More Odds and Ends

Last month being ACW month, not only did I manage the game, but I also did quite a bit of painting of ACW figures. Here are some pictures:

A Confederate cavalry horse holder. I now have one for each side, but, having added to my cavalry units recently, with more dismounted figures as well, I need some more horse holders! Perhaps someone should do a 28mm hard plastic set of dismounted ACW cavalry and horse holders. I think that would be a good seller. My big wish would be hard plastic artillery teams and limbers!

Reading about ACW battles where one or both sides is well entrenched, it often mentions skirmishers being forward of the main line in rifle pits/fox holes or the equivalent, so I thought I would make a few from left over figures.

A Confederate North Carolina regiment.

Three Union regiments.

Next ACW month I think I will do some artillery and cavalry, to try and keep the balance right!

And I also managed to finish the last Erymanthian dragoon regiment which had been sitting on my desk for ages. One of those units that felt like a chore to paint. Anyway, it's finished. I now have only a cuirassier regiment to paint and that will be all the Erymanthian cavalry done!

Dark blue coat, as is customary for Erymanthian units, with yellow facings. The officers are the figures with black over white plumes. There are four Erymanthian dragoon regiments in all, with one hussar, one lancer, one militia (Cossack-style - there is an underlying Russian theme to Erymanthia when it comes to most of their figures) and two cuirassier regiments, plus a guard regiment and a guard escort squadron, which I think is enough!

I am quite pleased with my new style of flags - smaller and less intricate and easier to draw/paint/colour. The eagle-eyed amongst my small huddle of followers may have spotted the change from the originals of years ago!

Odds and Ends

Well, the threatened thunderstorms in this part of the UK did not materialise, but we had some rain, which was good for the parched garden. As well as a few games last month, I managed some painting/terrain making for various of my campaigns. Here are some photographs:

Made out of random items from the odds and ends box, this piece of scenery will be for my Sci-Fi/Future Wars Avrupan campaign. Part of some factory complex or such like. I have to confess that the impact of drones on contemporary warfare has completely thrown my ideas/past rules on future conflict simulation. I am now wondering whether to set the Avrupan world in a 1950s-1980s background, with perhaps some futuristic aspects added in (mainly to do with communications?).

Rebasing my Petaudia figures onto unit bases continues slowly. These are two units of dwarves, the figures were from Vendel Miniatures many years ago and I still think they are the best representation of dwarves I have ever seen.

For those who missed the original post, the idea is to move away from single based figures as Dragon Rampant is designed for and to have the relevant figures all on one round base. This speeds up movement, but particularly avoids the peculiar sight of 12 bowmen in a row, all of them able to hit a target 18" away from the figure on one end! Also, as there are no flanks or rears in Dragon Rampant, I can rotate the unit to engage its attackers quickly.

Yes, I know the bases are a bit thick, but they are the cork coasters I came across first which prompted the idea. I have sourced some thinner cork ones now. However, metal figures need a thicker coaster to prevent them sagging! I know MDF would be much more rigid and less thick, but given how many units I have to rebase, this would be a bit too much of an expense! Apologies to those who do not like doorstep bases, but it does for me!

A small mediaeval cannon for Petaudia. These are painted in the green and yellow livery of general mercenaries. This is an MDF base!

Two teams and limbers for the Erymanthian army in my Fescennia campaign. I have nearly all the units I want to have for the three principal nations, so I am now adding in the extras - artillery teams and limbers being a priority. Original figures from Lancashire Games, 25mm metal.

Two limbers for the Nemean army. These are Old Glory 25mm, I think.

And lastly, a grenadier regiment from the R.F.T.C. - the Royal Fescennian Trading Company - a minor player on the continent, which I am gradually creating units for. Think British East India Company for an historical parallel.

I have changed my weekly wargames theme to a monthly one now, allowing me to spend more time engrossed in one campaign or area of interest. So, last month was Fescennia; this month is ACW. Hopefully I shall get in several games.

Napoleonic "Imagi-nation" Game

Back to Napoleonic "imagi-nations" this month. A battle between Arcadia and Nemea, using Scenario 1 from Mr. S. Asquith's book, Scenarios for all ages. I tweaked the Arcadian side a bit to match my available figures, but otherwise kept to the basic description. I played solo, so had the Nemeans on defence just hold the ridge, noting fancy, and directed the Arcadian side, with a flanking move and a fixing advance. However I put in a die roll for the Arcadian right wing commander to go over to a full assault on the ridge, which he promptly did! The game played for nearly 12 turns, which I set as a maximum.

Rules this time were an amended Napoleonic version I have cobbled together of the Perry's ACW "Firepower", which I have quite liked for that period, especially as they have variable move rates, which is handy for solo gaming. They are also quick and uncomplicated, which I find more and more is the type of game I am enjoying, especially as my time on the dining room table is limited and I really like to see a game reach a conclusion! So not "Old School" in the fullest sense, but not far off as a set, I would say. They also avoid the activation of units by die roll or cards which I am not that keen on; i like to get on a move the units and make my own blunders! Which I do!

Here are some photographs, some with added captions on them. I plan to do the next scenario soon to further test the rules. Figures are mostly Hinchliffe 25mm metal, with Perry or Victrix 28mm hard plastic and some Old Glory 25mm metal as well. Flags are homemade, uniforms entirely original, not based on a particular country. All figures individually based, in the "Old School" style.