Mr. Lincoln's War

Mr. Lincoln's War

I got to play my first game (solo play tests don't count ) since November.


It was my first time trying a rule set called Mr.Lincoln's War and unsurprisingly they are about the American Civil War.

They are very similar to Johnny Reb 2nd edition. Mark orders, take officer casualty checks, units are regiments or batteries grouped into Brigades. Differences from JR2, things happen at different times, shooting is per stand rather than counting figures, charges look like they are much simpler (AND QUICKER) to resolve (we didn't actually get close enough to charge) though.

The rules say they are written for 15mm figs, aesthetically it looks wrong. Artillery ranges are big, 5 feet or more for rifled artillery.

We knocked out 5 turns in 3.5 hours, which is not too bad, with 6 players (4 that had never played them before).

My infantry brigade located in the Union center.

My cavalry brigade, the Union right flank.

My troops advancing in column, the lead unit took a casualty from Artillery and spent the next 4 turns recovering.

Confederate Right advancing.

Confederate center

Confederate right, advancing, different perspective.

Confederate high watermark.

Union Cavalry. On to Richmond!

Union Left advancing, the itty bitty teeny weeny brigade.

Union troops occupying the town.

ending positions

Union Cavalry didn't make it to Richmond. Run away! run Away! Driven back by Cannon and musketry.

My general was wounded turn 4, meaning he couldn't give orders on turn 5, so I had to sit here.

Thoughts on the rules:
I would have to try them again to get a better feel for them, on the up side I would be willing to try them again.

Some rules I've tried and would not play ever again, the misnamed "Beer and Pretzels Skirmish Rules" leap to mind (you have to give individual orders to every guy in your platoon).

Hotlead 2012 report

Hotlead 2012 Con Report.

I was able to attend for the Saturday afternoon session only.

I arrived just before noon, I figured 2 hours to walk around  and do some shopping would be sufficient. My game was to start at 2PM.

First stop was the "Bring and Buy". It had a lot of Warhammer 40K stuff, some of it was overpriced, one Eldar army (maybe 40 figs) for $650 (pretty sure the seller took those back home), old boardgames and some books and a bit of terrain.

My contribution to the "Bring and Buy" was 4 Wooden Dollar Store houses I tarted up and 18 Eldar I have had kicking around for years. I got $10 a piece for the buildings, but didn't sell the figs. I had an item from one of my friends who couldn't make it, a box of forty 15(ish)mm WW2 Armoured Fighting Vehicles (mainly tanks) mostly from Wizards of the Coast Axis and Allies line. Someone wanted them IF they were the right scale. One of the Bring and Buy minions pointed me out to the buyer, who spent the next 30+ minutes asking me (and several passers by) questions about them and looking at them trying to determine if they were the ones he wanted or not, eventualy he decided they were and bought them, unfortunately I couldn't lower the price, I think that's what he wanted me to do, as I have to give my buddy $54 regardless of what they sold for.

I eventually got to look around, and even do some buying, unfortuantely by then there was not much of what I was looking for remaining, WW2 1/72 Scale stuff, everyone had the same stuff as everyone else or were sold out of what I was looking for. I Did manage to find somethings; 2 boxes of Pegasus hobbies T34/85s, a box of Pegasus Hobbies German Mortar crews, a box of Armourfast STUGs, an Italeri German ambualnce and a box of Italeri Tank Hunters. That was it for purchases, except for a $5 sandwich, pop and chip combo. Guess I'll have to do some mail ordering

Then I did a walkthrough with my new camera, and botched a lot of the photos, what turned out OK I published in a previous post

Attendance wise it looked full (If being a bit hoarse when I got home is any indication of size). I didn't see any games with 4 or less players, most had 6 or more.

The game Greg and I ran was full (6 players) it was a hexless version of Squad Leader, with many small things removed (to speed up play) and seemed to go well, lot of burning vehicles and dead infantry. The problem with converting a well known boardgame, is with people who have played the boardgame and are looking for the things you have removed.

Overall I give it a solid B+ or even an A-. My biggest gripe is; it was a tad difficult to move around, the aisles between the tables need to be more than a metre wide (some weren't even that far apart), but if they are too wide that reduces the number of tables. That was probably a result of only being there for the Saturday afternoon shift, it probably was better in the morning and the evening shifts.

Hotlead 2012

Hotlead 2012

Just got back from Hotlead 2012 and uploaded the photos I took.

They are from the afternoon session, and I'm not sure of what some of the games are. I was too busy getting my stuff into the "Bring and Buy" and setting up my game to have much time to find out what I taking pictures of.

Another KGN Game

Another KGN Game

Well another solo playtest anyway. I made a lot less errors this time, I remembered to track ammo use and used the to hit modifiers.

I used the same OoB as last time but changed the terrain a little bit, to give the Germans a bit of cover, it was a completely different game.

This time the Americans while not nearly wiped out, as the Germans were last game, were well over their Morale limit of 26 (29 in fact) while the Germans were at 13 of 19.

It was also an opportunity to use my new tablecloth and try out my new (to me any way) camera (still haven't figured it out completely)

The US lost 2x M10, 1x M8 Greyhound Armoured car and 1x M4A3/76(w), Their Battle group Commander, a full squad and various men from other units.

The Germans lost the PUMA, a MMG team, and a few landsers.

Terrain layout, objective is building just to left of picture center.

German position at game end.

US position at game end.

Now I have to base and paint some more US Weapons teams and radiomen.

This game highlighted the fact, that if I want to play bigger games I'll need to buy more Bazooka armed soldiers (every U.S. squad has one) and more Panzerfaust equipped Germans, at least 2xShermans, 2xpanthers, 2xMark IVs, 2xStug IIIs, a variety of German halftracks.

Hopefully I can find some good deals at the "bring and buy" at Hotlead or from the vendors there.

Painting - German Infantry done

I finished my first batch of Germans by flocking their bases.

The figures are mostly based on pennies, since 2007 Canadian pennies are magnetic. Figures are attached with just white glue, when its dry I cover the penny and the base of the figure in more white glue, then cover the base in a pile of decorative sand (that I got at a dollar store) it might be crushed coral, remove from sand pile and let dry.

When dry (I usually wait til next day), Paint a wash over the sand, a very runny dark green paint (I use another cheap Dollar store item, DecoArt, Dark Forest green) that I've thinned with Windex (glass cleaner). When dry a wash of Brown ink and Windex. let it dry. Dry brush with yellow (Brand Artist Acrylic: Spun Gold, another cheap dollar store paint).

Painting - German Infantry Dipped

Painting - German Infantry Dipped

Once again the miracle dip works miracles. Then sprayed with testors Dullcoat.

Front

Back

Just have to base them now.

Painting - German Infantry

Painting - German Infantry

My to do pile of Germans got a bit smaller today.

My recent playing of KampfGruppe Normandy brought to my attention some glaring holes in my painted figure inventory, my vehicles too. I can't do anything about my vehicle problem at the moment but I can with infantry, so I painted some Medics, Radiomen, Machine Gunners and their assistants, and since I was going to be painting anyway, I may as well add a few more figures.

I got set up and was going to start after I cousulted my painting book, in which i record what paints I use to paint what items. I spent all day Saturday and part of Sunday looking for the bloody thing, eventually giving up and starting a new one.

I painted 27 of the Plastic Soldier Company late war German infantry that I picked up last year at Hotlead, aside from dipping and basing they are finished, not sure if I want to try something different or carry on with my minwax polyshades.

Its the first time since late July I've picked up my brushes to paint Infantry (painted two M26 Pershings last month) and I was a bit rusty. That not with standing I decide to try some camouflage on helmet covers, with the exception of the medic they all have covers, but I left some in field gray, at this scale no one will notice (famous last words). I also found out that I'm running low on some colours, that'll have to find replacements for, I had forgotten that I also have to replace my Minwax Polyshades, it dried out a bit and is really thick now, unless I can thin it out with clear.


Enough blathering, on to the photos.

Front

Back

I am not overly impressed with these figures even though some of the figures are multi piece many of the poses are very flat, and a couple of figures have no necks, and most are just standing around, but they still look better than Plastic Soldier company's British infantry.

A close look shows why I went to the dip, it will make these figures look a whole lot better.