Harnessing Enthusiasm

The physical work of upgrading the North West campaign "armies" has begun but that is the lesser part really.

The three existing units of US infantry have now been updated to 6 figures each on 2 unfinished bases. Anyone who has noticed that their pants are a slightly darker hue is paying altogether too much attention. 😑

I confess that lately I have had to withstand an internal barrage of nostalgia for simple, fast moving, single figure games but much of that is really nostalgia for games that I didn't really play or games that I played but don't really want to play again  on a regular basis, especially as solo games. So, work has begun to find a compromise between that nostalgia and the sorts of games that I have been playing over the last five years. A compromise that will give me just the right sort of game for these 54mm armies.

Some things have already been decided such as:

• A relatively small number of persistent units rather than a large number of short lived ones. (A greater number of persistent units would call for a longer game and probably a bigger table.)
• Player focus on the battle plan rather on micromanaging the details of unit tactics, formations etc. The assumpion is that unit officers and ncos are usually competent to do their job. Really lousy combat results in a favourable situation may indicate a failure of unit command along with other possibilities that we will never know.
• The basic premise from Hearts of Tin and the Square Brigadier will be maintained thus there will be a clear division between long ranged combat which slowly  wears units down and much more decisive  close combat, whether close range shooting or the threat or use of cold steel, which can quickly result in the destruction or retreat of one side.

Other things such grid or no grid remain to be resolved.


The full battle armies won't be ready till midwinter at the earliest but I'm nearly ready to give the upgraded 6 figure skirmisher units and some rules a spin this weekend.