Future Plans and Games

 I have decided to retire 2 years earlier than planned. I don't  want to bore people with the details. My wife has been retired for 4 years and spends these days alone. I figured that she could use some company. 

  As I'm sure I will get on her nerves, I am also making plans to give her quiet time. Needless to say, wargaming features prominently in these plans. 

 I have placed 2 rather large orders for figures based on a couple of ideas for campaign games. Both dealers contacted me and explained that there would be delays in my orders and did I want to wait or cancel  the orders. Before I would probably have canceled the orders; as I don't plan to retire until October, I am in no rush for the figures. I guess retirement might not be so bad if it means I can slow things down.

Just a few samples of possible projects: a 2mm American Civil Wargame using either  The Portable Wargame and it's different campaign rules, or Archduke Piccolo's rules he used in his Eckmuhl campaign. Also Archduke Piccolo's recent Hex Shambattle could be used as a mini campaign. I would also like to start an imaginations world using the various 30mm semiflat toy soldiers in my collection. Just off the tip of my head I have enough figures for 6 different countries.

Some of the 30mm semiflats in action.

One of my 30mm battles where supply wagons and ambulances played a part in the battle. I would like to work some kind of logistics into future campaign games, even if it's just ammunition wagons on the battlefield.

Some Scruby N gauge SYW figures. I have placed a good size order of ACW figures for a possible campaign game.

2mm ACW blocks in action. I placed an order for more of these figures, along with covered wagons and a couple of pontoon wagons for another planned campaign. 
I decided to order the figures I want now, as I'm sure once I retire cash won't be a available as it is now.

Junior General Test Battle

    It is my plan to retire early in October, so I can spend more time with my wife, who has been retired for 4 years  and is going crazy being home alone. As I know she will be trading one kind of crazy for another, I have been coming up with ideas to give her space when needed. Hopefully that means getting more wargames in!

  One set of rules I liked when I started playing was Junior General rules. I based up a lot of Airfix figures to use with them and found the games very enjoyable.  I decided to try them out again using some Historifigs Miniatures painted as War of 1812 armies and used Chippewa as the inspiration for the game.

The armies drawn up; Americans nearest camera, British on top.

As soon as the British are in range, they start taking casualties. The reserve British regiment forms into column to speed up movement as the British left is suffering more losses.

The British continue to take heavy losses, but still don't return fire, except the artillery. The British  commander starts having the reserve form line.

The British finally close range and gets some payback for their losses.

The British leftmost unit drops to one stand. In Junior General, when a unit drops to one stand, it is removed from play. At this point I forgot that rule.

At this point the Americans  start turning the British left flank.

The Americans fire on the last of the British infantry on the left and eliminates  the unit.

The British commander sends a unit into a bayonet attack. In Junior General, if units close for close combat, the attacker rolls for morale. If they roll equal to or less than the remaining stands, they pass morale. Then the defender most roll for morale if the attacker passes their morale check. At this point, both units passed morale checks.

One rule I had almost forgot is the defender may fire a volley when the enemy gets within an inch of them. The American fire, and both hits go through. That drops both sides down to two stands. With the close combat rolls, the Americans win the roll. The British lose one stand and must retreat. However, now that the unit is down to one stand, it is eliminated!

The results of the close combat roll. 

At this point the British are down to one infantry unit and their artillery. They win the initiative roll and retreat.

It was a fun game, but of course with both sides with the same units and no real terrain features, it was just a slogging match. I think it would also help having each side move only one unit, then the other side move one,etc. 

Rabbits Go to War

The brown rabbits decide to attack the greys, hoping to rescue their fellow rabbits being held prisoner.

The brown rabbits attack with a vengeance. They manage to drop the grey leader.

Losses on both sides mount: still neither side breaks.

Finally, both sides pull back, exhausted from the fight. As the day wears on, the injured rabbits return to their camps. That evening the three prisoner rabbits return home. The Grey's concede defeat, at least for now.

 

Joseph Morchauser Horse and Musket Wargamer

    In Bob Cordery's " The Portable Napoleonic  Wargame", he talks of using Joseph Morchauser's Horse and Musket rules as a starting point for TPNW. He also gives the Morchauser  rules. I haven't play a game using Morchauser rules in many years and these rules seemed like they would give a very quick game so I gave them a try.

   I decided to use my Perry Miniatures Travel Battle game, using one of the boards only. One thing I like about the Travel Battle boards is they are marked on the bottom 1-4 on the sides. The winner of the initiative roll rolled to see which side of the board they would enter on. Red won the toss.

The beginning of the game.  In these rules if a unit takes a hit, it either retreats or is eliminated. I gave each army one elite unit with two elements.

After the first move.

after the first combat. The Red cavalry had attacked the blue infantry on the blue right flank. In close combat, the red cavalry was eliminated. The red elite infantry had refused the right flank, but stupidly exposed it's own flank! Luckily for them they eliminated  the Blue cavalry in the close combat.

The Red elite infantry hits the leftmost blue infantry in the flank. Hit from the front and flank, the Blue unit is eliminated.

The Blue infantry in the woods is eliminated.  The Blue elite infantry manages to destroy one red infantry unit.

The end. The red infantry  is about to fall on the Blue's left flank. The Blue general decides to retreat.
It was a fun, quick game. I think if I do play again, I will use The Portable Napoleonic Wargame.