I added the grid squares to the recycled battlefield board this morning, using a green Sharpie marker pen and a ruler. I fluffed up one row but managed to cover it up and redo it before anyone noticed. Up close the grid is clearly visible but at arms length it blends in nicely with the grass green paintwork. I now need to make some terrain templates to place on top of the grid and get my armies painted for a try out game.
I was rummaging in the garden shed today when I found this old repurposed wall picture which I turned into a small desert board for 15mm skirmish games a few years ago. A quick measure to check the dimensions and I have an 11 x 9 grid square terrain board for Portable Pike and Shot, using 50mm squares to match my regimental bases (I considered 60mm squares but that would be too small, assuming a minimum of an 8 x 8 squared grid.
The board actually measures 55cm x 47cm, so there will be a 1cm strip down either side, assuming I deploy in landscape, so as to provide room on either flank. I've given it a quick respray in Humbrol Grass Green but will add a bit of dry brushing as well. The terrain features including roads, rivers, woodland, hills and so on, will be laid out on top for each game, as required. Job's a good'un!
This month my naval wargaming project will be to finish painting the Argentinian and Chilean pre-dreadnought models for my 'What If?' solo campaigns. These are all 1/2400th scale Tumbling Dice ships and include two armoured cruisers, a protected cruiser, two coastal battleships, two river monitors and four torpedo boats, with an obsolete central battery ironclad to complete the line up.
As we are away in France for the Christmas festivities, we save our family presents until New Years Day. This year, aside from smellies, socks, underpants and a pair of new walking boots, I received these wargame specific gifts. Not all miniature wargaming in focus but jolly good and very generous. Happy New Year!
On the work bench for this month is a 2mm scale English Civil War Cornish Royalist army for the 1643 campaign in the South West. This is made up from figure blocks from the Irregular Miniatures range including specific pike and shot regiments, cavalry, dragoons and artillery, based on 50mm x 25mm bases. The plan is to use these with the Portable Pike and Shot rules and the One Hour Wargames rules for a solo campaign.
