ACW in Old School Style

 

Although I have a ACW army in plastic/metal using Perry Miniatures , I was tempted by a large box of several hundred unpainted Spencer Smith plastic figures on EBay . I had the idea of recreating Featherstones ACW battles . This project has lapsed somewhat ( so much to do and so little time ) , but I got an extra unit of Zouaves in metal and have managed to get them painted .

 

 

Been messing about with various computer programs and came up with this rather pleasing photo effect . Looks very 1960's

 

 

 

 

 

More New Homes.

 

More buildings from http://www.4ground.co.uk/ 

 

 

These are some 15mm European houses that I have been gluing together for 'A' . We saw a lot off them at this years Warfare show on various demonstration games and competitions and were all very impressed with them . They come ready painted and being 15mm scale where easier to put together than the 28mm log cabins I did for myself. (or did I just follow the instructions this time !?)

 

 

These FOW models show the scale better. With prices very similar to cast resin model houses and already painted I think they sound the death knell for resin buildings.

 

 

New Houses For Settlers.

 

One of the purchases from my weekend visit to the Warfare show at Reading this last weekend where two new laser cut buildings for my French Indian Wars .

 

 

These are to replace my rather old and sad resin log cabins . They are by http://www.4ground.co.uk/ .

 

 

They come ready painted and all you have to do is assemble and glue them together.This takes some doing ! as they only go together in one way and you have to follow the sequence of construction accurately ! - if you don't this leads to mistakes and blaspheming !

 

 

They come with interior details , even a fireplace ! A very Des Res !

 

 

Ready for the next Muskets and Tomahawks game !

 

 

 

 

Franco-Prussian Old School Style (Prussian Army)

To match my potential French army I have decided on a Prussian force of 3 Infantry Brigades

1. 2 Battalions of Line Infantry each of 20 figures plus a mounted Brigadier.
2. 1 Battalion of Line Infantry and a Battalion of Jaegers (count as Light Infantry) and Brigadier.
3. 1 Battalion of Bavarian Infantry and 1 of Wurttemberg Infantry plus a Brigadier

 

 

The Cavalry will have 1 Brigade comprising of Cuirrassiers and Uhlans .

The Artillery 2 guns and crews .

The General and a ADC  for the staff.

 

 

I hope to start collecting after Christmas and will update as thing happen.

 

Franco-Prussian Old School Style.(French Army)

I have decided that the French Army will comprise of 3 Brigades each of 2 units -

1. 2  Battalions of line infantry each of 20 figures and a Mounted Brigadier
2. 1  Battalion of line infantry and 1 of Chasseurs a Pied (count as lights) plus Brigadier.
3. 1  Battalion of Zouaves and 1 of the Guard (count as Guards) plus Brigadier

 

The cavalry will have 1 Brigade of 2 units -

1 unit of Hussars and 1 unit of Cuirassier each of 15 figures  and a Brigadier.

The artillery will be 2 guns and 10 crew.

The Staff will be a mounted General and a ADC.

 

 

Now to think of the Prussian Army.

 

Next Years Project ?

 

I am not noted for my planning of projects when it comes to wargaming , periods/collections like Topsy 'just grow'. So I alarmed myself by thinking of doing another 'Old School' project and planning the end result ! . I have been looking at the Donald Featherstone Horse & Musket rules which I always tend to think of being ACW  ( The Battle of Plattville Valley) and also looking at the FPW  figures by Spencer Smith and came up with the idea of combining the two .

 

 

The rules would be Featherstone's 'Horse & Musket'.

The figures Spencer Smith , painted in a 'Toy Soldier' manner , single based.

The armies would be copied from the Platville game - 6 units of infantry per side (each of 20 figures), 2 units of cavalry per side (each of 15 figures) and 2 guns and crew per side . this being a 'Old School' project I can ignore history and have French Guard in bearskins and Zouaves together and a Bavarian / Wurttemberg contingent for the Prussian rather than boring line infantry units . This is a total of 120 infantry figures, 30 cavalry and 2 guns and 8 crew per side . Well that's enough planning for today , going to pick which figures for each unit now . To be continued .......

 

Old School - 'What Art Thou ?'

A conversation with my wargaming colleague 'A' about my Old School projects set me thinking - 'what is Old School' ? . It is a question that has been asked before and discussed in the wargaming media and numerous blogs, so all I can do is give my ideas what it means to me personally. The first thing is the figures - plainer, older types such as Spencer Smith or maybe Minifigs . Painted in a 'Toy Soldier' way , brightly and given a high gloss varnish . Singularly mounted on non-scenic bases and lots of them ! , units of 24-36 figures for infantry , 12-18 cavalry. The scenery- plain and not elaborate , contoured hills and those cute old fashioned Merit trees and hedges . The rules have to be simple ! , I tend to play OS solo and I want to remember them in my head,  Grant's 'The Wargame' or Young's 'Charge' sum OS  up !.

 

A modern version of OS  is 'Funny Little Wars' a homage to Wells's 'Little Wars' with its matchstick firing cannon . I  am aware that OS  may not be to everyones taste , it may be my 'mid-life' wargaming crisis, but the older I get the more I am drawn to it .