The Great Siege of Malta

[DonVoss]

I took a short vacation to Malta over New Year.

Its a fantastic place... like a big museum. A big barroque fortress with good food and very nice people.
Our hotel was right in the heart of Valetta. Just a few steps from the harbour and all the cool places...



Due to covid and other restrictions and limitations not all cool paces for wargamers are open.
But you can still see a few things...

Like parts of the amoury.








I told my wife I had to do something maltese on the warmaning table... so we visited the local wargaming shop: Forbidden Power....
Very friendly people there.



And although more on the GW-side of things I found a few boxes for the Siege of Malta:



So I made a few sketches of a small amphibious scenario for an assault on a fortress.




Right after my short trip back in Germany I went to my local railway store.
And bought some walls.



And strated cutting a few sections of a fortress....



And glued them together...




I will add more pics soon....
Stay tuned.

Cheers,
Don

[OSHIROmodels]

Looking forward to this 

Can I ask some more details on the wall sheets you bought (a picture of the label would be great)?

[Emir of Askaristan]

Will be watching this with interest

[fred]

Very cool. Both the trip and you being straight into a project from it!

[Cubs]

I visited a little over 10 years ago and it was wonderful, a unique island with a unique flavour. I'd read 'The Great Siege 1565' before going and it was like a Hollywood movie.

[has.been]

We went on our honeymoon, 25 years ago!
Yes a lovely place & the people very friendly.
My father had been stationed there in WW2.
He was taken POW during operation Husky,
the landings in Sicily 1943.
Lots of wargaming opportunities:-
The Great Siege (I had avoided this, but was given some
                         very nice Ottoman figures, so...)
WW2 (In the faction book 'The Moscow Option' the German
          high command, Hitler being in a coma,
          invade in strength) The group I play with are going to
          do Husky, so...close enough.
Napoleonic. This one does appeal to me. The French held it
                  for a while against a background of rising resistance.
                  While on Malta I picked up a (very small) ornament
                  of a traditional Maltese Farm-House. Upscale it to
                  28mm, add some Frenchies with Maltese bandits/
                  rebels, & maybe even a Royal Navy raiding party?
                  An interesting skirmish game. With the rise of
                  Silver Bayonets one could add the supernatural too.

[Anderson Collection]

Looking forward to this also

[Captain Blood]

Looking forward to this also

+1

Another Don Voss project is always a treat 

[Golgotha]

I have a feeling I am going to like this.

What a great-looking museum.

[Keith]

Ace project - looking forward to this.

Your first photo was almost the view form my old office (I was down in the waterfront vaults) and Forbidden Power was my local store. Great memories 

[Friends of General Haig]

An exciting start to the new project 👍.

[DonVoss]

Thank you gentlemen...

@Wall Sheets
They are from Faller, HO scale. Hope that heps a little.

Here are e few more pics of the process.

the plan was to build two walls and a bastion from a star fortress.
I had no particular part of malta/Valetta in mind. I aimed more at a general malta-feeling....





I bought an Deep Cut mat a few month back. So I thought it would be a good idea to use it for the scenario....




Then I started to scatter a few rocks and pices on the ground.




And I made a breech for the walls, wich I could place depending on the scenario.







At the same time I stared with the miniatures.
The wars of religion regoment is a very cool box full of very good Hicks models. But more suited for a normal land encouter battle with pikes an a few shot. And for a skirmish game there are too few poses.
I started to convert the minis... giving them shields and sword and pole arms.



Stay tuned...

Cheers,
Don

[Hu Rhu]

A great start to the project.  I do like the fortress, particularly the Vauban shaped bastion. 

[Cubs]

I had no particular part of malta/Valetta in mind. I aimed more at a general malta-feeling....

I think that's a smart move and you're certainly nailing that. It was all rebuilt after the siege of course so what we see today isn't the same as what it was, so I think you're bang on in doing a star fort thingy.

[OSHIROmodels]

Great stuff 

@Wall Sheets
They are from Faller, HO scale. Hope that heps a little.

Yes, that's fine thank you