I have had increasingly less time for my gaming. I try to do something when I do have spare time. Here are some random events that have happened in the last couple of months.
I went to the local big bookstore a couple of months ago .While there I picked up a few magazines, including a wargaming magazine. When I went to check out, the clerk behind the counter started talking to me about wargaming, as he was into wargaming. I was in a rush that day, so after a few minutes talking, I excused myself ( I am seeing why I'm a solo war gamer!). While talking, he mentioned the Meeples and Miniatures podcast, by Neil Shuck. As a big part of my job requires me to drive around, I have been listening to the podcast. I find it more enjoyable than the true crime pods I had been listening to. While listening to this podcast, he also mentioned another podcast he produced "View from the Veranda" where he and Henry Hyde, of "Battlegames" fame, discuss wargames. I have been listening to this series this week.
As I spend most of my day in a van, I usually eat my lunch in the van. Now, my cellphone provider has given me a "Christmas gift" of unlimited data for the month of December. I have been taking full advantage of it. While on break or eating lunch, I have been watching lots of videos. Among them are "Callan: Act of Kindness" and the wargaming classic "Battleground" series. I also started watching Youtube videos of people playing different wargames. Last week I came across several of gamers playing Memoir '44 as solo games. After watching a few videos, I realized that the Richard Borg line of games were the answer to my problem of limited gaming time. As I already have Memoir '44, Battlelore, and Battle Cry, it seemed that I should start putting these games to good use. The last few days I got two games in; and it has me inspired to continue to get more gaming in. With the Memoir'44 game, I used my Peter Laing WW2 figures instead of the plastic figures that came with the game. Unfortunately, I just had enough for the first scenario; I'm not sure if I will be able to use them with all my games. However, it might also have me using my Airfix and Matchbox figures in these games.
I recently came across a "headless horseman" toy soldier, which seems the ideal size for my 40mm project. I have ordered new rubber for making a mold. This mold will be a three part mold, and as I still haven't mastered two part molds, I am hesitant about starting this mold. However, I really want to try to get this figure cast, and when I have a little more time, will try to start the mold.
Finally, I bought a "Practical Wargamer" magazine that I didn't have, and bought two lots of 1st generation Minifigs Napoleonics. Also, on one of the "View from the Veranda" podcast, both Neil & Henry couldn't give enough praise to Richard Borgs' Command & Colors; Ancients. As mentioned earlier, I already have three Command & Colors games, so I found a copy of C&C;A on Ebay and bought it. after buying it, I got an email from the seller in which she thinks she might have mixed up my package and might have sent me the wrong game. Hopefully she didn't!
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| Memoir '44 wargame with Peter Laing miniatures. Pegasus Bridge scenario. |
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| The Germans guarding Pegasus Bridge. |
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| The British use the "Behind Enemy Lines" card. The paras push the Germans off the Orne Bridge... |
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| ....and capture the bridge, for the first victory point! |
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| The British assault on Pegasus Bridge bogs down. The Germans brought up two units that fired across the river, pinning the paras down. |
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| To win the game, the first side that won 4 victory points wins the game. The British had three victory points; but the Germans also had 3 victory points. |
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| The Germans launched a two prong attack on the British. The Germans didn't eliminate any British units, however, on the German left, they pushed back one British unit. The British had lost the victory point as they had been forced off the Orne Bridge. The British unit that retreated fell back onto the Orne Bridge, giving the British their fourth victory point, and the victory! |
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| During the game the British got very few cards that allowed them to move units in the center; two units never even moved during the game. |
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| A Battle Cry game: the First Bull Run. |
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| Both sides push forward their left flanks. |
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| A Union infantry unit fires from a distance on the only Confederate artillery battery, and eliminates it! |
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| The Confederates launch an assault in the center. |
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| The Union draws the "All Out Assault" which allows them to move all units. The results are disastrous for the Confederates; they lose three units in this attack and lose the battle. When I play solo again, I think I will remove this card from the deck. |
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| The Union tries to kill General Jackson; they miss. |
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My newest Practical Wargamer.
I have been finding myself going back to the bookstore more than I usually do, looking for the sales clerk who was into wargaming. I was hoping to maybe have another discussion with him and possibly even setting up to have a wargame with him. Last time I found myself doing this, was over 30 years ago when I would go food shopping, hoping to run into my future wife. Does this count as a "man crush"? |
A very enjoyable post. I have also been looking at ways of using memoir 44 with 15mm figures. Using infantry figures as markers , as you have done, seems a great idea. I have always based figures individually but am increasingly tempted by three figures / one support weapon on a 3cm x 3cm base. This again brings up the issue of casualty markers. Not keen on using dice, even disguised on a base - eyesight fading and fingers too fat for micro dice. Any ideas ? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIf your bases are large enough, could you fit "wounded" to the bottom of the bases,around the other figures. I had thought of basing my ancients for HotT or DBA and if I used them for Battlelore, using wounded figures as markers. Another option would be to have several loose figures on the bases. As they took hits, the loose figures would be removed until only the base figures remained.
ReplyDeleteJohn, thanks for the ideas. I think that I have decided to use peter pig casualty figures individually based. Positioned to the right side 1 casualty and so on, fourth casualty then base removed. Now have the dilemma of how to base War of 1812 figures and which rules to try out. C&C Napoleonic is the way I want to go - plan on using hexes with both WW2 and 1812. I also have a download of All the Kings Men and All the Queens Men. Neil Thomas is also an option. I have enough French and Indian Wars figures to give Close Wars a run out. Inspired by your last post I painted 4 1812 British infantry. It has been a long time since I painted a Napoleonic figure and bloody hell I can see why ! Still I persevered and other than bayonets and musket stocks they are done. Thanks very much for all of your posts this last year. They have given me much pleasure. Happy new year to you and your family, and of course the dog.
ReplyDeleteHopefully you will let me know how the casualty figures work out. I was trying to find some of the old Airfix casualty figures to test out using them, but couldn't find them. I think that they would look better than casualty caps. I am leaning towards using C&C Napoleonics for their scenarios, but using Bob Cordery's Memoir of Battle rules. I would like to find how to make scenarios for C&C:N. I spent a couple of years reading up on the War of 1812 and would like to do a wargame campaign based on the war. As the American army wore similar uniforms as the British army, I have thought of painting some of my first generation British Minifigs as Americans. I appreciate your kind words about my blog. I hope you and your family have a safe and happy New Year.
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