A Hole in the Walls of Babylon
My 25mil Byzantine army has just its first table-top outing in more than 3 decades! The game was set in early AD 1061 when most of...
top of page
Search
Simon MacDowall
- Jan 15
- 1 min
More Turks
Fresh off the painting table is another unit of Seljuk Turks as allies or enemies for my 10th-11th C Byzantine army. The figures are a...
31 views4 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Dec 21, 2022
- 1 min
New Life for Old Turks
Many years ago, with all the best intentions, I thought I would build a Seljuk army to oppose my Byzantines and to fight the actions of...
45 views3 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Dec 19, 2022
- 2 min
From Ancient to Medieval Greeks
I have shifted focus from the 4th C BC to the 11th C AD. This is down to a planned Siege of Antioch game (1st Crusade) in January and...
64 views4 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Dec 5, 2022
- 3 min
Hereward re-awakes
Leaving aside my Ancient Greeks for a while, I recently found myself embroiled in an attempt to suppress Hereward the Wake’s East Anglian...
51 views3 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Nov 16, 2022
- 2 min
Ragging Hoplite Shields
I have been having great fun playing around with different shield designs for my next unit of Greek Hoplites. Most are hand painted but I...
52 views2 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Nov 11, 2022
- 1 min
Billhooks Deluxe
Look what arrived in the post today! My advance copy of the magnificent expanded version of Andy Callan's Never Mind the Billhooks rules....
72 views3 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Nov 8, 2022
- 1 min
Men of Bronze
I have just finished painting my first Hoplite unit for Alala! and the Society of Ancients Mantinea Battle Day. These are Newline Designs...
58 views3 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Nov 1, 2022
- 2 min
Alala! at the Society of Ancients Conference
Last weekend I gave my Alala! Hoplite game its third outing at the Society of Ancients Conference. For me this event is the highlight of...
156 views3 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Oct 24, 2022
- 3 min
Theban hamippoi on the painting table
in preparation for the Society of Ancients Mantinea Battle Day, I have been painting up Greek cavalry and light troops to supplement Pete...
50 views3 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Oct 20, 2022
- 1 min
More Hoplite Action
Yesterday we managed to get a second test game of Alala! hoplite rules in before the upcoming Society of Ancients Conference. It was...
86 views2 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Oct 12, 2022
- 2 min
Alala!
I have been working on some new simple rules for Hoplite battles which I call Alala! — from the ancient Greek war cry. I will use these...
517 views2 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Sep 12, 2022
- 1 min
Forward back to the past
Second Mantinea (362 BC) will be the next battle featured at the 2023 Society of Ancients Battle Day. This has provided me with my next...
123 views2 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Sep 4, 2022
- 3 min
The Battle for Rocroi
It has been 5 years in the making but finally I had painted up all the troops I needed to refight the battle of Rocroi (1643) between the...
457 views2 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Aug 12, 2022
- 2 min
The Last Recruits for Rocroi
After a painting pause I have completed all the foot regiments I need to re-fight Rocroi (1643). We will run the game 1 September and I...
74 views4 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Aug 11, 2022
- 1 min
New Scenarios
I have been adding various game scenarios to that section of my website. The latest is Pydna -- the classic clash between Roman Legions...
72 views0 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Jul 27, 2022
- 2 min
Late Roman costume from the mosaics
A Sicilian highlight for anyone with an interest in the later Roman period is the incredible mosaics at Piazza Armerina. These 4th C AD...
422 views5 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Jul 26, 2022
- 1 min
A Sicilian Interlude
I have been absent from both the Wargames and Painting tables for some time due to a variety of factors, one of which was a holiday in...
55 views0 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Jun 10, 2022
- 3 min
Life and Death on the Shore of Lake George
The skirmishes of the French and Indian War have long held a fascination for me. The Last of the Mohicans was one of my favourite books...
75 views4 comments
Simon MacDowall
- Jun 6, 2022
- 1 min
Cuirassiers with Blackened Armour
I am quite pleased with the way these 17th Century Alsatian cuirassiers have turned out — their blackened armour set off with a limited...
73 views4 comments
bottom of page