The Words of Subedai

Just to let my myriad -??- of followers know that I am still around, just extremely busy but nothing to do with wargaming.
I was trawling through some of my favourite blogs earlier and came up with this on Take the High Ground. This gentleman has some brilliant terrain ideas and it's well worth a visit. Anyway, he had found this on someone else's blog, so I thought I'd nick it as well, hopefully no-one will mind.


1. Favourite Wargaming period and why?
 Medieval in the Far East, especially the Mongols and their enemies. When I first started in wargaming back in the early 1970's there was a series of books in Southend Library about Great Commanders written by Dupuy and Dupuy. They wrote one on Genghis Khan and I have been fascinated by the Mongols ever since.

2. Next period, money no object?
 Napoleonic Wars in 28mm.

3. Favourite 5 films?
In no particular order: A Bridge too Far, Zulu, Waterloo, Blazing Saddles, Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

4. Favourite 5 TV series?
 UFO, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Primeval, Firefly, The Sweeney

5. Favourite book and author?
 The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. An SciFi novel about an interstellar war that takes place over centuries because of the speed of  light and the aging at different speeds thing. Cleverly done.

6.Greatest General? Can’t count yourself!!
This may surprise a few people (not) but it's Subedai Bahadur, (a Mongol who was the logistical mastermind and brilliant strategist who was the brains behind most of Chinggis Khan's later campaigns and indeed the European invasion of 1241).

7. Favourite Wargames rules?
 A set of Napoleonic Rules specifically written by a mate of mine -I still have the original -for the old Mini Figs 5mm blocks.

8. Favourite Sport and team?
 Football (the real one), West Ham United.

9. If you had a only use once time machine, when and where would you go?
 The Battle of Mohi, 1241.

10. Last meal on Death Row?
 Steak and kidney pudding followed by Spotted Dick with Devon Custard.

11. Fantasy relationship and why?
 Maggie Gyllenhaal, marvelous role in The Secretary.

12. If your life were a movie, who would play you?
 Michael Palin.

13. Favourite Comic Superhero?
 Beast from the original X Men.

14. Favourite Military quote?
 'Beware Marshal of what you do', Marschall Blucher (Prussian) to Marshal Davout (French) as the former moved towards Paris after Waterloo.

15. Historical destination to visit?
 Loads spring to mind. Probably Mongolia, Malta or Rhodes.

16. Biggest Wargaming regret?
 Not enough hours in the day to keep up with my projects, wargaming and otherwise.

17. Favourite Fantasy job?
 Author.

18. Favourite Song Top 5?
'Man who Sold the World', David Bowie -his version not Lulu's
'Apache', Shadows
'Nights in White Satin', Moody Blues
'This Flight Tonight', Nazareth
'Atomic', Blondie

 19. Favourite Wargaming Moment?
 Using one of the old WRG versions on a books under cloth terrain, I elected to use a line of hills. My LMI Ancient British infantry could go over them but my mate's HI Assyrians couldn't. Downhill charge off the table he goes, what a plan thinks I. Rolled to charge with the warband on the far right. Decided it didn't really want to play anymore and ran away...followed by the rest of my warbands. At the end of the third move I only had 2 units of LI and 1 of chariots left on the table! Funny now but not so much then.

20. The miserable Git question, what upsets you?
 A lot of things. I am getting more cynical and intolerant as I age. Governments, large and multi-national companies, mis-use of the English Language, footballers who play act or deliberately cheat, lack of manners and social skills, the majority of television -especially soap operas and 'real life' programmes to name but a few. (Ask Ma Subs, she probably has a list somewhere).