My Wargames
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Well, I took some pics this afternoon.
It has the influence of Ian Knight brilliant output, Mike Snook’s (Lt. Col.) HOW CAN MAN DIE BETTER and the ZULU DAWN film.
The minis are mainly Baccus 6MM range (Colonial) with some conversions and minis from the spare box (heavily converted as Rapier Confederates prove)… and the standardbearers mounted do not exist too in the range…
An enjoyable afternoon.
Hope you like!
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A six months “War” full of pathos because Isandlwana… a British Empire act of rascality (well that’s what Empires do anyway…) got a bloody nose and was “put right” even before a “new” commander in chief could arrive (read Wolseley). Have some pics.
Well, maybe the summing up is too brief and harsh… after all there are so many books (good) about it… and splendid movies… ZULU DAWN and ZULU (The second was released ages before the first… but it is better to watch in the proper order)… and than you have Eshowe and other actions… have always been a fan since I saw ZULU at the movie theater… then there was no VHS no DVD no BluRay… LOL… spectacular…
Normally I use painting services Robert “GREG” Jackson) for my 6MM (mainly BACCUS), but here I indulged myself a bit and did some brush detail… the models are LEVEN painted by REVEILLE.
Enjoy!
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On the Baccus Forum we had a lively discussion or debate about the basing of ACW Cavalry.
After reading books about Brandy Station, Trevilian Station and others… I concluded that I needed more variety than the standard 60x30MM base (one brigade) of many stablished popular rules.
Here are the results.
Of course I will do my own thing as usual!
Enjoy!
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Some of you have been patient enough to follow this reenactment/wargame until the end. I will add some pics (final… you must be tired!) and then will give you my “conclusions”.
I was surprised that with minor variations the action or battle went so smoothly well (and not The Bolshoi Ballet syndrome at all). It was my first try of home rules ACW which I will not bother to explain in detail (and if I ever do… they will be downloadable for free as my book). The fact of introducing limits at what Brigade and Divisions could do before getting tired/spent/out of ammo and for how long was a success, the idea of throwing a dice per brigade stand to see if they engaged the enemy when close to it (there when the thing matters) was also a box of surprises but went quite well too. Minor things were the survival of Mansfield, the performance of the Irish Brigade (Union), the fast crossing of Burnside’s bridge… but overall quite “historical”.
I have had doubts before it, but now they are clear to me… I have more fun with the real characters of the ACW than with imaginary generals. For a solo wargame it went well and to my taste (HOW NOT?).
That one can have pleasure reenacting America’s bloodiest day is only a matter of perspective… no one died… my toy soldiers will live to fight another day… Brandy Station, Gettysburg and Trevilian Station are projects on the near future. Cavalry did nothing but to find a ford in the present one… and Stuart was an spectator. And after all I have all those Cavalry Brigade stands…
The ACW is for me the last of the “old wars” and even “romantic” to a point… morals were different back then… some protagonists were deeply religious… and some had been too much exposed to Walter Scott’s novels. I try to keep it that way a serious affair but with a bit of taste thrown in.
Enjoy!
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Yesterday was the climax of the battle… Mansfield stabilized the right flank (Union)… Sumner was involved in a great firefight against the Confederates in the sunken road… Burnside did cross the bridge and went to the other side…
I expect to continue for a few more moves and see if DH HIll Division comes from Harper’s Ferry on time as in the real battle. I tend to allow that possibilitiy a high average of success because it did happen.
For those interested in the real thing instead of my ramblings read A LANDSCAPE TURNED RED by Sears… or even the Osprey would do.
For me it was like seeing a movie and understanding a lot of things… I would probably bore you till the end of it…
Enjoy (if you do).
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Today was a fantastic series of historical moves and actions!
Not only Hooker was wounded (and replaced by Meade as in real life!), Burnside troops crossed the bridge of his name in their first try!… part of the troops were heading for the ford anyway… Sumner is going to pitch against the sunken road… the last division of Hooker’s Corps is entangled with Hood’s Texans…
I am enjoying myself immensely… and glad to say so… it was worthwhile collecting allthose minis and stands.
Enjoy!
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Well, an update was needed… Hooker’s first and second Divisions are tired/spent and Mansfield is coming up. Six Union Brigades depleted are going to the rear area and would not intervene in te battle again.
Same on the other side, Jackson’s Eight Brigades are gone to the rear spent/tired/out of ammo (whatever in my rules)… and concentrate around Sharpsburg… Funnily enough (say dice are wise) The Louisiana Tigers did put a fierce show until forced to retire.
We are in for Sumner’s attack and Burnside’s crossing the bridge of his name…
I may be accused of making the rules as things develop which is not true… by luck they do function but will adjust once this particular reenactment is finished.
Enjoy! (If you are interested in this series)
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There are seven Posts so far… but that does not mean it equals seven turns or seven hours… so do not extrapolate please… it is a slow and quite parsimonious tale.
After chaotic fighting for the cornfield Hooker’s First Division retires and he throws in his other two divisions supported by Artillery. The Confederates also replaced their tired troops by fresh one’s and the fighting continues.
Sumner is advancing as planned and so is Mansfield!
The morning goes on… but the day is young yet… Burnside continues doing nothing… (except sending cavalry patrols to find a ford) McClellan is worried by his imaginary inferiority in numbers (THAT is very difficult to translate to the tabletop… but I guess having Franklin and Porter in RESERVE account for that!).
I can only play about an hour or so a day (and not everyday because real life intrudes a lot… but it is fantastic to have a permanent table in a safe place!… you know what I mean…no one is messing with the tabletop at all… but me)
So far so good. satisfied… still working on mechanisms but the battle flows quite right!
Enjoy!
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As promised… a division of Hooker’s Corps goes forward, a Brigade simply refused to move so instead of 4 brigades only 3 make the attack… Confederates have their problems too. All that because one thing is “to move around in the countryside” and other to move against an enemy. (Dice involved simulated field of vision and local orography… but also excuses -read officer’s characteristics-to do not move…).
So I used red and blue dices to show the relative strength in numbers of Brigades. Those are added to a six sided dice result and there must be a real difference in pips to have a decisive result (one or two pips difference are ignored)… More in following attacks. Brigades have a tendency to stand or even recoil quite easily… more difficult to press attacks… There was even a case of enfilade fire that did not succeed!… I had fun (not guaranteed)!
As I have said before 4 turns is the maximum “time” (time is flexible again) a Brigade can stand on the frontline fighting… afterwards must retire tired even if victorious… some exceptions will be worked on further on. This is shown with the use of white and black mini dice. So in fact I micromanage the fights that seems “hours” to participants… while the rest of the Corps (both sides) await results.
Quite if not completely satisfied with the first experimental solo rules… ties where resolved with the turn of a card for each side… if that also (it did not happen) was a tie I have gone to the deck of ultra rare or unpredictable tides of war situations that happened in real life.
My kind of “game” is quite impartial and develops like a film or scene… I am an spectator of it… but I expect Armies to behave like the Historical one’s. So far so good.
More next days.
Enjoy!
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Guess this afternoon I will proceed to reenact the first clash between Hooker and Jackson… it is slow sometimes I agree… but I am still experimenting with command&control and combat mechanisms. It must be tiresome to follow… but at least you have plenty of pics (curiously enough my mobile phone does it better than my old camera)…
My table is flat (got criticized by that in facebook) which does not mean the real terrain was flat at all that is taken care of by visibility options but also the fact that once firing starts smoke and noise will prevent God’s Own View… I mean it is probably God’s Own Scale… but the troops engaged where “lost” in the chaos of the firefight.
One of my phobias concerning Toy Soldiers is stands “balancing” in imposible positions over railroad scenery modeling terrain… sorry chaps… but this is what it is… neither troops fighting on top of woods a la LITTLE WARS TV way (which has very good points and creativity -aka Trafalgar- but not that particular one!)
Hope you follow me.
Enjoy!
