ADLG Renaissance: The Basics

 I've finally gotten round to recording a few ADLG-R videos with Simon LeRay-Meyer, in which we look to work through the basics of the system with a particular focus on explaining the differences to ADLG Ancients.

They are now all posted on YouTube and also here on my website 

The main areas covered are to do with how double-width bases for infantry formations in the Renaissance version actually work. 

This is all pretty simple once you get your head around how they work but can trip up someone who is familiar with ADLG Ancients if you are not mindful of what and why they are deemed necessary in Renaissance ADLG

The videos are a bit of an experiment using my webcam and recorded very simply on Zoom, so the quality isn't exactly top notch - but hopefully we manage to be chatty and engaging enough to carry you through that, and in so doing manage to get across the key ways in which these double units actually work and operate on the battlefield.

Here's hoping you make it at least half way through ! 

Camelphracts

Is it even a real word?  

Who knows in all honestly, but surely every Ancient wargamer will have considered adding a few Parthian Cataphract Camels to their collection at some point in their life? 

Well, at Warfare last year I had a voucher to spend and not all that much I actually wanted, so Forged in Battle ended up being the lucky recipients of my virtual cash and I became the owner of a pack of Camelphracts - which have finally been painted and added to the Bisely cabinet of shame.

They come in a pack of 8 models, which is readonable compared to the normal FiB sets of 12 cavalry as they are much bigger beasts than regular horses.

I then managed to obtain a couple more figures from Dave, as he had some spares allowing me to paint up the 3 bases that you'd need to field a max-sized Camephract force in a 300 point Parthian army for ADLG.

Of course the idea I would ever use a 300 point Parthian army in ADLG is pretty far fetched, but hey, having 9 Camelphracts is much better than having 6 and 2 spares eh?

The odd man out got based up a command stand

All done with contrasts plus drybrushed standard metals. 
 

Medieval Baggage

 I can never resist a chance to get some more baggage elements, and my 28mm armies are now starting to be the main recipients of this habit (as I honestly have way too much army baggage in 15mm!).

Earlier this year at the PAW show in Plymouth I picked up these couple of vignette sets from John at Athena Miniatures - as a trade for a Russian hat I had originally planned to sell on the Bring & Buy. 

They are "Vignette 7 Nobles and Merchants" and "Vignette 8 Drunk Soldiers" on the Athena website - I  did however mix one of the Merchants into the Drunkards base to give the happy fellows some context and dissapproval.

"You bring shame on our army with your drunkenness  - especially you Sire, a Priest!" 

The figures are a tad stylized compared to some ranges, but the animation and entertainment value of these little sets is still top notch IMO!

Begging for alms...  or perhaps just begging ?

All done in Contrast Paints, based up on 60x60mm square MDF with tufts from Warpaint Miniatures. 

 

It's all Greek To Me!

 Back in February of this year, when the weather was chilly and damp (unlike this balmy almost-May Springtime we're getting in the UK right now...?) I headed off to Athens to take in some local gastronomy, hit a few museums, drink some local beer and wine, attend a Greek Super League football match ... oh, and play a bit of ADLG at a "Crusades" themed event held by the Strategikon Club in Athens too!

The gaming parts of this epic weekend saw a rather unusual Later Crusader army take to the field, based around the army commanded by Richard The Lionheart ("Coeur du Lion") at Arsuf and other rather defensive battles, taking on a variety of Feudal opponents across 5 games over 2 days. 

This saw a wall of well protected Crusader spearmen, supported by crossbows attempt to lure successive opponents either to their doom in a vain and futile charge, or to stunning success as the enemy rode down the quivering Crusader sergeants at lance point!

In all cases the action was epic and brutal, and (of course...) the post-game criticism from Hannibal was even more so! 

In a post-event coda, these reports also feature a video walk-through of the Athens Archeological Museum (with some stunning Mycenean stuff), the Greek Military Museum (from antiquity to the near-present day) and a pop-up museum with relics and remains from the decisive battle of Charonea, where Philip established Macedonian control over the Greek peninsula with his defeat of the other Theban-led City States. 

All of the reports, including the usual captions and nonsense are now posted on Madaxeman.com

The Plastic Crack Podcast

 I was kindly invited onto the Plastic Crack Podcast on Monday night as a guest, and had a great time chatting nonsense about all things wargaming-related to the guys.

During the chat quite a few "Madaxeman" and also "Britcon" things came up, so I thought it might be handy to try and pull together some links here so that anyone who hears or sees the podcast and then stumbles across this site will not have to rummage around in the metaphorical bits-box that is Madaxeman.com's menu structure to see what on earth I was taking about!

In no particular order therefore:

28mm Successor Phalanx, a painting and building guide

A recent battle report, featuring the army of Spartacus, plenty of speech-bubble soldiery, and with commentary from Hannibal as well at the end of each report

A mercifully short "highlights package" from the Madaxeman Podcast in which we run through an episode of "I'm Sorry I think You're An Arse" while discussing whether GW paint names have just gone too damned far.

Who Played What, the 2023 review of the UK Ancients competition circuit

A link to the Madaxeman YouTube Channel 

Evidence that I do base AFVs in 10mm and below, (in what was also perhaps my last ever Arrowhead order..)

Rigging Hell! , the Windy Ships starter set and a lot of black cotton

Victrix Galatians, with waterslide transfers from Battle Flag

The BHGS/Britcon stuff is also here:

• The Britcon Web Page on the BHGS site
• Gaming Systems on offer at Britcon 2024
• If you are interested in having a chat about bringing your game or group to Britcon, email me via the BHGS 

You can also listen to the episode on Spotify or watch it on YouTube as well: 

Enjoy!