Casuatly/Morale Counter Dial Tutorial

I am into miniature wargaming for definitively aesthetic reasons, and prefer to create the illusion of an actual scene on the tabletop. To represent complex battlefield conditions and the less tangible aspects of the battles, such as morale and command coherency, one must either get heavy into the bookkeeping aspects of the games or use visual markers to note these conditions. Instead of my usual default of dice, I have gone about creating my own dial counters.

AWI British Command Group

As you may have glimpsed in the flag tutorial, I have finished work on the command group for the AWI British Marines.

Flag Graphic Tutorial

Previously, I showed my recent Marine Ensigns carrying their regimental standards. The process that went in to creating the flag designs deserved its own tutorial, as I think this can help other modelers & wargamers seeking to portray some of the more specific regiments in miniature.

AWI Marine Ensigns & Colours

One of the details that really enhances an tabletop army is a proper set of regimental colours, and since unit-specific flags add so much character to a miniature army, but British Marine Colours are somewhat difficult to come by (and a bit of a contention among reenactors), I settled on creating my own.

After doing some [somewhat dubious] research into the matter, I went about creating my flags based on some accounts of the Regimental and King's colours likely carried by the Marines in Boston and the early stages of the Revolutionary War. Several sources cite a tailor's receipt for silk flags, describing the use of the fouled anchor and the rose and thistle motif commonly used by most other regiments. While not explicitly mentioned, I included St. George's Cross on the Regimental since it is specified by the 1768 warrant, and the Marines did their best to be able to fit in when on land campaign alongside the army. (Also it adds a lot more visual interest).

I will do a separate post to describe the process used to design the flag graphics, so for now suffice to say it was done using the Adobe Creative Suite, and printed to scale (used same measurements as the flags printed in the Perry painting guide that came with the figures) on a professional digital press on nice uncoated paper stock, which was then glued in place with watered down PVA.

From here I'll be adding the rest of the set's command group: an officer on foot and musician.

May the Horse be with you!

Now that I've gotten my more serious title of the day out of the way, I can move on to puns and segue back to AWI Redcoats (anyone remember May the Horse be With You by Reliant K?)

British 8th Foot, War of 1812

My commissioned set of 8th Foot, War of 1812 is now complete. The company is made of a mix of Front Rank and Foundry figures, which blend quite nicely.

Battle of Harlem Heights (Sharp Practice Skirmish)

Following the Battle of Long Island, the Continental Army slipped away from complete destruction across the river to Manhattan Island and New York City. In an attempt to trap them and end the rebellion, Lord Howe landed his army to the north, at Kip's Bay to cut them off in the City. The rebels, however, slipped away again, and fled up the island, with the Crown Forces in pursuit.

Landing at Kip's Bay

As a prelude to the write-up for my Battle of Harlem Heights scenario I wrote, I've staged a scene of the Landing at  Kip's Bay.

September 15, 1776, in the wake of the disastrous (for the Continental Army, anyway) battle of Long Island, saw Crown Forces land in strength at Kip's Bay, north of the city of New York, to cut off and capture the large metropolitan area. Under a heavy naval bombardment, the rebel militia forces faltered and broke, leaving the British troops to land almost unopposed.

The Yankees fled northward up the narrow island of Manhattan, pursued by the British Regulars, who would attempt again to trap and capture the army, putting an end to the Rebellion once and for all.

2nd Detachment of Marines (Perry Plastic Redcoats)

Now for a quick progress update on my ongoing AWI British Marines project.

Skirmish in the Northeast (AWI Sharp Practice)

Awaiting the coming storm.

A continental officer stands at the edge of a wood, watching the horizon. The sounds of the birds and the wind are joined, then replaced, the beating of drums. Over the crest of the nearest hill the glint of steel rises above the grass and the silhouette of those carrying it.

British Marines Shore Party

I have now complted the first 8 British Marines from the American Revolution. These Perry Brothers plastic figures have been a lot of fun to paint so far, but it has definitely been a learning process.