Weekend Update

Another wargame friend, Bill T., is also the historian for Hatboro, PA and a member of the Millbrook Society, which is an organization that promotes historical sites and preservation. He asked me if I would be interested in laying out my Battle of Crooked Billet wargame that I've run before at conventions for the Crooked Billet History Fair. 

Crooked Billet was an action during the American Revolution between a British force consisting of the Queen's Rangers and some light dragoons and light infantry and a force of Pennsylvania Militia under a local man named John Lacey. It wasn't much of a fight, but it was a local event that happened in Hatboro. 

Saturday was warm, rainy and grey. Perfect wargame weather! The site was a Middle School in Horsham, PA and there were 40 other sites and organizations that were participating. From the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (of which I am a member) to the Union Library, the second oldest public library in Pennsylvania. 

Herself was kind enough to accompany me for the day and found some very interesting sites and stories. 

The original plan had me running my game, much as a demonstration game in the UK, outside. The weather precluded that, so I was relocated to the cafeteria, along with a colonial paper making demonstration and a collection of 18th century children's toys. 

The other 40 or so presenters were upstairs in the gym... 

We did get some foot traffic and exchanged a few emails...but...at least I wasn't out in the wet trying to do yardwork. And my friend Cliff B. came to help and we chatted and chatted and made the best of it. 

It was a nice chance to show off some of my 28mm AWI collection, including the civilians who show up in various FIW and Irish Rebellion settings as well. The folks who did stop by were quite taken by the fact I painted the figures. And my darling wife was kind enough to forage a ham and cheese sub sandwich with chips for lunch. 

I'll be back for next year. The organizers have already said they have a better understanding of what I need and will look to place me in closer proximity to the main stands. 

Like I said, I wasn't complaining. I was able to show off my toys and stay out of the rain. 

Late Night Ride of a Battle Road Game

It being the 250th Anniversary of the battles at Lexington and Concord, I felt a small game using The Portable Napoleonic Wargame rules was in order. Being born and raised in Chelmsford, I learned as a child how the town sent its Minute Company and Militia Company to fight. As a Boy Scout, we hiked the Issac Davis Trail, so named after the Captain of the Acton Minute Company, who fitted his men's muskets with bayonets. Supposedly, the two fifers from the Acton Company played "The White Cockade" as the company advanced on the Crown Forces... but enough history. 

Herself was out for the evening, so I decided to have the game downstairs so I could have the television on in the background. 

Thus, the game board with the new cloth and fought over a 4-inch square grid which is barely visible in the pictures. (that's what I was kinda hoping for...) 

My Giant Squishy Die helps me to keep track of what turn it is... 

Committee of Safety Militia and Minute Companies on the left, Crown forces on the right.

I have been slowly building forces to use with Sharp Practice 2, by the Too Fat Lardies. My militia are pretty much there, but the British figures are still not done, so I reached back into the recesses of storage and dug out the Old Fellas, still not updated in their mounting. The grenadiers are old 25mm Falcon Miniatures bought maybe 25 plus years ago... The British commander is an old Minifigs mounted officer. 

As you can see from the pictures above, the Crown forces were going from left to right down the road and their objective was to get off the other end of the table. The Militia and Minutemen were to stop them as best they, could causing as many casualties as possible. 

Well, that didn't happen. The British column pretty much went along and smashed the opposition. The Light Bobs were especially deadly. I rated them and the Grenadiers only as Average, since they'd been on garrison duty for months and only just coming out of winter quarters. The Minute Companies, two of the six units, I made Average, whilst the remaining four Militia companies I classed as Poor because they were, well, militia. 

Eventually, the Militia Commander was routed off the table with one of his subordinate commanders and their flag taken prisoner by the Lights of the 4th Regiment of Foot. (Sorry, Mark, please don't tell Warren, I didn't find my 10th Regiment lads...) 

All in all, not a bad way to spend an evening after a pretty rough week at work. I'm going to try to get two more games in this weekend. One tomorrow and one Sunday, but I've got a band gig tomorrow night and schoolwork and yardwork planned for Sunday. 

So, we'll just have to see. 

Another Regiment Arrives...

I finally managed to get the last bit done on the next regiment for my Duchy of Arancia Napoleonic Imagi-Nation project for The Portable Wargame (TPW). 

The Regiment Asparagi-Bianchi presents itself as ready for active service.

More 25mm French Minifigs, this time painted in "Burnt Marshmallow" off-white with Hunter Green collars and cuffs. Vallejo Flat Yellow was used for the plumes, cords, and epaulettes. They are currently enjoying a fresh coat of Irish Moss Green on the bases and have been placed in the Ducal box with the Regiment Cime di Rapa and the Tirolese Light Infantry. 

I've got my friend's British Minifigs up next, as Opposition, so the Ducal forces have someone to fight against. I'll probably get two or three of those units done, since they are already painted, I've just a few touch-ups. 

In other news, my friend Alan G. has started a conversation about using TPW for WW1 East Africa. This is a period and theater I have always wanted to do on the table, but I could never find what I wanted. I can see, however, that TPW might be just the ticket. And I have enough figures, at least, to make a start. 

Hmmm..... 

Weekend Update

There is still most of Sunday left in this particular weekend, but I've a discussion forum post to work on for school and the usual domestic chores to sort out. 

Yesterday was my clubs' Games Day down in Springfield Township. I brought my small ships, 1:600th scale ACW ironclads, for a pick-up game, as the game I was hoping to get into wasn't scheduled until 1pm. 

Fortunately, the GM, John M., decided to run the game early as there was enough interest. So, along with Don M. and Ed M., I sat down for a game of "Hold The Line: Frederick's Wars", which was put out by Worthington Games as a board game that could be used for miniatures, like their American Revolution game, which I am now regretting I sold off at the flea market at Cold Wars. 

Why the regret? Because we played not one, but two very fun SYW games in a total of four and a half hours, including a lunch break. 

Da Roolz (as John the OFM would say)

John M.'s homemade turn record clock for FW. Bits from a DIY hobby store. Brilliant, really.

(The barrel at the top sits on a pin which fits into the holes above or below the turn numbers)

For Mollwitz, John and I teamed up to play the Austrians. Don and Ed took the Prussian side. I thought I had played the Hold the Line rules a few years ago when I bought the American Revolution edition, but I did not exactly remember. In any event, John had a cheat sheet ready for all four of us. 

The Baddies, er, the Prussians... 

Part of the Austrian line.

An Austrian's eye view of the action on the left flank.

The final act, my Austrian cuirassiers charge into a slightly damaged Prussian infantry unit and scored three hits, thus wiping them out and putting us over the top for Victory Conditions. Huzzah! 

The game played fast, with enough abstractions to keep the game moving quickly, but enough decisions for me as a player to keep me interested and make linear warfare seem interesting. I like it as a game. The five inch hexes have given me pause to think about halting my current WAS project and remounting them on a single base for the whole unit and using hexes instead of squares... more anon on those thoughts... 

After Mollwitz, John and Ed dashed off for a quick bite. I had brought my own lunch, so I looked through the rules and John's figures. 

For Round 2, John gave us Chotusitz, the next scenario after Mollwitz. Don and I faced off against each other again, while Paul replaced Ed as Don's partner and John stayed with me for a second time as the Austrians. 

John and I were significantly less successful in this outing. My cavalry on the left flank died a quick and spectacular death from Don's cavalry and infantry. But my flank hung on gamely. Still, we just couldn't stand up to the darn Prussians (boo! hiss!) and eventually they wore us down. 

Overall, it was an excellent time. I do like the 18th century and this was a fun set of rules I would be willing to play multiple times. I like the short duration of the games, the mechanics are easy to understand, and the investment in figures isn't large. A hex mat of 13 long by 9 wide, with five inch hexes is quite reasonable and the terrain is minimal, but easy to understand. 

I should like to try these with my 25mm figures for the AWI, based for Volley and Bayonet. 

Flippers Up! Penguins, Stand to Arms!

Based on the recent tariff lunacy, now here is something funny that I can support as a wargamer... 

 

There is a game in here somewhere. I wouldn't be a member of the Society of Daisy if I didn't try to come up with a game from this... 

Oh, and more figures for my Napoleonic Imagi-Nation project are on the way... 

Yep. Just a few figures...oh who am I kidding? I see this going all pear-shaped. But we'll have a giggle over it. 

 

Back to Toy Soldiers (and Books)

I recently won a job lot of figures on Flea Bay. I was searching for 25mm Minifigs to supplement the recent lots of Napoleonic figures I've acquired. 

Whilst searching, I found a very good deal on a few hundred figures, albeit for the Seven Years War. Given the number of figures and that the pictures included cavalry and artillery, I threw in a bid which was successful. 

I came home from Charleston yesterday to find a package waiting for me. Sadly, the USPS had knocked it about a fair bit...but it was a proverbial box full of lead. 

There wasn't much protective packing, but I'll live. I laid out a couple of the smaller bags...

Quite a bit of artillery, really. More than I need. Now, the figures are not just Minifigs. There are some Old Glory as well as some I am not sure what they are. There are also a lot of broken bits. These are forming a "bits box" and may be the basis for some markers or something. 

There are a LOT of figures to go through...so my Soldier King project looks quite complete for the moment. 

Also, just before I left, I picked up some more books for the ACW collection from a friend in my Civil War re-enactment unit. 

With the end of the current semester in sight, I shall look forward to reading about something NOT related to maritime history for a couple of months.