Monday, April 9, 2018

"By the sea we will gather for the fight"

This coming Saturday is the next Table Top Games Day in Kentville and Paul is busy refurbishing a host of old Minifig ECW figures.

I've pledged a scenario and a set of quick play, easy to pickup, rules but I figured I should wake up my own contingent of Minifig Scots.

Serving since the mid 1970's under a Macfarlane battle flag with officers in my first ever attempt at painting a Macfarlane tartan.
(I'd never seen the real thing at the time) 
The pikemen, archers and a few of the cavalry date from my college days, some of the very few, new, chunky style, Minifigs I ever bought. When the style changed, I changed to Garrison! The musketeers and lancers conversions from my revival of this forces in 2010/11. (check the ECW label for more). The Highland contingent  has been swollen by a contingent from the collection of the late John C Robertson sent along by Tim (see Megablitz blog)

The whole contingent, such as it is.
They're only outnumbered 10:1, shouldn't be a problem.
The one page rules can be found here (click) but be warned, Saturday's game will be their first play test.

For those who are wondering about the post title (I know, I know, not strictly relevant but...):


17 comments:

  1. Great figures and splendid choice of music. I look forward to seeing them in action!
    Alan

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  2. Lovely figures Ross. Good luck, 10:1 should be a walk in the park

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    1. Yeah but I'll see if I can't seduce some to cross the field.

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  3. That comment on the MacFarlane tartan - as a kid I had 3 ties. Ancient MacFarlane (black and white), a red tartan and a green one - one was listed as hunting tartan, the other as a dress tartan. Since then I've come across half a dozen different varieties!

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    1. Inventing setts seems to be a lucrative business. Inventing "ancient" ones seems to be particularly popular and no less authentic really.

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  4. Looking forward to seeing the write-up on how things went.

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  5. An array of classic Minifigs remains a sight to stir the blood of any true miniaturist...and the tartan looks spiffing. Appreciate the closeup so we could se how it had been done.

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    1. It was done an awfully long time ago by a very novice wargamer and painter!

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  6. I enjoy reading about your connection to figures that you have owned for so many years. I have traded collections too many times and with that inevitably come regrets.

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    1. I have sold or given away probably 3 or 4 figures for each one I own (many were much smaller!) but so far no regrets.

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  7. I'm not sure I can make it, I'm in the process of getting a new job. I have a collection of ECW figures myself. Perhaps the next time

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    1. "The Oxen are slow but the earth is patient"

      There will be more days and more games.
      Best of luck with the new job!

      -Ross

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  8. Hi Ross,
    Your one page rules ought to do the trick. You mentioned building a fifteen card deck. How exactly did you plan to do this? It might be possible to simply shuffle a deck of playing cards, count out fifteen, and then go from there. However, probabilities being what they are (and seventy years of playing cards!) it might be the case that one side gets a dramatic number of cards in any given turn.
    Are there bonuses for pikes meleeing shot troops or Highlanders?
    Do guns which are charged enter melee?
    Do musketeers fire two bases deep?
    You roll dice per unit to determine movement distance. Would that roll be for an entire regiment of pike & shot or just for the various parts so that a regiment of two shot units and a pike block would require three die rolls to move in total?
    Best regards - I really like your one page rules set!
    Jerry

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    1. Jerry, They're so short because I'll be there to explain how they work!

      You describe exactly how I form my deck but it is a turn counter as well as initiative determiner so only one card is drawn per turn (ie there are 15 turns, although a joker=turn over so never count on more than 13) so yes in theory they could all be the same colour but that just means the same side goes first each turn and their are no initiative flip double moves, both sides still go every turn.

      I used to dice for initiative but since I use facecards as Chance cards it incorporates that and acts as an automatic turn counter for reinforcements, end of day etc, all in one step .

      Guns which are charged get to defend themselves with a blast of hailshot but its unlikely to save them. I was thinking of automatic capture after that but it meant another rule and their odds of survival are low since they take so few hits and no doubt someone can come up with an example of a failed attack on a battery if they look long enough.

      Fire, melee and movement are by unit, not by stand. Not everyone's troops are based and organized the same. Units with more pikes than can be rated as "shock" while those with extra muskets can be classed as "superior firepower". Commanded shot if used would basically use the highland organization with 2 stands and only 4 hits but without the Shock rating even though they would probably be dispersed more than that suggests. We're short on shot so I didn't worry too much about it.

      It'll be interesting to see how it goes on Saturday.

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  9. I looked at my note - it's almost longer than the rules!
    Jerry

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  10. Good luck with your troops tomorrow. I am sad I am not bringing my troops out to do battle. Next tie for sure!

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