O.S. Artillery Device.

 

Been thinking about Don Featherstone's Horse & Musket rules and whilst dipping into his 'Advanced Wargames' came across the above device for adjudicating artillery casualties.

 

 

I've always liked wargaming devices - blast circles and the like which are to me the very essence of Old School gaming . The above is my Mark III S.C.A.D. ( Shell Casualties Adjudication Device ), a veil is best drawn over the Mark I and II ( my wife commented on my language not being very appropriate for a Sunday morning ! ), however on my third try I got it right !. Cut from thick plastic and mounted on cocktail sticks - high enough to fit over cavalry as well.

 

 

I would like to say that the blast circles are to a scale based on some 19th century gunnery book - but the happened to be the size of a jam jar lid I drew around (about 3"). How it works - the S.C.A.D. is placed over the target and a dice is thrown - at long range 18"- 36", the shell lands on the appropriated circle. At ranges 9"- 18", the on the inner 4 circles as per the dice thrown ( small numbers in brackets). Under 9" the shell lands on the inner 2 circles, dice 123 left circle, 456 right circle . Any figures under the circle are casualties and saving throws are taken . For a better explanation and more ideas  I suggest Featherstone's 'Advanced War Games' . I am going to play another O.S. ACW game to try this device out and will report back with how it performs.

 

 

I managed to scan the photo from Don Featherstone's 'Advanced War Games'  (not very well !) which illustrates how he used the blast circles - the arrow on '1' being I take it the direction of fire - hence on a roll of '2' on the dice figures under the circle 2 are casualties . I do take on board what people are commenting that shots under and over would be more common and after experiments I may end up doing it this way .

 

 

 

O.S. FPW Chasseurs a Pied.

 

Last weekends Spring like weather was a illusion and this week its been back to Winter , this means it's been to cold to play a game in my wargaming room - unheated and notorious amongst my wargaming colleagues who tend to call dressed for the Arctic at this time of years . However this has meant that I've had a bit of a 'paintfest' this last week or so and have got another French unit done.

 

 

This a Regiment of Chasseurs a Pied , here seen in skirmish order.

 

 

I found out that these regiments of light infantry did not carry standards at this time so I had to order another bugler to take the standard bearers place . I'm really enjoying painting these figures and can't wait to try them out on the table.

 

 

 

 

O.S. FPW High Command.

 

I should really be painting line infantry units but when these figures arrived through the post I decided I must get them painted ! . Above is the Prussian C in C and his staff , they are 30mm Tradition figures.

 

 

The French High Command, these are Willie 30mm. I ordered them from Tradition of London and rather expensive they were ! but very nice indeed . ( I did at one point think of giving my French units a Vivandiere each - but not at these prices ! )

 

O.S. ACW Game. (part 2)

 

The Union Zouaves close in and engage the Rebels .

 

 

The Confederates charge and engage in a bloody melee .

 

 

The Confederates are defeated and flee , with the last move done and night falling it was time to work out who had won !.

 

 

As the situation was mixed for both sides I did a head count of casualties and the Confederates had suffered half as many again - so I judged that they had lost and would have to retire . The above photo is the finishing positions of the troops . On the left the Union hold the ridge and have succeeded in causing casualties on the Rebel gun preventing it firing each move . The Confederates hold the road in the centre , on the right the Confederates hold the ridge but are isolated as the survivor's of their flanking regiment stream to the rear and they face off the 2 Union regiments . A close call but the Rebel heavy casualties and the loss of the firepower of their gun just turned it into a victory for the Union forces ! . The rules gave a very fast game , my initial worries about the artillery firepower seemed to even out as the game went on. I would allow both ranks to fire not just the front one as my figures are based and Donald Featherstone's were not and they would take up to much room in a single line  . I don't want to mess to much with the rules and so will give them another game or two to try them out .

 

 

 

O.S. ACW Game. (part 1)

I am planning to use Donald Featherstone's Horse and Musket rules for my Old School FPW  games and thought it might be interesting to try them out - the last time I used them was probably about 35+ years ago !.

 

Not having enough FPW figures painted up I decided to dig out some Spencer Smith ACW figures to play a game .

 

 

The layout of the table and objective - Thoroughfare Gap . The game will last 8 moves .

 

 

My opponent 'A' scrutinises the rules for loopholes !

 

 

The Union forces march onto the table - been playing around with Picassa for period effect !

 

 

The Confederate general sights the artillery personally.

 

 

The Union forces deploy .

 

 

The Union take the Gap under heavy artillery fire ! . The rules seem to be giving a fast paced game - maybe artillery fire needs toning down a bit but will see how the game progresses . Too be continued....

 

 

 

 

 

 

O.S FPW Prussian Artillery.

 

Once more I have been seduced from the straight and narrow by an artillery piece and crew.

 

 

This time it is a Prussian Krupp gun and crew .

 

 

Another very nice gun , it fitted together very well and the crew had only the odd arm to glue on. I must now get back to doing the line infantry units , I'm in the process of painting a French Chasseur de pied regiment , so back to the painting table !. I'm about half way to having a small game using the Featherstone Horse & Musket rules.

 

 

Other People's Property.

 

My wargaming colleague 'A' has been relocating his wargaming room and has been clearing out a lot of old , unused and generally not wanted figures , knowing my need for this raw metal for recasting into 40mm figures (see my other blog) he kindly donated it to me.

 

 

In repayment for this I agreed to build some more of the prepainted 4Ground buildings for him.

 

 

This time it was 3 log cabins and a terrace of houses. The log cabins were easy enough to assemble but they can be made into different layouts by adding extensions and  altering the position of the doors and windows. The terraced houses are impressive but slightly more fiddly with all those windows . The roofs are removable as is the first floor of the terrace.