Where we are or the state of the Union

 One of ‘Pook’s Turtles’ in action

As I have now reached the point where I can go no further with the models for both the ACW and the Russo Turkish War I figured it would a good point to take stock and think about the next phase of the projects in more detail. In truth I could push on by improvising the pieces I need but as these are being cut by Warbases I may as well wait and make construction that little bit easier!

For the ACW the plan is to build another six side wheel paddle steamers - 3 for each side - of which four are under construction and awaiting parts from Warbases (which have now been ordered) to finish. There will be a couple of ‘Pook’s Turtles’ in the mix and then some screw gunboat types. The eagle-eyed amongst you will no doubt have noticed that his will take me beyond the original estimate of 24 models. This is not a problem as the figure of 24 models was always going to be the core of the collection - specific models could then be added as and when required. I like the idea of a couple stern wheelers but need to get my head around the rear wheel and how best to represent it.

For the Russo Turkish War I have four gunboats to build for the Turks along with six ironclads. With the two monitors already built that will give me twelve Turkish ships. For the Russians I shall be building two gunboats, six spar torpedo boats, three armed merchant types and of course a couple of circular gunboats - simply because I can! I rather like the idea of adding some later ironclads in to the Russian fleet but will have to see.

For the moment though I need to focus on getting the models on the table so over the course of the next few days battle will be joined.

In respect of the games I shall be running going forwards I have decided to work to the following format.

There will be three blog posts. The first will cover the background and will set the scene. The second will be the game itself whilst the third will cover the after action ‘wash up’ with thoughts on the rules and similar.

I want to adopt this approach as it means I can focus on each part in more detail - the purple prose can run freely!

‘Big Wheels Keep on Turning....’

First of the Union paddle steamers....

....in company with the first of the Confederates.

Ready for action along the rivers and in the swampy bayous.

 Slightly ahead of schedule the final two completed models for the ACW project are now completed (and with flags!). I have a change on mind about these as originally I was going to build half a dozen or so paddle steamers and purposely leave them I flagged so that I could use them for whichever side needed them. Instead I am going to flag them and as a result each side will now have three side wheelers. I may pop in a couple of sternwheelers at some point but have not decided yet.

These two are definitely gunboat looking but are not consciously modelled on any particular vessel. They are representative of the types pressed into service by both sides and used along the rivers and in the swampy bayous.

I have gone as far as I can for the moment with the ACW ships although I have a further four models under construction. Warbases are back in action on the custom order front next week so I can get the parts I need to finish these as well as those for the Russo Turkish collection.

I have now built and completed 15 models for the ACW and have a further 9 to make to complete the collection.

For now though, my thoughts need to turn to the impending action I am planning to run and set along the approached to the Confederate stronghold of Immobile Bay.

My Effort has been Flagging....

The Confederates....

....and their Union counterparts.

 Did you see what I did there? My effort has been flagging and so the current batch of ACW models have been finished off with the small but oh so important addition of their respective flags.

I think I mentioned that Tony at Brigade Models (a throughly nice chap by the way) produced the flags for me and has done a really cracking job on them. As ever with this project I have taken more than a few historical liberties as to the location of the flags etc on the actual models. I mentioned about the Confederate naval ensign yesterday - I have deliberately avoided the later version - but for the Union it was straightforward enough. It was quite obvious from my research that monitors and casemate ironclads, being usually somewhat deficient in the ‘masts and spars’ department tended to put flagstaffs pretty much anywhere there was some room and seemingly almost as an afterthought. Hence the rather random distribution of these on the models I have built.

The flags themselves are printed on self adhesive labels and are of the ‘wrap around’ variety. All I needed to do was to cut them out, touch in the edges using a permanent marker (this was a pain when I got the US red stripes!), paint the flagstaff section to match the staff it was going on, drill out the holes (VERY carefully!) and fix everything together. The paper used to print the flags on takes paint and satin varnish well but only after any pen or brushwork has thoroughly dried. I had a very slight ‘bleed’ from the red into the white of one of the Confederate naval ensigns but it was nothing that a quick touch up couldn’t put right. The flags themselves also do not take flexing very well so an early attempt to have then flapping in the breeze had to be abandoned as the colour ‘cracks’ leaving the white of the paper showing through. This means they are rather ‘stiff’ looking but having said that they fit in nicely with the wooden appearance of the models themselves so from an aesthetic perspective it has worked out rather well.

I have worked out what the remaining dozen models are that I shall be building for the ACW collection and it means that that at the end I will have both an inland and coastal style set up. 

The next time you will see any of the above it will be in action as plans are currently well advanced on the scenario for my next game.

Watch this space....

Flags for the Memory

C.S.S. Cheops (left) and C.S.S. Sphinx

U.S.S. New Glory (left) and U.S.S. Coeur D’Alene

 One of the tasks I wanted to tackle whilst I was enjoying the Christmas and New Year break was to add the flags to my ACW ships. Sadly I was unable to do this but I have now gotten around to it. Thus far I have ‘flagged’ 7 out of the 13 models and have two further ships currently under the brush. All being well I will have these two finished by the end of the week. From my stock of MDF pieces and other raw material I should be able to build another three or four models for the ACW but I desperately need order some additional pieces from Warbases.

For the ships of the Union the flag was very straightforward, less so for the Confederacy. I opted to use the early version of the Confederate naval ensign as well as the battle flag. The ensign with a white field was not popular as it looked too much like a white flag. From what I have read it seems like the correct issue of flag was usually the least of the problems the Confederates had to contend with!

The flags I am using are rather large and are non scale specific. This does not bother me as naval ensigns could be much larger than their land counterparts. 

I am pleased with the way these have come out - Tony at Brigade Models produced the flags for me - and they also take Satin varnish which I think helps to bring out the colours. They certainly add to the models. I shall get the remaining six models ‘flagged’ tomorrow - these are the 3 smaller monitors and 3 casemate ironclads.

Everything scheduled for this weeks battle will be sporting an ensign (at last!).

Thoughts around an ACW Naval Rules ‘Mash Up’

The Battle of Hampton Roads

 Back to working from home once again albeit on a part time furloughed basis. As a result I have been otherwise occupied playing catch up but the good news is that I have virtually finished the draft of the ACW naval rules I have been working on. All I need to do is list some ship specs and it will be ready to roll. I am sure that play testing will throw up the odd anomaly or two - but that is the whole point of the exercise after all.

The rules are a proper mush mash as they contain elements from a number of different sets combined with some of my own ideas. I have been very fortunate in that the rule authors have generously allowed me to cherry pick certain ideas and then stick a plaster over the resultant Frankenstein’s monster! Once my testing is complete I will ensure that they are duly acknowledged - my thanks and appreciation are already known to them. 

I have certain likes and dislikes about rules and one of the things that I enjoy is the rolling of dice. I also prefer relying on the good old fashioned d6 - which probably means I am a dinosaur but I am happy to be so! The rules do require record keeping but on a simple level. Naval gainers are well used to this in any event and so I have no problem with this. At this stage I do not have a template for a ship record card but it will be easy enough to construct one - the days of relying exclusively on photocopies are a distant memory given that most gamers now have access to a printer - and to print as required.

There is a huge variety of rules available for the period of the ACW afloat so why on earth would anyone want to draft their own? This is a fair question and for me the answer is fairly straightforward. I am very much a ‘skim reader’ in that whilst I tend to devour written material voraciously I am often guilty of missing out points of detail. These missing points tend to be assimilated over time as I repeatedly revisit a given book, ruleset, magazine or whatever. From the gaming perspective - where specific rules are in play - it means that I work far more effectively with rules that are not only simpler but that have the ‘feel factor’ built in. Two examples I can think of represent either end of the complexity factor - one set is very simple and fast playing whilst the other is a lot more detailed. For me the ACW afloat can be fast playing but give the smaller number of ships typically involved it does require a degree of detail to better capture the ‘feel factor’. My rules hopefully fall between the two types mentioned - they are fast playing but they have a degree of detail sufficient commensurate with the speed of execution. Another important factor for me is that by constructing a rule set I know what  am trying to represent from the ground up (or should that be the waterline up?). It all comes down to what I wanted to achieve by writing a rule set for the period which is something like this:

1. Use d6 solely

2. Use hexagons/square to regulate movement and firing

3. Provision of individual ship specification concerning speed, protection and weaponry

4. Provision of specific damage effects - to speed, turning ability, weaponry, structure and protection - rather than overall damage points.

5. Provision of ‘critical hits’

I believe I have captured these points but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating or rather the testing to which....

I have a game in mind that I shall be running later this week (be still my beating heart...) and so I need to activate my purple prose gene to get the creative juices flowing. This will be fun and all I will say at this point is that once again the ‘Great Father of Waters’ will continue to be vexed....

‘Twas a Tale that grew in the telling....

2nd edition Frostgrave and Ghost Archipelago - inspiring in their own right but they have also started a veritable powder trail for yours truly!

 I mentioned in my previous posts about wanting to tackle some skirmish style games this year and also how I would go about this. This post will lift the lid on how my thought processes work so be warned - it may be deeply troubling experience!

Frostgrave and Ghost Archipelago are fantasy wargames that involve small numbers of figures and in many ways are almost roleplaying in their approach. They are designed with linked scenarios or mini campaigns in mind which is something I really enjoy as part of my historical gaming. The fact that few figures are involved is a bonus given my well know aversion to painting anything vaguely organic. There are some very nice supporting plastic and metal miniatures and the action is designed to be fought on a small table top - another plus for me as the largest playing area I can comfortably employ is 6ft by 4ft.

Most heroic fantasy tends to be Dark Ages or Medieval based (yes I know this is a sweeping generalisation but it is my thought and I can do what I like in it!) so in my world pretty much anything from the historical world could be used quite happily and indeed, many people do - no doubt to the chagrin of the fantasy figure manufacturers!

(Visions of raiding Gripping Beast, Perry, Fireforge, Conquest or any others for suitable figures - I want to stick to plastic for this series of ideas if I can).

Ghost Archipelago caught my eye simply because of the cover - yes, I am really that shallow - as the chap in the centre screamed ‘Pirate’ at me. Lo and behold, North Star Miniatures have made available a resin conversion kit for the box of 28mm plastic crew figures available that includes pistols, blunderbusses, muskets and Tricorne wearing heads. 

(I have history with pirates. I love the idea of gaming something piratical - either naval or on land - and have flirted with the idea on and off over the years).

So, a box of 20 crew figures could potentially be split between the high fantasy of Ghost Archipelago to something Pirate based. The setting - tropical islands if you please - has all manner of potential. By making up a goodly selection of jungle style terrain, perhaps with a beach once could game a whole raft of things. 

(Victorian Science Fiction. In the Ghost Archipelago range there are tribal types available and from the historical ranges the Perrys and Victrix both produce Zulus. With a little imagination one could have Pirates fighting tribal types or even throw in some British Colonial infantry for a Colonial or VSF search for a lost city or similar. ACW types marooned by balloon is another idea but my thoughts suddenly moved to the jungles of Madasahatta).

After Madasahatta it is but a hop and skip to WW2 and jungle fighting involving British being chased the full length of Burma or US Marines attempting to winkle Japanese troops out of their bunkers. Moving further on there is the added bonus of Sci Fi Marines exploring a jungle style death world.

The key thing in all of this particular flight of whimsy is that the forces required are very small - my predetermined maximum is 12 figures a side - and the playing area will be no larger than 3ft square. The common thread is the jungle terrain but with one set up look at the gaming potential. I would also look to furnish something similar for an arid, desert style setting which again opens up a whole raft of ideas.

The above is very much a long term series of ideas - some that will see the light of day, others maybe not but the point is that very modest beginnings can have a profound effect on what we do and one idea leads into another. I shall try Frostgrave/Ghost Archipelago but I wonder how many of us acquire a set of rules that leads us off in sometimes quite surprising directions!?

That was the year that was....

 ....an absolute shocker and no mistake!

It is now thankfully done and dusted and so let us all hope that 2021 turns out to be a vast improvement!

I am not going to review what I have done over the old year but instead want to focus on what I will be doing in the new one. It is not so much a plan - more like a wish list.

Ships and Stuff

Naval stuff will feature significantly as I shall complete the ACW, Russo Turkish and a further ironclad project before then moving on to Madasahatta. As a late 19th/early 20th century largely Colonial island setting I plan to build a selection of models up to pre dreadnought battleship size - possibly larger. The models for this will be built when needed so the initial batch will be gunboats. I also need to organise the rules I have been playing around with into a coherent shape - at the time of writing they exist partially in my head but mostly as a collection of hastily scribbled notes.

To support the ironclad projects I am seriously looking to make use of the 6mm MDF figures so I shall be experimenting with painting/colouring techniques. I have painted figures in this scale before but not for some time but having said that they look fairly straightforward. Initially this will be for the ACW but the Russo Turkish War may feature at some point.

The English Civil War and Jacobite Risings

As soon as I have the final parts from WoFun I shall be looking to get some games in using either (more likely both) Bob Cordery’s Portable Pike and Shot Wargame or the Command and Colours variant devised by MSFoy. Terrain will not be so much of an issue in this smaller scale as I have a lot of bits and pieces that can be pressed into service. I have been quietly reading my way through my ECW library and also have my eye on a newly launched block based board game covering the first civil war.

The Jacobite Rebellions will feature using Jacobite Rising - the Command and Colours Tricorne standalone game. Again, I have been quietly going through the appropriate titles in my library in readiness.

WW2 Far East

This will be Memoir ‘44 based and I am spoilt for choice in that I can game either the US or the UK theatres. I have a plan around ‘3D’ gaming either using models but it is not essential as it will be good to go as is. Even the naval/aerial side can be catered for and in fact the biggest job I have is punching out some 1,300 counters for Flat Top.

Everything else

This year I want to make a conscious effort to tackle some 28mm skirmish level games. When I say skirmish I mean around a dozen models a side as a maximum. I am intrigued by Frostgrave and have also acquired the Ghost Archipelago version - the supporting figures are rather nice and I quite fancy painting a few. Also of interest is a Fistful of Lead and the Sci fi version - Galactic Heroes. These all need very few figures and so for me are achievable. Even I could manage to paint up a dozen or so figures for a game!

Taking all the above into consideration the first thing that struck me is how modest the list is. At the time of writing I am around a third of the way through the ironclad ship build and once Warbases are back in action I can really push on with these projects. Everything else is largely a matter of occasional modelling/painting or actual gaming, something I really want to get back to.

The End of It

Anyway, enough of my rambling! I want to wish us all a happy new year in the hope that it will be a considerable improvement on the last one - it may be a while before we turn the corner but at least we now know that there is one!