These beautifully packed little redcoat guards cavalry arrived as a birthday gift last year.
Much smaller in size but similar in style, they are an interesting comparison with the Guards ‘gun crew’ (from yesterday’s blog post) that arrived at Christmas
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2019/03/10/wooden-soldiers-and-toy-cannons/
Blogposted by Mark, Man of TIN, 11 March 2019.
These stylish guardsman arrived at Christmas in the company of this simple cannon. The cannon is wooden but with attractively simple metal wheels.
They are handmade, possibly using a lathe in places but also curiously and crudely carved on the body.
They look almost well padded or as a comedian like Max Miller would say “like a roll top desk, all front.” Very odd.
Tucked in with the package from the Etsy vintage trader was a little threebie or freebie in the form of these vintage matching puzzles of jobs and uniforms in bright 1960s / 70s colours.
The round little disk base can be seen on illustrations of toy soldiers featured here recently in this poem:
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/24/a-poor-old-toy-soldiers-home/
And this sheet music parade of toy soldiers shows this simple base.
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/23/nutcracker-toy-soldiers/
Today’s gaming inspiration: a vintage toy wooden wagon from our family collection.
It’s a bit bashed and bit delicate but crying out to be carefully used in a games scenario.
Will it be robbed by bandits?
What or who does it contain?
Does it need an armed escort?
Is it full of ammunition and supplies for a besieged garrison?
Will it explode if attacked with flaming arrows? (Too many western movies …)
Will it be used ‘fireship style’ to detonate next to a castle or town gateway or bridge?
Has it become detached from the baggage train?
Is it carrying prisoners or notorious villains to be rescued?
Has it cast or thrown a wheel and does it need to be rescued with a spare wheel and a wheelwright from the local town or castle?
More scenarios
There are two interesting scenarios – a medieval one, the Free Company and multi period Scenario 8 ‘Wheel Meet Again’ (excellent pun!) – involving wagons in Stuart Asquith’s excellent Military Modelling Guide to Solo Wargaming published by Argus 1988/89, available online secondhand. A fresher, more recent revised edition by Partizan / Caliver:
http://www.caliverbooks.com/Partizan%20Press/partizan_phs_2.shtml
This toy wooden waggon has a timeless look from medieval (Robin Hood) through Napoleonic to late Victorian and Wild West. It has charming moving wood ‘button’ sort of wheels and its driver is about 20 to 25 mm scale.
It complements well the old fashioned wooden toy soldiers packed in round boxes and straw, of which I only have one box currently all in red. A lopsided or one sided game!
Maybe I could buy or even make some more on a borrowed lathe!
Other superb waggons can be found in the ever useful Airfix Waggon Train OO/HO set from the 1960s, reissued a few years ago.
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Posted by Mr MIN, Man of TIN, September 2016
Man of Tin blog 