3 mm Cavalry

Lost 2 days while experimenting with different ways to make cavalry for my hair roller armies. I was looking for a quick way to assemble large number of mounted troops. No luck. So I Returned to using a modified Van Pelt cut. I am using #10 plastic mesh used for Needlepoint. As my hair roller infantry is only 3mm high I opted to use the smallest mesh I could find. I choose to leave them as strips to make them quicker and easier to paint. Will cut them 5 deep on a 30mm deep base.  Still not sure how many units on a base for the different cavalry types, as I prefer a more massed looked.

The making of the 3 Armies

In the lower right are the cavalries, which are a bit tricky to construct.

2 mm Hair Roller Armies

My new fascination... Hair Roller Armies. They are made with the old knobby & pink rubber hair rollers. This is a setup of Early Hoplites, Athens versus Sparta mounted for DBA. The scale is interesting at 2 mm. Makes the battlefield scale look like a general would view it. One Day to figure out the technique and build and paint 2 armies. I am working on 3 Napoleonic Armies (British, French, and Russians) while learning how to make horses and artillery. Now all I need is to find more hair rollers. A quick way to assemble large armies for any set of rules.

Merry Christmas to All, and it was a good night

By tradition, the December game night closest to Christmas is dedicated to a variation of the fictional "Battle of Reading town". This year's premise is that in retaliation for the American's victory at the "Battle of Trenton" (December 26, 1776). A force of Hessians, under British command, embark on an assault on Reading (PA) town in an effort to free Hessian prisoners being held captive in an area of the town known as "Hessian Camp". We experimented with an Order of Battle using "Horde of the Things" as the rules set, instead of the usual DBA rules.

British and Hessian troops (top) advance on the Continental defenders in Reading (PA) town (bottom).

British/Hessian forces (top) deploy for battle.

The dreaded Von Rall Grenadiers (bottom, right) prepare their attack on Continental Militia (Reading Militia). While British loyalists take casulties from the American artillery in the center.

Mirbach's Musketeers join Von Rall in their assault on the Hessian Left. Cannon exchange fire in the center.

British Lights, Line and Dragoons battle back and forth with Continental Line and Dragoons on the British/Hessian Right Flank. While Mirbach's Musketeers and Von Ralls Grenadiers battle on the German Left Flank.

The Grenadiers and Musketeers clear their Left Flank in hand to hand combat. Their right flank continues to engage in a back and forth battle with the "plucky" Colonials. However, the British cannon begin to take their toll in the center, supported by Prince Frederick's troops.

After a series of engagements, with their Right Flank turned and with their Commanding Officers forced off the board as the British artillery continued to out dice the Continentals. The final tally was made. The British/Hessians lost one stand of British line troops (on their Right Flank) but the Loyalist who were chased by the early cannon fire had reorganized and returned to fight. The Americans had lost a line troop, a stand of lights, and 2 militia and their General was off board.  The Hessians had the advantage in Movement rolls all evening which allowed them to bring Grenadiers to a militia fight (or "bring a gun to a fist fight"). I wonder what the Reading militia would have thought when they first saw those pretty conical caps and waxed moustaches approaching ?

All that's left to say is "Frohe Weihnachten" (Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year) to all my gaming friends, old and new, and their families.

Original 25mm Empire of the Petal Throne Miniatures

While searching through "the old gaming closet" I came across these original 25mm Empire of the Petal Throne miniatures. They were painted with the then new Heritage water based paints. Unfortunately, some one "borrowed" a stand of archers.  I wish I still had the package they came in, as I remember it being quite graphically well done.

Anyone remember the manufacturer's name  and anyone interested in buying these ?

November DBA-HX-ACW

Cannons on hills, crossroads, split rail fence, blue and gray ....

RIP Charlie

Thank you Charles Roberts for Rail Baron and the Avalon Hill Game Company and may you enjoy "your ride on the Reading".