Showcase

Classic Wargaming Gallery

In the early days of my wargaming, I was transfixed by the books of Brigadier Peter Young and Charles Grant. In fact, the books "Charge" by Young and Lawford, and "The Wargame" by Charles Grant really started me in the hobby, and inspired me to collect and paint figures. Now, some 30 years later, I find myself drawn to those same style of figures as portrayed in the books, to recreate games in a similar style. I am extremely fortunate to have Charles S Grant as a regular opponent, and I even get to command some of his late father's troops in many of our tabletop encounters... a real privilege.

Below: a few of what I refer to as my own "Classic Collection". Figures from Stadden, Suren, Spencer Smith, and Holger Erikson.

Regiments shown are "fictitious" mid-18th century troops from Pils Holstein Regt, Innsbruchen Infantrie, Kronenbrau Kurassiere, and Chevaliers de Rouen.

Pictures right show the start of my "classic collection", mounted on plastic bases to iron out the vagaries of scale between manufacturers. After a short while I decided to "unbase" it all so as to remain faithful to the original style. The minifigs (Picardie Regt, and artillery) were also "dropped" from the collection, and the flags on the regiments have all been changed over time.

Picardie Rgt and Innsbruchen infantrie supported by Alt-Sachsen Grenadiers attack the Pils Holstein Regt

I prefer the term "Classic Collection" over "Old School" as it more accurately describes what I aim to do here. It conjures up the same connotations as if a "classic care enthusiast", rather than someone who has old cars, if you get what I mean!

The Sittangbad Demonstration Game

In 2006, I was one of the quartet (along with John Preece, Steve Gill and Henry Hyde) who put on the demonstration game of The Battle of Sittangbad at the Partizan show in Newark, under the banner "The Wargamers". Below are some of the items created for the game.

The figures were provided by all 4 of our collections, but I volunteered to design terrain and buildings in keeping with the "classic style". The buildings were made in the Grantian design, with lift-off roofs, revealing ruined interior sections, and loosely based on those used in "Charge" for the original Battle of Sittangbad.

Click here for a more detailled report on how we created the game (and why). This was compiled from the progress reports I did on this site in the run up to the game, and which formed the basis of the article published in Battlegames. 

Soubise and entourage	The Herzog Johann	Sittangbad building	Innsbruchen grenadiers occupy defenceworks
The Black Eagle inn	buildings all lift off to reveal ruins	the Sittangbad gaol	Eisenberg village
Sittangbad table seen from the Sittangbad end	Sittangbad table viewed from Eisenberg Hill	Sittangbad table layout	flags of the Imperialist army

The Mollwitz Demonstration Game

Onto 2007, and once again we gather at the Partizan show in Newark, this time to put on Mollwitz... with the original figures and buildings, and Charles Grant and Stuart Asquith on the team! Figures and buildings provided by Charles, with terrain by myself, trees provided by John Preece.

The team, left-right:  yours truly, John Preece, Henry Hyde, Stuart Asquith, Charles Grant, Steve Gill		Steve, Stuart and John, talking tactics!

The Wargame Companion

In 2008, Charles S Grant published the eagerly awaited follow up to The Wargame, in the form of "The Wargame Companion" which fills in those enticing little gaps left by his father's original book. It also includes a number of new scenarios and battles refights, along with more material on his armies. I was privileged to play a small part in providing some of the photos in the book, and in playing in the games, namely Lobositz and Guilford Courthouse.

Here are a couple of pictures as a taster (the book is available from Ken Trottamn books -see links):

Guilford Courthouse

Lobositz

The Raid on St Michel

More recently, I have been fortunate in being able to game regularly with Charles S Grant, and one of our ventures in 2008 was the mini-campaign "Raid on St Michel" which is recorded in the book of that name available from Caliver books (see links page). Below, a picture of my command group in the campaign: General Swartz, along with his pennant bearer and Brigadier Battenburg (click picture to enlarge).

below: pictures from the 5 scenarios covered in the book. Figures from the collection of Charles S Grant

Scenario 1: The Bridgehead
Scenario 2: Rearguard
Scenario 3: The Battle of  St Michel
Scenario 4: Defence of the Bridge
Scenario 5: The final battle

Tony Bath's collection:

Tony Bath's name is synonymous with wargames campaigns, he having run the famous Hyboria Campaign in the 1970s, which featured in his book "Setting Up a Wargames Campaign".

So I'm sure you can imagine how delighted I was when the figures from his collection came into my ownership via my good friend Alasdair Jamison, who had acquired them from another well-known gamer, David Barnes, when David sadly passed away a number of years ago.

Here are a few pictures of the marvellous flat figures of Tony's; there are many, many more, too numerous to put here, but I hope these few pictures will give you a flavour...

Stuart Asquith's collection:

Recently, I was fortunate that the old Spencer Smith Miniatures from Stuart Asquith's collection (well known wargamer, and former editor of Practical Wargamer magazine) were handed to me by Charles Grant in whose cabinets they had been residing for a few years. Whilst both Stuart and Charles insist they are mine to keep, I feel as if I am merely the current Steward of this auspicious army. Here are just a few of Stuart's units...