A second artillery peice for Hawksby’s Foot. This one is a smaller gun, a Saker cannon. This peice was bought by Hawksby from John Grice a gunsmith in Handsworth. (Birmingham)
it is crewed by gunner Knowles, and three artillery men, Jim Hampstead, Job Lowe and Esau Morran.
Two musketeers are attached to the gun to ward off any attacks on the artillery as they reload.
The miniatures are all from the great Warlord Games Pike and Shotte range.
Here again at the end of this book, this also marks the 80th page in the story.
Three months, over 2000 views and 150 likes. Many thanks again to everyone who read, commented or liked this book. The comments and likes are a massive encouragement!
Special thanks to the fabulous Little Monster Girl. Thank you for the shout out in your Internet Buffet 13/3. A great blog and a hilarious comic, check it out here
And thank you to Warlord Games for their highlight article and their great Pike and Shotte minis!
Strange things can happen when you write, and especially published in a blog, a very serialised way, so whilst I have a rough issue plan I am normally only writing a few pages at a time. As a result I found that the storytelling in book three has taken longer to get though than I expected. Simply put I expected to be further along with the story by the end of book 3 (of a planned 4 books) by page 26 I realised I had a choice… make book 3 even longer (it is already two pages longer than the previous books) or add in another book.
I opted for the latter and now the story will be in 5 books (or issues if you like). I brought book three to a suitable close and we will have to wait for book 4 for Hawksby’s troops to finally make it to Leeds and for Rook to begin to piece together Whitestone’s plot.
On the hobby side of the blogI have the rest of the club men miniatures to post up about and I am going to do a first on this blog, a mini review of Warlord Game’s Pike and Shotte TYW Supplement.
But I have pages written and illustrated so right back to the story with book 4 page one… watch this space.
Here is the first full issue collected as a PDF (5 mb) download.
Click the image to download.
Here is the second full issue collected as a PDF (4.1 mb) download.
Click the image to download.
Here are the next batch of ‘Clubmen’ musketeers for the Storming of Leeds. Again I have given these a mix of kit and clothing to help with the impression of an organised rabble rather than troops.
Here is a WIP shot and parts list (L to R):
Advancing musketeer:
Body Warlord Games Pike and Shotte Infantry
Head from Northstar Frostgrave Soldiers set
Arms from Perry Miniature ACW Infantry
Shooting musketeer:
Body, hat & arms Warlord GamesPike and Shotte Infantry
Head from Northstar Frostgrave Soldiers set
Standing musketeer
Body, hat and musket from Warlord Games Pike and Shotte Infantry
Face from Warlord Games Bolt Action British Infantry
Arms from Warlord Games Bolt Action German Grenadiers
For the storming of Leeds Fairfax took with him a large number of ‘Clubmen’. These appear to have been local towns folk from the surrounding area. I wanted to represent these in a couple of units for Pike and Shotte. To do this I decided to give these a less uniform appearance and more of a mix of kit, without them being full ‘farmers with pitchforks’ Clubmen. Here are the first three done.
Here is a WIP shot and parts list:
Advancing musketeer:
Body, hat and musket from Warlord Games Pike and Shotte Infantry
Head and rope from Frostgrave Soldiers set
Arms from Warlord Games Bolt Action Soviet Infantry
Kneeling musketeer:
Body from Warlord Games AZW British Infantry
Head from Gripping Beast Dark Ages Warriors
Arms and hat from Warlord Games Pike and Shotte Infantry
Firing musketeer
Body, helmet and musket from Warlord Games Pike and Shotte Infantry
Arms from Warlord Games Bolt Action German Grenadiers
Daniel Warren is a farmer, who has lived and worked on his family farm near Weatherby his whole life. Marrying later in life his wife, he and his wife June just have one daughter. Warren is neutral in the civil war, but is not one to turn away a stranger in need, or to betray a trust.
Daniel was made from a Warlord Games plastic ECW infantry miniature (from the plastic pike and shotte spruces), the additional features added using green stuff. His arms are also from the Pike and Shotte infantry sprue. His head is a Gripping Beast plastic Dark Ages Warrior head.
I also decided to make a simple conversion to represent the guy with the torch who is going to burn the barn.
Again a Warlord Pike and Shotte body was used, this time a musketeers body. I simply added a Gripping Beast Dark Ages spear arm, with the spear cut down and some packaging fluff glued on the top. The left arm is from a Perry Miniatures ACW set.
Or rather skirmish of the barn.
This is a simple scenario for a quick ECW game. I use the Witchfinder General Days of Revelation rules for ECW skirmish, but this should work for any system that uses one model as one man. The scenario is untried as yet, so I may adjust it after I give it a few plays.
The Scenario
Matthew Rook and two of his veteran musketeers are trapped in a barn surrounded by a band of Royalist soldiers. Help is on the way however, in the form of a band of local club-men. Can Rook and his comrades hold out long enough for help to arrive, and then make their escape…
The Forces
Parliamentarian:
Matthew Rook, Armed with two pistols and a sword. Pickering and Drake, armed with flintlock or matchlock muskets and a sword each.
Royalist:
The royalist forces are six musketeers and one officer.
The Farm
There is a suggested map layout of the farm on a 4’x4’ table, on the previous page, but any layout with plenty of walls, houses and trees will do. It is essential that there is a building to represent the barn and a building to represent the farm house.
You can also have miniatures on the board to represent the farmer and his family. These are non-combatants.
The Barn counts as sturdy cover and only figures at the doors or windows of the barn are in sight.
Victory conditions
Parliament win a total victory if all Rook, Pickering and Drake make it off the board alive.
If only one or two of the Parliamentarian forces get off the board then it is a draw.
Royalists win if Rook and both of his men are killed or captured.
If one or two of the Parliamentarian forces are killed or captured it is a is a draw
Special Rules
Clubmen to the rescue! After turn 2 (from the start of turn 3) there is a chance that some local club men arrive to help Rook and his men. At the start of each turn the Parliamentarian player must roll 1 D6 on a roll of 4,5,6 club men arrive. If they do arrive, roll the D6 again, then half the score (rounding up) to calculate the number of club men that arrive. Do this each turn. The maximum number of clubmen allowed to join the game is 6.
Fire, fire! After turn 32 (from the start of turn 4) the Royalist player can attempt to burn the barn. (See the burn the barn rule section)
The game is advised for gloomy conditions, see page 86 in the main WFG rule book.
Download this scenario, with full stats for WFG here (4mb) .pdf
Barn by Renedra Ltd, miniatures by Warlord Games.
Whitestone is the shadowy agent of the crown, little is known about him, other than his fearsome reputation as a killer. He first came to notoriety during the bloody sacking of Magdeburg. It is said that he led many of the soldiers in the slaughter of the inhabitants and his own death toll for that day was in the hundreds. A true mercenary Whitestone will fight for any side that pays, who is paying him and for what in Yorkshire in 1643 is something of a mystery.
This miniature is made from Warlord Games Pike and Shotte Plastic cavalry sprue. The right arm is repositioned and the left arm is from the Gripping Beast Dark Ages Warriors boxed set. His Head is from Crooked Dice Games.
WIP Picture, showing the assembled mini before painting:
Cross (left) Was originally from Northumberland and drifted into Yorkshire in the mid 1630’s after fighting with Leslie army on the continent in the 1620’s. Cross is a wild an unprdictable fellow, mostly known for keeping himself to himself, and bouts of rage on the battlefield that have been known to frighten both friend and foe. Often seen wielding the Warhammer he famously took from the hand of a cavalry officer he slew during the breaking of the Siege of Stralsund.
Peat (Right) Was the son of a Nottingham tradesman, who was tried for sedition, and hanged by King Charles’ men. Having sworn revenge on all followers of the King Peat fled to his sisters cottage in Yorkshire. There he joined Hawksby’s regiment. He is an educated man and is of a republican mindset, believing that all Kings are wicked and the rule of the land must be given to it’s people. He is a boisterous rebel rouser and can often be found debating matters of government or religion, with anyone who is willing to argue with him.
Both miniatures are Warlord Games plastic miniatures. From their Pike and Shotte infantry sets. Peat has had a simple head swap with a Gripping Beast Plastic Dark Ages Warrior. Cross is made up from two different Pike and shote musketeers, cut at the waist and joined to get the turing pose, his arms are from the spares box,and the Warhammer is from the Warlord Plastic Pike and Shotte Cavalry boxed set.
WIP shot:
Hew Pickering, left, and Daniel Jones
Often found griping together, or fighting side by side together, usually involved int he reckless schemes of Matthew Rook, Pickering and Jones are both life long soldiers, sailing over to Europe as young lads they fought with Sir Thomas in every battle he has been in. Both are known equally for their fierce abilities in hand to hand combat, as well as being well schooled in the use of the musket. They are both staunch protestants, and Pickering can often be found singing hymns or reciting the few verses of scripture he has committed to memory, however their religion doesn’t extend to affecting the hours they spend in ale houses and inns, given the chance.
Both miniatures are from Warlord Games Pike and Shotte infantry sprue. Pickering’s head is from the Perry Miniatures Mahadists boxed set. Both of their right arms are from the Warlord Games Pike and Shotte Cavalry set and Jones’ left arms a Bolt Action plastic arm, his back slung musket is from The Assault Group.
WIP:
Olde England Grown New 