I started wargaming with Napoleonics as a teenager. While cleaning out the cupboards at her house my mother found a few non-digital photos of games I played over 20 years ago, which I've photographed digitally and uploaded. Looks like a Hundred Days campaign battle based rather loosely on Quatre Bras if I remember correctly. Well... it had a crossroads anyway! The quality of the photos is pretty terrible but shows the sort of thing I was doing at the time.
The figures were 1/72nd, mainly Esci (Now sold by Italeri) with many conversions to get the sort of troops I wanted. French and British, and I remember painting up Nassau and Brunswickers, and British Guards in white trousers (and possibly even bearskins!!). Rather carried away with artistic license in that latter case. I sold them all about 15 years ago. However the Napoleonic flame didn't die and is now back from Elba and re-establishing the Empire in 28mm.
Here's a table in my parent's basement.
Here's a table in my parent's basement.
.jpg)
On the left flank, French assaulting some allied squares. Those flags and uniforms near the top left behind the hill might be some Brunswickers from the looks of things.
.jpg)
In the centre.
.jpg)
Right flank.
.jpg)
I also took them along to a Wargaming Convention, this must have been around 1994 I think.
.jpg)
Individual casualty removal apparently. Rules were pretty terrible (in terms of speed of play anyway!)
.jpg)
Well that's it, not much to see really, but nice to have a few last memories of them and thought a few other people might like to have a look!
Currently finishing off last of the figures I need for Waterloo, some much better pics soon!
Currently finishing off last of the figures I need for Waterloo, some much better pics soon!
What an excellent find! I enjoy looking at photos from games past.
ReplyDeleteWish I could recover more of my old gaming memories.
If you find more of these, do post them.
Great stuff. I remember that convention - I think John Moher was playing 15mm ACW and the guy from Military Miniatures was there and he had the license for selling Front Rank or which I bought a tonne (paying by cheque !)
ReplyDeleteCheers
I didn't go to that convention, though I did, as Treasurer for the Wargames Club subsequently, experience some of the fall-out.
ReplyDeleteI like casualty removal in rules for psychological - 'feel the pain' - reasons, though I have to admit that it can look a bit untidy. To see a force of 40 figures whittled down to 7 in just two turns is to know (on the war games table, of course) what 'withering fire' means. This occurred in the second Battle of Reims during the course of a Napoleonic campaign played out in 1990-1.
The second, supporting, wave overran the objective a move later...
I recall your plastic Napoleonics, Mark: superbly presented to your usual standard.
Among the many things that have made our hobby so much better in the past decade or so are the internet in general (and blogs!), and digital photography. I have quite a few of the kind of blurry pictures you have (and some better ones that I posted last year). It makes you appreciate how much better digital photos are, along with ability to easily edit them for clarity and exposure etc - even my vintage Y2K Nikkon digital camera (still in use, although I have to use a card reader as it is too old for the direct interface to any modern computers) is head and shoulders above all but the most expensive and expertly used film cameras of back then.
ReplyDeleteAllowing for that, I think your tables look quite attractive, actually. I got a chuckle out of the location in your parent's basement - growing up, the table our group played on a ping pong table in my parents un-insulated attic - way below freezing in the winter, and sweletringly hot in the summer. Din't stop us from playing, though, except at the worst extremes!
Oh Nostalgia). She is beautiful))))
ReplyDeleteIt was yesterday...nice one!
ReplyDeleteThanks for show us!
ReplyDeleteThanks all, yes it's interesting to think how far the hobby has come. The internet, blogs, digital photography, have really enriched and grown it. I just joined a Napoleonic Wargaming group on facebook yesterday - close to 2000 members!
ReplyDeleteGreat the pics survived for 20 years. Must bring back lovely memories. You did so much, we tinkered with building 1/72 armies minifigs and messed about a but never came close to a lovely game like this. Thanks for sharing your memories!
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul!
DeleteWonderful bit of nostalgia Mark.
ReplyDeleteThere must have been something in the water that week 'cause I had a similar post about the same game played many years ago.
Wargaming, don't we just love it?!!
Cheers James, just found your piece which I'd missed and had a read, very good!
Delete