I have a HUGE collection of models for use with this 'beer and pretzel' style game and can happily field forces for all the major combatants - including air assets. I was debating about whether or not I should be offloading these as the scale - 1/1800th - for the models is too large to use at home. The solution has partially presented itself and it comes from a variety of sources. The naval rules in Tabletop Battles by Mike and Joyce Smith make use of a 4" square grid - this being used with a model taking up two of the squares. Now with a little tweaking and borrowing of ideas from the aforementioned Barry Carters book - especially using two squares for models - I think I may be able to tweak something for use with the smaller grid. Even HMS Hood will fit on two 4" squares (see the picture above) so it would be worth considering. I must confess that the prospect of painting the 1/3000th versions of the models I already have would be challenging to say the least!
The WW1 and Pre Dreadnought forces will need to be in 1/3000 though so it means that I will be able to use the 4" square gridded cloth - or even the bespoke boards mentioned in a previous post - for all my naval games.
Enthused by this discovery, I shall make a strenuous effort to get the last batch of 30 aircraft bases finished for the Fleet Air Arm, the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica.
4 comments:
Interesting to see the Axis and Allies: War At Sea stuff. I picked up a few a while back on eBay with the idea of playing a few games using the Mongoose Rules. Not quite sure if I got to a viable forces - will have to dig them out and get planning!
I must confess that whilst the rules with the game are quite good fun - I ran a Bismarck type North Atlantic breakout scenario using them - they are very much in the 'beer and pretzel' mould. The models are great gaming pieces but I am quite sure will offend the rivit counters no end! I especially like the idea for the aircraft bases. ebay is a great place to pick up stuff for this and the third expansion is due out later this year.
Dave Manley HATES them with a passion! :-)
They are very much an acquired taste and some are certainly better than others. The paint jobs range from average to poor but I certainly wont be looking to repaint them anytime soon! On the tabletop they look fine though - I use a royal blue double sheet gridded with 8" squares on the equivalent of a table tennis when playing at the club. We had some pictures from the Bismarck breakout kicking around somewhere so I will try to find them. Let me know what fleets you are building as I have quite a number of spares you may be able to find a use for.
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