One Hour Wargames - A campaign of sorts?

Listening to my good buddy Neil on last night's paint and chat, he was describing how he is building up a couple of small armies to play the thirty scenarios in 'One Hour Wargames' by Neil Thomas.

The rules are very simple, possibly a little too simple, but as the author points out, these games are designed to be fought in an hour, so simplicity is the key. All that is required is a board measuring 3 x 3 feet and a maximum of six units per side, the composition of which will change from scenario to scenario.

The author suggests bases of about six inches wide for infantry and cavalry, Artillery on bases half that size. The amount of figures on each base is irrelevant and can be as many or as few, as the gamer has in his collection. So battles can easily be fought on a small table, even in 28 mm scale.

My small gaming table has the adequate length, but alas, is about six inches short in width. However, as I will be using 6 mm American Civil War figures, conveniently based at 6 cm for infantry and cavalry, plus three cm for artillery, I simply scaled the playing area to fit. I will be using centimetres as opposed to inches. I have even found a solid, square cushion, which is almost the correct size, the few extra centimetres are fine.

Scenario 1 in the book is a simple pitched battle on an equally simple playing area.

Symmetrical playing area, not my favourite, but it does get better as the scenarios progress.

Taking a couple of trusty face towels, the hills are placed on to the cushion.

Looks good enough to me.

Cover it with a suitably sized, green hand towel and the table is good to go.

Hills either side with a valley between.

Next up, select the forces that will be doing battle. The author provides these tables, for selecting armies with six, four or three units. I have chosen to go with six units.

A blue die (Union) and a red die (Confederate) are rolled to decide the make up of each force.

The Union brigade is made up of a single unit of Zouaves, four of infantry and one of cavalry.

The Confederates have three infantry, two artillery and also a unit of cavalry. The dismounted cavalry and horse holder bases are not part of the forces and are just there for when, and if, the cavalry dismount.

So we have two completely different force compositions to do battle, I plonked a couple of trees on the battlefield, though it still looks rather sparse.

Finally, the roll to see who deploys and moves first. The Union brigade will have that honour.

So I can now get on with the battle, have fun for an hour and then move onto the next scenario right?

Well... wrong actually.

Those of you who have been following my blogs or have heard me jabbering away on Tabletop Commanders chats, will know that I love a back story, creating the characters who inhabit it and of course writing an accompanying narrative. I intend to do that with these scenarios, attempting to link them into some type of abstract campaign game. It will in no way mirror the actual events of the American Civil War, the locations and characters, for the most part, will be totally fictional.

Don't be surprised if your name crops up during this campaign, you could end up being high ranking general or just a lowly private soldier. You may have a glorious, victorious future ahead, or you may take a mini ball in the head on your first outing. Who knows?

The table is set for Scenario One, it will go down in our history as the Battle of Two Brothers, a reference to the hills dominating the battlefield. The Union and Confederate brigades will be commanded by Brigadier Generals Brown and Moulden respectively, but more of that in the next post...

What is on the bench?

Into November already, the time is simply flying by and I haven't done a blog update for some time.

I am currently participating in the Tabletop Commanders Winter Warmer Challenge. The task I set myself was to complete my 6mm ACW project. I have just about accomplished it too. The largest and most obvious job, was to complete the infantry stands for both armies, I didn't realise I had left so many unpainted. I also wanted to attempt to build some more wagons for the supply train. After a struggle, I managed to superglue wheels onto two wagons and would have thrown the rest at the wall, but they were stuck to my bloody fingers!

I have enough wagons for my supply now, so the rest may, or may not, be tackled at some time in the distant future, depends on if I wish to frustrate myself again. So although there are a few other bits and pieces that need painting, some mule trains and skirmishers, I am calling this project complete. Or I will be when I pick up the bases for the newly painted units later this week.

The first box of Union infantry. all the units on bases were completed last year, only the unbased units have been completed for the challenge. These storage boxes are great and cheap too.

The second box shows the 14 units completed for the challenge.

Similar with the Confederate infantry, this box was completed last year.

This time 13 units, plus the two wagons, have been done for the challenge.

This box contains the Zouaves for both armies as well as the newly painted up Iron Brigade of three stands. You can see those damn wagons in the bottom compartment, along with unpainted mules and skirmishers.

So I completed 30 units of infantry, 36 to a base as well as two wagons. So this part of the challenge is done!

I am recovering from injuring my left thumb, a root in the garden bit back! I am currently unable to bend it at all, though I can now move it and am able to hold figures to paint again. I was unable to paint for two weeks. I still have some more 28mm AWI test figures to paint up and may well tackle four or five Hessian figures this week.

It is my birthday in the middle of this month and I have received the first of my new project. 10mm Napoleonic French and Russians, They must stay hidden away until the day of course, but I am looking forward to starting on them. I will of course post pictures of the new project as it progresses.

Update on what I am doing.

I haven't posted on my blog for a while so thought I should show what I have been doing of late.

First of all was the challenge to show your armies, well I only have two armies with me at the moment, The 6 mm ACW troops, so I laid them all out on my small table for inspection. Confederates on the left and the Union on the right.

I am working on the Tabletop Commanders Winter Warmer challenge also. The aim is to paint up something that has been hanging about in a cupboard or drawer, and need completing. The challenge runs from 1st October until the 31st December. I am attempting to complete my remaining ACW troops, about 1,000 of them, as well as beginning work on the 'Liberty or Death' box set by Warlord Games, for the AWI in 28 mm.

Below are three regiments of black hats, they will form the Union Iron Brigade.

Not forgetting my wargaming, I am fighting the Battle of Antietam in three phases. The table below is set out for the first part of the battle. The wheat field with its split log fence is on the left.

Looking at the table from the East. The Dunker Church is on a small plateau on the left (South) with Jackson's Corps defending. Hooker's Corps is to the North end of the table.

Looking North along the table from the rebel position at the Dunker Church.

The wheat field slopes down towards the Union positions, meaning they can't see what is before them.

The Confederates are up slope, but until they reach the crest by the fence surrounding the wheat field, their view is also limited.

On the left flank one rebel brigade has a good view of everything.

The battle rages.

The sprue of eight Woodland Indians from the box set, became my test figures. I am happy with how they turned out.

Various war painted warriors.

The 6 mm ACW part of the challenge is also coming along well. I forgot my MDF bases, so am currently unable to base up completed units, but you can now see six of the compartments have fully painted Union soldiers in them, one per regiment. The empty compartments show three more Union are on the painting table.

Here they are awaiting a blob of paint.

A sprue of ten Militia, are the next test figures for the 28 mm part of the challenge.

Some very good poses and a pleasure to put together.

Almost finished now, still a little highlighting to do and the bases to finish off too.

Yet more 6 mm Union on the painting table.

A sprue of twelve Hessians will be next for the 28 mm part of the challenge.

The Union army box is gradually filling up with completed units.