated the terrain and
westerns on TV or epic films such as Zulu, Bridge Too Far, or episode four of Band characters from the show, or is it a more
The Longest Day, or A Bridge Too Far. of Brothers, ̔Replacements̓, we cover historical engagement that happens
Watching those movies created a shared the same operation but make it instantly to feature a few miniatures and rule
experience to which all wargamers could recognisable and relatable. Most players amendments inspired by the show? If
relate; it would be difficult to find one will have a rough idea of what is going you were recreating the scene you would
among us who cannot quote at least one on, who the main protagonists are, and want to set up the same German choke
line from Zulu or Gladiator! We all have might even be able to quote a few lines points and defensive positions, and might
our favourite war movies, period dramas, of dialogue. This is particularly useful if notice key details to recreate, such as the
and TV shows, and it you are trying to involve younger people frontage of specific buildings or the piano
is only natural that we or those who are new to the hobby. If you that sits in the middle of a street as Easy
should want to re-enact have ‘brand recognition', then you are Company advances.
key scenes on the halfway there.
Similarly, if you are recreating a scene
wargames table.
So, if you are planning to put on a game from 1965’s Battle of the Bulge, starring
Indeed, based on a movie or TV series at your Henry Fonda, you will need to use M47
when club or show, what should be considered? Patton tanks for the German Tigers and
we put M42 Chafee tanks instead of Shermans,
INSPIRATION OR HOMAGE?
on such as these were the tanks used in the movie.
games, The first question you should take a This would instantly identify your game
they can be moment to consider, when thinking of as an homage to the film, and cause
very popular. If creating a game based on some kind of confusion and annoyance to all the rivet
counters out there!
Above: Zulu vignette, by Barry
Evans. As featured in Wi407.
20
 Below: Nosferatu at Tactica.

from the screen

Above: Battle of the Bulge movie tanks - M47 Pattons.
Below: Band of Brothers - Retired Wargamers Reloaded - Eagles and Lions at Carentan.

Some people go to great lengths to get

the ‘movie feel’. Many years ago, I saw
a great game at the Hexagon, in Reading,
which featured a western stagecoach
being pursued across the board by plains
‘Indians’. The game paid homage to the
1939 movie Stagecoach, starring John
Wayne, so the miniatures, the stagecoach,
and the scenery were painted in shades
of grey to replicate the black and white
movie. The Editor tells me a similar thing
was done at Tactica in Hamburg, with a
wargame based on the 1922 horror movie
Noferatu. If you’re committed, you really
can make your games look like the movie
or TV show that inspired them.
ESTABLISH THE TONE
Consider what emotions and interactions
you want to inspire in your players and Dead Man’s Hand is designed to Maybe you want to take a movie scene
adjust the tone of your game accordingly. showcase a slightly different tone - based on a historical conflict and play
A ruleset such as 7TV, which sets its cinematic wild west excitement as it as a ‘real world’ event. A different
games squarely in a movie- and TV- we’ve seen on the big screen through tone will be required. The final battle
making world, makes it obvious to the decades. The game doesn’t make the scene from the WWII movie Fury could
players that their gaming exploits are not direct connection to screen production be played by setting up the terrain as it
even happening ‘on screen’ but ‘behind that 7TV does, but players and observers appeared in the film, assigning everyone
the scenes’. Figures are listed like a cast, of a dramatic shootout will quickly the roles of the characters (such as Brad
games are split into ‘acts’, explosions are appreciate the big-screen-adventure Pitt's Wardaddy), and playing out the
listed under ‘special effects’, objectives feeling. Tonally, the game has its focus on game using Bolt Action rules. The tone
are ‘MacGuffins’, and there’s a whole cinematic action, as opposed to creating here is a semi-serious and realistic one
lot more. With such obvious cinematic an accurate historical refight. in which you want to recreate, as far as
devices front-and-centre, players are possible, an actual WWII skirmish while
bound to get caught up in the spirit of including tasty morsels of film detail.
198
the production!
MAGUFFINS
27

ITEM THE WHOLE PLOT R

RE A MAGUFFIN - THE POWE
ANY EPISODE CAN FEATU BE A PERSON, OR AN OBJECT OF GREAT ONE!
CENTRES AROUND. IT
MIGHT IMPORTANCE TO EVERY
32 FFIN IS OF CRITICAL
- BUT GETTING THE MAGU
secret agent one of the object
ive
Daring Rebel narrative play may
choose to replace
fin to add some cinem
atic

-STARS
HEROIC STAR Players who enjoy 68) with a maguf

VILLAINOUS STARS & CO

10
CAST BUILDING

HEROIC CO-STAR games (see page

6 tokens used in all
to their games .
5 3
flavour
4 4 FFIN
STAR AND CO-STAR ARCHE
TYPE 5 4 CHOOSING THE MAGU a maguffin to one
objective token using
HERE ARE 16 VILLAINOUS YOUR HEROES 4 4 randomly assign
Players may wish
to pick one most
simply
PROFILES TO CHALLENGE 10 199. Or you can
CAST BUILDING

4 in the table on page

9 the playing cards for your casts.
GENRES RATINGS 4 ve or the genre chosen
EXAMPLES suitable to your narrati
PROFILES to help theme
ATTACK RANGE STRIKE WEAPON EFFECT
also sugges t specific maguffins d to
page 145) maguffins tailore
Some tropes (see
ATTACK
include additional
Nerve Pinch RANGE STRIKE
VILLAINOUS STARS
0” +9 0 Health, Stunned WEAPON EFFECT
ne
Dice Genre Guides to suit the storyli
games. Crooked
Brawl
Company 10 0” +8 add additional cards
Immoral Capitalists, Explosive 0 Health, Weakened
Action, Historical, Horror 8” +7 Feature Packs often
rs, each setting, and
Gadget Spray, 0 Health, On Fire
Men, Sadistic Governo Handgun 12” +7 2 Shots, -1 Health
Corrupt Authority Unscrupulous Nobles Silenced Pistol of their campa igns.
10” +8 -1 Health Intense
s, Negotiations 3” +8 0 Health, Distracted
Ancient Evils, King Vampire 12
PLACING THE MAGUe FFIN
Suave
Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi +7 ive token
Hell just choose the object
of Comment 3” 0 Health, Distracted
Rulers
Spectral Demi-gods,
Stall for Time
+8 the maguffin, then
6” 0 Health, Immobilised
Dark Shadow and Infernal Dimensions If you choose to
includ
ent it.
models to repres
Malevolent Knights, Otherwo
rldly 10 furthest from any
aniacal Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi HEALTH a few additional rules:
Conquerors, Megalom ive token but with
Evil Overlord HEALTH as a normal object
Machines, Alien Fiends The maguffin counts
maguffin card.
ftian draw one random
Alien Queens, Lovecra
, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
11 ➊ AGENT • The player whose
side claims can
it
but must discard
it after use.
Great Monstrosity
Horrors, Diabolical Dragons
Colossal Beasts NEUTRAL EXTRA
3
chopper • The player can
use this card at any time,
at the end of the
game.
Action, Adventure, 1D3 victory points
10 The maguffin is worth
➋ NEUTRAL VEHICLE
l Drug-lords, ➌ 8 •
Mob Bosses, Vengefu Historical
Kingpin Notorious Gangsters 3 4
Comic Book Supervillains, Action, Adventure, 10
Historical
3 3
Insidious Industrialists,
ADVANCED RULES

Mastermind Manipulators 8
Archcriminals, Alien 3
Deathless Stalkers, Dream Historical, Horror, Sci-Fi
10
Caretakers, ➍ ➍
Demons, Axe-wielding
Sadistic Slasher al Killers ATTACK
Killer Clowns, Historic
RANGE STRIKE WEAPON EFFECT
Brawl
Wicked Arms Dealers
, 0” +6 0 Health, Weakened
s, Action, Adventure, 10 ➎
Power-Crazed General
High Calibre
Fantasy Handgun 12” +7 Deadly, -1 Health
Warmonger Die-Hard Imperialists,
Fanatical Nationalists
Flash The
Badge 6” +7 0 Health, Captured
4 8
Above: Dead Man's Hand.
➏ 16 ➑ ➑
5+
Left: Pages from the 7TV rulebook.
21
HEALTH ➐
HEALTH

PROFILE CARD KEY

➊ Profile name
➍ Statistics
➋ Profile type ➐ Genres
➎ Attacks
➌ Ratings ➑ Vehicle statistics
➏ Health
 On the other hand, if I were playing out
a scenario based on the Carry-On movie
Up the Kyber, I might have a much
more comedic approach. The characters
involved would have funny names,
and be granted special abilities so they
could unrealistically cheat death,
or defeat more foes than might
be reasonable. As the Umpire I
could hand wave through any
rules issues that slow down
the game, ignoring seriousness
and strategy to focus on the fun!
Daniel Mersey’s game, The Men
Who Would be Kings, has a
‘Devils in Skirts’ rule based
entirely on this movie. It
allows the highlanders to Above: Carry on up the Khyber - devils in kilts.
Above: Devils
in kilts figure
lift their kilts and display their
by Westfalia massive ‘weapons’ to the enemy,
Miniatures. gaining an advantage in melee.
That’s well suited to the tone of
this game, which should be much sillier
than most; the goal here is to recreate the
humour of the film, rather than simulate
actual combat.
As you might imagine, the last two
approaches listed here mix as well as
water and oil. A scenario wherein the
characters have silly names and unlikely
special abilities will not sit well if you
then try to play out a ‘realistic’ style of
battle using ‘serious’ rules. Gaming a Above: Stop the Truck - Mad Max-inspired show game featured in Wi332.
scene from Band of Brothers, where the
lead characters’ names are changed from Settle on the tone you want before you If you want to recreate the fast-moving
Lt. Richard Winters and Sgt. Randleman write your briefings and pick out the rules! car-to-car action of Death Race 2000,
to Dirk Pointless and Ivor Biggun, will then your game should be fast paced,
end up with a very different tone than the CONSIDER THE PACING
as well, with short activations, limited
one you intended! In any successful movie or TV show, options for players to choose from, and
You will be pleased to know that there is a pacing is everything, and you should quick combat resolution to keep the game
happy medium. Often, in movies and TV, make this the case in your screen-based moving along. Be prepared to hand-
some aspects of reality are suspended to wargames, too. Most tabletop battles tend wave certain rules, make stuff up on the
move the plot forward without reducing run at a steady pace, using a UGO-IGO spot, or simply roll a D6 for a result,
the story to farce. Heroes are hard to system, with players taking all the time rather than endlessly flipping through
kill (often just getting a flesh wound in they need to make their moves before rulebooks. Long periods of inaction, with
the shoulder) and do not have to worry handing over to the opposite number and people making drinks or nattering away
about things that would trouble a mere wandering off to make tea. Many sets of whilst a combat is resolved, will be the
mortal (Clint Eastwood’s never-ending rules now have players drawing chits to death of this type of game. Short and
supply of ammo in Where Eagles Dare, see who moves next, but, generally, the sweet is the goal, perhaps playing out in
for example*). This allows scenario pacing remains unhurried and relaxed. an hour or so, and keeping everyone at
designers and rule writers to sprinkle some As the Umpire or game organiser, think the table involved at all times. For a great
Hollywood glitter on their games while about how the speed of your game might example of this sort of set up, have a look
still setting them in the real world. change the feel of it, and try to inject that at Stop the Truck, a Mad Max-themed
into play. game by Graham Northing that was
featured in Wi332.
Sometimes a slower pace is more suited
Below: Band of Brothers inspired
Flames of War action.
to the atmosphere you want to create.
When I was planning a scenario based on
a mix of the movies The Thing and Aliens
(Ice Station Stripey Horse - Wi399), I
wanted to create tension and suspense.

* Incidentally, the machine gun used by

Clint Eastwood in Where Eagles Dare
was handed into Somerset police during
a weapons amnesty in 2017!

22
In this scenario, aliens had taken over the
Ice Station, and a group of Marines had
been sent to find out what had happened
to the scientists based there. I used hidden
deployment for the xenomorphs, so the
Marine player slowly had to explore
buildings, open store cupboard doors, and
wander around external generators in the
snow, looking for clues. Snowy weather
reduced visibility, and through the snow,
there were areas of blood and damaged
machinery for players to find, along with
the odd corpse. This built tension and
suspense, and move distances were kept
short to ensure it took time to explore
the board. There were long periods when Above: Ice Station Stripey Horse inspired by Aliens and The Thing.
nothing happened, but because that was
calculated, players remained engaged.
Eventually, the tension was broken when
an alien launched from cover to attack
someone, leading to a few rounds of
frantic combat before the snow settled
again.
Pacing in your game can be just as
important as it is on screen, and can
contribute greatly to your players’
enjoyment of the scenario. Once again,
choosing rules that suit the pace you’re
after is critical for success.
MAJOR AND MINOR PLOTLINES
All good movies and TV dramas have
major and minor plotlines. There is the
main storyline - Easy Company are Above: Gaining bonus victory points by rescuing the princess. Models by Grey for Now
parachuting into France on D-Day - and Games and Sarissa.
assorted minor storylines - Private Blithe
Wild Bill might be more likely to make ADD SOME PERSONALITY
has not been in combat and is unsure
a risky assault on the enemy and either
how he will perform under fire, Guarnere Wargamers have always enjoyed giving
gain or lose victory points if he does.
Speirs could have a secret objective card
has just found out his brother has been names and personalities to their little metal
killed at Monte Casino, Speirs’ legend
- for his eyes only - whereupon a POW
miniatures. Initially, this began simply by
encounter requires extra actions. Using
and mystery begins, etc. These additional naming brigade commanders in a battle
plotlines, running parallel to the main after their historical counterparts, but,
the narrative of the movie or TV show
story, add human interest and further before long, squad and platoon leaders
to develop minor objectives will make
friction to the overall story arc. were being given names of their own.
your players feel like they are integral to
After all, having Corporal Schneider
Several rulesets already employ the idea of the storyline, rather than mere bit-part
lead a successful attack against a Russian
alternate or additional victory conditions players pushing recognisable models
position is much better than having the
around the terrain seen on the screen.
position taken by nameless Squad Leader
for certain units or characters in their
games. Musket and Tomahawks is a good
Two. Many rules now provide a system
example of a game where players have two
to grade your Brigade or Divisional
additional ‘objectives’, and the Stargrave
Commanders, and also to give them
expansion Side Hustle ̔adds extra intrigue
character traits, such as Headstrong or
to your games’ by introducing secondary
Cowardly, that further infuse them with
missions, plots, and tasks. Whilst the
personality.
main aim of your force might be to drive
the enemy from the board, your unit Given that the concept is already
of mercenaries may have an additional embedded in wargaming consciousness,
victory condition that they need to rescue it is only a small step to take the names
the princess. These additional plot lines and personality traits of characters from
work best in multi-player games, where movies and TV and add them to our
the players on the same side might have an games. Clearly, if you are refighting a
overall objective of defeating the enemy, battle from a significant scene, then you
but also have individual side objectives that want to assign the characters to the little
will gain them extra points. metal miniatures representing them on
the gaming board. The lead Sherman in
the refight of the field crossing from Fury
In the Band of Brothers example above,
the player controlling the section with
would be helmed by Brad Pitt’s character,
Private Blythe may gain extra victory
Don ‘Wardaddy’ Collier, who may have
points every time it engages the enemy, or
special abilities or traits from your rules
every time Blythe shoots an enemy target.
assigned to him.

23
 FROM TABLETOP TO SCREEN: WARGAMES IN FILM

When the painting or collecting of miniatures appears in movies, it is usually used to convey a couple of images. The first is of the sad
recluse, who spends time in his darkened room, collecting toys to avoid the world outside - Steve Carell’s character in The 40-Year-Old
Virgin is just one example of this. The second is of the individual obsessed with tactics and strategy, who plays out board games and
wargames to test their ability against the greats of history. These characters are usually bad guys!
Fortunately, with big name celebrities, such as Henry Cavill, Trey Parker, Vin Diesel, and even Ed Sheeran outing themselves as
wargamers, the trend has been changing, and people look at gaming in a somewhat more positive light. Where can we catch some hot
‘wargames with miniatures’ action on the big screen and television?
The first and most well-known appearance of wargaming, as something other than a hobby for weirdos, appeared in the 1974 movie
Callan. Edward Woodward, himself a dedicated wargamer in real life, is a British Agent who has to use his interest in wargaming to
get close to a target. This theme was revisited in the TV series of the same name, where, in A Magnum for Schneider, Callan must use
wargaming to get alongside an arms dealer. Believe me, that’s not a cover you get to use every day!
In the 1987 Bond movie, The Living Daylights, Bond (Timothy Dalton) faces the villain, Brad Whitaker, in a final battle, which is
fought around several impressive wargaming dioramas. Whitaker, played by Joe Don Baker, uses artillery fire and other sounds of battle
to distract Bond (the cad!) as they duke it out around an impressive Gettysburg layout. This scene was filmed in the Forbes Museum
in Tangier. Forbes was a millionaire who established the museum to house his collection of over 115,000 miniatures, and the layouts
included Waterloo, Gettysburg, and Dien Bien Phu.
In Murder at 1600, Wesley Snipes’ character
collects and paints miniatures, and has a huge
ACW diorama laid out in his apartment. When
he comes home one day, he finds one of the
miniatures squashed on the floor, and he
knows the bad guys are onto him (although he
probably should have been more concerned
about how he was going reattach that miniature
to its base - always tricky).
The 1998 movie Ronin has a scene wherein
Robert de Niro chats to Micheal Lonsdale,
who is engaged in painting samurai miniatures
for a stunning 47 Ronin diorama. Londsdale’s
character paints his miniatures whilst wearing
white gloves - something we can all learn
from, no doubt.
Timecast produced a model of Stalingrad for
the 2011 remake of the movie Straw Dogs,
whilst wargaming featured heavily in the
2008 movie The Oxford Murders. Anyone
interested in the making of the diorama and
the wargames collection used in this film
should check out Wi245 in The Vault.
Recent Netflix hit The Crown features a
huge diorama of the Battle of Salamanca
in season two’s episode ̔Vergangenheit̓,
with the battle being shown off to Queen
Elizabeth. You know wargaming has hit
the big time when it’s on Netflix!
More recently, of course, there has been
a full-length documentary about the
hobby called Miniature Wargames: The
Movie, which features grandees from the
hobby, such as Henry Hyde and Rick
Priestley. Whilst I doubt they chase each
other around the board like James Bond
and Brad Whitaker, I am sure it still an
entertaining watch.

Right (top to bottom): The Living

Daylights, The Oxford Murders,
and The Crown.

24
But what about big battles? When you have a large-scale Napoleonic
game on the go, perhaps with four or five brigades per side, it becomes
a little difficult to add individual personalities. Fear not; you can still
add some glitz to your brigade commanders by using well-known TV
or film personalities to represent them. There are AI websites out there
that can make all kinds of mash ups with mixed success, but if you want
particularly cool images of actors dressed as 18th Century generals,
Google Steve Payne’s Replaceface series (examples below). It takes
only a few minutes to paste these glorious images into the briefing
for your game, and to assign character traits to match the personality.
Cavalry led by General Bruce Willis may ‘Die Harder’ than others,
gaining +2 to saves or +1 in melee, whilst artillery led by Colonel Clint
Eastwood may ‘Blow your head clean off!’
Personalities and traits can be period-specific, with British commanders
in the Sudan based on the characters from the 2002 version of the movie
The Four Feathers, or Pony Wars games using characters from any
number of Saturday-afternoon westerns. Images of the characters are
online, and can be cut and pasted into the briefings for your players,
along with a short bio and the character traits for the game. Giving names and personality traits to your commanders takes very little time,
but adds greatly to player enjoyment and engagement. This is always worth considering, even if you are not directly recreating a specific
film or TV show.
QUIET ON SET, AND ACTION!
Regular readers of this magazine will know that I am a huge fan of games based partly or wholly on movies and TV shows. From Sir
Sydney Rough Diamond in my Northwest Frontier games to the waiter Rene and his hopeless band of resistance fighters in my WWII
skirmishes, I shamelessly borrow names, characters, and plots in my games to add familiarity and humour for my players. I hope some of
the suggestions above will encourage you to do the same.

WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST?

Please note: No identification with fictitious
characters or actual persons (living, deceased
or non-existent), places, buildings or products
1 - The Druid (B) is intended or should be inferred.
2 - Flashman (A)
3 - Ogron (E)
4 - Richard Winters (A)
5 - Lord Flashheart (A)
3
6 - Django (A) 5
1
7 - Gonville Bromhead (C) Manufacturers 6
8 - Captain Flint (A) A - Giants in Miniatures 2 4
9 - Oddball (D) B - Exclusive Wi show figure 10
C - Trent Miniatures
10 - Sgt. John M. Stryker (A) D - Artizan Designs 7
8 9 11
11 - Young Winston (B) E - Harlequin Miniatures

25
 Clash of Steel is a brand-new game from the design team at GF9 and
Battlefront. It features Dynamic Mission Based Game Play to ensure that
every battle is unique and cinematic. It is based on an Alternative History
where the war in Europe finishes in 1944 with the surrender of Germany,
but restarts just four years later in the face of Soviet aggression.
Players take to the tabletop with one of four initial forces (German, British,
American or Soviet) in Epic Tank-On-Tank Combat using Highly Detailed
Multi-Part Plastic Miniatures, battling over objectives in an attempt to
control the battlefield and defeat their enemies.
The Clash of Steel Starter Sets contain everything a player needs to get
started, including rules, miniatures, dice, tokens and much more.

AVAILABLE APRIL
www.GF9GAMES.com/CLASHofSTEEL
 PIRATE
PAINTING

What a treat those lovely people at the South London Warlords have for you this year when you enter the hallowed halls for
Salute 51 at Excel in London. In your attendee’s goodie bag you will find a metal cast pirate miniature; Stormin’ Annie the
Pirate Queen, supplied by Bad Squiddo Games, and, for the first time ever, you will also receive an access code (in the show
programme) to download a STL file for home-printing - a 28mm Space Pirate mini; Bos’n Pitt!
In a suitable act of piracy, we nabbed a casting of Stormin’ Annie
and a print of Bos’n Pitt and handed them over to Wi Painter
extraordinaire Matt Parkes to apply the brushwork, and give
them suitable stormin’ bases on which to pose.
STORMIN’ ANNIE’S BASE

1 - Nothing looks more like wood than… wood, so for the pier,
which Matt constructed for Stormin’ Annie to stand on, he chose
2 - A ‘H’ shaped pier end/support was also formed from the
wood, and the metal figure dry-fitted in place. Matt also added
to work with balsa wood, and some miniature balustrades he
pulled out of his bottomless bits box. Planks were cut from the
a thin layer of Plasticard under the planks to keep them together
balsa, with a gap then being cut to accommodate the figure’s
and rigid.
jigsaw shaped base.

28
 Modelling
Painting &
3 - The pier (with embedded figure) was to be mounted on a
circular 50mm diameter acrylic base. This was actually formed
of two clear bases sandwiched together. Matt painted the top side
of the bottom base with a mix of Tamya Clear Green and Clear
Blue to create the desired underwater look, seen here - viewed
from below. He also painted the rim of the bottom base black, in
order to disguise the join.

7 - Oh dear, the weight of the metal figure was too much for the
pier and it started to keel over!

4a - Turning to one of his favourite liquid effects (in it’s very

well-worn bottle!) Matt covered the top side of the base with
Water Effects from Woodland Scenics.
8 - Unperturbed, Matt set about fixing the subsidence by cutting
4b - The H section of the pier was embedded into the water and out some of the dried Water Effects from around the bottom of
Matt then stippled the surface of the ‘water’ to give the whole the H and applying a stronger (100% tough!) glue.
thing a choppy look.

9 - With the tougher glue in

place (and nicely blended
with a fresh application of
the Water Effects) the whole
shebang was as steady as a
Skegness Pier.

5 - Once fixed in place, the H was joined by the plank section.

BOS’N PITT’S BASE

The base on this figure
was significantly simpler
in construction than that of
Annie’s. The ‘rock’ the pirate is
standing on is made from cork,
surrounded by a ground mix of
6 - Once dry, the Water Effects becomes (pretty much)
a few tiny stones, with a couple
of bits box wire sections added
transparent and the Clear Green and Blue paint can be seen
for a sci-fi vibe.
below. Matt then fixed the figure in place and left the whole
thing to dry overnight.

29
 PAINTING STORMIN’ ANNIE
All paints are Vallejo unless stated otherwise.

Skin Blouse Hair

1- Beige Brown 875 1- USMC Tankcrew 323 1- Beige Brown 875
2- Beige Red 804 2- White 951 2- Gold Brown 877
3- Basic Skintone 815 3- Buff 976
4- Citadel Contrast Guilliman Flesh 4- Citadel Contrast Iyanden Yellow

Trousers Tentacle Flag Flag skull

1- Dark Grey 994 1- Vermillion 947 1- Black 950 1- Khaki 998
2- Neutral Grey 992 2- Scale Color Orange Leather 2- Dark Grey 994 2- White 951
3- Black 950 [Stripe] 3- Brown Rose 803 3- Neutral Grey 992
4- Old Rose 944 4- Deck Tan 986

Woodgrain (Gun & Flagstaff) Gold Sash

1- German Camo Med Brown 826 1- Tinny Tin 060 1- Hull Red 985
2- Beige Brown 875 2- Bronze 998 2- Scarlett 012
3- Dark Sand 847 3- Glorious Gold 056 3- Dark Vermillion 947
4- Citadel Contrast Cygor Brown 4- Citadel Contrast Baal Red

Bandana Gun barrel Boots

1- Prussian Blue 965 1- Gunmetal Grey 863 1- Chocolate 872
2- White 951 2- Beige Brown 875
3- Buff 976

30
 PAINTING BOS’N PITT

Skin Hair, holster and knee pads Space suit

1- Beige Brown 875 1- Neutral Grey 992 1- Med Sea Grey 870
2- Beige Red 804 2- Deck Tan 986
3- Basic Skintone 815 3- Citadel Contrast Basilicanum
4- Citadel Contrast Guilliman Flesh Grey

Trousers Chest plate Tentacle

1- Dark Grey 994 1- GW Botgun Metal 1- Olive Grey 888
2- Neutral Grey 992 2- Oily Steel 865 2- Goblin Green 030
3- Black 950 [Stripe] 3- Contrast Black 3- Golden Olive 857
4- Bronze 998

Gold Sash Bandana

1- Tinny Tin 060 1- Hull Red 985 1- Dark Grey 994
2- Bronze 998 2- Scarlett 012 2- Prussian Blue 965
3- Citadel Mithril Silver 3- Dark Vermillion 947 3- Buff 976 [Pattern]
4- Citadel Contrast Baal Red

Backpack Pouches Boots

1- HVY Black Green 147 1- Tinny Tin 060 1- Leather Brown 871
2- Military Green 975 2- Bronze 998 2- Beige Brown 875
3- White 951 3- Citadel Mithril Silver

31
 he .

T
w ath
ate
r ap b ene
p ea r m
s to glow when lit fro

32
 28mm English
Civil War Horse,
28mm Finest Quality Pewter Miniatures, Foot, and Artillery.
Resin Buildings and Vehicles

Check the website or our Facebook page for more info:

www.1stcorps.co.uk
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK Official stockists of Battle Flag
FACEBOOK
&
Search for:
CurteysMiniatures TWITTER
Search for: @Curteys

3 The Parkway, Snaith, East Yorkshire, DN14 9JN, U.K. Tel: 01405 860094 or 01405 862928 Mobile: 07732563508
Water-slide transfers,
paper flags and HDF
laser cut buildings

available between 10am and

7pm Monday to Friday
 “WERE YOU THERE?”

RIDLEY SCOTT AT AUSTERLITZ

Colonel (Retired) Bill Gray compares two very different versions of Austerlitz. One is seen through a historical
lens, the other, through the lens of director Ridley Scott’s Arri digital movie camera.

Relax, grab a seat by the fire, and warm Historians - credentialed and armchair lowest part of a valley that lies between
those snow-chilled limbs. Perhaps - have skewered the movie’s historical Napoleon’s position and another tall,
some extra warmth from your favorite accuracy, with a focus on its military forested ridge on the far side. French
Napoleonic libation is in order… aspects, and the battle scenes in infantry is busy loopholing wooden and
Courvoisier, le Cognac de Napoleon particular. Obviously, Scott was more masonry walls, all campfires are lit, deep
would be the appropriate choice, but grab interested in exploring personality rather snow covers everything, and more is
a full bottle, or two, because you’re going than generalship, something evident in falling.
to need them! another of his films - Kingdom of Heaven
- set in the crusades. That movie is
Meanwhile, Russian Cossacks in the
broadly upheld as historically-inspired, as
It’s Hollywood History time, you woods take note and report to HQ, but
see, and, for this month’s From the when one strikes up a smoke, French
enough accuracy remains to justify such a
Screen theme, I’ll be chatting about outposts spot them. A staff officer tells
description.
the Emperor’s triumph at the battle of Napoleon “We are discovered”, but
Austerlitz, Ridley-Scott-style, and how If you’ve seen Napoleon, and the Bonaparte replies, “good” and orders the
you can bring it to your wargaming table. 10-minute Scott version of the battle of army to bed. Next morning, Napoleon
Austerlitz, you realize that Napoleon may tracks the advance of the enemy through
fog and snowfall, using signal flags and
SCOTT'S AUSTERLITZ
not be so clearly historically adjacent.
Sir Ridley Scott, GBE, is a giant of the For those who haven’t watched the film, lanterns.
British film industry, and certainly didn’t here’s a summary.
Soon the Austro-Russian army emerges
achieve such renown without ruffling
A ‘Big’ Battle on the Big Screen from the fog, appearing on Napoleon’s
feathers. It is unlikely, however, that
right and advances on the French
he anticipated the blowback leveled On 1 December 1805, Napoleon stands
encampment. The assaulting formations
at his latest movie, Napoleon, which on a forested ridge, looking down on
are multiple infantry columns, spread
stars Joaquin Phoenix as the petty and the French army’s bivouac area next
along a wide front, with cavalry
vindictive titular Corsican. to a small town. The location is at the

34
columns occupying the gaps between. All
formations are mixed and contain Austrian
and Russian foot and horse (both heavy
and light). Austrians often carry Russian
flags while Russians carry Austrian

from the screen

standards. The entire mob includes
Austrian line and grenadiers, Russian
musketeers and grenadiers with bush
plume, Russian cuirassiers, and Austrian
dragoons, hussars, and cuirassiers. No
Coalition artillery is present.
Napoleon is ready and waiting. Below
him, on the slope, is a long line of
French infantry, huddled in trenches Above: In a scene from the movie, the Austrian and Russian cavarly begin their charge.
and covered by white sheets - a field
expedient camouflage for the snow. To
Napoleon’s right, French heavy artillery
batteries are similarly hidden, while
inside the heavy woods, on Napoleon’s
left, is his army’s cavalry.
The Austro-Russian army charges, cavalry
first, followed closely by the infantry.
There are no formations, just a pell-mell
swarm of sprinting men that looks more
like a bug attack from Starship Troopers
than a 19th Century advance. Allied horse
and foot are soon sucked into a full urban
melee with defending French infantry,
Above: Filming the routing Austrians.
so Napoleon orders his own infantry to
reveal themselves and attack the enemy’s
left flank. Again, they rush in as a ‘bug
swarm’.
French cavalry emerges from the trees and
plunges forward, a mounted ‘bug swarm’,
striking the urban brawl from the left. A
shocked Austrian commander orders a
retreat along the only route of escape left
open: a frozen pond.
The French pursue to the edge of the
pond, where a firefight between French
Légère and Austrian grenadiers bristles
up, then the white sheets come off. The
artillery is revealed and pounds the ice,
breaking it, and drowning dozens of
Allied Soldiers. The last scene shows a
Russian cuirassier with a large Austrian
flag trying to escape across the ice, but he
Above: In a scene from the tabletop
(mimicking the movie), the French artillery HISTORY’S AUSTERLITZ
doesn’t make it. is revealed. Figures by Trent Miniatures.
Perhaps Scott's intention with these ten
minutes of Austerlitz was only to show the
southern portion of the engagement, around
Tellnitz. Maybe his artistic interpretation of
events resulted in a microcosm of the entire
battle. I think the latter is likely; few of the
terrain features and movements match the
historical record at all. Scott's main priority
might have been to portray Napoleon's
strategic prowess, so he simply took
creative liberties to enhance the audience's
perception of Le Petit Caporal and his trap-
setting skills.
Believe it or not, history tells these events
quite differently, and, while I could dismiss
historical records with Sir Ridley’s words
in my mind - "Were you there? Oh, you
weren't there. Then how do you know?" -
Above: A Scott inspired Austro-Russian cavalry change! Perry Miniatures' Ulans, Hussars, and it’s probably not the best idea here!
more join forces (!?) to race at the French defences.

35
 Above: Alan Perry nearly had a seizure when we told him we were going to agglomerate his Austrian and Russian cavalry into one big squadron to
recreate movie Napoleon's Austerlitz allied charge scene in miniature. [From a photographer’s point of view, it was quite liberating! - Ed] All figures
by Perry Miniatures.

Adverse conditions? least half the cavalry ride white horses, a color normally reserved
for trumpeters and well-connected officers. There is not one
The ground was not snow-covered, and none was falling. The
French regimental color in the movie, 1804 pattern or otherwise;
day was clear, the ground and ponds frozen, with but a few
French cavalry and infantry carry very large, plain, unadorned
patches of overnight frost present. There was, however, a thick
tricolors. Trivial you say? Perhaps, but in a production of this
lowland fog, which allowed Napoleon to mask the movements of
scale, when they won’t damage any plotting choices made, why
his own army, so Ridley gets a gold star there. Critical thinkers
not get things right? Clearly the budget was there. Given the
will have already noted, however, that the film’s white-sheet
depth of some social media discussions I’ve seen, it's important
concealment doesn’t work without snow!
to a lot of people!
The ‘disaster on the ice’ is bogus; the French and the Tzar did
Scott may, however, be presenting the battles for the masses.
A French flag that isn’t a tricolor could be ambiguous to the
report some 20,000 Allied soldiers ‘drowned’, but this was pure
propaganda. Napoleon wanted to exaggerate the scope of his
uninformed. Cavalry not digging in spurs from the off might
victory and military genius, thus the adage ‘to lie like a Bulletin’.
mess with a layman’s concept of a horse charge. This could have
Baron de Cameau, a French staff officer and eyewitness,
turned those more interested in the drama than the history away
estimates fewer than 200 drowned, because when the retreating
from the movie theater.
Allied artillery cracked the ice, everyone else moved to skirt the
ponds on both sides. When local Fischmeister drained the ponds A get-out clause
for evidence, all they found were 28 cannon, 150 horses, and
The Ridley Scott interpretation of this battle does mimic the
three human bodies. In the Monitz Pond, not a single cannon or
reports of Napoleon and Alexandr, with their vastly inflated tales
corpse was ever found.
of thousands of drowning men. If you’ve ever wondered what
Unusual organization it might be like to game a battle based on one of Bonaparte’s
famous Bulletins….
The Allied Coalition forces did not attack without artillery,
and they did not deploy multi-national tactical formations. The TO THE TABLETOP - PLAYING SCOTTLITZ!
Austrians were a very distinct minority in the battle, and the men
Certainly, refighting one of the Emperor’s bulletins is not
did not advance and maneuver like a sweeping arachnid swarm!
the only reason for putting Sir Ridley’s Austerlitz on the
Formations were tight, strictly controlled, and methodical in
tabletop. Serious historical wargaming can be a brain-numbing
their movement. It’s also worth noting it was as rare to see
experience; a little mindless dice-throwing can be the proper
mounted cavalry fighting inside a town as it was to see bayonet
antidote. How about playing my interpretation of ‘Scottlitz’? I
fights between opposing infantries.
recommend Age of Eagles II (AOE) for this battle, but I would,
Normally, volleys would be exchanged until one side or the other of course, as I am the author, and I know the game well! I’ll look
broke, but one exception to this is when combat is inside towns, at Scottlitz with AOE in my mind, but you can pick your system
so here, Sir Ridley is spot on. of choice.
Confused colors Scale
A lot of sartorial presentations are botched, though the individual Sir Ridley gave no indication as to how big the on-screen real
uniforms depicted are decent. We see French Ligne correctly estate is, how many soldiers are on screen, or how many they are
attired in bicorne, with Légère in shako and side plume, but at supposed to represent. Thus, you can play any way your rules

36
 WAS SCOTTERLITZ POSSIBLE?

In a word… no!
At the beginning of the movie sequence, Napoleon is seen
returning - escorted by absolutely nobody - from a pilgrimage,
leading his horse through very deep snow. Later, we see both
sides’ cavalries charging across the same turf, apparently
unbothered by the deep powder they traverse. Clearly, something
is amiss.
There have been many battles fought in the snow throughout
history, with two of the more famous ones occurring during the
Napoleonic era: The Berezina Crossing in 1812, and the Battle
of Eylau in 1807. Studying those battles reveals the reality of
war in the snow; it makes even the simplest military actions
extremely challenging, let alone a mass cavalry charge! One
French staff officer at Eylau specifically remembers, “Towards
two o’clock in the afternoon an enormous mass of Russian
cavalry was set in motion and advanced towards us at a walk;
the snow and marshy ground not permitting any faster pace.”
So, despite what artists like Detaille and others might portray,
while horses are imposing and powerful, they are little match
for the resistance heavy snow creates.
It’s a similar story for infantry. Soviet military studies note snow
12" deep severely impedes infantry movement, and the US Army
calculates no more than one kilometer per hour overland or on
unbroken trails through such coverage. Above: Ney at Eylau by Caton-Woodville.

Visibility doesn’t matter if you’re being directed on screen and firing

prop weapons, but in reality, would have been reduced considerably
by the conditions. The US Army puts light snow (accumulation up to
one inch per hour) visuals at no more than 1,000 meters, dropping to
between 500 and 800 meters in moderate snow (one to three inches per
hour), and to 400 meters or less in heavy snowfall. Such parameters
confirm the plausibility of the white-sheet camouflage depicted in
Scotterlitz, but they also mean it would have been impossible for
advancing troops to identify objectives, and equally impossible
for artillery even to see the targets they were shooting at. Thus, the
ridiculously long ranges for the French guns in the movie would not
have mattered.
Add to this the need for fires, lit near the artillery, to thaw water so that
gun barrels might be swabbed… or the ability for muskets to fire at all
given the damp conditions, and Scotterlitz is needing a lot of movie
magic to be a possibility. Napoleon could have fought Austerlitz in a
snow-laden environment, but not as Ridley Scott depicts it.
Above: Napoleon enters the scene at Austerlitz.

allow. If you play battalions, as opposed to brigades, no problem, just

assume Scottlitz is a smaller battle. If your scale is 60 yards per inch
or less, no problem, assume the on-screen clash represents a smaller
area. You can also bathtub the whole shebang, so wherever AOE uses
a brigade, simply substitute a regiment or battalion.
Whether you play with AOE, Et Sans Result, Valour & Fortitude, or
(one of my favorites) Bataille Empire, you’re golden even in terms
of different rulespeak. AOE uses terms like Elite with a special Old
Guard classification, but that is easily translatable into E1-6 or G1-6
in Bataille Empire.
AOE’s ground scale is 120 yards per inch and 30 minutes per game
turn, so I suggest using a table 6' wide and 5' deep. The forces on
each side in my game numbered about 36,000 combatants, which is
really the minimum for a game like AOE, with its 15mm brigades as
the baseline unit.
Details
The game should begin at 8am, after most fog has burned off, and
end about 2pm. The French should start deployed, with the Allies
automatically entering the board on the first turn.
The weather during Scottlitz wants to be overcast, with falling
snow, but not enough to degrade line of fire. The deep snow already
covering the ground allows me to be creative, including a negative
Above: Scottlitz: The forces deployed.

37
 dice roll modifier (DRM) of -3 on the
March Table, rather than simply using
a rough terrain definition.
All streams and ponds are frozen over,
and can support the movement of
troops and guns. The ridges on either
side of the French encampment are a
Pratzen-like 40' to 50' high. Movement
up- or downslope is passing over rough
terrain, while any positive defender
DRMs apply only if all attackers are
charging uphill. The forests in the area
are all eevergreen, with normal DRM
for the defender against shock and fire.
They also block line of fire/sight.
The French encampment is a tent city
beside a town of wood construction.
Typical melee and fire defense DRMs
for the defenders apply, with one
exception; cavalry charging into the
town will NOT automatically become
Disordered, though they suffer normal
negative DRMs for attacking defenders
holding urban terrain. The town will
also slow movement as if it were rough
terrain and block line of fire/sight for Above: Scottlitz: Movement of the forces.
formations on both sides on the same
elevation. There are no DRMs for the
tent city.

Above: Austrian infantry, by Trent Miniatures, advance towards the French positions.

AN ICY AMBUSH
I opted for simplicity when working the danger on the ice into my
game. A Cannonade modifier, doubling their Fire Point value when
targeting any Allied unit that has at least two stands entirely on the
ice, did the trick. Between this and Old Guard guns firing in Grand
Battery, you should be able to recreate the carnage of the movie. Not
destructive enough? Triple the Fire Point value!
To add to the Scottlitz lack of realism, no Allied troops may voluntarily
move to within 6" of entrenched French guns and foot until they have
revealed themselves from their white covers by moving or firing.

38
THE ARMIES
It’s not unreasonable to assume
Ridley bathtubbed both armies
for Scottlitz, so I used cavalry and
infantry units of eight x AOE stands
(2,880 infantry or 1,440 cavalry) for
everybody.
All other formations are formed
troops, moving and fighting as
normal, with no ̔bug swarms̓
allowed.
The French
I fielded ten brigades of infantry, of
which two stands each were Légère,
and the rest Ligne.
For cavalry, I deployed three
brigades each of dragoons, Above: French and Austrians clash on the snow-covered fields of Austerlitz. The Russian flag is that of
cuirassiers (Horse Grenadiers the Beloserk Musketeers, who weren’t actually at Austerlitz - so Ridley would approve. All figures by
replacing one brigade), and hussars. Trent Miniatures. Flags by Flag Dude.
Napoleon is the French commander
The mounted contingent included two brigades each of Austrian
dragoons, hussars, and cuirassiers; for the Muscovites two guard/
(and the only Charismatic leader on the board), and I gave him
one six-stand Old Guard unit for looks. I further allowed the
cuirassiers and one Cossack.
French a cavalry general, an infantry general, and an artillery
general, but no Imperial ADCs. An Austrian churl, not even worth naming (this is Napoleon’s
movie after all!), commands the Allies, and they got two extra
I gave France six eight-gun batteries of 12-pounders firing Old
Austrian generals, one each for horse and foot, with a single
Guard class. This number meets the AOE minimum for Grand
Tsarist commander to herd all the Russians.
Battery status and provides a 50% Fire Point bonus when
shooting. These batteries may not limber/move but may pivot There is NO Allied artillery!
normally. Their last range block is now 12" to 40"
Cannot skirmish, and all units are rated Regular, save the Cossacks
Cannot skirmish and all units are rated Regular. Reserve (Conscript-Irregular). Reserve Movement is not used.
Movement is not used.
For Initiative, the Allies have a -1 DRM.
For Initiative, Napoleon has a +3 DRM.
Victory Conditions
The Allies
Trust me, you’ll know who won at the end of the game… you
I also fielded ten brigades of infantry and nine of cavalry. already know who is going to win before the start of the game! To
This totaled two brigades Russian grenadiers, two Russian add a bit of challenge, the French player must match the impact of
musketeers, two Austrian line, and four Austrian grenadiers. Napoleon’s movie performance, otherwise the Coalition wins.
Bon courage, bonne chance, and have fun!

39
North Star Military Figures Ltd,
Unit W41, Lenton Business Centre, Lenton Nick Eyre's
Boulevard, Nottingham,
NG7 2BY, UK
Mail Order: 0115 9704107
NORTH STAR
Trade Sales: 0115 9786656
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.northstarfigures.com
Military Figures
Military Figures
Presents

NEW
Human
Light Infantry

MULTI-PART 28mm PLASTIC HUMANS INFANTRY & CAVALRY.

www.northstarfigures.com
Oathmark figures are copyright © North Star Military Figures & Osprey Games. All rights reserved.
 DESIGNER’S NOTES:
THE WARPAINTS
FANATIC STORY

We’re very impressed with The Army Painter’s new Warpaints Fanatic range (see page 76 for the first of our

Above: Nic, Thomas, Tue, and Bo pondering the development of the Fanatic paints on the Range Board.
painting guides), and asked AP’s Adam Abramowicz to shine a light on the development of such an expansive range.
When Wargames Illustrated suggested I with Bo Penstoft and Jonas Faering, WARPAINTS FANATIC’S INCEPTION
draft a Designer’s Notes, I was excited, the founders of The Army Painter. This
As these new ranges were coalescing
then curious. As an avid reader of the was my first in-person interview with
and gaining widespread acclaim, Bo and
publication, I know that these articles the company, and it was where I first
I began to ponder why our Warpaints
are typically reserved for game designers mentioned my idea of an airbrush-ready
range was less favoured by the popular
who want to promote their new rulesets. paint range, as this was fast becoming a
YouTubers, Instagrammers, and print
Rarely, if ever, have I seen a paint commonly-used painting method.
publications who were responding so
company featured, which gave me brief
That idea was quickly glossed over, in positively to our new Air and Speedpaint
pause before I jumped at the chance
order to discuss the real reason I was ranges.
to be the first paint brand to pen a full
there, which, thankfully, developed into
Designer’s Notes! Warpaints were a much older range,
my securing the job and joining the team.
developed in a simpler and less
My role with The Army Painter is
Nearly a year later, Bo invited me and our demanding time, before the proliferation
Tactical Marketing Executive, which
new (at the time) Studio Painter, Thomas
means I manage the team who research
Coltau, to his office. He tasked us with
and design new products, as well as the
developing the range I’d raised in Reno;
branch of our company that tells the
we went on to develop the industry’s best
product’s story to the world through
and easiest-to-use airbrush-ready paint
our marketing, videos, and community
range: Warpaints Air.
outreach. I like to consider myself a
brand and product storyteller, and I felt Now that I look back, I see that this was a
that the best way to approach this article test. Bo wanted to see if we could follow
would be to do just that - tell the story of through on the development of a viable
how Warpaints Fanatic came to be. and successful product. Before we were
even done with Warpaints Air, we got to
IN THE BEGINNING…
work on what would eventually become
To tell the full Warpaints Fanatic story, Speedpaint, and then Speedpaint 2.0. In
we need to go to Reno, Nevada. It was secret, Thomas and I were tinkering with
March, the year was 2018, and I found a project that few in the company even Above: Adam at work in his secret project
myself sitting at a restaurant booth knew about… bunker, wielding his trusty paint brush!

42
of content creation and blossoming of While it has always been a point of pride are in a constant balancing act between
influencer culture. Back then, we learned for us that The Army Painter has been a these three things to get the most out of
how to paint miniatures and armies part of so many hobbyists’ journeys, it their paint while finding parity between
from forums and websites, or in our stung to know these painters had moved performance and cost, because pigment
weird nerdy uncle’s basement (sorry, on. Everyone at The Army Painter is expensive!
Uncle Dan, I kid), rather than heading wanted to give those hobbyists a reason

designer’s
Many paint brands claim to offer heavily-
online to choose from hundreds of to return to the brand that had nurtured
pigmented and high-covering paints, but

notes
available videos. their love for painting, and provide a
the truth is that heavily-pigmented paints
product that would perform at every stage
To this day, I stand by the fact that the can be extremely difficult to work with,
of a their hobby journey.
original Warpaints acrylics were viable leaving streaks and unsightly textures
paints for great-looking armies a decade CONNECTING WITH on your miniature. High-coverage paints
or so ago (not to brag, but they never THE COMMUNITY tend to get chalky, reducing vibrancy in
stopped me from winning Best Painted at the color of the paint.
We realized we needed to improve our
Warhammer tournaments), but the times,
acrylic line, and that’s when Bo entrusted To create a paint that surpassed all others
they are a-changin’!
us to develop ‘The Best Miniature Paints in the miniature paint category, we knew
Hobbyists are no longer seeking painting in The World’! An impossible task, we had to rethink how miniature paints
advice from wizened sages in chatrooms clearly, as there are too many variables had been made for the past half a century.
and forums, who have painted with the and too much personal preference at play, This required different materials, new
same approach for decades; they are but that didn’t stop us from trying! technologies, a reimagining of paint
subscribing to and viewing their idols on manufacture, and a new vision of what
We released a video titled ‘We Hear You’.
YouTube and social media, and getting paints should be for the hobbyists that
In it, we told the community we wanted
more personalized painting lessons use them.
their feedback so that we could continue
through Patreon. This new breed of
to improve, and make the products that Paint manufacturers use different
YouTube painters are, let me tell you,
they wanted to use. As we pored over the pigments, solvents, and acrylic resin
truly amazing at creating miniature art!
thousands of responses and collated the to meet their product demands. At
To put it plainly, many people are no data, a couple of things became clear; The Army Painter, we use Advanced
longer learning their army painting hobbyists crave paints that offer: Liquid Pigments, whereas many of
from army painters; they are learning our competitors use powder pigments.
1. supreme coverage,
how to paint armies from masterclass- Traditional powder pigments are
level competition painters. Sadly, those and unpredictable, often causing color-
painters were not using Warpaints, and consistency issues between production
2. intense pigmentation.
Warpaints were certainly not initially batches. Our concentrated Advanced
designed for such painters. A DELICATE BALANCE Liquid Pigments are tuned to meet exact
color specifications for more consistent
Working in community outreach, I would The soft-bodied acrylic paints we use color from batch to batch. The next time
regularly hear hobbyists saying: “I got in miniature painting are made using you run out of your favorite Warpaint
my start with Warpaints and moved on three common materials: pigment, Fanatic color, you can trust that the next
to brands X, Y, and Z as I got better at solvents, and resin. Paint companies bottle will be familiar and consistent.
painting.”

Above: Tue and Kim in deep discussion about the various Fanatic paints in development.

43
 Our Liquid Pigments benefit from a
blend of inorganic and organic pigments, 1 2
with no animal byproducts or hazardous
materials, making our paints animal and
kid friendly.
Our Liquid Pigments are also better
for the environment, thanks to their
extremely concentrated design; even
with the pigment-dense formulation used
in Fanatic, we use 30% less material
compared to traditional powders.

3 4

1) The Knight that is included in the Warpaints Fanatic Starter set, which has a historical-
adjacent finish. 2) A Witch Doctor with vibrant, saturated feathers and warm-toned skin,
painted with one of the range’s three skin-tone Flexible Triads. 3) A Lord of the Print Chaos
Warrior, showcasing the range’s metallics. 4) Big Orc Beserker with rich green skin and
realistic leather, fur, and metal.

FINDING THE SECRET SAUCE Lava Orange was one of the most With the creation of The Army Painter’s
difficult paints to work with in our former proprietary Stabilizing Technology,
Bo was with his family on a small island
range, often requiring three, four, or more we broke the confines of the three
off the coast of Denmark when Thomas
coats to achieve good coverage. When Bo common ingredients. Thanks to the
video called him:
first saw Thomas achieve full coverage in Fanatic Stabilizer, we have created a
“Bo, I’m sorry to bother you while one coat, it seemed like a trick. Eager to paint range that features 300-700% more
you’re on holiday, but I have something try this breakthrough himself, Bo rushed pigmentation! Those pigments are then
important to show you.” Thomas to get the next ferry back to the factory! suspended in a very high-covering resin
proceeded to grab an unprimed, black, base that applies smoothly, resulting in
This new coverage was possible because
plastic base. He dipped his brush into unsurpassed coverage with rich, vibrant,
of Thomas’ discovery of our Stabilizing
some orange paint and in one-coat and saturated color.
Technology, which became the key to
applied a smooth and even stroke across
making Warpaints Fanatic (probably) the Our proprietary Stabilizing Technology
the unforgiving surface. “That’s Lava
best miniature paints ever made! helps to break the surface tension to offer
Orange!”
insanely smooth coverage. It also aids

Above: Testing Olive Green on swatches. Above: The color and paint experimentation was relentless!

44
 Left: The Stabilizer is one of
various bottles that come under
the title of ‘Effects’. In this
section of 18 paints, there are
also varnishes, gore and grime,
weathering, glowing fluorescent
paints, and a Retarder to slow
drying time down.

in the pigment suspension in the base

for even distribution. The range includes
a pigmentless Warpaints Stabilizer.
This can be used when thinning your
paint to extreme levels for glazing and
other advanced techniques, as it retains
pigment dispersion, preventing the
pigment from separating.
BRINGING COLOR TO
THE TECHNOLOGY
We went even further in our mission to
make these paints easy-to-use with our
Flexible Color Triad System. Every paint
in the range fits into a segment, or family,
of paint colors that are made using the
same root color.
Each segment is called a Flexible Triad, Above: With the ease of color coding, the Flexible Triads are an organisation obsessed
and therein you will find six paints that painter’s dream!
progress in tone from dark to light, with creating their display case masterpieces
a consistent hue. This makes selecting by incorporating all six paints from a
highlight colors incredibly simple. Flexible Triad. Meanwhile, beginners and
You may wonder how it’s a triad if everyday hobbyists will appreciate how
there are six colors. This is where the simple it is to select the perfect paints for
‘Flexible’ part comes in! We know their next project, thanks to this logical
that all painters are different, and have grouping!
diverse needs; Fanatic was designed to While there are so many beautiful
meet the demands of painters of all skill Flexible Triad families in the range, I
levels. Gamers, who generally want think my favorite would have to be the
more contrast to make impact from a Desaturated Cool Greens. I grew up
distance, can select two or three paints playing Wood Elves, and these colors,
with a larger separation in tonality. A along with their fun names, really speak
Moonstone Skin basecoat, followed by to the time in my life when I fell in love
a Ruby Skin layer on your army’s flesh with this hobby. It may not be the most
is going to make for a simple, but eye- vivid (and, boy, are there some vivid
catching tabletop look. Should you feel colors in this range), but it is versatile. I
like putting in the extra time a third paint can see this Triad (shown below) being
from this Triad, the lightest tone - Pearl perfect for druids, tree spirits, necrotic or
Skin - will be perfect for final highlights. festering monstrosities - and it lends itself
Top artists, however, will benefit from well for scale and historical modelling,
the nuances of hue and pitch when Above: Rhino.
with tons of WWII utility in particular.
Below: Retro Ork Freebooter Captain.

45
 WHAT’S IN A NAME?
At The Army Painter we love the fantasy
and sci-fi worlds that we paint our figures THE ISCC–NBS SYSTEM OF
for, which is why many of our paints and COLOR DESIGNATION
products feature names that are inspired This system for naming colors was
by the monsters, heroes, and otherworldly established in the 1930s, and provides
concepts that inspire us. a basis on which color definitions can
be standardized. At its core are 13
Some of these names, while evocative basic color categories: ten hues (pink,
and thematic, could be quite confusing red, orange, brown, yellow, olive,
to someone less familiar with those yellow green, green, blue, and purple)
fantastical worlds. As part of our ongoing and three neutrals (white, grey, and
commitment to acting on feedback, and black). Beyond this are 16 intermediate
repeating an enhancement we made categories - essentially in between the
during our Speedpaint 2.0 development, basics, such as reddish orange, violet, or
we included the Practical Naming yellowish brown - and other qualifiers -
vivid, deep, dark, light, etc. - to further
Convention on every pot of Fanatic paint. modify the options.
This employs the ISCC–NBS System Above: Warpaints Fanatic Phalanx Blue
of Color Designation (see right), so that is also listed by its Practical Naming
every thematically-inspired color features Convention title of Greenish Blue.
a secondary, more practical description
that makes paint choice easier and
accessible to all. Much of this testing was done behind responses were overwhelmingly positive.
closed doors at events around the You can see for yourself if you do a quick
You would be surprised how often we world. It’s entirely possible that you search for #WarpaintsFanatic on your
receive emails and messages from color- may have actually walked past a Secret favorite social media platform.
vision-deficient hobbyists in need of help Paint Testing in progress, if you were
identifying a color that will work for their in attendance at one of these events
project. For these painters, choosing the over the past couple years. These
right complementary color or highlight sessions generated some of the
color can be extremely difficult, if not most valuable feedback and
impossible. Ever since we incorporated testaments for the new
the Practical Naming Convention into our formula. Much of
paints, the messages we receive are of the feedback was
thanks and gratitude. We strive to make good - so good, in
the hobby inclusive for all hobbyists. fact, that we began to
A WORLDWIDE COMMUNITY worry that they were just being nice.
OF CONTRIBUTORS We then offered testing opportunities
After posting our ‘We Hear You’ video, to people we knew would be honest:
we have received thousands of emails hobbyists like Brent Amberger of
through our feedback@thearmypainter. Goobertown Hobbies, gamers from
com address. Most of these emails the Art of War team, and artists with
received responses, and all were whom Thomas competes at events like
recorded; we captured their information the Scale Model Challenge and Monte
in a massive spreadsheet. This allowed San Savino. Still, people loved the
us to see exactly what the community range. Most of the feedback focused
wanted, and to prioritize requests based on personal color preferences that
on the volume of data. testers wanted to see in the range
- the formula was proving to be a
As we designed the Fanatic paints to winner. It was then that we knew we
meet the desires of painters beyond the were really on to something. Above: Imperial Fists Terminator Librarian.
walls of The Army Painter office, we
tested the formulation in-house with Before launch, we sent nearly 700 Below: Kasrkin kill team. All figures on
award-winning painters, world champion sample sets to top fans and customers, this spread and the previous page are
well before the media ever saw this painted by Sam Lenz, The Army Painter
gamers, and regular everyday hobbyists,
exciting new range. The recipients’ Factory Team Member. See more of Sam’s
just like you and me. work @ samlenzartwork.

46
 WHAT IS THE LESSON OF THIS STORY?
Making good paint is a rather difficult undertaking.
Making a paint that performs for the best painters
in the world, yet meets the demands of army
painters and gamers, while still being easy enough
to use for someone just getting started in the hobby
- that took some very creative thinking!
It’s difficult to write a climax for a story that is
really just beginning, even four years in. As I
write this, preorders are flying in for the paints;
soon, the day will come when our beloved fans
and customers finally get their hands on Warpaints
Fanatic. Developing products and managing
marketing plans has demanded a lot of my focus
and energy; the chance to write this article allowed
me to reflect on the joy of the experience so far,
and on the breakthroughs the team had along the
way. Through the challenging process of paint
Above: Paints run through the production line and are capped. development and promotion, I am fortunate to
work with and for a talented team of people who
trust and believe in me. I tell my team every
chance that I get how proud I am of what we do,
how we do it, and most importantly, why we do it.
I’m thrilled I can now share these sentiments with
Wargames Illustrated’s readers, too.
Warpaints Fanatic, Speedpaint, and Warpaints Air
have all benefitted from the team of passionate
people behind them, who set aside egos and
preconceived notions, approaching product
development from a place of innovation and
authenticity. We listen to the inspiring - but
sometimes harsh - critiques from our customers
and the community; this takes guts, but I believe
the products are better because of it. We don’t
make the paint we want to sell; we make the paint
that our customers want and need to use.
Did we make the (probably) best miniature
paint in the world? I suppose it is up to the
hobbyists and gamers out there to finish that part
Above: The very first Warpaints Fanatic bottle rolls off the production line! of the story. I can’t see how, with the time and
resources available, we could have made a better
paint. Everyone went above and beyond in the
development.
THE ARMY PAINTER We didn’t reinvent miniature paint, but we
Since 2007, The Army Painter has grown from a two-person startup with reimagined what miniature paint should be!
one product to a complete hobby company with nearly 80 employees in a That is a good story in and of itself.
new state-of-the-art production facility in Skanderborg, Denmark.
The new Warpaints Fanatic range is available now. Learn more at:

thearmypainter.com Imperial Fists Captain.

(Left to right) Bo, Thomas, and Adam.

47
 [email protected]
Units available in 6mm,10mm, 15mm, and 25/28mm

MEDIEVAL

ECW
GAULS
WEBSITE UPDATED ACW
REGULARLY WITH NEW STOCK

Wargam
and Sci-Fi fiegs Fantasy
sought for caures always
exchange or sh, part
swaps.
You can ofte
painted figu n exchange
through theres for castings
Swaps Schem Hinds Figure
e- s
us for detailContact
MEDIEVAL s

SECONDHAND LATE ROMANS

WARGAMES FIGURES
BOUGHT & SOLD
Classical to WWII Eras in stock.
Trading in figures, books,
and games since 1993.
Figures wanted for cash, part ex. or new for old.

99 Birchover Way, Allestree,

Derby. DE22 2QH. UK
Telephone: 01332 559025
Email: [email protected]

VISITORS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

We accept Cheques, Credit Cards and PayPal
 DJINNS FROM
THE
DUNES

THE SAS AND

Action SAS and LRDG models.

Above: Photo courtesy of Warlord Games, showing their Bolt
LRDG ATTACK AN
ITALIAN AIRFIELD
Glenn Clarke takes TV inspiration and drives out the Desert and Wi425’s The Race to Munassib Pass, both by
into the Egyptian sands during WWII. Bob Giglio. If this period takes your fancy, make sure to check
out Bob’s book, The Senussi's Little Miniature War 1915-1917,
The BBC series SAS Rogue Heroes, which recounts a rather which is packed with adventures in WWI’s deserts.
colourful version of the formation of the SAS, may not have
been completely historically accurate but it was hugely SPEEDING INTO WWII
entertaining. Shot on location in Erfoud, Morocco, to have as Fast forward to the Second World War and things get even more
accurate a background to events as possible, it set me off on the interesting. Italy had declared war on Great Britain in June
path to developing a scenario adjacent to those events depicted 1940, and from September of that year they began their invasion
in the series. of Egypt. At this early stage of the conflict, Britain’s forces were
Grey For Now Games seem to have thought along similar outnumbered by the Italians and General Archibald Wavell set
lines and recently released a desert raid bundle for their stealth about devising a plan to try and hold the initiative.
skirmish game 02 Hundred Hours. I wanted my game to play
out at a grander scale, so I began to investigate the development
of the SAS and the LRDG to work out a scenario. They prided
themselves on being able to materialise out of the desert like the
Djinn of Arabic folklore - a being created from pure smokeless
fire, exercising supernatural powers, shapeshifting, appearing,
and disappearing at will - which paints quite the picture!
Ideas for these desert attack units did not materialise out of
thin air like the Djinn, though! They have a long and storied
history, going back to at least the First World War, where the
allies developed very successful Light Car Patrols and used
them extensively in the Western Desert. Articles in Wargames
Illustrated have detailed the history of these units and described
excellent games based on them - see Wi424’s Steel Chariots in

50
Assault group making headway.
His idea was to harass the Italians by
forming fast flying columns, comprising
all arms. From April 1941 four such
columns were operational; each typically

from the screen

including a company of infantry, a
troop of 25-pounders, and a selection of
armoured cars and light tanks. Lieutenant
Colonel Jock Campbell so brilliantly
commanded these new units that they
quickly became known as Jock Columns.
How could I resist such appealing
background, especially when it was
reinforced by the vivid scenes from SAS
Rogue Heroes?
DEVELOPING THE SCENARIO
I decided to set my game on, and around,
an Italian airfield in the period after April
1941. This was when the Deutsches
Afrikakorps arrived in the Middle East,
Newsreel footage of the attack!
dispatched by Germany to shore up the
Italian defences. My airfield needed to be To bring the defenders into play, and introduce an element of uncertainty, a D6 is
substantial enough to warrant an attack; rolled at the start of each turn that the raiders are approaching the perimeter fence. The
therefore, it comprised a control tower, resulting roll causes something to happen:
several hangars, a workshop, various
outbuildings, a series of oil storage tanks, The attackers are observed by a sentry or perimeter patrol. Roll again to
and sections of runway. determine their response:
It seemed logical to start off with the - 1 to 3: The alarm is not raised until the following move as the sentries
1
attacking force making their entry on investigate further.
one edge of the table, as far away as - 4+: They open fire immediately. This instantly raises the alarm and allows the
possible from the airfield buildings. defender to begin bringing further troops into action on the following move.
I reasoned that simply rolling the
attackers down the runway and shooting The defenders hear the perimeter wire or fence being breached, or an
up everything in sight would make for accidental discharge of a weapon or detonation of a bomb from the attackers.
a very boring and short-lived game, so I 2 The defenders immediately react:
wanted to create some kind of escalating - They open fire on the attackers and are joined by further troops on the
level of defender awareness! following move.
Alerting the guard The attackers are observed by a landing aircraft or defenders out on an early
morning sortie. The aircraft lands/troops return having spotted the attackers:
3
- There is a delay as they rush to report and the alarm is raised on the
I needed a mechanism that would allow
the defenders’ alert level to rise as the
following move.
presence of the enemy force became
more apparent. The attacking force make headway towards the airfield buildings and
4+
stationery aircraft undiscovered.

51
 Once the attackers get in range of the
defenders, to begin their assault properly,
the game shifts to its next phase.
Defenders will join the action with no
further dice throws needed.
This very simple system was appended
to the Rapid Fire rules that I used in our
game and it can easily be attached to
whatever ruleset you might prefer.
Under The Cover Of Darkness?
I set the game in daylight, primarily so
that the defenders wouldn’t be caught
completely off-guard. It wouldn’t be
much fun if the attackers could sneak
in and take the enemy out as they slept!
Despite this, I couldn’t resist setting up
a couple of scenes showing the attackers
observing the airfield at night, preparing
for the attack to go in at daybreak! These Calculating Victory CHOOSING THE TROOPS
made for great photos, but you could How best to assess the attacker’s When David Stirling was given the
even add a gaming element to this action; performance? One option is to simply go ahead to proceed with his plan to
the 02 Hundred Hours rules would be task them with destroying as much as establish L Detachment, Special Air
perfect for stealthy observation around possible during a mad free for all. This Services Brigade, (as the unit was
the perimeter and the success of this might produce an action filled game, with originally called) he was authorized
could impact the bigger game! them dashing around the airfield, but I to recruit six officers and 60 men. Of
Determining The Defence feel it is somewhat unsatisfactory and necessity, therefore, they are small and
untrue to the professional efficiency of elite squads. Ideally, these should not
As the Italians grew more aware of the these early SAS units. exceed twelve figures and, individually,
attack, I needed to calculate how the they may have small arms, including
defenders would react, how they would A more considered approach, and the one
pistols, submachine guns, and carbines
(in preference to rifles), although a small
be spread around the terrain, and what that I decided to follow, is to award 10
weapons they’d bring to the action. victory points for each target (either an
number of snipers are acceptable.
I decided that the best way to do this aircraft or an oil tank) that is destroyed.
would be to settle on a specific number The attacker’s aim is to amass a score In the earliest attacks, Lewes Bombs
of defenders and/or weapons allocated of 100 or more before retiring from the were placed on aircraft and oil tanks;
to each building pre-game, ranging from airfield. To destroy a target, I simply these were developed by Jock Lewes,
small arms to heavier guns. followed Rapid Fire’s rules relating to the unit’s explosive expert, and he
infantry weapons and machine guns and is shown in the Rogue Heroes series
A D6 was rolled for each building at classed the objective targets as stationary developing the device. The bomb
the start of each turn once the attackers soft skinned vehicles. The defenders, took the form of a small bag of plastic
had reached the perimeter. On a 3+ of course, must run the attackers off explosive with thermite, diesel oil, and
its occupants activated and had two and cause as many casualties to them steel shavings giving combined explosive
options: come into the open to return as possible. It’s worth implementing a and incendiary properties. The bombs
fire or remain in hard cover and fire ‘break point’ for the attackers, where they were often placed haphazardly but as
from the window, at the discretion of the will be forced to test their nerve or flee if experience was gained placement became
defending player. your chosen game system doesn’t have more targeted to cause maximum damage
one, otherwise the defence may struggle and disruption. Whatever options your
Representing the against elite Brits fighting to the last man! chosen ruleset has for explosives they
should factor in your SAS troops.
characters from SAS
Rogue Heroes is part
of the fun of games
like this. Left to right:
Connor Swindells as
David Stirling, Jack
O'Connell as Paddy
Mayne, and Alfie Allen
as Jock Lewes.

52
 MODELS AND TERRAIN
My forces consisted of 15mm figures and vehicles from a variety of sources. I opted for this scale as I thought it would be easier to depict
the quite wide expanse of an airfield and, as it turned out, this decision had positive and negative implications. I was certainly able to put
together a realistic looking airfield, but I found that there was a dearth of suitable aircraft models in the correct scale.
Collecting the necessary models and wide variety of equipment featured took quite a lot of effort and determination. It was well worth it in
the end, producing an unusual and good-looking game, but exercise caution if you choose this scale.
Vehicles
Vehicles include Morris and Marmon Herrington armoured cars,
Jeeps, Ford V8s, and Chevrolet trucks. I sourced them from several
different suppliers including Flames of War, Peter Pig, and QRF
(Quick Reaction Force.) I also investigated the growing number
of suppliers producing 3D prints and obtained more unusual
equipment from both Syborg and Battlefield 3D.
Warlord Games have Jeeps and Chevrolet trucks, whilst their
8th Army and Commonwealth ranges offer further vehicles and
equipment. Perry Miniatures have a good selection of vehicles and
equipment for the SAS and Italian forces, whilst manufacturers
producing 3D prints frequently offer their products in a variety of
scales, including 28mm.
The aircraft are slightly undersized since they are 1/144 scale.
The models include diecast Savoia-Marchetti SM79 from Atlas
Models, Fiat BR20 Cicogna from Altaya Models, CR42 Falcon
fighter bombers from Flames of War, a Henshel HS126B-1
Reconnaissance plane from Zvezda, and a flight of two JU88 Above: The Italians respond to the attack.
Stukas and three Messerschmitt 109s from Zvezda.
In the 20mm scale there is a much wider selection of suitable aircraft models, but if you opt for 28mm and a game more focused on
02 Hundred Hours skirmishing, you will again find it difficult to obtain suitable planes. In all honesty, I think that 20mm aircraft do not
look too much out of scale and present a viable alternative. Thankfully you won’t need as many! I did not explore what might be available
in 6mm scale; if there are adequate aircraft and other equipment then this would present a great option for my scenario.

Infantry
Infantry for my 15mm forces came from the
Flames of War range; I was lucky enough to
secure some of the discontinued blister packs of
SAS and Bersaglieri figures. You may be able
to track these packs down on eBay; otherwise,
Peter Pig produce British Commandos, LRDG
vehicle crew, snipers, and 8th Army figures
which fit the bill, along with a selection of
Italian figures. At such a small scale it was not
really practical to depict specific characters,
although bases could be colour coded; thus,
one could identify one figure as Paddy Mayne
or Jock Lewes and bring into play any special
characteristics that they might have.
If you prefer 28mm models, then the
02 Hundred Hours starter set is an obvious
choice, but there are alternatives. Warlord have
Commandos and SAS as well as Italians, and
also offer Askaris (colonial troops) which would
add interest to any Italian force. Perry Minis
Above: The SAS rush their vehicles down the airfield. have one of their standard plastic box sets,
in this case Desert Rats, and in their range of
metal figures there is a wide selection of Italians. SThere are several superb sets of SAS characters crying out to be converted into Rogue
Heroes too. Indeed, many of their offerings are supplied with alternative heads and there are packs of heads with different hats to encourage
production of your own Rogue Heroes.
In 28mm I think David Stirling should certainly be represented, along with Paddy Mayne; allocate them to different squads and use their
charismatic qualities to enhance any morale tests. Other characters of renown should include Mike Sadler, formerly of the LRDG and an
expert in desert navigation, and Jock Lewes, the explosives expert.
Terrain
The airfield itself was represented with a simple and suitably coloured mat with runways laid out using a slightly contrasting hessian fabric.
The perimeter fence and buildings are all scratch built models, as are the oil tanks. In this scale one can use the caps off your aerosol cans to
make as many oil tanks as you wish!
I believe that filming of a second series has begun and will see the Rogue Heroes transported to Western Europe. I am sure this change of
scenery will inspire even more adventures and offer more potential on the tabletop, with terrain that more WWII players are likely to have
in their collections.

53
 Tactics often saw vehicles in formation speeding down the HOW MY GAME PLAYED OUT
airfields, unleashing the firepower of as many as 60 machine
At the start of the game, I managed to roll well; my attackers
guns, including Vickers, Bren Guns, Lewis Guns, and some
made quite a lot of headway unnoticed as they breached the
captured Italian Bredas. In some attacks, troops went into action
on foot and used their sidearms; in one particularly notorious
perimeter and headed for their targets. The force split into two
groups, one heading for the aircraft and one making for the
incident, Paddy Mayne marched into the enemy’s mess room
and opened fire, killing all the occupants. He is certainly a
fuel tanks.
character that one should consider including in a squad. Despite My second move was less successful and a roll of 2 meant the
his ungentlemanly action he was awarded the DSO and a total Italians had heard something. They started to rush into action,
of three bars, which means that he was effectively awarded the rudely awakened by the alarmed cries of more alert sentries. As
medal four times, and was described as the bravest man to have things played out there was a very desultory response from the
never been awarded the VC! defenders. Just a couple of groups came into the open to engage
David Stirling himself took part in many of the raids and his
the enemy, with the remainder staying in the hard cover of their
buildings to send out small arms fire relatively safely.
presence, along with Paddy Mayne’s, should serve to enhance
any morale checks that are taken. Another character that you The game proved to be very fast moving, with the elite attackers
should consider including is Mike Sadler, the navigation expert quickly and efficiently moving around the airfield and causing
who was so taken with the exploits of ‘L’ detachment that he enough destruction to gain the required number of points to
transferred from the LRDG to join them. Remember that not declare a victory. They left the field having suffered very few
only are they ‘Heroes,’ they are above all ‘Rogue’ in every sense casualties and, on this occasion at least, lived up to their hopes
of the word! You should reflect this in your units; they were of being like Djins from the dunes!
misfits, ill disciplined, often clad in non-standard uniforms,
bearing a wide range of weaponry, and fighting in their own
LOOKING AHEAD
unique and unpredictable style to confound their opponents. If I were to develop the game further, it might be interesting to
organise a pursuit or have an unexpectedly large and heavily
This rogue element highlights the shortcomings, or uncertainties,
equipped defending force for the attackers to face. This, like
in many rulesets; they simply fail to cater for irregular units or
the defender reactions, could be randomised to make the game
partisans. I suggest focusing on whatever irregular and partisan
unpredictable for both sides. This unpredictability could be
features are evident in your preferred ruleset and adding in some
somewhat mitigated by SAS observation, which could be
of the elements of 02 Hundred Hours’ core rules and the game’s
played as a separate scenario, as mentioned earlier.
Partisan Resistance Cell expansion for inspiration. At the very
least, make your SAS and LRDG units elite in status and arm I fully intend to investigate the 02 Hundred Hours rules
them with as many carnage causing toys as possible. Ensure thoroughly and consider how its systems and ideas might be
that their morale factors are always higher than those of their incorporated in my scenario.
opponents too.

54
 DESIGNER’S
NOTES:

Author Paul Reynolds provides a guide to two

new For King and Parliament supplements, which
he has co-written with two other enthusiasts of
these popular 17th Century rules.

Peter Page, Bill Linhart and I have long THE CELTIC FRINGE Ireland from 1638 to 1652, seasoning,
had an interest in the Wars of the Three one hopes, an already excellent dish with
The Celtic Fringe extra rules and units
Kingdoms, a series of intertwined pike an extra pinch of (Celtic) spice.
were developed to model the older
and shot conflicts fought in the mid-
ways of organising and fighting that still The extra rules build on the existing
17th Century in England, Scotland, and
survived on the Celtic Fringe. They build For King and Parliament mechanisms,
Ireland, and for many years we searched
on the simple yet subtle mechanisms of providing more insight into the behaviour
for an ideal set of rules to represent them.
For King and Parliament, adding more of Highlanders and Irish massed foot.
Eventually, in For King and Parliament,
flavour of time and place to the Wars Appropriate units can be supported by
we found a game system that not only
of the Three Kingdoms in Scotland and shot, bows, or small numbers of warriors
represents the battlefield tactics well, and
in a simple, fast -playing manner, but also
brings a wonderful period feel and great
narrative potential to our wargames.
FOR KING AND PARLIAMENT
All three of us are drawn to the ‘Celtic
Both Montrose and The Celtic Fringe are supplements for the English Civil War
Fringe’ by cultural heritage, being
ruleset; For King and Parliament (FK&P). Written by mainstay of the UK wargames
descended in part from the Celtic show circuit Simon Miller, FK&P is based on Simon’s successful ancient rules To the
diaspora, and having a certain sympathy Strongest. No measuring, playing cards, and large battles are all eye-catching features of
for those upstart underdogs. When we FK&P. You can read more about FK&P in Wi365, or watch our YouTube interview with
refer to the Celtic Fringe, we are talking Simon by searching for ‘Simon Miller’ on the Wargames Illustrated YouTube channel.
about specific geographic regions and
the people that predominantly inhabit
them. In Scotland, these are the people
west and north of the Highland Line
(using any of the several definitions
you might prefer!). In Ireland, it is a
geographic patchwork, but includes
almost all of Connacht, most of the land
outside of the Pale (in Leinster), and
beyond the plantations in Ulster and
Munster. More importantly, the Irish
Fringe includes all the native Irish.

56
armed with traditional hand-to-hand weapons
(Ax, Knyf, and Swerd). The number of troops
each unit represents is slightly modified,
reflecting the smaller army sizes and different
proportions of horse and foot involved. All
the unit types that might be encountered in

designer’s
Scotland and Ireland are described according

notes
to their For King and Parliament unit
properties, along with possible alternative
ways of representing them.
The Celtic Fringe caters not only to the
unit which feature in Montrose’s 1644-45
campaign in Scotland, but also those in future
publications that will cover The Bishops’
Wars, The Great Rebellion in Ireland, and
the subsequent Confederate Wars, as well as
Cromwell’s conquests of Scotland and Ireland.

MONTROSE - TO WIN OR LOSE IT ALL

Montrose - To Win or Lose It All is a collection of
scenarios covering Montrose’s 1644 - 1645 campaign in
Scotland. Admittedly, this conflict has been wargamed
many times before, but it remains endlessly fascinating,
and new research on the various ways the battles were
fought continues to emerge.
Montrose - To Win or Lose It All covers eight actual
historic battles and one ‘what if?’. Each scenario has
been balanced to give both sides a reasonable chance of
success, while reflecting the historic challenges facing
the commanders at the time.
The ‘what if?’ scenario, Banvie Burn, is intended to
allow players to practice The Celtic Fringe extra rules.
The remaining eight scenarios are actual historic battles:
Tippermuir, Fyvie, Auldearn, Justice Mills, Inverlochy,
Alford, Kilsyth, and Philiphaugh.
Each scenario includes:
• Historical background.
• Briefings for both sides.
• Scenario rules.
• Map notes, and a full-colour map showing the terrain,
deployment, and any scenario objectives.
• Orders of battle for both sides, including full unit properties.
• Design Notes, which explain some of the choices the authors had
to make.
The scenarios can be played individually, or within the framework
of two mini-campaigns and one full campaign. Simple and more
advanced campaign systems are provided to allow different degrees
of interconnection between the battles. Although they are designed
to use with For King & Parliament and The Celtic Fringe, the
scenarios provide detailed maps and orders of battle that could be
adapted to other rule systems.
The Celtic Fringe and Montrose - To Win or Lose It All are printed
in full colour, and illustrated with images of beautifully-painted
wargames miniatures throughout. They are available both as digital
and hard-copy books, and can be found in the Big Red Bat Shop at
bigredbatshop.co.uk.

57
 THE FUTURE OF
MINIATURE PAINTING
IS HERE

FLEXIBLE COLOUR
TRIAD SYSTEM

INSANE CONTROL
AND COVERAGE
Miniature by Daybreak Miniatures

200+

COMPREHENSIVE
RANGE OF PAINTS

FREE
MINIATURE!

FREE
PAINT
STATION!

MSRP: MSRP:

FREE BRUSH!
$39.99 $199.99
FREE BRUSH!
€32,99 €175,00
¤
ALL-NEW PAINT RANGE OF FANATIC QUALITY
What if the perfect miniature paint DID exist? We know that’s
WARPAINTS
impossible, but that didn’t stop us from trying! Designed to deliver
fanatic 

unsurpassed coverage while being incredibly easy-to-use, featuring

intense pigmentation, and in a Flexible Colour Triad system –
Warpaints Fanatic are the new gold standard for miniature paints.

Order yours today! thearmypainter.com GET MORE TIME FOR GAMING

 Somewhere beneath the shifting sands lies the forgotten knowledge of
the pharaohs – magic granting power over wind and rain, life and COMING
death, and even time itself. Napoleon didn’t cross the Mediterranean
simply to conquer Egypt, he sought these ancient secrets. SOON
Explore the mysteries of this great land, venture into lost cities,
forbidden ruins, and even beneath the Pyramids themselves.
Contained within The Silver Bayonet: Egypt: Shadow of the Sphinx
are two campaigns, one competitive and one for solo or cooperative
play. Face an array of terrifying new foes, including mummies,
werejackals, and serpopards, many not known to the living for more
than 3,000 years...

Written by Joseph A. McCullough

Illustrated by Brainbug Design

AVAILABLE ON
WWW.OSPREYGAMES.CO.UK
 FROM SPEC
OPS TO CoD

Matt Parkes builds iconic Call of Duty characters with this month’s free Warlord Games Special
Operations Team frame, and we probe how other video games can inspire our tabletop warfare.

Video games are a relative upstart in the screen world, but they than in their visuals, which can provide endless inspiration
more than deserve their place in this month’s From the Screen for terrain making, conversions, and painting projects. Each
theme. They’ve evolved from a curiosity to a behemoth industry video game world needs to be created from scratch, so the best
that earns around $200 billion a year - more than Hollywood and are supported by incredibly strong design aesthetics (from the
the music world combined! comic-book dolour of Valiant Hearts to the crisp realism of
Battlefield) and huge amounts of concept art, the latter of which
The question of ‘are video games art?’ has, thankfully, long
can often be purchased in chunky coffee table books or viewed
been left behind by all but the most curmudgeonly cynics, and
for free on websites such as artstation.com.
the best games are now considered alongside top films and
TV shows in the world of entertainment. Over the last decade, For this article our painter, Matt Parkes, focused his attention
video game creation has taken a similar path to that of mid-’70s on the incredibly popular Call of Duty (CoD) series, of which
Hollywood, gradually condensing into two primary areas: high- he’s a fan. Matt picked some of the most memorable characters
budget blockbuster titles, and independent offerings produced from the CoD franchise and built them in miniature, using the
by smaller teams (or, in the case of video games, sometimes Warlord Special Operations frame. He created three figures that
individuals). are based directly on characters from the games’ story-driven
campaigns, and others inspired by the visuals and weapon and
The blockbusters tend to showcase stunning visual fidelity
kit options found in CoD’s online competitive gaming.
while presenting refined spins on tried-and-tested stories and
gaming systems, while the independent offerings are where Tucked between the stages of Matt’s painting-progress are
you’ll find auteurs pushing the boundaries. It’s somewhat akin details of other video games that we think wargamers might
to wargaming, wherein a few major companies produce tentpole enjoy. These titles include intense cinematic first-person shooters
products - Warhammer, Bolt Action, etc. - and plucky indies fill like CoD, more squad-based simulations, strategy-heavy titles,
in the vast gaps with a broad selection of smaller, more specific, games that focus on storytelling, and a couple of outliers. All are
and inventive tabletop systems. exciting video games to play, but we’ve picked them for their
potential to inspire wargamers with their intriguing systems,
Video games offer a lot more to tabletop wargamers than the
campaigns, visual design, terrain, and narrative chops, too.
simple fun of playing them, and nowhere is this more apparent

60
 THE CALL OF DUTY SERIES
This massive franchise is about as blockbuster as it gets in any screen medium; it’s
a perennial ‘best-selling video game of the year’ and CoD’s publisher, Activision,
were just acquired by Microsoft for $75 billion in the biggest tech deal ever! Across

frame focus
the 23 mainline games, you’ll find action-packed single-player campaigns, and
intense online multiplayer shoot-outs with real and imagined history aesthetics,
weapons, armour, and tactics.
Originally a successful WWII trilogy (think Saving Private Ryan, but with you
in control of one of the men on the ground), it was with the series’ fourth release
(which added the Modern Warfare subtitle and setting) that it truly took off. Since
then, titles have been released annually, and have been met with acclaim and
occasional controversy. Consider having a go at:
The original Modern Warfare Above: Historical figures join the cast in Black Ops,
A ghillie-suited infiltration through the contaminated landscape of Pripyat in the including JFK.
Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is perhaps the most impressive mission in this game
(shown below). It certainly shows the endless modeling inspiration that video games can provide with its eerie, overgrown, abandoned
terrain. The subsequent mission, in which you must take a long-range sniper shot (while considering wind, humidity, and the Coriolis effect),
could make for a great little pick-up game at the club. The denouement of a level named ‘Shock and Awe’ is best left to be experienced, rather
than spoiled, but it is the sort of jaw-dropping, immersive moment that only the very best video games can create.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Black Ops took the Call of Duty franchise back in time to the 1960s,
and it will offer entertainment aplenty to historical gamers… but do
make sure you set your plausibility requirements to low! You play as a
CIA operative who is being interrogated, and his tortured recollections
are played as flashbacks, taking place in locales such as the Soviet
Union, Cuba, Vietnam, and China. Focused on the Cold War, but
also touching upon the Vietnam War, the game weaves real historical
characters and events into a high-tension narrative. It could inspire
a great globetrotting mini-campaign in Cold War-gone-hot tabletop
action.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Advanced Warfare is a high-budget take on what combat might be like
in the 2050s. For that reason alone, it’s worth a look, even though it’s
Above: The spooky desolation of Pripyat in one of the series’ more divisive releases. Drones, bionics, advanced
one of Modern Warfare’s iconic levels. weapons, and VR training are just some of the features, and if you
fancy some near-future wargaming, there’s a lot to inspire here.

WORLD WAR ONE

WWI wargaming has been getting something of a boost lately, thanks to various
new ranges of miniatures, but recreating the scope of widespread trench warfare
takes quite some commitment. How about a look at last year’s The Great War:
Western Front video game for some grander-scale gaming (above right)? The
combination of real-time and turn-based strategy gaming sees you commanding
from either side, expanding your trenches, and adding other defences, then
placing battalions and units. Battles are inevitable, and you can reinforce the men
as they rage, but this will cost you more in supplies. This creates a constant push
and pull; you can make gains, but you can also overstretch, leaving the line too
thinned elsewhere. It’s a flawed game, but one whose systems are ripe for swiping
to enhance your tabletop campaigning.
If you want something to inspire you with stunning visuals, look no further than
Battlefield 1 (below right). This single and multiplayer shooter is certainly not the
most realistic war simulator, but its visual recreation of the Great War is seriously
impressive. You can play as infantry, tankers, pilots, and cavalry, and extra
classes unlock more unusual options, such as trench raiders and tank hunters.
The campaign mode takes in various battles on the Western Front, the Gallipoli
Peninsula, Arabian desert, and Italian Alps.
Should you want to play something totally different,
check out Valiant Hearts. This quirky game, designed
to commemorate the war’s centenary, mixes puzzle
mechanics and storytelling through the eyes of
American soldier Freddie, Frenchman Emile, his German son-in-law Karl, and Belgian nurse Anna, along
with Walt the dog (a very good boy!). It has a bold comic book style, some rewarding puzzles, and its
moments of levity contrast heavily with the game’s undeniably darker times, making sure it never feels
disingenuous or saccharine.

61
 PAINTING CoD CHARACTERS
Soap
1 2 3
Thanks to the spread of parts on the
Modern Military Special Ops Team
frame, there are opportunities to
make all kinds of modern fighters,
and top of the list for Matt was CoD’s
John ‘Soap’ MacTavish. Soap is one
of the playable characters in Modern
Warfare, and a series mainstay. Matt
decided to give him a hint
of civvy clothes, hence
the cream top, but he
otherwise kept the build
quite simple.

Unless stated otherwise, the

paints used in this article are
from Vallejo. Figures were
“Everyone get ready! Lock and load!”
painted over a coat of black
primer, and the Contrast washes Captain John ‘Soap’ MacTavish
were all heavily thinned, to flow
rather like watercolour paints.

Price
Captain John Price leads Soap through
Modern Warfare’s legendary ‘All Ghillied
Up’ mission and he features in many 2 3
1
of CoD’s locales and missions. There’s
no ghillie suit on the frame, but Price’s
iconic boonie hat is included, so we opted
for that head. Matt painted a moustache
and sideburns to go with it. Rather than
create an exact likeness, which would
have required extensive conversion and
sculpting on each of the figures, the
feel of them is created through small,
recognisable features.

“There’s a simplicity to war.

Attacking is the only secret. Dare
and the world yields. How quickly
they forget that all it takes to change
the course of history is the will of a
single man.”
Captain John Price

62
 Basecoat First highlight Second highlight Washes

Citadel Contrast Militarum

Helmet Military Green 975 Russian Green 894 Green Grey 886
Green

Sunglasses Citadel Mithril Silver

Highlight French Tankcrew

Shirt Deck Tan 986 White 951
324
US Army Tank Crew
Rifle
Citadel Contrast Basilicanum
German Field Grey 830
318 Grey

Webbing Canvas 314 Khaki 988

US Army Tank Crew

Olive Grey 888
Pistol holster Citadel Contrast Militarum
318 Green
German Cam. Dark Green
Trousers Heavy Grey 145
979
Citadel Contrast Black
Knee pads Military Green 975 Green Grey 886
Legion
Citadel Contrast Basilicanum
Boots Canvas 314 Khaki 988 Buff 976
Grey

WHERE’S THE GRAND STRATEGY?

Video games that that attempt to simulate warfare directly, via digital representations
of grand strategy/Kriegsspiel games, didn’t seem right for this article.
They don’t really fit our From the Screen theme, as they do little that couldn’t already
be done on the tabletop, and they’re probably already known to many readers. Yes,
Wargame Design Studio’s Napoleonic Battles series simulates the nuances of the
period’s combat better than many games we’ve listed, but it’s hardly going to inspire
new tabletop experiences with its systems, or send you rushing to start a new hobby
project through its graphical beauty!
If you’re desperate for some grand strategy on your PC, Supremacy 1914, Europa
Universalis IV (shown right), Hearts of Iron IV, and Total War: Three Kingdoms have
all sapped a lot of time that the Wi team could therwise have spent painting armies!

Basecoat First highlight Second highlight Washes

German Cam. Dark Green US Army Tank Crew Citadel Contrast Militarum
Hat Heavy Grey 145
979 318 Green

Sunglasses Citadel Mithril Silver

German Cam. Dark Green US Army Tank Crew Citadel Contrast Militarum
Shirt Heavy Grey 145
979 318 Green
German Cam. Dark
Shirt camo 1
Green 979

Shirt camo 2 Iraqi Sand 819

German Cam. Dark Green Italian Tank Crew 327 French Tank Crew Citadel Contrast Basilicanum
Shotgun
979 324 Grey
Citadel Contrast Gore-Grunta
Webbing Khaki Grey 880 Desert Yellow 974 Buff 976
Fur

Rifle
French Tank Crew Citadel Contrast Basilicanum
Olive Grey 888 Khaki 988
324 Grey
German Cam. Dark Green US Army Tank Crew Citadel Contrast Militarum
Trousers Heavy Grey 145
979 318 Green
Italian Tank Crew Citadel Contrast Black Legion
Knee pads Military Green 975
327
Citadel Contrast Basilicanum
Boots Canvas 314 Khaki 988 Buff 976
Grey

63
 Ghost
1 2 3
Ghost appeared a little later
in the Modern Warfare
series, but, with his skull
emblem balaclava, he
became something of
a visual mascot. This
balaclava was, of course,
Matt’s first reference point,
and he picked a head that
would allow the miniature
Ghost to have a
knitted skull
design of his
own.

Bloody yanks! I thought they were the

good guys!”
Lieutenant Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley

WAR IS HELL
Something that tabletop wargaming struggles to convey, with its inanimate
miniatures and ‘eye in the sky’ perspective, is the harrowing, tragic, and mentally
debilitating side of war. While plenty of video games focus on the action and
SIMULATION strategy of combat, some choose to weave more realism and moral ambiguity into
their narrative.
If you want to experience war with a hefty dose
of realism, plenty of games allow you to step Spec Ops: The Line (right) highlights war’s blurred boundaries and grey areas
into real and imagined conflicts while providing more than just about any other video game. It makes no attempt to hide the Heart
accurate simulations of actual combat. Hell of Darkness/Apocalypse Now inspiration behind elements of its story, but this is
Let Loose, for WWII, and ARMA3 (below), for not just a derivative narrative. The game sees an elite three-man Delta Force team
modern simulation, are two of the biggies, and head into Dubai to take out the troubled Colonel of the 33rd US Infantry Battalion,
they are as unforgiving as war itself. There’s no who has declared martial law there.
refilling health bars, quick heals, or excessive It has some truly memorable and
shooting here; a single bullet can and will end harrowing moments and surprising
your time in the field with startling quickness. revelations, and they hit all the
There’s danger everywhere, especially because harder through your first-person
many experienced players use online comms and perspective and the agency of
squad tactics to maximize their effectiveness. controlling main character Captain
Martin Walker.
This War of Mine is a completely different kind of war simulator, focused on
civilians hiding out in a damaged house while their city is besieged. The goal is
survival, as you try to keep your randomly-generated group’s health and mood
up while constantly battling against
hunger. Played from a side-on
perspective, you must scavenge
at night and hide out in the day,
crafting what you can, and eking
out an existence while hoping for
a ceasefire. This is the kind of
experience that we seldom see on
the wargames table, but, should you
want a taster of the game in three
dimensions, check out the board
game based on the video game. It
retains a similar style to the video Above: A diorama inspired by This
game, and shifts many systems to War of Mine featuring figures from the
cards, while adding in some good- board game.
looking miniatures.

64
 Basecoat First highlight Second highlight Washes

Balaclava Neutral Grey 830 White 951 (skull)

Scale Color Cantabric Blue Citadel Contrast Leviadon

Shirt Scale Color Deep Blue Field Grey 964
Blue
US Army Tank Crew
Rifle
Citadel Contrast Basilicanum
German Field Grey 830
318 Grey

Rifle camo
German Cam. Dark
Green 979
Italian Tank Crew US Army Tank Crew
Webbing Olive Grey 888
327 318
French Tank Crew Citadel Contrast Militarum
RPG Military Green 975
324 Green
Heavy Grey 145
German Cam. Dark Green US Army Tank Crew
Trousers
979 318
Citadel Contrast Basilicanum
Knee pads Canvas 314 Khaki 988
Grey
Citadel Contrast Black Legion
Boots Neutral Grey 830

THE REST OF THE SQUAD

• Caucasian skin was basecoated with Beige Brown 875, followed by a first highlight with Beige Red 804. Basic Skin 815 was
applied liberally as a final highlight before things were blended and given a bit more depth with an application of heavily-
thinned Citadel Contrast Guilliman Flesh.
• Black skin began with a Black 950 basecoat, followed by German Black 337 and Chocolate Brown 872 highlights. Rather than
apply a wash, a final stage of highlights in U.S. field drab 873 gave the skin more reflection.
• All guns and boots are in modern desert colour schemes.
• Bases were textured with modern rubble, with added bricks and broken stone paving, along with a couple
of pieces to represent steel rebar. They were progressively drybrushed from London Grey 836 to Medium
Sea Grey 870, then finished with Pale Grey Blue 907.
• The lenses of weapon sights were painted with Scale Color Antares Red, then given a white spot
highlight before getting a gloss varnish.
Video games aren’t the metaphorical asteroid, on its way to wipe out tabletop wargaming, as was once predicted by naysayers;
both media are thriving, and they can, if approached with an open mind, become increasingly complementary. Matt’s miniatures
are just the tip of the possibility-iceberg, and, should you bring some video-game inspiration to your wargaming projects, make
sure you send us some pictures and a write up for our Quick Fire section (see page 16)!

There’s an expansive
and expanding library
of video games to
reference for your
hobby activity and
gaming campaigns. By
taking inspiration from
these digital offerings,
you can enhance and
improve tabletop
projects in many ways.

65
 History books for the
New releases from Helion & Company enthusiast and gamer

Atlas of the Battles and Campaigns of Victory or Death

the American Revolution 1775–1783 A Wargamer’s Guide to the American
George Anderson and David C Bonk Revolution, 1775–1782 David C Bonk
This book provides a visual summary Victory or Death provides a comprehensive
of the campaigns, major battles and overview of the American War for Independence, 1775–1782. The book
minor skirmishes of the war. The atlas contains maps showing the location of major battles by year with
includes over 120 maps created using accompanying summaries of the major campaigns and battles of the
maps from the Revolution, including war. The Guide also includes details of lesser-known engagements.
the large collection from the US Detailed information on the organization, equipment, and uniforms of
Library of Congress and enhanced the American and British armies
with more accurate topographic along with the Hessians and French
mapping from the 1880s. The maps will allow wargamers to focus
also show troop dispositions and their efforts on specific campaigns
movements taken from a wide or battles. The Guide will provide
range of written sources to provide specific information on not only
the most accurate representation of the battles and campaigns. The Atlas will be a American Continental and British
valuable resource for anyone with an interest in the American Revolution, including regular units but also Hessians,
wargamers, reenactors, and students of the conflict. American militia, and British
The Atlas follows the course of the war including the major engagements at provincial and loyalist units.
Brooklyn, Trenton, Brandywine, Saratoga, Monmouth, Savannah, Information for several
Guilford Courthouse and Yorktown. The Atlas also includes a historical campaign scenarios
large collection of minor actions, including Harlem Heights, is also included illustrating how
White Plains, Short Hills, Barren Hill, Stony Point, Hobkirk’s Hill campaigns can be used add a new
and Green Springs. The Atlas addresses critical naval battles as dimension to wargaming and to
well as key engagements in the West Indies, Gibraltar, and India. generate tabletop battles.

www.helion.co.uk helionbooks
World-leading Publisher of Specialist Military History
 DESIGNER’S
NOTES:

Mike Bradford, author of Warlord Games’ new rules

Achtung Panzer!, tells us about the development and
mechanics of this new ‘skirmish’-level tank battle game.

I love gaming World War Two, and is conducted over a variable number movement orders, actions to load, aim
always have, but my figure collection of game turns. Each tank has its own and shoot, and a simple chit-pull initiative
just never really seemed to get going. control panel, which contains all the system. I needed to recruit some testers,
But tanks, now that is a different story. I information required to play the game. so I enlisted some help from my local
love those lumbering beasts, and, from a Players plot the moves for each of their games club for a trial. If my intention
very early age, I enjoyed pushing Airfix’s tanks using movement order markers that was to represent the chaos and confusion
finest around the carpet, recreating are placed on the control panel. The key of battle, then this was a promising start.
many a battle I’d seen in the pages of to success is anticipating your opponent’s The game was certainly different - a
Commando comics. You don’t need many moves, employing secondary actions like generous person would say innovative
tanks for a decent game, and today’s spotting, and catching them cold with a - and it was, of course, completely
fine wargaming examples are really well-aimed shot. unplayable. Still, two out of three was
fun to paint, especially when they are not bad, so, with encouragement from my
THANKS TO ODDBALL
covered with rust, mud, dents, and other patient playtesters who told me it showed
imperfections. All you need is a ruleset to So, how did I get here? The idea for this promise, I decided to persevere.
play them with. game began one evening several years
ago while I was watching Kelly’s Heroes.
My ruleset, Achtung Panzer!, is one of
It occurred to me that
intense tank-versus-tank combat. It is not
Oddball’s hunts for
a game of massed tank battles ranging
Tiger tanks through
across huge battlefields like Kursk;
narrow streets seemed
rather, it’s a skirmish game in which
like a good idea for
tanks get close and personal. Big guns
a game, so I jotted
and heavy armour are important, but
down some ideas,
skilful tactics and planning can see the
pushed some tanks
Goliaths of the tank world often bested
around (on a table
by the Davids. Players control platoons
this time; fifty-
of between one and six tanks fighting on
something knees
a 6' x 4' tabletop. During playtesting, I
don’t do so well
discovered that putting lots of terrain on
on the carpet),
the table made the games all the more
and found I had
enjoyable. The cover afforded by the
established the
terrain allows the tanks to manoeuvre
prototype. It had
more freely, and to take time setting
all the ingredients
up those deadly kill shots. The players
that I wanted:
choose a mission to play, and the game

68
NITTY GRITTY
Warlord Games M4
The biggest problem was that plotting Sherman Medium Tank.
all of the actions that a platoon of tanks
might take was just too much for one
human brain. It was very frustrating

designer’s
when an enemy paraded across your front
unscathed because you had plotted to fire

notes
on the next action, but I wanted to keep
the cat-and-mouse element, so I restricted
plotting to movement only. This proved
pretty straightforward, as the only options
were to move forward, back, left, right
or halt. Everything else, such as spotting,
aiming, loading, and firing, would now
be handled with what we called ‘tactical
actions’. Each tank has one tactical
action, which is performed when it is
activated. Unlike movement, tactical communication for the coming turn. If superior equipment and training. Soviet
actions don’t have to be pre-plotted. As the check fails, the Initiative tokens are players will just have to muddle through.
the game is intended to handle platoons drawn without the player seeing the token
of up to six tanks a side, placing a single Now, a word of warning: tank combat
value, and they are placed face down,
movement token for each one was very was - and is - a very deadly affair, and
randomly, one per tank.
straightforward. Further playtesting this is reflected in the Achtung Panzer!
proved this approach successful, and However, if the test is passed, a player damage mechanics. Each gun has a
these mechanics essentially remained can draw a token for each tank, look at penetration value; if you hit the target,
unchanged through to the finished the values, and distribute them as they you roll a D6 and add it to that value.
product. choose. This is very useful if you really If the result is greater than the armour
want a particular tank to go first; perhaps value of the target, then you have a
Next to be addressed was the initiative it’s about to kill something, or there’s chance to destroy it. If the result exceeds
system. This would determine in what an 88mm gun pointing at it and you the armour value by four or more, then
order tanks would be activated. The need it to disappear, pronto. Of course, the unfortunate tank is most definitely
original chit-pull system was quick and cruel fortune can still intervene, and you destroyed. Hits that don’t destroy a tank
simple, so I wanted to keep it, but I might draw all the high numbers, but only have a slight effect on a tank’s
was concerned that it was perhaps too sometimes that’s the way the cookie (or performance, and the tank will still
random. I felt players should have some the Cromwell) crumbles. This approach remain effective until accumulated hits
influence on the order of activation, to the initiative system also gave me finally do them in. Don’t think that you
though I wanted to maintain an element an opportunity to add some variation can stay safe by keeping out of range, as
of uncertainty. The solution I came up according to nationality. German players almost all guns can fire at anything on the
with was the Radio Check; players test will find that they have the best chance table if there’s a line-of-sight.
to see if their platoon is in effective of passing a radio check, because of

69
 As would be expected, a big gun like the 17-pounder or the 88
will be able to defeat the armour of most tanks in the game;
smaller guns will often struggle to damage a well-armoured
tank. However, all tanks have an Achilles heel: the tracks, road
wheels, or suspension, collectively called the Running Gear. It is
rarely heavily-armoured, and is therefore susceptible to damage
from guns that would not trouble the well-armoured parts of
the tank. You might not kill a tank with a Running Gear hit, but
restricting its manoeuvrability might make it a lame duck.
MEN AS WELL AS MACHINES
Having read many accounts of tanks in action in World War
Two, I wanted to make Achtung Panzer! as much about the
men as the machines. My first try was a simple crew-quality
mechanism, where each tank had three grades of crew: Green,
Trained, and Veteran. Although some actions in the game are
performed automatically, others required a crew test to succeed. I
liked this, but felt it lacked a little something. I decided to apply
these tests to individual crew members, but pesky tank designers
were never consistent. Some tanks had three-man turrets, some
only two. Was there a co-driver? A few even had two loaders.
Eventually I settled on a simplified version that had just three
crew functions; Commander, Gunner, and Driver, where each
function might represent more than one crew member. Within
an individual tank, crew grades can vary for each crew function,
so you might have a crew fresh out of tank school, wherein the Above: 8th Army tank crew on foot.
whole crew would be Green. Perhaps you have a Veteran driver
Below: German Panzer crew (winter).
and gunner who have been lumbered with a Green commander.
When you select your tanks, you roll dice to acquire points,
which will allow you to buy your crew members. As can be
expected, Green crew grades have different capabilities from
Trained, and Veteran crew are particularly useful. A Veteran
commander has a better chance of passing a radio check, a
Veteran gunner will hit more often, and a Veteran driver will be
able to make better use of cover to protect the tank. All good,
you might think, but it’s unlikely one would have enough points
to obtain crews with this level of experience - and herein lies a each player can choose from ten of these. At the start of the
significant part of the challenge. game, players roll dice to determine how many points they
EXTERNAL FORCES have to spend on assets. The cost varies, so a powerful anti-tank
gun may be out of reach if you roll badly, but you can always
As Achtung Panzer! is a tank game, players will spend most afford an infantry unit or a sniper. The Asset Cards also give an
of the time stalking, firing at, and being blown up by enemy opportunity to make more use of the cover that is ideally spread
tanks, which was always the aim (no pun intended). But outside liberally on the table, hence the concept of Ambush Terrain,
the armoured walls of your tanks, there’s a whole different which should apply to most of the terrain. While the woods and
battle going on. Infantry will be swarming around you, artillery buildings provide welcome concealment for your tanks, with
shells will crash nearby, and fighter-bombers may be swooping the Asset Cards in play, they can become threatening places that
overhead. Of much more concern to players will be the anti- may harbour a lurking Panzerfaust team, or fanatical infantry
tank guns and tank hunter teams intent on doing your precious ready to assault you with grenades and sticky bombs. Get too
vehicles damage. It therefore seemed a bit of a cop-out not to close, and it might be game over. You can mitigate some of this
incorporate these into the game, but I didn’t want to take the risk by taking time to clear ambush terrain. This is usually done
focus away from tank combat. I’m a big fan of using cards by using your tank’s machineguns, firing HE shells, or even a
in games; they can add many elements to a game without flamethrower, if you happen to have one. However, clearing
overloading the rulebook, and the effects of the cards can be ambush terrain consumes precious tactical actions, which could
controlled by limiting their availability. In Achtung Panzer!, be better spent aiming or firing at enemy tanks.
these external forces are handled by the use of Asset Cards;
There are also some Asset Cards you can use to clear the
terrain. The good news is that Asset Cards are not guaranteed
to be immediately available, and they are single-use, so once
used, even if they miss, they are gone for good. Asset Cards are
unlikely to win a game on their own, but with only a few tanks
on the table, losing one to your opponent’s Asset-Card-wrought
anti-tank rifle can seriously dent your chance of success.
Another addition was the introduction of Event Cards. Accounts,
books, and films have taught me that each game session should
tell its own story, and the introduction of random events can
really add to its essence. These cards do just that; some can have
beneficial effects, whereas others can bring catastrophe. There
are few things more satisfying than wiping the smug grin off an
opponent’s face with a well-played card.

70
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE BARREL I had written a fairly basic campaign system, but expanded it
at Warlord’s request; the focus changed from individual tanks
I’d arrived at a game I was pleased with, but I wasn’t doing
to charting the career of the player as a platoon commander.
much with it. I put it away, allowing it a run out every now and
Now you can win medals! Successful tank commanders can be
then at the games club, with a bit of tinkering here and there - a
elevated to Ace status, which gives them extra skills. If you can’t
bit like my car, really.
wait for a promotion, the game includes historical tank Aces for
That would probably have been it, but my friend and co- you to add to your platoon; just try not to get them killed!
conspirator Roger Gerrish, who has worked with Warlord several
Of course, during development, some things had to go, but
times, told me that the company were keen to market a tank
I didn’t really miss them. There was a short-lived attempt to
game. Did I want him to suggest Achtung Panzer! to them?
represent unreliable tanks, but it never really worked. It turns
‘Well, why not?’, I thought. A couple of trips to Warlord HQ for
out that it isn’t much fun having a tank not turn up to the battle
some demo games went well, and the powers-that-be gave us
because it had broken down, neither was seeing it expire in a
the green light to produce the game for Warlord. This was really
cloud of petrol fumes halfway into the game; that’s what your
where the hard work began. Warlord’s approach was ‘question
opponent is already trying to do to you. Also, a slow-turret rule
everything’, and their fresh perspective on the game illuminated
was ditched, as it was always too restrictive in game terms. You
a lot of issues that, being so close to it, I hadn’t really
won’t have the Tiger’s notoriously slow turret to contend with,
considered. This meant a lot of grumbling on my part, but also
but on the other hand, that monster’s gun is relatively slow to
many changes, all for the better. Assisted by Roger, who worked
load, so these things tend to balance out.
as the game’s developer, most of these were opportunities to
simplify processes I had overcomplicated, but also to expand The result of all this is Warlord Games’ Achtung Panzer!.
some aspects that would afford more ‘character’ to the game. Warlord have done a fantastic job with the production.
For example, the damage system worked very well, but we felt Roger also contributed the historical anecdotes and Tank Ace
it needed a bit more detail, so I went away and came back with background notes that can be found throughout the rulebook.
a new table to demonstrate what happens when a high velocity The final quality of the game and its components is way beyond
chunk of steel smashes into your armoured box. This was a anything I had imagined when I first started scribbling notes
significant improvement, which was further enriched by Roger’s years ago. It has been a long time coming, but has been a very
visceral damage descriptions! fun and enlightening process. I hope you will enjoy playing it
just as much as I did making it.

71
 HOME GUARD HEROES

Paul Mackay examines the Home Guard in history and in the classic BBC comedy series Dad’s Army, then shows how he
painted his troops in miniature.

On 14 May 1940, the Secretary of State for WEAPONS machine guns were also issued by the
War, Anthony Eden, announced the formation end of 1940.
Initially the LDV were poorly armed
of the Home Guard, originally called the Local
with makeshift weapons as regular Equipping Home Guard soldiers
Defence Volunteers (LDV). By the end of June
troops were given priority. Many with primarily American weaponry
of that year, more than 1,400,000 men between
officers armed themselves with Webley
the ages of 17 and 65 (and some pushing
meant that ammunition was kept in
MkVI (.455) revolvers and the first
past those official limits) had volunteered.
the UK. There would be no logistical
major outfitting of Home Guard units
An unofficial women’s unit, the Women’s
problems with mixed ammunition,
with rifles came about when Roosevelt as could have happened if the US
Home Defence, was formed in December
allowed the British government to weapons had been issued to regular
1941, and the government later recognised
purchase 5,000,000 M1917 Enfield troops. The M1917 Rifles and BARs
female involvement in home defence on
Rifles and 25,000 M1918 Browning were painted with a thin red stripe
the understanding that members would not
Automatic Rifles (BAR). Thompson
undertake a combat role. Eventually, with the
around the stock to avoid any possible
submachine guns were first issued to confusion over their use with standard
Normandy invasion, the Home Guard were
units from 1941 onwards. Also 14,000 .303 British ammunition.
disbanded in 1944.
Lewis and 4,000 Browning M17
UNIFORMS
The LDV were originally outfitted with IN DAD’S ARMY
armbands and most troops had to wait several
weeks before denims - loose fitting work clothes
consisting of a short jacket (referred to as a For a late ’60s / ’70s television show the actors’ uniforms in Dad’s Army were fairly
blouse) and trousers - arrived. On 14 August accurate. They are faithfully portrayed progressing from LDV armbands to greenish
Eden announced that Home Guard units were denims and end up with a more khaki coloured battledress.
also to be issued with regular army battledress, The uniforms have shoulder badges with ‘Home Guard’ written (generally in white
and it was eventually decided to equip the entire on khaki) upon them and a badge with the letters CP1 underneath. These letters
force with this uniform. signified the district that the unit served in, and the number was for the company or
The look of the LDV was therefore quite close
section, depending on the unit’s size. As Mainwairing’s troops were formed in the
fictional Walmington-on-Sea, the show’s writers - David Croft and Jimmy Perry -
to that of regular army units. Leather waist simply used the initial letters of their surnames. The cap badges that the men wore
belts and black leather anklets were worn, a are from the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment.
rubberised canvas haversack was carried, and
Home Guard pattern ammo pouches are replaced in the show with binocular cases;
ammunition pouches were like the army’s.
these are very similar in terms of design and size.
Caps were issued early on, but the supply of
steel helmets was limited.
72
ROLL CALL IN DAD’S ARMY

from the screen

The miniatures I have used to illustrate this article all come
from Wargames Foundry’s Home Guard Heroes set. They are
beautiful little figures and were sculpted by Michael Perry. For The show made every effort to equip the actors in an
those not familiar with the show they represent: historical fashion. Our brave volunteers are initially armed
with weapons such as pouches of pepper, pikes (it was met
with outrage when it was suggested to arm the Guard with
these weapons), pitchforks, and catapults.
CAPTAIN GEORGE MAINWARING
Played by Arthur Lowe In the episode Command Decision, the platoon is issued
with the M1917 Enfield Rifle and, apart from Captain
The brave, but pompous, manager of Mainwaring (who carries a Webley Mk VI revolver), this
Swallow Bank in Walmington-on- becomes their main armament. Private Frazer is also seen in
Sea, appointed himself commander of several episodes with the platoon Lewis gun. In All is Safely
Gathered In, Private Pike receives a Thompson, which
the town’s Home Guard Unit. He is
unhappily married to his wife Elizabeth.
he refers to as the ‘Chicago Piano’ and constantly annoys
Mainwaring by making machine gun noises.
He taught himself how to play the
bagpipes whilst on honeymoon as Heavy weapons featured in the series include the QF
there was nothing else to do. 13-pounder (quick firing) gun (introduced in 1904, it saw
some use with Home Guard units in 1940) and the Smith
Gun, which was an ad-hoc anti-tank gun.

SERGEANT ARTHUR WILSON LANCE-CORPORAL JONES

Played by John Le Mesurier Played by Clive Dunn
Wilson is Mainwairing’s second in The local Butcher who previously
command in both the platoon and the held this rank in the regular army
bank. He has a laid back approach to life He often mentions the campaigns he
and his commanding officer is jealous fought against the ‘Fuzzy Wuzzies’
of his social standing and well-off who “…don’t like it up ‘em!”.
background. Politely asks, rather than Often shouts, “Don’t Panic” whilst
tells, his men to do things. panicking himself.

PRIVATE FRANK PIKE PRIVATE CHARLES GODFREY

Played by Ian Lavender Played by Arnold Ridley
Mainwaring often refers to him as, The platoon’s medical orderly often
“You Stupid Boy!”. Frank also works excuses himself to visit the bathroom
at the bank and is a mummy’s boy, who and is the oldest member of the unit.
always wears a scarf in case he catches a Was a conscientious objector during
cold. Lives with his mother and ‘Uncle the Great War which causes the others
Arthur’. It is often implied that Wilson to distance themselves from him at
is indeed Frank’s father. The rather timid first. It is later discovered he served in
Pike’s miniature is uncharacteristically the Medical Corps and was awarded
portrayed in a very aggressive pose. the Military Cross for gallantry, after
saving wounded men from No-Man’s
Land during the Battle of the Somme.

PRIVATE JAMES FRAZER CAPTAIN SQUARE

Played by John Laurie Played by Geoffrey Lumsden
A dour, miserly Scot who is the town’s Square is the pompous commander
undertaker. His pessimistic outlook of the neighbouring Eastgate Platoon.
leads him to frequently inform the He is a rival of Mainwaring and
others that they are doomed. the two often clash. He served as a
colonel in the regular army.

73
 PAINTING THE HOME GUARD
All the figures (other than Square) were painted in the later battledress uniform and used the following paints:

Step one - Basecoating

1 2
• Blouse, trousers, and cap - Vallejo English Uniform.
• Webbing and packs - Vallejo Green Grey.
• Waistbelt - Citadel Rhinox Hide.
• Boots and Anklets - Any black.

Step two - Washing

The entire figure, apart from the flesh and boots, was washed with Citadel
Agrax Earthshade.
Step three - Rebase
The base colours were then reapplied on the raised areas leaving the wash
only in the recesses. The boots and anklets were highlighted with Citadel
Dawnstone.
3 4
Step four - Detailing
I used an equal mix of Vallejo English Uniform and Scale 75 Thar Brown to
add additional highlights to the cap and uniform, and added Green Grey to
this mix to further highlight the webbing. A slightly lighter mix of this colour
was used for the sergeant’s stripes.
I used Citadel Retributor Armour to pick out the buttons and badge on the
cap (paint these with Rhinox Hide or any other very dark brown first and
leave a little showing around the metal areas).
Basing should be in whatever matches the rest of your figures.

A DIFFERENT PAINTING APPROACH

Square is dressed in what appears to be his WWI colonel’s uniform, which differs from the other miniatures. The colours I have used
for this jacket could be used if you wish to paint the other figures in the early war Home Guard green denim uniform. Note that I did
not add a colonel’s cuff decoration to the jacket as Square’s seems to be devoid of this adornment.

Step one - Basecoating

1 2
• Helmet and Jacket - Citadel Death World Forest.
• Trousers - Citadel Ushbati Bone.
• Putees - Vallejo English Uniform.
• Boots, belts, and holster - Vallejo Flat Brown.
• Pack - Vallejo Green Grey.

Step two - Washing

I used Agrax Earthshade to wash the main areas of the uniform
and puttees but used Army Painter Soft Tone on the trousers.

Step three - Rebase

The base colours were then reapplied on the raised areas leaving the wash 3 4
only in the recesses.

Step four - Detailing

The colours I used for the pack and jacket were again mixed with Scale
75 Thar Brown for a final highlight. The trousers were further highlighted
with Citadel Flayed One Flesh and the brown painted areas of the model
were enhanced with Citadel XV88. Buckles and buttons were painted with
the gold I used earlier. Square’s medal ribbon bars vary depending on the
episode and I have simplified his awards with various yellow, orange, red
and blue colours.

OTHER PAINTING INFORMATION

The figures were undercoated with a Halford’s (car spray) white rattle can primer. After basecoats were applied, I varnished the figures -
gloss varnish can aid the way that the ink moves over the figure and fills the recesses. After all the detail was finished, I applied a coat of
matt varnish. As these figures are quite small (for 28mm) I added a ball of greenstuff to their MDF bases to give them a little bit more stature
before hiding the puddle bases with ready mixed filler.

74
ADDING DETAILS

Godfrey’s Medpack and Armband Pike’s Scarf

Depending on episode, the medical bag can Ian Lavendar deliberately
vary from quite light in colour to the same chose this scarf from the
colour as the other character’s packs. I wardrobe department as he
settled on a slightly lighter mix and ‘white’ supported Aston Villa as
parts on the armband, bandage, and pack a boy. I used Citadel Red
are Vallejo Ivory with red crosses in Citadel Gore, which I highlighted
Mephiston Red. By outlining these colours and shaded before adding
with Citadel Rhinox Hide, and applying Citadel Macragge Blue and
some shading to the white parts, the finish Vallejo Ivory for the stripes.
is greatly enhanced.

Shoulder and Arm badges

Although the Home Guard shoulder badges were khaki with white lettering, I substituted a slightly
lighter colour for the background to ensure it stood out. The shoulder and arm badges were outlined
with Rhinox Hide and squiggles of white paint were then used to represent the letters. Citadel XV88
was used for the arm badge and the lettering ‘CP1’ was picked out with Citadel Mephiston Red.
Most of the characters have grey hair, as seen on Jones here. Citadel Contrast Space Wolves Grey
was a simple way to create this look, although I did highlight it further with Citadel Grey Seer.
Mainwaring’s hair was basecoated with Citadel Mournfang Brown, as it suits the character’s
reddish-brown hair, and any black will do for Pike.

Spectacles
This is a rather stylised way to paint a
variety of different lenses and it works
great for gems too; just vary the colours
if you do not want blue ones. 1) After I painted in the metal 2) Citadel Macragge blue 3) I added lighter shades of
frame, I left the centre black. was then painted in the blue to the lower part of the
lower section, leaving the bottom of the glasses, with a
black in the upper half. black line separating the metal
frame. A white highlight dot
BRITISH REGULAR ARMY UNIFORM
to the upper section of the lens
These Late War British Command figures from Crusader Miniatures finished things off.
illustrate how the painting guide I used for Wilson is quite versatile. It
will work for regular British and many Commonwealth soldiers in the
European theatre as they were issued with the same battledress. The DAD'S ARMY IN MINIATURE
only major difference is that for these later war figures I have used a
different colour for the webbing and gaiters, which all regular troops As well as the pack shown here (which is WW2011)
were issued with. Wargames Foundry produce a further five sets of
‘Dad’s Army’ figures and a British character pack. Here
you will find the belligerent ARP Warden Hodges, the
The colour of this webbing varied as the war progressed and was also
theatre dependent. I do not worry too much about how accurately I
portray this on my miniatures, as making it completely accurate would Vicar, Verger, and even Jones’ lady friend Mrs Fox.
be a bit of a fool’s errand. Soldiers were supposed to apply a product The spiv Private Walker (a glaring omission from the
called Blanco to the webbing and its colour varied throughout the war. principal characters set) can be found in the Home
The look would also change with exposure to the elements and how Guard in forage caps pack (WW2013).
carefully it had been applied in the first instance, so some disparity is
probably quite accurate. Warlord Games also produce a set of official Dad’s
Army figures, sculpted by the talented Paul Hicks:
Later war webbing could be quite green in colour and here I have Mainwaring, Wilson, Jones, Pike, Godfrey, Frazer,
painted it with Vallejo Yellow Olive and washed it with Citadel Agrax
Walker, and Hodges in civilian dress and in uniform,
Earthshade. Highlights go through Citadel Elysian Green to Scale 75
Thar Brown. as well as miniatures of Reverend Timothy Farthing
and the Verger Maurice Yeatman. A LDV Section
and Defenders of the Realm set are also available,
as well as the ‘Malcolm Campbell’ Armoured Car.
Most civilian cars were decommissioned due to petrol
shortages but some were used to tow the Smith Gun
that I mentioned previously. Warlord produce a model
of the Smith Gun as well as the Northover projector,
which was an improvised anti tank gun.
A recent release in the Dad’s Army-alikes comes from
1st Corps, whose figures look like they may be winding
their way home after a few well-earned drinks.

75
 PAINTING
POLISH PLASTICS

James continues his experiments with The Army Painter’s new Fanatic range, and paints a couple of the new Perry
Miniatures Duchy of Warsaw infantry.
Confession time - I’m quite the Napoleonic newbie when it WHY NOW?
comes to miniature painting. I generally enjoy freedom and
I’m currently putting the Army Painter’s (AP) Wargames Fanatic
expressiveness in my miniature art (which is why fantasy is
paints to the test, and, with the release of Alan Perry’s Napoleonic
still my genre of choice), and the Napoleonic period feels like
Duchy of Warsaw Infantry box sets, I decided to face my fears
a particularly intimidating and restrictive time of warfare. It is
and try out the new AP range on some new figures. I’ve been
one that is viewed through a very exacting, button-counting lens
impressed by the Fanatic paints’ saturation and coverage, so the
by many, even at the wargames table. Applying those rigorous
̔Polish’ infantry felt like a great test for them. I’d be able to apply
standards to the many (many, many, many) different regiments
in play, all with their tiny (but significant, in the eyes of many)
rich deep blue, bold and bright facings, and stark whites. I’d also
get to try out some of the 18 new skin tones in the range.
variations, sends me scuttling away. I’ve found comfort in more
pulpy history, such as the Wild West, or gone far further back I was going to take my usual
in time, to Ancients, where records of what folks wore on the approach and speed paint a
battlefield are rather fuzzier! selection of these great new
plastics, but it's been ages
I needed to get the Napoleonic monkey off my back, but it’s
since I picked up a brush
been easier said than done. I’ve seen the Perrys get misty eyed
(rather than an airbrush)
during interviews as they describe the facings of a particular
regiment, and I’ve heard the bafflement in their voices when
and painted like I used to.
they see a figure posed by someone who has clearly never felt
I’m loath to be repetitive
the weight of a musket - they are truly passionate about the
in my presentation of
techniques in the pages
details. They’ve spent their lives mastering the skills to sculpt
of Wargames Illustrated,
Napoleonic troops in miniature, so I can understand why, but
so I decided to take a more
I’ve always felt particularly apprehensive about presenting their
figures, painted by me, in Wargames Illustrated. I’d hate to do
‘traditional’ historical
painting approach, but with
them an injustice (and then see their disappointed faces when we
some twists of my own.
next go to the pub!).
That’s why, on the first
Prior to this article I hadn’t completed a single Napoleonic paint
figure I tackled, I started
job… No more, though! As you’ll see from these pages, I’ve put
to apply paint over black
brush to miniatures, and I’m now a Napoleonic painter with a
primer for the first time in
vast army of… two Perry plastics to take to the field! It’s a start,
more than a decade!
at least.

76
GRENADIER OF THE 7th INFANTRY REGIMENT (seen left on previous page)
The goal here was to put the Fanatic range’s Flexible Triads (see the Designer’s Notes article on page 42 for more detail about them)
to the test. I’ve painted this figure in my interpretation of the ‘classic’ historical style, with the kind of boldness that Foundry’s triad
paint system has aided over the years.

Modelling
Painting &
I suspected that Army Painter’s Flexible Triads would be perfect for achieving similar results. I also hoped they would offer me some
opportunity for artistic flair, and I didn’t just stick to the Triads the whole time. Here are a few of my paint selections and the reasons
behind them:

Dark Blues Dirty Whites

My basecoat would be Deep Ocean Blue, the darkest paint from In the (excellent) free guide that comes with the Perry figures, the
the Deep Blue-Greens Flexible Triad. Rather than work up uniforms are painted in an off-white that gives a sense of grime
through that Triad, I chose a layer and highlight colour from the and dirt. I wanted to emulate that across my model. I would, of
brighter Vivid Blues Triad instead. Imperial Navy and Crystal course, also add purer white to the straps around the pack.
Blue would bring more saturation to the finish, and better match
the uniform look that I was after. The Light Neutrals Triad are perhaps my pick of the Fanatic
range; these paints can be used in many applications, and they
are great to mix in with brighter colours to create slight tonal
variations in your shades and highlights. It was my obvious
choice here, starting with the appropriately named Dusty Skull,
and working through to Pale Sand. All are perfect for that mucky
uniform finish! Matt White, from the Warm Greys & Whites
Triad, was my go-to for the brighter white parts of the figure,
and I also added it as the very final highlight on the trousers.
Deep Blue-Greens Vivid Blues

TOP TIP - The Fanatic Triads make colour theory a lot easier.
You can quickly see, in similar colour Triads, where a dark
or light paint could be replaced with one that is less or more
saturated from another Triad. Play about with saturation in
different stages of your shading and highlights to totally change
the mood of your paint job. Light Neutrals Warm Greys
& Whites

The Musket Wood Flesh

I wanted to give a warm feel to the wood on the musket, aiming Three Triads are available for your skin tone needs and I went
to replicate how walnut would look in miniature. This led me to for the Rose selection. It’s great to have an ‘out of the box’
the Ruddy Browns Triad, and I picked the darkest and lightest choice here and by picking the darkest and lightest paints as
tones, along with a mid. two of my options I knew I’d get good contrast on the face and
hands. These parts of your figure want to draw they eye, so it is
always worth making sure they stand out.

Ruddy Browns
Rose Skin Tones

Bold Reds
Through prior testing of the paints, I knew that Pure Red, TOP TIP - When painting faces, think of the features in V shapes.
from the Cool Reds Triad, gave great coverage. I also chose The nose is a narrow, tapered V. The chin is a flat V. The sides of
to progress to Raging Rose from the same Triad, but, rather the face are a flipped Vs (across the cheekbone horizontally and
than opt for a pinker tone as a final highlight, I switched to the then down the maxilla at each side of the mouth).
Oranges Triad, opting for the bold Lava Orange. This would By building up the layers and
ensure a bright red, rather than muted pink finish. highlights across these lines,
you’ll create impactful volumes,
and you can always go back and
refine things later by filling in
some of the gaps.

Cool Reds Oranges

77
 1) I laid down fairly neat basecoats over the Army Painter black
primer to begin, but I wasn’t obsessive about these being too tidy,
as I could clean them up later. You can instantly see the benefits
of the new Fanatic paints at this stage, with areas like the plume
looking particularly bold and saturated. All applications are a single
coat of paint, and the red is very striking.
Note that the trousers here are in Dusty Skull, while the upper
whites are in Pale Sand. I always leave myself somewhere to go
with basecoats, even if the result is going to be pure white or dark
black. This is why I used Deep Ocean Blue on the bearskin and roll;
I’ll shade them down later with a darker colour.

2) The second stage is about refining the figure through the

application of mid-tones. I don’t just fill a similar area with the new
paint, leaving some lines around the edges. This seems to be the
traditional approach, but it’s not my style, and makes little sense
when you consider how light actually casts shadows
and highlights.
I consider what the material is, and where the light would hit it, then
vary my layering and highlights accordingly. This is why most of the
upper white has been almost fully reinforced with Matt White (white
fabric is not generally very reflective, so doesn’t want as much visible
contrast between high and lowlights), while the boots only have
selective Imperial Navy highlights, recreating the shine you would
get from leather.
On the trousers I’ve applied more Ancient Stone to the upper areas
and less to the lower parts, where the legs are recessed beneath the
knees and would get less light.

TOP TIP - If you’re less confident about where to focus your

highlights, and don’t have an airbrush to apply a zenithal
highlight, place your black-primed figure under a strong, top-
down light source, and take a photograph of it. The highlights
shown can then be replicated as you paint from this reference
image. It’s not exact, but it’s a great start.
THREE UPS
3) Final highlights and details are next, and this is where I While looking through the
find the Fanatic paints particularly good. The top end of each comprehensive uniform guide
Triad tends to give great coverage, and if I want to bring included in the box sets, you
more saturation (such as on the plume), I can shift to a more might gaze at the photographs
saturated highlight Triad. Tones can add depth to some areas, of painted figures and wonder
how the heck Alan paints
such as the black and metals.
such refined detail on them.
Edging in white is certainly a chore but, considering how new I You might also become
am to this period, I think I did ok! disheartened when your own
efforts achieve nowhere near
his neatness.
Don’t be so hard on yourself!
Alan’s miniature painting
for the guides is done on
pre-production versions of
the models, because the final
frames aren’t ready in time.
These pre-production figures
are ‘three ups’, so called
because, although they have
the same look and parts as the
figures in the box, they are over
80mm in height - a far more
forgiving scale!

78
Above: Here's the finished Grenadier with final details such as splatter on the trousers and simple basing.

BASING
The Voltigeur (see over the page)

1) I used the base on my Voltigeur to enhance 2) If you feel the cork looks too chunky once 3) Mocha Skin is from the Deep Skin Tones
the detail elements I’d applied to the miniature. everything dries, you can trim it down with Flexible Triad, but felt right for the dusty,
I trimmed around the puddle base, glued the clippers or a knife. chalky warmth I wanted in the soil here.
figure in place, then added ground texture with
broken cork tile before filling the gaps with
fine sand.

4) I clipped some brass etched leaves, 5) I gave them a coat of paint off-model 6) I gave the base a wash of Strong Tone to
which come in various designs and can be (there’s a risk you’ll flick paint where it’s not enhance the depth, then fixed some muted
purchased from many hobby shops, from wanted if you paint the brass etched detail on tufts and the brass etch in place before
their frame and bent them into a 3D form, the base) with Angel Green. From the Deep giving it a wetbrush with Grotesque Green
making them quite tangled. Greens Flexible Triad, this is a bolder colour around its edges and tips. This paint, from
than might seem appropriate, but I had a plan! the Olive Greens Flexible Triad, ensured
that the spiky looking plant was tonally
fitting with the rest of the scene, while
still standing out enough to catch the eye.
By adding it to the base, it justifies the
scratches I added to the side of the leg, and
gives a little story element of the Voltigeur
rushing through thick foliage on his
The Grenadier advance and getting nicked by the branches.

A far simpler job here for my ‘basic’ paint

job. Tundra Taupe with a wash of Strong
Tone gives the ground an interesting look, and
brighter tufts make it look more like the well-
trodden ground of a Napoleonic battlefield.

79
 VOLTIGEUR OF THE 13th INFANTRY REGIMENT 1810
With my Grenadier done, I wanted to try something a bit more expressive and challenging. I picked a Voltigeur from the 13th
regiment; the predominantly white uniform would be a mission that would let me use the Light Neutrals Triad, and I could add some
story to this chap, reflecting that he is more accustomed to advancing off the path well-trodden.
Rather than provide a step-by-step, I’ve explained my approaches to selected areas of this figure.

TOP TIP - Decide the story you want to tell before you start painting. It may be as simple as ‘he’s off to battle’, but adding one extra
detail can make for a far more fun painting experience, and better final job. How about ‘he’s off to battle, but his regiment had to march
through mud’, or ‘he’s off to battle, but the men didn’t get properly reequipped ahead of time’? Here I wanted to create the feel of a bold
scout, darting through undergrowth and keeping in cover while braving the elements.

Starting Light You Don’t Have To Blend

As the figure is predominantly white, I started the Voltigeur I was going for a high-tabletop/low-display standard on this
with a zenithal grey spray from my airbrush over black primer. figure. One might think that requires perfect blends, but I don’t
This established the overall form of the uniform’s volumes agree. I love to establish texture and interest with brush strokes
straight away. that are quite loose and scratchy at first.

You can see this

TOP TIP - A clearly on the
zenithal spray can be white, where I’ve been
in any colour or tone. By expressive and free in my
chosing grey rather than gradual build-up of paint layers.
white, I could still build up the You can always refine and tighten
predominantly white uniform with these later, with more paint from your
highlights. I’ve applied a zenithal spray brush, or tones from the airbrush. The
of pale blue, green, or red to figures before, musket wood also looks quite rough, but
to add hints of that colour in recesses, and once it gets some finishing washes, the
this is a particularly useful technique with starkness is reduced, and a more pleasing
fantasy figures. Spray a zenithal yellow, then finish achieved (see the next page).
paint orc green skin over the top in thinned
layers, and the yellow will come through
adding a vibrancy to the finish.

I began to bring colour to the figure over this zenithal start, but
didn’t use the paints at their full saturation. While the Fanatic
THE CARTRIDGE BOX
range’s major selling point is great coverage, it’s worth noting
that the paints thin down very well. Even with just water they Thanks to the excellent guide that is included in the Infantry
make great glazes, and if you want even more flow, you can Battalion and Infantry Elite Companies boxes, I knew exactly what
add the Fanatic Medium or use the Effects Retarder to prolong to paint on the cartridge boxes. The key was working out the easiest
drying time. Both of these are in the 18-paint Effects range. way to do it!
1) I break any freehand work
By thinning some basecoats I maintained the zenithal depth down into simple elements, so
that I’d sprayed. Thinned Autumn Sage on the epaulettes and the Voltigeur’s horn started with
pompom left some visible volume, making my painting life a simple circle of Greedy Gold.
easier. Autumn Sage is a very desaturated paint, so I next added
green wash, followed by the far more saturated Wild Green over 2) After that, I added a T to the
the top. Finally, I added Warped Yellow, mixed with Matt White, left of it and an I to the right. It
to make final pop highlights. This brought the green closer to the looks fairly messy here, but the
desired look for a Voltigeur, but I still needed to add some Green next stage will remedy that.
Tone wash to add the depth required once final highlights were
done (see the final images).
3) A Matt Black dot in the
centre of the circle, along with
refinement around the edges of
the design with the same paint,
gives a more defined look, and
makes the symbol seem to lift
off the box.

Right: A small
section from
the expansive
guide included
in the box sets.

80
 ADDING TEXTURE AND INTEREST

I added texture to various areas of the figure using different techniques. The
pompom was stippled with dots as I moved through to lighter tones to give it
a fluffy appearance, while the canteen got a more scuffed finish with Prairie
Ochre and Burnt Tuft from the Ochres and Teals Triad, then a final scratchy
highlight of Pale Sand from the Light Neutrals (see the rear view below).
I also painted woodgrain onto the musket. This was done by streaking quite
contrasting applications of Urban Buff over Brigadine Brown, then going back
and forth between the two to refine the details and create knots in the wood. I
even pushed to scratches of Matt White around edges. This looked very stark,
but was later toned down with Strong Tone and Sepia Tone applied as thinned
glazes.
To finish my micro-detailing, I added some scratches and applied lines over the
white straps.

1 2 3

I love to create moments of story on my figures, and for this one, I wanted to convey that he had gone into rougher terrain. I used various
Effects paints from the Fanatic range for this. Oozing Vomit has a green grime to it, and, when carefully applied to the knees, looks like grass
stains acquired from kneeling to shoot. True Blood and Dry Blood have also been used. A shot has grazed his left arm, and I’ve added fresh
streaks of blood with True Blood over a dark patch I painted with grey. On his trousers, I used Dry Blood to indicate a scuffed knee (from
diving into a firing crouch), and an area where he has been caught by sharp branches as he has rushed through cover.

Smoothing Out Skin

There’s not been a whole lot more work done in the stage shown I used all six paints in the Rosy Skin Tones Triad on my
below than in the previous image. The main difference, beyond Voltigeur to get more nuance and bring extra realism. I did find
painting the skin, is that I've picked up my airbrush and added it a bit of a struggle to finish off the eyes, as they were way too
nuances of colour to different parts of the figure. The lower teeny on the figure. I cursed myself for even trying, but I fixed
legs have been toned with extremely-thinned Bootstrap Brown my mistakes and added some stubble instead, with a thinned
to give a ‘dusting’. I’ve also used Autumn Sage in small areas wash of Dark Tone and Dark Blue Tone.
on various parts of the figure as a harmonising tone. It’s on the
undersides of some uniform areas, and makes the top highlights With that my Napoleonic
on parts like the covered shako. I love doing simple things like duo was complete. I took two
this to make the figure come together and feel complete, unifying very different approaches to
the look through one paint. painting them but it resulted
in two figures that, while
having individual styles, still
TOP TIP - This ‘nuance’ mix needs to be extremely thin before
look period appropriate and I
you airbrush with it. If it’s applicable with a brush, it’s still too
learned from. Next up, a full
thick! Keep on thinning your paint in a mixture of water and
regiment (no promises)!
airbrush thinner, until it’s just thick enough that it doesn’t instantly
spiderweb when it hits your figure. That’s the sweet spot.

Turn your pressure

down to around
18psi, and spray
incredibly carefully by
feathering the trigger of
your airbrush. If you’re doing
it right, the paint should barely be
visible as it hits the figure, but you
can build up the tone gradually until you
are happy.
If you find it’s not spraying how you’d
like, listen carefully to your equipment. If
you hear a free blowing of air, you’re not
close enough to the figure. As soon as the
tone of the spray changes, so that it sounds
like the spray is meeting resistance, you’re
close enough!

81
 Genre hopping
with
7TV: The 80s’ lead writer, Helena
Nash, provides insight into the
design process of the popular
skirmish game’s latest Genre Guide.
Genre is an odd concept. It’s sort of a style of film or TV show, or
maybe a setting in time and place, or a mixture of those elements
in varying proportions. Comedy, horror, western, space opera,
detective… the list is endless. You could fill a book - or more likely
start a heated debate on social media - about what is and is not part
of a particular genre. I’m pretty sure the ‘is this folk horror?’ threads
are still raging in a war-torn corner of Facebook.
For the purposes of 7TV, we use the word
‘genre’ at a mechanical level, to represent
CINEMATIC the sort of cast you want to play. Genre will
define what Stars, Co-Stars, and Extras
SKIRMISH
RULES

make up your show, and, at the meta level

(where 7TV is not just a skirmish game, it’s
a show and you’re dramatizing stories on
the tabletop), it’s also the theme and feel of
your own television series or movie.
GENRE GUIDE

ER FI
EO
ST I-
H

RECOGNISABLE ARCHETYPES
7TV has always involved genres. As an
integral part of the game’s design, genres
G E N R E G U
I D E have helped to convey the unique feel
of on-screen spy thrillers, science fiction
& FILM
O F 80 S C U LT T V
IRMISHING I N T H E W O R L DS
C I N E M AT I C S K

shows, and law and order dramas from

the 1960s and 1970s in the Inch High Spy-Fi
boxset. Later, they were used to define tighter categories within
individual box sets, such as ‘Survival’ and ‘Wasters’ in 7TV:
Apocalypse, ‘Gangland Stories’ and ‘Weird Menace’ in 7TV: Pulp,
and ‘Folktale’ and ̔Sword & Sorcery’ in 7TV: Fantasy. To bring
it full circle, the enhanced second edition 7TV Core Rulebook Each of the 7TV: The 80s genres have a flavour that
encompasses the best elements of all that have gone before it, with distinguishes them from the broader 7TV categories.
six broad genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, and
GENRE EFFECTS
Sci-Fi.
We put a lot of thought into methods to make your cast’s
For 7TV: The 80s, I didn’t want to just take the old Inch High Spy-Fi
genre feel like a dynamic and evolving element of the game
genres and shove them into pastel jackets and espadrilles. I wanted
during play, rather than just a measure to determine your
new genres that captured some of the feel of actual ’80s shows
cast’s composition.
and expanded what we had generally taken to be 7TV’s traditional
source material. Yes, we cover ’80s action and adventure TV Genre effects can be played through the game, alongside
shows, science fiction and spy films, and so on, but I also thought the script (countdown) deck, to help your cast complete
about other aspects of the era that we could take inspiration from. the scene, or to hinder your opponents’ efforts. These are
Early computer and video games, glitzy soap operas, grimy social presented in a style that is appropriate to the genre. When
drama and comedy, and pop singers with larger-than-life onstage Cold War tensions are high, you might end up playing
personas. You’ll see those influences coming through in new profile the ‘Tinker Tailor’ genre effect to get an enemy model to
archetypes that define cast members, such as Video Ghost, Electron turn traitor. ‘They’re Heeere’, from the Frightmare genre,
Guard, White Collar, Yuppie, Rogue Trader, and Wide Boy. moves an ally model so it suddenly appears near the enemy.

82
‘A-Listers’ allows any extras
within the Greed & Glamour
genre to get ideas above their
pay grade, and activate for
genre

from the screen

free. ‘Where We’re Going, 64

We Don’t Need Roads’ is

a Silicone Dream card that
can instantly move multiple
models 3" on foot or 18" in a

EPISODES
vehicle without any terrain obstructions. Supernatural slashers, cabins in woods, and babysitters
Each riffs on the genre with its theme and fighting back.
its play effects. They stalk the shadows, lurk behind the doors of
suburban streets, gather in wild nightspots and remote
A BROADER TIMEFRAME cabins, lunge from the depths of space, or haunt the SAME HOU
SE. NEW NEIG

You may have noticed that some of the sources sleep of the innocent. HBORHOO
D. FRESH MEAT
.

of inspiration that we’ve referenced for 7TV:

CROOKED DICE GAME
The 80s aren’t from the 1980s, strictly speaking. STARRING HESTER
DESIGN STUDIO PRESENTS
KANGENLAMP CAROLY
DIRECTED BY STEVE
MINOR FILMED IN TECHNI
AN 8TV STUDIO
S PRODUCTION “SCREAM
N CANE RODERICK MCDOW HOUSE 3”
COLOR DISTRIBUTED BY ELL JOHN SAXXON
BRADY ARTISTS
From the most famous and successful space
movie franchise (released 1977) to a certain
kids-on-bikes Netflix streamer (released 2016),
what we consider part of the ’80s catchment
area is wide.
Above and right:
Fortunately, I have a very elastic concept of Gribblies are ready
time (as anyone waiting for me to turn up to an for a more light-
event will attest), and, as a child of the ’70s and hearted fright-night
teenager of the ’80s, I have a strong, personal experience…
feeling for the point at which the films and TV
shows I was watching transitioned from one
Below: … while other more
era to another. That is why, for the purposes of malevolent baddies are coming
the game, my version of the 1980s starts with a to Crooked Dice’s ’80s range, too.
blockade runner being chased across the screen
by a gigantic Imperial Star Destroyer in 1977
(very late 1977 for us in the UK), and ends
seconds before the opening bars of the Twin
Peaks theme, first broadcast in 1990.
That also means that surreal New York gang
odyssey The Warriors makes it into my ’80s,
as does bonkers Italian space opera Starcrash, I
am delighted to announce.
All this is a very roundabout way of me saying 52

‘Your 1980s May Vary’, and you well may spot references in
7TV: The 80s to bionic men, dark galactic empires, or even HIRED HELP VS
FRIGHTMARE

musclebound and green-skinnned monsters whose screen debuts

CASTS
THE ROCKET
REVOLUTION
(SILICON DREAM
ODDJOBBERS
Star WRONG PEOPLE,
Neutron – Specia )
RIGHT TOOLS. GOD

came a little earlier, but whose appearances and influence across

Co-Star l Agent
Modem Girl – BLESS SPOOKY STREET
Extra
Bosco – Engine
Incorporeal Advisor PITCH
Extras er Thatcher’s Britain
Roadies – Private , with high unemp
Vehicle Security enterprising loyment and
KAMILLE – Motorb independent low prospects.
EPISODES

ike (Core Rulebo containment trader Derek When

ok) equipment from ‘acquires’ some
THE NUMAN in ex-convict a mothballed high-tech supern
OID (SILICON boxer Terry and Department X atural
Star DREAM) bargain baseme low-bro warehouse,
nt monster elimina w bricklayer Oz to form Oddjob he ropes

movies and TV alike lasted well into the ’80s (and beyond), which Extra
Extras
The Numanoid
Killer Queen
Kraftworkers
– Cybernetic
Organism
– Infiltrator Robot PRODUCTION NOTES
tion service. bers Ltd, a

qualifies them for inclusion here among our inspirations.

Extras – Electron Citizen Oddjobbers grew
Jarreheads – s out of a childre
Vehicle Electron Guards bumbling chance n’s television
CYMON – Superc rs hired themse series, in which
ar (Core Rulebo UFOs for a knock-d lves out to deal a group of
ok) own fee and with monsters,
LOCATION an evening slot
after compla
no questions
asked. But it
ghosts and
The Numanoid’s suffocation and ints from parents was soon moved
secret facility spontaneous about scenes to
steam tunnels beneath the and situational combustion. of decapitation,
snake betwee Electric Avenue comedy proved Oddjobbers’
room domina n workshops, nightclub. Neon-li featuring memor a surefire winner combination
of horror

Sometimes, selecting from what we know (and love) means the

ted by a vast holding cells t able threats like with the adult
multi-screen and the central cockney demon inept rock & audience,
video wall. control Geezer, and the roll vampire Snotfer
SET DRESSING strong comedi
c performances
tarmac body-h
orror of the Black
atu, colossal
If you would Aveline the secreta from the suppor Stuff. With
to add some ry and Brumm ting characters
then conside more cinema Oddjobbers soon ie bore Barry, like airheaded
tic features to

inclusion of stone-cold classics that every ’80s fan will be familiar

r including these your Neutron became a British and spooky slapstic
tropes or maguffi Nelson games animated series, TV k set-pieces,
ns: Yer Actual Oddjob institution, even spawning
• Trope – Neon bers. a short-lived
Sanctum
• Maguffin –
Alien Meteorite (Core
Rulebook) or
Time Travel Device 8.00
Oddjobbers

with: Hawaiian detectives, paranormal investigators, and colonial

starring Jason David
The Blobs from the
Black Stuff
by KARLA LAINE and

marines. Other times, our choices are a little more idiosyncratic,

JOHNNY
SILLUVAN
The lads take on
a ‘street cleaning’
job in Liverpool,
no questions asked.
Only problem is,
the street in ques-
tion has been laid
with living alien
tarmac, intent on
absorbing the hu-

drawing on home-grown British dramas and sitcoms about dodgy

man race one person
at a time...
Derek .................
........... JASON DAVID
Terry .................
DENIS
Oz ..................................WADDERMAN
Aveline Boswell.... JAMES NALE
...... JILLY COLMAN

salesmen or out-of-work brickies, but giving them a fresh 7TV

Lucien/Permhead
.. MICHAEL ANGELS
Josser .................
...........
Spurt the Dog ........... BERNIE HALL
ROB CALORGA
S
Producer NATHAN-JO
HN TURNER
Director CAM DOUGFIELD

spin (which usually means putting them up against monsters, not

gonna lie!).
Everyone’s ’80s is different, but the new profiles, genres, and
Conversely, since 7TV: The 80s draws largely on my and special effects that we’ve created are enough of a toolkit for
Crooked Dice owner Karl’s personal favourites, and our lived you to do justice to ‘Your 1980s’, whatever that may be. I look
experiences of growing up in the 1980s, you may well forward to seeing what you come up with!
perceive glaring gaps in the archetypes and shows we’ve
presented. All I can say is, despite my very 31

best efforts, I never managed 30

to watch absolutely everything 80S STARS

CAST BUILDING

GENRES RATINGS
EXAMPLES
STARS AFFILIATION 10
Frightmare,
GENRES RATINGS
Neutral Stalkers from another world,
EXAMPLES Hunter Alien Rebel State
CAST BUILDING

human-alien hybrids, and

that ever came out in the STARS
Bold Planner
AFFILIATION
Neutral Master criminals, sardonic
space rebels, Machiavellian
industrialists, ruthless financial
Cold War,
Greed &
Glamour,
Hired Help
10
demi-gorgons from an
upside-down reality
Ageing space knights, skeletal
Frightmare, 10
traders, renegade time lords, Legendary Neutral Rebel State,
supervillains, eternal sorceresses,

’80s… But believe me, I tried! masters of dungeons, and starship

captains who don’t believe in
no-win scenarios
Replicants, terminating
Rebel State, 10
Paragon
earthbound angels, dark lords,
galactic emperors, flat-topped
avatars, vengeful archmagi,
mental flayers
and
Silicon Dream

Cybernetic Neutral Silicon Dream 10

machines, bionic men and women, Microchip magnates, oil barons,
Cold War,
Organism
synthetic crew members, military Millionaire Neutral
reclusive best-selling novelists,
Greed &
experiments gone awry, humanoid Meddler
husband and wife jetsetters,
Glamour,
impersonators, and dead cops Silicon Dream
founders for law and government,
wired into cybernetic exoskeletons owners of fantasy islands, and
Cold War, 10
Neutral Solid lightforms, digitised DJs, Greed & futuristic megacorp CEOs
Digital Avatar to 10
videogame characters come Bandana-wearing drifters,
Cold War,
Glamour,
life, computer-generated teenage Nam Vet Neutral
valorous rescuers, soldiers
Greed &
Silicon Dream
fantasies, ghosts in the machine, missing in action, tightly-wound
Glamour,
and electronic brains with Hired Help
taxi drivers, unstable platoon
delusions of grandeur
Frightmare, 10 sergeants, exterminators,
Sardonic slashers, nightmarish who
Neutral Hired Help punishers, and mercenaries
Dream
clowns, bio-exorcists, cursed need to let off some steam
Stalker 10
sorcerors, pin-headed sadists, fell Cold War,
Neutral Orkan observers, people who
poltergeist preachers, malicious Psychic
to Earth, blood-drenched prom
Frightmare,
from
leprechauns, and murderers Prodigy
queens, firestarters, scanners,
Silicon Dream
the other side of the mirror
Frightmare, 10 and telepathic space rebels
Villainous Blobs, things, alien queens,
Horrific Thing Silicon Dream
evil trees, and flesh-melding
society elites

83
 A BRITISH PERSPECTIVE
Going into the decade in Britain, we only had
three channels - two BBCs and a regional ITV
- until newcomer, Channel 4, expanded our
genre
viewing horizons in late 1982 (bringing The
Prisoner, Hong Kong action flicks, and those
films with, uh, red triangles in the corner…). Modems, video arcades, and shiny robots.

TV schedules and budgets restricted what we Cutting-edge vehicles with sardonic

got to watch. It wasn’t wall-to-wall classics; personalities, prototype military hardware,
there was Paint Along With Nancy (a woman artificially intelligent supercomputers and
videogames, androids from a nightmarish
paints with a butter knife), Crown Court (with future, or robots from a galaxy far, far away:
the most insistently irritating theme tune known the future can be as bright or dark as you
to humanity), Old Country (a man sits in an direct it to be.
old shed smoking a pipe), the footie results,
and generally awful ITV sitcoms like In Loving
Memory, That’s My Boy, and Oh No It’s Selwyn
Froggitt. The overriding recollection when I
look back is that they’re all rendered in shades of
brown… but it’s OK; I’m over it now!
In between the occasional imports from the far
side of the Atlantic, featuring men driving cool
black vehicles, and cheerless homegrown sitcoms
about Thora Hird in a brown shed, we watched
the few good homegrown sitcoms, popular
light dramas about ‘life in Thatcher’s Britain’,
and terrifying Cold War dramas about nuclear
Armageddon.
Shows like Only Fools and Horses (an
irrepressible South London ‘wide boy’ and
his gormless brother get in and out of money- Above: They may look like digital renders but these
making scrapes), Minder (a soft-hearted hard are actually miniatures from the Crooked Dice range!
man and his cowardly small-time crook of a
boss get in and out of money-making scrapes),
and Auf Wiedersehen Pet (Geordie bricklayers
in Germany) are all popular examples of a very
EUROPEAN EXPLORATION
British take on the ’80s that has very little in
the way of the pastel jackets, neon grids, and Taking the lead from 7TV Fantasy, Pitch Darkness
electronic music imported from the US. which featured fictional Italian studio
The British/West German TV series is
So, what does this all mean for 7TV: The 80s?
Minerva Avventura (props to Karl,
Peter Wright, and the Edge Hill team a tip of the hat to John le Carré and Len
Well, a good portion of the Hired Help genre for that one), I did my best to pay Deighton cold war thrillers set in East and
owes its origins to British TV, as do profiles like homage to European influences in our West Berlin, as well as a nod to Wolfgang
Rogue Traders, Ex-Cons, Cowboy Builders, and new Classic Episodes. Petersen.
Wide Boys, though these do, of course, all have Star Killers
Swordwinder
their counterparts in other cultures.
This French fantasy movie (original This Italian sci-fi extravaganza (original
title L’Immortel) is a tribute to title Assassini Stellari) is a love letter to
all those bonkers ‘not-Star Wars’ movies
55

Christophe Lambert’s finest role, as

well as a shoutout to my favourite John directed by the likes of Luigi Cozzi.
Carpenter romp. Neutron Nelson
While it’s an American show, the moody
dry ice and neon lighting is very Luc
Besson, and the cybernetic villains’
50 soundtrack owes a debt to certain German
EPISODES

electronic bands.
EPISODES

PRESENTS AN 8TV STUDIOS

PRODUCTION
CROOKED DICE GAME DESIGN STUDIO DISTRIBUTED BY BRADY ARTISTS
PRODUCED BY LARS GLENN
DIRECTED BY MARC BICHON

bless Spooky Street.

Wrong people, right tools. God TION “ODDJOBBER S”
O PRESENTS AN 8TV STUDIOS PRODUC
CROOKED DICE GAME DESIGN STUDI HN TURNER
PRODUCED BY NATHAN-JO
DIRECTED BY CAM DOUGFIELD

84 DISTRIBUTED BY BRADY ARTIS

TS
FILMED IN TECHNICOLOR
 The terrifying Cold War dramas add to that

genre genre. Harry’s Game (Belfast during the

Troubles), Edge of Darkness (government
cover-ups and nuclear espionage), Smiley’s
People (murky games of double- and triple-
cross between East and West), and Threads
Checkpoint Charlie, looming nuclear (the iconic docu-drama, which starts with a
threats, and exhibition boxing matches. nuclear bomb exploding over Sheffield, and
The stalemate of mutually assured gets worse from there) are all inspirational
nuclear Armageddon frequently pits fun, and in no way scarred a generation of
Soviet and Western forces against each teenagers for life… Ahem!
other in shadowy games of spycraft,
technological races to perfect the next ‘Pitch Darkness’ is one of our new classic
super weapon, carefully staged law- episodes, combining the grimmest, greyest,
enforcement exchange programmes, and most cerebral of the Cold War dramas
and jingoistic sporting matches. Is it with world-weary spies, disillusioned
East versus West, or man against man? coppers, untrustworthy superiors, some
highly unstable nuclear material, and a
football match. It’s like Escape to Victory
meets Fail Safe (Google it; it’s brilliant) but
with a Clannad soundtrack.
Just as 7TV: Apocalypse’s ‘Planet of
the Fungoids’ episode allowed us to
reframe popular ’70s sitcom characters as
desperate survivors in a hellish Britscape
of marauding vegetables, so too does 7TV:
The 80s. Our Hired Help classic episode
‘Oddjobbers’ was a no-brainer: take a
handful of beloved comedy characters from
the ’80s, outfit them with some unlicensed
particle-accelerator backpacks, and send
them out into Britain’s blighted, Thatcher-
era conurbations as cut-price busters of
monsters, ghosts, and UFOs. Opponents
include the inept rock & roll vampire
known as Snotferatu, a colossal cockney
demon named Geezer, and the tarmac body-
horror of the Black Stuff.

genre
Soap opera shenanigans, yacht rock cops, terrorists,
and red braces.
Be they oil barons, Wall Street traders, celebrity
supermodels, reclusive best-selling authors, or heirs
to fabulous family fortunes, their ‘Greed is Good’
philosophy doesn’t spare them from disputes that
can turn the luxurious boardroom or exclusive event
ballroom into a battleground. Meanwhile, ambitious
drug lords and diehard thieves aim to get rich quick by
pulling off the heist of a lifetime.

Above and right: Private Investigators

and a lethal cop.

85
 genre

Episodic TV with lovable rogues taking on any job

for a fast buck, and fugitives doing what they can
to stay ahead of their pursuers.
In a time of rampant capitalism, high
unemployment, and few legitimate prospects on
the horizons, hiring their bodies out for pay is a
way of life for bounty hunters, private detectives,
minders, and soldiers of fortune… if you can find
them! Not all hired helpers are so bold, instead
wheeling and dealing with customers on both
sides of the law. Enterprising ex-cons, out-of-work Above: We hear that these Rogue
brickies, wide boys, scam merchants, and workshy Traders have got some Trevor Francis
layabouts all duck and dive, confident that this tracksuits from a mush in Shepherd’s
time next year they’ll be millionaires. Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush…

TV ON THE TABLETOP
Recreating the feel of a TV programme
or film as a game can be tricky.
Scriptwriters and directors don’t have to
worry about things like effective weapons
range, movement rates, or fall damage! In
designing the Genre Guides for 7TV, we
Game Designers are trying to simulate
action - physical or otherwise - in a way
that gives players a fair crack at pulling
off the sort of thing that they’ve seen
characters get away with on screen.
Words like ‘agency’ and ‘balance’ come
into play here.
7TV has always used the ‘Star Qualities’
and ‘Special Effects’ mechanics to
represent what the Stars, Co-Stars,

genre
and Extras in your cast can do beyond
the the basic ‘move, attack, take a hit’
meat and potatoes of the skirmish game
rules. These are the individual skills and
powers of each model. ‘Block’, ‘Dodge’,
‘Large’, ‘Leader’, ‘Military Training’,
and ‘Sidekick’ have long been staples
in the 7TV repertoire, but with 7TV: The
80s, we’ve added something like 200
new abilities. Some are simple reskins Freedom fighters vs tyrants, or terrorism
of existing ‘Special Effects’, given a vs law & order.
more ’80s-appropriate name, but the vast Probably the broadest of all the ’80s
majority are new, rejoicing-in-evocative genres, representing the cat-and-mouse
names like ‘Ain’t Got Time To Bleed’, struggles between overwhelming forces of
‘Closing Monologue’, ‘Diplomatic oppression and defiant resistance, set in a
Immunity’, ‘Laugh It Up Fuzzball’, and galactic empire, a dystopian future Earth, a
‘Pain is Pleasure’. There are 36 brand- rural Georgia county, or a high school with
new ‘Star Qualities’, too, like ‘A Head
a few problem students.
For Business’, ‘Machine Code’, ‘On The
Jazz’, and ‘Warmest Place To Hide’.

86
One new ‘Special Effect’ is ‘Juvenile’, which gives models representing children and
young adults - like ‘Scream Teen’, ‘Prom Queen’, and ‘Schoolkid’ - a better chance
of defending against attacks. This goes back to that challenge of simulating popular
on-screen tropes in a game, and it’s my way of reflecting the films where plucky kids
somehow manage to avoid being caught and beaten up as easily as they would have
been in real life. I figure that’s how the Goonies evaded the clutches of the Fratellis, and
the Monster Squad survived long enough to kick the Wolfman in the nards.
And what better place to leave it than that? I hope you’ll find as much fun representing
the classics of the 1980s on the tabletop as we all had reminiscing and reflecting on the
decade, before transposing it into this new Genre Guide.

87
 ‘Alala!
DESIGNER’S
NOTES

The Prelude to the Spear

Simon MacDowall talks about the “Shield was pressed close against shield, each man
development and playtesting of his
new ruleset for Greek hoplite battles. standing shoulder to shoulder; over their glittering
Evocative descriptions of battle, such helmets the horse-hair plumes touched as they
as the one to the right, were designed nodded, so tightly packed were the ranks.”
to stir the blood when the poet wrote
them, and they still resonate today.
Homer
On learning about the ancient Greeks
in primary school, a friend and I were
certainly inspired - so much so that we
formed two gangs: my Spartans and his
Athenians. We fought out our version of
the Peloponnesi wars, daily, in the school
playground!
As I got older, my recreations of ancient
battles became more sophisticated, and
hoplites gave way to other options in
my miniature armies. On the wargaming
table, a clash between two similar hoplite
forces, with precious few supporting
troops, seemed to make for a dull game,
but I never lost my interest in Greek
hoplite warfare altogether.
The Society of Ancients brought classic Above: A deep Theban phalanx engages Mantinean hoplites in a refight of Second Mantinea at
Greek clashes to their events in 2022 and the Society of Ancients 2023 Battle Day.
2023, which gave me a new incentive
to work out how to fight hoplite battles.
I got to thinking about what would This was the genesis of my new rules, ‘Alala!, which
make such encounters interesting on take their name from the aforementioned war-cry. They
the tabletop, and how I could make a are designed to recreate the essence of ancient Greek
game redolent of the Greek war-cry warfare, capture the spirit of a time when the gods
Ἀλαλά! This vociferation invokes the intervened in the affairs of mortals, and transfer the
personification of war and, as Pindar put mythical, legendary, historical, and poetic accounts of
it, “the prelude to the spear, with which ancient Greek battle to the tabletop.
the people offer holy death sacrifices for
the city”.

88
 Below right: This is one of the more whimsical possibilities from the
God Pack. No doubt the player drawing the card would have preferred
FINDING FAVOUR to invoke the Strength of Ares (shown left), giving them the possibility
of rerolling up to three combat dice in a sticky situation, but it is
An ancient Greek army needed to invoke the favour of the gods. always nice to get a compliment on one’s magnificent helmet crest!
This was a time when people believed that the gods intervened
in the affairs of mortals, sometimes for their own amusement
and sometimes in response to sacrifice or devout behaviour.

designer’s
This led me to develop the ‘God Pack’, the deck from which a

notes
player draws when they choose to ‘Invoke the Gods’, rather than
taking other actions, such as ordering and inspiring the men.
There are no battle-winning cards here, but most will give an
mage
advantage to the player who draws it. The gods, however, like to ful Plu
The Strengt Beauti et
h of e helm
play with mere mortals, so some cards will be disadvantageous, Re-roll up to
Ares
ve an im
p ssiv ht?
re
fig
3 combat dic You ha but can you
and others merely whimsical. Blank cards are included for single throw
e in a crest
FECT
players to add their own divine interventions. NO EF

y
ol enem
ed to fo
May be retain e retain
ed to play lat May b
er

The God Pack can add a lot of fun, and it can be customized
to bring narrative and historical elements to your tabletop.
In one of our early games, one side decided it would be
better for their leaders to focus on the needs of their
men, as opposed to drawing cards connected to the fickle
gods above. When it came to battle, their dice rolling was
abysmal, and we quickly became wary of ignoring the gods,
but it doesn’t mean it’s not an option!

Left: Players can seek to gain the favour of the gods if

they hope to be successful on the field of battle.

THE THINKING BEHIND THE RULES

Games played with ‘Alala! involve deploying
your hoplite phalanxes, getting them ordered
and psychologically ready, then signaling
the advance to close with the enemy. When
a player does this, they hope they will have
won the favour of the gods and pumped their
men up enough to attack with enthusiasm.
Once the phalanxes begin to move in on each
other, there is little scope for tactical finesse or Above: The hoplites are the mainstay of each army. Players need to get them ordered and
psychologically ready for battle before they engage.
complex manoeuvre, and, when the men clash,
the outcome will not be known until dice are
thrown. Even if players have done everything possible to achieve morale and tactical supremacy, the gods can still be fickle!
I must acknowledge a debt to Andy Callan, as his own game design adventures had a positive impact on ‘Alala! Many years ago,
Andy was struggling to make a Dark Age clash between Saxons and Vikings into an interesting game. His resulting Dark Age
Infantry Slog eventually honed in on the fact that such battles were all about deployment and getting your men ready for the fight,
rather than tactical nuances of combined arms armies.

89
 In designing ‘Alala! I took a similar “Odysseus strode forward, through the front ranks
approach. I put a lot of thought into
the options open to the commanders of glowing in his bronze and, sweeping the enemy lines
hoplite phalanxes (aka the game players) with his eyes, cast his javelin. The Trojans fell back as
to find an edge when facing opponents
with armies that were, more or less,
his spear homed in.”
identical to their own. Marshalling and Homer
deploying the phalanxes, sending out
cavalry and light infantry to harass the
enemy (and preventing the same being HOW DOES THE GAME PLAY?
done to you), motivating your hoplites ‘Alala!’s first public outing (while it was
for the fight, and giving the signal to still in draft form) was at the Society
advance at the most opportune moment of Ancients 2022 Convention. This
were all utterly essential. I have woven annual autumn residential event is a
these into the rules but, of course, they perfect opportunity to experiment and
can’t all be performed at once, and there’s play around with new concepts, and the
only so much time before the troops must whoops of excitement echoing around
advance and attack. the room from our table made it clear that
Once the advance is signaled, the role of we were onto something. A crowd soon
the commander changes from ordering gathered to see what all the excitement
and encouraging his men to fighting in The idea is to give the players interesting was about!
the front rank, inspiring them with his and sometimes tricky choices, The game was a fictional Spartan v
skill at arms. representing the sorts of dilemmas an Theban bash-up, with three players on
ancient Greek general might have to
Each leader has several command points each side. They busied themselves by
that allow him to take a variety of actions
make. The key decisions are taken before making sacrifices to the gods, consulting
the phalanxes engage, and managing
as he strives to build up the fighting spirit these is a primary area of friction in the
the augurs, and giving rousing pep talks
of his men. The Spartan king (shown to game. Once melee occurs, the leader’s
to their men as the drill masters dressed
the ranks. Even at this early stage, the
the right) is particularly inspiring, and has job is to fight in the front rank. game put a lot of focus on the pre-combat
four command points, but most will have
three, and some only two. There are no reserves to be deployed elements. The Thebans formed a deep
here, and precious few opportunities for phalanx, while the Spartans calmly
At the start of each turn a player may tactical finesse. Once launched into the combed their hair as their cavalry and
choose a number of actions up to the attack, the phalanxes can do little more light infantry fought it out on the flanks.
maximum his leader’s command points than close with and destroy the enemy, or Each army was attempting to achieve
will allow. These include keeping his face their own destruction. Wheels and superiority on the wing so that they could
men under control, encouraging them to changes of formation are challenging, begin to harass the enemy hoplites.
fight with greater aggression, signaling and thus unlikely, although Spartan drill
the advance, or invoking the gods by The gods were relatively even-handed
may offer some possibility of manoeuvre.
drawing from the God Pack. Some of with their favours, but, when the hoplites
these actions (encouraging, invoking the Light troops and cavalry play a began to advance, the fates intervened.
gods) use up two command points, and subordinate role, harassing and annoying The fearsome Spartiates drove back
an uninspiring leader with few command the enemy, and driving off enemy the Theban allies, thanks in part to the
points to spend will have to make some skirmishers. This skirmish battle runs Spartan king fighting valiantly in the
tough decisions, perhaps leaving his men as a prelude to the main clash, and it is front rank. The fates, however, had
to their own devices whilst he invokes unlikely to be decisive, but if one wing of measured the king’s ‘thread of life’ and
the gods. The problem with this is that skirmishers and cavalry gain ascendancy had decided that this was the time for him
his men may decide to go off on an over the other, then they will be able to to meet a noble death.
unauthorised advance, or halt when they annoy the opposing hoplites indefinitely. This is determined by ‘the dice of
are supposed to be advancing. death’, which has a skull and crossbones
replacing the one. It is rolled whenever
the unit to which the leader is attached
suffers a casualty from shooting, or
was engaged in combat. If the skull
and crossbones
come up, the
unfortunate leader
is injured, and
possibly killed.
The Spartan king
rolled the skull
and crossbones
Above: Cavalry and light infantry play twice in a row,
supporting roles, chasing off enemy and was killed
skirmishers before harassing their instantly!
hoplites. Figures by Victrix.

90
As the Spartan hippeus (bodyguard)
fought to recover their king’s body, the
Theban players had another moment
of exhilaration; their deep phalanx
crashed into the Spartan left, sweeping
all before them.
Only Thebans and Macedonians may
form a deep phalanx of two or more
units, one behind the other, rather than
the usual side-by-side. This allows them
to concentrate force, as the units behind
give a supporting bonus in combat. It
also allows them to sustain a drawn-out
melee, as casualties are taken from the
rear unit. The downside is that it shortens
the army’s frontage, making it vulnerable
to outflanking.
It looked like a Theban victory was
imminent, but the fates intervened Above: The Theban players celebrate the success of their deep phalanx at the 2022 Society of
again. Thanks to their high morale and Ancients Convention.
discipline, the Spartiates were not unduly
perturbed by the death of their king. At the Society of Ancients 2023 Battle Day’s Mantinea Battle, the Thebans had more
They fought on to drive back the Theban cavalry and skirmishers, especially on their left. They pushed these on to drive off
left, and the Theban centre began to the Mantinean/Spartan skirmishers, and to clear the position for the advance of the
waver. This was down to the fact that the formidable deep Theban phalanx. Historically, the Thebans stole a march on the
Spartans had more units side-by-side, Spartans. In our refight, however, both sides took their time to increase the readiness of
allowing them to outflank some of the their men, and wait for the skirmisher engagements to develop.
weaker Theban units. They also rolled The cavalry and skirmisher actions on the flanks are limited by the fact that these
some good dice. Despite the success units may not always do what the player wishes. The Control Test (a simple dice roll)
of the Theban right, it was ultimately a may cause a unit to halt, or repeat what it did last turn, even if the player wants it to
Spartan victory, and the game was a huge do something different. Cavalry, peltasts, and psiloi were essentially skirmishers in
hit. Everyone had great fun, expressing this era, relying on harassing with missiles rather than closing to combat. Shooting
that the rules had done a great job of is deliberately quick and uncomplicated in ’Alala!, down to simple dice rolls with a
capturing the ethos of hoplite warfare.
couple of situational factors
taken into account. Range is
close (4"), and it makes no
SNAPPY SYSTEMS difference whether shooting
with javelins, slings, or bows.
The shooting and combat calculations in ‘Alala! are deliberately quick and simple; In the skirmish phase, a
lots of dice are thrown, giving the fates a chance to ruin even the best-laid plans.
cavalry or light infantry unit
Movement is uncomplicated, with move distances determined by dice rolls, and with
may shoot then move, move
little opportunity for complex manoeuvre. When the phalanxes advance, they can
then shoot, or remain halted
really only go straight forward, and attempts to do otherwise will cause disorder in the
ranks, as will moving fast. Disorder has a serious impact on combat capability, since and shoot twice. Cavalry and
the phalanx depends on good order and cohesion to win the fight. Cavalry and light skirmisher combat is quick,
infantry manoeuvre much more easily, and only they may shoot. with one side or the other soon
reduced to ineffectiveness. On
The most fun and exciting part of the game is the pre-fight preparation, as players an inconclusive result, cavalry
get their hoplites in a state of readiness to overcome their opponents (invoking the pass through the ranks of their
gods to help them) - the ‘prelude to spear’, as Pindar phrased it. Players prepare their opponent.
men as best they can, choosing from a number of options that on the skill and moral
character of the general they are playing. This is either based on a historical character, In our game, the Theban
or determined by a dice roll at the start of the game. Historically, the leader’s role was skirmishers established
to deploy his men and get them ready for battle, and once the fighting began, he had ascendancy on their left wing
very few possibilities to influence the outcome other than battling valiantly in the and the Athenians, on the
front rank. At Second Mantinea (362 BC) Epaminondas, the Theban general surprised Spartan left, won the other.
the Spartans with his battle array, and stole a march on them. Having done this, he The two sides signaled the
took his place at the head of his phalanx to lead the attack, and was mortally wounded advance of their hoplites at
in the fighting.
more or less the same time, and
Combat between hoplite units considers any disorder in the ranks as well as the men's a clear winner emerged: the
aggression levels, which the leader will have attempted to raise by encouraging them Athenian player commanding
in the early phases of the game. Unengaged units to the flank or rear (the latter for the Mantinean/Spartan left.
Theban or Macedonian deep phalanxes) also lend their support. After that, it is down He succeeded in driving off
to the dice, and lots of them! This gives the opportunity for the fates to intervene, even the Argives facing him, and
if the odds are stacked in favour of one side or the other. was positioned to roll-up the
The actual clash of phalanxes usually comes at the end of the game, after the leaders Theban centre. The Spartan
have prepared their men for battle, and taken up their own spears and shields to lead and Mantinean player was the
them. There is nothing stopping one side deciding to go in early, of course, just as clear loser; his hoplites were
Epaminondas did at Mantinea. decimated by the opposing
Theban and Tegan phalanxes.

91
 The Athenian commander’s victory was
down to three factors:
1. He won the skirmisher engagement
on his flank, giving him freedom of
movement.
2. One of his hoplite units went off on
an uncontrolled advance, while he spent
his command points encouraging another
unit. This might have been deemed a
disadvantage, but it forced him to signal
the advance early, catching the opposing
Argives even less prepared. Above: 20mm Newline Designs Spartan hoplites advance against their enemies.

3. His hoplite units outflanked the SCALE AGNOSTIC

Argives, as the Thebans had pulled two
units out of the line, to give depth to their I use 1/72nd scale (20mm) figures, thanks to Pete O’Toole’s wonderful collection
phalanxes on the opposing flank. of Atlantic/HaT/Zvezda plastics, with some of my own Newline Designs 20mm
metals added in. The rules, however, can be used for any scale of miniatures and, in
The Theban player won against the a departure from my norm, ‘Alala! uses single-casualty removal, although there is a
Spartans and Mantineans because simple adjustment for those who prefer to stick to element-based armies.
he established ascendancy with his
skirmishers on that flank. As the
phalanxes began to close, he had
managed to bring some cavalry around
the Spartan rear, peppering them with
javelins. His deep Theban phalanx fought
the elite Spartiates to a standstill and, as
casualties mounted, he was better able to
absorb them because of the depth of his
formation.
These and other pre-publication games
were great, lighthearted fun for all the
players, and for me as the umpire, but
they also revealed that the relatively
minimal systems all worked in concert.
Games were exciting, with the outcome
unclear until the end. In all the clashes, it
felt a little like we had been momentarily
Above: Players at the Society of Ancients 2023 Battle Day.
transported back to the world of Homer,
Pindar, Thucydides, and Xenophon. Can ‘Alala! be used for other periods and armies? Well, the whole concept of the rules
PRINTED RULES AND is to play out the clash of hoplite armies from the Peloponnesian and Boeotian wars
OPTIONAL EXTRAS between the Greek city states. That said, the rules can easily be adapted to the wider
wars of Magna Graecia in Italy, the Macedonian invasion of Greece, and even the
Enthused by ‘Alala!’s reception, and after Persian wars in Greece. An appendix to the rules explains possible adaptations.
several more playtests, the Society of
Ancients have now published the rules, The workings of leadership decisions make ‘Alala! particularly interesting for
and they are available from the Society’s multiplayer games, with each commander taking on up to four hoplite units, with
website (soa.org.uk). At 24 pages, the possibility of others commanding the light troops and cavalry on the wings.
including many full-colour illustrations Smaller two-player games, with two to four hoplite units on each side, and a couple of
and examples, the main rules are quick supporting skirmisher and cavalry units, are also great fun. This smaller type of game is
and easy to learn. They come with the certainly a good place to start if you are a new player, or have only just begun to amass
God Pack of cards and a quick reference a hoplite army.
sheet for ease of play. All you need to do I hope that Wi readers will enjoy ‘Alala! as much as I do, and find a lot of pleasure in
is build the hoplite armies to fight with! immersing themselves in the heroic world of the ancient Greeks.

Plastic hoplites from Victrix.

92
 JACK ALEXANDER OBITUARY
Bob Black bids a fond farewell to his friend Jack Alexander who, through
his Jacklex range, was one of the early icons of miniature making.
Jack Alexander, creator of the Jacklex range of 20mm figures, sadly died on
12 February 2024, aged 95.
Jack began making his 20mm figures and models in the 1960s and started
to forge some notable connections. After the publication of Wargaming in
1962, Don Featherstone was looking for model making guides for his second
book, Naval Wargames, and turned to Jack, who produced the drawings in the
book. A first edition, inscribed by Don with his thanks, has remained in Jack’s
possession for over 60 years (see below).

a flat surface with very little terrain, apart from a few stylised trees. We
used Charge rules, with a few local modifications, and, from memory,
staged the game more than once throughout the day. It was very
different to today’s shows!
Jack took his miniatures seriously
Jack also made figures for Bish Izwasko, who provided miniature modern and made his soldiers historically
tanks and infantry to the British Army for training simulations. Individual accurate within the scale, but he
infantry with the current weaponry were produced, as were modern always enjoyed our games, and we
contemporary tanks and AFVs. Bish gave details of what to produce to had a great deal of pleasure playing
Jack and, on one occasion, he gave him a real Sten gun to take home for with his figures. With the advent of
research. Jack walked home through the streets with it under his arm! The the digital age, the three of us - Jack
scale of these models was 1/100 and, although no wargamers were using Alexander, Alan Cook, and I - became
such a scale then, they featured on the front cover of the only professional ‘ABC Wargamers’ and started a
wargames magazine at the time, John Tunstill’s Miniature Warfare, which blog - abcwargamers.blogspot.
itself featured in episodes of the TV spy drama Callan. com - detailing our games, rules, and
Jack’s real interest, which lasted his lifetime, conversions. The blog is still available
was devoting time to his 20mm range of 19th and there are plenty of pictures of Above: Jack made and painted
Jack’s figures and buildings there. these 20mm Mexicans in his 70s.
Century figures. He based them on Britains toy
soldiers, and, like those iconic figures, Jack’s Although he never lost his interest in wargaming and Jacklex figures,
had minimal detail but a charm and style that he stopped producing them as he moved into what Shakespeare called
has endeared them to wargamers to the present the seventh age of man. The range is now handled by Mark Lodge, who
day. Jack thought that if you wanted detail, has modern moulds and casting equipment, as opposed to the original
you should paint it on! The ranges - originally individual moulds that produced hand cast figures. Mark is also using
Colonial and ACW - were designed to fit in with, one of today’s top sculptors, Andrew Stadden, to expand and develop
and expand, the Airfix ranges most wargamers the range, while keeping the style and charm of Jack’s original figures.
were using. Above: Russo Japanese War Full details are on the Jacklex site (jacklexminiatures.com) and Mark
This was in a time when wargamers wanted 20mm Japanese command. offers a sample box from any of the ranges for those new to these
every figure in a unit to be the same, rather than figures, which have outlasted many a wargames range!
ranks of individuals, and although manufacturers started to increase the The wargaming hobby and community is a broad church, encompassing
size of their figures to 25mm Jack remained with 20mm. Over the years he a diverse range of scales, periods, and styles of games. Jack’s figures
expanded the ranges and numbers of figures available. have carved out their own place within the community and half-a-
I met Jack in the ’70s, often at Stuart Asquith’s house. Jack would century on they are still enjoyed by gamers across the world. Jack
produce one-off figures and items for Stuart’s games that never became was a highly talented but modest man; he never quite appreciated
commercially available but enriched our gaming. I remember a just how many people got pleasure and enjoyment from his figures.
demonstration game at an early SALUTE with Stuart, Jack, Alan Cook, Hopefully that enjoyment
Charles Grant, and myself. It was a Seven Years’ War game, using 25mm will continue, with the
figures, with 24 to a regiment, mounted in fours on plywood bases that range being produced and
were covered with sand and budgie grit. That might sound standard expanded by Mark. It would
now, but these were some of the first bases I’d seen of that type; many be a fine tribute to one of
wargamers used flat card, if they based their figures at all. Twenty figures wargaming’s early figure
were identical musketeers while an officer, standard, drummer, and producers and a fitting
sergeant made up the final base and, unlike today’s games, we played on legacy for Jack Alexander.
Above: British and Sudanese camels.
 Black Hat Miniatures
35a Norfolk Farm Road, Woking, Surrey, GU22 8LF, England.
Tel:01483 855168 Email: [email protected]

FANTASY RANGE 141 Grey Primer WORLD WAR II 536 Forest green
142 Gun Metal 537 Faded khaki
106 Enchanted Silver 143 Dwarven Bronze 501 British khaki 226 Olive
107 Bright Gold 144 Shocking Pink 502 Field drab 227 Field grey
108 Goblin Green 145 Ruby Red 503 Military green 230 Camouflage green
109 Chainmail 146 Dusky Yellow 504 Panzer grey
110 Royal Blue 147 Burnt Orange 505 Green grey
111 Dark Elf Green 148 Marine Blue 506 Desert Sand
112 Bone 149 Angel Red 507 Sea grey
113 Magic Metal 150 Shadow Grey 508 Olive drab
114 Wizard Blue 151 Lupin Grey 509 Brick red
115 Tanned Flesh 152 Scorpion Green 510 Mid stone
116 Barbarian Leather 153 Ink wash - Armour 511 Tank blue grey
WATER BASED PAINTS 117 High Elf Blue 154 Ink wash - Black 512 Tank green
18ml POTS £ 3.20 118 Poison Purple 155 Angel Green 513 Faded olive
119 Rat Brown 156 Leprous Brown 514 Pale green
120 Hairy Brown 157 Warlock Purple 515 Black green
121 Bogey Green 158 Jade Green 516 Iron grey
MILITARY RANGE 219 Chestnut Brown
122 Elven Grey 159 Golden Yellow 517 Desert Yellow
220 Silver
101 White 221 Horse tone - Dun
123 Elven Flesh 160 Amethyst Purple 518 Field blue Trade
124 Dwarven Flesh 161 Deadly Nightshade 519 Chocolate brown Enquiries
102 Black 222 Horse tone - Roan
125 Putrid Green 162 Nauseous Blue 520 Red Brown
103 Yellow 223 Horse tone - Chestnut Always
126 Festering Brown 163 Beaten Copper 521 Army green
224 Horse tone - Bay
104 Red
105 Orange 235 Horse tone - Brown
127 Enchanted Blue 164 Emerald Green 522 Pale sand Welcomed
128 Enchanted Green 165 Hawk Turquoise 523 US dark green
206 Light Blue 236 Horse Tone - Grey
129 Vampire Red 166 Fester Blue 524 Tan earth
207 Dark Blue 225 Khaki
130 Bilious Brown 167 Hideous Blue 525 Uniform grey
208 Grass Green 228 Buff
131 Brass 168 Ink Wash – Yellow 526 Tank Light grey
209 Dark Green 229 Dark Sand
132 Aquamarine 169 Super Wash - Black 527 Tank drab
210 Purple 231 Mid Grey
133 Ink wash - Flesh 170 Super Wash - Green 528 Russian brown
211 Light Grey 232 Bronze
134 Ink wash - Green 171 Super Wash - Red 529 Beige brown
212 Dark Grey 233 Linen
135 Ink wash - Blue 172 Super Wash - Blue 530 Russian green
213 Flesh 234 Dark Earth
136 Ink wash - Brown 173 Super Wash - Yellow 531 Japanese uniform
214 Suntanned Flesh 237 Russet Red
137 Ink wash - Chestnut 174 Super Wash - Purple 532 Italian red earth
215 Oriental Flesh 238 British Scarlet
138 Ink wash - Red 175 Super Wash - Light Brown 533 Slate grey
216 Dark Flesh 239 Bavarian Blue
139 Matt Varnish 176 Super Wash - Mid-Brown 534 Dark Leather
217 Leather Brown 240 Unbleached Wool
140 Gloss Varnish 177 Super Wash - Dark Brown 535 Jungle green
218 Wood Brown 241 Rust

WE ALSO HAVE TEXTURED BASING PAINT AND 'DIP' STYLE SHADERS. WE REMOVE VAT FOR OVERSEAS ORDERS.

www.blackhat.co.uk

Presented by the South London

Warlords, Salute 51 is Europe’s
biggest independent one-day
wargaming and hobbying
event!
- Over 120 UK and International traders
- Over 80 inspirational demonstration and
participation games
- Multiple Special Guest Panels with a Q&A
- Chances to win prizes throughout the day!
- World-class Painting Competition will
have amazing entries and
expert special guest judges!

ExCel London - 13 April 2024

salute.co.uk
@slwsalute
South London Warlords and Salute
North Star Military Figures Ltd,
Figure range for
Nick Eyre's

NORTH STAR
Unit W41, Lenton Business Centre, Muskets & Tomahawks.

NORTH STAR
Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham,
NG7 2BY, UK American War of Independence,
Mail Order: 0115 9704107 British and American forces. British Regulars,
Trade Sales: 0115 9786656

Military Figures
Email: [email protected]
Continentals, Militia, Indian Warriors.
Web: www.northstarfigures.com Iroquois Warriors for the
American War of
Independence.
Presents

American War of
Independence
www.northstarfigures.com
28mm metal figures: Muskets & Tomahawks figures are copyright © North Star Military Figures. All rights reserved.
 LE at
SA LUTE £25
£5
off for
WiPrime Members

Also available: Core and Europa

Card Decks and MDF Tokens.

CoMinG ROUnd
tHe MoUnTAin
of
HoWLinG WiNdS
Reinforcements, in the form
a fresh Company or Squadron
(of your choice), arrive on your
the
baseline. It will move to join
nearest friendly Division every All troops halve their
time a Bonus card is drawn. number of shooting
use dice
Alternatively - the Swiss may for the rest of the
game.
this card to bring on their flanking This card must be
played immediatel
force if it has not yet arrived. y.

- Helvetia -

- Northumbria -

FRenCH HusSItE
LeAdER LeAdER

- Bohemia-
- Gallia -

PeRk SpEciAl
EveNt
with one
Take a free action unit. Draw a card
from the
unengaged friendly Event deck Special
save it to . Play it now or
play any

FROM THE WARGAMES

time later
in the battl
e.

ILLUSTRATED STAND (TL03)

LATEST RELEASE
Turn your Lead to Gold! wargamesillustrated.net
Is the loft threatening to collapse? Are you ever going to paint northstarfigures.com
those figures? Would you like the cash to start another period or scale?

I buy collections of painted or unpainted figures, any make or scale

including Games Workshop and historical figures. Also Board Games,
RPGs, model kits, books and terrain.

I will buy your entire collection (not just the good bits), pay in cash, and
collect the items from your door. No distance is too far.

Contact me on 07914 609709, email: [email protected]

or write to Rob Palmier, 23 Clanfield Avenue, Wolverhampton,
West Midlands, WV11 2QU.
SGT. JOHN M. STRYKER
(revisited))
(revisited
GiM 71

UK Mega Wargamer
Ron Ringrose

MINIATURES
FOR SALE
Check out the

listings
of ‘nellie88cars’
F R E E NEXT ISSUE
Wargames Illustrated 437, May 2024

Never Mind the Billhooks

HEre’S ThE RucKUs
A STAND-ALONE SET OF MEDIEVAL SKIRMISH RULES,
BASED ON NEVER MIND THE BILLHOOKS DELUXE
 AVAILABLE IN MARCH 2024!

FROM
PHONEY
WAR TO
DUNKIRK!

FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING! JUST SPEND $50/£35!

facebook.com/wargamesatlantic DESIGNED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POND

VISIT US AT WWW.WARGAMESATLANTIC.COM