Basing the Crown Forces

  Updated Note:  If you are directed here from the Miniature Pages it is because Tango stole this link.  I have asked him to please either give my blog credit or stop linking here.  Although he promised to stop taking my work without giving me credit obviously he has not. Nor am I able to respond to him.  Each time I have i have been blocked on TMP by the editors.  I guess free speech only applies if you agree with the topic.  On TMP you cannot speak your mind only what bill says you can and if he agrees with it.

   Since he has gone back on his word and cares nothing about honesty  I will be blocking him in the future.  That man contributes nothing and instead fills the TMP site with the work  of other people.  Glad you liked it!  I guess Bill tolerates it since without him there would be little content as he has driven away all the better contributors.

  Oh!  And for those who disagree with my opinion on bill, tango and TMP please go and listen to this song....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqbk9cDX0l0

Basing Washington's Army 1776

   Nothing brings you out of a funk then a project.  So its troubles behind me and back to re basing my American Rev War collection.  The difficult and very messy part of soaking the old stands in water and popping if futures off is now done.  The new bases and extra static grass has arrived and its time to start gluing figures to bases.

  I am using a mixture of bases for how I mount my American army.  Early accounts of the war talk about problems with formations and maneuver and different drill manuals.  All of which caused confusion.  so I too will mix it up and use a couple different methods if bases and also unit strengths.  All, I hope will give a unique flavor and look to my army.

  After reviewing American troop returns for 1776 I noticed most regiments had around 200 to 300 rank and file.  So that is were I am going with unit sizes based on a 10:1 figure to man ratio.  My smallest units had 200 men so 20 figures will do it.  I am going to cheat by having a extra stand so if I want I can field them at 24 figures.  These will be four figure stands, of two figures up and two back. Five or six  stands per battalion.

 I will have a few 24 figure regiments.  I am looking at three eight figures stands for these.

Most of the regiments will have 30 figures.  These are six figures per stand with five stands.  All these systems let me have the colors displayed in the center of each regiment.  Looks are important.

  My light units right now are Rifle armed.  Because these seldom fought in line I am facing them two figures on a round base.  In addition I may paint up a few extra skirmishes type figures and give each line Regiment one or two stands to represent men sent out as skirmishers.  This could give players something fun to have in a game.

  Militia regiments are to be organized by eight figure stands.  Because they are all in civilian clothing I can field a battalion with three or four stands.  Great flexibility.  I am also doing a bunch of two figure skirmishers stands because militia do like to do that thing.

Cavalry will have two figures per stand and artillery are staying the same.

I am officaly retired

 

 Ok, not hobby related at all but a rant about life.  Please do not feel like you should read this unless of course you want a reason to have a drink....

  I have mentioned my accident at work back in March 2022.   While I am doing better I still have a number of issues such as hand eye coordination and not being able to drive (everything is too fast and I cannot process what is going on around me quickly enough).  Crowds cause confusion and load noises add to my daily headaches.   But I can get out and start doing things again.  The medical issue in my head with the tumor appears to be not growing and stable so that is very good.  

  Thus it was with great surprise I received a certified letter from my employer JetBlue on Thursday.   It said because of my injuries and my not being able to perform my job for a year the company was terminating my employment for admission reasons.  All benefits are forfeited.  Effective Friday September 1, 2023.   And thank you for your years of dedicated service.  After recovering from my shock I looked into it legally and yes a company can do this.  My email was shout down  and no calls returned.  I have no retirement benefits like flights.  

  So, I guess technically I am unemployed but being retired sounds so much better.  

I will now end this rant and move on with life.  Thank you for listening, I feel better.  And if you tonight rise a glass of adult beverage please do so and with this toast;  "Here's to the pencil pushers.  May they all get lead poisoning."

Thank you for listening.

Seminole Test Game: Battle of Lake Okeechobee

 

 In October Dave will be putting on a very large Seminole war game for the club.  A forgotten period in the 1830's the Seminole wars are a fascinating period that is too often forgotten or ignored.  Dave is extremely knowledgeable about it and over the years I have learned a lot about it from him.

the great man himself!

  Dave has also been trying to find a set of rules which are playable and capture the sense of the period.  Not much to ask I know.  After rejecting a number of rules during the play tests he has settled on "Our Mochicins Trickled Blood."  I know, its a very odd name! The rules are very playable and capture a sense of the scale between skirmish and company level.  And they move fast which is what you want in a game.  I will  explain some concepts as the game moves on. 

  The  Battle of Lake Okeechobee centered around American General Taylor attacking across a swamp with a mixed force of Regulars and  militia/volunteers who's goal is to capture the village and its people which will force the warriors to surrender.   Although they are outnumbered two to one the crafty Osceola has prepared a deadly welcome.  Historicaly after struggling through five foot tall sawgrass and swamp they find the ground has been cleared judt in front of the woods where the Seminole have taken position.   The goal is to delay the Americans long enough to allow the women and children to escape across the river.  

Warren at top of page measures to move his US regulars.

  Our play test starts with about half the American forces on the table struggling to get through the saw grass and cross the swamp. Two companies of US Regulars on the right and four companies militia on the left.   Osceola and his warriors are positioned in the woods. Four warrior bands on the right and the left.  In the rules its a IGUG turn sequence.  In addition each command rolls for his many operations it can do a turn.  A operation can be move, change formation, fire, or reload. You get the idea.  Depending on unit type and dice roll you can get 1, 2 or 3 operations.

  The first couple turns saw the Regulars and Militia struggle through the terrain.  Once across the swamp and into the open ground that changed.  The Seminoles rolled high and got three operations.  so we got to fire, reload and fire again.  I smashed the militia skirmish line in front of me and George shot up one company of regulars.

US Regulars

Militia

 Next turn we rolled poorly and got 1 operation while they got 2.  So the Americans dashed forward while all we could do was reload.  

 As the US regulars and militia closed for fighting we were luck and again got 3 operations.  So we could fire twice at them before combat.

 Unfortunately for them I rolled really well and decimated the militia.  They had enough for the day and turned around and skedaddled home!e George had a harder fight since one company got through.  But in the fight they also failed morale and fell back.

  At this point we paused the game as the second wave of Americans prepared to enter the fight.  We felt the rules worked well and we all had now got the feeling for them.  We decided to break and get together again next week to try the entire scenario from the start.  

So stay tuned for the next round!

 

Moving along with basing

 

  Making great progress with the re basing project.   I have most of my Crown Forces infantry off the old bases and onto the new ones.  Time consuming but messy.  Soak old bases over night in water and off they come.  Clean up the mess then onto to gluing figures onto new bases.

  I mentioned I was using large bases of eight figures mounted four  up front by four behind.   Four of these stands  equals a battalion for line.  Guards, Grenadier and Highland regiments were larger so they get an extra stand.  

 Here is a British line battalion (17th) on the new stands.  to make sure the colors are in the center (a personal bugaboo of mine, too many years carrying the colors in my reenactment unit) I cut one stand in half to fit on either end of the line.  This also will  help in casualty removal.   For light troops which can flight in line and also open order I will use regular stands but a few less figures.  This represents them in a more open formations.  To go into skirmish order just leave a gap between stands.

 Next its onto painting and adding static grass to the stands. Then its onto the cavalry and then Washington's army.  Easier said then done.