Battleshed Diaries

Wednesday 18 January 2017

Sharp Practice and plumbing

Sharp Practice RĂ©giment de la Reine French


This post was scheduled to be all about my first encounter with Sharp Practice, the lauded Black Powder rules from Too Fat Lardies that I’ve been eager to play. But I failed to make the planned introductory scenario at the local club on Monday due to a ‘plumbing incident’.


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No really, a radiator decided to throw itself off the kitchen wall! Long story short – jacket on, just about to head out and collect one of my local gaming buddies for the weekly trip up to the Falkirk club when suddenly there's a loud crash from the kitchen. The wife and I exchanged that glance that should’ve come with a large animated ‘?’ The Teenager didn't even stir from his lair. And there, in the kitchen, we discover a warm radiator lying on the floor! Fortunately with the water pipes just about still attached. It could have been a lot wetter and, indeed, expensive. Turns out the wall fixings must have worked loose over the years and it decided it couldn’t hang on any longer. But it meant a hastily cancelled club night.

So disappointed that I didn’t get to play one of club member John Ewing’s excellent scenarios, this one adapted from his ‘Adventures of Don Paunchero’ campaign. I’ve heard so many good things about Sharp Practice(2) that I’ve even purchased the rules, cards, MDF Poker Chit set and plastic Game Tokens (Bundle 5, £40) from Too Fat Lardies without rolling a single Sharp Practice die!
Sharp Practice Bundle 5

The good news is that Mr. Ewing has agreed to run another game of Sharp Practice next week – either a return to Adventures of Don Paunchero’ or possibly a rehearsal for his French & Indian War scenario, ‘Wobegone’ that he plans to showcase at the Wor Lard Games Day hosted by Durham Wargames Club in March. Either is good for me. And now he’s got me intrigued by this Durham event too! So hopefully I’ll have a more detailed post up next week on my first contract with Sharp Practice. And thanks to Jamie M and his scheduled opponent on the night for being so understanding.

In the meantime, the Battleshed bodger production line has been in full swing with a set of eight 28mm French Regular Infantry from Warlord’s French Indian War line up. Why? Anticipating Sharp Practice, which covers the French-Indian War (indeed, the whole ‘Black Powder’ period) I thought it would be a good Idea to give my British 44th Regiment of Foot something to shoot at!
My fresh-faced RĂ©giment de la Reine regulars awaiting their officers
Sharp Practice British 44th Regiment of Foot
My 44th Regiment of Foot pictured without their Command and unsportingly outnumbering the French!

With a couple of Warlord vouchers burning a hole in my wallet last year, I bought these French regulars in anticipation of playing more Muskets and Tomahawks – which is another excellent system and one that it’ll be interesting to contrast and compare with Sharp Practice. And now they’ve finally had some paint splashed near them. I’ve based these on RĂ©giment de la Reine. The set didn’t come with any command figures, so guess what's on top of my shopping at Vapnartak early next month?!

There’s another first encounter scheduled for tonight down at Wee Blokes HQ – Rogue Stars. Any plumbing emergencies aside, my Ucrian Harbingers should make their debut against whatever engagingly themed SF squad Sam Pate conjures up. Another three Ucrian reinforcements from Alternative Armies have already made it to the paint table and should be ready for future duty after tonight’s initial engagement and debriefing. Rogue Stars post up next!

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