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Historian in Harness

@historianinharness.bsky.social
693 followers 236 following 469 posts

I am a historian with a passion for the study of medieval military culture and wargaming, and my own suit of armour!

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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Sad that the boys at Beast Towers are calling it a day. I wish the chaps all the best, & thank them for their support, their advice, & their friendship. It's too soon to know what it means for Écorcheurs & the planned expansions. However, I am determined that they will continue in print. #wargaming
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
A great day at Colours Wargames Show, with the St Albans game. Thanks to all who came and said hi, and especially to those who rolled some dice. Some really hard-fought encounters (including one where the whole battle focused on one upstairs room!) #medievalwargaming #wargaming #ecorcheurs
A wargames table at Colours show with buildings and a couple of notice boards.28mm Wars of the Roses figures, one carrying a banner bearing the Duke of Somerset's Arms, standing on a cloth printed with cobblestones; timber-framed buildings in the backgroundThe Duke of Somerset - a 28mm figure in full armour - with his standard bearer  against the wall of a timber-framed granary. Blue 'Stunned'  markers litter the ground.28 mm figures in the room of a timber-framed building, with lots of blue 'Stunned' markers
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
An evening with the Penarth Wargamers, & a first game of Écorcheurs Roman-style, using ideas from Roman military historian Adrian Goldsworthy. We're a ways off from publishing 'Rapax! Skirmish Gaming in the Age of Rome', but the it was very promising! #wargaming #ancientwargaming #ecorcheurs
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
If you are looking for inspiration on how to create an Écorcheurs retinue, this is an excellent article! #ecorcheurs #wargaming #medievalwargaming
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Too many projects on the go at one... again. Scurrours - Wars of the Roses extension for Écorcheurs! Siege - an Écorcheurs! campaign. 10mm Agincourt figures for Blood and Horse Droppings.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Another base of 10mm crossbows, this time with Genoese pavises, to add to my #Agjncourt project. Turns out three sprees of the @wargamesatlantic.bsky.social crossbows makes two Companies for my Blood and Horse Droppings rules #wargaming #medievalwargaming
A base of 10mm Agincourt period crossbows, with pavises decorated in a Genoese heraldryTwo bases of 10mm Agjncourt period crossbows.2 bases of 10mm, Agincourt period crossbows and one of men-at-arms.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Another happy #ecorcheurs gamer! The pig gets away more often than not when people play this scenario... Here' a link to the rules' webpage, jn case you're wonsering what the fuss is about... www.ecorcheurs.co.uk #wargaming #medievalwargaming
ecorcheurs.co.uk
Écorcheurs!: Skirmish Wargames in the Hundred Years War
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
"Waiter! Waiter! This is not the quiche I ordered..."
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
The third of my 10mm Agincourt project, using my Blood and Horse Droppings rules. Gens de traîte - in this case urban militia crossbows (but probably a mix of spears, bows and crossbows). #medievalwargaming #wargaming #HundredYearsWar
10mm French Hubdred Tears War miniatures : crossbows, and men at arms.10mm crossbowmen for the Hundred Yeras War
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Finished a stand of French mounted men-at-arms for my 10mm Agincourt project. Figures are Wargames Atlantic. A little dark, but the overall effect, I'm really happy with. #medievalwargaming #wargaming #BloodandHorseDroppings
10mm cavalry10mm medieval cavalry
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I was right to go for the bigger base. 10mm Waragmes Atlantic Agincourt men-at-arms. #medievalwargaming #wargaming #bahd
10mm medieval knight models with yellow and blue banners.10mm medieval knight models with yellow and blue banners
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Painting Wargames Atlantic 10mm Agincourt figures to play 'Blood and Horse Droppings'* I need to decide on basing. Do I go 90x45mm & scale down the whole game for 10mm, or stick with the 28mm basing - 150mmx100mm - with lots of figures? * www.historianinharness.co.uk/medieval_war...
10mm cavalry on a large base.10mm cavalry on two smaller bases
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Is back from the US and has been staving off the jetlag by continuing work on Scurrours! AWars of the Roses extension for Écorcheurs! Spurred on by some great gaming at Hiatoricon, and the arrival of the cover art by kesdrawsfights. #wargaming #medievalwargaming #ecorcheurs
Drawn scene of the battle of St Albans. Buildings with men in armour and heraldry fighting in the foreground.
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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
My book on the battle of Castillon is also 25% off www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Castillon-Ha...
pen-and-sword.co.uk
Castillon
The Battle of Castillon, fought outside the French city of the same name on 17 July 1453, was the final battle in the Hundred Years…
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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
I've been really terrible at self-promotion, but if you're in the UK (or somewhere that the UK ships to), my history of the crossbow is currently 50% off. www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Medieval...
pen-and-sword.co.uk
The Medieval Crossbow
The crossbow is an iconic weapon of the Middle Ages and, alongside the longbow, one of the most effective ranged weapons of the pre-gunpowder era.…
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
A great first day's game. Ran the first and second games of the Crossing the Somme campaign - a solid English victory in the first followed by a glorious, if ill-advised, charge in the second, which resulted in the English breaking and fleeing the field. #historicon #ecorcheurs #wargaming
A gaming table, with a bridge in its centre, and a copy of the rulebook stood next to it.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Well, I made it to Baltimore, and so did the troops (that would have been awkward!) Driving up to Lancaster in the morning for Historicon!
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Flying out to Baltimore tomorrow, ahead of showcasing #ecorcheurs Historicon in Lancaster, PA. I'm in the Commonwealth Ball Room, Friday afternoon, and Saturday morning and afternoon - come and say hi! #wargaming #medievalwargaming
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Members of the Penarth Wargames Club played out the Crécy scenario from the Écorcheurs rulebook yesterday evening.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Cheshire knight Sir John Davenport is all ready to join his fellow Sir John Hyde on campaign. The Lord de Briquebec is reinforced by local militia the Confraternité de Notre Dame au Somme. These retinues will be at Historicon next month. #ecorcheurs #medievalwargaming #HundredYearsWar #wargaming
28mm Hundred Years War figures28mm Hundred Years War figures28mm Hundred Years War figures28mm Hundred Years War figures
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
With a little something by yours truly on the wider significance of the Battle of Ronceveaux.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
A different scale tomorrow - looking again at my Wars of the Roses mass battle rules 'Blood and Horse Droppings'. #warsoftheroses #wargames #medievalwargaming #bahd
28mm Wars of the Roses Company with ruler and die.28mm Wars of the Roses figures in combat, with coins and icon dice.28mm Wars of the Roses figures in combat with icon dice.
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History Rage Podcast @historyrage.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
🚨 NEXT WEEK🚨 Think Ancient Greece was all philosophers and peace? 🏛️ Think again. Adrian Goldsworthy joins History Rage to reveal a world of rivalry, warfare and radical democracy. Athens vs Sparta like you’ve never heard it. #AncientHistory #HistoryPodcast #GreekHistory
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Joined the esteemed Wild Geese wargamers at the retreat near Kenilworth last weekend. A lot of fun making new friends and being sarcastic with old ones. Three fun games of #Écorcheurs played too.
A Pembridge gets cornered by some French militia.Caen militiamen boil over the bridge, to stop the English.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
A great couple of days playing my St Albans Écorcheur! game. At Penarth for the Penarth Wargames Club Open Day, and then with a friend today. #ecorcheurs #medievalwargaming #wargaming #WarsoftheRoses
28mm medieval knight and standard bearer in front of a Tavern.A group of medieval warriors moving through back yardsA group of knights in front of a tavern.Medieval warriors fighting over a barricade.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
I have the first St Albans table ready (bar a few details). Thus will be the demo game for 'Scurrours!' - The Wars of the Roses expansion for Écorcheurs! #wargaming #medievalwargaming #Ecorcheurs
28mm medieval street scene.Top down view of medieval street scene.The backs of St Albans. A model for wargaming.
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Marc Morris @marcmorris.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
The eBook of Castle is only 99p right now. Repost this for a chance to win a signed copy of the original hardback edition. www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/...
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Still some gaps to fill, but I am pretty much there now with my First St Albans urban table. A small orchard, & a large barn/courtyard to go behind The Castle Inn. I have the clocktower & some free-standing buildings for the market street. #ecorcheurs #medievalwargaming #wargaming
Top-down view of 28mm buildings forming a street and back yards28mm medieval street front.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
Getting excited as St Albans for Écorcheurs starts coming together... Aiming to have it onnthebtable for Partizan in May #wargaming #medievalwargaming #ecorcheurs
A wargames table with lots of buildings.A wargames table with lots of buildings and a tower.A wargames table with lots of buildingsA model of a medieval Tavern at Street level.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
Same-same, but different. Running The Siege of Snellings Mill (Lewes, 1264) at Overlord. #medievalwargaming #wargaming
A wargames table covered in terrain - woods and a windmill.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
An excellent, if incredibly busy day at Hammerhead Show today. Thanks to everyone who came by and rolled sone dice, asked some questions, or just tried to say hi! Now ensconced in Abingdon, enjoying a well-earned beer before 'Écorcheurs! at Overlord' tomorrow! #medievalwargaming #wargaming
Wargames table covered in terrain with a windmill in the middle.A wargame with mounted knights riding up behind some knights on foot.A wargame in progress. A mounted knight is surrounded by knights and archers on foot.A wragame in progress. A mounted knight charges a knight on foot.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
It's out in the world!!! 🥳 Let's hope people feel that it lives up to the hype... 🤣
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Bonhomie Games @bonhomiegames.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
Ever wanted to play a #ttrpg in a castle? Dice on the Borderlands community gaming convention is back for a 3rd year to Chepstow Castle this April with games on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th. This is a FIRST CALL FOR GMs for the event. If you're interested in GMing please direct message me here.
Dice on the Borderlands logo featuring a small boatload of brave adventurers heading towards Chepstow Castle. The castle is beset by demons, bats and tentacles. And so it should be. Art by Kaye Elling - all rights reserved.A front view of the grand entrance to Chepstow Castle, with the Marten's Tower to the leftAn aerial view of Chepstow Castle in the Welsh-English borderlands, set between the town and the river.The Earl's Chamber, the venue for the event, with gaming tables throughout.
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Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy magazine @wssmagazine.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Today on Instagram: Ecorcheurs Medieval game at Colours Photo by @markbackhouse29.bsky.social - follow the team on Instagram #wargaming
Ecorcheurs Medieval game at Colours
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Dr Dan Spencer @gunpowderdan.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
My latest article is published in the RHS and is available through Open Access. In which I propose a radical (perhaps controversial) new explanation for how and why English armies and soldiers changed across the Late Medieval-Early Modern divide #medievalwarfare www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
cambridge.org
Change and Continuity in English Armies, 1453–1513 | Transactions of the Royal Historical Society | Cambridge Core
Change and Continuity in English Armies, 1453–1513
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
Cleared my painting table ahead of the Christmas festivities (it has to make way for the Christmas tree). 😥 Got to leave my St Albans buildings out 'as they look a bit Christmassy...' 🙂
28mm half timbered buildings with a clock tower in the background.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
Had a lot of fun at Warfare last weekend. This is a great little walkaround, and my Écorcheurs game appears at around 1:18 #medievalwargaming #wargaming
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Kate Gray @hownottodraw.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
oh, that's... that's not... you can't call it that
a screenshot of the Australian version of Taste Christmas, a recipe magazine, showing a recipe for a gingerbread house made of something known as "crack", which I think is some kind of mixture of chocolate and salty ingredients like crackers or pretzels. so they've called it "festive crack house"
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
If you're looking for a glimpse at Écorcheurs! - my new skirmish rules, Nick at Medieval Wargamer has a flick through -that is pretty good! youtu.be/LH3ePiszFGM?... #ecorcheurs #medievalwargaming #wargaming
youtu.be
Écorcheurs - HYW Skirmish Rules FLIPTHROUGH & REVIEW
YouTube video by Medieval Wargamer
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
A bakery for my upcoming St Albans table. Building by Sarissa, and Baker by Athena Miniatures. #wargaming #medievalwargaming #ecorcheurs
28mm half-timbered building with bread oven and baker28mm half-timbered building with bread oven and baker28mm half-timbered building with bread oven and baker28mm half-timbered building with bread oven and baker
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Sabotag3d @sabotag3d.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
www.sabotag3d.com/product-page...
sabotag3d.com
St Albans Clock Tower (28mm) | Sabotag3d
This 28mm model is based on the clock tower at St Albans as it might have been in medieval times. We know that there was a clock in 1485, but we don't know what it looked like. The model is printed in...
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
At Partizan tomorrow, alongside the main game, I've got a little 10-minute tactical conundrum for those of you who've seen Écorcheurs! already. A small retinue of men-at-arms & archers caught on the edge of a farm by a lance of French horsemen... what will happen? #wargaming #medievalwargaming
28mm Gripping Beast Hundred Years War knights charge past a stream.A Gripping Beast 28mm knight comes to blows with some French spears.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
With just a few hours to go, Écorcheurs! has been backed by over 400 people! I am so chuffed at the faith people have put in my project to give them a game they'll enjoy! So, what's next?
28mm medieval combat.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
Had some friends over the other day, put up the 6'x8'table in the bottom barn, and got the big battalions out again. It was glorious. #Imagi-nation #wargaming
28mm Eighteenth century lancers in pink coatsTwo regiments of 28mm late seventeenth century foot.A regiment of foot fronted by gunsmoke.28mm imagi-nation the army of the Grand-Admiral Tumbonas de Playas, my imagi-nation force.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
We hit 300 backers yesterday. So grateful to you all. For those of you that haven't, there's still time! www.kickstarter.com/projects/gri... #ecorcheurs #medievalwargaming #wargaming
Model knights surround a windmill
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
With the success of the Écorcheurs! Kickstarter (what do you mean you haven't pledged yet? www.kickstarter.com/projects/gri... - go, on. I'll wait.) I'm definitely cracking on with my 1st St Albans campaign expansion. @sabotag3d.bsky.social printed this gorgeous clock tower, a centrepiece.
A model of St Albans' clock tower.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
The Écorcheurs! Kickstarter has already funded! I'm astounded and very grateful. It's still worth backing; only Kickstarter backers get the 'Combat of the Thirty' scenario. #ecorcheurs #medievalwargaming #wargaming
Mounted medieval figures riding away
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
WE ARE LIVE! Back us now. Rules, icon dice, tokens, and retinues are all available. Backers will receive The exclusive 'Combat of the Thirty' scenario. www.kickstarter.com/projects/gri...
kickstarter.com
Écorcheurs!
Skirmish Wargaming in the Hundred Years War
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 14/09/2025
The campaign in Écorcheurs! is inspired by Edward III's Crécy campaign, focused on the English search for a crossing of the Somme, with series of skirmishes to control a vital bridge. This is warfare at the retinue level: brutal, tactical, & personal. www.kickstarter.com/projects/gri...
A 28mm tabletop for a wargame.
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Historian in Harness @historianinharness.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
Finished Sarissa's timber-framed Tavern. Not the easiest build, and feels slightly pokey for all its size, but looks great.
28mm Sarissa Tavern front28mm Sarissa Tavern back28mm Sarissa Tavern Courtyard 28mm Sarissa Tavern interiors
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