"Broadside"

May 2008

above: the Pils Holstein layout, starting to take shape.

Opening shots - Butterfly Taming

Regular readers and visitors to the site will know that I have placed my interests firmly in the 18^th century in terms of wargaming this past few months. And it’s probably one of the most common themes of the emails I get: “How do you stick to one project long enough for it to take shape?”

 So here’s a few pointers on taming those “butterflies”: aka “how to get your ducks in a row!”

 The secret is to identify the core periods you want to game in, and paint figures for. That may be anything between just one period or say 3 or 4.
In my case, it's one. Back to my notes on "desert island wargaming"... if I could only have one collection on my wargames desert island, what would it be?

Now, that becomes your Magnum Opus. It should also be recognised that it's probably going to take up 80 percent of your hobby time, for a good few years. Therefore, quite a commitment, so take time and choose wisely.

So to butterflies. Contrary to popular belief, these are good, as they can indicate when you need to switch for a short time. As such, they help keep you fresh for your core project. The reason most
people feel guilty about their butterflies is that they detract from a main period which they aren't doing enough for anyway! Once you have a main project and you are genuinely progressing with it, the butterflies are ok.

But, the butterflies can be controlled and turned into something positive aswell.

So, I call them "Set Pieces".

Butterflies are brought on by seeing a new range of figures, or a vignette, or watching a film, reading a book, or seeing someone else's game. I don't want to play wargames in that period, nor do I want to slave over painting masses of figures. But I might want to create a small "Set-Piece" reflecting an interest in the period or figures. My own groundrules are that it must not take longer than 4-6 weeks. It will probably be not more than 50 figures (in many cases it will be less), a couple of vignettes, maybe a building and a couple of special terrain boards perhaps.

Once complete, the Set Piece may appear on website or just sit on my shelves being pleasing to me. That's it. While that particular Set Piece is in development, I can be reading up around that subject and so on. It becomes a self contained project... not an object of guilt.

Example:
I know that I might want to paint the odd unit of, say, Spartans, or LOTR, or Napoleonic lancers. BUT, I am not that fussed for wargaming with them. If I want a wargame, I'll go for my core period(s).

I don't want to DO Waterloo as a wargame. BUT I might decide to depict Waterloo , for me, which is a set piece/ static display of a British infantry square fending off some French cavalry (no doubt including some of those Perry Lancers being brought down by canister fire). Not unlike many of the paintings of the day. Or it could be a unit of Scots Greys charging into a French battalion, with a few
French Lancers entering stage right/ left. All on a board about one foot square.

Or I might watch LOTR, and decide to do a troop of Rohirrim attacking a company of Orcs, Merry and Pippin crawling away. Or just a diorama of the slaying of Boromir, or whatever.

Similarly, I might see a unit of those Spartans by Artizan and think, I fancy a few of these. So, 20 Hoplites, a command group, couple of dead Persians and as far as I'm concerned that's Thermopylae . I don't want to play it. I just want to depict it. In the same way an artist might approach a subject. They don't paint a whole campaign, just a scene from a battle, and it captures it.

After a short time (3-6 weeks), I can then return to my core period, fresh and ready to "go again". Again this comes from my own observation that I tend to hit a painting wall after about 6 weeks or
60 figures. Everyone will be different so timescale will vary.

I actually have a list of possible Set Pieces. Sometimes just sitting down and designing them, even choosing the figures, is far enough, and they go no further! Amazing how little butterflies can be
satiated by a quick sketch of what it might look like.

Sometimes the butterfly can be satiated by applying it to the core period of course. So, for example, if I want a unit of Lancers, why not paint a unit of lancers fitting my core period. makes more sense,
and in essence, painting a Bosniak lancer is not that different to painting a Napoleonic Lancer when you get down to it.

The other rule: maximum number of Set Pieces per year. I am allowing myself just one for 2008, while I get the Pils Holstein project firmly established. So far, I haven't chosen it. When/ if it comes
along, I'll do it, or not. But I'll not feel guilty about it.

Hope that helps.  

Of course, having said all that, following a recent trip to Amsterdam (KLM: never again!), seeing “The Night Watch” in all it’s glory and the Civic Guards Gallery in the History Museum, my head was being turned to the 17^th century, and compounded by a number of telephone conversations with Mark Allen this past month, the Thirty Years War reared it’s head for me! Soon under control, but those butterflies can be very powerful!

One of the tricks is to have some great reading material to hand to keep you focused on your true period, and for myself this month it has been Skrine’s wonderful book on Fontenoy. Highly recommended.

 Pils Progress

The project is coming along apace. One of my major shifts in mindset has been to enlist the help of those with true talent to contribute certain elements to the collection. First up, we had Brian Rigelsford’s magnificent buildings, and I certainly enjoyed painting them. And now I have had the help of Mark Allen, renowned figure painter, who I have commissioned to paint some figures for me just to add a little pace to the building up of forces. Mark is one of very few professional painters who I know can turn out 54-figure battalions, to a consistently high standard, and with such accuracy. He knows his stuff (he’ll be embarrassed reading this!), his research is meticulous, and turn-around time on the first battalion (Dillon Regt) was impressive! Thanks Mark. I’ve added pin bayonets, linen flags, and basing.

More pictures on the Pils Holstein page. The sharp-eyed will notice a change of style in basing and terrain. At last, I’m happy with it!

Games

I’m happy to be gaming about once per month these days, and recently had a corker of a game with Charles S Grant and Charles Grant jnr …congrats on getting thro Sandhurst, Charles -think I’m able to say that without breaching Official Secrets Act.  Rather more secret however, is the game we played, which will be subject of Charles’ book The Wargame Companion. Itching to tell all, but you’ll have to wait just a few more months.

Duffy at Culloden  

Culloden has long been a favourite interest of mine, and indeed I have visited the battle site many times since living here in Scotland for the past 20 years. It’s just a beautiful 2-hour drive north, and on a fine day the scenery can be simply breath-taking. So it was that a couple of weekends ago, I hastened north in glorious sunshine, and spent the Saturday at the battlefield, enjoying the commemorative events for the opening of the new visitors centre

On arrival, there was plenty afoot… including a number of re-enactors, and some of the modern-day Clan chiefs paying tribute at the graves of the clans (and being interviewed by TV crews… that picture is of the modern day chief of Clan Cameron). 

Much work has been done on the battlefield, and the famous enclosure walls are now clearly visible in places.       

The centre itself is well worth a visit, with lots of new interactive displays, including one very impressive cinema room in which the unfolding battle is projected onto the surrounding walls, giving the impression that you are standing right in the midst of it… particularly with the sounds of the musketry, the shouts and drumbeats, and the artillery opening up.

enclosure wall	Leenach cottage		Leenach interior
		Professor  Christopher Duffy

The real bonus was that Professor Christopher Duffy provided an afternoon seminar on the battle. He was kind enough to sign a couple of books for me (I didn’t want to appear too much of a “Duffy groupie”, but I was certainly pleased to meet him), and then we chatted one-to-one for 40 minutes after the event. I could have listened for 40 years and still wanted more. Fascinating insights into 18^th century military history from the real guru. And good to hear what he’s got coming up, including more on “The ’45”.

My "Fiery Cross" vignette... The visit provided the inspiration to finish this off (I painted the figures a couple of years ago- Reiver Castings). Will the Jacobite Rising feature as part of the Pils Holstein project?... er, probably!

Parting Shots

One of my favourite pastimes when I’m painting is to listen to the radio, and in particular “I’m Sorry I haven’t a Clue”, the brilliant Radio 4 programme. So here’s to Humphrey Lyttelton, the show’s inimitable chairman, who last weekend passed away at the age of 86. 

In an age where any jack-rabbit sat behind a civil service desk for 20 years can receive an honour, and when the column inches are so readily devoted to the latest “celeb” drunken debauchery, it’s sobering to read Humph’s CV; the former Grenadier Guard, celebrated jazz musician, author of 8 books, president of the calligraphy society, and radio presenter. If you aren’t familiar with the radio show, you’ve missed out. As the man who was always welcoming of “the lovely Samantha sitting on his right hand”, may he be seated in the great Mornington Crescent in the sky! (If you aren’t up with the show, I’ve now almost certainly lost you!).

I’ve always been a quotes person, and I notice it’s become quite the vogue thing to offer a quote as part of ones signature block on wargames forums (and interestingly many are misquoted!). I recently came across this, which perhaps is my wargames mantra:

“Life to me is the greatest of all games. The danger lies in treating it as a trivial game, a game to be taken lightly, and a game in which the rules don’t matter much. The rules matter a great deal. The game has to be played fairly or it is no game at all. And even to win the game is not the chief end. The chief end is to win it honourably and splendidly.” 

Ernest Shackleton

Until next time, enjoy your hobby!

Phil