Through the Mud and Blood British Platoon

I eventually found my stash of Peter Pig WW1 British infantry, after a long and frustrating search in the garage,  shifting loads of boxes of lead about and dropping one on my foot. The figures were in the last box, of course, but at least I tracked them down.

I've sorted them out and I'm pretty sure I have all that I need for the text book platoon from the training manual scenarios in the Stout Hearts, Iron Troopers supplement. I'll use the bayonet armed figures for most of the sections, with the Lewis gunners, rifle grenade launchers and grenade throwing figures alongside. 

The figures without bayonets will be used as scouts and snipers., while the 'novelty' sportsmen figures will be converted into runners and ammunition carriers. An officer figure will be included for the platoon lieutenant and I'll put together a single Vickers machine gun and team for defensive scenarios or as objectives for the sturmtruppen to knock out.

....this is looking like a very feasible project!

Through the Mud and Blood

A while back I bought some really nice custom laser cut platoon rosters for Through the Mud and Blood from Alex Sotheran, the Storm of Steel YouTube authority on the rules. I put them away for future use, as I was up to my neck in Algernon Pulls It Off! projects, with the intention of starting a TTMAB project in 2026. 

So, here we are. I'm going to do some reading up on the rules and watch some of the game reports on the Storm of Steel YouTube channel, then work out if it's a feasible job to take on. If it is, I will aim to paint a couple of platoons in 15mm. Fortunately, Alex has set out exactly what's required in a previous online post, so I'm going to go with this:

"It depends on the year, but let's say you are playing in 1917, for arguments sake. For the British, a full paper strength platoon would be:

HQ: Leiutenant (1st or 2nd), armed with a rifle, or less likely a pistol, Sergeant armed with a rifle, two scouts/runners armed with rifles.

Rifle section: 1 Corporal armed with rifle, eight riflemen.

Bomber Section: 1 Corporal armed with rifle, six riflemen, two bombers.

Rifle Grenadier section: 1 Corporal armed with rifle, four 2 man rifle grenadier teams.

LMG section: 1 Corporal armed with rifle, 2 man Lewis gun team, six riflemen.

For a typical German platoon:

HQ, Leutnant (or similar junior officer) armed with pistol or rifle.

Zug 1 & 3: Gefrieter armed with rifle, eight riflemen, two bombers.

Zug 2 & 4: Gefrieter armed with rifle, eight riflemen, 2 man LMG team (either captured Lewis or MG 08/15).

The Big Men are the Leiutenant, Sargent, Leutnent, Corporals and Gefrieters, given appropriate command initiative levels."

I have a good stash of Peter Pig figures already set aside for this, but it's a big project to take on, so I may have to rethink it if it turns out to be too much of a hill to climb. 

Projects and Plans 2026

Up, Up and Away...or more likely Kaboom!

It's that time of year again where I set out my projects for the year ahead in the hope of actually achieving some of them. Last year I decided to focus on the First World War as my principal theme and, with a few minor and inconsequential diversions, I managed to stick with it, with a specific focus on Algernon Pulls It Off!. I have really enjoyed this and ideally would like to carry on, so...

...in order not to let this fizzle out, I will be continuing my Algy project into 2026, with a focus on the French Aviation Militaire, subject to Paul at Tumbling Dice putting the new models I requested into production (this is very likely but just a question of time...as always). I will be writing more scenarios, rules additions and possibly a follow on article for next year's Lard Mag, who knows?

In other air wargaming news, I am planning to re-visit a couple of Bag the Hun projects in the shape of Arctic Eagles and the mothballed Finest Hour campaign that I started organising a few years ago. I have done quite a lot of the spade work for both of these and it would be a shame not to get at least one of them ticked off in 2026.

As far as naval wargaming goes, the plan is to add the long overdue Spanish fleet to the 1/2400th scale Napoleonic naval project and, if I have time, the Americans or possibly some other minor power as well. After that I may well do something with 1/2400th ironclads again, quite possibly revisiting the Second Schleswig War and Battle of Jasmund, or perhaps finally get round to a new pre-dreadnought project, the Sino Japanese War being a hot contender using Broadside and Salvo. Who knows?

Finally, the ever neglected land wargaming aspect of the hobby will get some attention. This is always my Achilles heel, as I hate painting figures and have a particular aversion to 28mm. Not to be put off by this affliction, I have been encouraged by my eldest son, now back home from university for at least two years (!), to do some samurai skirmish games in 28mm. I am also planning to finally get round to some medieval semi-skirmish wargaming, with both Lion Rampant and 'another set of rules' as a focus. 

As a final footnote to all of this wishful thinking, I may even get a Through the Mud and Blood 15mm First World War project underway in 2026.....just don't hold your breath!

Vintage Lard Day Discussion

I posted a query on the Bag the Hun FB group yesterday, to see if anyone is actually actively playing the rules, given the low profile of the system in most if not all Toofatlardies Lard Days, the Lard Mag and the the Lard Forum. The response was interesting and mostly revolved around people having the occasional game but failing to drum up interest at club or event level, which was what I expected. It seems the general consensus is that Lard Days are dominated by Chain of Command or Sharp Practise, as you'd expect. Nothing wrong with that but it is a shame to see good rules go unloved.

One 'tounge in cheek' suggestion that caught my attention was to have an alternative Lard Day dedicated to older or 'vintage' rules including Bag the Hun, Algernon Pulls It Off!, Kiss Me Hardy, Through the Mud and Blood, Triumph of the Will and many more. The premise would be to just focus on these classic rules rather than the more recent Chain of Command et al, so that equally vintage wargaming 'grognards' could enjoy playing older systems and also to encourage new, younger players to have a go. The tentative if less than serious event title might be 'Hipster Lard' which made me chuckle...

...but it's worth some thought?

Fort Douaumont

 

Memorial de Verdun