"6mm Little Big Horn" Topic

I am thinking that LBH could make for a good summer project. I am thinking about doing it in 6mm. I have a table that is 8' x 6' so I am thinking a mile would be 12" on the board.

Anyone every do the battle in 6mm?
Otherwise, any thoughts on ratio, ground scale, rules ect. or general ideas would be helpful.

What figure ratio are you looking at? 1-1? What ground scale? Math is not my forte, but if you use a 1/285 ground scale, 1 foot is about 100 yards.

I did LBH using Irreular 2mm. Have also considered trying it in 15mm. Never thought of 6mm. Who makes 6mm figures?

You can do some great stuff with 15mm. I did my Little Big Horn in 15mm on a table that is 5' x 7'. You can see it at link

If anybody did 6mm Plains Indians and cavalry, I would give it a shot.

6mm? Seems that LBH would be a individual based figure game?

Man, do it in 10mm (even that in individual bases is small) or much better yet in 15!!!

Plus, if you do 150 or so 15mm cav, and a few hundred Indians, you have the core of a GREAT genre of 15mm Old West skirmish games!

BTW, LBH is like gaming Ulundi or something. Outcome is mostly predetermined (Unless you include the Benteen and Cook forces, and they are not restricted to cowardly retreat like in the real battle.)

Irregular miniatures does 6mm Plains Indians.

Yes they do. I own them. I always thought that there would be a certain coolness factor doing it in 6mm. The scope of the battle would more readily fit into a smaller table in 6mm. I still love my 15mm and 1/72 scale figs for it though.

Thanks,

John

War in 15 – that is incredible work there!

Even in 6mm, 1:1 is probably not going to work well on an 8x6ft table, unless your plan is to do just one of the three battle sites at Little Big Horn.

I game on a table that is 16x6……I may have to do the Little bighorn in 6mm…….Damn I hate when I get excited with another project……but I can totally sneak something so small into the house!

Paul, thank you.

I'm gearing up to do the LBH on a 6' X 16' table using 15mm figures & heavily modified & streamlined Yellow Ribbon rules. Figure ratio will be 4:1. 200 Army & 400 Indian figures. 15 players. Some ground scale compromises are necessary, but the table runs from south of Reno Hill to north on Last Stand Hill & from the area of the valley fight to well east of Nye-Cartwright Ridge. Hope to run it in late May-early June.
Our group successfully did the Rosebud about a year ago, which admittedly was easier to game. Have concocted several aspects which hopefully will produce a more balanced scenario & provide some period flavor, such as the addition of the 2nd Cavalry & various victory conditions.
Will post an AAR.
Jerry

Of course all of us will be wanting to see loads of pics!!!!!!

Thanks.

Tiger, do you have seperate mounted and dismounted figs?

I started a 10mm Hlobane project, and had the idea that every British figure would have a mounted, dismounted and wounded version (small units, each player gets maybe 5-10 figs for his "troop".) Only way to game that scenario right, I think.

Smokey,
Yes, mounted & dismounted figs for each 12 fig cavalry company. Indians will fight either mounted or on foot, not both. 12 figs per each war band. The 7th Cavalry has 12 companies divided into 4 battalions & the 2nd Cavalry has one battalion. In addition there is a 10 figure scout company, a 12 stand pack train & a regimental HQ detachment.
There are wounded figures, but not on a 1 for 1 basis. These will represent the severely wounded, which cannot be abandoned without severe unit morale penalties & which require the assistance of healthy troopers to move.
Jerry

Tiger73, are we brothers? Man, that sounds so cool and very much in sync with my own plans. Will love to see how you adapt the rules and how the game turns out.

I have 360 mounted indians and 288 foot indians (though that is plains and apache) plus villagers, not quite 200, and a decent sized pony herd – just got to have that pony herd. Also two dozen cavalry troops, the 7th entire, two other white battalions and a buffalo soldier battalion, plus a couple scout companies, an HQ company, and a few units of infantry (need some more but can stand in with ACW figures), plus supply train and even a remount remuda. Like yours, 12 figure units. And all in 15 mm.

Then lots more besides for the old west side of things separate from army versus native encounters. You, no doubt, are closing in on completion while I've barely scratched the surface of my monster collection of figures.

Yes, yes, lots of photos, lots of reports, please.

There is just something about the Pony Wars and the folks who play them. It is not a major period but does seem to have devotion from those of us who do game it.

The largest problem with the period is how the rules handle Indians. I have seen some rules that merely have them performing like their US army counterparts. Just plain silly. I like how Yellow Ribbon and Pony Wars handle things. I am quite interested in how the Tomahawk and the Flame performs. My own rules 'Pony Soldier' are also being designed with this in mind.

Thanks,

John

Early morning writer,
It sounds like you are the one nearing completion of your collection. That's pretty impressive! I would be glad to send you & John Leahy a copy of my modified Yellow Ribbon rules & the scenario specific rules for our LBH game.

I'm an old dog who has difficulty with new tricks, such as posting photos on TMP. However some of the guys in our gaming group can & have done this for some of our games in the past & I'll see if I can get one of them to upload
pics.

John, I have a copy of Pony Wars & have considered its method of handling Indians, but have never tried it. I like Yellow Ribbon's manner of doing so. Do you have a preference between the two? Have looked at, but not tried, Tomahawk & the Flame. One of the most complete set of rules for gaming the Plains Indian Wars that I have encountered is the unpublished "Sioux Wars" by Tom Bookwalter (known as Garryowen on TMP). Tom has a wealth of knowledge about the Plains Indian Wars & his rules reflect it. However, they are tailored more for smaller battles than the LBH, thus my use & modification of YR in an effort to produce at scenario that can hopefully be concluded in one or two settings.
In our LBH game all war bands will be Controlled, due to the warriors' temperament & determination in protecting their village & non-combatants.
Jerry

Sorry I didn't respond sooner, I was at Little Wars. I do not intend to do it as a 1 to 1 type game. I am still trying to figure out the figure ratio. I may base it off the old TSR board game Little Big Horn. I would like to keep the number of stands smaller as to really emphasis the 7-8 mile long battlefield and the size of the country they fought in.

Inkpaduta,
That sounds reasonable to me.
Jerry

Awesome kit War in 15mm. What a great execution of the battle!

Mark, thank you. Richard