The conflicts between Russia and Ukraine go back far longer than the last 10 years. In 1659, 80,000 soldiers met at Konotop during a portion of history known as the Ruin to most Ukrainians.
The battle started poorly for the Ukrainians, who were forced to flee the fortress. The Russians besieged the fortress for 70 days until 30,000 Cossacks under Mehmed IV Giray came forth to relieve the siege. At the time, Ukraine was controlled by many different factions who had loose alliances to defend each other when they were not attacking each other. It was closer to how Italy operated with the various cities and families than a unified country.
Crimean Khanate (Ukraine) Mehmed IV Giray (relief force) 30,000 Krzysztof Laski (relief force) 4,000 Ivan Vyhovsky (besieged force) 20,000
Russia Alexey Trubetsky 29,000 Ivan Bezpaly 7,000
Wargame Scenario For use with Pike and Shotte or other similar systems 2 to 3 Players Armies similar in points: The Ukrainian force, with relief, should have about 20% more than the Russians, who should have more elite troops.
Objective Ukraine breaks the siege and causes the Russians to rout. Russia routes the relief force while keeping the Ukrainians in their fortress.
Set-Up Create a small fort or castle and place the Ukrainian infantry inside with their command. The Russians should be in a siege position with artillery focused on the Fort. The relief force should be cavalry-focused with many horse archers/crossbows and placed on one side of the board.
Special Rules
It is not really a rule, but you want the armies to be highly mobile and have the battlefield be very fluid without much debris.
June 28th, 1575 marked the beginning of gunpowder-based warfare in Japan. The 38,000-strong allied forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa leyasu handily defeated Takeda Katsuyori and his 15,000 soldiers. The victory united Japan for the first time in several centuries under Oda Nobunaga.
The battle was actually two different engagements: a siege battle of Nagashino Castle, and a battle about 2 miles away at Shitaragahara. We are going to focus on the siege battle.
Wargame Scenario
2 Players For Use with Pike and Shotte Models Needed: Use whatever rulebook you want, but the Nobunaga player should have twice as many models as the Takeda player, including a large portion of gunpowder armed forces. The Takeda player should have a medium-sized cavalry detachment positioned outside the walls. Terrain: The battle took place on a peninsula, and walls for a castle are a must.
Set-Up The Nobunaga player should have his army positioned in an attacking position. The Takeda player should be defending with their cavalry hiding in the woods.
In June of 1760, the French and Indian War was in full swing. The Cherokee had surrounded a small fort, and the British had sent another force to relieve it. The relief force was also expected to destroy Cherokee towns and kill any Native Americans who were located there.
The native Americans ambushed the 1,300-strong column and killed 20 British Regulars. At the time, the Cherokee were in desperate need of supplies.
Cherokee Seroweh 500 Warriors
British Archibald Montgomerie 1500 British Regulars
Wargame Scenario Sharpes Rifles or other horse and musket skirmish game 2 Players Forces Needed: British Infantry, Native Americans armed with rifles Terrain should be heavily wooded with a dirt road down the middle, and the British should have 4 or 5 wagons and other cargo.
Objective Native Americans take the British supplies British Fight off the Native Americans and prevent the loss of the supplies If the British lose more than 30% of their supplies, they lose the game.
SetUp The British train should be walking through a forest, and the Native Americans should be able to decide where to attack. The models on the table should have twice as many British as Native Americans.
Special Rules Supplies, the Native Americans will have taken supplies if they get within 3″ of a supply wagon, they will take supplies and retreat into the forest. Each wagon has 10 loads of supplies.
On June 26th, 1794, during the war of the First Coalition. An understrength force from the Habsburg Monarchy assaulted an entrenched force in an inconclusive battle for the Low Countries. This scenario would be great to teach a new player, or if you have a tactically strong and a weaker commander. Also, if you have a robust team against a weaker team.
Historically, this battle was inconclusive; we want this scenario to be conclusive.
There is a more in-depth order of battle available here. You can divide the forces amongst players as historically accurate divisions if you choose.
Order of Battle France Jean-Baptisete Jourdan 70,000 Infantry, in 96 Battalions 12,000 cavalry in 64 squadrons 100 Guns in 13 batteries
Habsburg Monarchy 45,000 Infantry in 68 Battalions 14,000 cavalry in 71 squadrons 111 Guns in 10 batteries
Wargame Scenario It is to be played with any large-format Napoleonic corps-level game.
Players 2-10, see the historical order of battle for more in-depth information on ways to divide the forces. Terrain: Add some wooded areas, some roads, some streams, and basic French countryside.
Set-Up
The French should be in a strong position in the center of the table, and the Habsburg Monarchy should be positioned to attack and attempt to surround the enemy. One thing to note is that the Habsburg Monarchy’s primary attack should be on their right or the French left.
Objectives
France, force the Habsburgs to retreat, for the Habsburgs, if they can force any French Division to collapse and retreat, it would be a win for them.
Part of WWII that is frequently ignored is the northern engagements between Finland and the Soviet Union. While Finland was not supportive of Fascism or any of the other parts of the Nazi regime. They followed a simple doctrine. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Soviet Union had taken large swaths of Finnish land in previous years, and Finland wanted them back.
The Battle of Tali-Ihantala started on June 25th, 1944, and lasted until July 9th.
Finland C.G.E. Mannerheim 100,000 Soldiers Several Armoured Divisions German Luftwaffe Detachment
Soviet Union Leonid Govorov 150,000 Soldiers 6 Tank Brigades 10 Artillery Regiments
The opening hours of the battle involved a Soviet Artillery bombardment and a hard push along the edge of Lake Leitimojarvi. This is where we will have our game.
Wargame Rules, Command Decision, Bolt Action, Flames of War 2 Players 6×4 Table Forces Needed: Finnish and Soviet forces in your chosen game. The Soviets should have 50% more troops than the Finns. For Bolt Action, we will use 1500 points for the Soviets and 1000 for Finland. Terrain should be an interesting area with pine forest, clearings, and a large lake.
Set-Up
Finland should be in a defensive position with its forces holding each side of the lake. An objective marker should be placed somewhere on the Finnish side of the lake. The Soviets should be off the table, preparing to assault the Finns’ position. The Soviets will get an artillery strike before the first round of the game.
If the Soviets end the game with one objective, it is a tie; if both objectives are achieved, it is a win.
The Battle of Sluys in 1340 was a major naval battle during the Hundred Years’ War. It was also a tragic defeat for the French. The French outnumbered the English and had better warships. However, their tactics caused complete and utter defeat.
English King Edward 150 Ships, mostly Cogs
French Huges Quieret 230 Ships, mostly Galleys
A cog was a single-masted warship. The English did not have a purpose-built military navy at the time; instead, they would seize shipping cogs and retrofit them with wooden ‘castles’ for war. The French took their experience sailing the Mediterranean using agile shallow-drafted galleys and put them to work in the English Channel.
During the battle, the English could use their superior longbows to wreak havoc on the French Galley. Because the French chained their ships together, they were essentially immovable. The Cog’s height also prevented any significant boarding actions from the French.
Wargame
For Use with the Baron’s War or Other Medieval Skirmish Game 2 or 3 Players Forces Needed: 20 or 30 English Archers and 15 Men at Arms, 40 French Crossbows and 60 Men at Arms
Terrain- A couple of large galleys capable of holding half the French forces, a cog capable of carrying the English. The cog should be higher than the galleys, and there should be some way for the French to assault the Cog.
Objective French board and seize the Cog, English, destroy the French.
My Paint skills were on point for this one……..
Set-Up
One of the two galleys should be positioned attacking the English Cog and preparing to board, the other should be moving slowly to engage.
Special Rules The English longbows should be able to shoot farther and faster than French Crossbows.
I recently received the P3 Master Series Paint Set. My box opening is available here.
I have been working with the paints for about two weeks and have painted 30 or so models using the paints. I did a variety of models, such as Star Wars Legion, Reaper Bones, Warhammer, Marvel Crisis Protocol, Lord of the Rings, 3D prints, and some Flames of War. I used the paints in several ways, direct from the bottle, thinned, airbrushed, and as glazes. I also used wet blending, layering, edge highlights, base coating, etc. There were no scientific comparisons, color matching, or very professional items; I just wanted to give my thoughts on the set.
When I started my hobby, I was almost mystified by the quality of the P3 paints and how hard they were to get. Professional painters swore by the paints. I had to have the Kickstarter to see what all the fuss was about.
Conclusion
As an amateur painter, I did not think these paints were for me. I would pass on rebuying them. I think I could see the appeal for a professional painter, but I don’t have the skill to maximize their potential.
As I stated in the unboxing, there were no mixing mediums, primers, or washes, so I would expect to come with a set like this.
The paints themselves were pretty thick. I mixed every paint in the bottle using a vortex mixer for about 45 seconds before using. Many paints broke on my wet palette after 15 or 20 minutes. When the paints were thinned too much, instead of just being thin and needing a second layer, the brush strokes were obvious and hard to hide, especially when wet blending.
I tried about 70 of the colors included in the box. They all had a lovely, rich hue and good coverage when appropriately thinned. The ratio to thin the paints differed with every color, and it took four or five tries to get the correct ratio. Many of the paints finished with a semi-gloss sheen. I prefer my paints to finish matte, but I could be incorrectly using them.
The P3 paints are a step below Army Painter and Vallejo, but a step up from Reaper and two steps higher than Citadel. I would still consider Two Thin Coats the top brand for amateur use.
First Experience
I first tried a DND Reaper Bones model I had already primed. I wanted to see what the paints could do directly from the bottle—no thinning, no wet palette, just paint.
You can see the rich color and bright hues, but you can also see how thick the paint was when it came from the bottle and how it muddled many details.
My next model was a simple Aeldari Warlock. This time, I thinned the paints and used the black as a glaze for the bottom robe, which turned out nicely. The unthinned paint made a very nice edge highlight. You can see it on the satchel and the model’s chest piece. The metallic visor didn’t work well; it was gloppy and hard to control.
You can see the stark difference between the unthinned and thinned paint. I don’t see much difference between thinned and unthinned in my usual paints like Reaper, Armypainter Air, and Vallejo Air. This was a big step in seeing so much difference.
My next model was Fulgrim, also for the Aeldari. (I am in a league and picked Aeldari as my army.) I had already done some airbrush work on the model, which you can see below. For my P3 test, I simply did detailed work.
Below is the finished product after my detailed work. I won’t do bases until all models are ready.
The paints were difficult to control in tight areas unless the mix was perfect, especially in the face area. This is just something to be aware of as an amateur painter.
Marvel Crisis Protocol Lady Sif. Thinned paints, just base coated. I struggled to wet-blend the cloak. I will say I am not a good wet blender.
A zenithal primed phoenix guard captain.
It is crazy how terrible a paint job can look zoomed in. At 3′ distance, I was happy with this model. The paints at times flowed too well, notably the flesh color around the hands. The metallic bronze and the blue did not flow nearly as well. You can clearly see the unpainted areas of the model in the zoomed-in photo.
My last test was a fully airbrushed Incredible Hulk for Marvel Crisis Protocol.
When properly thinned and mixed with an airbrush flow improver, the paints performed better than expected. In fact, I think they performed better than Citadel paints. They gave a nice, even flow with minimal pixelation. The pigments covered nicely; overall, they created a nice model with sound effects.
You can clearly see the folds in the trousers and many details. Again, this model was fully airbrushed. I only used a brush for the eyes and the nails.
There are clearly defined shadows and highlights. My lines weren’t super clean. Again, I’m happy with how the paints were done with the airbrush. You can also see that there isn’t any spidering or splatter.
This is a historical fact that goes unnoticed by most of the world. Spain, France, and Portugal spent many years under Muslim control. The final expulsion of Muslims from Spain didn’t occur until 1614. In 1280, as part of the centuries-long Reconquista, Christians had one of their worst losses in their many wars against the Muslim kingdoms.
Muhammad II was able to lure the Castilian forces into an ambush with a feigned retreat tactic near the City of Moclin.
Crown of Castile Infante Sancho 3,000 knights and soldiers
Emirate of Granada Muhammad II 8,000 Soldiers and Horsemen
Scenario For DBMM, Hail Ceasar, any medieval style rules.
Number of Players 2 Forces Needed, Large lightly armed Muslim force, much smaller but heavily armed crusader style force including a contingent of heavy knights representing the Knights of Santiago Terrain 6×4 table with some wooded edges
Objective Christians, to save their Knights of Santiago, Muslims, destroy the Christian Force
Set-Up
The battle should be joined with roughly equal forces on one end of the narrow edge of the table. The game starts when the Muslim player puts his light cavalry and skirmishers on the flanks of the battle and attempts to surround the Christians.
The first battle of Pydna showed the flexibility of the Roman legionary warfare system compared to the rigidity of the Macedonian Phalanx. The Second Battle of Pydna, in 148 BC, ended the Macedonian Empire.
Historically, the first battle was falling in line for the Macedonians. The Roman legions were powerless to beat back the phalanx and were forced to retreat. As the terrain became rougher and rougher, the phalanx began to break apart, offering an opening for Roman legionaries to attack the flanks and defeat their enemy. One notable aspect of this battle, the historic Macedonia Companion Cavalry did not engage in combat due to issues between the Macedonian Nobles and their leader.
Rome Lucius Aemilius Paullus 30,000 20,000 legionaries and 3,000 Cavalry, 22 elephants, 7,000 Greek Allies
From 1494 until 1559, the Italian wars raged across central Europe. Two major powers, France and Spain, each claimed the various Italian Kingdoms. In 1529, the French were near defeat, and the decisive engagement at Landirano ended the French efforts until 1536.
French Comte de Saint-Pol 12,000 soldiers and cavalry
Holy Roman Empire and Spain Antonio de Leyva 16,000 soldiers and cavalry.
Wargame.
It is tough to research to get an exact order of battle, but I would recommend using the following: the list gives you a cavalry-heavy list vs an infantry-heavy list.
French Army; 134
4 Units of Capagnie d’Ordonnance (heavy cavalry) 32 3 Units of Ordonannce Archers (lancers) 12 2 Units of Stradiots (scout cavalry) 8 2 Units of Argoulets (melee cavalry) 8 6 Units of Aventuriers (skirmishers) 18 6 Units of Bandes Francaises (Pike and Shot) 48 2 Medium Guns 8
Holy Roman Empire 133 3 Units Gentes d’armas (heavy cavalry) 24 6 Units Spitz (Traditional German Pike and Shot) 42 2 Units Jinets (scout cavalry) 10 2 Units Colunela (Spanish pike and shot) 18 2 Units Veteran Colunela 22 2 Units Spanish Arquebusiers 10 2 Medium Guns 8 1 Heavy Gun 5
Wargame Rules, Tilly’s very bad day, or Renatio Et Gloriam, or any other mass Pike and Shot wargame.
Set-Up, 8×4 Table Up to 4 Players The table should have two rivers that merge into a delta on one short edge. Both rivers should have multiple crossings and fords, with one main road and bridge connecting the hamlet. Between the rivers should be a large hill, where the primary fighting took place historically. The rivers should have ample vegetation along their banks.
Objective
The French Army is on the retreat, and the Holy Roman Empire forces have maneuvered to cut off their retreat to Pavia. The Holy Roman Army should be moving from the table’s edge away from Pavia, while the French should be attempting to reach it.
stonewalljackman 