Leipzig day one is in the books

 The Leipzig game was played out last weekend.

Table layout was on Friday evening, taking from 3 pm to 8 pm to have everything arranged for game start on Saturday.

Saturday, game was run from 9:30 am, with main crew arriving at 8:15 am.

My eldest son and I were among those who were awarded a "Legion of Honor"

  

my new Legion of Honor medal
joining the two others I have
on my ADC to Marshal Berthier Dolman

Play continued to 5 pm, where 7 full turns had been played with an average of 55 mins per turn.

Sunday was a re-start, arriving at 8:15 am again, and a 'day of action' completed at 11:30 am, we took time to record information carefully, then pack out was done by 2 pm.

Photos and time-lapse are being reviewed and a gargantuan blog post will be coming later in the coming week.

I simply wanted to thank everyone who took part in the event and to crow about the lead organizer Nate, the terrain master Cod Sticker, and the troops marshal Malcolm.

Leipzig Awards

 Being presented at the May 16th game day, these two awards are for key organizers of the game event.

Both are being named Viscount(s) of Leipzig.

Malcolm, for providing the majority of the forces on the tabletop.

Rob, for doing the work of making the terrain that the entire battle will take place on.

A bit of theme fun

the general 'medals'

 I have decided to make up a set of 'player medals' to help ID the players on the teams ... no guarantee it will work, and it will be a bit of theme fun along the way.

I have also a set of real metal medals that Jeff Huddleson left for me to sort out - they had been collected up for some games that Jeff was doing down in California in the 1990s and early 2000s, so this would certainly count as a good reason to use them up.

Control Board

 Oftentimes, when a busy game is planned, the last thing that gets attention is the time/control tracking.

For Napoleon's Battles this is something that cannot be skipped, simply because the detail going into the scenario is so rich that even the arrival times are closely tracked.

a sheet of coroplast made out for the Leipzig game
16 October 1813

I have had a number of sheets of corrugated plastic (coroplast) that I have used for different things at different games, often it is the turn/time tracking device.

At the recent Shiloh game, I started to include more details on the board - intending to use it more as a scoreboard as well as the time/turn track.

This time for Leipzig, I have put all the different effects I have learned into the tracking data.

I have even made a couple of 'high contrast' clock faces (seen just above the turn track board and the word LEIPZIG) that I can use in the future for games ... I'm taking a look at a possible set of turn counters in high contrast as well, for use in the time-lapse shots.

Supporting forces

 I have made 34 draft teams in 15mm for ACW games, I can substitute them for the same job in the coming Leipzig Napoleonic game.

the grouping of draft teams and
wrecked artillery in 15mm that I
plan to bring to the coming Leipzig game

I'm bringing along some of the supply wagons and wrecked artillery for use in the coming game also.

parts preparation

 With so many troops and players expected this coming weekend, I wanted to make sure there were enough markers for use.

 I have casualty markers from two other game sets that I will bring and have created another 26 of the 1-2-3-4 markers and some disorder/rout markers.

markers, the new high-vis 'clock'
and a little cloth patch remains
from a special set of player markers
(watch here on Saturday to see some of them!)

 Gonna be a full three days, with travel on days 1 & 3, rounding out the time.

Point Values

In Napoleon's Battles rules point values are given in scenarios for locations, yet victory is first determined by whether or not the army morale is broken. 

  If the morale of the army is not broken, then point values become important.

The individual casting, each have a value to include into the total ...

sidebar 3

I have a sense that the Leipzig scenario, coming on May16, will not have a breaking of any army or allied section ... meaning points become important.

Details matter: arrival of reenforcements

The Napoleon's Battles Leipzig scenario includes a detailed list of arrival troops, times and locations.

defining the arrivals for the Leipzig game

I have copied that list and now added a 'letter' designation for each of them, with the intention of having that same letter designation on a tag next to the troops to be deployed and use that same letter on a control board and have my wooden letters be used on the tabletop.

   

the 'flat' letter "W" seen at the cross-roads here

I have a full set of these little letter stars, that I have used a few times on the tabletop.  For such a busy game anything that simplifies the organizing process will be of value.

the matching "W" in the upright version
seen here with the "Z" and "Y"

 

They have not had a lot of uses on the tabletop, yet, so it will be a good run this time around with so many troops and players.

Leipzig toolkit

 I am making further use of the metal pin & cubes stands I did up for the ACW games.

 

I was always planning on them having more uses, this is as good a time as any to put them on the tabletop.

 

This time around they will be used as location names and point values as well as control markers for the locations in the coming Leipzig game.

 

It is very likely that at least one of my 15mm buildings will also get out on the tabletop this time around.

Basing for Napoleon's Battles

 Just a little primer on the basing needs for 15mm Napoleonic soldiers when setting up for Napoleon's Battles:

the core of any army would be Infantry

Cavalry are the 'tip of the spear'

the man-killer, artillery

This is to prepare for the coming Leipzig game, on 15,16, 17, 2026.

Prelude to Leipzig

    Napoleon soon realized that his bluff had been called.  Far from driving the enemy apart and defeating him in detail, it now behooved the French Emperor to move every available man to Leipzig with all speed to forestall the arrival of two large enemy army groups from opposite directions.  From this moment Napoleon was without any doubt compelled to adapt a complete strategic defensive and to curtail even his tactical offensives.  As early as the 12th  he had sent Marmont with the VIth Corps toward Taucha near Leipzig in readiness to sustain Murat, who was still fighting south of the city; the Guard would be hard on his heels.  "All my army will be putting itself in motion; all of it will have arrived [near Leipzig] by morning of the 14th, and I shall be able to fight the enemy with 200,000 men."

  At three in the morning of the 14th , Berthier received his master's definitive orders for a general concentration on Leipzig.  Four hours later, Napoleon was writing Macdonald: "My Cousin, I hope the you will arrive here [Duben] in good time today.  It is necessary to cross the river at once.  There can be no doubt that during tomorrow - the 15th - we shall  be attacked by the Army of Bohemia and the Army of Silesia.  March with all haste, therefore, and if you hear a cannonade make for the sound of the guns.  The Army of Silesia is debouching by way of Halle and Zorbig."  This letter reveals that Napoleon had abandoned almost all hope of keeping his two major adversaries apart.  

 

However, the indications were that Bernadotte was still dragging his heels well to the rear of Blucher - although regrettably the Crown Prince had not, after all, fallen back over the Elbe - and the Emperor still hoped that his concentrated army would prove strong enough to defeat Schwarzenberg before Blucher could make his counterbalancing presence fully felt.

   ~ The Campaigns of Napoleon, Dr. David Chandler, 1966, pp. 919-922

 

The Battle of Nations
 is scheduled for May 15, 16, & 17, 2026

Nanaimo, BC, Canada 
There will be an After Action Report (AAR) here
at Murdock'S MarauderS 

more NEW game books (okay new to me)

 a fast trip to Vancouver recently allowed me the time to pick up two rules books I had meant to acquire for a while now, and also a new version of one I have had the older one of for many decades

first the new one:

version 3.0 from 2014

 

I have been doing DBA since the early 1990s, introduced to it by gamers in Winnipeg and Minnesota.

I have had versions 1.1, 2.1 and now 3.0.  Giving the quick glance at it, I think I will need to make a new measuring 'fork', otherwise all my minis will still work with the system - neat part is that DBMM stuff is also covered in this rules set (it looks like - I haven't read it all the way yet).

 

hardback Brigade Fire & Fury

 I have been playing this rules set, using others books most of the time and have been busy building my own game set of the full armies for Bull Run 1861 and Shiloh 1862; now started on the battle of Gettysburg 1863 armies, with the aim of having a full campaign set for 1863 (with all of the cavalry for both sides) and the intent to use games like Bobby Lee and Sam Grant for the strategic setup, then transition to an operational system (of my own devising), then to the tabletop - most likely with BF&F, thus the need to finally have my own copy.

softcover P&S

While "Black Powder" might have worked out as well, I chose to pick up Pike and Shotte, as Rob has been using these rules for many of the English Civil War games that we have run and many of the minis I have are from the Warlords set, it was time to have the rules set to go with them all.

Leipzig Game approaches!

 At long last the dates for a multi-player Leipzig game have been set, May 15,16,17 (a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday affair)

Looks like at least 6 players per side (possibly more).

Some of my 15mm buildings will take part on the tabletop, as will my Napoleon's Battles rules set, as it is always good to have many copies on hand.

my Shako & Baton cards

 

I designed some "Shako & Baton" cards for use in the many 200th anniversary games played from 2006-2015 and now they will get a fresh run, as discussion about the need for 'free roll' controls began.

I have also suggested possible other cards, and maybe have some extra free rolls in a mix of cards to be drawn each turn?  Dunno there's a discussion to be had about it all.

more of the cards options

I have also put forward the use of a chess clock in order to introduce a time limit to the game activity.

The intention is to set a 'total time' for game actions/decisions/movement etc for each side and then stick to it as a possible game loosing element - for those who take too long to make decisions and move the minis ought to have something to get them going on with the action (even if it is a poor decision or other problem with it - just make a decision!) since we will only have so much time to run the game and we would really like to have the action happen.

the chess clock I have had since 2007 (?) 
will get another outing on the tabletop

The rules for Napoleon's Battles really do lend themselves well to a clock timer, since the overall game time has a limit, the turns have a limit and there needs to be something to help 'push' the slower players to keep the game action moving.

It might only account for a part of the victory conditions, yet I see it as vital to the simulation since real commanders would have less time to make the decisions (and less information often) than we do at the games table.  

The use of the time limit will also encourage everyone to stay focused on the game at hand since many other players (myself included) will be traveling some distances and taking hotel rooms in this multi-day event!

Paperwork

 re-setting games activities from many decades is no straight forward task

I have been involved in the organization of my own little table group and a number of convention organizations from the Comox valley to Halifax and many places and sizes in-between

 I stumbled upon this character sheet today in the process of re-packing and preparing to move on items and it reminded me of the blog today

the TOON character sheet

 I did some TOON games back in the 1990s and ran a few at convention events, something quick and silly to find friends with active imaginations.

The boys did some TOON games at the library, in the 2010s, now I have moved on the paperwork and only have the main rule-book (I think) and plan to get this heavier weight paper sheet included with whatever remains of the game set.

Parts FOUND!

 

wiping the brows ...

The video from the Eylau 2007 game (with the blowing snows effects!) has been found!

More images taken at the game from other players have also been sourced!

I shall finally be able to tell the full tale of that epic show effort.

Also:  More images from the Auerstadt 2006 game have also been sourced (the image above) is from that game, and I am now planning to make use of these images in a conversation regarding staging such game actions.

More to come.

image here captures two players who now
are gaming in our memories only

A Salute reminder. From 2017

 Got a little video reminder about the 2017 Salute event.

There's a general plan afoot to attend the 2026 version, I am not in a position to able to attend this time around.

Fascination with large round numbers: 1 million views & 20 years

 We have this strange fascination with large round numbers, I share it with my fellows I will not try to hide it.

Today this blog crossed the 1 million views threshold!

in my blog control panel as of noon PDT March 31, 2026

I'm also planning on some summary posts regarding things I found interesting in the past 20 years of blogging here, as the blog turns 20 in September 2026.

 

like a time capsule ...

 

I have found some lost video of the tabletop game that won an award back when I was just starting to chronicle my tabletop activity.  I have also been reliably informed that another player in that game has a load of photos that he took during the action.  

Now if I can just source some way to put this video into digital format so I can edit it into something memorable that I can share on the blog here ...

 

Fun finds - the joys of re-sorting a collection:: Battlestar Galactica Pyramid Game

 While re-sorting the many items I have, this one came to light in another forum and I decided to give it a feature here.

I have this 55 card set from a convention purchase sometime in the early 1990s, around the same time I came across the "L" cubit replica.

Sometime in the mid-1990s I learned how to make my own RTV molds and made a mold of that cubit.  

oh so many cubits now!

Since the early 2000s I found the other 'curved' symbol cubit at an expo in Victoria.

giving an impression of scale and color match
my rings are gold

After that event I made another better mold of both replicas (one was metal the other resin) and then turned out enough cubits to be able to play a reasonable 'game' of Pyramid.  I recall at least once playing for jelly beans in the later 1990s, then at least two runs of the game with the new cubits.

These cubits got a fresh coat of paint about two years (yharen) ago, though mostly poker with Jeff's old clay chips has been played.   

 

maybe it is time for a game?

Continuing commercial impact

 Again a topic found me today. 

I have many of these pulp figures by Bob Murch and since I live in British Columbia there’s no tariff nonsense going on. 

I can only imagine the interruptions of projects for both producers and the hobby users. 

Nonsense like these tariffs are just going to push more away from any of the hobby activities and that hurts everyone. 

Building spaces, starting new

 Having the opportunity to re-think my painting and game set up spaces I have started with what already exists and adding to it what I have with flexibility being the over-arching thinking.

the current painting rack

When I was forced to use the dining table as my computer desk and painting space I re-discovered the need for a stable drying space for the minis while they were in-between layers and before completion.

The discovery of a metal rack that we already had worked out well.

The new desk (formerly of my son) will work well as the desk and painting space, though the space under the desk was a few inches shorter than the metal rack poles.  Four cuts with a rotary cutter later, and now the rack fits under the desk and does not eat up more floor space (that will be needed for the coming table)

Table designs are continuing to marinate, as my thoughts regarding the surface and materials keep being pulled around by my research.  Ultimately I may need to use the dining room table for a game surface one last time, though it becomes a great 'double-blind' game space set up for the future.

Along with the table is lighting issues and the need for some flexible seating options, so there are more choices to be made yet.