Hovels and Ruins and Shelters, oh my - My friend Gary suggested that I post some photos of the structures we've created over the past couple of years for our wargames table. I constructed the majority of the buildings using block molds created by Hirst Arts Fantasy Archetecture. No links, but the web address is:
http://www.hirstarts.com/
I highly recommend them to any wargamer wanting to punch up the look of the table top. In addition to the blocks, the buildings are almost exclusively with a craft item called Skinny Sticks and the adhesive of choice is Aleene's Tacky Glue. Both products can be purchased in Walmart, or any craft store. Ok, here are pictures of some of the stuff we use:

Now THAT'S a Regiment! - In accordance with His Majesty's Summer decree, all line regiments in the army of St. Maurice will reorganize in the continental style. Each will be composed of two battalions plus one understrength company of grenadiers, permanently detached to the Battalion of Converged Grenadiers and part of the Household Legion.
As might be expected, Clare was first to expand it's numbers (it's simply never difficult to recruit Irishmen into a fight). The gentleman to the far right in the picture (at the end of the second battalion), is the sub-Colonel commanding the second battalion. A close look will also show that the second battalion marches with the royal standard and the Colonel's color for the Clare Regiment, while the first marches with the royal and the regimental colors. When I began to develop the army of St. Maurice, I wanted about 1000 infantry. As my little state is truly little, it never made much sense to create a lot of regiments, so I've opted for what you see here. There will be eight regiments, each of two battalions. Don't know how it will fight, but it sure does look good to me!

Next report: Another Battle

The St. Maurice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Flintlocks has received word of and illegal spirits processing operation, developed in the small town of Chagrin, on the border with Ardoberg-Holstein. Never one to allow free enterprise to go unpunished, His Grace Edmond, Duke of Duque, has dispatched a patrol from the Clare Regiment (His Majesty's "Royal Shenanigans") to obtain a sampling of the volatile liquid and bring in a member of the current development crew to "answer a few questions." When they arrive, the patrol discovers that the substance created has turned out to be something less than a world class vermouth. The whole town has been turned into zombies, and the Irishmen realize they must return with enough evidence of the disaster here to convince His Majesty to dispatch the remainder of Clare to kill, burn, and otherwise destroy all of Chagrin and the immediate surroundings (in the interests of the survival of human-kind don't-ya'-know).
The first picture is of our intrepid band of St. Maurice's finest, led by that legendary Irish sergeant Victor McLaughlin, and includes privates O'Dool, O;Tool and McGillicuty. In the game, each trooper had 5 activity points per turn, while the zombies had 4. The objective was to search the tavern ("La Vin Noir") and find 4 items (by card draw) that could be used as evidence.
Move 1 - O'Dool shoots a zombie, killing him (again), as McLaughlin advances toward the bar (goes without saying). O'Tool and McGillicuty move to the door of the processing room.
Move 2 - O'Dool's shot was not enough as his zombie opponent rises almost immediately and attacks McLaughlin. The sergeant shoots him in the face, and this time he stays dead. O'Tool and McGillicuty enter the processing room where the latter shoots another zombie. O'Tool searches the work tables and, over the next two turns, comes up with a recipe for the swill and a fluid sample.
Move 5 - Our intrepid pair in the bar have been slugging it out with the dead from the beginning, and it's beginning to tell. O'Dool is down to 2 activity points while McLaughlin remains unscathed. In the mean time, O'Tool and McGillicuty have moved on to the kitchen, where they kill anothe zombie and manage to turn up the secret ingredient for the whole concoction.
Move 8 - O'Dool is in really rough shape and developing a craving for barBQ'd brains. McLaughlin remains uninjured, but severely disappointed that the bar seems to offer nothing but wine ("It's a sin I tell ya"! A mortal sin!"). The adventuresome pair from the kitchen have made their way back into the bar just in time to take on several more zombies that have broken in through the back and side doors.
Move 9 - O'Tool (with a final card draw) manages to locate the creator of the concoction, Henri Pissoir, hiding in a barrel. "Why did you not arrive sooner," cried the indignant Pissoir. "Can't you see that I've ruined my clothes?!"
Move 10 - Our final picture shows the Irishmen extricating themselves from the bar (Begorrah, who'd have thought we'd be fightin' our way OUT of a bar?")

This was a great little game which took Gary and I about an hour and a half to play. Fast moving a a roaring lot of fun. We're planning a follow-up with the troopers in the street trying to exit the town. Great fun. I would be remiss if I didn't give credit for the rules. They were originally developed by Bruce Hurst of Hurst Arts Fantasy Architecture. I no longer have the web address, or I'd put a link here.
Sorry, but the pictures are not coming through, Will try to add them later.

La Marne - This is the infantry La Marne. When originally conceived, it was titled "La Marine" (hence the blue coats as opposed to the Quaker gray worn by all other line infantry), but became the oxymoronic given St. Maurice's land-locked status, and the fact that there isn't a navigable waterway in the whole country. La Marne brigades with Dauphin As the St. Maurice brigade III, and has been in existence for about fifteen years. In accordance with the royal decree of 1758 (right now), the regiment will add a second battalion, in the continental style, hopefully before next Summer.

Coming Next - Bad Wine - An 18th century zombie game just in time for Holloween.

Dauphin Regiment - This regiment is dedicated to my son. The first of these troopers was painted the week he was born, and they are currently celebrating their 26th (or is it 27th) anniversary. I've begun to measure the age of my units, as well as it's combat experience, by the number of snapped bayonets in the rank and file. Dauphin has almost a full company without the wee sharp pointy things. Dauphin is brigaded with the Regiment la Marne (coming soon), and represent Brigade III "Les Paysans" ("The Peasants") as they do not come from the social elite of St. Maurice. Given that "social elite" and "St. Maurice" may in fact be an oxymoron when used in the same sentence, one can only imagine the origins of the rank and file parading here.
The figures are predominantly Stadden with a Suren Colonel and, Vivandiere and junior officers in the color party.

We're Baaaaaaaaaaak - Well, after a much needed vacation, the entire army of St. Maurice has returned to quarters (minus the Fromage Regiment, and the less said about that little incident the better). His Majesty's forces have already locked horns with their traditional adversary, Ardoberg-Holstein. Glorious results but no camera to record for posterity, so you'll simply have to take my word for it............................. (come on guys, please!).
Ok, so no battle pictures yet, then back to the forces in detail.

Kilbasa Light Horse - Like all the light horsemen serving with the forces de St. Maurice, the lancers are not native to the country. They are in fact Polish, and led by Count Stanislau Kilbasa, an itenerate Ukranian adventurer and nerdowell. Rumor has it that the count (title has never been confirmed) secured a hefty sum to provide cavalry to His Majesty's forces. He then disappeared back to Poland (much to the shagrin of Polish authorities) and scoured every jail and mental institution until he secured what he considered to be "the best of the best" for his regiment. Voting is still out on this as, to date, they have yet to find their way back to St. Maurice.
The figures are old 30mm Mini Figs from a limited range they produced back in the 70's, and the horses, of course, are Stadden. I know the uniform style of the lancers is more in line with a Napoleonic army than anything approaching the 1750's. In fact, my dragoons (yet to be developed) may also be a closer facimility of the later period. I simply don't know yet. St. Maurice is after all an imagi-nation, that at this point may have more in common with Gilbert & Sullivan than Frederick the Great. Vive la Self-Indilgence!

Serving Notice - His Majesty de St. Maurice wishes to inform all who may visit here that he, indeed the entire St. Maurician army, will be on holiday from now until the end of the Summer. All those inclined to invade our little berg are encouraged to restrain themselves until sometime after the first weekend in September. Making war on a country on vacation just isn't done don't-ya'-know.