Wine and Cheese

I hope noone has been offended by the Wars of Wine and Cheese. The use of cheesy and winey names for my imagiNation regiments are a result of gaming with the cheese loving and freely drinking Birmingham Wargames Society and not intended as an "Allo Allo" type slight on our continental friends. Wine is not aften an accompaniment to our afternoon games (usually an ale or two) but is not unknown. The last wine I recall being an indifferent red called "Rorkes Drift" bought specially to accompany the game. Cheese and biccies have however been mandatory for a number of years now - cheers Richard!

I was pleased to see the first entry on the new BWS forum was not game of the month but Cheese of the Week. Which was, unfortunately, Stinking Bishop - not recommended!

http://hubpages.com/hub/Stinking-Bishop

The Butler did it!

Yet again the bane of the wargamer stalks Castle Vallejo. Project dispersion!!!

January has seen no recruitment to the imagiNation armies, too cold for the press gangs of Colonel Boursain no doubt.

Instead an old club project has raised it's head in the form of 28mm American War of Independence.

Many years ago we started this and it petered out due to a lack of rules we liked. However we going to try again, possibly using Will's AWI rules from freewargamerules or even a variant of Volley and Bayonet.

Either way it's splitting out the old twenty man units into twelves, not a natural division.

As always some bare lead turned up in the dungeons (ie a box in the shed) and I have sploshed some paint on it to give me a unit of Butlers Rangers. Not the prettiest unit in the world but no doubt will throw just as many dice as their more attractive enemies. Co-inkadinkally there were eighteen figures in the box giving a formed unit of twelve and a skirmish unit of six. Serendipitous.

I calculate this will be our tenth "tricorn" project in all conflicts and scales. Is this confirmation that the C18 is the "best" period for the wargamer?

The Battle of Spatlesse Bridge

The beautiful and wiley opponent General Bojallay, my daughter Georgia. Having arrayed the forces of Weinpfalz.

the tale continues................

Count Olaf placed both hands flat on the large oval table and looked at his generals. "There must never be a bridge between our land and the frightful Fromagere," he said. "The pontoon at Spatlesse must be destroyed before the cheese-eaters have time to fortify the town and encroach into the water meadows." General Bojollay was first to his feet. "Give me the honour my Lord, and in ten days I will have the bridge in a million pieces." "Thankyou Bojallay." Count Olaf bowed to his youngest general. At only 53 General Bojallay had not suffered the ignominy of most of Weinpfalz's military tradition. "Very well, take two regiments of infantry and a battery; and please bring the pontoon back in fewer pieces than a million. It may prove useful." "and perhaps a few horse sire?" "Yes, yes. Bring the pontoon back in a weeks time Bojollay and we'll hold a ball in you honour." "Fail, and he hold your balls in a vice," whispered witty General L'Ambrusco.

Within two days Bojollay led his small force down onto the watermeadows of Spatlesse only to find that he was expected.


Being out of focus may account for the totally ineffective fire of Fromagere arillery. No casualties are inflicted in move one.


Rashly, the Fusilers de Brie march over the cause of the conflict to meet the Weinpfalzers.



Patiently the Weinpfalz dragoons wait for the Fusiliers to form line.... and then charge. Huzzzaahh!

A less than withering fire takes only a couple of dragoons from their saddles and the resulting melee proves indecisive and goes on for a second round. The dragoons cut down a few poor infantrymen but with artillery support for the Fusilers honours are even and both units must withdraw to rally

(at long last I get to play with a set of rules bought in 1977)

On the Fromagere left the Roquefort Regiment are more cautious and form up along the riverbank. The Spatburgunders march up in fine order and receive a volley at short range. A furious firefight ensues.



With an evil laugh of triumph General Bojollay follows up the retreating Fusilers and takes control of the bridge head. A wild volley from the head of column lays down three more Fusiliers and brings their total casualty count over 50%.


With one regiment retreating with fewer than half of it's men remaining and the other also near that mark the forces of Fromagere declare discretion the better part of valour and make their weary way back to the city of Roquefort and quite possibly a year's latrine duty.

As the pontoons were loaded onto their wagons General Bojollay wondered whether a triumphal arch on the small hill in his country estate would be too ostentatious. Perhaps he might even get to dance with Countess at the celebratory ball