Richard Cruadhlaoich
locounterpane.bsky.social
Richard Cruadhlaoich
@locounterpane.bsky.social
Sheffield-based wargamer and blogger.

TheLandOfCounterpane.blogspot.com
Pinned
Just giving this Bluesky thing a whirl.

Here’s an article I did about designing wargames scenarios.

thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/01/desi...
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...
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com
What do we think? I have a fourth Airfix Folland Gnat kit. I’ve already built a Yellowjacks one, a Red Arrows aircraft, and a plane in the colours of an RAF training squadron.

Should I go for the Hot Shots movie scheme or a totally fictional “what if”, say Royal Canadian Air Force colours?
November 27, 2025 at 7:41 PM
A blast from the past (or perhaps from a horrific future?) in the form of a 40+ year old Gamma World miniature from Grenadier. Newly painted for possible use in What A Cowboy/Traveller mashup this Xmas.
November 27, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Airfix 1/76th scale Type 97 Chi-Ha. Built straight out of the box.
November 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
I really enjoyed running two games of “Running from Bull Run” at Posh Lard yesterday. Thanks Al, Lewis, and Kev for being such brilliant players!
November 23, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Warbases horreum being upgraded with 3D printed roof tiles.
November 18, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Twenty five years after the publication of our book of Blitzkrieg 1940 scenarios for TacWWII, I’ve now got a period appropriate map (actually War Department 1915) and a much better idea of the scope of 3RTR’s clash with 10th Panzer’s rearguard.
November 18, 2025 at 1:28 PM
My style of basing wargaming miniatures isn’t particularly spectacular but I’ve reached a standard that I’m not happy with so I thought I’d share the technique.

thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/11/basi...
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...
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:22 PM
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!
November 16, 2025 at 9:42 AM
I’ve created a possible use for Bad Squiddo’s “The Seer”model in Gangs of Rome.

thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/more...
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 ...
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:14 PM
My modules for the outskirts of Coquelles in 1940. Intended for when I run The Road to St Omer at Joy of Six 2026.
November 4, 2025 at 3:05 PM
This morning’s trip to Fiasco saw me acquire a new character figure that I reckon can be made to fit Gangs of Rome.
October 26, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Marcus Didius Falco-themed Pulp Alley game by the Sally 4th guys at Fiasco today. Most inspiring!
October 26, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Two of the great dragons of Napoleonic wargaming. At Patriot Games, Sheffield this afternoon.
October 24, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Do we know if any of the traders at Fiasco this weekend carry Eureka miniatures?
October 24, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Setting out to teach myself Infamy Infamy. I’m not sure whether being so well-versed in Sharp Practice is an advantage or is hampering me.
#SpreadTheLard
October 24, 2025 at 8:07 AM
German slingers - converted from Wargames Factory with green stuff and bits from the Gripping Beast Dark Age Warriors.
October 23, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Any game set in the 19th century Russian Empire needs a distantsionyy stolb.

thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/do-y...
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 ...
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com
October 21, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Not a bad haul from the charity shops of York yesterday.
October 15, 2025 at 7:50 PM
A pair of Barnsley reprobates attempting to rally the routing Union army after First Bull Run.
October 12, 2025 at 5:03 PM
A more considered report will follow but in the immediate aftermath I’d just like to thank game-runners, players and Patriots Hames staff for a terrific Steel Lard today. #SpreadTheLard
October 11, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Inspiration eh? Bloody hell! It’s Steel Lard tomorrow and my mind should be focused on ‘Running from Bull Run’ but this afternoon I’ve gone out to walk the dog and come back with the more-or-less-complete structure of next year’s game worked out in my mind!
October 10, 2025 at 1:21 PM
I’ve created a blog post about how I made a load of markers for 6mm scale games. It’s specifically for TacWWII but may have some utility for players of other systems.

thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/home...
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...
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com
October 8, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Woohoo! My new, personalised Steel Lard polo shirt has arrived from @glenbrookgames.bsky.social
Thanks Matt!
October 7, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Write up and pics of my last pre-Steel Lard test session can be found here:

thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/10/runn...
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...
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com
October 4, 2025 at 6:28 PM