Hobby Update: Early November 2024 - Painted stuff, thinking out loud about the 2nd Anglo-Boer War

[@philRminiatures]

Wonderful work, I do like your splendid Greeks!

[@thekrausecollection15mmmin53]

Jou geskilderde figuur om die Boereoorlog uit te beeld is uitstekend. ek het eintlik daaraan gedink om 'n skermutselingspeletjie te doen.

[@ZenMiniPainting]

Hahaha, you know, that isn't half bad for what I assume is a Google Translate effort. The choice of "geskilderde" is hilarious inappropriate, since that words means "painted" in the sense of a fine art painting, whereas the more mundane adjective "geverfde" is more in line with the tone. Afrikaans is interesting like this. We have 3 different words for "die" which apply depending on the subject doing the dying. sneuwel - military death (Sort of like "The soldier fell fighting for his country") sterf - Like the German "stirb", the general term for death. vrek - Only applies to animals, and can thus be used as an insult when applied to people.

[@thekrausecollection15mmmin53]

I went to school in the Netherlands from many years and speak Dutch and German because I live in Germany half the year. My friends are from South Africa. And in fact, my very best friend is from Pretoria. My mother lived many years about seven in Liz Soto. So I can’t say that I’m very good in Afrikaans but I try. I’m still learning.

[@thekrausecollection15mmmin53]

Okay! I realize you might not answer. I’ll just get a little touch on the heart button but think about this. We are as Wargamers are so caught up on figures being on individual stands that we can’t seem to think any differently. I think about WRG, DBA and how it is affected the entire, wargaming of biblical, ancients, medieval all the way up until the Marlburian Age of gaming. Everything has to be on a 40 mm frontage and heavies on 15 mm depth, lights on 20 mm depth and cavalry on 30 mm depth. So many figures per stand so many stands per unit and done. It wasn’t until a new set came out called Impetus that busted that convention. It stated that units have up to this point in predominantly created on a 80 mm frontage. Who cares about the depth everything then from that point on could be based on a diorama. You moved blocks of troops around the battlefield. Actually, it was brilliant. If you say that Russians never went to line and fought in large attack columns then, why don’t you base them up into two very large blocks For that matter one large block create a diorama and that way your flag is in the center. It’s very attractive. Many of my armies are based on much larger stand, and I move those around the battlefield and everything‘s on a diorama. Very seldom do my troops because of the size of my table have to go from column to column to line, etc., etc., what I’m saying is just build your troops onto movement trays that make you happy and center your flag. In the 1960s and 70s everybody thought you had to base your figures on individual stands and everybody was moving around 500 individual figures across the table. It took forever and it was actually frankly stupid.

[@thekrausecollection15mmmin53]

Btw. The Russians look very nice. Loved the video!

[@ZenMiniPainting]

Yes, I saw some pictures of old games of "Charge" from way back, and seeing these massive plates with hordes of individually mounted figures on them make me wince. The thing with basing for me is a desire to provide some flexibility. A 60x60 base with 6 figures can still be used in a smaller action, and enormous 120x60 or 120x120 bases become problematic when a battalion is supposed to occupy a town or an emplacement. Again, I agonize over these things and of course, in real terms, it matters very, very little. Painted is better than unpainted. Based (any way) is better than not. Still, food for thought.

[@thekrausecollection15mmmin53]

@@ZenMiniPainting I think you and I are so damn similar. I see you agonizing over the exact same things I do. That’s why I based everything on 40 by 40s with eight figures that way I could form battalion and mass or columns if needed to and they occupy built-up areas. I just mounded everything I had during the age of rifles on 40 by 40s except for those armies that I use for in deepest darkest Africa, which are on one by ones. By the way, I love your videos listening to you. You’re highly entertaining for me and I really feel like I’m a part of your life.

[@thekrausecollection15mmmin53]

Have you tried the rules “men who would be kings” ? Would that work for the Boar War? Ralph plays these as well. I have never tried them.

[@ZenMiniPainting]

I bought a hard copy of the rules before leaving the UK, and they seem to have gone missing in the move between California and Washington. I like the Rampant engine games, but I find the rules a tad generic for my tastes. I will give them a go though.

[@thekrausecollection15mmmin53]

They are for me as well. But at least a core mechanic

[@Corvinuswargaming1444]

Rules for the US conflicts against the Plains Indians might work for the Second Boer War, a lot of the indigenous nations were using modern firearms and horses. I also agree that Black Powder is really pushing it for the end of the 19th century. The Philippine-American War comes to mind as another one that would struggle with Black Powder: both sides, US and Filipino, carried bolt-action rifles and used fire and movement tactics. It also doesn't quite fit the "colonial" mold. Maybe there is another set of rules out there that fits that turn-of-the-century period.

[@ZenMiniPainting]

This is a really good idea.Thank you. The issue is finding a good set of Plains War rules. I know Ralph Astley has been struggling with that.