Great little game distilling so much from C&C in its own way and Star Wars. It works, which was initially surprising and is then a source of joy.

Fairly good win on that Cloth of Gold, doing well WITH the gold. As always there are 2 or 3 options each go, each with consequences further down the line that can help your opponent.

Seems to be just another Renaissance Monday, as the post from France just came.

In the Summer of 1557 Lord Admiral Howard set off with most of the King and Queens’ ships towards Falmouth, seemingly to meet some of Philip’s ships from Spain. He had orders to turn South and then East along the French coast knowing that on June 7th war would have been declared on France…

With some French galleys added, I’m back on track for actual playtesting. Earlier version had smaller ‘flats’ and a square grid.

Nearly have enough of the English 'Great Ships' drafted for now.

Fleets. I’m not trying to model fleet actions, not that there really are any in my stretch of time. At the Solent the action, such as it was, occurred in-between the fleets. A rowbarge, for instance, might issue from the fleet.

Quick mockups of the Great Harry and the possible later in the day version of the Mary Rose.

Preparing a late afternoon #Hoth scenario, by request.

Am developing a test scenario inspired by the middle bit of the Cowdray engraving, so I have had to make a Mary Rose.

Playing around with some visual prompt help cards for current version of mid-Tudor Naval project.

Thank you to our friends at Rally the Troops (www.rally-the-troops.com) for this superb implementation of Imperial Struggle. I think this will give many of us, myself included, the opportunity to get many, many more plays in.

Looking forward to this. And Dan beating me no doubt.

On the ocean waves, or Channel coast: returning to the mid-Tudor naval project, I’m finding the mocked up looking more lost in these larger hexes than the one inch squares.

Encountering a gallowglass in Dungannon. Like you do.

Another tiebreaker win (this time as Delhi Sultanate) in Vijayanagara. Almost as close for the three powers as could be.

Oregon the rematch. A very diffuse early stage.

I think Bob has fallen into a Memoir pit so we are starting to work through basic scenarios, I think. I can play these in my sleep but prefer the visual tactile plastics. #BGA

I do recommend the Dublinia museum in Dublin, a fantastic interpretation of the city's history from the Vikings to the medieval period. Lovely 1:300 scale model of the medieval city and a 28mm diorama, I identified Gripping Beast figures.

Wir Sind Das Volk! on RTT makes more sense with every play. Not sure my competence increases much though. Great to pair with 1989 there.

Booting up Lee vs Grant scenario 3.

Tonight’s playtest. Point where Dudley at Barkway, closing on Mary at Sawston. Ambrose sidelined to head off Marian reinforcements. Mary only has household with her but further East her forces are gathering.

Current rules printed ready for next playtest. Mary now has a red stand. Made two simple help cards.

Great game title catching my eye in the @gmtgames.bsky.social update. A relative lived and worked in Thetford and I know Tom particularly from his statue there (he’s their recently regilded golden boy). Something about being outside King’s House on King Street… thetford.mathmos.net/amenities/ar...

Eight cards get some tweaks and a reprint after yesterday’s playtest.

Oregon, early stages of our two-way game. When rusty it takes three rounds or so to click again. Won as yellow.

Fresh printouts of most material, including larger combed through cards for next playtest. Oregon is up first though as a missed game from the Christmas sequence.

Good quote selection. I'm (foolishly?) surprised by the extent of mentions of AI-ish uses by friends and contacts. Suddenly endemic.

A little work on clarifying player goals before going back to a comb through cards and fleshing out of rules (while avoiding the need to better calibrate the chase mechanism for now):

The Postwoman doesn’t even knock once. She just knows that if we are in anything can be popped in the side door. Like ‘armoured cars’ to put together and modify a little to represent the Republican ones in 1922.

Wow. And narrowly missed by the junction construction.

Woke up this morning… and didn’t so much get myself a beer as have a vision of improvements to how The Council mechanism works. /1

#OTD 70 years ago, the 20th Party Conference of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union began... and Nikita Khrushchev had a surprise announcement planned for the delegates. Read more:

Current playtest assembled. Not too sure about quantities of anything cubic but otherwise feels fine.

Quene: 24 cards feel stable, just 12 more to go from notes to physical drafts [trying to stick to a 36 max. limit as it is a short, light but plenty of narrative game project, I hope]. Rich cast of characters, some familiar, some not.

Quick mockup of standees etc. coming along while on a roll.

This pair arrived yesterday afternoon, 5 days after ordering, and threaten to pull me away from the 16th Century. I shall resist.

Queen for nine days in 1553, Jane Grey – along with Oliver Cromwell – had a curious indented entry in the list of English rulers in a school History book that I can dimly remember. 1

Just just won a very close game of Vijayanagara on #RTT (as VJ orange) tied on VPs with Bahmanis and going to the resources breaker where I am ahead by 1. This is a title that throws up new challenges and opportunities every play.

Went to the army museum in Oslo. Lots of unique things to see. Quite a lot on the WW2 Atlantic campaign.

Have swapped so that Tudor projects are to the fore for a while, as Kilmallock 1922 simmers. Catching my eye this morning is that Dudley had a celebratory ‘putting down Kett in 1549’ wall map.

Getting ready to launch two contrasting games with Dan online today.

Started Lilliburlero yesterday evening with @maniacalinc.bsky.social, a teaching game. Not much has happened as yet, Williamite cavalry skirmish at Drogheda but were pushed back. Some Jacobite cannon fire on Williamite positions, will update as we progress in future. I am the Williamites.

Looks fascinating.

This gaming week ahead: getting into a new 4-way Founding Fathers on Yucata, reading on and on linked to Tudors projects and playtesting a pair of Bruree scenarios.

Poor Perry tries, and fails, to take Dublin. From "Wolfe Tone's Rebellion" being playtested at the SquareBASH convention yesterday.

I’m at the site of the Battle of Marston Moor (near York) this afternoon. The largest battle of the ‘English’ Civil War. The monument and the Royalist positions. Behind are the Parliamentary forces and their Scots allies on the crest. Information board by the Battlefields Trust.

Playtesting the solo NA probes towards Ballingaddy scenario. ‘Advanced version’ generating a Dublin Guard column led by a Rolls Royce armoured car. 1/3

Not sure when I last had a big win like this in Washington's War (v Bob H on RTT). Swap sides and rematch.

Current state of the game room. It's a mess, shots were taken carefully to omit the mess. Bitter Woods by L2 is one one table, currently Dec. 18 turn. Breakthrough: Cambrai by @multimanpublishing.bsky.social is on the other table, set up and ready to start. On the shelves are the games ... /2