Barking Irons Online - Replaces this Blog

Hello Everyone,

This will be the last posting on this blog as we have moved to a bigger and more shiny home over at www.barkingirons.co.uk and it is there that all the magic now happens. 

There will be no more updates from today.  Go to Barking Irons online and sign up or elect to follow with RSS or other feeds.  More material, more space, more fun...more of everything really.  This blog will continue to be live for a while and will then be closed down.

Thank you all for your comments, your loyalty and your input on blogger...see you on the other side!

Gavin Syme

The Laying on of Walls

Hello Barkers,

As I have some time at the moment (with other company business keeping me in late this evening) I thought I would share something that is on my desk which has been on the go for several months without getting very far!

Those of you with good taste who play Flintloque will already have a copy of the new Grapeshotte 3rd edition book, you can find details HERE if you do not, and you will see in it that the subject of sieges is covered. This allows your section of characters to take part in, among other things, breaches, walls, towers, artillery and of course mines.

I have been wanting to put on a reasonable sized two or three player game set in the shadow of the wall of a mighty fortress in Catalucia, perhaps of Badjobz itself. To do this I need some miniatures and characters along with a scenario. I have these. But I also need some fortifictions.

The kind I have in mind will result in something like this....















So to go about fashioning my scenario (which may end up in Barking Irons magazine or even as the demo game at Salute 2011!) I need some walls and other parts of a fortification.

The typical fortification looked like this during the Napoleonic wars....















As you can see the walls are flat faced, tall and thick as well as being made of stone. This presents quite a challenge in 28mm scale for any wargamer as the resultant scenics to depict it on the table can be really heavy or simply bespoke which though impressive makes changing their use rather difficult. So I thought of a little hobby that I personally have had over the years and that is paper modelling.

Mike White (rules author of Flintloque 3rd edition) is a fan of paper modelling for vehicles and such in 28mm scale while I prefer to use it for items that are too tough or time consuming to make from white metal or sometimes even resin or foam...i.e buildings.

So I looked about for what could be had by way of fortress walls, towers and such from the jolly old internet and I round some files that suit the purpose very well indeed. See below...


























These parts are from heavy paperstock and in 28mm scale so they stand about a foot tall which is perfect. I think I need about five sections of wall, three towers and perhaps a gatehouse if the scenario demands it. The paper models can be had for free from the internet, let me know if you would like the web address for them.

I have a cracking set of Joccian Engineers that are just crying out to undermine this wall and reduce it to 'mache' (I mean rubble of course!). The set can be seen HERE.













If you lot are interested I can certainly let you all know how its going when I have more time to work on it.

Gavin.

Barking Irons No 3 - Contents List

Hello Barkers!

As promised here is the contents listing for the next issue of the Barking Irons magazine due in September 2010. Have a read and comment by posting on anything that catches your eye.

Thanks,
Gavin.


Barking Irons No 3
In this Issue of Barking Irons......

- Lead Shotte Columns -

News and Glimpse the Future
QA - Got a Question for us? Ask us!

- Features -

The Queene of Battle!
An in depth look at the brand new expansion to Flintloque the Skirmish, 3rd edition Grapeshotte. This article includes information on the expansion and its application to the other Flintloque books as well as the theory behind Grapeshotte. By G. Syme

The Prydian Precinct civil war
Where once accord and peace ruled over a region of space recovered from the old ravages of the Khanate Wars there is now the Prydian civil war. We look at the factions vying for power including the League of Yordan, the League of Canlaster and the broken up Prydian Army. By G.Syme

Larry Ambulance Project
Taking inspiration from the Elf Field Hospital for Flintloque the master terrain and model maker turns his attention to giving Elvish surgeons something a bit more mobile to carry out their bloody work. By T.Harwood

- Adventures -

Checkpoint Charles
A Firefight 2.0 mission with a twist. Retained knights find themselves under fire from enemy Muster at a checkpoint and when more troops arrive for their relief there is a chance they might just switch sides instead of aiding the Retained they might just open fire on them! By G. Rumbles

Gotta Have the Docks for the Box
Welcome to the docks of Pondlerno in Nepolise where a ship bound for the Witchlands has been stopped and its cargo unloaded onto the quay for inspection. While searching boxes is menial work for elite guard Todoroni they are going to need all their skill and the fire power of the naval mortar on the quayside to prevail against what they uncover from the ships hold! A two player scenario for Flintloque. By G.Syme

The Thoas Legend
Thoas the Giant, an ally of Hades, stalks the tiny village of Xlakos intent on murder and pillage for his master. Can Stocos the chosen hero of Zeus defeat him with only his wits and a few warriors for company? A Typhon scenario for two players. By F.Windhem

Swords for Reluctant Hire
On their way to deal with a wayward Wyvern the Dragonslayers are summoned for aid by a chieftain of men who offers them all he has to protect his people from a pack of savage Stasian Dogmen who outnumber them and are baying for blood. Can these veteran fighters prevail? By G.Syme

- Game Articles -

Seven Principles of Flintloque
Part Three of the seven principles discusses building a section, having a battle plan and sticking to it during your games of Flintloque. By M.White.

Children of the Dragons
The Dracci are a unique fantasy race and as such have their own place in the battle of the Age of Might and Steel. Tactics, strengths and weaknesses about in this article for those who field or face these blood red scaly killers.
By S.Hazuka

Its a Weird War for a Second
The 2nd Global War army template for the Alien Squad Leader (ASQL) 15mm science fiction system introduces those inventions and creations that in reality (thankfully!) never left the drawing board of the Axis or the Allies.
By A. Self

Green Knight - A DarkeStorme scenario for Barking Irons magazine

Hello Barking Irons fans,

This evening I have been working on a scenario for inclusion in a future issue of the Barking Irons magazine for the DarkeStorme high fantasy gaming system.

Its a scenario that features the infamous Green Knight (he of the Arthurian legend) and an unforunate travelling band of Elvish mercenaries who come across him in the woods at night. After refusing his challenge to single combat they attack him and well...he is somewhat hard to kill.

The full scenario is the first one made up using the new version of the game and its working well. For a player more used to Flintloque and its D10 mechanics, the D6 mechanic is a change but for me a welcome one (having been working on something for Mr Hobbs which will also see the mag in BI No 3). When it makes print the scenario will have rules for night fighting and also how to deal with an unkillable enemy.

The pictured Green Knight on his horse is from my own collection and is featured in the forth coming book.

For those who are interested the Green Knight mounted and on foot can be found here on the Alternative Armies site. Great value and very useful.

More on DarkeStorme in Issue 2 of the magazine and also in the upcoming 'Inside the Alternative' column on Orcs in the Webbe.

Regards,

Gavin.

Barking Irons Blog created

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the Barking Irons blog! It is currently under construction and development.

This blog exists to discuss the content, the direction and the options of readers of the Barking Irons gaming magazine published by Alternative Armies and 15mm.co.uk.

Issue One of the magazine goes on sale in the week commencing 15th March 2010.

I am Gavin Syme editor of the magazine and also primary feature writer for the magazine.
Here I am known as the 'Barking Editor'. My bark is worse than my bite!

If you have any questions about the magazine please email me on this blog.

Cheers,

Gavin Syme