Border Reivers

[knoxville]

Hi,

anyone ever gamed this period?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Reivers

I'll add more infos later, as I'm currently gathering informations...

[PeteMurray]

I am gathering information on the period as well. It's pretty exciting stuff, and could make for fun games.

[Mike D. Mc Brice]

No, but Vendel has a very impressive range of figures and there are lots of excellent resin buildings out there.
I've also seen some rulessets but can't remember where.

[Lowtardog]

Yes, I used to game it quite a bit a few years ago, the guys who wrote the Hot Trod and Red hand rules on the vendel site are good mates.

A fantastic period to game and it is low down dirty swash buckling.

The one book you have to read is the Steel Bonnets by  George Macdonald-Fraser (of Flashman and the 3 musketeers (film) fame)

I have expanded to look at Ireland and also hope to use the figures to push back the Spanish in a What if Armada game

think 16th Century wild west in panty hose

[Buzgob]

There are also some nice models from Graven available via Monolith. They had a simple set of rules (incl. campaigns) in Wargames Illustrated in april-june 2005 I believe. There was also some nice background information on the period and the parties involved.

@ Mike D. Mc Brice: Where can I find the resin buildings you mentioned?

Edit: and don't forget the 40 mm range of Perry miniatures of course!

[Poliorketes]

Perry has some in 40mm, too.
If you play the period, you'll need a ruined Abbey. I believe they build them as ruins, as there are so many of them south of Lothian and north of York.

[Mike D. Mc Brice]

http://www.grandmanner.co.uk/home/index.asp has some awesome stuff for the period. A bit costly but the quality reflects the price.

[Lowtardog]

for resin buildings Grand manner make a fantastic Bastle house


http://www.grandmanner.co.uk/shop/product.asp?numRecordPosition=9&P_ID=178&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=72

There are also a range of crofters famr houses and others in their medieval range

http://www.grandmanner.co.uk/shop/prodtype.asp?PT_ID=72&numRecordPosition=1&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&strSearchCriteria=

monolith produce some Shielings which are small stone buildings as do Scheltrum miniatures (think the houses Rob Roy from the film lives in)

no pictures on the Monolith site but they look like these form Scheltrum

http://www.scheltrum.co.uk/steel.html

[Lowtardog]

"If you play the period, you'll need a ruined Abbey. I believe they build them as ruins, as there are so many of them south of Lothian and north of York."

Remember this was the period of the reformation where the Catholic church was hounded out firstly by Henryt VIII and then by Elizabeth so plenty of Monastries and Abbeys were ruined.

Another good range of scenarios, hiding the priests and fueds between the different factions

[Graven Steve]

There are also some nice models from Graven available via Monolith. They had a simple set of rules (incl. campaigns) in Wargames Illustrated in april-june 2005 I believe. There was also some nice background information on the period and the parties involved.

The Graven/Monolith buildings are photographed in these articles.
5 new packs have been added to the elizabethan range that aren't on the website yet - anyone wanting a full list feel free to email me!

[Buzgob]

Jim Bowen's Graven miniatures are great indeed, but I can't get a clear answer about the size. The Monolith site states them as 28mm, but others state them as 35mm (if anyone has some, I would love some comparing pictures  :wink: ;same goes for the Vendel mini's).
Thanks for all the links    Very helpful, but also too tempting  ::

I was accidentaly talking to Jase (other forummember) about this and he was already making his shoppinglist, so this might not take too long...

[Buzgob]

The Graven/Monolith buildings are photographed in these articles.
5 new packs have been added to the elizabethan range that aren't on the website yet - anyone wanting a full list feel free to email me!

*Puts hand up* Me, me (PM sent)
Are there also any better pictures of the Graven/Monolith buildings. I can't seem to find any on the site (or I might just need to look better).
Many thanks!!

[Graven Steve]

The Graven Reiver range is about 30mm tall - 28mm foot to eye. They were made to be compatible with the Foundry Swashbucklers range

The Brigade website lists all of the Graven figures - both 40mm and 28mm as 35mm - don't ask me why, because in both cases it is way out

On the old Steel Bonnets yahoo group, which sadly folded last winter, there was a very good comparison photo of about 5 manufacturers - which had Graven and Vendel Reivers next to each other - showing how close they were in size

[Mike D. Mc Brice]

They are realy very nice, some time ago since I looked at the list the last time:
http://www.monolithdesigns.co.uk/borderreivers.htm
There are also some terrain suggestion at the bottom and the Monolith terrain I got recently is also top notch.

[Lowtardog]

If I were going to keep your Reiver games to a small skirmish you can`t go wrong with the Jim Bowen stuff, they are full of personality and each has a mounted/di-mounted fogire for your skirmish desires.

They are large but do blend in OK with Vendel and the Mike Owen Sea Dogs.

Its a shame the old Steel Bonnets Yahoo group folded why didnt the chap pass it on to some one else?