Soggy Bottom 1643 Scenario available!

In case you missed it on the TtS! newsletter, I've recently published Andrew Brentnall's super "Soggy Bottom 1643" scenario. Soggy Bottom is the large battle that I took around the UK show circuit this year, and very fine it looked, too!

Set in the county of Borsetshire, the scenario follows the Parliamentarian defeat at "Lessie's Moor" (another splendid scenario by Andrew, available for free download). Aid arrives for both factions, and a battle to decide the fate of Borsetshire is fought near to the usually quiet village of Soggy Bottom.

Both scenarios have been written for use with the popular "For King and Parliament" rules, but could easily be adapted for use with other sets of English Civil War rules. You can download them for free from here!

Soggy Bottom - the Royalist Right

Here are some pictures of the other wing of our recent game at Colours. Again, these were taken by Ian Notter. All the photos will enlarge when clicked-upon.

Above, Colonel Skippon directs his command from a field outside Soggy Bottom. Skippon (close-up below) is a splendid mini painted, I believe, by David Imrie. 

His wing included four regiments of "Dutch"-style horse, including Sir Arthur Hesilrig and his famous London Lobsters, below.

The red-cornetted "Dutch" regiment, above, seem to be focussed on the mobile rations to their front. The flock of sheep absolutely stole the show, I hope that 1st Corps sell a load of them! Below, they are charged by the more-aggressive Royalist "Swedes" of Sir Horatio Cary’s Regiment of Horse. "Cuckolds we come, indeed!" I was delighted with the Sherpa grass I used on this wing- the scalloped edges of the bat bases sink into it and are rendered almost invisible.

Finally, here's a shot along the Royalist line - that's Sir Jacob Astley's Regiment in the middle ground and Henry Tillier's, beyond. The eponymous marsh of Soggy Bottom is on the right, defended by Major Undertaking's commanded shotte (below), a hard-fighting bunch of n'er-do-wells, if I ever saw one.

That's all for today! Photos of the centre are to follow in a few days time. If you missed the photos of the left wing, you can find them here.

In other news, I have just re-supplied the shop with lots of things that have run out. In particular, I include a new mat that I am calling the "The Ginormous One", which is designed for those playing "For King and Parliament" on a 12" grid in the grand manner.

Soggy Bottom - the Royalist left

On Saturday, Andrew Brentnall, Tim Thompson, Ian Notter and I took Soggy Bottom to Colours. This is the demo game for the For King and Parliament rules, designed so we can use all my completed units. Above is a (click to enlarge) view of sundry Royalist regiments advancing on the eponymous village, taken from the Royalist ridge. All the other photos are of the Parliamentarian right wing and Royalist left.

Here are Colonel James Wardlawe’s dragoons, who held the Parliamentarian extreme right in both games. During the second game, half of them even tried a mounted charge, a la Okey, but with rather less success.

Above, Oliver Cromwell led the famous (but newly painted and consequently ill-omened) Ironsides to their doom, in both games. In the first he was killed, in the second merely wounded. Below, you can see the six troops on the left, these were recently painted for me by Steve Spence. Grahame Black of GMB very kindly made up the flags for me (I was one short, so used a Northern Parliamentarian flag) you can buy them here. Facing them are the front two regiments of the Royalist Northern Horse.

Above is a closeup of one Ironside troop and the flag of Captain William Packer. The new flags are lovely... Below are the King's Lifeguard of Horse, left, and a third regiment of the Northern horse, right.

So that's it for today, more photos in a day or so and there . Both games were great fun and at times there were twenty or so people round the table. If you are interested, the rules can be found here.

Salute For King and Parliament close-ups

Alan and Elaine Daniels very kindly took some in-action shots of the Saltue "For King and Parliament" game at Salute- they came out very well! Here are a selection. All of the photos will enlarge if clicked on.

Above are Apsleys, I believe, and below one of the Royalist Irish regiments, in their smart yellow jackets.

Toiling gunners!

Essex' regiment, or, as Shaun McTague (who painted them) refers to them, "The Pumpkins."

Above and below- one of my two Lifeguard battalia. Sometimes the larger regiments, with a nominal strength of 1000 or more, could field two battalia of 500. The Lifeguard are from the Oxford army and many wear montero hats.

 ...and finally, above, John Hampden's Parliamentarian regiment.

It was very nice to see Alan and Elaine again- they do very well to get such photos during play and in the harsh lighting conditions at Salute!

I am please to report that the For King and Parliament rules are sellling very well- I'm over half way throught the print run, to the relief of my family, as the high and tottering pile of boxes of books in my hallway is no longer life-threatening. ;-)

PS We will have the game at Partizan on Sunday 20th May - please mail me if you'd like to play!

Welcome to Soggy Bottom

The (clickable) Borsetshire village of Soggy Botton will feature in our Salute game on Saturday week. All of the buildings are painted- the red-primed areas need to be textured and covered with mud or grass, and the brown strips around the edges with wattle fences. All the buildings, except for the tithe barn, are from Hovels' splendid 25/28mm range. 

If you are coming to Salute please make a beeline to us and say hello! We have spaces for up to a dozen players in the morning and afternoon. Many cards will be turned...

We are GG07, near the stage in the centre, circled white in the below diagram. As well as my 28mm game, For King and Parliament co-author Andrew Brentnall will be bringing the same battle in 10/12mm.