Introduction
J.P. Martin (1880 -1966) was a Scarborough born Methodist minister who served as a missionary in South Africa and as army chaplain in the Holy Land during World War One. Following long and faithful service back in England he retired to the Somerset village of Timberscombe after World War Two and died there in 1966. The impression I get is of a saintly but down-to-earth and jolly gentleman.
The Uncle stories were initially told to his children and were never intended for publication. However, decades after their initial telling, he was persuaded to write them down and his final years were gilded by their publication and recognition as classics.
Alas, the modern conformist and political correct publishing world has decreed the Uncle series as 'classist' (?!) and aside from sporadic exceptions they have fallen out of print. Accordingly, they now command astounding prices on the second hand market - although rumour has it versions are freely available on the web.
So who is Uncle ? The books say it best:
'Uncle is an elephant. He's immensely rich, and he's a B.A. He dresses well, generally in a purple dressing-gown, and rides about on a traction engine, which he prefers to a car.'
He has innumerable friends and allies, plus implacable enemies.
Uncle and the former live in Homeward, which is:
' ... hard to describe, but try to think of about a hundred skyscrapers all joined together and surrounded by a moat with a drawbridge over it, and you'll get some idea. The towers are of many colours, and there are bathing pools and gardens amongst them, also switchback railways running from tower to tower, and water-chutes from top to bottom.'
The latter, 'The Badfort gang', is a disreputable rabble of sack-wearing drink-swigging yobboes who live opposite Homeward in Badfort, which is:
'a shabby, smoke-begimed pile spoiling the view'
and depicted as a semi-derelict walled town of nissen huts.
Foremost therein is the Hateman family, headed by Beaver Hateman - who is not without a sort of rascally charm. His ceaseless war against Uncle is assisted by a motley crew of ghosts, rapscallions and monsters.
All are eternally visualised in the books by Quentin Blake's marvellous illustrations and I can do no better than refer people to them to capture the sheer anarchic energy of Martin's creations
The Books in their order of publication are:
For more and better particulars, see:
http://www.encyclopedia4u.com/j/j-p-martin.html
and:
http://www.video-design.demon.co.uk/jpmartin.html
UNCLE & HIS FOLLOWERS
Stronghold: Homeward Castle
| Behemoth General (Uncle) @ 4AP | 1 |
| Artillery (Rudolph) @ 3AP | 1 |
| Sneaker (The Old Monkey) @ 3AP | 1 |
| Blades (Cloutmand and Gubbins) @ 2AP | 2 |
| Spears (Uncle's Followers) @ 2AP | 2 |
| Shooters (Uncle's Followers) @ 2AP | 1 |
| Beasts (Maestro and Little Lion) @ 2 AP | 1 |
| Knight (Cowgill and Steam Car) @ 2AP | 1 |
Alternatives:
Knight @ 2AP (The Muncle), Knight @ 2AP (Res' Horses and Carriage), Riders @ 2AP (Claudius the Camel)
Riders @ 2AP (The Respectable Horses), Blades @ 2AP (King of the Badgers), Beasts @ 2AP (Leopards), Beasts @ 2AP (Marquis of Wolftown)
Shooters @ 2AP or Hordes @ 1AP (Dwarf Tenants),
Warband @ 2AP (Miss Maidy/Miss Wace),
Artillery @ 3AP (Cowgill),
Hordes @ 1AP (Badgers or Wolves),
Sneaker (Goodman),
Sneaker (A.B.Fox),
Magician @ 4AP (Wizard Blenkinsop),
Cleric @ 3AP (Gleamhound and Eva)
THE BADFORT CROWD
Stronghold: Badfort
| Hero General (Beaver Hateman) @ 4AP | 1 |
| Blades (Hateman Family) @ 2AP | 1 |
| Behemoth (Jellytussle) @ 4AP | 1 |
| Sneaker (Hitmouse) @ 3AP | 1 |
| Beast (Wooden-Legged Donkey) @ 2AP | 1 |
| Warband (Badforters) @ 2AP | 2 |
| Shooters (Miscellaneous Badforters) @ 2AP | 1 |
| Hordes (Miscellaneous Badforters) @ 1AP | 3 |
Alternatives:
Rider General @ 2AP (Beaver Hateman on Donkey),Flyers @ 2Ap (Batty),
Riders @ 2AP (Abdullah the Clothes-Peg Merchant),
Sneaker @ 3AP (Hootman),
Hordes @ 1AP (Ghosts), 1
Magician @ 4AP (Wizard Snipehazer)
Notes
The 'Uncle-verse' is combative but not cruel. Although, for instance, crossbows, swords and skewers are wielded there are no recorded instances where The Grim Reaper visits either Homeward or Badfort or the battles betwixt them. Therefore, when the rules dictate that an element is 'destroyed' it may be safely assumed that these personages are dispersed, drubbed, duffed-up and degraded rather than 'deaded'. They then retreat back to base, to lick their wounds ( perhaps assisted by one of Gleamhound's topsy-turvy 'For Enemies' poisons ), bide their time and live to fight another day. However, elements 'destroyed' by Uncle are, of course, 'Kicked Up' by his mighty boot and soar majestically high into the air, beyond the board and thus out of the game. The Uncle books graphically record both Beaver Hateman and Jellytussle suffering this painful and humiliating fate.
Appendix
Arms used in 'The Battle of the Cinema' in 'Uncle' ( p179 )
BADFORT
UNCLE
Uncle's army consists of:
Cowgill and the Old Monkey's Father are left 'to defend the House'.