Back to the Lily Banners

After the trip to Dumfries I got the 1690s bug again. But what to paint, after all I'd very much exhausted the Huguenots. Fortunately Mr Hilton of League of Augsburg fame had furnished me with a number of options over the two days of the engagement.

So, simply copying the order of battle from that weekend I have started on the Danish regiment Funen, which are in a fetching green; makes a change from the drab grey of my other troops.

 

These troops are in sabot bases so they can be used for Donnybrook too.

All figures are Warfare Miniatures

Claymore 2015

Last weekend I had the pleasure to take part in the League of Augsburg demonstration game at Claymore 2015.

It was a Donnybrook game played out on some fabulous wintry terrain by Barry Hilton.

I commanded the Swedes and although my musketry rolls made the Russian contingent think they were facing Gatling guns, I naturally managed to get the Swedish commander killed.

Well you try doing a three point turn in a sled in front of a horde of charging Cossacks!

More pictures to be found on the League of Augsburg site.

Donnybrook Huguenots

If something worth doing then you can trust me to do it to death! Only a mere 15 months or so after purchasing the rules I have finally got round to painting up some minis for Donnybrook. Naturally they're my favourite French Protestant exiles.

 

 

The intention is to have a squad of dismounted cavalry, some grenadiers and a few infantry from each of the foot regiments.

 

 

There may even be some special rules for these chaps to reflect their character. I'm thinking more Dumas than anything close to reality.

 

 

Of course they'll need some opposition.



All figures are Warfare and the ruins a centre piece from Adrian's Walls.



WI 328 A Celtic Tragedy

Just read Barry Hilton's Wargames Illustrated article on the Aughrim game at the League of Augsburg Derby Weekender in October. It was the weirdest end to any wargame I’ve ever been involved in. The Jacobites pretty much had won the game with ease, every attack on Kilcommodan Hill had been repulsed with little or no degradation to their line. There was even an effective counter attack by the guards on the Williamite right flank.

Williamite forces prepare their attack

The Williamite forces on the other hand had advanced across the valley and then exhausted themselves in the uphill fight. They weren’t in full retreat (my Huguenots I’m happy to report acquitted themselves well) but a couple of more rounds would probably have seen a collapse and rout.

Huguenot and Jacobite cavalry clash on the causeway

It was literally the last roll of the dice that did for St Ruhe and thus the Jacobite line, such are the fortunes of war.

I suspect this game will be the subject of many a bar room reminiscence in the years to come if only because a wargame freak occurrence actually matched a real one.

And for once nobody has mentioned my infernal die rolling at the end of a weekend!

The Jacobite army collapses

 

Williamite Cannon

At last this one is based. Hopefully they will get a run out in Derby come October. I went for a Dutch like uniform for this gun, I have one more to do and they are to be clad in the more familiar red.

Schomberg’s Horse

These guys have actually been finished for a month or so and debuted at the latest League of Augsburg weekender in March.

They were fighting the Battle of the Boyne scenario, forming part of the Williamite cavalry reserve on the left flank. When I commanded them they only arrived in time to see the end of the engagement but I so rarely get to play that it was just great to see them on a table surrounded by fantastic figures and wonderful terrain.

To go a bit melodramatic for a moment (like I need an excuse!), I never feel a piece is complete until it’s been played with at least once. Hopefully, this will be the first of many excursions for them!

What I'm Working on Now...

Huguenots didn't have any guns but I thought mine might need one or two. First one underway.

Apparently the British artillery adopted blue coats in Ireland in honour of William of Orange, however, they quickly returned to red.

What I'm Working on Now...

Finally getting round to those Huguenot cavalry. Next stop Dumfries in March.

 

 

 

Huguenots - Part 2

Another instalment on the League of Augsburg site. http://leagueofaugsburg.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/hugging-huguenots-my-new-wargaming.html

The Final Huguenot Foot Regiment

This is La Meloniere's the last of the three Huguenot foot regiments that fought in Ireland in 1690. Ready just in time for a League of Augsburg weekend in Derby. Wonder how they will do...

The whole army is going...

But the project doesn't finish there, a cavalry regiment of Huguenots Schomberg's French Horse also fought in the campaign. A test piece is below.

And to keep things interesting I'm adding a cannon or two...

 

All miniatures are Warfare.

Finished Unit - Huguenot Brigadier

Taking a break from large units and on to the officer class for a while. Probably already have too many brigadiers for the size of my BLB force but I do get through them at a reasonable rate!

Finished Unit - La Caillemotte's

The second foot unit for my Huguenots. Will they make Derby in October 2013…


All figures and flags Warfare

Next unit in R&D…

What I’m Working on Now…

Still getting those good old Huguenots together in the hope I can parade them around Derby in October.

Which October is debatable but we can but dream! All Warfare Miniatures.

Finished Unit – BLB Commanded Shot

This is a combined grenadiers unit meant to represent the Huguenots in Ireland around 1690. I reckon I’ve made the uniforms a bit more colourful than they were but there’s nothing definitive out there and I wanted something to break up all that grey!
They also fit in with the flags produced by Warfare to complement their figure range.


All figures are Warfare. The buildings in the background are actually 15mm Battleground from Flames of War. The hill and wall are Games Workshop.

What I’m Working on Now…

Combined Grenadiers to represent commanded shot in Beneath the Lily Banners.

All figures are Warfare.

More Huguenots!

Beneath the Lily Banners has rules for commanded shot, small units of single models which set out to disrupt the big battalions. Gamers beware - in the original rules they were a bit on the powerful side but in recent games this has been paired down (which is good as I used to find them annoying little bleepers).

This chap is supposed to represent Captain of Grenadiers de St Sauver from La Meloniere’s battalion. He was sent with some 200 men as part of reinforcements for Sligo in October 1689. They got into a bit of a barney with some Jacobites...

Finished Unit– Cambon’s Foot

First unit of Warfare miniatures complete. This one represents Cambon’s foot regiment which consisted of Huguenot’s and other disenchanted French. Fought round Europe including in Ireland 1689-1690 where the League of Augsburg weekends are set.

What I’m Working on Now…

More Huguenots…

What I’m Working on Now…

Over at the League of Augsburg I’ve developed a little bit of a reputation for killing off senior officers. With this in mind I’ve started building a scene which will form one of the Huguenots command stands.
The C.O. is no more and his body is being guarded by one of his trustworthy soldiers (or somebody who sees an opportunity for a bit of looting later). Meanwhile the new C.O. has been handed a bottle to get over the shock and is dictating his will to a trusted comrade from another regiment. All figures are from Warfare Miniatures.

What I’m working on now

More Huguenots…

Warfare Miniatures