"Isandlwana Refight" Topic

Anthony and I played a Portable Wargame Zulu game last week using his 54mm Little Legion collection and new battlefield.

More photos and details on the blog here:

mikelewis.info/littlewars/?p=616

Mike

Very impressive! It looks like the sort of game that H G Wells would have set up.

I love the stylized, clean look of this. The board especially is a relief to the eye used to the more cluttered tabletops commonly seen today. Do you have any blog post that covers how you made it?

Wunderbar!

Mike, just to let you know: in perusing your blog I've seen how you did the board. The tree and built-up areas you've made are equally beautiful.

Hi GF

Yes, short explanation on the blog – it is a mix of 4mm and 2mm mdf laer cut to size then 2 coats of paint and 2 coats of gloss varnish….

Mike

A very attractive diaplay, and an excellent way to game the battle without having to paint 'Zulus – thousands of 'em!'

I'll add that it's interesting looking over your Portable Wargame posts over the years, seeing how the look of the thing has progressed. I think you've really hit the sweet spot now: a clean, uncluttered, almost Zen-like board really goes with the figures in a way the older, more gritty, playing mats didn't. Splendid work!

@GF

Thanks – the new design partly came out of wanting to create something that matched the figures for the demo game to produce something that looked different from the usual style of wargame.

We have still been playing portable wargame with mats and normal scenery for 28mm FPW games – with 17 units a side for a larger game. Works really well.

I was very pleased with Mike's terrain, I've actually commissioned him to make some tree tiles for me to enable me to put on Khambula and Hlobane scenarios.

Gone Fishing, I couldn't agree with you more re the look of games with Mike's terrain. For a long time I was reluctant to over paint my Little Legion bases but once I bit the bullet I was glad I did. Matching the figure bases with Mike's terrain makes the whole thing complete and look good in photos!

I can see myself repainting the bases of some of my other 54mm collections so that they match with Mike's terrain.

Anthony

Thank you both for the replies! Mike, in crowing about how good the above set looks I didn't mean to sound as though the other layouts were rubbish. Far from it – I've greatly enjoyed perusing all the AAR's and photos. As a Portable Wargamer myself, it's all been most inspirational. You two are lucky to have each other, but if a solo game ever beckons, I'd highly recommend trying the solo card deck rules – they provide a cracking game (in a sort of Piquet-ish way; the cards can be cruel, no question). Come to think of it, the card rules could be used with a two player games also.

Anthony, your whole collection looks gorgeous. I would kill for a layout like that. While the look of my collection is a little different (along with being Sikh Wars instead of Zulus), I think we are kindred spirits in all this:
link

Thank you both for the inspiration!

Daryl

Daryl,

Having clicked on the link you provided I can see we are definitely kindred spirits! Your figures are superb and you even seem to use the same lovely 'toy soldier' green for your bases that Mike and now I use. Excellent stuff!

Best wishes
Anthony

Daryl

I remember the Bixby Station report which is just wonderful. I'd love to see any photos of your portable wargames setup

Mike

I never really think of 'gloss' finish for wargaming. I tend to prefer more of a matte finish. IMO, it just gives a more realistic look.
However these look great. And a much more 'old school' (based on pics not personal experience) look to them. Bravo.

The large toy soldiers look good in a gloss finish. Nice looking game too.