Suitably inspired by all the work being done in my garden, I took the opportunity this afternoon to return my attention to the toys - to clean up and sort out some of my siege bits and pieces, and make more sense of the way they are stored.
As I'm learning (and I'm quite happy about it - the amount of kit is a large part of the spectacle and the enjoyment), tabletop sieges use a lot of scenic pieces. I already had a good collection of walls and defences and buildings - medieval and Vauban-period - and I now have a growing mass of earthworks, gun emplacements and so on, to support serious sieges. I really do need to get this lot stored in a logical and practical way. So work is under way!
Here's something strange spread across the attic floor - there are 4 trays of hand-made trench sections (which can also double as earth walls placed in front of pre-gunpowder stone defences) and gun emplacements, all supplied by the excellent Fat Frank, then, at the front, a tray of assorted cast-resin pieces, various makers (I note that a few of these still need painting, by the way).
In the left foreground, open, is a badly thought-out view of a brown wooden cigar box containing 4" x 1" brown felt strips - these are for use as forward saps in my Vauban's Wars games (and, of course, any other games which might wish to borrow them). My starting idea is that you get two of these strips as a single piece of Sapper Activity action, when cued by the appropriate Sequence Card. You may lay them as you wish. Obviously, the speed of forward sapping will be closely related to how obliquely you place the strips - in the house parlance, to the angle of zig-zag. If your sap is enfiladed from the defences, you have done it wrong. There are no excuses. The closer you get to the fortress, the more extreme will be the zig-zag profile of the sap, and thus the slower the rate of approach.
There is another box (closed) at about 3 o'clock in the picture - again, not a great visual - in there is my collection of assorted multiple and single gabions - some of which also need some paint, now I look at them.
I propose to put the Fat Frank pieces in a box of their own, since this will be the main supply for the building of parallels and batteries by the busy besiegers. The rest can be stored separately as a back-up supply.
Near the top of the picture are a couple of very old Bellona gun positions, which are really just present for old-times' sake.
[In the real world, my driveway is now ready for the gravel, and one of the two trees nominated for removal has been severely wrecked - about two-thirds of the bulk has gone, though the main "frame" of trunk and big branches is to be removed tomorrow, along with, I hope, most of the second tree. Good progress - we've been very lucky with the weather.]
Nice to get a stock take like that done Tony. How are the Vauban's Wars rules looking? Worth investing in?
ReplyDeleteThe rules are very interesting - as ever I would expect some friction getting new rules into my elderly brain, but I have a few advantages this time (1) the rules are well written and laid out (2) I am familiar with the principles of Piquet's Field of Battle rules, and this game shares some of the same systems [it looks and plays like a Piquet game] (3) I have been reading about sieges, and experimenting with the development of a siege game, for at least 10 years. The game allows you to plug in the tactical game rules of your own choice, for - well - the tactical bits - assaults and sallies and all that. Since it would suit me very well to plug in C&C, I have been experimenting with tweaking VW so that it works with hexes, and (before anyone rolls their eyes to heaven) I am pleased to say that it is quite a simple variation. Quite whether the game would be to anyone's personal taste is hard to say - Piquet is a sort of Marmite in the wargaming world. I am not hostile to Marmite (sorry, Piquet), but I have to eat it with peanut butter (this is getting ridiculous...). If you are sort of seriously intrigued, cheapest option is to obtain the pdf version and have a read.
DeleteThere will be another post on VW on my blog within the next month or so. I would say tjhat it you are at all interested in sieges from say 1600 - 1815, they are well worth getting. It's not the kind of game you'll want to play every week, but it's fun, and definitely teaches you some things about conducting a siege. I'd say it takes a couple of games to really grasp how to do it best, and there is always the chance of random happenings throwing a huge monkey wrench into things for either side. I am not aware of any other rules like them.
DeletePeter - I'll look forward to that. Thanks.
DeleteThat's a fine mix/collection Tony. I recall you doing some adjustments to your fortress walls a little while back. Does this portend a siege game on the horizon? I certainly hope so—for my own selfish wishes to see the piccies.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear that the garden/driveway rennos are going well too.
Regards, James
Hi James - there is no doubt that sieges require a lot of stuff. The VW rules correctly claim that you do not have to rebase your existing armies, which is fine, but you certainly need a fortress and some sort of convincing earthworks to plonk on the table. The one area that needs some labour and thought is the hardware - most people's armies don't have much in the way of siege guns or big mortars, so some effort and investment (see what I did there?) is needed in that department too.
DeleteHope to get some test games before long - the games take a lot of setting-up, so I have to pick my moment carefully - main delay at present is shortage of ordnance.
Garden renno - it's becoming obvious that the jumbo junipers are too strong for Barry's battery-powered chainsaw - I think we'll need to borrow a petrol one to speed the job up (also much better for annoying the neighbours). There will be siege equivalents of this - I think Wellington abandoned at least one siege because his guns were too old and not heavy enough!
I too will be interested to see a siege game. I have ordered a copy of Vauban's Wars but it is yet to arrive. Many years ago I made earth works for my siege games but Fat Franks products look good. My son has some of his hedges. It seems to me that Franks earthworks may not be high enough at 12mm as I too use 20mm figures. I think I have enough cannon as I bought several from a model ship manufacturer and added a few of the Hat naval guns. Best wishes. Jim
ReplyDeleteI use Fat Frank's 15mm stuff quite happily with my 20mm soldiers - works OK. If you haven't bought the de-luxe card deck for VW, be aware that the cut-out cards that come with the rules are one short - I can't remember which one - if you look at the Vauban's Wars FB page there's an explanation - it's OK, there are a few blank extra cards, so you can make up a replacement. If my 20mm soldiers, on bases, are a bit tall for the 15mm trenches that's OK - that's only one outrage among many - my trenches, unlike Chris Duffy's sandtable game, are entirely above ground - I have to pretend - this is a very stylised game set-up, but it's fun anyway!
DeleteThanks Tony. I now have the rules - very interesting. I think it is the Relief Army Arrives card which is missing - apparently not often used. My game will also be stylised even using, I don't know if you will call it an outrage, Bellona gun positions (plastic and even rubber). Best wishes. Jim
DeleteJim - Bellona is very cool indeed - I'm all for that. In the same spirit, I'm recycling old soldiers from my spares boxes to make up special 12-man siege units; the cheaper we can do this the better! - (there is a siege on, you know...)
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