What's making that dust cloud?

I'm in the middle of a week and a bit of standing double duty watches while my wife is off to a dog show. Makes it hard to find time for hobby stuff, especially with my room overrun by non hobby flotsom from some minor renos that we re-started as spring approached. However, there comes a time when a junkie needs his fix and its been over a week since I slipped away for an afternoon of wearing and tacking across Ron's table, forcing his 2 ships to strike while he sank 2 of my 3. 

Fleeing civilians herald the approach of enemy forces. The carts are  a minor modifications of one of those plastic wagons from a Dollar Store cowboy set. I cut it in half, filled in the missing wall/seat, replaced 2 large wheels with PA home cast cannon wheels and added shafts for a single draft animal, a toy oxen for one, a Zinnbrigade draft horse for the other.

This would of course have been an ideal time to clear the wagons and figures from my downstairs painting desk and set up some portable games but my mind had been on trying a bigger game on my newly gridded table upstairs.

Sir! The enemy is upon us!

I have been trying to plan for my "battle" games to be fought using my 1/72 ACW armies but I can't seem to shake the vision of them being fought with 40mm glossy toy soldiers. Maybe not a Gettysburg or Waterloo But at least a Lundy's Lane. The question is, will the grid make this possible or will I have to find a way to stage a bigger table from time to time rather than saving that for a once a year mega game?

For the 1880's breechloading rifle period I fielded 4 man "company" units assumed to fight extended. For the 1812 and 1837 smoothbore period, the one this game is set in, I intend to field close order battalions as units but it'll take more than 4 figures to convince me. 

On their native bases I can fit 12 Scruby figures in a 2 deep line into one of the squares but on washers I can only squeeze 8 which I don't think is enough. The exact number doesn't matter ruleswise, only visually, but it would be convenient to not need rosters or a good memory. On the other hand once I get over 100 figures I'll want either multi figure stands or magnetized movement trays for all. 

An overview of the table. Big windows at the end of the table don't really help with lighting for pictures especially in the afternoon but having one end up against a wall does make for more walking room.

I haven't worked out all the details yet, I'll probably work those out tomorrow and retire upstairs for a couple of gaming sessions during Monday's Nor'Easter snow storm. However I have a battlefield and a General Idea.

The Red Queen's and Blue Republic's troops have been facing each other across what is known in Faraway as Treacle Creek for a few days. Blue has blocked the bridge known in Oberhilse as Molasses Crossing and both sides have dug field works behind every ford, daring the other side to attack. At last General Turner, under pressure from the Queen to attack,  had resolved on a night march to an unguarded crossing and a dawn flank attack.

We pick up the game as the Red army encounters Blue's flank guard. 

Off on a new tack

The plan was to finish the boats and to that end I cast up a Zinnbrigade seated limber rider and grabbed a spare sailor to promote to cox'n. However, the bit where I stitch him up is going to have to wait.

With their bases cut down, 8 infantry can squeeze into the bosr.

The deadline to submit my game for Huzzah is rapidly approaching and I have been getting increasingly aware that I've been dragging my feet on registering my game. I just haven't been sure why. Eventually I decided the problem wasn't really the scenario, it was me. It just didn't feel "different" enough to please me. Despite my efforts to dress it up, hidden defenders, delayed deployment for the flanking columns, personal objectives,  guiding victoty conditions etc, its just a dressed up version of line 'em up and go get 'em.

I decided to go back to a variation on an old favorite,  the CS Grant Wagon Train scenario which always provides a fun game, especially in a convention setting since players are essentially   on their own in a confused situation but with clear objectives to be taken or protected. Since I had an overwhelming urge to call the game "Drums Along the Mohawk" I am adapting the scenario to involve several groups of settlers fleeing to the safety of Fort MacDuff while parties of Loyalists and Indians emerge from the woods to try to cut them off.

Now, I just need to put together a presentable wagon train out of the bits and bobs I cobble together for home use. I'll slip a game of something in there somewhere this weekend but fixing up the wagon train is now top priority. I would particularly like more 2 wheeled carts. Prince August limbers are my starting point there.

How long to whip this lot into shape?

The Refit Continues

Thank you to all who commented on the boats and made suggestions. Upon reflection I decided that the new little steam launch was starting to look too big especially in comparison with the larger boats.

I figured that one way to make the Reuse look like a larger vessel was to make her look taller. To do this I added a bulwark around the bow gun and a railing  around the boat deck. Its a little low and only 1 rail instead of 2 but I think it helps. The bulwark should really be wood with gunports but there's not much room and it would be tricky to match the curve of the bow so its going to look more like steel plate.

After reading a bit about early paddle gunboats and looking  at pictures I decided I need to build a sliding pivot gun mount for the 32 pounder bow gun.  Still working on that part.

To make the launch look smaller I  started by cutting down the bow a little and adding a small focsle. Then I moved the funnel  from ahead of the boiler to on top of it to make it look smaller and to make more room. Then I added a bench in the stern with a tiller. Looking at the picture, I think I'll extend the gunwale to the stern.

Next week I'll  cast some of the zinnbrigade seated aryillerymen and convert one to a coxswain and maybe a couple to marines.

I think I could probably use maybe one more steam launch and two boats to be towed or rowed. These latter will have a bow and stern like the steam launch but with low gunwales and no boiler.