"Two corps w/ correct deployment depths" Topic

Some better 3mm blog pics. Now with terrain and action!
If you guys are getting bored of these let me know. I think this one is pretty cool though. Make sure you click and zoom on the "break down" picture.

It's taken me about four years or so but I finally have my 3mm set-up the way I want it to look:

[URL=http://s1080.photobucket.com/user/forwardmarchstudios/media/With%20River_zpscl9j0jkv.jpg.html]

Blog is here: 1809in3mm.blogspot.com

You missed a spot. You'll have to do it all over again, from scratch…

That looks like a fun game waiting to happen. Do you have rules picked out (or written)?

- Ix

I can see the appeal of this – it has a unique look. I wanted someting like this when I started buying the old Minifig 5mm blocks back in the 70s but it never came to anything.

Yours is looking very tasty. Congratulations – I look forward to some more photos.

Doug

Very nice. (Even if i think your older mat was better, because you couldnt see the structure of the cloth.)

You could try Shako Grand Tactical. It uses stands for one bataillons touching each other, but would surely work with your realistic distances.

Keep them coming. I do General de Brigade because the scale is small enough so that you actually have to perform Napoleonic tactics to play. The 3mm you are doing seems to be the uncompromised other end of the scale, where people can actually move a corp around. Love it. I'm wondering also about rule sets and playing at that scale.

@Moonraker Miniatures

I saw the Minifig 5mm blocks listed in an old catalogue but I have never seen them in the flesh. I don't suppose you have any pictures of them do you?

@ SJDonovam – I can take some….

Doug

Thanks Doug,

I really appreciate it. I'm something of a Minifigs obsessive and I have been wondering what they looked like for years.

I don't know if it'd be appropriate to hijack this topic by posting pics here. Any suggestions?

Doug

Maybe just start a thread called Minifigs 5mm blocks in Old School Wargaming or Wargaming in General?

Best wishes

Stephen

OK – I'll do that….I've dug out the figures – just need to do some photos. May not be immediately.

Doug

I never get tired of pictures of games. Keep them coming. Your terrain mat is great.

Glad you guys liked it and that I'm not boring you! :)
It was a lot of fun to build. I have some more foliage clumps en route so in a bit I should be able to expand the board even bigger.

1968BillsFan- Rules-wise I really don't know. It's a tough one. I don't know of any rules that deal with higher level formations. For instance, what's the table-top difference between setting up a regiment of 3 battalions in a line vice a column 3 battalions deep? Mass psychology rules are likewise not too common. Black Powder or Shako seem like they'd work at a convention where the players would essentially all be doing their own thing, and it would be like 5 or 6 pairs of players facing off against each other. It doesn't have the finesse that I'd like.

I'd thought about using the Squad Leader turn sequence and combat system but doing a hefty-re-write. Also Grand Armee. In the Grand Armee version you'd be able to see the battalions but combat resolution would be done at the brigade level. The brigade commander base would be a 20mm circle with a command radius, against which all hits would be calculated against an aggregate Combat Value. I'd make some formation rules that would give relative advantages and disadvantages, also depending on things like what the unit is doing, since the best formation for defense may be different than the best for offense.

Then, I have a set of rules I'm toying with that would be completely revolutionary, require no dice, no charts, no record keeping and minimal rules yet capture the uncertainty of command and establish time and reserves as key factors in a battle. They'd also allow for all the bizarre, unpredictable things that happen in battles to take place on the table top. I need to do a bit more development work on it though before I can start play testing it.

Thanks for showing. I will be checking you site out more, later for ideas for what I am doing.

I think it would be interesting to play Bluecher at this scale.

Until I super-sized my game board I was guilty like most, if a smooth bore cannon can shoot the depth of your board it's to small.

You could probably play this with Volley and Bayonet, but use individual battalion stands rather than the big brigade bases.

If you grid up the playing area, it helps keep the correct tactical dispersion too.

Very nice looking. Please keep posting.

I have not read or played it, but Two Hour Wargames' "Morale Napoleon" is a fast play rules set that presumes one stand = 1 battalion and combat is resolved by division (or higher).

Not sure of the ground scale.

It looks great. Keep 'em coming!

forwardmarchstudios:

It is great eye-candy. Nice work. I don't know the scale except by eye. Just FYI, armies didn't deploy into battle lines until between 1500 and 1200 yards from the enemy [SOP], unless they had no idea where they would meet them. [You see that stated in a number of treatises and actual battle reports.]

The other thing is that unless the second/third line was committed to supporting the first line, all armies kept infantry and cavalry in column, often large groupings/masse. If they were in support, the supporting lines would be between 150 to 300 yards behind the first line in either smaller columns or line.

Hmm. 1500m happens to be the half way point on my board, so deployment to line at that range shouldnt be an issue. I was thinking this morning that my supporting lines were a bit too close. That said, my reserve brigades are in mass formation/columns…

I wish there was a Squad Leader for Napoleonics. Something that shows both real-world data right alongside the game-ratings. I've thought of doing a simple re-write of it just for fun. Not really enough time though..