A Wargamer in Cyprus

I live in Cyprus, I play too many periods, and I don’t believe you need more miniatures, just better games. This blog is the digital continuation of my old paper wargames diary. Since 2016 it’s become a place to explore campaign gaming, solo systems, historical skirmishes, and the constant process of adapting rules to fit the figures I already own. Expect battle reports, project notes, campaign frameworks, and the odd Durham Wargames Club pilgrimage. It’s practical, narrative-driven wargaming.

Sunday, 9 August 2026

The Galleon vs a Canoe assault

Don Diego de La Vegas has found a remote Caribbean island with a good anchorage. He intends to claim it. The current owners, a Carib tribe intend to see him off

First of a series of three games.

I've been gaming with the Galleon I scratch built last year, the "Infanta Margoles," having added three more ships to my fleet over the summer, two sloops and the mighty Flyut.

I've also added a drop in deck section that i can use to alter the Brig into a frigate.

Galleon, Frigate and one of my Sloops.

That Galleon is a big beast.

The Weather Gauge"

The first of my three scenarios (modified for solo play), representing the Carib chief the "Caique," trapping the Don's massive ship as it navigates a narrow, shallow reef trying to get him ashore.

The Map Setup (3x3 Foot Table)

The Galleon's Starting Position: Rhe Galleon exactly is in the top third of the table, facing parallel to the board edge (broadside facing the attacker). Crucially, the Galleon starts at Speed 0 (Anchored). Don Diego's crew was caught completely off guard while he was below deck gambling!
The Carib Fleet's Starting Position: the Caique’s fleet (1 Piragua, 3 Canoas) deploys on the opposite edge, exactly 18 inches away from the Galleon.
The Islands (Terrain): 2 or 3 small island pieces or shoals around the edges of the map to represent a tight channel. Because the Galleon is so huge on a 3x3 mat, it cannot safely move forward without risking running aground on these shoals, forcing the Don to stay anchored and fight.

Scenario Special Rules for Solo Testing

To make this a balanced, but highly unpredictable solo test, im using these three custom scenario parameters:

"Caught Napping" (Turn 1 Restriction): Because the Caribs launched a perfect ambush, all Spanish units begin unloaded. This represents the panic of running to their battle stations.
The Master Gunner's drunken lock in: On Turn 1, when activating the Spanish gun decks, the Master gunner is found to be completely drunk and has locked himself in the powder room. The guns can't be used until a 6-10 is rolled..
Shallow Waters: The Caribs' Canoas and Piragua ignore all shoal terrain. If the Galleon is forced to move, any forward movement requires a Skill Test. On a failure, the Galleon hits a reef, taking 1 point of Hull Damage.

The Galleon Infanta Margoles

The optimised 200pt "Floating Castle" List Layout

This uses the "no-gun musket fortress" strategy against the Carib Warchief, limited to 200 points:

Poop Deck: 4 Kapers (21 pts) + Don Diego. (Elevated snipers).
Quarterdeck: 6 Marineros (24 pts) + Boatswain. (Your counter-boarding defense squad).
The Waist (Main Deck): A massive block of 10 Marineros (40 pts) to absorb damage and hold the center.
Forecastle: 5 Milicianos (Spanish Militia) with Muskets (20 pts).
The 3 Fighting Tops (Rigging): Three separate units of Hostes (Spanish Musketeers) . Each platform gets 4 guys safely sniping from the skies.
The Ship: 1 Galleon with Zero Guns (25 pts).

This gives 34 models pumping out an inescapable wall of lead every single turn from every conceivable angle. Hopefully

The "Floating Fort" Strategy
The Height Advantage & Save Penalties: In Blood & Plunder, units firing down from a position 2 or more inches higher than their target inflict a +1 penalty to the target's Ranged Save. Because the Galleon's Quarterdeck, Poop Deck, and 3 Fighting Tops are physically massive, my musketeers will constantly strip away the cover saves of low-profile targets (like the Carib Canoas).
Impenetrable Defenses: If an enemy tries to shoot back at the massed infantry, my troops are protected by the Galleon's High Bulwarks (+1 to enemy Shoot tests) or the Fighting Tops' Hard Cover status.
Action Economy Freedom: Cannons are a massive "action sink"—they require constant Dedicated actions or standard actions just to reload and fire. Without them, 100% of activation card actions are spent shooting muskets, throwing grenades, or using Rally actions to keep units fresh and fatigue-free.
That's the plan

The Carib plan

The Caique needs to close the 18-inch gap instantly. On Turn 1, use the Canoas' paddles to Row twice. The goal is to get into base-to-base contact with the Galleon’s hull by the end of Turn 2 or the start of Turn 2 to launch a massive boarding action. Once inside the Galleon's perimeter, Poisoned Arrows and melee stats will bypass the ship's heavy armor.

The Spanish Objective

Don Diego needs to clear the Turn 1 ambush Fatigue immediately using his Command Points. The Kapers in the rigging platforms have a clear line of sight down into the open Canoas. They must shoot immediately to stack Fatigue on the incoming Caribs to slow their paddling speed.

The scratch built Carib fleet

Don Diego watches the Caribs approach

The Marineros can actually hide behind my Musketeers

Can't help myself!

Furious paddling. My Canoe assault expert gives a 1" paddlling bonus that allows me to keep up with the Piragua.

Fire and duck down behind the bulwarks where they are invisible. They can stand up again as part of the next fire action

The Shaman loses half his unit at once.

And the arrows, poisoned of course, aim for the fighting tops.

The Spanish suffer losses.

I'm using the dead bodies in the ocean just for the look.

The Caribs suffer casualties and fatigue.

Finally alongside in turn 2

But still vulnerable.

The Don risks nothing. Ducking down.

And a Carib unit is eliminated from the Piragua.

Fire the musket go prone, Reload. The Spaniards are into the rhythm of it.

I have some little ladders to represent boarding. The Caique leads a dedicated climbing action. Even simply getting aboard a Galleon is hard work.

Divn't one of my sub chiefs loses it with a rout. He was ducked down inside the canoe! Still got shot.

The Shaman lobs a stinkpot up, fails on a natural 1 roll. It drops back into the canoe. The additional sound of thunder roll also means two additional fatigue points. And a big stink.

The Shaman and his unit rout.

Strike text. The Caribs have lost three units and 19 men. The Caique is shot and wounded by the men up the masts. His game is done.

To make matters worse Don Diego rolls a seven and the Master Gunnner emerges from the powder room. The galleons gunports finally open.

The Spanish get ashore but face a jungle Ambush.

Thursday, 6 August 2026

Écorcheurs Markers

I took advantage of the Gripping Beast Summer Sale to buy a new rule set, Écorcheurs. I think the game lends itself brilliantly to physical tabletop aids. Because it's driven by states (initiative, stun, coins, faltering) rather than long stat lines, and as a solo player I want to replace almost all bookkeeping with attractive markers.

I want to emphasise though, the markers must fit the tabletop and blend.

First the casualties. I have Firelock Games resin pirate casualties for Blood and Plunder, but I want to go inexpensive, so its MDF disks.

Other markers

Stunned markers

I bought a game token set as part of the Gripping Beast sale but maybe...

Helmet knocked off.
Sword dropped.

Captain's Purse (Coins)

Again in the token set form Gripping Beast, but I also have some plastic period coins as individual medieval silver pennies I can scatter beside the leader and use to bid.

Initiative Marker

Something nice I think because players handle this every turn.

Ideas:

Wax seal
Captain's baton
Herald's trumpet
Sword laid across a shield

Double sided:

I haven't decided yet.

Objective Markers

Medieval looking.

Treasure chest
Wagon
Holy relic
Messenger
Captured banner
Church bell
Grain cart
Prisoner

With the wording I think.

A Battlefield Event Deck.

Instead of just counters, 40–60mm scenic rectangles that can appear during solo games, whenever three or more dice show the same symbol during a roll:

Flock of sheep
Runaway pig
Fallen tree
Pilgrim procession
Burning cart
Stray horse
Priest carrying a relic
Broken wagon
Local peasants
Refugees
Freshly dug ditch
Bee skeps knocked over!

Without labels

With labels

Each disk becomes both a visual piece and a scenario complication. Draw one when the game stalls or after a triple dice roll. Suddenly the battlefield feels alive

Tuesday, 28 July 2026

Building the Medieval Cog, Four Brothers.

My plan for the Autumn Campaign back in Paphos is Blood and Crowns, Naval, with a series of games planned around the Cog "Four Brothers," of Wearmouth.

The "brothers" are the family who run the ship, a merchant vessel, sometimes employed by the King, the Bishop or the rebellious Percy clan.

I designed the card model of a cog, adding a Baltic Hanze cog as a variant. The size of the model concerned me so built this example in Durham, to check on the ease of build, size vs 28mm miniatures and the look.

The look is quite important since I recently saw the Nao in Scarborough harbour. To my eyes it seemed tiny! She is a three masted caravel of course, but I have the option of altering the Cog to that as a Carrack.

My card model was a lot of work in terms of designing and creating the drawings, lets see if it works...

The upsized image i printed.

And the Baltic Cog variant

Cutting out the hull, bottom side here glued onto foam board. This is the base and needs that thickness.
The hull sides are glued at the bow.

Bracing and hull supports go onto the base

And the deck is secured

The hull sides are fitted. The size was, to my astonishment, absolutely perfect.

And leave the glue to dry securely.

Fitting out the rear castle

And an optional forecastle.

Almost done.

A few Men at Arms to demonstrate the size.

It looks pretty good. Used a brown wash to darken the card edges.

The sail added

And an extra grating. Job done. Cost £1.

Thursday, 23 July 2026

Bluebeard Scenario Six: The Mangrove Maze

The Mangrove Maze

The English have learned that one of Bluebeard's trusted agents has hidden a chest deep within a maze of mangrove creeks. The chest isn't necessarily gold—it is more valuable than that.

Inside are:

coded letters naming corrupt merchants in Jamaica,
charts of hidden anchorages,
and a chest of Spanish silver used to pay informers.

The Governor cannot allow Bluebeard's spy network to survive.

Bluebeard is away at sea, so only a small English expedition is sent. A newly promoted Second Lieutenant commands a single armed shallop with orders to push into the creeks, seize the cache, and return before nightfall.

Unfortunately for him, the Caribs have already been warned.

The local Carib chief has no love for English soldiers trespassing through his hunting grounds. Whether paid by Bluebeard or simply defending their homeland doesn't matter—the English are not leaving unopposed.

As the tide rises, silent canoas slip between the mangroves...

English Landing Party (100 points)

Commander

Second Lieutenant (Regular Officer)

Landing Party

6 Veteran Sailors with Muskets
4 Sailors with Muskets
2 Sailors with Boarding Axes/Cutlasses

This gives roughly a dozen men—a realistic boat crew for an armed shallop, leaving a few sailors aboard to guard the boat while the search party goes ashore.

Special Rules

The shallop cannot sail through the narrowest mangrove channels.
The Caribs deploy hidden.
English visibility is limited by dense mangroves.
The English must locate and recover the hidden chest before escaping.
The Caribs win by preventing the English from leaving with it—or by forcing them back to the shallop

2nd Lieutenant Leslie "Twitchy" Balls

"Ding Dong!"

Role: Royal Navy Officer
Officer Type: Naval Lieutenant (Untested)

Personality
Neat, soft-spoken and perpetually twitchy, Balls gives the impression of a man who would rather be anywhere else. He startles at cannon fire, apologises before giving orders and is forever straightening his neckcloth. Yet the moment cutlasses leave their scabbards, he becomes a fearless and remarkably gifted swordsman. His cry of "Ding Dong!" usually signals that someone is about to lose a duel.

Strengths

Superb swordsman and boarding leader.
Commands his sailors with quiet confidence.
Exceptionally brave in close combat.
Completely loyal to Lieutenant Fairweather and Captain Hawke.

Flaw
His nervous manner causes both enemies and allies to underestimate him. He has little patience for prolonged musket duels and is often eager to close with the enemy before the moment is tactically ideal.

Favourite Saying
"Ding Dong... I do believe that's the signal to board!"

Sailing Master Hepzibah "The Unsinkable" Mott

"The Unsinkable Mott"

Role: Sailing Master & Navigator
Officer Type: Naval Specialist (Experienced)

Personality
An old salt with a mischievous grin, an inexhaustible stock of sea stories and an uncanny instinct for wind and tide. Mott has served in His Majesty's Navy for over forty years, surviving storms, mutinies, battles, shipwrecks and more than one court martial. Nobody is entirely certain how he remains afloat—or in uniform. He is rarely seen without a clay pipe and a knowing chuckle.

Strengths

Master navigator in coastal waters.
Expert at handling ships through reefs, shoals and narrow channels.
Inspires confidence in sailors through long experience.
Unflappable under fire and during heavy weather.

Favourite Saying
"Ho, ho... I've run aground in better places than this!"

Midshipman Tibulus Hathershaw

"The Greenhorn"

Nationality/Faction: Royal Navy
Role: Midshipman

Personality
Fresh from the Naval Academy, Tibulus knows every regulation by heart but has yet to discover his sea legs. He turns a delicate shade of green whenever the Swift leaves harbour, much to the amusement of the crew.

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