Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Experiments with Flats

I've recently been playing around with an idea for a war game inspired by Harry Pearson's article in MW after the change in management.

As you can see, I've been trawling about on German eBay for flats.

I'm not getting too hung up on figure ratios and all that sort of thing. As far as I am concerned, one stand is a squadron, battalion or battery. To my eye about four cavalry look good, as do a dozen infantry or a single gun.

Things are not too far along at the moment; I'm really just playing around with the aesthetics of the thing. That said, I envisage using mini dice to record combat attrition. I also envision using written orders that may be deviated from through the expenditure of initiative tokens. Different armies might have different numbers of them to expend per turn. I would expect the Prussians to have more than the Austrians who, in their turn might have more than the French.

Any feedback would be highly valued.

9 comments:

Conrad Kinch said...

I can't speak to the rules, but the figures look amazing.

Phil Dutré said...

Are you aware of this blog: 7YW with flats ... http://crogges7ywarmies.blogspot.com/

WSTKS-FM Worldwide said...

Agreed with Mr. Kinch above! This is, you realize, a dangerous and slippery slope you navigate my dear de Latte. Very dangerous indeed.

Best Regards,

Von Tschatschke

Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.com said...

I love tbe figures and the idea, not so far from what I have an urge to do with PA semiflat homecasts but I was undecided about the thickness of the bases. Having gone away and thought about it, I am still undecided!

Bloggerator said...

Thank-you Stokes and Conrad - naturally I had nothing to do with their painting.

Phil, I ought to have mentioned that Christian is a constant inspiration. My basing is my "ungarnished" version of his own. I'm intending to fix brass name plates to the bevel at the rear of the bases.

Ross, I quite like the plinth effect of the thick bases, especially if I do not terrain them. I think they need another sanding and coat of varnish, however. Obviously this is going to be quite a stylised affair.

Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.com said...

There was an article in one of the glossies in the ....90's? about a chap who did Waterloo, I think with Brigade units, with 15mm minis on plinth bases, each a mini diorama with unit lable on the back. He terrainned the tops but left the sides either painted or stained and varnished, can't remember which.

I've been drawn to the idea ever since which is one reason V&B and Morschauser appealed but have yet to go all the way.

Milgeek said...

I have to say, the figures look absolutely amazing. I haven't looked into the area of collecting such things (I daren't get into yet another hobby)! But the 'flats' are beautiful.

Rob Grace said...

If you're going to base the figure on wooden 'tiles' I would be tempted to drill holes in the rear of the base and use pegs (e.g. from the mini Mastermind game) to keep track of attrition, order, morale, or whatever as unlike mini dice they stay with the base and are less likely to be knocked.
The whole ides looks intriguing - what rules were you planning to use, maybe a grid based approach?

e.g. http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~warden/portable_wargame/

Rob Grace

Bloggerator said...

Nice idea Rob.

I've some rules in progress (The Age of linear Warfare - see the Tabbed page at the top of the blog)which I am adapting.

I have seriously considered taking a leaf from Ross Mac and Bob C and doing it as a gridded game.

Thanks for the comment.

Greg