Wednesday 30 December 2009

Welcome

Walking home from the library, aged 13 or 14, I had never been so excited. I was supposed to be getting books for a school project, and had stumbled across "Charge! or How to play war games" by Brigadier Peter Young and Lt Col James Lawford. Flicking through the intriguing pages, I spotted the first pictures of the armies laid out below their start lines for the action at Blasthof Heath. I was hooked.

It would be my “Desert Island book”. And with two small armies of Staddens, Surens and Spencer Smiths (balanced forces of horse, foot and guns) as my “Desert Island luxury”, I would hope never to be rescued!

In my early wargaming years, I dreamed of being able to faithfully replicate the units and actions fought out in Charge. And, for some time now I have been building up my "Classic Wargaming" collection, and so thought this blog would be a useful way of charting progress.

Now, some might say, "but Phil, why not just include this on The Blasthof Blog?" (a group blog, set up recently, and familiar to most readers I should imagine). Well, in short, I feel it would be inappropriate for me to hog team "air time" or monopolise space there.

So this blog will simply chart the development of my collection, and include pictures of units as I finish them, and games as I play them.


First up is the Erbprinz regiment, included previously elsewhere, but posted here for a good start to what I hope will be a fun journey, recreating what I call "Classic Wargaming".



In the upcoming posts, as well as showing the development of the collection, I will also be looking at the unit organisation laid down in Charge, outlining a few minor changes I have made, and also documenting the development of my own set of rules, very much in the flavour of the original, but rationalised for my own use, including an answer to the question, "what are all those officers, drummers, and sergeants for?"
Meantime...
Best wishes





15 comments:

Fire at Will said...

Very pretty and inspiring, just like the originals.

Good Luck

Will

Bluebear Jeff said...

I've added a link to this blog to the EvE "Other Blogs of Interest" list. And I will look forward to reading it.


-- Jeff

The Grand Duke said...

Well done Phil, Classic in style and classic in content. Now on the favourites list.

Pjotr said...

At first I was sad to see the Cabinet put on hold. But now...the Breitenfeld blog, the Blasthof blog...and now the Classic wargaming blog. Mr Olley, I knew I could count on you. Good luck with your newest project (amongst others).
I do like your philolleysophy... very inspiring indeed.

Pjotr
http://nyudrevchronicles.blogspot.com/

Steve Gill said...

Exciting and promising in equal measure! What a wonderful photo.

Steve

abdul666 said...

Looking forward to enjoying it.

Best wishes,
Jean-Louis

WSTKS-FM Worldwide said...

Glad to see you and your Erbprinz boys here too Phil! I never grow tired of ogling your brushwork.

Best Regards,

Stokes

Conrad Kinch said...

Good show! I had a disagreement with a friend of mine today who was horrified at the size of my Charge! styled battalions complete with pioneers, RSMs, drummers, etc. He admitted that I could split them in two to play Blackpowder, but he did ask me.

"What the hell are vivandieres for?"

I reckon if you have to ask, you'll never know.

Fitz-Badger said...

I came here from a link Stokes posted on his blog, and glad of it!
Looking forward to further pics and adventures!

Fitz-Badger said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Capt Bill said...

It's always a pleasure to see great troops well presented. Look forward to being inspired...

johnpreece said...

As refreshing and austere as a flinty glass of chilled Chablis!

The vision pure and simple, I love it.

I am looking forward to much more of the same.

John

Snickering Corpses said...

Lovely to see them, and those are RSM95s are they not?

Phil said...

Thank you all for such an encouraging start to the blog. Always good to know there's someone out there anjoying it.
And thanks to those who have added links, and promulgated it's existence... I am gradually building up the links as I go, so please forgive me if I haven't reciprocated all, yet.
To answer one query specifically, Snickering Corpses, the figures I used for the Erbprinz regt are Staddens (as in the original Charge!), with a couple of conversions in there (the Regimental Sgt Major, and the Standard Bearer).

Cheers for now, and Happy New Year everyone.
Phil

Andy Mitchell said...

The only complaint I ever had about Charge! and The Wargame is they they stood so far out on their own that there just wasn't enough material. So I look forwards to this blog.
The mention of rules has me interested as I have ten officers/musicians per battalion purely as eye candy atm. and it would be nice to give them a better role.