Friday at Historicon

 

  A most busy and fun day! Lots to do and see and met up with old and new friends.

 Started the day with playing in Jim Purky's massive game of the attack on Khartoum.  As based on the movie!   It was massive (3 tables) , it was spectacular (54mm)and it was great fun.  Here are a couple pictures but to due justice I am going to do a separate post on it.  Stay tuned.

  In the dealers area it was outstanding to actual see and talk with the people you have been buying stuff from over the years. One really nice thing was the demo games rule writers put on to teach you their new rule sets.

   I was especially happy to met  Joerg Bender from "Things From The Basement." He makes the wonderful MDF buildings you see on my table.  

 Games!  Lots of games and spread out over three floors.  All scales and  all types.  Here are a few pictures.

 

USN in the Pacific

The Alamo in 15mm

USMC in the Pacific

very nice ACW game with excellent terrain

very small scale ACW

Cowboy shoot out game

ACW skirmish game

  Now I am off to play another game!

Thursday at Historicon

 

  After leaving my house about 8:30 AM we drove straight down to Lancaster Pennsylvania.  We arrived at the hotel about 3:09 PM, took a quick nap then headed over to the Convention center.  Because we could not get rooms at the center we are staying outside the city.  Rather then bother with trying to find parking and high parking rates we took Uber.  This worked very nicely for us.    After registering we checked out the dealers area and then wandered through the games.  I bumped into a number if old friends and individuals I had not seen in too many years.  Then it was back to the hotel, a bit of supper and try to get some sleep before the big day tomorrow.  One thing I quickly learned was to bring a charger for my cell phone!   Between uber and pictures and texting home the battery was drained!

  While in the dealers area  I discovered a newish miniature company;  at least to me.  Venture Minuatures focus on the War of Austrian Succession and make 28/30mm figures for the British, French, Hanovarian and Austrian armies.  The figures were done by Dave Wilson who studied under Edward Suren.  Because of this the minuatures have the visual appearance and charm of his old Willie figures.  To me these are outstanding miniatures.

  In addition to the military there are also a number if civilian figures.  These represent both upper and lower classes as well as a neat sedan chair.  Perfect for adding interest to your 18th century table top battles.

  If interested please check out the website for Venture Minuatures at:

https://www.ventureminiatures.com/jackdaw-miniatures/

You will be very glad you did!

  

On The Road Again

               

  And we are off and running!  Leaving this morning on our way to Historicon.  Its about a seven hour drive for us so should be there early this evening.   Once there we will check in and take a walk about the venue and perhaps the flea market area.

 I am signed up for two games;  on Friday morning in Jim Purky's Storming of Khartoum game and Saturday afternoon Eric Turner's Battle of Queenston Heights game.  Both look exciting and I am looking forward to them.  

More news to follow!

Historicon 2023

 

The big Wargames convention Historicon is later this week.  I have not been to any convention since back in 2018.  My good friend George just called and asked if I would be interested in driving down to attend.  Lets see if we can get our act together.  More to follow!

Club Game Night: Sails of Glory

 

  Taking a little break from the War of 1812 Friday was our club game night.  There were three games set up, An Ancients battle, a WW2 action and Mike Bailey put in a naval action with his Sails of Glory ships.

  The scenario was a what if Nelson caught Napoleon's fleet on route to Egypt.  There were four ships for fact sure set-up.  The British ships had to sail into the wind (very slow going) and we're mostly 74guns.  The French thus had better speed and two big 100+ ships.  in the action that followed my ship passed by a French ship and we exchanged passing shots.  I then spent the game trying to turn about and return to the sction.  Obviously I did not get points for my ship sailing.

  Unfortunately Nelson sailed his ship between the two French 100+ men if war with very predictable results.  The two French ships later sailed into each other in what we landlubbers would call a collision.  Unfortunately in the basic rules the results were ignored.  At the end of the evening two British ships were gone and one French ship sunk.

  I enjoyed the game and Mike did a fantastic job.  It's only n the second sailing ships game I have played in and it was great fun.

BRITISH FORCES, BATTLE OF LUNDY’S LANE, JULY 25, 1814

 

  In setting up the game I found the British/Canadian order of Battle to be a bit of a head ache.    You find full sized regiments, detachments from regiments and individual companies on the field.  You have detachments from various militia regiments formed together into a brigade which is really just a full sized regiment.  All most confusing.  

  This is my best guess of the order of battle and how I will organized it.  Remember that I use six stands of four figures as the average unit, eight stands of four figures as large, four stands of four figures as small, and two stands of four as tiny. Any stands of skirmish troops were split front and back into two half-stands, each pair counting as one stand for unit size.  Please feel free to change based on your research or preferences.

Lieutenant General Drummond, commanding

RIGHT DIVISION (Major General Riall)  AT LUNDY’S LANE :

2nd (Light) Brigade (Lieutenant Colonel Pearson)

 Infantry Glengarry Light Infantry (Lieutenant Colonel Battersby): (376) Average unit

 Incorporated Militia of Upper Canada (Lieutenant Colonel Robinson): (356) Average unit

Cavalry 19th Light Dragoons (Major Lisle): 95 

Royal Artillery; medium

1st Militia Brigade (Lieutenant Colonel Parry) *

(300) Average unit

Native Allies (Captain Norton) (50) Tiny unit

Note:  cavalry played little role in thus battle and can be omitted.  But as wargamers love there cavalry charges and cannot help themselves here they are.

 Lieutenant Colonel Morrison's Brigade:

1st (Royal Scots) Regiment (Captain Brereton): detachment (171) Small unit

8th (King’s) Regiment (Captain Campbell): (company 65) Tiny unit

41st Regiment (Captain Glew): (light company 60) Tiny unit

89th Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Morrison): (425) Large uniy

Royal Artillery (Lieutenant Thomkyns/Tomkyns) Heavy guns

Royal Marine Artillery, Congreve Rocket Section (Sergeant Austin) 

1st Brigade (Colonel Hercules Scott) 

 1st (Royal Scots) Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Gordon):(400) large unit 

 8th (King’s) Regiment (Major Evans): detachment, (275) 

103rd Regiment (Major Smelt) (635) large unit

104th Regiment (Captain Leonard): detachment (120) small unit

Artillery (Captain Mackonochie): medium guns

2nd Militia Brigade (Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton)**  (250) average unit

*1st / 2nd / 4th / 5th Lincoln Militias: detachments 2nd York Militia (Major Simons)

**1st / 2nd Norfolk Militias: detachments 1st Essex Militia: detachment 1st Middlesex Militia: detachment Western (Caldwell’s) Rangers: 

AMERICAN FORCES, BATTLE OF LUNDY’S LANE, JULY 25, 1814

 

  In setting up a game based on The Battle of Lundy's Lane the first step was to see if I had the painted soldiers and how to organize the various regiments.  It is a time honoured tradition to have a ratio of men to figures.  So if you are using a 10:1 ratio a 240 man Regiment equals 24 figures.  Being an iconoclastic individual I like the way Black Powder rules has different sizes for various regiments.  Large, average, small and tiny. So for most of my games I use a standard size unit and for this game I   chose six stands of four figures as the average unit, eight stands of four figures as large, four stands of four figures as small, and two stands of four figures as tiny. Any stand of skirmish troops were split front and back into two half-stands. Artillery is organized into heavy, medium and light guns.  Cavalry played very little role in this battle.  Commanders used them ad mounted messengers and such.  But wargamers just love to send cavalry in useless and futile charges.  So if you must have your mounted heroes field then ad a Tiny unit.

  If you are thinking of fighting out this battle on your own and would rather use a man to figure ratio never fear!  I have provided the rank and file numbers for each regiment so you can organize your armies as you see fit.  Please feel free to use what works best for you.  

  And for those who like such things I have added the regimental commanders name for each unit.  Doesn't effect the game but I like things of this nature. Obviously I have no life or too much time on my hands.

US LEFT DIVISION:  

Major General Brown, commanding

 First Brigade (Brigadier General Winfield Scott) 

Ninth Regiment (Major Leavenworth): (200) average unit

Eleventh Regiment (Major McNeil): (200) average unit

Twenty-Second Regiment (Colonel Brady): (300) average unit

Twenty-Fifth Regiment (Major Jesup): (380). Large unit

Attached light company (Ketchum) tiny

Captain Towson’s Battery  medium unit

Second Brigade (Brigadier General Ripley) 

First Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas): (150) (detachment)  small unit

Twenty-First Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Miller): (432)  large unit

Twenty-Third Regiment (Major McFarland): (300) average unit

Captain Biddle’s Battery  medium unit

Captain Ritchie’s Battery  medium unit

 Third Brigade (Brigadier General Porter) 

New York State Militia (Lieutenant Colonel Dobbin): (250)  average unit

Fifth Pennsylvania Militia (Major Wood): (246). Average unit

Canadian Volunteers (Lieutenant Colonel Willcocks): (50). Tiny unit (skirmish)

 Cavalry (Captain Harris) 

U.S. Light Dragoons (Captain Harris): 1 Troop 

New York State Militia Dragoons (Captain Broughton): volunteers 

Combined Total: 70 All Ranks. Tiny unit