Dismounted Federal Cavalry in 10mm

With a long-running string of ACW battles on the table, it may not be much of a surprise that painting inspiration drifted toward fielding more figures for the 10mm ACW project.  If first day of Gettysburg is ever to see the table, Federal dismounted cavalry will be needed.  Having no such figures, I pushed a handful of Federal dismounted horsemen into the painting queue.

Off the painting desk today are 32 Federal dismounted horse soldiers.  Figures are from Blaze Away Miniatures sold through Lancashire Games.  These 10mm figures are superb.  Cleanly cast with crisp details.  These figures are larger than Old Glory's 10mm ACW figures that comprise the bulk of this collection.  In separate units and especially dismounted, no problem.  Actually, the Blaze Away figures make Old Glory's dismounted cavalry look quite unimpressive.  These models are gorgeous!  I picked up a few more during Lancashire Games' recent summer sale.  Added some Confederate dismounted cavalry and horseholders into the order too.

On the gaming table, Hood's attack at Gettysburg remains on the table.  With the score showing three victories to two for the Rebels in this series, one more playing is on deck for later today.  In today's battle, I take command of Hood's division while Peter (Grid based wargaming) commands the Federal defenders on Little Round Top, Houck's Ridge, and the Wheatfield.

I am not sure if I have ever beaten Peter in a game on Home Turf.  We will see if I can reverse those string of defeats later today.

Emergency Planning

Fire devastation at Medical Lake, WA

If faced with the choice of saving only one wargaming collection in an emergency, which one would be rescued?  Now, in this hypothetical scenario, assume that all of your really valuable possessions, family, and pets are safe before turning to picking a collection to load up.  

A string of recent natural disasters in the news included one firestorm hitting close to home this weekend.  Friday's wildfire caused a nearby town (15 miles away) to be evacuated on short notice to due high winds and a quickly spreading brush fire.  That fire is still burning having already consumed more than 10,000 acres.  Choked by smoke from wildfires burning all around the Northwest and Canada (Spokane registered the worst air quality on the planet this morning), I wondered which collection would make the escape with me if thrust into a similar situation.

This question is similar to the Desert Island puzzle.  Tough one for me to answer straight away.

After some careful thought, I figured a horse & musket period would make my first cut.  Which one and in which scale?  Having collections in Napoleonics (15mm and 25mm), Franco-Austrian War, AWI, SYW, French & Indian War, and ACW, how do I choose?

Given some thought and weighing the pros and cons of each, I select the 18mm SYW collection as the Chosen One.  Even though it is not my largest collection, it is of good size (over 4,000 figures) with a number of different combatants.  Lots of colorful uniforms and I can fight a variety of battles from the 1730s to the 1770s.  Yeah, that's the one.

If time allowed for two collections to be loaded up and saved, which collection gets the second spot?  That is even a more difficult question requiring even more of a think.

While the choice is a hard one for me, perhaps the decision is not such a challenging a question for some.  If faced with a similar conundrum, which one wargame collection would you save and why?

I await your answers.  Perhaps a good case will prompt me to reconsider my choice.

Hanoverian Foot on Parade

In somewhat of a rarity these days, no game on the books this week.  The F2F game scheduled was postponed due to record heat.  With no game, the paintbrushes got in some much-needed exercise.  Perhaps the slow pace of painting in June and July will see a slight pick-up in August?  After a sluggish summer at the painting desk, my painting output tends to begin to increase in August.  Fall usually experiences a marked increase in production.  If I can only be so lucky this year. 

Off the table today are two Hanoverian regiments.  The latest foot regiments to march out are Ledebour and Grote.  Each 23-figure regiment sees 22 Old Glory foot led by one Eureka mounted colonel.  After painting four Hanoverian regiments using Blue Moon figures, the style of the Old Glory figures is quite different.  I like both styles but painting them requires adjustment when switching from one to the other.  More Old Glory Hanoverians are in the painting queue.

Regiment Grote

Regiment Ledebour

Painting continues to focus on SYW/WAS in 18mm with Hanoverian cavalry in work.  The recent run of ACW games prompted the arrival of dismounted cavalry into the painting queue.  Digging out a few packs of Blaze Away 10mm dismounted Federal cavalry out from The Lead Pile, a handful of figures were quickly prepped and work began.  These Blaze Away figures were purchased as a "test" many years ago.  The sculpting on the figures is fantastic and makes my Old Glory collection look rather shabby.  Blaze Away cavalry are far superior to Old Glory's offerings.  Another order went into Lancashire Games this week to increase the dismounted cavalry arm of the project.

While no game scheduled this week, there still may be action at the gaming table this weekend.  Time will tell.  For sure, the long running Hood's Attack scenario will see at least one more outing next week before plans for a different battle begin.  I lean toward seeing a return to the SYW/WAS but some quick Basic Impetvs games sound good too.

Muskets and Springfields

When I first saw these rules announced, my thought was, "these look interesting."  Played on a grid with no figure removal, Muskets and Springfields (M&S) looked right up my alley.  Now, with my experience with the recent hit and miss nature of books and rules released from the seemingly factory-line quick publishing of some companies, I am a bit wary.  This time, I threw caution to the wind and placed an order, sight unseen.

Having played many rules (see for example the different rulesets played in 2022 alone at Year in Review: Games Played) playtested others, and read many, many more rules across more than 50 years of wargaming, a read from cover to cover with a return to reinforce concepts often provides a good grasp of the mechanisms.  Including a QRS close by as reference helps too.  Hopefully, a core design philosophy can be extracted as well.  

After reading the rules through twice with several returns to reread crucial sections, I had many questions.  Questions arose not only in the rules, themselves, but to the author's understanding of the period.  Given these reservations, I went in search of reviews.  One of the few reviews found was Colin's impression at Carryings On

Up the Dale.  Colin enjoyed the rules with no mention of the mechanisms I found troubling.  Next up was the author's (Nigel Emsen) Design Notes.   

Both Colin and Nigel provide an overview and feel for the flow of the rules.  I make no review of the rules, themselves.  Rules' metadata can be found elsewhere.  As I read the rules, stopping to reflect often, there were many facets that simply either did not make sense or were (in my mind) in error.

Where to begin?

Let's start with the title, itself.  Muskets and Springfields is an odd choice for a title.  First, Springfields were muskets; rifled muskets but still muskets.  Perhaps Smoothbores and Springfields would have been a better title choice?  Second, "...because M&S sits at the operational level, there is no separation between smoothbore and rifle armed small arms" why this title at all, then?  With a ground scale of one square equaling 300 yards and no distinction between smoothbore and rifles, the title has no relevance.

This brings up my second point.  Operational level?  With a ground scale of 300 yards, basic maneuver unit (BMU) of a brigade, and all of the scenarios depicting small ACW battles or only portions of large battles, the rules are tactical not operational.  Perhaps our definitions of "operational level" differ but to me, operational invokes campaigns not refighting portions of battles.  The inclusion of capturing and spiking guns is a bit much when players take roles of Army down to Division command. 

Even setting the basic unit in the game as a brigade is not without ambiguity.  In the six scenarios provided, this basic unit seems to vary.  In some scenarios the BMU is a brigade.  In others, a brigade is composed of multiple regiments.  Still in another, a brigade is composed of a number of stands.  There is no consistency that a BMU is, in fact, a brigade.  Perhaps, "brigade-equivalent" may have been a better term?

Speaking of terminology, each unit carries a Morale State that can be in one of three states.  These are either "Unknown", "Steady", or "Nervous".  A unit's Morale State is not known until it first takes damage.  The author calls this rule, the "fight or flight" rule.  "Fight or flight"?  Why not use the period expression of "Seeing the elephant"?  Even the phrase of "first takes damage" is misleading since the next section in the rules under Attrition states that a unit must receive at least two hits in any one turn to trigger this event.  Another oddity is the use of the term "Shooting and Scooting" for evading.  I have never read of any ACW units "shooting and scooting" as a charge bears down.  Is the use of a deck of cards for activation really a "bag-pull" system?

What about troop types? Any challenges there?  Yes! Zouaves (and Native American warbands) in melee are easier to hit (-2 modifier) and fight with 4D10.  Regular infantry melee with 6D10s.  Why?  Oh, Zouaves and warbands are immune to Morale Tests!  Makes me wonder if the author knows what a Zouave was in the ACW.

In shooting and melee a unit rolls a specified number of D10s looking for successes but nowhere does it specify if the roll must exceed or fall under the target number.  Do the modifiers adjust the Base Number or the die roll?  The answer can be worked out by studying the modifier table but this should be explicit to avoid confusion.  Similarly, nowhere is it mentioned how a melee ends.  Does the losing unit retire from the square if neither is eliminated?

Finally, the scenario maps have issues.  Given that this is a grid-based game, the maps carry no grid.  Typos are frequent.  At Cedar Mountain, one of the Confederate commanders is shown as "C. SWINDERS" and a farm is shown as "Crillenden."  Good grief.

First impressions are that this work requires more development.  When one ambiguity surfaces, I question that one exception.  When ambiguities abound, I begin to question everything.  There may be some good ideas in here somewhere but getting to them is a chore.

Best Part of Miniature Wargaming

While I await the results of the 2023 survey to arrive in about one month's time, I return for one last (?) look at the 2022 survey results.

With thoughts of data reliability still in mind (see On the Reliability of Data) and a change in the collection of respondents' answers to the best part of wargaming question from 2021 (see What Do We Like?), time to revisit this topic.

In the 2021 survey, respondents were asked to list their top three choices to the question of what are the best parts of wargaming.  The choices were:

• Playing the game
• Painting the miniatures
• Hanging out with friends
• Collecting the miniatures
• Doing background research
• Collecting and building terrain
• Preparing scenarios
• Collecting rulesets
• Building the optimal army list

There was no specific ranking in place.  A respondent simply checked the Top Three choices.  No means for discerning which was the top choice.   For the 2022 survey, choices remain the same but a ranked order was introduced.  Now the results would show a respondent's specific ranking.  Would that make a significant difference in aggregating the Top Three choices?

No!  The ordering is the same with the exception that far down the list Preparing scenarios and Collecting rulesets have swapped places.  Playing the game still heads up the list with Painting the miniatures coming in at a close second.

2022 Rank Order

2021 Rank Order

Aggregating the Top Three choices in each year produces similar results.

What if only the top wargaming activity is singled out?  Does the ordering change from the Top Three result?

Yes, it does.

Looking at only the top choice, Painting the miniatures takes the top place by a wide margin.  Although in the aggregate, Playing the game tops the charts, perhaps the hobby is centered on figure painting after all?

Breaking out the results by a few attributes and comparing to 2021 results shows tendencies remain much the same to 2022.

That is for Age Group, younger wargamers tend toward building optimal army lists and collecting miniatures. Older wargamers seem more introspective than their younger counterparts with preferring to do background research and preparing scenarios relative to collecting miniatures and hanging out with friends.

2022 by Age Group

2021 by Age Group

When wargaming preferences are considered by Primary Interest, 2022 results reinforce the big differences seen in the 2021 survey.  Historical wargamers are much more interested in doing background research and preparing scenarios than their Fantasy/Sci-fi counterparts.  Fantasy/Sci-fi wargamers are more interested in building optimal army lists, collecting miniatures, and hanging out with friends than those with a historical primary interest.  Again, results are similar to the findings from the 2021 survey.

2022 by Primary Interest

2021 by Primary Interest

Finally, taking a look at the relationship between wargamer preferences and collection size shows the tendency to collect miniatures falls off after having reached 1,000 figures in the collection.  Similarly, the tendency to want to paint miniatures appears to slack off after having reached a collection size of 20,000 figures.  Does any facet of wargaming increase as collection size increases?  Yes.  The switch from painting figures to preparing scenarios seems likely as the number of figures in a collection rises.

2021 by Age Group

Seeing results without wild swings from year to year is comforting especially given that roughly half of the respondents turn over annually.

Given your age, primary interest, and collection size, do these results reflect your wargaming preferences?  If not, what is different and why?

What were your top three choices for best part of wargaming?  Have those rankings changed over time?

Sickles, Hammered!

The fight over the Hallowed Ground at Gettysburg continues.  Having fought Hood's Attack now at four games and counting, the tally shows two games apiece for the armies.

For Game #5, many of the fine campaigners from earlier remote battles return to the table.  The players are:

CSA:

Chris (Horse and Musket Gaming).

Mark (Mud Blood and Steel).  

USA:

David B (The Ragged Soldier)

David C (St Cyr on Wheels).

All but David B have fought this battle before (see Hammerin' Sickles).  In that contest, the Federal Army eked out a victory on the last die roll of the game.  Thrilling stuff.  Would this battle be as hotly contested as the first match-up?  Let's see.

As a reminder of the overall situation, 

Battlefield geography and place names

Initial army concentrations

Army deployments

Having read through accounts of the other battles, both armies had plans for how to fight.  The Federals would start with most of the units on Reserve while the Confederates were set on bringing the fight to the Bluecoats as quickly and with as much force as possible.

Federal Army in waiting.

Battlefield viewed from southwest.

Battlefield viewed from east.

On to battle!

With Hood under attack orders, the Rebels have initiative on the first turn.  Although the Devil's Den salient is within General Law's grasp, Hood uses his initiative to open the battle by activating Robinson and his Texans.  Robinson has two regiments of Texans on Big Round Top and two regiments along Rose's Run and out of command. 

Robinson leads his Texans in an attack against the 83PA positioned in the woods on a saddle of Little Round Top.  The Texans suffer heavy casualties but the Pennsylvanians are sent packing.  They are done for this battle.  Vincent, on Little Round Top, sends the 20ME down to sweep around the Texans' right.  The remainder of Vincent's Brigade remains calm and stationary atop the heights of Little Round Top.  

Panning back to Devil's Den, Law attacks the sharpshooters among the rocks with the 44AL.  The Alabamans are repulsed but casualties are light.  Attacking from Plum Run, the 48AL goes in against the sharpshooters.  Ward attempts to reinforce Devil's Den with the 124NY on Houck's Ridge but they refuse to respond.  The second attack carries Devil's Den.  The sharpshooters are scattered.     

US Sharpshooters hold Devil's Den.

Rebels attack Little Round Top and Devil's Den.

Devil's Den falls!

With the crucial ground at Devil's Den in Confederate hands, Benning's Brigade is brought up in support of Law.  Hood is not content to only consolidate his gains.  Benning is ordered to take the heights of Houck's Ridge.

Benning comes up to support Law behind Devil's Den.

Benning prepares his attack up Houck's Ridge.

Hearing reports that Devil's Den has fallen and Houck's Ridge is under attack, de Trobriand advances into Rose's Woods to threaten the enemy's left.  Feeling pressure from the left and not wanting to over-extend his position, Benning chooses to fire up onto Houck's Ridge from the valley below.  No assault up onto the heights, for now.  Benning's decision pays off. Federal infantry supporting the guns on Houck's Ridge are driven off in confusion from Rebel musketry.  

De Trobriand counters Benning's push to Houck's Ridge. 

Support for Smith's guns are driven off
while Winslow's guns give Benning a blast of canister.

Sensing a weakening of Ward's Houck's Ridge position, de Trobriand calls up Winslow's guns to stop the enemy.  Blasted by canister and musketry, Benning's Brigade takes heavy casualties but they stand firm.  With the other half of Robinson's Brigade positioned along Rose's Run, Hood orders them to advance against de Trobriand to ease pressure on Benning.  Anderson's Brigade comes into action against the Federal right and de Trobriand.  With many soldiers crammed into close quarters in the woods, casualties rise quickly.  In this sector, the battle ebbs and flows as first the Rebels are pushed back and then the Federals are pushed back.  Regiments on both sides are stretched to the breaking point.  In the confusion of the heavy fighting below Houck's Ridge, Ward manages to slip a regiment in to join Smith's guns.  Stalled under heavy fire, Benning begins to give way.  Part of his brigade is thrown back to Rose's Run.  Has the battle turned?

De Trobriand is hotly engaged in Rose's Woods.

The battle ebbs and flows in Rose's Woods.

Benning is thrown back from Houck's Ridge.

Not yet!

Benning redoubles his efforts throwing two more regiments against Houck's Ridge. This time, the Rebels prevail.  Federal infantry are scattered and Smith's guns are overrun.  The southern end of the ridge is in Rebel hands.  Following up on this success, the 1TX and 3AR from Robinson vigorously attack de Trobriand's 17ME and Winslow's guns in the woods on the western slope of Houcke's Ridge.  The two fresh Confederate brigades put the Yankees to flight.  General Birney, directing the defense, falls.  The Federal right is crumbling. 

Rebels take Houck's Ridge!

de Trobriand's Brigade crumbles
 as the Rebels clear Rose's Woods.

Over on Little Round Top, Law and Robinson continue pressing up the slopes.  Fighting is intense as units from both sides waver and then break.  Vincent sees Hazlett arrive with his guns and orders them up onto Little Round Top.  From the heights, Hazlett pours fire onto Houck's Ridge.  Perhaps in desperation, Vincent leads two regiments down from Little Round Top into the Texans below.  The Texans skedaddle but Little Round Top is now garrisoned only by Hazlett's guns.  Vincent's Brigade is broken in the effort.

Law pushes infantry onto the heights and attacks Hazlett's guns.  Hazlett is overrun and his guns lost.  In an attempt to throw the Rebels off from the heights, Ward crosses Plum Run at the head of one regiment and attacks the Rebels.  Ward's attack is in vain.  His regiment is lost; his brigade broken, and he is dead on the field.

Hard fighting on Little Round Top.

Vincent sees success

but is short-lived as Little Round Top is lost.

Hazlett's guns are overrun and Ward killed.

With Little Round Top securely in Rebel hands, the Confederates turn to throwing Vincent's remnants off of the heights.  Weakened from heavy fighting, Federal infantry offer not much resistance.  Here, it becomes a mopping up action.

Back along Houck's Ridge, the Rebels press on.  The remnants of de Trobriand's Brigade make a couple of spirited Last Stands but they soon fall under the weight of Rebel numbers.  With three Federal brigades broken and Weed's Brigade still to appear, the Union troops in this sector are compelled to retire.  For them, this battle is lost.

Mopping up on Little Round Top.

Houck's Ridge cleared of enemy troops.

Here the battle ends with a clear Confederate victory.  Congratulations to Mark and Chris as the Rebel commanders in a stunning success.  My condolences to the hard fighting Federals under the Two Daves' leadership.  In this fight, Sickles was truly hammered!

The Merry Band of Brothers.

With the battle still in vivid memory, having concluded less than twelve hours ago, it may be too soon to consider a retrospective of the action. 

This was another exciting battle in which momentum swung to and fro with each Brigade activation.  The result seemed up for grabs until the Federal position collapsed everywhere, at once.

Great game fought by a great group of players.

Thanks all! 

Playing time about three hours.

Adding Some Artillery

Having pushed out a handful of Hanoverian infantry regiments, I figured time to field a few guns to add variety to the painting queue.  Actually, painting production sagged badly in June and July so there was not much need for variety.  August is looking better on the painting front with work being accomplished in at least preparing a bunch of figures for painting.  Figures from many different projects are being given the black undercoat.  This prep work reminds me of my annual fall push to prep figures to hold out during the long winter months.  Perhaps this is the annual press only a few months early?

Anyway, off the painting desk today are six Hanoverian artillery pieces and crew for the SYW/WAS project.  Figures are Old Glory from 19th Century Miniatures.  This pack of six guns contains a mix of calibers.  Good looking models.  Quite functional.  More SYW/WAS figures are lingering on the painting desk awaiting their lick of paint.  Having focused mainly on 15/18mm figure painting thus far in the year, I am making an effort to get some 28mm figures prepped and pushed into the queue.  A return to Biblicals may be next.

On the gaming front, another rematch of the Gettysburg Hammerin' Sickles scenario is on deck this week. This week's game is number five in this series featuring a rematch for a four-player group from UK and France.  Some are swapping sides for the replay.  Should be interesting.