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Thursday 8 December 2022

Wanted, lots of ideas!

One of my regular blog readers is Ken Hanning, and like me he is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. At present his treatment involves chemotherapy, as a result of which he has to spend quite a lot of time each day sitting in a treatment chair. Like most wargamers, being inactive is almost an impossibility, and he has been using his enforced immobility to think about his next wargames project, to which end he contacted by email me on Wednesday.

The following is an extract from that email:

'If you were planning an early 1920’s mythical campaign using Late WW1 figures and equipment which rules would be most fun and engaging for participants?

A question for the whole class. I’m planning a foolish 12’ x 6’ table divided into four quadrants of 6’ x 3’ each. Divided by rivers or mountains with a castle and small town in each quadrant! I’m going to call it 'A very crown princely land grab'. A sort of Bob. Cordery or Henry Hyde style 'imagi-nations' approach. My late and dearly missed Wargames chum Steve Sykes and I did a version of this using two imagi-nations (People’s Republic of Brost and the Veritanian Principality!) using mini figs WW1 Russians and Germans.

So the first thought is rules?

The second thought is figures and scales. I have four Airfix forts or castles, which are treasured and it's time to use them. They include Sherwood Castle, Fort Sahara, Fort Laramie and the Roman Wall Gate Fort.

I wondered about the HAT hard plastic WW1 figures and equipment, but I’ve never used them, and my painting talent has eroded after years of Dupuytrens disease and carpel tunnel syndrome in both hands.!! (Don’t get me started on my eyesight!)

But I’m keen to press on with the planning as it’s a brilliant distraction from the ongoing chemo unpleasantness.'

He also included a sketch of his projected campaign map:

My reply included the following:

I enjoyed reading about your ideas for a four-way campaign set during the post-WW1 period. Assuming that you don’t want to use my PW rules (sorry for the plug but …), I’d suggest looking at something fast and simple. Morschauser’s rules fit the bill, as do Donald Featherstone’s. I was thinking of the rules he wrote for low-level warfare and for fighting actions on the NW Frontier. My personal preference for figures would be to go with 15mm, mainly because of the range of stuff that is available, although if you really want to go retro – and have the time to paint them – Jacklex do some interesting 20mm metal figures, as do several other manufacturers.

My latest painting attempts have all been 15mm, but when I was faced with painting a large number of Russian soldiers some time back, I opted for a very simple painting method that produced results that were good enough to pass the 3-foot rule. I undercoated them using a mid-grey colour, the painted them with earth brown paint. Once that was dry, I dry brushed them with sand coloured paint. All that was left to do was to paint in any smaller detail (hands, faces, boots, weapons, packs, belts) and then, once that had dried, I used a nut-brown ink wash. This enhanced the shadowing and tended to obscure any minor flaws in my painting. The figures were then varnished and based. I’ve used a similar system to paint German figures, the exception being that I used different main and dry brushed colours. My painting skill and eyesight a both pretty bad, but they were good enough for me, and that is what counts!

I like the idea that you are going to use stuff that you’ve had around for some time. Might I suggest that the style of castle might set the tone for each of the forces you raise. My suggestions are:

  • Sherwood Castle: Obviously a very Ruritanian country, with a bit of a German/Middle European feel. Uniforms would be somewhat like those worn by the Syldavians in Tintin’s KING OTTOKAR’S SCEPTRE; practical, but with a bit of colour to enliven the look of each regiment.
  • Fort Sahara: This could be the base for an army based upon the French Foreign Legion and their North African allies. Mainly dressed in light sand-coloured uniforms, but with a bit of colour when it comes to headdress.
  • Fort Laramie: This brought a sort of Boer/US army to mind, something along the lines of the mobile army described in John Buchan’s COURTS OF THE MORNING. Lots of mounted infantry supported by light armour/tankettes.
  • Roman Wall Fort: My immediate reactions was that this would be an ideal base for an army that was a mixture of French/Italian/Spanish-style troops. A bit showy but a bit out-of-date as well.

These are the idea that I came up with, but I am sure that there are plenty of my regular blog readers who could add to my suggestions. If you can, please leave a comment or send me an email and I will collate them and make them into a follow-up blog post that Ken can read whilst undergoing he chemotherapy.

One final word, just to reassure any of my regular blog readers who might be concerned that I have shared a personal email with other people, I did ask Ken's permission first!

32 comments:

  1. Some great ideas in there from both of you. I like your comment about French/Italian/Spanish-syle troops :-)

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    Replies
    1. Nundanket,

      Cheers! For the French/Italian/Spanish-style army, I have a vision of a mixture of Bersagliere, horse-mounted Spahis, Chasseurs Alpine, Regulares, and Italian tankettes.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  2. BOB,
    It is good that you are helping out Kieth with your suggestions and ideas- sounds a big project with a 12ft x 6ft Games Table. My Table is 11ft x 4ft and it is plenty big enough. How are you going Bob? Thinking of you. Cheers. KEV.

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    Replies
    1. Kev Robertson (Kev),

      As my table is - when fully extended - 6’ x 4’, a tabletop as big as Ken proposes to use is HUGE!

      I’m still muddling along … but our weather has suddenly taken a turn for the worse, and there is a thick layer of frost on our cars and garden as the temperature has dropped a lot overnight.

      Keep safe and keep well,

      Bob

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  3. I can quite happily give Jacklex a good reference - excellent figures for this kind of project, fully compatible with Airfix as well. If an airforce of some description is wanted, look no further than Blue Rider Publishing - lots of goodies and ideas on that site! https://blueriderpublishing.com/shop

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    Replies
    1. Rob Young,

      If I hadn’t invested some much time and money in building up a large collection of 15mm figures, I would have definitely opted to use Jacklex figures for my own Belle Époque project.

      Thanks for the link. Some of those decals are very interesting, especially those inspired by the Tintin books.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  4. I love your idea of drawing inspiration from the different styles of castles to determine the army type. And bonus points for mentioning "King Ottokar's Sceptre". Classic Imagi-Nation!

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    Replies
    1. Donjondo,

      It just seemed to me to make sense to use the design of each castle or fort to determine the sort of army that would be based there. As for KING OTTOKAR’S SCEPTRE … it is a favourite of mine and I own copies in several languages, including Spanish and Flemish. In the latter, Tintin is known as Kuifji, which is Flemish for quiff.

      All the best,

      Bob

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    2. Haha a fitting name for the lad. Was reading about the book on Wikipedia, and apparently "in the 1938 version, the Syldavian Royal Guards are dressed like British Beefeaters, while the 1947 version has them dressed in a Balkanised uniform similar to the National Guards Unit of Bulgaria." Hard not to be biased but I think the revised uniforms were a masterstroke.

      Delete
    3. Donjondo,

      In many ways, Kuifji is a much better name than Tintin, which has a completely different meaning in Japanese, where his name is Tantan.

      I must admit that having seen both uniforms, the later one is much more suitable.

      All the best,

      Bob

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    4. Haha, yes I can see why they changed that.

      Delete
    5. Donjondo,

      It’s also interesting to see how the names of the two official detectives change from one language to another.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  5. I like the HAT figures, as for painting, something quite effective can be done simply by painting the figures all one color, like red, blue, green etc. Perhaps using the plastic spray paints available in any hardware store. If you're feeling adventurous maybe a very light dusting of white to give them an aged look.
    If you've got the space a giant table would be very nice!
    As for rules, the Portable Wargame can be easily turned into a ' regular' wargame by substituting A measurement in inches for squares. If not, maybe One Hour Wargames?
    Wishing him all the best for speedy recovery!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mark Cordone,

      Thanks for the suggestion regarding how to paint HaT figures quickly. I suspect that a quick spray with a suitable colour might not suffice for what Ken wants, although it might be a good starting point if he wants to get figures onto his tabletop ASAP, and add details as and when he can.

      He could certainly use a version of the PW rules converted for use without a grid. I know that several people have done that with a reasonable degree of success.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  6. Well, I have nothing to offer on the original post other than my best wishes on a successful recovery for both of you. So, I thought, in the time-honored tradition of the internet, I would go completely off tangent and offer a different suggestion.

    There are some books, available on Amazon, that would allow Ken to do some wargaming while sitting in the treatment chair I believe. Titles are: Waterloo Solitaire, Bismarck Solitaire and Gettysburg Solitaire. There might be others. They are filled with maps and decision points for the major parts of each battle. You are meant to write in the book, but people have mentioned using sheets of plastic overlays and dry-erase markers to preserve the replay-ability of the books.

    These might be another way for him to spend his time stuck in the chair.

    Best of luck to both of you and a Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stu Rat,

      Thanks for you comment and your very useful suggestions.

      You are right about the Solitaire books being ideal for someone undergoing treatment, I took one into hospital with me when I went in to have my TURP … but my ward mate objected to the sound of my dice rolling, so I never finished the game I was playing. (I had to put up with his continued complaining about the food, not being able to smoke, the staff etc.)

      All the best,

      Bob

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  7. I was under the impression the Hat figures are SOFT plastic; certainly the ones I have are, in some cases a very soft plastic.
    That said, a good wash works wonders. White primer seems to adhere better than other colours.
    If the hands are up to it, Contrast Paints (by GW and others) will take a lot of the effort out of painting, with acceptable results. With C20th uniforms, the colours will work well.
    Neil

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    Replies
    1. Neil Patterson (Neil),

      I’ve never bought any HaT figures, but a quick look at the Plastic Soldier Review indicates that you are right, and that they are mainly soft plastic figures.

      Thanks very much for your suggestions as to how to paint soft plastic figures. I’m sure that other regular readers will find them very helpful.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  8. Comment from Alan Gruber:

    I would suggest Mark’s Little Soldiers. Retro looking , simple detail and easier to paint. A good selection is available with more to come . Would fit in well with many metal, resin or even MDF vehIcles available . Perhaps simple flat scenery might be effective. As to rules, the Portable Wargame or Battle! practical Wargames have a lot going for them. Mark Copplestone’s Instagram account has much inspiration on it currently pertinent to the period concerned. Patrick Leigh Fermor’s books offer great period flavour and inspiration.

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    Replies
    1. Alan,

      Thanks for your very helpful suggestions.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  9. Regarding the sound of dice clattering, there are apps for rolling dice on a cell phone or other device.

    Best wishes to you, Bob, and to Ken!

    I don't have any helpful suggestions beyond what others have already said. I do believe having some project like this is good thing to have, in general, and probably more so in Ken's situation. One thing that might be worth considering is some minimal set of figures to have a game with, in case he can start playing soon.

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    Replies
    1. Fitz-Badger,

      I would have used a dice-rolling app if I could have.

      I’m not sure how large Ken intends his four forces to be, but I’m expecting that they won’t be too large … at least to start with.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  10. When I looked at Mr Hanning's proposed theatre map/table, I was reminded of Shambattle - a simple Army Men type of war/ campaign, battle rule set. I used the idea for a local campaign - half a morning to play through; representing a good week or so of operations.
    http://archdukepiccolo.blogspot.com/2020/12/an-indulgence.html
    This involved a very simple rule set that I think could be adapted to any type of organisation/ figures one cares to choose. You would have to add armour and increase the artillery ranges, of course. If he prefers a 'free table' rather than a grid system I suggest 10cm as the 'equivalent' to a hex cell.

    I rather like your army suggestions, Bob - they seem quite appropriate to the preferred period, and offer a fine mix of adversaries.

    Cheers,
    Ion

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    Replies
    1. Archduke Piccolo (Ion),

      I must admit that I hadn’t seen the similarity to SHAMBATTLE, but now that you’ve pointed it out, it is very obvious. Likewise I think that your suggestions for using an adaptation of the rules from SHAMBATTLE makes perfect sense.

      I’m sure that Ken will find all these suggestions very useful.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  11. For folks who, for whatever reason, aren't able to paint like they used to, they could always use paper soldiers mounted on card. There's loads on Wargame Vault and on the websites https://peterspaperboys.com/ and https://juniorgeneral.org/

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    Replies
    1. Donjondo,

      I have used paper soldiers myself, and they are an excellent substitute … especially as they come ready coloured. In fact, if you use MS Paint, they aren’t too difficult to create for oneself.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  12. A 'twist' on Ken's idea is to set his towns and castles in a 'colonial' setting: some out of the way middle or far eastern Asian land or east African land where the Armistice has been dismissed or overthrown. HaT (and Strelets especially for Arab / Muslim soldiers, see for example Rif War period on PSR website) make lots of appropriate soft plastic troops (see Plastic Soldier Review - PSR - website via the choose period button). If washed then sprayed with a primer (especially a mid to dark grey or black) while on their sprues, (lie on a board or cardboard spray one side let dry then spray oher side preferably light spray coats otherwise will stick to board / cardboard) then this might make handling easier and then using a flat half inch or one centimetre wide brush dry brush starting with darker colours. EG if desert khaki finish use your base acrylic (as fast drying) colour with dry brush leaving primer showing through (as folds in clothes) allow to dry then dry brush with lighter version (same colour plus some white or light grey or cream or yellow depends on first colour chosen) and hey presto virtually done. (You can dry brush both sides in turn base and lighter coat; or do one side both coats then turn to repeat.) In this manner white / off white colonial uniforms, or khaki style uniforms, or even 'tribal' or 'regulars' in (dark) blues, varying reds (to russets) or greens; etc., can be quickly painted up. Soft plastic will shed paint if pinged but mine are doing well, I try to over varnish with a matt spray but sometimes (as I spray outdoors when its no cooler than 15C) this gets delayed without serious damage. Add some resin or plastic vehicles like one or two armoured cars, maybe one tank per side, and one plane per side and hey presto instant army. (See likes of Butlers Printed Models, or Shellhole Scenics or Early War Miniatures; and aircraft may look better if a scale smaller although a lot of 20mm (albeit varying from 1/72 to 1/76 scale) aircraft are small in that scale anyway! And you can sometimes pick up pre painted ones off ebay or toy fairs more cheaply. Hope this helps. Carl

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    Replies
    1. Carl,

      All I can write in response is … Wow!

      What a lot of excellent ideas and advice. I’m sure that Ken will really appreciate what you have written.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  13. PS painting on sprue requires cutting figures off sprue at end, which may be fiddly if left totally to end so I usually cut off links to sprue in all bar one location (usually leaving the base connected to the sprue) and cut away sprue where it may be too close to figures when painting. You can leave a lot or a little of the surrounding sprue to act as a handle while you dry brush the figures. Sometimes figures with one leg linked to base and other leg raised in running pose suffer a lot of pressure to the standing ankle when being painted or cut from sprue causing paint to shed. So this either requires some 'top up' of paint job or some preventive work, like using milliput or paper / pva glue mix to create an anchor for the running leg to stick to the base, which can be shaped or layered to look like a plant (especially for tropical / colonial type games) so it gets painted up as long grass or broad leafed bush etc.. But leave this to harden before priming / painting. A sharp craft / scalpel knife works best with something protective to cut on (cutting board, small off cut of wood or balsa size of match box, or piece of styrofoam) and if painted figure being cut off remnant of sprue may be a small piece of clean cloth or rag or folded paper kitchen towel to stop rubbing off of paint job when cutting figures off. Carl

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    1. Carl, I’ve NEVER considered painting ‘on-the-sprue’…what an excellent idea (thanks!).

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    2. Carl,

      Again, what a lot of helpful advice!

      Thanks again,

      Bob

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    3. Martin S.,

      I’ve only tried it once, and it worked very much better than I expected.

      All the best,

      Bob

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