Movement Trays

With 6mm based the way I like it is a tad bit fiddly and slow at the start of a wargame when players move troops forward to engage in combat.

Personally, I like battalion level games and my figures are based for that. I also typically don't use more than a division vs a division in my games. However,  I risk having my figures broken or squeezed as people move them. So the goal of this project was to save movement time where possible and limit some handling of the bases.

I decided to make a few experimental movement trays for brigades. The theory is players can move the entire brigade via the tray and then deploy once more specific tactics are necessary.  Units can be removed from the trays if they need to be detached,  etc.

Supplies...balsa wood. Thin rectangular strip and a long flat piece.  Green paint..Apple barrel marsh green for me. Glue. Paintbrush.  Flock of your choice.

On the left is the flat piece. About 100 mm wide by 80 mm deep. On top is a remaining piece of the rectangular strip. Bottom right is a half painted piece. Above right is a painted piece with the rectangular strip cut and glued down.

Once the upper right image dries I paint the remaining exposed wood a marsh green. I would then flock it on the rectangular pieces and the front.

1st moment tray. I like all but my flock job. I will just flock the outside all in grass on the remaining ones.

What it would look like 95% complete. This holds a brigade of 6mm cavalry in my games or a regiment for others.  I can also use it for a 18mm French or British battalion,  but I'll need a whole lot more trays for a brigade.

On the whole, once completed, I think they'll work out well. 

1862 Campaign Project

Having been inspired by Jonathan's painting and blogging skills at jjwargames.blogspot.com, I am going to attempt a version of his methodology in this blog. My goal is to work on an American Civil War project. The goal is to recreate the major campaigns of the eastern theater of 1862 in 6mm, and later 1864.

The figures that I use for 6mm are from Baccus. I like the style of these figures which come on a horizontal strip with four figures per strip. I use a 60x40 base equals one regiment. There are 6 strips of infantry figures for each base. I have recently obtained a long awaited Christmas present which had been back ordered. With these troops I begin to paint / create my first Federal division. I am still waiting to order the Confederates but they are out of stock and back ordered at the moment.

My gaming system is Carnage and Glory II. I like the depth that this program brings to wargaming. It is a computer moderated system that allows the players to focus on tactics and less on searching through a rule book to figure out what is allowed, or rolling dice (nothing wrong with dice). It allows for fast game play while incorporating weather, fatigue, ammo, morale, etc without the humans doing any of tracking of data. It also allows for excellent campaign play since the computer keeps track of the casualties and you can roll over the unit OOBs into the next battle of the campaign. The "fighting" units have lower troop numbers from the previous battles but gain in experience.


Long term goals:
1. Recreate Jackson's Valley Campaign in 1862.
2. Recreate the Peninsula Campaign in 1862.
3. Recreate Early's 1864 Maryland Campaign
4. Recreate Sheridan's' 1864 Shenandoah Campaign

Short Term goals:
1. Obtain, organize, paint one division each of Federal and Confederate troops
2. Add to these forces throughout the campaigns (you always need more troops!).
3. Recreate the battle of 1st Kernstown (March 23, 1862)