Thursday, October 24, 2024

CLUB OPEN GAME DAY

 

Gamers  gathering and perusing the tables at the start of the Open Game Day.


Last Saturday (Oct 19), our club (The Northern Conspiracy) held it's first open game day. Our club is located in Northern New England, with members from New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont, and it meets once per month for a game night gaming session at a venue in New Hampshire. Once or twice per year, we hold a "Game Day" on a Saturday. These are usually big games or linked table campaigns that are all day affairs.  However, we sometimes run multiple smaller games on our game days--an extended version of our game nights that allow people to get in a full day of gaming.  This year, we decided to do some outreach and held an Open Game Day. Although we certainly were interested the usual--introducing our club to new prospective members--a major aim was to showcase historical miniatures gaming to the larger community of gamers. Towards these ends, we hosted a range of participation games, five in the morning and three in the afternoon. The idea was to have games that weren't too challenging in terms of rules, that would be in known/popular periods (like WWII), or that would demonstrate the visual appeal of other, lesser known periods, showcasing the range of options available in historical gaming. Here is a run down of the games (I ran my joust, which is the last in this report). As usual, you may clix pix for BIG PIX. 

Battle of Rhode Island, 28mm American War of Independence 
AJ (standing at the end of the table) briefing the players.
AJ ran his Electronic Brigadier American War of Independence Game with a full compliment of players. AJ's eBrigadier games have quite a following and are always a draw. He is working on expanding it beyond AWI in the future. 

Rome Vs Carthage, 28mm Ancients
Bob O seated at the end of the table

Bob O has put together a faster playing multiplayer variant of Command And Colors Ancients, complete with superb custom made cards and wooden trays to organize and hold them. He has put together a similar C&C variant for the Russo Turkish War. This game pitted a Carthaginian force under Hannibal's brother (Magon) against an equal sized Roman force under Varo trying to block him from linking up with Hannibal. 

Operation Epsom, 15mm World War Two
John M (yellow hat) getting players ready for his game.

John M ran a game of Blitzkrieg Commander set during the Normandy Breakout. John's specialty is World War Two (gaming and history), and his games are always appealing and fun to play. This one was no different.

Invasion of Norway, 1:1800 World War Two Naval 

One of our naval experts, Ross, put something on for the naval gamers using the elegantly simple War at Sea rules pitting a German force transporting troops for an invasion of Oslo against an intercepting allied force. Unfortunately, I only managed to get a few shots of this game during setup. 

The Battle of Carchemish, 650 BCE, 28mm Ancients
Ralph (blue vest) setting up.
This was (unfortunately) one of two games that I only managed to capture set up pictures for. Ralph and Charlie used Ralph's fast play "Hannibal at the Gates" ancients rules for the "anchor" game of the afternoon session, featuring a striking table festooned with clashing chariots and all the other colorful trappings that Babylonians, Medes, Scythians, and Egyptians bring.  Ralph's terrain pieces always add much to his games, and the feature of this one was this stunning aqueduct. 

V2 Rocket Heist, 28mm World War Two
Rob, cap at the end of the table, setting up his Iron Cross World War Two game. Again, I didn't capture any images of the game in progress, but the premise of it was an inventive mix of "adventure" and history, with Polish partisans, Home Army, and British Paras trying to capture a crashed V2 rocket and smuggle components of it out for analysis. The V2 models on the table were quite arresting (Rob is among our club's 3D printers, and creates lots of interesting materials for his and other people's games, the V2 rockets on this table being among them). 

Jousting, 28mm Medieval
Your humble correspondent (standing in black and white club shirt) briefing players during the morning joust. 


My contribution was to ran my Joust for the Fun of It game.  I ran this twice, once in the morning session and once in the afternoon. I had four players in the morning and six in the afternoon, a mix of club members and guests in both. So in my game alone there were ten players for the day. One new thing I added was the "leader crown" (seen in the upper left picture). This is worn by the player who is in the lead after each match--a mixed honor since it also serves as a target, letting other players know who they need to take down a few pegs if the chance arises (great fun). 

Summary
Although I don't have the numbers, counting the two iterations of my game, attendance was such that it floated eight viable games, with something between 4 and 6 per table (I think AJ's E Brigadier game may have had 8). Attendance in the morning session was higher than the afternoon, but all games ran. Many among the guests were new to historical miniatures gaming, one who had been invited by a club member later told him, "I can't believe how much I liked that historical gaming!"  Of course, club members were in attendance as well and had a fine day out, too. It's always good to get together to game in the club, but it was also a great experience to meet others who came to play. We'll be reprising the open game day again next year. If you're in our neck of the woods, watch for it. 

Excelsior!

Friday, October 11, 2024

MARCHES AND MATRIXES: HORSE AND MUSKET CAMPAIGNING

 

James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey; hand-coloured etching, 25 November 1796National Portrait Gallery, London (Creative Commons)

Having a bit of a lull in wargaming activity/content hereabouts, I thought I'd post a piece I wrote for our club's newsletter. So it's a bit of a read (apologies): think of it as a magazine piece in terms of read, if you will, as opposed to a blog post. So if you have the time and the inclination, settle in with a cuppa' (or a dram) and take it for what it's worth. In it, I hope to share a bit of research and provide some practical tools/ideas for better gaming.  I hope it provides, if nothing else, a bit of a diversion worthy of the time needed to read it. Without further ado, here 'tis (as usual, you may clix pix for BIG PIX). 

BATTLE GAMES 
The bulk of our gaming tends to be in the battle-game genre, games that are bounded by the physical framework of a table, played in the temporal span of an evening, have action that is divided into a finite number of turns--usually in a single day of battle--and are adjudicated at the conclusion of one or more of the former.  Requiring little to no preparation on the part of players, and no investment on the part of the host once completed, these are the most efficient kinds of games to present--of which convention and game night games are a perfect example.  This is not to suggest that these games are simplistic, easy to design, or unsatisfying to play.  However, when we want to go beyond these boundaries, we turn to another gaming genre: the campaign.  
CAMPAIGNS
There are many variations on the campaign theme, running from simple linked-battles to complex, refereed kriegspiels.  This piece will not attempt to address the broad topic of campaigns. Instead, it will focus on the horse and musket map campaign, and one of the most central--and vexing – components to deal with: organizing and marching units across the map. In any campaign system, I think it is safe to say that not only are we looking for mechanisms that are functional, but also that are grounded in history. In short, we want the campaign experience to be consistent with our understanding of the era.
  THE HORSE AND MUSKET CAMPAIGN
In the horse and musket era, particularly pre-Napoleonic, we're talking about replicating the coordination of movement and logistics for armies consisting of tens of thousands of soldiers organized into dozens of units of horse, foot, and guns. And doing so in a time when there was only quill and paper to record and reproduce orders, no means of disseminating information other than face-to-face or courier, and no means of tracking or reporting the progress of march elements in anything near real time. And yet, horse and musket armies routinely conducted significant marches and arrived at their destinations in time, ready to concentrate for battle. How did they do it?  Let’s take a look at the below march tables from 1743 and see what we can glean to inform our approach.

List of the March of the Austrian Army in Bavaria, 1743
From The UK Royal Trust: King George III's Military Map Collection; 
Brown and red ink on paper; 22.3 x 37.0 cm (sheet);  RCIN 728107 (click link to view full sized version)
Click to Enlarge.
Source text accompanying the above. 
"A list of places along the route taken in Bavaria for the Austrian army marching in three columns in July 1743. War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48).
"The list for each marching column has five headings: the names of the generals, the infantry regiments, cavalry regiments, dates and places of stopping points on the march, the bread and foraging for each day. The first column of 20,000 men was commanded by Prince Charles of Lorraine; the second column of 20,000 men by General Thungen, the third column (no strength given) General de Hohenembs."  (See the citation above the image to go to the source).

ANALYSIS
I translated and recast each of the columns into a contemporary format. In the original and in the updated versions, you read the tables vertically and not across (as it might seem at a glance). Here is the single document broken down into three parts, side by side with the contemporary format. You may need to expand to see more clearly. A pdf with the updated tables can be found at the following link.
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3

Although the above is broken into bits for ease of comparison, keep in mind that this is a  single document, in tabular format, that conveys all the key information that would be needed for a wide range of users involved in the operation, from regimental commanders to quartermasters. And even more importantly, it shows us how, in an era before word processing, copy machines, or even typewriters, orders could be compiled in an easy to reproduce format. This single sheet of paper could be hand-copied in short order, and every stakeholder could be provided one. Let's take a further dive into what is here.

1. Task Organization. Immediately, one can see that the army is organized into three numbered columns. The internal composition of each is presented in hierarchical order. Most prominent are the lists of line regiments, divided into infantry and cavalry. Listing the number of regiments at the bottom of each column may seem redundant, but it provides a quick reference for those who may be more concerned with numbers than the actual unit identities.  Having the total at the bottom also serves as a check against error when reproducing the list by hand (in the same way that writing the amount on a check in roman numerals and again in longhand provides an internal proofing mechanism). Attachments (support, administrative, and non-regimental elements) are in the space at the bottom. This format accounts for the entire force, providing a format to include even esoteric elements like “Prussian Volunteers.” 

2. Command.  Each column commander is named, with the remaining commanders accounted for in the lists of generals. The fact that Gen. Thungen and Gen. Hohenembs are double listed as commanding the Second and Third Columns (respectively) and are also listed as the first generals in the Third and Second Columns suggests that the generals lists may reflect other relationships as well (which may be known in the army).  In this case it likely seems that these two generals were detailed from their “usual” places to command these columns, perhaps due to seniority. 

3. March Routes and Times. Each table serves as a stand-alone reference for its column. You can see that each column is moving on a different route, which is easily indexed by date and place. These routes are in “connect the dots” format (what we would refer to as point-to-point, with towns being the points). Complete maps were in short supply, but routes between towns were well known, and roads were defined by the towns they connected. Thus, these directions could have been followed as is. However, during this era, strip maps were routinely produced, which would provide a perfect graphic tool to use in conjunction with these march tables. (More on this point in the later part of this piece). 

 4. Logistics. The requirements necessary to sustain each force, per day, have been worked out and listed. Although units of measure are not specified for bread, oats, and hay, it is very likely that these would have been commonly understood and therefore not bothered with given the shorthand nature of the table (most likely  loaves, bushels, and bales, respectively). Combine this with the march column and t provides key planning information for quartermasters. They would be able to know not only what was needed for the march, but where and when. 

5. Force Optimization. Taking a step back, we can see that the army was divided into two equal columns (The First and Second), each of 20,000 men and approximately the same mix and number of regiments. We may infer that these are not accidental and would represent an optimum force size and mix given the routes involved, as well as leveraging standardization to the extent that two of the columns would be equivalent, simplifying support planning.  The Third Column is smaller, and probably represents the remainder. Thus, we can glean how an army was task organized for a march, the suggestion being that columns would be balanced. 

How Might We Use This Information to Shape Our Horse and Musket Campaigns?
James Gillray, 1799. From the Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University

1. Maps. We see that horse and musket armies were what we would today call “road bound.” This is often characterized as some sort of failure of vision on the part of commanders of the era. Instead, it was the reality of both travel and navigation in that time. As has been shown in the source, military operations were defined by the road network, and navigation was defined by a path through key points (i.e., towns).  Granted, some roads might be little more than tracks, and some towns might not amount to much more than a few hovels, but that does not change the paradigm. This is actually good news. It means that we do not have to go through the elaborate procedure of creating campaign maps (particularly hex maps) covered with terrain and the (often) equally elaborate schemes for moving units into and across terrain as opposed to on roads (or routes).  

Instead, a more easily produced point-to-point map would both be more historically accurate and a better tool for managing movement. Major and minor routes could still be differentiated, as well as key terrain. Happily, for those who don't want to come up with their own, there are ready-made point-to-point maps that could be used. And I'll show you a few...
Wargame Maps
            Napoleon (4th Ed) (Columbia Games)      Detail of Napoleon Map
One of the best, and most recognizable, is the Columbia Games Napoleon block game map. This map is designed with equal distances between points, so they also work to regulate movement like squares on a board (in the game,  infantry moves one town per turn, cavalry, two--but your use may vary). In addition, it shows the cockpit of Europe, which could be used for any number of campaigns. It can be downloaded from the Columbia Games site
For a more grand campaign, something like Histo Games Friedrich map could serve.
For something a bit more abstract, but entirely functional, the venerable GDW Soldier King map would suit as a hybrid route/area campaign map. 

Period or Other Maps
Even better, a period or similar map could be used with little or no modification provided that it showed a road network linking locations. One would only need to come up with march rates (4km per hour would work), and a number of hours of march per day (6 to 8 would be reasonable). If two or more elements were on the same route, they would not move together in a “stack” but be separated. Rather than trying to track these by physical length, manage them using a time table, with subsequent elements hitting points on the shared route a number of hours or days (depending on the campaign clock) after others. Which leads me to my next point.

2. Organization and Orders.  The best way to replicate the process in our campaign would be to use the same tools as they did in the period. To enable this, I’ve taken the format and modified it for a miniatures campaign. One of these would be filled out per element for a specified time (perhaps by week). 
You can download a version of this for your use. 

Explanation: I’ve renamed the “Generals” column to be more open ended in order to list subordinate commanders as well as provide space for command notes (command points, for instance, might find their way here). In the regiments lists, I’ve added a space to enumerate battalions and squadrons. In the command section, instead of the number of troops, you would provide the size of the force expressed in game terms (strength points or some other metric). For the march route, I’ve added a “turn” column; however, this could be replaced by days, dates, or some other unit of time, depending on the campaign clock. On the right, I generalized the forage column to leave space for notes concerning the march (again, depending on the campaign system).  Finally, at the bottom I’ve added a space for contingencies, notes, and other information. 

CONCLUSION
Although the cartoon image of military operations in the pre-Napoleonic era is of plodding forces led by idiot aristocrats (true in some cases), the actual fact is that there was a standing officer class in every society for whom warfare was a way of life, and their understanding was grounded in both study and long experience. In short, they did things for good reason and knew how to get things done. Now you do, too!

Excelsior!

Monday, September 16, 2024

DANISH HUSSARS (CHOCOLATE BOX WARS): A RETURN TO THE PAINTING DESK

 

Danish Guard Hussars of the 1st Schleswig-Holstein. 

Followers (long suffering) of this blog may recall that I basically hung up my paint brushes back in March 2022 with the completion of my Prussian Cuirassiers.  I have done some painting since then, but as planned, it has been small "round out" projects and nothing regular (or major).  Recently, I had reason to unbox my paints and make a mess again after a long hiatus, which is the subject of this post. As usual, you may clix pix for BIG PIX. 
The Danes of the 1st Schleswig-Holstein War were the first contingent I completed for my Chocolate Box Wars (and VnB Continental Mid Century Wars Variant) project.  I have since expanded upon the units in the above photo, but they remain the smaller of my forces. Still, they are the senior contingent, and  as such, they hold a special place in the CBW establishment here in Meanderer Barracks. 

Followers of this blog may also be aware of the conversions and repurposing of figures I've done to complete the various CBW contingents. This was particularly so when I started, and with the Danes in particular. Casting about for figures to represent the Danish cavalry, I used Northstar Austrian 1866 Dragoons for the Danish Dragoons and Horse Guards (more on that in a bit), and the closest fit I could find for the Danish Guard Hussars (pictured at the top of this post) were in the Irregular Miniatures 28mm line...
...the Irregular Miniatures Wars of Italian Unification Austrian Hussar 

I put these Austrian hussars on the Irregular Miniatures Prussian Hussar horses/horse furniture, and then free handed the details to represent the Danish Kit. Not a bad result, I think. As new figures became available, however, I found myself "upgrading" my original CBW contingents...
...for instance, my initial Prussian cavalry contingent were all Foundry figures (above). But as Northstar expanded their line, I went with more contemporary figures...

...painting up new Dragoons, Cuirassiers, and Hussars (also uhlans, but those were new and not upgrades). 
Eventually, Northstar produced some Danish Dragoons (left most unit in the above), and I added them to the Danish horse. So, three out of four of these units were contemporary figs (the red coated dragoons and the yellow coated horse guards are the conversions of Northstar 1866 Dragoons). Thus, I thought it was time to cast about to see if I could upgrade the Danish Guard Hussars to better fit in with the others. And so I began to look about...
...and I found some additional information and references (first of all). The above images come from a Danish Website (worth a look).   According to one source, I  read (I forget where) that on campaign the Danish Hussars wore either the Attila (the blue jacket in the top picture) or the Pelisses (the red fur lined jacket in the below), but they did not wear the pelisse draped over the shoulder in the Napoleonic style. Thus, if I could find hussars wearing the pelisse, my upgraded hussars would look very much like the trumpeter above: red coat, blue trousers, bold horse furniture, very cool. Now, to see if I could find figures (because nobody makes these, of course)...
...and checking into the Perry Metal Napoleonic figures, I found these Danish Hussars (1813/14) wearing pelisse in the  Danish Norwegian Army. The shako is not quite right, and a bit busy, but otherwise, close enough to work with. Here's what I did...
I picked up the command and trooper attacking packs, and I snipped off the plume, leaving just a bump there, upon which I then sculpted a pom pom out of green stuff.
To get the lines of the mid century trousers, I shaved off the buttons on the coveralls and smoothed the legs.  
For the officer, I clipped the plume a bit, and then added the hanging plume using green stuff (something I got plenty of practice with when doing my Russian Uhlan conversions). And here is the outcome...
The stand with the Officer and trooper. 
I brought out my Hungarian Knot shortcut to add a sleeve loop to the officer. 

A few detail shots for anyone who is interested in these figures. I must say that in naked metal, I had to study them for several days to understand what I was looking at and how to approach them.



To bring out and make distinct the complex lines of the strapping, shako cords, flounders, buckles, buttons, and braiding, and to help the white stripe on the light blue trousers stand out, I used my underpainting method (also known as "lazy man's blacklining"). I first painted these details black and then went over them in white or metallic,  leaving a bit of the outline to delineate the features from one another. The pom poms are actually light gray as opposed to white: not something you notice explicitly, but something that helps with the look of the figure. On the shako, I only painted the long cording consistent with the latter uniform white, leaving the other cords black with the shako. There is also a thin wash of black and a drybrush of lighter red and lighter blue over the uniforms and saddle blankets (again, not heavily done, but enough that they don't look block painted). The fur edging on the pelisse, the officer's hanging plume, and the horse tails and manes are black with a drybrush of "gunship gray." The horses were done first in burnt umber then drybrushed with burnt sienna--and then given a light blackwash and drybrushed lightly with burnt sienna again.  All paints are flat enamels (Model Master, Testors, Humbrols, and True North). 

The Unit:


Getting a consistent look across the sabreteches and the edging on the shabraques took some doing. I spent as much time painting the horses/horse furniture as I did the riders. But the small figure count of the Chocolate Box Wars system allows for this kind of attention: I don't think I could have maintained this level of control for 24 figures!


A set of non close up views: what the unit looks like when seen at gaming distance.

A demonstration of the difference between the contemporary Perry figures (left) and the original Irregulars--for which I still maintain a soft spot. They will assume their proper place of honor alongside the other figures I've retired. 

Being the senior contingent in my CBW forces, I added a separate trumpeter command figure, something I have done for my Prussians, Austrians, and Russians. 
The new Guard Hussars take their place alongside the Horse Guards in the Danish Cavalry Division, now led by a trumpeter command figure.

Now the Danes have a hussar unit with figures that can stand up to their Prussian counterparts on the table. 

Excelsior!

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