Richard Cruadhlaoich
@locounterpane.bsky.social
š¤ 93
š„ 63
š 217
Sheffield-based wargamer and blogger. TheLandOfCounterpane.blogspot.com
pinned post!
Just giving this Bluesky thing a whirl. Hereās an article I did about designing wargames scenarios.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/01/desi...
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Designing Historical Scenarios
What follows is an article I originally wrote for Lard Magazine. In the end I didn't submit it because I decided I'd be preaching to the alr...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/01/designing-historical-scenarios.html?m=1
10 months ago
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I really enjoyed running two games of āRunning from Bull Runā at Posh Lard yesterday. Thanks Al, Lewis, and Kev for being such brilliant players!
1 day ago
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Warbases horreum being upgraded with 3D printed roof tiles.
6 days ago
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Twenty five years after the publication of our book of Blitzkrieg 1940 scenarios for TacWWII, Iāve now got a period appropriate map (actually War Department 1915) and a much better idea of the scope of 3RTRās clash with 10th Panzerās rearguard.
6 days ago
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My style of basing wargaming miniatures isnāt particularly spectacular but Iāve reached a standard that Iām not happy with so I thought Iād share the technique.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/11/basi...
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Basing miniatures - how I do it
Having settled on a method for basing miniatures that seems to work for me, I thought it might be helpful to share the 'recipe'. My aim is t...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/11/basing-miniatures-how-i-do-it.html?m=1
8 days ago
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Just trying to get my head around an Operation Bagration scenario in an old copy of WSS magazine. There are few things quite as annoying as reading that an attack took place between obscure places A and B, neither of which is on the map accompanying the article!
8 days ago
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Iāve created a possible use for Bad Squiddoās āThe Seerāmodel in Gangs of Rome.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/more...
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More for Rome
I've added a few more figures to the Gangs of Rome collection. First up is the Bad Squiddo miniature "The Seer". My thinking at present is ...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/more-for-rome.html?m=1
11 days ago
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My modules for the outskirts of Coquelles in 1940. Intended for when I run The Road to St Omer at Joy of Six 2026.
20 days ago
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This morningās trip to Fiasco saw me acquire a new character figure that I reckon can be made to fit Gangs of Rome.
29 days ago
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Marcus Didius Falco-themed Pulp Alley game by the Sally 4th guys at Fiasco today. Most inspiring!
29 days ago
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Two of the great dragons of Napoleonic wargaming. At Patriot Games, Sheffield this afternoon.
about 1 month ago
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Do we know if any of the traders at Fiasco this weekend carry Eureka miniatures?
about 1 month ago
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Setting out to teach myself Infamy Infamy. Iām not sure whether being so well-versed in Sharp Practice is an advantage or is hampering me.
#SpreadTheLard
about 1 month ago
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German slingers - converted from Wargames Factory with green stuff and bits from the Gripping Beast Dark Age Warriors.
about 1 month ago
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Any game set in the 19th century Russian Empire needs a distantsionyy stolb.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/do-y...
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Do you know the way to Rīga please?
A few hours playing with leftover bits has given me a piece of location-suitable scatter terrain for the Livonia 1812 campaign. Here we see ...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/do-you-know-way-to-riga-please.html?m=1
about 1 month ago
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Not a bad haul from the charity shops of York yesterday.
about 1 month ago
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My Steel Lard report is up at The Land Of Counterpane blog.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/stee...
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Steel Lard 2025
Saturday was a long, tiring, but ultimately rewarding day as dozens of like-minded gamers converged on Patriot Games in Sheffield for the la...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/steel-lard-2025.html?m=1#comment-form
about 1 month ago
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A pair of Barnsley reprobates attempting to rally the routing Union army after First Bull Run.
about 1 month ago
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A more considered report will follow but in the immediate aftermath Iād just like to thank game-runners, players and Patriots Hames staff for a terrific Steel Lard today.
#SpreadTheLard
about 1 month ago
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Inspiration eh? Bloody hell! Itās Steel Lard tomorrow and my mind should be focused on āRunning from Bull Runā but this afternoon Iāve gone out to walk the dog and come back with the more-or-less-complete structure of next yearās game worked out in my mind!
about 1 month ago
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Iāve created a blog post about how I made a load of markers for 6mm scale games. Itās specifically for TacWWII but may have some utility for players of other systems.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/home...
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Homemade TacWWII markers
The TacWWII rules originally came with an A4 sheet of tiny (7mm x 4mm) counters for you to cut out and use with the game. They were printed...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/homemade-tacwwii-markers.html?m=1
about 2 months ago
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Woohoo! My new, personalised Steel Lard polo shirt has arrived from
@glenbrookgames.bsky.social
Thanks Matt!
about 2 months ago
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Write up and pics of my last pre-Steel Lard test session can be found here:
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/runn...
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Running from Bull Run Again!
This afternoon I had a very productive run-through of my Running from Bull Run scenario prior to next weekend's Steel Lard. The objective w...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/running-from-bull-run-again.html?m=1
about 2 months ago
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The bridge over Cub Run comes under Confederate artillery fire.
about 2 months ago
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Itās the feared Black Horse Cavalry!
about 2 months ago
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Members of Congress observe the Union rout.
about 2 months ago
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Itās just a week until Steel Lard. This is probably the final play-test of āRunning from Bull Runā.
#SpreadTheLard
about 2 months ago
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A feature of First Bull Run was the presence of parties of civilians who went out to watch the battle. Several members of Congress were caught up in the retreat. I needed a Deployment Point for my own retreating senators so hereās their picnic blanket.
about 2 months ago
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Union stretcher bearers and hospital steward for āRunning from Bull Runā at Steel Lard.
about 2 months ago
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Union ambulance and stretcher bearers under way.
about 2 months ago
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1st Corps having delivered, Iāve increased the amount of discarded equipment I can strew alongside the Warrenton Pike.
about 2 months ago
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I have a rather nice plait of fog for sale. You can find it at the sign of the wall-nailed-jelly. Be careful though; itās guarded by a very well-trained herd of cats. In other news, allocation of players to Steel Lard games is complete.
#SpreadTheLard
about 2 months ago
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Nailing jelly to the wall, plaiting fog, herding cats, and allocating Lardy Day players to their preferred game sessions; all stress-inducing!
#SpreadTheLard
2 months ago
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My first attempts at creating abandoned stores an discarded personal equipment to be strewn along the Warrenton Pike in my Running from Bull Run game at Steel Lard.
2 months ago
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Some places for players attending Steel Lard (11th October at Patriot Games in Sheffield) have become available. If youāre interested in attending please let me know.
2 months ago
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Inspired by the terrific terrain at Ebor Lard, Iāve been straight on to First Corps to order some ACW scatter for āRunning From Bull Runā at Steel Lard next month.
2 months ago
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When the companyās trumpeter interrupts your game of chess itās probably time to fight the Russians. Sharp Practice Deployment Point for the 1812 campaign.
2 months ago
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Our first game of Gangs of Rome is now written up at the Land of Counterpane blog:
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-...
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The Brawl
On Sunday Gus, Andy, Ron and Phil came over for a first go at Gangs of Rome . I set the terrain up using most of my current Roman terrain on...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-brawl.html?m=1
2 months ago
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Ancient Roman manhole covers play a part in the first two Marcus Didius Falco books and Iāve been thinking of how to use them in Gangs of Rome. A bit of Googling gave me three designs which I was able to design with Tinkercad and 3D print.
3 months ago
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Thought Iād share some pictures from my trip to Arbeia, the Roman fort at South Shields.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/08/no-f...
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No fog on the Tyne
The Baroness and I are just back from a couple of days in the northeast of England. On the list of things to do was a visit to Arbeia, the R...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/08/no-fog-on-tyne.html?m=1
3 months ago
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Write up of this weekendās assault on Hachigata castle now available on The Land of Counterpane blog.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/08/hach...
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Hachigata - The Assault
Mark, Ron, Phil and Andy came over this weekend and we played out the culmination of our Siege of Hachigata, 1568 campaign using The Pikema...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/08/hachigata-assault.html?m=1
3 months ago
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Our Siege of Hachigata 1568 campaign (using The Pikemanās Lament) came to a climax today. The Takeda failed to take the place but Takeda Mochinaga and Honda Gozaemon return to Takeda territory with much enhanced reputations.
3 months ago
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A few early Cold War jets added to my 1/300th collection:
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/08/some...
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Some random air support
By the time the recent Joy of Six show came around I really fancied painting some 1/300th scale aircraft just for the hell of it.Ā Fortunate...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/08/some-random-air-support.html?m=1
4 months ago
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At a factory in Lincoln,1916.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/08/a-vi...
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A Vintage Classic
My mate Mark P bought me a couple of Airfix kits as Christmas presents. This one has just reached completion: It's the Tank Mk 1 from the V...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/08/a-vintage-classic.html?m=1
4 months ago
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I think the Hovels Japanese gateway works reasonably well as Roman.
4 months ago
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āScarper, itās the filth!ā Vigiles Urbani for Gangs of Rome - Wargames Atlantic with Warlord heads.
4 months ago
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Just spent an hour combing the workshop floor for this bit of Airfix Mk1 Tank kit!
4 months ago
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My photo report on Joy of Six is up on The Land of Counterpane. Itās not complete as I was too busy running Operation Vijay to make sure I photographed every game. Apologies if I missed yours.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/07/joy-...
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Joy of Six report
So Joy of Six is behind us for another year and I have to say I enjoyed it despite Sheffield Hallam University being on sauna setting for th...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/07/joy-of-six-report.html?m=1
4 months ago
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Great fun at Joy of Six today. It was great to chat with so many who showed interest in the Operation Vijay game.
4 months ago
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Iāve built a Fairey Seafox; my first Matchbox aircraft kit in many a decade!
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/07/seaf...
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Seafox!
My latest modelling output is the Matchbox Ā 1/72nd scale Fairey Seafox I bought in Warwick . There are two schemes included in the kit. I ch...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/07/seafox.html?m=1
5 months ago
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Iāve now posted the AAR for my Mutanchiang game. August 1945 in Manchuria, 6mm scale, TacWWII rules.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-...
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The Approach to Mutanchiang
Over the the last few days I've gradually played through my solo version of Bob Mackenzie's Mutanchiang scenario adapted for TacWWII . The ...
https://thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-approach-to-mutanchiang.html?m=1
6 months ago
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