Richard Cruadhlaoich
@locounterpane.bsky.social
Sheffield-based wargamer and blogger.
TheLandOfCounterpane.blogspot.com
TheLandOfCounterpane.blogspot.com
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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...
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com
Just giving this Bluesky thing a whirl.
Here’s an article I did about designing wargames scenarios.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/01/desi...
Here’s an article I did about designing wargames scenarios.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/01/desi...
Inspiration struck a few days ago. Dragon Rampant to game the lowlife attack on Finiah at the end of Julian May’s “The Many Coloured Land”!
High Elves as Tanu, medievals as gray torc soldiers, pretty much any figures as lowlives and firvulag. Only problem - sourcing 28mm chalicotheres.
High Elves as Tanu, medievals as gray torc soldiers, pretty much any figures as lowlives and firvulag. Only problem - sourcing 28mm chalicotheres.
February 17, 2026 at 8:41 AM
Inspiration struck a few days ago. Dragon Rampant to game the lowlife attack on Finiah at the end of Julian May’s “The Many Coloured Land”!
High Elves as Tanu, medievals as gray torc soldiers, pretty much any figures as lowlives and firvulag. Only problem - sourcing 28mm chalicotheres.
High Elves as Tanu, medievals as gray torc soldiers, pretty much any figures as lowlives and firvulag. Only problem - sourcing 28mm chalicotheres.
The latest addition to my Gangs of Rome collection is Zenobia from @badsquiddogames.bsky.social She’ll probably appear in my campaign as some kind of priestess.
February 15, 2026 at 4:06 PM
The latest addition to my Gangs of Rome collection is Zenobia from @badsquiddogames.bsky.social She’ll probably appear in my campaign as some kind of priestess.
I wanted to add the rebellious Julius Civilis to my “The Iron Hand of Mars” scenario for Infamy Infamy. He’s dyed his hair red and vowed not to cut it until he’s freed Germany of Roman influence.
Victrix and Wargames Atlantic parts combined.
Victrix and Wargames Atlantic parts combined.
February 7, 2026 at 11:46 AM
I wanted to add the rebellious Julius Civilis to my “The Iron Hand of Mars” scenario for Infamy Infamy. He’s dyed his hair red and vowed not to cut it until he’s freed Germany of Roman influence.
Victrix and Wargames Atlantic parts combined.
Victrix and Wargames Atlantic parts combined.
Was anyone else disappointed by the selection of demo/participation games at Vapnartak yesterday? It remains a great chance to catch up with friends and do a bit of shopping but there seem to be fewer games each year.
February 2, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Was anyone else disappointed by the selection of demo/participation games at Vapnartak yesterday? It remains a great chance to catch up with friends and do a bit of shopping but there seem to be fewer games each year.
Annual Vapnartak pre-birthday selfie with Annie @badsquiddogames.bsky.social yesterday. Great to catch up with you!
February 2, 2026 at 11:58 AM
Annual Vapnartak pre-birthday selfie with Annie @badsquiddogames.bsky.social yesterday. Great to catch up with you!
Working on some 6mm scale 1940 German air recognition flags - depicted here before they get the internationally problematic central symbol. I figure I can use them to indicate which armoured cars have 20mm cannon rather than just MGs.
January 30, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Working on some 6mm scale 1940 German air recognition flags - depicted here before they get the internationally problematic central symbol. I figure I can use them to indicate which armoured cars have 20mm cannon rather than just MGs.
I’m running “Calais 1940 - The Road to St Omer” at Joy of 6 this summer. This evening I upgraded the paint job on the 6mm scale 3RTR I first painted about a quarter of a century ago.
January 29, 2026 at 10:10 PM
I’m running “Calais 1940 - The Road to St Omer” at Joy of 6 this summer. This evening I upgraded the paint job on the 6mm scale 3RTR I first painted about a quarter of a century ago.
I picked up a couple of 3D printed bison at Wirral Warboot back in the Summer. Useful for What a Cowboy or in Glorantha!
January 28, 2026 at 10:31 PM
I picked up a couple of 3D printed bison at Wirral Warboot back in the Summer. Useful for What a Cowboy or in Glorantha!
This is Nick. Nick has just played his first ever Wargame, taking on the role of Islander Bey, the renegade Turkish officer who believes himself to be Alexander the Great reborn. After his performance in the game, I think he may be.
January 25, 2026 at 6:19 PM
This is Nick. Nick has just played his first ever Wargame, taking on the role of Islander Bey, the renegade Turkish officer who believes himself to be Alexander the Great reborn. After his performance in the game, I think he may be.
Andreivia 1918: Set up for a game of Arc of Fire tomorrow with two complete novices as far as wargaming is concerned.
January 24, 2026 at 9:04 PM
Andreivia 1918: Set up for a game of Arc of Fire tomorrow with two complete novices as far as wargaming is concerned.
I had a go at a Traveller (sci-fi RPG) adaptation of What A Cartel over the Xmas holiday. The write-up of the game is on The Land of Counterpane.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2026/01/xmas...
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2026/01/xmas...
Xmas Games 2025 part two
Having completed Saturday's Gangs of Rome game I had to try and get my brain around a second set of rules in four days! Fortunately What A ...
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:53 PM
I had a go at a Traveller (sci-fi RPG) adaptation of What A Cartel over the Xmas holiday. The write-up of the game is on The Land of Counterpane.
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2026/01/xmas...
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2026/01/xmas...
Terrific game of What A Traveller today; a homebrew sci-fi adaptation of What A Cartel.
December 30, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Terrific game of What A Traveller today; a homebrew sci-fi adaptation of What A Cartel.
This year’s haul of gaming-related Crimbo pressies including the airbrush recommended by @nellkyn.bsky.social. Thanks!
December 26, 2025 at 9:50 PM
This year’s haul of gaming-related Crimbo pressies including the airbrush recommended by @nellkyn.bsky.social. Thanks!
@markbackhouse29.bsky.social here are my Joy Division Oven Gloves (in 2020).
December 26, 2025 at 4:52 PM
@markbackhouse29.bsky.social here are my Joy Division Oven Gloves (in 2020).
I want to have the option of reroofing work in progress on one of my Roman buildings. I designed and 3D printed some tegulae and stuck them to stone-textured plasticard bases.
December 20, 2025 at 8:29 AM
I want to have the option of reroofing work in progress on one of my Roman buildings. I designed and 3D printed some tegulae and stuck them to stone-textured plasticard bases.
First playtest of What a Traveller (based on John Savage’s What a Cartel). Inside the starport security building: Bay Falango shoots Stanlie Molotoff in the back.
December 14, 2025 at 10:42 PM
First playtest of What a Traveller (based on John Savage’s What a Cartel). Inside the starport security building: Bay Falango shoots Stanlie Molotoff in the back.
Another antediluvian Gamma World mini.
December 6, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Another antediluvian Gamma World mini.
First go at airbrushing. A fictional RNZAF Folland Gnat.
December 4, 2025 at 8:34 PM
First go at airbrushing. A fictional RNZAF Folland Gnat.
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?
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
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?
Should I go for the Hot Shots movie scheme or a totally fictional “what if”, say Royal Canadian Air Force colours?
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
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.
Airfix 1/76th scale Type 97 Chi-Ha. Built straight out of the box.
November 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Airfix 1/76th scale Type 97 Chi-Ha. Built straight out of the box.
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
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!
Warbases horreum being upgraded with 3D printed roof tiles.
November 18, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Warbases horreum being upgraded with 3D printed roof tiles.
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
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.
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...
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
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...
thelandofcounterpane.blogspot.com/2025/11/basi...