Brother against Brother

Years ago I purchased a number of 25mm ACW figures for a couple of projects, the first was attempting to do 25mm Mass Combat (cough Gettysburg Campaign cough). I have/had a fairly substantial collection of 15mm figures, mostly Confederate Troops that were supposed to be for a number of failed campaigns. Right now I think I have at least 75% of the Army of Northern Virgina, short Artillery and some of the Specialized Figures at 1 stand = 100 men and 1 gun = 1/2 battery.

Lately I have been painting up the 25mm figures which have been in a box unpainted for at least eight years. The Union I Corps at 1 stand = 50 Men painted at paper strength is coming along, with four Regiments of thirteen Regiments completed. There are another two regiments in the works on the painting table. For the Confederates I have been working on Heth's Division of with two regiments painted and one more on the painting table. So now that I am getting to a point where I will be able to demonstrate the game and attempt to get other interested in painted time to look at some other figures.

I have 60 Zouaves with Straw Hat that I purchased for a Brother Against Brother (BAB) project that never went anywhere. Like so many other projects I got started in more than a decade ago my partners all disappeared when it came time for the rubber to hit the road.

I think I am going to try and get a some number of figures done for BAB as well. it really won't take many figures to make two playable forces and I have a good start at some terrian. Arguably to make two armies to allow 6 to 12 players a chance to push figures and roll dice I am talking 60 figures a side, give or take a couple.

In talking with Tom Zwirn, who has an interest in doing 1861, an idea sprung into my head over the weekend, 1861 for BAB. Units would be relativily small and there would be a wide variaty of uniform options available.

The Two Forces I plan on painting or Wheat's Tigers and 2nd Rhode Island Infantry Regiment, being the two forces collided at the First Battle of Bull Run it is a fitting grouping.

What is interesting about the Two Units is the detail of the Uniforms that are available for the 1861 Campaign. I personally like the Kentish Guards for the 2nd Rhode Island.

To start with I will be painting 30 to 40 figures in two companies for both sides. Starting with the Tiger Rifles and the Kentish Guards, my goal is to have 40 figures in each of the Companies (four squads of 10) with one Squad being the Color/Guard and three Squads of Troopers. Both Sides will end up with Five Companies, that 200 figes a side, which I think is reasonable.

For the Wheat's Tigers:
Company A - Walker’s Guards – (WBS-41 – Zouaves with Fez)
Red Fex, Blue Tassle, Dark Brown Jacket Red Trim, White Pants with Stripes
Company B - Tiger Rifles – (WBS-42 – Zouaves with Straw Hats)
Straw Hat, Dark Blue Jacket, Red Trim, Grey Pants)
Company C - Catahoula Guerrillas – (WBS-39 – Zouaves with Kepi)
Blue Kepi, Dark Grey Top, Red Trim, White Pants
Company D - Delta Rangers
Red Fez, Red Tassle, Dark Blue Jacket with Red Trim, White Pants with Blue Stripes
Company E – Wheat’s Life Guard
Red Fez, Blue Tassle, Dark Blue Jacket with Red Trim, White Pants with Light Blue Stripes

I don't have all teh details yet on the 2nd Rhode Island, so stay tuned.

Company H - Kentish Guard

ACW 1862 in 2012

After talking with several people I am going to move forward with the plan for a game in summer of 2012 to commemorate a number of battles fought in 1862, which I am for now call 1862 in the East.   Due to the scale of the game I am considering trying to organize I think a year’s preparation time may be needed.
Tentatively I am basing the concept of the game around the Seven Days’ Battle which was the conclusion of the Peninsula Campaign using Rank and File in 25mm with 1 stand representing 50 men.   The game will be configured for approximately 20 players, 10 players on each side with each player pushing roughly a brigade of troops.  
The game is based upon the Peninsula Campaign I will be using troops from a number of Corps which are available so the Order of Battle is not exact.   My figures are organized for the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign, Union I Corps and Confederate 2nd Division III Corps.
Union
4 Brigades (provided by Jeff J)
1 Brigade (provided by Fitz)
 
Confederate
4 Brigades (provided by Jeff J)
 
I know several people have figures for the period, both painted and unpainted and have ‘volunteered’ to provide figures, so I am asking people to commit now, even if it is just a Brigade.   
If we get beyond 10 brigades per side brigades will be added equally to both sides.
 
A generic Brigade will consist of 4 Regiments of 5 (or more) stands.   My figures are mounted 3 infantry figures to a 1 ½” square base.   It is not the figures that matter but the bases and as long as the bases are close in size than all is good.
At this Scale an Artillery Stand represents 2 guns, so 3 stands represent one Battery.
 
The game will be played on either four or five tables.   If only four tables two tables stacked in the center and two single table of each flank are a possibility (depending on location).
Prior to the Game the players will be assigning brigades to each of the tables.   Each Table will have a number of points available varying be sides and the strategic importance.   The idea is that players will be doing grand tactical movement and then each table will be fought independently. 

24th Michigan part II

I have completed painting all 30 figures of the 24th Michigan Regiment of the "Iron Brigade" today. For as little time as I spent painting those figures I think they have turned out fairly well. After getting the figures on popsicle sticks I may have spent a grand total of six hours painting them.
Once I figure out how to post images with the iPad I will do so.

Already have the 147the New York Infantry Regiment on popsicle sticks waiting to be primed. I hope to get the painted by next weekend.

24th Michigan

This weekend I primed up 30 figures Old Glory "Iron Brigade" figures that will become the 24th Michigan Regiment of the Iron Brigade (1st Brigade, 1st Division, I Corps, Army of the Potomac).

I got about half the unit completed, painting 3 figures or 1 stand at a time. Currently my plan is to paint up 10 stands for each unit (unless like the Vermont Boys there were 15 stands) and a 1:2 ratio for Artillery. That ratio should allow me to drop down to 1:100 and 1:200 fairly easily if need be. However for now...

Once I complete the 24th Michigan that gives me the 2nd Wisconsin and the 24th Michigan out of the Iron Brigade and the 14th Brooklyn out of the second brigade complete. I have the figures short command for the 147th New York, and a third unit tbd out of the second brigade. That leaves 3 Regiments out ot the Iron Brigade and 2 Regiments of the 2nd Brigade. To complete the 1st Division. Man that is a lot of figures.

I have 30 of the 36 artillerists and I am pretty sure all the actually artillery pieces.

Painting Plan - Napoleonics

Well I really need Plans (and Painting Plans) for a number of periods I have made my semi-official not going to change my mind plans for at least another week plans for the Napoleonic period. Historically I have changed plans every time the winds blow. Which has caused me to get like ten tonnes of lead and not whole crap load of that lead is unpainted.

That doesn't mean I don't have a a lot of figures painted, I just don't know what to do with everything anymore, since so many projects died. (I can say the same for a number of periods, but this is the one I have the most lead for.)

Wars of the Second Coalition (1798-1800)

General de Brigade (1:20) in 15mm

Mounting figures for Napoleon's Battle for Infantry and Artillery and 1/2 stands (2x1) for Cavalry.

Alexander Suvorov's Italian and Swiss Expeditions

Please note I am still looking for a partner in crime for this project. Jim is interested but time and figures are limited.

Crisis on the Danube (1809)

Napoleon's Battles (1:120) in 15mm

Mounting figures for Napoleon's Battles with 1/2 Stands for Cavalry

I am painting up the Austrian Army and the French Allied (starting with Bavarians and Saxons followed by the less units of the French Allied.) Will be using my 1815 French Infantry for the French.

I find this probably the most interesting campaign as the Austrians suffered from poor leadership is certian places but good quality troops capable of going toe-t0-toe with the French. For a wargamer a lot of possibilities.

Wars of the Sixth Coalition (1813-1814)

Napoleon's Battles (1:120) in 25mm

This is sort of a lie, units actually will be organized at 1:30 but the math of 1:30 and 1:120 allows us to play either scale. My Goal however is to have this the dominate game (NB) in 25mm for a number of reasons. (Size of the table needed, space requirements, figure requirements...)

The killer in this plan will be the 240 figures of cossacks needed to do something along the size of Leipzig.

I have Austrian and French (plus some minor French Allies), Fitz has British, Russian and French, Joel Gregory has Austrian, Prussian, and French. There are some others with British, a few Russians and some French.

It would be Assume to do Leipzig in 25mm for Napoleon's Battles on October 16-19 in 2013, the 200th Anniversary. But that will take a lot of work and coordination. It is definetaly doable, the more I think about it the more doable I think it is.

100 Days Campaign (1815)

Horse Musket and Gun (1:30) in 15mm

For this I am planning to have the entirety of the campaign painted by 1815. I have Two French Infantry Corps, the Guard Corps, 1 1/2 of the Heavy Cavalry Corps completed. I have the Hanoverian Army Complete and one Division of British Infantry and the Heavy Cavalry Completed. In addition I have all the odd ball units completed. For the Prussians I have most of the Artillery Completed and a good start on all the landwehr. An odd assortment I know, but it happened to be organized around the figures I owned and what we needed for other games.

I am not sure WHY I got dragged into this campaign in the first place, oh yeah I remember a failed Campaign, not really a very interesting campaign but I now own the figures and I am committed.

Other Armies

That leaves two Armies/Figures that I really need to figure out what to do with.

Russian Army 1807-1813. I have a large number of figures both before and after the uniform change.

Austrian Army 1813. A fairly complete force.

I plan on looking at the Austrians for the Invasion of France 1815 in Horse Musket and Gun and what the reorganization would take. The Russians I am leaning towards completing painting and selling them off. I have a goodly number of figures in a variety of paint jobs. But they just aren't going to be any sort of focus for me.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Horse Musket and Gun

Posted some new files in the Yahoo Group. Man is formatting a pain in the ass.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Horse-MusketandGun/

I will be working on the formatting of the remaining chapters and trying to get them posted in the next couple of days.

The Shattered Ring World

Years ago, about 25 to be more exact, I started working on a Campaign setting for AD&D group I ran. I wanted something new and different than your typical Greyhawk setting. And I created the Shattered Ring World.
Over the past years I have continued to work on the setting and it has grown matured and now takes up a couple of Composition Style Note Books. I can’t say that I have used the setting much since my last campaign in the Mid 90’s which is now 15 years ago. But I kept adding notes and other thoughts.
It been suggested more than once that I formalize the work and work towards maybe writing a book with all the back story I created.
This year one of my New Year’s Resolutions was to put the information out there for people to use. I have no false illusions that this anything but what it is, however if a group or two uses the setting and finds it as enjoyable to use as I have written than it is a good thing.
You can find the Wiki here.

I am looking for people to help fill it out. Let me know if you have some spare time and want to suffer with me.