AWI Paper Soldiers

At the Battleground show last Saturday I picked up a copy of Peter Dennis AWI paper soldier book. The book contains pages of paper soldiers and covers all the forces involved.  You can copy and print as many as you like.

As a change from doing Hinton Hunt classics I have had a go and knocked up a unit of rebel militia.

I only had cheap 75 gsm paper but the result looks ok.  I based them on some 40 by 30mm bases I had and did a very simple bit of work on the bases.

Not bad from the front.

And alright from the back. Which is how must games are played.

They will however get a saving through for a flank shot.

Certainly a cheap and cheerful way to create armies and with Hessian and French Infantry European warfare is possible although paper head transplants may be required to create tricorne cavalry from the Light Dragoons included in the book.

Battle Maps

As a youngster back in the 60s I was given a number of gifts by US folks visiting my father. Among these was a book the 'American Heritage Pictorial Atlas of United States History' and my first board war game Battle Cry also by American Heritage. 

The book included some very nice Battle Maps by artist David Greenspan and these iconic images had a huge influence on me and no doubt influenced me to start collecting plastic ACW figures.

As a eleven year old I remember drawing my own battles influenced by these battle maps. It was not long afterwards that I got  a copy of 'Charge'.

Here are some photos of these maps showing of the American War of Independence and Civil War.

The images show parts of the maps for Trenton, Bemis Heights, Cowpens and Burnside Bridge at Sharpsburg.

The full set of ACW maps where also published in a Bruce Catton book the Picture History of the Civil War. My son who is 8 also loves these pictures and is developing a keen interest in history.

Vapnartak 2014

We had a busy but fun day at Vapnartak on Sunday. Our Tomahawks and Muskets participation was busy with a few younger players joining in.

Here are a few pictures of the action.

I managed to squeeze in some shopping as well and picked up a copy of Charles S Grants new Wargaming in History Volume 9 which includes Lobositz and Kolin and indeed Charles has used some of my photos of these battlefields.

AWI Game

We ran through our participation game for Vapnartak in a few weeks time.

For a change we are doing a participation game using 40mm figures from the Front Rank and Sash and Sabre ranges.

For rules we are using Musket and Tomahawks which will make for a fun game.

Here are a few pictures of the game.

AWI project

My recent games of the War Game has got a couple of  the other Lads interested in adapting them for the American War of Independence. So we have decided to put together some 40mm armies based on the Battle of Cowpens. 

Well I was happy with this choice as I already had some 40mm AWI figures in 'stock'. My units will be  organised with 24 figures and 4 officers types. I am currently drafting out rule amendments for the War Game

My first unit is a Continental Line using Sash and Sabre figures.  This unit is a fairly well dressed with a mixture of clothing and the odd new recruit still in civvies and armed with muskets and no bayonets.  

   

The second unit is a militia unit and I have used Frank Rank figures for this one.