Renaissance Naval Windfall

I spotted this lot on eBay a couple of days ago and put in a speculative bid. Lo and behold, I now have fifty quids worth of 1/2400th scale Tumbling Dice Mediterranean Renaissance warships for only fifteen quid, postage included, which is a bit of a steal. This assumes that I actually do something with them, of course, otherwise it's just more lead lined loft insulation! 

Long Face Games FB Group Update.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1336305623905353/?ref=share

Why not pop over and sign up? ⚓

Long Face Games Facebook Group

As you know by now, I am an enthusiast for Long Face Games naval rules, with lots of great scenarios and solo campaigns played using Broadside and Ram, Broadside and Salvo, Dahlgren and Columbiad and Find, Fix and Strike. As such, I was thinking today as I walked the dog in the drizzle, about setting up a Facebook group to cater for players like me, or those interested in trying out some of David Manley's extensive catalogue of rules. 

A quick email to the aforementioned gentleman and I have the thumbs up to go ahead. This will not only give me something constructive to do while it's still crappy weather here in Brittany, but also a longer term project to build the Facebook group into a thriving online forum dedicated to an excellent range of rules. That's the theory anyway but, based on my experience with AK47, Wings at War and the club groups, I think it will pick up quite a lot of interest.

Watch this space...

INWarD 2023

 

It's exactly a month until International Naval Wargaming Day in August, so I've been thinking about the games I'm going to be playing. I have three main options at the moment, the first my 1/2400th scale South American Pre-dreadnoughts, the second my 1/2400th Victorian Ironclads and the third, a dip into paper wargaming using the Helion Publishing Battle of Trafalgar ships and fast play grid based rules. I will also have the Spanish Armada book, which I've just ordered a cheap copy of just for kicks, so I could use that as well. Blimey, I'll have to make up my mind pretty quick!

Terrain down the Tip

I went to the local recycling centre, today to drop off a load of old junk, only to find a whole load of high density insulation foam offcuts in one of the bins. I grabbed as much as I could get to, so now have plenty for another set of coastal terrain for naval wargaming. I just have to find somewhere to hide it from the wife, who will probably tell me to take it all back again if she finds out. 

Tumbling Dice Feudal Japanese Ships

The new range of Asian warships from Tumbling Dice includes a number of Japanese models, suitable for the feudal era including the Sengoku Jidai civil wars. I ordered some of the packs a couple of days ago and they arrived yesterday, so I thought I'd show you what they contain.

Pack ASC41 'Nihon Maru' tower ship

This is the largest model in the range and represents the flagship of the Japanese fleet but could also be used as an O Atake Bune or very large 'battleship'. It's a four piece model and is supplied with a sculpted sea base. It's an impressive model even in 1/2400th scale and would make a great command unit, perhaps based with some of the smaller boats alongside.

ASC42 Atake Bune x 2

Although listed as a pack of four, this set is actually a pack of two Atake Bune, the standard medium sized warship of the period. Each pack contains two models, one with a sail and one with the spar lowered, together with two metal sea bases, both with sweeps. These ships would form the bulk of the fleet and would look good when massed together.

ASC43 Seki Bune x 4

These models represent the smaller galley style boats that were used for coastal raiding, boarding actions, patrolling and other similar things. The pack includes four different versions, each with sweeps out and spars stowed, cast on integral bases. They're small but nicely designed and really look the part.

ASC44 Kobaya x 4

This pack is of four light craft used for dispatches, raiding and so on. The pack includes two models with cast on sails and two rowed models, again on cast on bases. Despite being tiny they are also nicely detailed and should be easy to paint up. They would look effective based with some of the larger models as dispatch boats on a command base.

I also ordered some sets of Japanese clan mons or standards to go with the ships, another addition to the existing range designed by The Square. These are very colourful and should add a bit of flair to the different fleets once attached, although you'd need to add some flag standards to the models first.

Overall, I'm really pleased with these models and think they will look excellent once painted and based, although I'm not sure how I'm going to arrange them yet. I'll probably go for 30mm x 40mm bases or thereabouts, with single models for the larger ships and multiple basing for the Seki Bune and Kobaya.

Sengoku Naval Warfare 1/2400th Scale

I'm intrigued by the new 1/2400th scale Asian range that Paul at Tumbling Dice has recently produced so have ordered some packs of Japanese ships. I don't know very much about naval warfare of the period but I am fairly clued up when it comes to the Sengoku Jidai, so I'm thinking of a Japanese focus for this project. I've read the obligatory Osprey book and there's plenty of scope for some interesting naval actions between rival Samurai clans.

The rules are a bit of a grey area but it shouldn't be difficult to use Lord of the Sea with a few specific tweaks (what do you reckon David?). The tactics and sizes of ship are fairly similar so there's not a lot of difference in the way the rules need to work. As the models will be fairly small it will be a good idea to base them in multiples anyway, which should look pretty cool when they're all laid out for battle?

Spanish Galleon vs English Galleon

This was a pre-order a few weeks ago and it popped up just as I was thinking of doing some reading in preparation for a potential project next year. It's a typical Osprey, in that it's quite brief and to the point, but Mr Lardas clearly knows his stuff and the illustrations are excellent. Very good!

Small Scale Age of Sail.

I'm thinking about which Age of Sail project to include in my plans for next year, one of which would be to have a go some 1/2400th Spanish and English ships for Elizabethan naval wargaming, with an emphasis on small, skirmish level actions rather than fleet sized Spanish Armada scale engagements. It's just a sketchy idea at the moment, as I already have the Napoleonic fleets to complete, but I quite like the sound of it. I'm doing some background reading now, so that I can work out what I'd need to do to make it a solid project.