Category Archives: Miniatures

Never Say Never Reconsidered

Miniatures,

Thought I’d made a comittment to DBA 3.  Now I’ve reneged.  Played a couple of games and it just doesn’t work solo.  Need an opponent.  Tired of the lack of manuever and reliance on melee.

With all that lead, I had to come up with alternative uses.  So, in keeping with my new focus on the old, I inventoried all my 15mm Dark Age and Medieval figures – which involved several DBA armies – and came up with workable lists for WRG Ancients.

I have the basic units for Byzantines vs. Arabs using my old Tabletop (now distributed by Alternative Armies), as well as Condotta vs. Ottomans using Essex figures.  The odd troops out are my Essex Central Asian Cavalry.  With some touch-up painting they should sell on E-Bay.

How Retro is WRG 5th Edition.  Should be fun, but that fun will have to wait until Winter.  Need time and money……isn’t that always the case?

Backburner…..Now Frontburner

Miniatures, Terrain and Buildings

Decided to get on the Wild West miniatures game.  This decision led to a wargaming mis-adventure.

Painting the plastic figures was fine.  Prep was a little time consuming with washing, soaking in vinegar and then brushing with white glue.  Overall, nice to get painting again.

But, had a real snafu with the buildings.  Yes, I decided to go all in and construct a western town.  Bought some foam core and was in business for about $4.00.  Worked with the 1/72 scale of the figures, and sketched up a basic building plan.

So far, so good.

Cut up the foam core, added balsa wood door and window frames, along with overhangs.

 

The plan was to finish up and play last Sunday.  But….when figures and buildings were placed on the table…..it was like this.

Here’s a picture……..except it’s a Town For Giants!!!!!!!

 

 

Backburner…..

Aircraft & Vehicles, Miniatures

Getting the twitch for some new miniature games, but with minimal budget outlay.

First quasi-project is Western Gunfights using the Fistful Of Lead (Reloaded) rules.  They’re available over at WargameVault.  My real hope was to use them with smaller 10mm figures.  No real options there.  Tempted to work with 20mm “Punitive Expedition” figures, but that’s a pricey proposition for what could be a “one and done” game.  So, found this at the local vintage toy store.

Cheap, can fabricate some buildings, and if it’s fun……go to the more expensive option.

Also purchased an Osprey title on the Technical vehicles.

 

Now all revved up (no pun intended) on a miniatures treatment using 1/285 GHQ vehicles.  Again, pricey, but no real options for low cost tactical minis.  Very, very tempted.

Never Say Never

Medieval, Miniatures

Gave in and decided to go with DBA 3.  Haven’t been overwhelmed with the differences in scale, and the introduction of “solid” troop types.  Well, maybe because I don’t have the Army Lists.  Still, the addition of “Threat Zones” extending out one stand width from all units precludes unlikely gymnastics, and forcing a fight or withdrawal.

So, the tournament is back on.  First round involved Swiss and Condotti.  Condotti scored an unlikely upset by turning the Swiss flank moving through bad going, and forcing a Swiss charge into Mounted Knights.  Another tactical lesson learned.

Next up, Burgundian Ordannance.

 

Old Business

Ancients, Miniatures, Sessions

After a truly abortive first turn of the Thunder At Cassino campaign, decided to regroup by playing a DBA (2.2) game that’s been set up for…well maybe…six months.  Late Swiss vs. Some Mutant Army With Lots of Crossbows and Knights.  Hell….can’t find anything like it in the lists.

Hammered it out Sunday afternoon during boring NFL action.

DBA is what it is.  Simple, Quick and Generic.  I’d like to see some chrome…. like Swiss having an extra bound to simulate their speed/audacity in the attack, or range differentials between bow types.  But, for that, I need to try DBM, or some other system.

For The Quick and Dirty, You Go With The Devil You Know.  Never played it FTF, and that is how it should be played.  Ugh…..cut-throat tournament action….guys with rulers down to the eighth of an inch…..all that facing stuff……Ugh.

It was fun.  I’ll set up again, but with  Cavalry/Light Horse armies to stretch things out.

Here’s a semi-lucid photo summary of the game.

Turn One.  Light units Deploy. Swiss In Foreground.

Mid-Turn 5.  Things Get Interesting.

End Turn 5.  Pikes Struggling Against Bows(?!?)  While Knights’ Attack Develops.

End Game.  Knights Quick Kill Pike, Swiss Left Wing Shattered.

 

Beginning and Confluence

Boardgames, Miniatures, Napoleonics, Sessions

Finally started pushing cardboard, but immediately ran into problems.  Not unanticipated, but one of them brought the session to a halt.

Movement phase difficult because counters are damned fiddly.  Movement trays?  Bad thought. Cardboard is easy, right?

The French advanced with skirmishers front, engaging each Spanish regiment.  I do like the way the game looks!

Then, another problem:  Casualties.  The game calls for a detailed accounting of losses.   Makes the fiddiliness of moving regiments pale in comparison.  So, in the name of my sanity, decided to assign losses to the entire regiment, removing company counters for each 10 percent loss of the regiment’s total strength.  Skirmishing companies will be accounted for individually.

Drafted up a regiment, company strength, total strength worksheet.  A picture is shown below.

Crude, but hopefully effective.

While messing around this morning found this link/article over at Web Grognards.  Confluence of events?

Will give it another try this PM.

Mired and Dumb

Boardgames, Miniatures, Napoleonics, Sessions

Thrashing now.  Trying to reconcile the game system with reading Napoleonic tactics.  Disconnect with battalion/regiment frontages and depths.  Of course, all of these book dictates are conjectural, based on manuals, pundits, and the revisionist interpretations of manuals and pundits.

One hex in Squad Leader is 40 meters or just over 43 yards.  The hex width is 3/4 inch.  Counter frontages in System 7 are one inch equals 40 yards.  Battalion frontages were 75 yards.  Not a match, but close enough.

The real problem appeared to be  a company counter depth of 5/16 inches or roughly 14 yards in scale.  According to my interpretation of a Chandler, a six company battalion advancing in column would have an overall depth of 15 yards.  This is problematic, especially since according the rules, maximum stacking is two companies, which leaves a depth of 42 yards per battalion if attacking with two companies abreast.  All of that just doesn’t make sense and at this point I was dizzy.

Somehow came to my senses, looked a few more resources, had a pop…..ahhhhhh…the depth was 15 yards per company or  45 yards.

Heavy sigh……

 

 

 

System 7 Even More Startup

Miniatures, Napoleonics

Wargaming involves a lot of preparation.  Reading rules, understanding rules, punching counters, set up, the inevitable initial rule foul ups and finally, an understanding of how the game mechanics work.

But, there’s also the understanding the period piece of any game.  Background reading is always helpful, because you want to “play the period”.  While the game designer is tasked with this, it’s up to the player to appreciate the intent, and play the game as intended.

System 7 is a miniatures game played with cardboard on cardboard.  In theory, there are no tactical constraints.  It’s up to the player to make it a simulation.

Spent the last few days getting things ready.  The handout accompanying the counters implores the player to cut out the counters, not punch them.  Good advice.  The punched counters I inherited have those unsightly “chads”.  Lots of x-acto knife work, but worth it.

The other prep piece is some reading on background and tactics.  I’m not that interested in Napoleonics, but I have a few helpful books.  Here they are.  Again, I’ve collected these over the years, all used, at reasonable prices.

This is the Mother Ship.  If you can only have one, this is it.

Elting is completely underrated.  Also has done some wonderful work on US military uniforms.

Chandler again.  Formal, and informative.

Informal and compelling.  Fun Read.

Everything you ever wanted to know about The Guard.  Can also serve as a doorstop.

OK…..Now play the damn game.

Tanks – BEF Breakthrough Pt III

Miniatures, Sessions, World War II

Had too much fun yesterday with another session of Tanks.

This time it was the A-9s and A-10s (Cruisers) versus the Germans.  And, this was a wild one.

The Cruisers formed a box formation, veering to the West in an attempt to exit the map.  The Germans used their “Blitzkrieg” ability (can use the repair phase to make extra move, for a total of 3 moves in a turn), to get into the copses and prepare for stationary fire under cover.

The British engaged immediately, and managed to knock out the Mk III, as well as getting into a multi-tank and point-blank duel with a Mk IV.  After knocking out the Mk IV, the remaining British threw caution to the winds and took multiple moves, risking breakdown on a die roll of 6.

One Cruiser broke down, but the others were able to move off the board.

Cruisers Advance. Panzers will use their “Blitzkrieg” move to get into the woods.
Gunfight At Close Range
MkIII Knocked Out. Cruisers Maneuver Past A Burning A-9.  While An A-10 Brews Up In The Copse.  The Mk IV Will Get Theirs In The Next Turn.

That’s it for Tanks (for awhile).  Next up….Storm Over Arnhem.

Tanks – BEF Breakthrough Pt II

Miniatures, Sessions, World War II

Pitted the Matildas against two Pz IVs (short) and a PZ III (short).

This time, the Germans opted to head for the copses, allowing for some stationary firing (can re-roll firing dice), as well as a modifier for cover.

The Matildas stuck to their earlier plan, with the Mk IIs providing cover for the Mk Is.

This time, the heavier guns of the Panzers brewed up one Mk II.  However, the other pair of Matildas threw caution to the winds and risked breakdown (die roll of 6) by moving two bounds in a turn.

Fortune was with the Matildas as their armor and luck allowed them to bypass the Germans and move off the board to engage the now  exposed Wermacht infantry units.

Panzers Take Up Stationary Firing Positions Ready To Engage Advancing British
Matilda Mk II Burns
Despite Three Hits, Matilda Mk II Braves Point Blank Fire.