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Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: knoxville on March 06, 2007, 11:59:14 AM

Title: Border Reivers
Post by: knoxville on March 06, 2007, 11:59:14 AM: 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...
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: PeteMurray on March 06, 2007, 12:25:10 PM: I am gathering information on the period as well. It's pretty exciting stuff, and could make for fun games.
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Mike D. Mc Brice on March 06, 2007, 12:27:22 PM: 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.
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Lowtardog on March 06, 2007, 12:31:14 PM: 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 :D
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Buzgob on March 06, 2007, 12:47:58 PM: 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!
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Poliorketes on March 06, 2007, 12:55:48 PM: 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.
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Mike D. Mc Brice on March 06, 2007, 12:56:29 PM: http://www.grandmanner.co.uk/home/index.asp has some awesome stuff for the period. A bit costly but the quality reflects the price.
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Lowtardog on March 06, 2007, 12:56:56 PM: 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
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Lowtardog on March 06, 2007, 01:00:10 PM: "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 :)
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Graven Steve on March 06, 2007, 01:42:05 PM: Quote
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!
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Buzgob on March 06, 2007, 01:46:03 PM: 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 :lol:

I was accidentaly talking to Jase (other forummember) about this and he was already making his shoppinglist, so this might not take too long...
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Buzgob on March 06, 2007, 01:52:19 PM: Quote
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!!
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Graven Steve on March 06, 2007, 01:56:17 PM: 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
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Mike D. Mc Brice on March 06, 2007, 02:01:29 PM: 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.
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Lowtardog on March 06, 2007, 02:02:16 PM: 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?
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Lowtardog on March 06, 2007, 02:05:02 PM: my favbourite of the range

http://www.monolithdesigns.co.uk/update030405/BR021.jpg
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Graven Steve on March 06, 2007, 02:06:28 PM: Quote
Its a shame the old Steel Bonnets Yahoo group folded why didnt the chap pass it on to some one else?

I have no idea - I only found out when I was checking my groups one day - and found it missing!
I'd have been more than happy to moderate - as I'm sure you would have been
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Mike D. Mc Brice on March 06, 2007, 02:16:59 PM: Quote from: "Lowtardog"
my favbourite of the range

http://www.monolithdesigns.co.uk/update030405/BR021.jpg

Very cool!
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Lowtardog on March 06, 2007, 02:18:13 PM: OK Steve I will set one up, upload the links rto manufacturers, put the rules I have into the files sectiona and then put it on TMP and see who wants to join, if nothing else it may get some interest as it was a good repository :)
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: knoxville on March 06, 2007, 02:18:54 PM: Thanks for all suggestions so far.

It would be awesome if Vendel and Jim Bowen were compatible. So if anyone could please post some comparison pics (at least with a ruler, to get an idea of the actual size)?

Everything about the period sounds very interesting, nearly endless possibilites of small skirmishes in cold and dark scottish swamps :D
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Lowtardog on March 06, 2007, 02:30:02 PM: Ok, I have set up the group. nothing on it until this evening when I get home and have a chance to sift through old files etc :)

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/steelbonnets2/
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Graven Steve on March 06, 2007, 02:50:28 PM: I've joined - and will put some new pics up this evening
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Lowtardog on March 06, 2007, 02:56:34 PM: Thanks Steve would you be a moderator?
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Graven Steve on March 06, 2007, 03:33:14 PM: Yes of course!
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Jase on March 06, 2007, 05:35:24 PM: Aargh! Buzgob, what are you doing to me??? I'll send you my little list tonight :)

I've just been reading thru the Hot Trod/Red Hand and they seem very easy to learn and streamlined.

Also just ordered the Steel Bonnets book. Does that contain any information on the different clans? So far I have been unable to locate any specific information on that subject.

Although I did find a nice campaign prop:

Prop (http://www.borderart.com/prodpage.asp?ProdID=1)

Cheers

Jase
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Poliorketes on March 06, 2007, 06:47:51 PM: Quote from: "Lowtardog"
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.

The Abbeys I mean are scottish, they got destroyed by the british regardless of faith because they where the economical backbone of the Borders.

(http://www.displacedminiatures.com/images/img.1173206770007.jpg)
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Lowtardog on March 06, 2007, 07:25:39 PM: I see what you mean Polio :)

and yes the Steel Bonnets mentions the different clans or "Riding names" the Angus McBride Osprey isnt too bad either :)
Title: Border Reivers
Post by: Rhoderic on March 06, 2007, 11:21:54 PM: I too have some interest in gaming Border Reivers. I have some of the Vendels and have been meaning to get some of the Monolith figures as well.

I read the "Hot Trod and Red Hand" rules at Vendel's site but they kind of tapered out towards the end, making them (IMO) not fully playable. It felt like the authors got tired of writing the ruleset once they had the basic mechanics in place and started moving on to the scenarios and campaign system. A crying shame, as it looked promising at first.

I suppose that most of all, I'd like some Border Reivers rules in the form of a supplement for Gloire. Maybe some smallish supplement at 20-30 pages or so, possibly covering not just Border Reivers but all kinds of adventure in the shaggier parts of the Isles ("Where the men are men and the sheep are afraid" :P )