Speedy Conversion

This is one part of the minis system that I devised that I had hoped to take more advantage of sooner.



Now, though, I have found a new game system that I will take some time to examine closely.

I have switched over my 25mm Napoleonic minis onto bases for Fast Play Grand Armee.

It only took a few minutes to change them over once I had sorted out the commands and what numbers needed to be on what sized base.

Just as I did with Jeff's Tricorne Wars rules this conversion was fast and painless.

I am continuing to like the whole idea of *NOT* fixing the men onto the movement bases by gluing them on. The flexibility of the sheet steel, magnets and grass paper shows through again.

Now I must make the labels for the units in a Battle of Gorodetchna tabletop game I have planned for sometime in the next two weeks.

I have also been examining the painting plans for 2012:

Napoleonics:
Russians 100 more infantry in 25mm to permit me to have two full Divisions in Shako
Austrians (yes I am replacing the ones I sold last year) 68 Infantry and 12 Cavalry for a small command in Shako
French 68 Infantry to be done in the 1810-12 "White" uniforms - Yes there were French Troops in white, Bonaparte liked the Austrian uniforms, thought the looked smart on parade, then learned why their morale had so many problems during some combats in Russia. Blood really stands out on a white uniform, you can see it for 1000's of yards...

I am also in the process o acquiring some 400 minis that I will be painting for commercial sale at a local collector store in the Comox Valley, they will be from various science fiction genres like Dr. Who, Star Trek and Star Wars.

Plans de SIO AAR

A battle by Proxy for Defiant Principality.

I was to set up a battle between two evenly matched cavalry forces across mostly open ground. The time was October 14, 1715 in Spain.

While I did not have use of my tricornes, either having recently been sold or 'gone missing' I still have plenty of 25mm minis to do this job.

We settled on the "Warfare in the Age of Reason" rule set to play out the game.



The map I was given was thus.



Here is what the interpretation on the game table looked like.



The commanders then laid out their respective commands.



The first turn was one of minor maneuver, in order to get the two lines of cavalry facing one another ...



Full of jitters "La Fe" Dragoons and their untried Colonel Dalmau squared off against battle tested Numancia and wounded Torquemada of Spain.



Once the two lines of horsemen were lined up, the Spanish commander had decided the only way to achieve his orders and drive off the Catalans was to charge.



Command of the Catalan forces was Colonel Dalmau, likewise he had decided that the only way he could keep the ground today was to charge, he attached himself to one half of his force that would have an open flank and bellowed the order to charge just as his opposite the Spanish General Bracomonte did the same.



CHARGE!

Both sides barely made contact as only the flank supported half of Dalmau's Dragoons actually managed to advance.



Caught up in the fleeing horsemen Dalmau was very nearly run down by the 1st Squadron of the La Fe Dragoons as they fled the field.

Similarly General Bracomonte was obliged to fall back and rally the 1st of the Numancia Dragoons. While not swept away by the swirling horsemen, the General was unable to halt them from fleeing the area.



Neither of the remaining forces decided to engage as their respective commanders were gone. While only on very tired horses the 2nd La Fe Dragoons did not want to test the mettle of the battle tested mix of Numancia and wounded Torquemada Dragoons who were only in a bit of a disorganized state and ready to fight with fresh horses.

In only two turns, perhaps 20 minutes of time, with the charge taking only two or three minutes the battle was over, the Catalans had fled the field.

Spain did not hold the field, yet they could report back that the way was clear.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This was a good re-engagement for me in the Age of Reason rules and reminded me of why I wanted 12 man cavalry units along with the design of my units with 2-man cavalry stands.

I may have to re-form some more tricornes to give the rules a good run.

The DUELLISTS



Many thanks to Jeff for his lending me to see this very artful film.

Anyone wanting to come to an understanding of this element of warrior society would do well to see this film.

Battle by Proxy

A new proxy fight is going to be gamed out on my amended tabletop this Saturday.

Lluis of Defiant Principality has this little scenario for his "Imagi-Nation".



I shall game it out using the Warfare in the Age of Reason rules set, one that I have not used in some time.

Expect the After Action Report here following the battle.

De Bellis Day

I did a morning of historical game demonstration at my son's classroom this morning.




Eight boys including my son took their turn at moving some miniatures, most of them for the first time ever.



We used four of my Roman Republic era miniature armies in 15mm and the set of terrain boards that I made 17 years ago.

Planning for 2012

The bicentennial of the Imperial French invasion of Russia is a singular even in Napoleonic History.

While I cannot yet say what it is I shall be gaming of this event, I do plan to run many games featuring my reasonably sized French and Russian forces.