An introduction to the UWS

 

 

The Ulster Wargames Society (UWS) is the longest established historical miniature wargaming society in Northern Ireland.  We started out in the 1960s as the Ulster Military Modelling Society, but over the years more and more members wanted to game with their nicely painted models.  Eventually we changed the name in the late 1990s, to reflect the fact that for a long time our focus had been primarily on wargaming.

We meet monthly, usually on the last Saturday, from around 9:30am to 5pm.  Most years we have about 20 members signed up, and there’s plenty of room for more.  Visitors are also welcome, although we may charge a small entrance fee.

A typical meeting will feature a large participation game with multiple players, usually with room for people just to turn up on the day and play, and two or three smaller games.  We also run an annual Bring and Buy sale.

As previously mentioned, most of the games we play are historically based.  Frequently used rulesets include:

• ·         Age of Eagles (Napoleonic)
• ·         Battlegroup (WW2)
• ·         Black Powder (Marlburian, Seven Years War, Napoleonic)
• ·         Blucher (Napoleonic)
• ·         Chain of Command (WW2)
• ·         Dux Britanniarum (Arthurian)
• ·         Field of Glory (Ancients and Renaissance)
• ·         Fire and Fury (American Civil War)
• ·         Lion Rampant (Medieval)
• ·         Sharp Practice (Napoleonic)
• ·         They Died for Glory (Franco-Prussian War)

Several of our favourite rulesets are published by TooFatLardies, and in 2013 we enjoyed a visit from the Lord of Lard himself, Rich Clarke.  This event, dubbed the Lardy Ulster Fry, featured a selection of games from the TooFatLardies stable, and a good time was had by all.  Hopefully we’ll be able to arrange a further visit from Rich before too long.

We have also put on display games at different venues, to tie in with local events, most recently a refight of the Battle of Aughrim (1691) at Carrickfergus Town Hall.

We are a friendly bunch when you get to know us, so do feel free to come along to one of our meetings and join in the fun.

2017 Programme Posted

After a ridiculously long delay, at long last I've put the remainder of this year's programme up on this site.  Check out the UWS Programme 2017 tab above.

 

Century of Tanks - a Kickstarter by David Pentland

Many wargamers have a fascination for the armoured fighting vehicle. The tank made its debut on the battlefield one hundred years ago, during the First World War. Since then, they have become the mainstay of most armies throughout the world.

UWS member and artist David Pentland is well known in the hobby for his paintings, with illustrations of tanks being his speciality.  Now he plans to publish a book tracing the history of this unique vehicle through his paintings and drawings.

Like many hobby projects these days, Century of Tanks is being crowdfunded through the Kickstarter site (see here).  If you're interested in the book, or even some prints and/or original paintings by David, you can pledge money to help fund the project. Your credit card will only be charged if the project reaches its funding target.

At the time of writing, David's project has raised more than a third of its target in pledges. With more than three weeks to go, hopefully he will get there, and this unique book will be published.

Ulster Wargames Blog relaunched!

The Irish invade: a Dux Britanniarum game from October 2015

It's been far too long since this blog had an update, but I've resolved to keep it more up to date and relevant; all the more so since it will become the primary website for the Ulster Wargames Society.  I plan to upload more content from other members of the Society, which hopefully will keep things fresher and allow more frequent updates.
The UWS, which meets monthly in Belfast, remains in a fairly healthy state, with a membership in 2015 of some twenty wargamers.  That includes one or two new members, which is good to see.

Outrage as immigrant lager louts desecrate church

The title of this post is a headline from the Sol newspaper (a popular 6th Century British tabloid)

In March AD 547, the Jutes under the leadership of Saebheart raided the Church of Saint Ceneu in southern Bernaccia.  Quintus the Silent rushed his men to the scene to protect the holy relics.  The recollections of Saebheart were fortuitously preserved in written form by a slave from Britain who knew how to read and write...
 

Terrain was a bit of a nightmare as the majority of it turned out to be clustered to the right of my shortest route from my table edge to/from the church and Quintus appeared on the table edge in the north east corner.
 

The church was positioned in the middle left section.  Quintus would have to pass through/round the terrain to get to me and vice versa...

 

The Jutes got 4 turns of movement before the game started which led to one unit getting into the church and another with a noble at the door…Saebheart and his elites took their time…groan.  One unit of warriors reached the north western corner of the church and had a nice view of nothing in particular.

The Jutes just missed Matins, the altar candles were still lit... It went downhill from there.

Brave brave Quintus sailed valiantly across the field accompanied by his Commanipulares.  Noble Sextus paralleled him with two units of warriors.Both sides' Missiles played their own game to the north of the church which Quintus was winning easily as Saebheart's lads caused shock and he killed. A theme that continued.

Pausing briefly to contemplate charging vengefully into the church, brave Quintus decided to charge Saebheart and his two units of adjacent elites instead. 

Things were pretty even in dice because Saebheart started the game with two Desperare and managed to draw a third… and no defensive cards. The combat threw Saebheart and one of his units back with 2 dead and one wound to no dead and a few shock.

As they battled the Jutes in the church made a successful loot roll… and the British warriors passed through the wood… one very slowly, one quickly… popping out beside the, briefly, cowed Saebheart..

 

Luckily Saebheart activated next and removed shock and threw his untouched elites at Quintus.. more shock to the Brits and one dead to the Jutes… they stepped back..

The Roman warriors with Noble charged. The dice favoured them slightly.Saebheart lost another man and retreated with more shock than men perilously close to the table edge inflicting… three shock.

On their activations the Jutes charged the warriors at the north end of the church against Brave Quintus and caused him 1 dead and several shock forcing him to step back… made a second loot test and one group from the church, minus loot, charged out and biffed less brave Quintus, killed two guys and inflicted more shock. 

With 3 guys and 13 shock Quintus was carried off against his will... and as they had lost their amphora they retreated 3D6 + a further 13 inches!

The 6 British warriors then received two groups of elites, admittedly one was of only 3 men, but suffered two dead and several shock and they retreated back through the forest.  Right beside their mates...

From a distant hill top chastened Quintus ordered a halt as the Jutes had their two items of plunder and an open road to their edge of the table.

Report by Richard Murphy

Photos by Colin Campbell and Darkdog