July 3rd Parade

 

  Set up a parade of some of my Continental Line.  Along a country road  reinforced brigade marches under the watchful eye of the Commander in Chief, some towns folks and some non interested sheep.   

Regiments include the 9th Continental (1st RI) and 11th Continental (2nd RI)  line battalions.

The 1st and 3rd New York, Smallwood's Maryland  and 19th Continental regiments.

Also an opportunity to show off my new roads from Wargames Terrain.  

I will post a few more Continental and Militia pictures tomorrow.  Then Sir William Howe's army the next day.

A Very Bad Day

 

Its a very dark day for our country.  I promised once to never post anything political.  Today, upset and horrified I will break my promise.  Back to more pleasant things tomorrow.

Historicon 2024! Who is going?

 

Its that time of the year!  Two weeks to the Historicon wargame convention.  Getting ready to go.  Anyone else out there going?

June Game Night

 

Last Friday was club game night.  As usual members put on three different games.  Usually these are in different time periods.   Here was a run down if what was offered.

Scot Landies and Gordon Pitsley - Napoleonics

Rules: Sons of Napoleon, 28mm, 2-6 Players

The club’s newest members host a new set of rules. French troops face off with an Anglo-Portuguese troops in 1812 Spain.  Division commanders on each side participate in a larger corps sized engagement. You’re not quite sure what is happening on your flanks, but the Corps Commander is sure to visit during the battle and give you direction! Just when you think you are making progress, your fellow division commander may falter on your flank, or you may walk into the fire zone of an enemy grand battery! Players face some unique challenges beyond just their opponents across the table. Join the battle as we try this new rule set with a unique card driven combat system.

Bob Oulette - Rome versus Carthage

Rules: Commands & Colors Ancient, 28mm, 4-6 Players

In 205 BC, Hannibal’s younger brother Magon landed a Carthaginian army at Genova to reinforce Hannibal in Italy. But before Magon could link up with Hannibal, the Roman praetor Publio Quinctilio Varo forced him to give battle. This is a fight between two equal size, yet asymmetric forces that could decide the fate of Hannibal’s Italian adventure.

George Zanni - The Battle of Mobile Bay

Rules: Gridded Naval Wargames by Bob Cordery, ACW 1/600 ships on a grid cloth, 2 - 8 Players

This is a fast-play set of rules. In the past, we had two games in 2.5 hours.

Rear Admiral Farragut tries to take the city of Mobile with the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. Wooden sea-going broadside ships and up to four monitors. The Confederates tried to stop Farragut with a few small wooden ships, a ram or two, one Ironclad, a few shore batteries, and the will of God. There are mines in the waters that are capable of sending a ship to the bottom.

Note: This is my fantasy version of ACW Naval. Fast and simple; it’s a game, not a reenactment. 

American Civil War ships

 

On Monday a small group of us got together to play a Civil War ship game.  The period is fascinating because developments in ship building went crazy with a variety of unusual ships appearing.  George agreed to put the game on using a variation of the Gridded Naval Wargames by Bob Cordery.  These are played on a hex type mat and are very simple but not dumb.  instead they simple down the things that can happen.  A lot of chrome is left out but that still gives you a fun game.  

Your basic ship types are monitors with turrets, casement ironclads, steam ships, paddlewhellers and rams.  Each ship has its advantages and disadvantage.  Iron ships can take a incredible amount of damage but are very very slow.  Steam ships are fast and have lots of guns but limited amount of damage.  Paddlers are really manoverable.  And rams can if course ram and are very fast but very fragile.  

The game was four union ships had to get pass the Confederate ships.  There were islands and sand bars in there way. 

 

Warren and I took the Union fleet ;  warren had a monitor and a steamer, I had two steamers. 

 John and Phil took the Confederate fleet of two paddelers, A steamer and a iron clad.

The game moved very fast.  First phase both sides shot and add damages.  Then both sides roll with high side moves first.  islands block movement and you cannot fire over them.  Sandbags will cause your ship to ground and be stuck;  but you can fire over them. 

The Union navy charged forward.  I took two Steamers and made straight for the lower passage while Warren with the monitor made for the northern rout.  Basically we found out very quickly that iron ships are clumsy and slow.  It was the wooden ships that did most of the fighting.  I used my two steam powered frigates to race pass an casement iron clad ship.  Then the extra number of guns to blast the smaller paddelers who came out to fight one at a time.  In the end the Union eliminated three of four Confederate ships and exited off the table.

There was enough time left in the day we reversed roles and played again.  Similar results with the Union again winning.  Two games in one day that's a record.  The rules are simple but with twists and provide a fun game.  Naval purists will moan and complain about how unrealistic the rules are.  Well, they are.  They simplify lots of things so a die roll gives you a result.  A game can be played in a reasonable amount of time and gives a reasonable accurate result.  But best of all you get to play with these unusual and strange ships and have a fun day out.  Ill take that any day of the week.

On the Cover of The Rolling Stones

 

Ok, not the song from Dr Hook & The Medicine Show. But a most happy and pleasant surprise.  My friend Warren recently gifted me a collection of the glossy edition of the Courier wargamer magazine.  While you g through them I noticed the cover of the last issue with some very nice Seven Years War Prussian infantry.  They look familiar I though.  And so they were!  I had painted these in the early 1980's and sold them to another friend Bill Pritchard.  And here they were on the cover of the Courier magazine.  I got a nice credit inside for the paint job.

Game night

 

Late in posting as my time is taken up by major house projects.   But I had a very nice game night at the club.  Here is what was played;

John Magnifico - Summer 1942, Action in the south Pacific

Rules: Nimitz, 1/2400, 2-6 Players

I played in this one and had a grand time.  Sunk two IJN crushers and two DD.

Mark DeCoteau - WWII Air Combat

Rules:Blood Red Skies By Hexes, 1/200, 4-6 Players

Evacuating towards Gibraltar from a thorough trouncing at Malta, the British Mediterranean Fleet is under attack from Italian and German aircraft operating off their new island. Torpedo and dive bombers have found a British carrier task force and are moving in for an attack.  British Martlets rise up to defend their carrier and escorts. Anti-aircraft crews man their weapons ready to put up a protective curtain of defensive fire. Join the game and see if you can sink Allied hopes in the Med or defend the remnants of British hopes for North Africa.

This was a great looking game as are all of Mark's.  The group playing g looked like they were having a good time.

Mike Coppinger - Strength and Honour - First Punic War

Rules: Strength and Honour Ancients, 6mm, 4 Players

Mike's game was in 6mm and looked super.  Really outstanding.