RSS FeedAngus Konstam is an author and historian - visit his website at
www.anguskonstam.com or e-mail him at anguskonstam@aol.com
He's a member of the Orkney Wargames Club, which meets in Kirkwall on Thursday evenings.
See their Facebook page for more info.
The Age of Fighting Sail, Kiss Me Hardy, 1/1200 scale In honour of it being the anniversary of Trafalgar, we decided to refight the battle. We hired a local bowling club for the Sunday, set out our 16×6 foot table, and set to. The flagpole outside was even adorned with the three nations’ naval ensigns for
Great War Naval, Fleet Action Imminent, 1/2400 scale This little game was something a bit different – a game where none of the ships had big guns, and none of them had gun turrets. The war began late in the evening of 4th August, and the following morning, shortly after dawn, the German minelayer Königin Luise
The (Third) Cod War, There’s Something Wrong with our Bloody Fish Today!,1/200-scale This really was a game with a difference. I wasn’t in the army, but I did serve on HMS Falmouth, which plays a key role in this game. Thirty years ago, the Icelanders arbitrarily extended their fishing limits to 200 miles – a
The Age of Fighting Sail, Kiss Me Hardy, 1/1200 scale This Saturday was Deep Fried Lard, the annual celebration of all things Too Fat Lardy north of the border. It was held in Musselburgh, a rather soulless seaside suburb of Edinburgh, and during the day several Lardy games were available for us to take part
The Great War at Sea, Jutland, 1/2400 scale This was a very strange experience. this week I was back in Kirkwall Grammar School in Orkney. I say back, as I left there in 1978. Also, while the name was the same, it wasn’t really the same place at all. The “KGS” of my youth had been
The Great War, Fleet Action Imminent, 1/2400 scale Wargames rarely go according to plan. That’s largely because wargamers rarely do what’s expected of them. I thought this was a fairly sensible scenario – I really did. I’ve just finished writing a mammoth book on Jutland, and so the battle was pretty much fresh in my
The Great War at Sea, Fleet Action Imminent, 1/2400 scale This was a non-game for a couple of reasons. First of all, our nice sea mat was still with Martin from Warbases, who very kindly transported it to Antwerp and back for us. So, we played the game out on a standard blue-painted club table,
The Great War at Sea, Fleet Action Imminent, 1/2400 scale At the moment I’m working double tides, trying to finish my book on Jutland. So, in a rare evening off, this seems a strange choice for a game! Yup, there’s no escape from battlecruisers at the moment. this little game was a chance for a
Renaissance Galleys, Galleys, Guns & Glory, 1/300 scale In early November we’re off to Antwerp, to put on a participation game at the Crisis show. the aim is to run a game for about eight people, and to finish it in less than an hour. So, this week we were trying out a couple of
Renaissance Galleys, Galleys, Guns & Glory! 1/300 scale I almost missed the fourth outing of our club’s Renaissance galleys. I’d arranged to play a Seven Years War game, but that fell through due to my opponent’s child-minding problems. So, it was off to sea in my Venetian lanterna. I’m glad really as I really
