Monday 31 August 2009

De Dietsche Unie

Today I’m serving up history with a twist. This post roughly explains the origins of the Imagi-Nation part of my armies. Later posts will expand on the army, it’s colours, flags, maybe even a rough map of the area, etc…

After the War of the Austrian succession the southern provinces of the Dutch Republic changed hands and became part of the Austrian Habsburg empire. The reforms imposed by Austria, the treason of Austria wanting to dispose of the southern Lowland provinces in exchange for Bavaria, went down badly with middleclass and new upper class merchants which held the real power.
After a badly organised revolt in the Brabant province, which diverted the attention of the Austrian administrators, the people of the main Limburg cities on the Meuse saw their chance and in their turn started a revolt. But they had no intention of joining the northern Dutch Republic. Their movement, originating from a number of cities along the Maas (Meuse) river soon expanded to include the whole of the Limburg region and the eastern part of Brabant. England and the Dutch Republic -thinking a buffer was a useful thing- secretly, but effectively supported the uprising. Due to the economical power of the cities along the Maas, the regions depending on those quickly joined the uprising. A year after the War of Succession the Dietsche Unie was a fact.
The Dutch republic, Prussia and especially Britain now officially recognised the importance of a possible buffer state -able to support armies in winter quarters so near the channel coast and having a main river for transport- by signing a treaty with the new Union, mainly supporting the fledgling army of the De Dietsche Unie (DDU) with equipment and instruction. This gave rise to the first European standing military training camp called Leopoldsburg (named after Leopold van Loon, the first “elected” Citizen-Regent of the DDU) amidst the scarcely populated heath of the Kempa region.
The old colours of the Graafschap van Loon (horizontal bands of yellow and red) were taken as a field sign for the army.

I also see that already 19 visits have been made to my blog...I must admit that in all the excitement of starting a blog, at least 15 counter hits are by myself, showing unsuspecting friends and family what I'm up to. Makes me wonder...maybe Stokes over at the Duchy of Stollen really hasn't reached 70000 hits yet...

Happy gaming
Pjotr

Friday 28 August 2009

A trip down memory lane or How did I get involved in Wargaming

As a youngster in the early seventies I spent much time in Dover. My father was a captain on the ferries based in Ostend and I played stowaway quite a lot. One of my favourite pastimes in Dover was the walk up the cliff to Dover Castle. There a part of Sibornes diorama was displayed. I spent hours looking at it.

Then came the discovery of a modelshop on the mainstreet. Only one word of explanation here: Airfix. I also remember some painted second hand Napoleonic wargame units for sale. I never had enough money to buy them, but I like to think they once passed through the hands of Charles Grant. Anyway, with lego brick buildings battlefields were created and battles fought using blowpipes and marbles.

Next came a book on modelling soldiers. In that book there was a double page colour picture of a wargame by Peter Gilder. And that, was that …The same modelshop also gave me my first (beloved) ruleset: Napoleonic Wargame Rules by the Tunbridge Wells Wargames society (from now on NWRbtTWWS in short). The unpainted airfix armies got a chipboard and coloured chalk battlefield. Units were mounted on cardboard bases and a shot was fired that was heard around our household. To have larger battles my cousin, my only opponent, and I even recruited our ACW figures and played blue and gray against yellow battles. But did we have fun...

As we got older interest shifted to 1/300th WW2 gaming using the WRG 1925-1950 rules. Those were tank battles of legendary proportions. We also played some PanzerBlitz and other boardgames.

In 1985 I bought the first edition of Warhammer, for a long time this became my main interest and other wargaming sort of got sidetracked. Next real life kicked in…I still bought the books and magazines but never played a wargame again. Then in 2002, after a long stay away from home (I’m a soldier), my sons declared that they wanted to start warhammer armies. Old loves were rekindled and now, with the kids (sort of) grown up, it’s time for several generations of the military NUYDREV dynasty to tell their stories from the battlefields long past.
…and so it begins.

Happy gaming

Pjotr

FIRST POST

Well, to my first reader and all those following...Welcome.

Let me start with a small, well small-ish explanation on my plans.

Only now, and never again, I apologise if ever I insult or injure someone by a bad choice of words. English is not my first language. I do try my best, but sometimes something really idiotic (which of course I don't see) comes up, or some huge spelling or grammar mystake sort of makes a comedy appearance. So forgive me for that, if you can't, well...don't read on and goodbye, thanks for visiting.


So here I go, for real now...

I plan to use this blog as a tool to help order my thoughts on my wargaming adventure. Of course readers will have to put up with the occasional rant…

The first project which has taken a start as I write (figures are being shipped from the UK) is my 7YW Imagi-Nation. Phase one is assembling armies for rules compatible with DIE KRIEGSKUNST style basing. My inspiration for this came from Keith's Wargaming blog and Angus Konstam. Of course credit goes to many more fine gentlemens Blogs like Alte Fritz, Duchy of Stollen and many more: I thank you all. Where was I...Ah yes,

Phase 2 should be to build on this to recreate Grantian (is this a word?, now it is...) sized 7YW units. Sounds easy when you read it like this, doesn’t it? Anyway, these armies will be 25/28mm.


My second project will be Napoleonic gaming. I have two rulesets I want to use for this; First of all my beloved Napoleonic wargame rules by the Tunbridge Wells Wargames Society (actually written by George Gush). With these rules, several boxes of Airfix, coloured chalk and a chipboard battlefield, my cousin and I fought many battles. The rules are so Old School, and -for me- better than Grants Napoleonics.

These Napoleonic units will be based such as to be compatible to play General de Brigade. I wanted to play In the Grand Manner, but as the GdeB rules are so much more structured they are more accessible for someone who’s first language is Dutch. Here I will chose 25/28mm models, probably in a generic 100-days setting.

My third project will consist of ancients. Saving some Euro’s here I will probably go for 1/72 plastic armies. Rules will be either WRG 2nd or 6th, or a homebrew of these, combined with George Gush’s ancient rules and the rules from Quarries Guide to Wargaming. I don’t really like DBM, Field of Glory type games. (Yesterday I learned that the "Warrior" rules are descendants of WRG ancients...have to find more on that.)

Project number 4 is the Second World War. Also in 1/72 plastic these will primarily be a diversion for painting Horse and Musket uniforms. Rules of choice are Rapid Fire and Battlegroup Panzergrenadier. Bonus is the scale modelling aspect, also one of my passions that was put on hold for a long time.

I think this is enough for today. Time to get some painting space sorted out, check on brushes and paint, create some simple terrain…in short: time to get started.

Happy gaming.

Pjotr

PS: I haven’t sorted out this blog configuration yet. I promise things will get better.