Haitian Revolution or Revolution in St Domingue - A question?

 

When I picked the Haitian Revolution as my new period, I chose it for a number of reasons. I wanted to do a Napoleonic skirmish game, but one that not many people would know about or even bother to do. I did think about the Peninsular or even the Waterloo period, but these have been done over and over again, by others.

Then I saw a advert for Trent Miniatures Haitian Revolution range and found Stuart's blog , Dust, Tears & Dice and I was hooked. But it has caused me a few problems.

Personally I rather not to play any games post WWII, as they're a bit too close to home, I understand that some people are fine with playing Falklands, Iraq and other modern warfare, I say good luck to them, but they do make me a little uncomfortable. 

In my naivety I didn't think playing the Haitian Revolution would cause any problems, it was 232 years ago after all. But the date isn't the problem??

Sometimes my kids and Mrs are in a happy mood and they actually listen to me bang on about my latest wargame creation, (usually their eyes glass over, much like mine do, when the conversation goes over to shoes and handbags). I spoke about the up coming battle plan, where the black Colonial Infantry, joined forces with the mulattoes and rebel slaves. I was then read the riot act, "why do you have to call them black infantry, that's racist?" and so on.....

I tried to explain that they were the terms used back in 1792 and there were a lot more terms that really can't be used anymore. They asked what a mulatto was, I explained it was a half white, half black or brown or mixed race person, at the time they were known as mulatto or creole. I got told off once again, there was really no talking to them. 

So my point here is, what are you supposed to say or do, I'm a wargamer, not a politician. I do have many political views, none of which I might add are in any ways racist. But trying to explain this very difficult period of history, can wind people up the wrong way? Its a very nasty period, mistreated slaves, slave owners, massacrers and lots of racial tension.

I was talking to Dave from Milton Hundred who runs the Broadside Wargame show, he told me one of the other local Kent clubs were asked not to put on their WWI Palestine game, that they'd spent a year getting ready, at another local show, as they thought it was in bad taste, with what's going on today with Israel and Palestine.

This got me thinking about the civil unrest that's going on in Haiti at the moment??? As I'm putting a game on at the Broadside Wargame Show on the 8th June, so I thought I'd ask the guys there whether they thought me putting a Haitian Revolution game on was ok? Was it going to cause offence? Did they really need the hassle? Luckily they told me to go ahead.

I do understand my generation is completely different to my kids generation, but history is history and in the end this is a game..........What do you guys n gals think?

Skirmish @ Sidcup, 2 questions and a funny!

This Sunday, The Rejects, (well some of them) are off on their travels up the A2 for a fleeting visit to Sidcup for the Wargames and Military Modelling show "Skirmish". I've not been for a while due to work commitments so I'm quite looking forward to it as a warm-up for SELWG in October!
So my first question is, are you going????

For some time now I've been thinking about starting a Painting and Modelling Service, there are stacks of small and large companies out there already to choose from and I know most of you reading this already paint figures for yourself, so I'd just like to gauge the interest and would appreciate some feedback from your good selves.
If you could afford it, would you be happy to commission me to paint figures for you?

Lastly, my daughters found this clip on You tube, it made us all laugh, its bugger all to do with wargaming but give it a quick look, I think you'll find it funny!!

20 Questions for Reject Ray

Me and Fran were chewing the fat the other day, trying to get figures painted but having absolutely no inclination what-so-ever to pick up the brush, TV was rubbish, and were missing the Olympics. You know its bad when your highlight of the day is to watch re-runs of The Professionals and then having a 30 minute conversation about the plot-line and which actors in it are still alive!  We spotted the caretaker bloke from the Harry Potter films the other day in an episode, it was exhilarating!?! So to relieve the boredom we decided to try out an interview post and wrote out 20 questions, for each other to answer, some are about wargaming some are about us and our views. Pulitzer prize winning writing its not, but here goes!

If you feel the need to answer the questions yourself on your blog, go for it! 

Here's a link to Fran the Git's post

1.      Favourite Wargaming period and why?

      Got to be the 7YW, it was the first period I owned, I painted up a massive British army, for a campaign involving all the early Rejects, way before Fran was on the scene.

2.      Next period, money no object?

      Oooo that’s a hard one?? I’d buy either The Mexican-American War or the Early Dark Ages, Romano-British and Saxons.

3.      Favourite 5 films?

       In no particular order......

      1.       12 Monkeys

2.       Saving Private Ryan

3.       The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

4.       Kingdom of Heaven (the Directors cut only!)

5.       Any Laurel & Hardy film or short.

4.   Favourite 5 TV series?

      1. Dexter

2. Justified

3. Battlestar Galactica (the newer series)

4. Walking Dead

5. The Big Bang Theory

6 I know we said 5, but I’ve got to add “24” to the list as well!!

5.      Favourite book and author?

       Easy, the 3 books by Bernard Cornwell “The Warlord Chronicles” I’ve read them loads of times, in              fact I’m due a re-read about now!    

6.      Greatest General? Can’t count yourself!!

       Napoleon, no question.

7.      Favourite Wargames rules?

       I’ve always loved Age of Reason, 7YW rules, we haven’t played them now for a couple of years, but fingers crossed after a lot of badgering that’s what we’re playing on Saturday!

8.      Favourite Sport and team?

       Football and the Mighty Whites, Yorshire's pride LEEDS UNITED!!!!!!!

9.     If you had a only use once time machine, when and where would you go?

      I'm not going back in time to kill Hitler or anything like that, I'm going for something purely selfish, I'd go back in time to the last time no bugger won the  €129 Euro Millions jackpot and buy a ticket with the winning numbers on, then I'd buy another ticket just to make sure! 
      Another thing I could do is go back to the day of The Battle of the Boyne, with my camera and take some pics of the units and their flags, then I'd know who actually wore what and what the damn flags really looked like, geeky I know!

10. Last Meal on Death Row?

      I like a bit of Spice in my food, Mexican Chillies and such, my favourite at the moment is a starter at our local Chinese restaurant, battered Chilli Squid. Mmmmmmm!!! And to wash it down I'll have a bottle of Jack Daniels.

11. Fantasy relationship and why?

      Actress Zooey Deschanel and I think you can probably work out why! 

12.  If your life were a movie, who would play you?

       I'd like to think it was some handsome rugged type of chap like Bruce Willis or George Clooney, but it'd more likely be John Goodman!

13.  Favourite Comic  Superhero?

      When I were a lad, me Dad used to buy me and my brother loads of comics, I always loved the usual Batman and Superman, but my favourite was Billy Batson otherwise known as Shazam!

14.  Favourite Military quote?

       "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake" Napoleon Bonaparte

15. Historical destination to visit?

      Either the Pyramids of Gisa or the Colosseum in Rome.

16.Biggest Wargaming regret?

      Selling my 15mm Mexican-American Armies to Postie for £150, then seeing them unchanged on a bring and buy stand a couple of years latter for £350. Gutted!

17. Favourite Fantasy job?

      The No 11 Centre Forward for Leeds United!

18. Favourite Song Top 5
      You may guess that I like a bit of 50's Rock'n'Roll!

      1. Buddy Holly - Not Fade Away

      2. Eddie Cochran - Somethin' Else

      3 .Elvis - Trying to get to You

      4. Buddy Holly - Loves Made a Fool of You

      5. Eddie Cochran - Jeannie, Jeanie, Jeanie
   

19. Favourite Wargaming Moment?

       During an Ancient Greek campaign, I was allied to Sparta, who in turn were allied to the Cretans. The main Spartan army moved up country to attack our enemy, leaving the Cretans in Sparta. The Cretans went over to the other side and and attacked the Spartan garrison, me and Smiffy the Spartan leader were both a little miffed with Richard because his betrayal had ruined our plans. Smiffy asked me to help out and throw a few dice in the game. On the first turn, the Cretans crept out and killed nearly all the guards leaving the rest of the Spartans asleep. Turn 2 the garrison was woken, I was in charge of a miserable bunch of useless slingers, who just managed to get 1 figure to shoot at a unit of Cretans. Extremely luckily I managed to kill a figure, as the Cretan General was within 2 inches of the unit Richard had to take a test on his leader. Richard had to throw a D20, Postie said them famous words "Don't throw a 1", which Richard duly threw. The leader was killed which ended the attack and the Cretan's were forced to surrender and made to join the Spartans for the rest of the Campaign. Serves you right Richard!!!!

20. The miserable Git question, what upsets you? Top 10

      What doesn't upset me!!!  We had to linit this list to 10 or we'd have gone on forever.........

      1. Stupid adverts on the tele.

      2. Them prats who keep ringing me at home to sell me something i don't want.

      3. The Robot who rings me up and puts the phone down straight away.

      4. The seemingly idiotic obsession with Celebrities and their lives.

      5. The Conservative Party!

      6. PPI adverts or phone calls....ggrrrr!

      7. Texting, For Gods sake just speak to the person e.g My daughter text her friend about going out, her mate didn't answer for hours. She got really annoyed at this, "Why don't you phone her?" I asked "because I'm waiting for her to text back" she huffed. So she waited in all day with a face like a smacked arse!!

      8. Rap Music! nuf said!

      9. When the kids have eaten all the Cheese and Onion crisps!
     10. Having to type in the stupid bloody password CAPTCHA crap on other peoples blogs!!!!!!

     11. Fran the Lurker!!!!!! The Shitbag Extraordinaire!

And here's the questions if you choose to answer them yourself.

1.        Favourite Wargaming period and why?

2.       Next period, money no object?

3.       Favourite 5 films?

4.       Favourite 5 TV series?

5.       Favourite book and author?

6.       Greatest General? Can’t count yourself!!

7.       Favourite Wargames rules?

8.       Favourite Sport and team?

9.       If you had a only use once time machine, when and where would you go?

10.   Last meal on Death Row?

11.    Fantasy relationship and why?

12.   If your life were a movie, who would play you?

13.   Favourite Comic  Superhero?

14.   Favourite Military quote?

15.   Historical destination to visit?

16.   Biggest Wargaming regret?

17.   Favourite Fantasy job?

18.   Favourite Song Top 5?

19.   Favourite Wargaming Moment?

20.   The miserable Git question, what upsets you?

      

NYW - Danish Regt Prince George Question?????

Morning Campers!!
 I'm in a bit of a dilemma, I know I said in one of my last posts I was going to paint up two more Dutch units for my NYW army, but you know what's its like for us gamers................
My plan is to paint up four Dutch and four Danish units to add to the English infantry I've already painted up, now here comes the dilemma,  I decided to paint the Danish Guard, Prince Georges regt plus two others.  After trawling the net and reading countless books, I've got to decided upon a uniform colour for Prince George's regiment, its either grey coat with orange cuffs or a green coat with orange cuffs, see image below.

The problem is the uniform changed from the green to grey in approx 1691, (or 1701 in other books?), which is all fine but I'm painting up my army for the Battles of  Steenkirke in 1692 and Landen/Neerwinden 1693. Also there's so much conflicting info, its also written that they didn't where green, but blue and that the original translation was wrong, so now we have a blue coat, cuffed in orange as well???? Confused? Me too!!!
So really I should paint it up in grey...............but I don't want to????????

So I thought I'd ask my blog pals, that's you reading this! and see what you would do? I'd like to say I'll go with the majority flow, but I might not like the answer you give!

Here's hoping
Ray