MTB02 - French Army - French and Indian Wars Part II

Amongst the goodies I received from Graham on Sunday morning was the latest installment for my French Army for the French and Indian wars. Nine natives, painted to the standard for which Graham is known. IMO, they look fantastic. 

3D Printed Movement Trays

I went out for a breakfast today with Graham and Luis. Graham had deliveries for both of us. My package included 3D printed movement trays that I requested for Infamy Infamy Ruleset by Too Fat Lardies. The cavarly and command stands will be useful for other games, such as SAGA or Dragon's Rampant. The recess area of the infantry trays will only match up with a dozen stands of Gauls that I purchased online. These base elements are not to WRG/DBX standards.

Assorted Movement Trays, Figure for Scale

All movement trays measure 90mm x 65mm x 3.25mm thick. For the infantry trays, there is a centralised recess of 61mm x 52mm x 2.5mm deep. A smaller, second recessed box of 12mm x 12mm is located in the lower right corner. A die will be used to track casualties since it is not possible to remove figures. 

Sample of Prebased Gauls in Movement Tray

These trays are for the figures featured in my October 18th 2025 blog entry Gaelic Forces Arrived. The Gauls fit snuggly in the tray. There is no loose movement. My original plan was to use blue Reusable Adhesive Putty to hold the elements in place but I do not think it will be necessary. 

I also requested a dozen trays for loose cavalry figures. These trays measure 90mm wide x 65 mm deep x 3mm thick, with slots for three pill ovals of 50mm x 25mm. I also asked for three 60mm square trays to use as command stands. The only requirement was to be able to support two mounted figures. Graham provided me with both the square trays I asked for, and a circular option. The round stand is clearly the winner.

Cavalry Figures fitted for a Command Stand

 

It takes a Pillage to Raze a Village

 A line paraphrased from a game of Viking 878 that we played a few years ago. Mike actually quipped, "It takes a pillage to raze a church" and I made the next logical leap. These were some ruined walls that came with an order last year. For the life of me I can't remember where from. I checked my emails without success of finding the source. 

My trusted Centurian is there to show scale.

I thought it would be a good time to try out using Krautcover Scenics - Tales from a Forest Moon to enhance the debris look of a ruined building falling into itself.

25mm Hellenistic/Carthaginian Elephant

I believe that this was the old Aventine Hellenistic/Carthaginian elephant before they made the switch to resin. I painted the elephant and howdah early last year when I first purchased this Warband. However the 4 crewmen have sat around gathering dust. Since I was working on the Greeks it was only natural to finish this option as part of the The Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. 

Aventine Hellenistic/Carthaginian elephant

The base is covered with Krautcover Scenics - Soil of Sparta. I like the look it provides to the base.

Companian Cavalry 25mm

These figures were posted as part of The Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. 12 Companian Cavalry. I had another 24 figures of the same pose based to WRG/DBX standards as part of my Ancient Greeks and that was the same fate that awaited them until I started playing SAGA. 

12 Companian Cavalry - Warbands or Hearth Guard

Tundraworks Miniatures - Fernig Sisters Co-Op Campaign Set

 The Fernig Sisters Co-op Campaign set, part of  the latest kickstarter by Tundraworks Miniatures arrived in the mail on the weekend. The figures look fantastic. In addition to the packages listed below I also received the Women of the Revolution miniatures set. In total 216 infantry, 24 cavalry and 6 guns with crew. Plenty of revolutionary zeal to go around.

Women of the Revolution

Félicité Fernig's French Army:

6x national guard units

Example of the National Guard

1x veteran legere unit

2x heavy cavalry units

3x artillery sets

Example of the Cavalry

Théophile Fernig's French Army:

1x veteran line unit

2x national guard units

2x grenadier units

2x heavy cavalry units

3x artillery sets

Example of a veteran line unit

I am proud to support Canadian wargaming projects.

Battlegroup Kursk - 15 mm

This afternoon I was introduced to Battlegroup Kursk, a ruleset by The Plastic Soldier Company. We were six players playing on a 6 x 8 foot tabletop at the Abyss. I elected to play Soviet and was given command of six T-34s. After my force had been reduced to one tank, I took command of three T-70s. 

Having been recently introduced to Battlegroup NORTHAG, I was interested to see how similiar the game flowed. One new action I appreciated was the ability to double tap.  The option of two shots was unavailable with the modern period rule set. There are a few changes I would like to see. For example,  you had multiple chances to acquire a target. IMO if you fail the first attempt then you should not be able to try again in the same turn.

At the end of the Game - A Bloodly Affair

We kicked off play at about 2PM and were finished just after 5 o'clock. My command was the 5 burning T34s on the right side of the playing field. A sixth is below the hill's crest but within 5 inches of the red objective marker, allowing the Soviets to claim the point. After the majority of my tanks were brewed up, I was handed three T-70s to have fun with. They had started near the white farm building (another objective) at the far end of the table and rushed across the open ground, closing with the enemy. I reached shelter in the central woods, which is covered with smoke, but under the gaze of two of the Tigers. In the final move of the game, two of the light tanks outflanked the big cat and opened fire on its exposed side. Unfortunately it was to no avail. 

A fun afternoon, rolling dice, with a friendly group of like minded gamers. At the end of the day, everything but the Tigers seemed to be burning. I was content to be the target while my comrades destroyed the enemies of the Soviet peoples. I was only able to claim one destroyed PZ III, despite my losses. 

Doctor Who - 25/28mm

 The other day I had reason to search my blog for some pictures of the good doctor. It would seem that they never made it onto the blog for whichever reason. I suspect I was using some other form of anti-social media and never posted them here. 

The first and second Doctors

IMO your favorite doctor is the one of your youth. Here I show my age, I remember rushing home after school to catch a glimce of their adventures on the CBC in the early to mid 1960s. William Harnell and Patrick Troughton were the doctors that left a lasting imprint on my young imagination. And who could forget the metal nazis repeating their letter E mantra.

Black Tree Design Daleks

I lost interest by the time of the fourth doctor, but followed the reboot staring Chris Eccleston to Matt Smith until once again my attention flagged. One of my favorite episodes with David Tennant, as the doctor in The Family of Blood. I liked the idea of an army of animated scarecrows. These minis below are TWDCSP10 Scary Scarecrows by the The Woodbine Design Company through the Gripping Beast website.

The Woodbine Design Company - Scary Scarecrows

SAGA Night - 3 way party

 Last night was the Montreal Historical Wargamer's monthly Saga night at the Abyss. I choose to show up with my Romans from the Age of Invasions book. One option that was planned was I was to be one of two Roman players against a coalition of Picts and Britons. Due to problems with the weather, the Picts failed to materialise and we decided to go with a three player game, using the Book of Battles as our guide. 

Initial Deployments and after my first move. My warband is archored between a rough patch and a marsh.

We choose to each deploy a 5 point warband on a smaller than recommended table, so things were tight. Nonetheless it was a fun evening and served as an excellent introduction to a mass combat in Saga.  Gavin’s Romans were rendered hors de combat while my force didn’t fair much better. David's Britons came out on top. 

Late in the game. My Warlord was broken against Gavin's troops, while David's Britons close in.

My Levy, armed with javelins inch closer to the enemy. My Warlord is already deceased.

I used my Cavalry and Warlord to rush Gavin's warband and then fall back. Victory points were rewarded for each charge made. I gathered 5 while David landed 8. Unfortunately for me Gavin's levy and archers proved to be a tough nut to crack.

At the end of the evening. Gavin's Warband was eliminated. Their ghostly remains can be seeen near the field. One of my mounted Hearth Guard has been reduced to two figures, the forward unit to just three. When I attempted to fall back, Gavin used my two fatique points to hobble my movement. The unit is frozen in place and awaits its fate at the hands of the Briton's

The Levy exclaim "Mission Accomplished. " They closed with the enemy and destroyed the bolt thrower for the loss of one figure. A win in their book. They were lucky.

Lardy Day - Fèves au Lard

Just some idea of other games available at the club.

Saturday January 17th was the first Lardy Day - Fèves au Lard at the Abyss put on by the Montreal Historical Wargaming Club. Only Games from Too Fat Lardies were played. Six games in total. Three tables from 11AM to 2 PM and another 3 matches in a 2nd session from 3PM to 6PM. In the morning I took part in a game of Midgard (Romans vs Goths) and in the afternoon I  commanded the Union forces in a game of Picket's Charge.

Dec 13th 1862, along the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad.
  

Somewhere in Gaul

Other games played were two games of Sharpe's Practice, and another two sessions of Chain of Command, 

Sharpe's Practice 1830s French Foreign Legion in North Africa

Another view of the Action

Sharpe's Practice AWI

Chain of Command Game

18mm - Prussian Army AB Figures

 Yesterday I received bases for the supply wagons for my Prussian Army. In 2022 I backed Tundraworks Lace Wars kickstarter project. For my reward, I picked the Prussian Army. At the same time I ordered some extra figures from AB Figures to fill out the troops. These wagons are from that lot. Slow and steady will win the race.

AB Figures Supply Wagons 7YW

28mm SAGA Age of Invasions - Romans

The next Saga night in Montreal is Jan 22nd at the Abyss and one of the themes is Age of Invasions. These troops were painted by Garry of the Scarlet Lancer Painting Service late in 2024. They have yet to surface on the tabletop. When I asked him to paint the figures I ensured that the units had enough figures to be included in either a Lion Rampant  or Dragon Rampant game (12 figure units vs 8 figure for Saga). 

Mounted General

12 Mounted Warriors

12 Man Levy Archers

12 Man Levy Javelin Unit, 2 units of Warriors (12 figures available for each)

Some Late Roman Artilley I painted years ago

In the box I stll have two more units to paint. one unit of Levy Slingers and one unit of Archers. I suspect these will be good candidates for the current Analogure Hobbies Painting Challenge.

15mm Early Cold War

 Something I swore never to do was to fall down the 15mm Cold War rabbit hole. However early last month a sale on FB marketplace caught my eye and here I am. Late this afternoon twenty Soviet vehicles arrived in the mail. UPS will be delivering the NORTHAG Rulebook and the CENTAG Supplement tomorrow. 

T-54s

ISU - 122

ISU - 130

IS-3s

The WILLS box in the background is a box the cat likes to curl up in. Wills Brewery and Bar are a local success story with their craft beers.

28mm Gallic Warband - Saga

My first entry for the 2026 Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge are twenty Gallic Warriors. This is a unit purchase from Black Tree Design that has been sitting in my pile of lead for somehere between 15 and 20 years. The unit deals, and even the Gauls are no longer available on the BTD website.

20 x 28mm BTD Gaul - Warriors

These are an easy additional to my SAGA Gallic Warband but are displayed here on prototype movement trays for a concept test for Infamy Infamy. Graham, a fellow gamer here in Montreal created these 3D prints for use with Sharpe's Practice. 

On New Year's Eve I discovered I had no shields for these figures, which I imagine are lost in the mists of time. I placed an order to Warlord Games for shields that I hope will work with these figures. I ordered a unit of 16 Javelinmen at the same time. 

MTB02 - French Army - French and Indian Wars

On the 27th I was at the Abyss for a game of Sharpe's Practice. This was a play test of a scenario for the upcoming Fèves au Lard, the first-ever “Lardy Day” in Montréal, which will be held on January 17th, 2026. Graham took the opportunity to delivery to me the first figures from the following 

 MTB02 - French Army - French and Indian Wars pack.

I received the first 7 Franches Marines painted

The French Army contains of the following 

1x Compagnies Franches Officer

1x Compagnies Franches de la Marines unit (8 figures)

2x Indian Units (one 4 figures, one 6 figures)

2x Canadian Militia Units (Two 6 figure units)

Clash of Spears/ SAGA Age of Alexander Later Macedonian or Helenistic Greek Warband

 Yesterday afternoon I went to the Abyss to play my second game of Clash of Spears. The dice gods were not with me and my opponent and his Carthagians suffered a major victory at the hands of my dice. 

Luis and our armies early in the game.

However since I had to pop open the Warband it seemed appropiate to record it on my blog.

The overhead view after the carnage. I had lost half my figures, including two complete units. Luis might  have lost 3 Figures by this point in the game.

The three circular command units on my side were from the rebasing of my WRG Greeks for ADLG.

Command Elements

10 Warriors - Pike, LTS shield - Unarmored

6 Javelin men with Shield

Ranks of Armoured Pike, LTS with Shield - 16 figures in total

Greek Light Cavalry - Shield no armour - 8 figures

Archers - Should be w/o shield - 8 Figures

SAGA General on Foot with Four Hearth Guard

There is a lot going on with this warband, I have another 10 Cavalry figures and 8 foot figures to paint,  in addition to a War Elephant and the Goddess Athenia, with some other pieces and figures. This was an excellent deal when I acquired the figures early last spring. Glad to finally have them out of their box.