Matakishi's Tea House
A simple little site...
Three Musketeers Project
The Plan
I've wanted to produce some swashbuckling figures to game with for many years yet somehow I've never got round to it. Recently there's been a resurgence of interest in the genre so it seemed like a good time to actually get on with it.
I like the Three Musketeers so this will be the main component of the project but I hope to branch out a bit if time allows. I don't initially plan to include pirates as they warrant a whole project of their own but a few may creep in to add some extra exotic colour.
The Rules
Rattrap Productions have recently launched Gloire, a set of rules based on the existing .45 Adventures rules, that cover the period. There's a fee promo version available for download so you can sample them before you buy. These are certainly high on my list.
Eureka Miniatures have produced a range of 40mm Musketeers based on the 1974/75 films. These are beautiful figures sculpted by Mike Broadbent who has been a huge fan of the films since they were released. His enthusiasm for the subject shows in his sculpts. I don't plan to move to 40mm though so if I do buy the figures it'll only be to paint as display pieces. Eureka have also released a set of rules to accompany this range which are available free from their website. I hope to give these a go also.
The Figures
I will mainly be using Redoubt figures again, they do a complete range including a coach. I will supplement their Musketeer figures with some of their ECW types, peasants and civilians mainly. There are some new figures coming from Brigade Games too which look interesting, these should be out by the time the project actually gets underway and so I will try to add them to the mix.
Inspiration
The Three Musketeers
The classic book by Alexandre Dumas, The adventure begins with the arrival of D'Artagnan in Paris and his efforts to become a King's Musketeer, just like his father before him. In Paris he encounters three men who quickly become his friends and allies. Together they get entangled in court intrigues, and take up arms against the plotting, conniving Cardinal Richelieu. In the course of duty, they travel to England, where they try to preempt a scandal involving some diamond studs, the Duke of Buckingham and the reputation of the Queen of France.
Exceptionally famous and inspiring not only two sequels but Hollywood and television adaptations, Dumas’ novel The Three Musketeers - published 1844-5 - remains extremely popular and influential to this day. It is the story of a young Gascon gentleman, D’Artagnan, who sets out to Paris with only an old horse, his father’s letter of recommendation to the head of the King’s Musketeers and a recipe for a miracle wound-healing salve. Although D’Artagnan loses the letter and sells the horse he is allowed entrance into the Musketeers but must wait an interminably long time to join in full. During this time he tactlessly insults three of the musketeers who challenge him to duels at hourly intervals the next day which he attends showing great courage. When they are warned by the Cardinal’s Guards of a law against duelling the musketeers and D’Artagnan join together and easily defeat their provocateurs. The youth is accepted into Athos, Porthos and Aramis’ ranks and they become inseparable friends despite the three musketeers’ faults of melancholy, pride and religious hypocrisy respectively. We learn of the rivalry between the king, Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu - the strongest man in the kingdom. The story follows the four friends’ heroism even in saving an Englishman (Buckingham) and acting valiantly at every opportunity until we learn whether or not D’Artagnan will become a true musketeer.You can download the entire text of Alexandre Dumas' novel as a pdf here:
The Flashing Blade
The Flashing Blade is a twelve part adventure drama centring
around the war between The stirring theme tune is one of the most memorable ever, once heard never forgotten and the series itself is a true classic.
You've got to fight for what you want
For all that you believe
It's right to fight for what we want
To live the way we please
As long as we have done our best
Then no one can do more
And life and love and happiness
Are well worth fighting for
And we should never count the cost
Or worry that we'll fall
It's better to have fought and lost
Than not have fought at all
Let's always take whatever comes
And never try to hide
Face everything and anyone
Together side by side
You've got to fight for what you want
For all that you believe
It's right to fight for what we want
To live the way we please
As long as we have done our best
Then no one can do more
And life and love and happiness
Are well worth fighting for
They're well worth fighting for
if you've never heard it, or if you'd like to awaken old memories, you can listen to the theme tune here:
Flashing Blades RPG
This excellent RPG was published by FGU in the 1980s and has recently been made available again. One of my all time favourites and it will be nice to be able to play the adventures out with figures this time.
The combat system involves choosing an attack and a defence secretly and then comparing the results. I have produced a set of Flashing Blades combat cards to make this easier which can be downloaded as a pdf here:
