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New blog: mogsymakes by James Morris

Many years ago, Big Red Bat guru Simon Miller asked me why I didn’t have a blog to support the various games that I took around wargames shows. “Why would I want a blog?” I asked him. “You’ll get followers,” came the reply. I laughed.

I don’t really do this to get followers, but I love swapping ideas and photos with other gamers around the world. I seem to post on social media every week or so, only then to find myself unable to find my own pictures, battle reports or words of advice just a few weeks later. Questions like this crop up all the time: “Have you got any size comparison pictures with different manufacturers?” “What was the paint recipe you used on your wolves?” “Has anyone had a go at converting Elf cavalry/ Cretan gendarmes/ Sikh sappers?” “How does Muskets & Tomahawks II play?” And often, I say, “Yes, but…just let me find it…” Hopefully mogsymakes will go some way towards helping out with these senior moments of social media.

My chum Scrivs claims that one of his main reasons for having a blog is to be able to find his paint recipes several years down the line; I can confirm this, having used several of his colour schemes after looking them up online! I’ve gone for something in between a blog and a website, in that I have different pages and sections where I will hopefully archive posts to make them easier to find. It is still very much in its infancy, so any helpful suggestions about improving access and layout will be quite welcome.

And so, I find myself following Simon’s sage advice: get a blog. I hope you enjoy it!

Battle of Lewes play test game for Partizan

Terrific test play of my Battle of Lewes 1264 scenario in preparation for the Partizan Show (May 17th, Newark Showground, UK) with chum Tom. Using Midgard Heroic Battles, the game went the full six turns and was full of drama.

Richard of Cornwall was captured in his first melee; Lord Edward fell foul of a Londoner’s dagger; and Simon de Montfort’s charge with his reserves carried the battle for the barons. Look out for a bigger version at Partizan!

(Nearly all Wargames Atlantic 28mm minis painted by Paul Scrivens-Smith, terrain mat by Geek Villain)

Midgard Moot 2 Report

Caption: The Alfred Campaign Subject: Professor Ryan Lavelle Occasion: Midgard Moot 2 location: Board and Swords, Derby, and A Slice of Curry, Derby Date: 25/04/2026

Midgard Moot 2 ran at Boards And Swords Hobbies last weekend and it was an absolute joy; 45 gamers, 10 games hosts, 48 games of Midgard Heroic Battles. You can see the whole picture report here. Thanks to Pete Jenkins for the photos!

Caption: The Wicker man by John Savage Subject: The Legion of the Ninth Occasion: Midgard Moot 2 location: Board and Swords, Derby, and A Slice of Curry, Derby Date: 25/04/2026
Caption: Jasons Argonauts face the undead, whilst Mike Wilkins looks on and contemplates pizza Subject: Mike Wilkins Jason and the Argonauts Occasion: Midgard Moot 2 location: Board and Swords, Derby, and A Slice of Curry, Derby Date: 25/04/2026
Caption: Play tester and Tolkien fan David Hunter puts on another 28mm encounter set in Middle-earth. Subject: Gareth Lan’s Norse Myth – The Clash in Járnfjall. The storm had not yet broken, but the land felt coiled, as if the mountains themselves were holding their breath. Snow drifted in slow spirals across the frozen plain, whispering against the old standing stones that marked the boundary between Thor’s domain and Loki’s wandering mischief. Thor paused at the ridge, frost clinging to his beard like iron filings. Behind him, his warband waited in disciplined silence, shields rimed with ice, muscles tightening against the cold. Even the thunder rune on his hammer seemed muted, as though the storm itself was listening. “They’re close,” he murmured. As if summoned by the words, shapes began to form in the white haze below. Loki’s followers. Massive silhouettes. Quick, unsettling movements. A flash of a grin here, a glint of a blade there. Both warbands stood poised, breath steaming, eyes locked across the frozen distance. Above them, the storm gathered, heavy with unspoken fury. One heartbeat. Then the blizzard fell silent and the battle began. Occasion: Midgard Moot 2 location: Board and Swords, Derby, and A Slice of Curry, Derby Date: 25/04/2026

Mogsymakes Banners for The Iron Valley Campaign

My latest Mogsymakes Banners release on WargameVault.com is the Orc & Dwarf banners to accompany The Iron Valley goblet-sized campaign from Reisswitz Press.

Here you will find PDF banners for the Orc & Dwarf leaders and clans, available for both 28mm and 10-15mm sized miniatures!

Examples shown here use the marvellous Oathmark 28mm and Wargames Atlantic 10mm minis (plus a Copplestone Giant) with Jon Hodgson Backdrops behind. You can get the banners here: https://www.wargamevault.com/en/browse?keyword=mogsymakes

Chronicles of Midgard & The Iron Valley are out!

The wait is now over and copies of Chronicles of Midgard are hitting doormats and shop shelves around the world. Our chums North Star Military Figures now have it in stock, meaning that it’ll be easily available to shops worldwide.

Too Fat Lardies/ Reisswitz Press also now have the Chronicles of Midgard PDF available by itself. Not only that but the first Goblet-Sized Campaign, The Iron Valley, is also available. This is the first of the planned campaign packs that will be available for specific settings, containing new scenarios, Muster Rolls (Force lists) and campaign maps.

Nick of Medieval Wargamer did a YouTube review/ flip through of Chronicles of Midgard recently which might be of interest if you want a closer look at what’s in the book.

That’s all for now, much more coming up!

First Chronicles of Midgard review

I’ve sent off a few advance copies of Chronicles of Midgard for review and Nick at Medieval Wargamer hasn’t hung around! He printed out his copy from the PDF and already has a video on it – watch it here!

Pre orders are going really well but there’s still time to get one in before release on April 16th (and to collect at Salute on April 11th, if you’re there). All details (including TFL distributors for non-UK orders) here.

Many thanks to everyone who’s pre ordered already and I’m looking forward to seeing copies out in the wild!

Plastic Crack Podcast Midgard chat available on catch up; Too Fat Lardies website

Last night’s Plastic Crack Podcast with lots of Midgard talk is now available on YouTube. It was lovely to chat to Dom, Martin and Ste and great to see so many familiar names tuning in, though I think my wife’s highlight was when our daughter attempted to commando crawl under the camera on her way to the kitchen! https://www.youtube.com/live/L2nUIfGuR4o?si=GKGNdkrkgEscYFmW

For those who’ve not seen it, news from Too Fat Lardies about the issues affecting the TFL website and delaying the pre orders for Chronicles of Midgard.

I’ll post as soon as this is resolved and the Chronicles of Midgard pre order is available.

Chronicles of Midgard, Plastic Crack Podcast, Little Wars TV videos

Hi! I’ll get the bad news out of the way first. We were hoping to get the Chronicles of Midgard pre-order live today but I have just received news from Richard at Reisswitz/ TFL:

This is really frustrating as I know he was working over the weekend to get everything aligned with the overseas distributors, but nothing we can do about this apart from wait for an update. I’ll share news as soon as we have it.

In much better news, I’ll be on the Plastic Crack Podcast tonight (8 pm GMT, 16th March) to talk about all things Midgard. Please do join us if you can or watch the recording afterwards.

In further YouTube news, I’m very honoured that Little Wars TV delivered a glowing review of Midgard Heroic Battles in a recent episode. Watch it here.