When asked what I find appealing about war games my stock answer was always that I could recreate a historical battle and change the results. Now I know that's a little simplistic but it has always been a factor in my thinking.
But it never happens. and I mean never, In 23 years of painting miniatures it has literally never happened. when we play which is rarer these days it is always a hypothetical meeting engagement between 2 roughly matched foes. and one that only generally matches a historic order of Battle
well, it's time to change that. for my civil war project I am picking the battle of Pea Ridge AR. This is an important battle in the trans Mississippi theater and fits my criteria in most ways.
1) significant, keeps Missouri in the union and stops a confederate offensive under the general ship of Earl Van Dorn.
2) size, I can do all the forces for either wing realistically. using the frontiers scenario guide to guns at Gettysburg it is 15 union units vs 17 confederate units and that is including 5 artillery batteries.
3) interesting units, from Illinois infantry armed with colt repeating rifles to Indians to Texas cavalry there is a mix of colorful units.
I 'm going to give myself 1 year and 5 months to collect the figures and terrain and get it all painted up. so here is to playing the battle on 7 march 2012, the 150 anniversary.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
A not so new period
It has been a long time since I lasted posted anything. The summer and fall have been spent finishing school. And I have not had any time to paint. Of course now that I can paint I am pretty much out of naps for the moment . So what to do ? Huzzah, a new period !
When I was a child the civil war (American) all ways had a fascination for me. I would pour over my copy of the American heritage civil war book by Bruce Catton and stare for hours at the pictures. Of course I never read it. I in fact still have that very battered book and the pictures are still pretty good and I still haven't read it. It is the one period I have danced around the edges of, painting a unit here or there but never trying to in fact paint a large force for.
Well, now is the time. I have references, I have ospreys and I have a copy of Gettysburg in the dvd player. Time to get busy.
When I was a child the civil war (American) all ways had a fascination for me. I would pour over my copy of the American heritage civil war book by Bruce Catton and stare for hours at the pictures. Of course I never read it. I in fact still have that very battered book and the pictures are still pretty good and I still haven't read it. It is the one period I have danced around the edges of, painting a unit here or there but never trying to in fact paint a large force for.
Well, now is the time. I have references, I have ospreys and I have a copy of Gettysburg in the dvd player. Time to get busy.
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