Sunday, January 1, 2012

Early British Kingdoms

. Early British Kingdoms is another resource rich website. It includes chronologies of the Scots and Picts as well as the Saxons from ad 495 to 1066, a very nice set of colored political maps through time, Saints, archeology, King Arthur and more.

The Wuffings of East Anglia

This is Dr Sam Newton's website on the early Seventh Century kings in East Anglia. He has two books available as well as a lot of information on the web about this kingdom. The Wuffing kingdom is the locale of the famous Sutton Hoo ship burial, and also the possible origin of the classic Beowulf. A good jumping off point for Anglo-Saxon inspiration.

Project of the Year

I think that the Project of the Year gaming wise for 2012 will be Arthurian Britain.

This is spurred in no small part by the news that Osprey is releasing a new Dan Mersey Arthurian game "Dux Bellorum" in August. Stillna good ways off, but it gives me time to get armies ready in anticipation.

Local enthusiasm for WAB seems to have died off, so my 28mm are gathering dust. Their cause is not helped by my minimal play space.

DB seems to be playable in small spaces if 15mm figures and small bases are employed. So, being a great fan of 15mm gaming, I will start over in Arthurian in that scale.

First out of the gate will be my Splintered Light Saxons. I have had the figures for a while, but not painted them. A DBA army pack that should provide just what I need for a warrior heavy DB army. Probably no shield walls because I don't think the early Saxons fought that way.

I do have at least one unit of war dogs, the lack of historical evidence not withstanding, as well as a couple of pagan priests and a veritable giant of a champion. These will find use somehow.

I even have a figure that is a perfect representation of the reconstructed Sutton Hoo warrior.

Oh, what fun. I will likely chip away at my 28s as well, maybe for WAB, maybe for DB, maybe even for Impetus, we sall see.