Trebuchet away!

The Trebuchet. I have presented it unpainted so that you can see the construction. The model measures 6" high, 8 1/2" long and 6" wide. This makes it moderately sized as far as trebuchets are concerned - but any bigger just looks silly. The model took four and a half hours to build.

Tools: Stanley knife, scalpel, junior hacksaw, set square, modelling drill, modelling clamps, small bench vice, sand paper, surgical pliers and round nosed pliers.

Glues: Araldite, wood glue, PVA and superglue.

Other materials: The main timbers are made from oak sticks that were given to me several years ago - I put them away not knowing what I could use them for. The tapering arm is a brush handle and the axles are barbecue skewer. The 'winding barrel' is garden cane (willow I think). The remaining wood is balsa of various thickness. Metal band fittings are thin card. Hooks and the like are bent white metal 'spears'. The winding 'handles are large wagon wheels by Irregular Minis. Rope work is unwound picture frame wire - mostly two strands rewound together. The projectile and 'pouch is Militput. The earth is sand and grit (the box has a false internal top onto which the earth was glued).

Last Islamic command stands done

The last two command stands. All figures are Perry Miniatures.

The first command stand is made up using most of the figures from the seated Sultan pack. I planned on using this pack as the C-in-C pack but had second thoughts - because a seated commander did not look right leading his troops in a charge or in melee. I think this, although still a little passive in nature, and as an extra command stand, looks a little more like it.

The second is my Islamic 'Band Stand'. This is a 'booster stand' which will have special rules. It will allow a commander, to which it is attached, to re-roll his command's movement die; or it will allow any troops within 24" to move to contact on an 'even' movement die roll and melee without recourse to a melee card; on either use the stand goes 'unloaded' - reloading on the next artillery card.

Crusader Baggage Stands

at last I feel I am now coming to the end of the project; the 'fighting' units are completed and I'm onto the baggage.

Originally, I had intended to do the baggage elements on 'huge' stands - 6cm x 18cm - but on reflection thought better of it and went 6cm x 12cm. My thinking for the former was to get the mix within a baggage stand to represent the confused nature of what it represented, but after much thought I decided to reduce the depth; there being method in my madness - so that I could use a baggage stand, mixed with 2 stands of pilgrims, to double my total 'pilgrim units' (i.e. 1 baggage stand represents 2 stands of pilgrims). This was made easy by an early (and unassociated) decision to not allow 'pilgrims' to form up in line formation within my rules.

So here is the Christian baggage. The 'pilgrims' are a mix of Perry, Gripping Beast, Old Glory (unsure of range, but probably 16C), Foundry (mixed ranges) and some of unknown manufacture - in fact, everything left, in my odds and sods box, that would pass muster. The 'cows' are Foundry oxen. The draught animals are also foundry. The pack animals are Irregular and Gripping beast. The wagons and loads are Irregular with some Miliput extras (you can't buy these 'packed up' as featured - the sides of the two wheeled wagons are made from 15mm scaling ladders - you just have to fill a bag with junk, get it home, and assemble).

So here they are:

Our Sheffield Triples Game - Preview

Sheffield Triples 09 is approaching faster than s*** flicked off a long stick. It is time to start seriously thinking about what the Ilkley Lads demo game is going to look like. The Ilkley Lads will be short in number for the game so this blog post is also a chance for some volunteer players (The Udder Lads from 'uddersfield) to get a glimpse of the set up before the day - thanks lads.





The Ilkley Lads are playing the game over this week and next to make sure that I have the balance of command quality, deployment, and terrain correct for the big day. The command quality (the randomness that really counts using Ager Sanguinis) was determined randomly, as was morale card draw. The former looks very good (all the command groups are up for it) but the morale chip draw might be tweaked (within the scope of the rules) before the actual demo-game.

The game will be fought from start to finish on each day of Triples 09 (we believe in 1 day games) so if you are attending on the Sunday, don't worry, you are not only going to get the scruffy end of it. Ager Sanguinis is well capable of delivering a result in a game of this size in 4-5 hours.



Anyway, I leave you with some end of first nights play shots to wet your appetite. The only thing missing from the set up at present are the baggage elements, two command stands including the infamous 'Islamic' Band Stand which are currently on the production line, and possibly a few more trees. If you are coming to Triples 09 be sure to pop by and say, hello. I'll be glad to field any questions regarding Ager Sanguinis and where possible, with my knowledge and ideas about Crusader warfare (I'm not an academic), questions about the armies and such, painting tips, terrain construction, etc.

The Armies of Islam

The Armies of Islam less two command stands and baggage. 288 cavalry and 234 infantry.
This breaks down as follows:

The Cavalry - lots and lots of cavalry.


4 Seljuk / Arab command stands. 12 mounted figures.



The heavy cavalry. Three units of 18 Ghulams (lance & bow armed - above) and three units of 18 Arab / Kurdish cavalry (lance armed - below). 108 mounted figures in total.







Two units of Bedouin Arabs. 24 mounted figures in total.

Four units of Seljuk horse archers. 48 mounted figures in total.

Eight units of Turcoman tribal horse archers plus three tribal command stands. 96 mounted figures in total.

The Infantry.

The Syrians. 2 units of Adhath city militia (60 figures), 2 units of Arab mercenaries / volunteers (40 figures), four units of Syrian foot archers (48 figures) and two stands of naptha throwers (6 figures). 154 figures total.

The 'Turks'. Actually a mixture of hillmen and wild easterners - two units of 20 figures each. 80 figures total. I removed a lot of swords from the easterners and replaced them with swords for more generically armed looking units.

So that's all the 'fighting' units done. Only a couple of command stands to use up some odds and sods (8 foot and two mounted figures) plus a load of baggage to do (16 camels and four handlers); I've not painted camels for years and I'm quite looking forward to it. Then the Christian baggage, which will double up as extra 'pilgrim' stands - 4 wagons, 18 animals & 14 civilians - then the whole project is finished!!!!!!