Jim's Wargames Workbench

I used to have a tatty hard back copy of this book but it literally fell apart after the loft leaked and it got soaked. I've now found a new copy in much better condition and I'm hoping that it will give me some really good material for a set of scenarios, as well as a better grip on the course of the war in the air. The research for scenario projects is something I really enjoy and I'm looking forward to getting started in a couple of weeks when I have done holiday reading time.

I've been looking for a focus for a Bag the Hun Lard Magazine article for 2026 for a while. Although I do have an existing theme under research, the Arctic Eagles project, its not really ready for development into a full article. As a result, I've been trying to pin down a more manageable alternative. I've decided that this is going to be the Spanish Civil War, a conflict that hasn't been covered in any depth before fir Bag the Hun, apart from some aircraft data tables in one of the old Specials. 

A key factor in this is that I already have the 1/600th scale Tumbling Dice models that I need and some decals from Flightdeck, so any expense will be minimal. I also really love the interwar aircraft involved, especially the Soviet fighters like the Rata and Chato, for example. I'm going to do some preliminary reading and research then plan to get painting as soon as I know what's needed. Tally Ho!

Two new titles from Helion Publishing for my birthday at the weekend, both focussed on the Spanish Civil War, a long time interest of mine but something I haven't yet tried to do. The initial interest is in the potential for a Bag the Hun scenario project, once again focussed on the interwar / early war era. I do like the idea of some linked scenarios focussing on the Republican Air Force, both before and after it was re-equipped with Soviet fighters and bombers. Excellente!

Blank Template

Completed Sheet

A member of the Bag the Hun Facebook group asked if anyone had a template for an aircraft record sheet today, so I had a dig about on the hard drive and have uploaded a .doc and .pdf of my one. This was designed by me for the first Lard Day game that I ran back in 2018 but was developed from many years of experience playing the game, so is pretty much the mutt's nuts. It's been used by other people to design their own 'flashy' colour versions, but I like it in its basic format as you can easily edit it for whatever scenarios you have planned. You can grab a copy from the Files on the Facebook group for free. Tally Ho!

It's chilly at the moment here in the UK, so I've decided to pick up a project for Bag the Hun and 'finnish' it off this month (see what I did there?) I've completed the 1/600th scale Soviet aircraft for the Continuation War and so now have the Finnish models to paint, starting with the Curtiss Hawks and some prepared Blenheims, Fokker DXXI's, Hurricanes and a single Fokker C.V, then moving onto some more fighters later on. This will enable me to solo play some of the scenarios I wrote in the 2024 Lard Mag and some new ones that I hope to devise this year, focussed on 1943 onwards. Tally Ho!

One of my projects for 2026 is to continue the Arctic Eagles Bag the Hun scenario article, which will require some play testing once I've done the research and writing. I also want to get some solo Bag the Hun Russian Front and Continuation War games played and have already started painting models, both on 1/300th and 1/600th scale. One thing I don't have are any early La-5 fighters in 6mm, so I was pleased to find some GHQ 1/285th packs on eBay for a good price. I will add these to my painting 'to do' box!

La-5 Description — Planes in Profile https://share.google/rnQdQ4VBYGMdZXOSi

I didn't play any games of Bag the Hun last year, which is very unusual, so this year I'm determined to pick it up again for a solo campaign of Finest Hour or at least some one off games at home. I've really enjoyed playing Algernon Pulls It Off! which is based on the first edition of Bag the Hun, a set of rules that I started out on when they were first published. I really like the stripped down, straightforward rules mechanisms and, with a few tweaks, I think they make an excellent solo system. I'll be using the first edition for my solo games this year, which may also extend to some Bag the MiG scenarios, rather than the second edition as a result. Tally Ho!

Up, Up and Away...or more likely Kaboom!

It's that time of year again where I set out my projects for the year ahead in the hope of actually achieving some of them. Last year I decided to focus on the First World War as my principal theme and, with a few minor and inconsequential diversions, I managed to stick with it, with a specific focus on Algernon Pulls It Off!. I have really enjoyed this and ideally would like to carry on, so...

...in order not to let this fizzle out, I will be continuing my Algy project into 2026, with a focus on the French Aviation Militaire, subject to Paul at Tumbling Dice putting the new models I requested into production (this is very likely but just a question of time...as always). I will be writing more scenarios, rules additions and possibly a follow on article for next year's Lard Mag, who knows?

In other air wargaming news, I am planning to re-visit a couple of Bag the Hun projects in the shape of Arctic Eagles and the mothballed Finest Hour campaign that I started organising a few years ago. I have done quite a lot of the spade work for both of these and it would be a shame not to get at least one of them ticked off in 2026.

As far as naval wargaming goes, the plan is to add the long overdue Spanish fleet to the 1/2400th scale Napoleonic naval project and, if I have time, the Americans or possibly some other minor power as well. After that I may well do something with 1/2400th ironclads again, quite possibly revisiting the Second Schleswig War and Battle of Jasmund, or perhaps finally get round to a new pre-dreadnought project, the Sino Japanese War being a hot contender using Broadside and Salvo. Who knows?

Finally, the ever neglected land wargaming aspect of the hobby will get some attention. This is always my Achilles heel, as I hate painting figures and have a particular aversion to 28mm. Not to be put off by this affliction, I have been encouraged by my eldest son, now back home from university for at least two years (!), to do some samurai skirmish games in 28mm. I am also planning to finally get round to some medieval semi-skirmish wargaming, with both Lion Rampant and 'another set of rules' as a focus. 

As a final footnote to all of this wishful thinking, I may even get a Through the Mud and Blood 15mm First World War project underway in 2026.....just don't hold your breath!

As we spend our Christmas in France every year, we only open our presents when we return home, by family tradition on New Year's Day. This year we decided to open them today, as the middle spring is away tomorrow in Bristol at a party. I was lucky enough to get some cracking wargaming presents this year including some 28mm Japanese MDF buildings from my son, who is keen to have a go at some samurai skirmish games this year, an Airfix Tiger tank kit from the other son, which will be useful for What a Tanker!, and the aforementioned double sided hex cloth for air wargaming from the other half. My daughter bought be a two year re-subscription to Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy, which is brilliant! To round it off, I bought myself in the sales a brand new copy of Thunderbolt Apache Leader, a game I've been after for years having really enjoyed Phantom Leader. All in all, a great haul of very nice presents, topped off with a Christmas brunch cooked by my daughter! 

I had a Bag the Hun scenario published in the Lard Mag this year, based on a game I played a few years ago. It's set on 1st January 1945 and features the 336th Fighter Squadron of the USAAF - the Rocketeers. It's a quick three or four player scenario, proper seat of your pants low level stuff, so ideal for a game over the Xmas holidays with friends. Have fun!

After a lot of work, I managed to get two articles into the Lard Mag for Algernon Pulls It Off!I including the Jasta 18 one..huzzah! It's a bit of a cracker as the Raben's Ravens article and scenarios were bloody good, if I say so myself. I did also get a scenario for Bag the Hun in this year, but that was very much an afterthought, so an underserved bonus. Happy Days!

Another second hand hardback from the local charity shop in mint condition and only four quid. I have had various attempts at wargaming daylight bombing missions but never really got beyond the planning stage, partly due to the painting workload but also as it is a logistical nightmare to play solo. I think I'll read this over the holidays and see if I can finally bite the bullet.

I spotted this on eBay yesterday and thought that it was a good deal. The hexes are either a bit too big or much too small but, having said that, I'm sure I can use it for something naval or aerial. My old blue Hotz mat is getting a bit tatty and faded after twenty years, which means a replacement will be very handy, especially for Algernon Pulls It Off! and the Finest Hour campaign for  Bag the Hun. Tally Ho!

The Finest Hour solo campaign re-boot for 2026 needed some impetus, which I've added by ordering two sets of 1/600th Battle of Britain squadron decals from Flight Deck. These are for No.609 Squadron (Spitfires) and No.238 Squadron (Hurricanes) both based at Middle Wallop, which I drive past every day after work. The original solo campaign revolved around a fictional Hurricane equipped squadron based at the same airfield, which I will continue to use for my games, but I liked the idea of adding the historical units as well. Tally Ho!

I posted a query on the Bag the Hun FB group yesterday, to see if anyone is actually actively playing the rules, given the low profile of the system in most if not all Toofatlardies Lard Days, the Lard Mag and the the Lard Forum. The response was interesting and mostly revolved around people having the occasional game but failing to drum up interest at club or event level, which was what I expected. It seems the general consensus is that Lard Days are dominated by Chain of Command or Sharp Practise, as you'd expect. Nothing wrong with that but it is a shame to see good rules go unloved.

One 'tounge in cheek' suggestion that caught my attention was to have an alternative Lard Day dedicated to older or 'vintage' rules including Bag the Hun, Algernon Pulls It Off!, Kiss Me Hardy, Through the Mud and Blood, Triumph of the Will and many more. The premise would be to just focus on these classic rules rather than the more recent Chain of Command et al, so that equally vintage wargaming 'grognards' could enjoy playing older systems and also to encourage new, younger players to have a go. The tentative if less than serious event title might be 'Hipster Lard' which made me chuckle...

...but it's worth some thought?

A couple of years ago I started work on a Bag the Hun Finest Hour solo campaign project, featuring a fictitious RAF Hurricane squadron, No.27, based at Middle Wallop, which is about twenty minutes from where I live. The Luftwaffe fighter opposition was represented by another fictional unit, 7/JG31, which gave me the opportunity to flesh out the counterfactual background in some detail. I devised rosters of pilots and started painting a load of 1/600th aircraft but then drifted off course, as full time work commitments wiped out any time to either paint or play any games. 

At this time of the year, my thoughts turn to projects for the year ahead, and I am keen to reboot the Battle of Britain campaign, especially as I've already invested a lot of time and effort into the background. As a change of pace, I may even use the first edition of Bag the Hun, as it is almost identical to Algernon Pulls It Off! and will give me some insight into a potential campaign set up for the Western Front. 

Tally Ho!

You can read all about my campaign ground work here:

http://jimswargamesworkbench.blogspot.com/search?q=Finest+Hour

The Jasta 18 article and scenarios for Algernon Pulls It Off! have now landed safe and sound on Lard Island, hopefully destined for the 2025 Lard Mag. In the meantime, I'm thinking of writing something small for Bag the Hun to submit, with the Arctic Eagles JG5 theme a possible focus, although I've yet to decide exactly what it will be. The idea would be to have a brief introduction then perhaps two or three scenarios, but it all depends on whether I have the time. 

Now that the Jasta 18 scenario project has been put to bed, I am able to spend a couple of months wrapping up loose ends, rather than starting anything brand new. I have the 1/2400th ships for the Battle of Pacocha on the workbench at the moment, but I'm also going to start painting the other half of my Bag the Hun Continuation War project. I've already painted the 1/600th scale Soviet aircraft, so now it's the turn of the Finnish, specifically the Curtiss Hawk 75 fighters of Llv32. It's a simple camouflage scheme but the yellow bands and other details make it not as straightforward as you'd think. Once completed, I can run some solo games at home then potentially take them to the club for some multiplayer games as well?

It's one of my son's birthdays tomorrow so we headed into town for a nice lunch and some present, card and balloon shopping, as you do. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to pop into the local Oxfam bookshop, where I found an 'as new' hardback copy of this book on Douglas Bader's Big Wing strategy and how it divided opinion then and even now. It's a fascinating subject and the book covers it all in great detail yet still remains very readable, from my the quick dip into the contents. I'm looking forward to reading it properly but I'm back to work tomorrow and will be pretty tied up with other more tedious things as a result.