Cogs!!

Back when I had a bit more money, er, back when I used credit more freely, I used to to have $40 a month to spend on gaming. I also had an Old Glory Army membership and frequently I'd just deposit my cash there. It meant I could be a bit more adventurous with my miniatures purchase, and by god I was. I picked up a couple of the Merrimac Shipyard cogs.

No self-respecting Hundred Years War miniaturist could possibly have a complete collection o' stuff without cogs. After all, there are all those famous sea battles to fight-ummm, and errrr!!???. Actually there are a few, the most famous being Sluys and 1340, and the battle off Winchelsea in one of those years between 1337-1453. There were also smaller actions of French galleys raiding the English coastline or attacking ships in the wine trade.

In any case my economic realities collided with miniature purchases and I was never able to acquire the hundreds of cogs needed for Sluys, or even the fifty or so for Winchelsea, but I do have two. They are going to serve me well for a game I want to run at Enfilade based on the Black Prince's attack on the suburb of St. Jean outside of Caen in 1346.

So what the heck is a cog? In the 14th and early 15th century sea travel was pretty chancy. Naval engineering had not progressed to the point that vessels could maneuver through a contrary wind. Cogs were bargelike vessels with a single mast and sail and a rudder. They could be 30-300 tons and built as merchantmen to haul cargo between England and the Europe. The were deep enough draft to provide a fairly stable platform in the channel and North Sea, providing the wind was favorable and there was no storm. During wartime, the king basically pressed these cogs into service and nailed large fighting platforms on to the bow and stern to hold archers, men at arms and light artillery.

These two will see service soon.

Two Games in One Week

Two weeks ago was the biggest few days of gaming all summer. In fact the most gaming I've done since Enfilade. In July I offered to host a Spanish Civil War game at our August 15 NHMGS game day. I didn't think much about it until the week before the game and then the spirit of "uh-oh, I'm not ready" overtook me.

I went through the rules, and decided to convert them to InDesign documents (I need the practice for school.) I changed a couple of small things, and clarified a few more, and wrote the scenario. I also started madly painting-adding a unit or two on each side, and got ready for game day.

On the 15th, I threw everything out on the table. The game involved the close investment of a town with a strategic bridge. The town was held by Nationalist forces, but was under fire by Republican forces. The game begins with both sides rushing troops into the battle for the town. It was a very fun game that really turned into a meat grinder. In the end, both sides had a lot of fun and a lot of casualties, and the game ended in a draw. I needed some clarity for town fighting, but that is easily remedied.

Sorry for the clutter in the pictures. At the top we see a Moroccan battalion, one of many Nationalist reinforcements rushing to the defense of the town. In the foreground of the middle picture we see the Tom Mooney machine gun company keeping Nationalist heads down as the Assault Guards prepare to attack. Finally a poor Republican battalion is caught on the wrong side of the river receiving the brunt of the Nationalist counter-attack.


On the 18th I got together with Mark Waddington and Scott Murphy to play a Hundred Years War game. It was an idea I threw together based on The Black Prince's attack on Caen in 1346. The prince lost control of his division of Edward III's army and they hurled themselves at a fortified bridge protecting the prosperous suburb of St. Jean. The French protected the bridge with crossbowmen mounted in boats. Eventually a flanking force crossed the river and forced the covering barbican to surrender.

We tried the same idea, with pretty much the same results. Scott fairly quickly chased off the protecting crossbowmen and I required that he make an assault on the barbican. It didn't work. He also eventually made a river crossing. Mark made the flanking attack and fought it out with the French in St. Jean. Eventually, however, the superior larger English forces wore down the French and the end became clear. It was very fun-a game I would consider running at Enfilade.

In the pictures, Mark and I prepare to fight in St. Jean, while Scott plans his assault on the fortified bridge. It was great to drag out my Miniature Building Authority buildings again.