Friday, June 27, 2014

Sometimes Different is just Different

While I have not had any big chunks of free time recently, I have had ample small chunks as well as plenty of time sitting with tablet while keeping 1/2 an eye on various things. The result is that most of my 1840's/50's infantry is rebased and I have been exploring all sorts of rules options and variations and reading old HofT blog posts.
Actually, looking at the header picture, this is pretty close to the way  Hector originally designed the units in 2008 but on bases 50mm wide instead of 60mm wide.
Sometimes its a long winding road that brings us home.

Part way through cutting 2"x1" bases it occurred to me that since some of the testing had resulted in a decision to treat 2 such bases as 1 2"x2" base unless needed as skirmishers or to fit into a town etc, I could just split 1 base per unit. That was swiftly folllowed by me recalling that 2 years ago I had based these armies on 2x2 bases for Huzzah and that those bases were still somewhere. I found them, some need some sanding but enough were ready to go to speed the process. What I haven't found is any indication of exactly when and why I debased the troops. They still appear in May but suddenly in December the troops are back on singles.

Oh well. Now the troops are back as they were in 2012 and basically the same as in 2009 except that the units are 3 bases not 5 and have a 6" frontage (150mm roughly) vs a 200mm frontage. Doesn't sound like much but over 12 units that's 2 feet less table space required which oddly enough is just what the reduction has been since 2009.

For the rest, I've been revisiting some old ideas and trying out various brand new ones. Some of these look like they would work really well, but, they would be a different game, not my old Hearts of Tin at all. Not better, not worse, just different and to my mild surprise right now I'm not really looking for different. I want familiarity.

Sometimes, like Doc Ruddy used to tell us "You pays your money and takes your choice".

Off to Halifax tomorrow to expose the public of all ages to miniature wargames at the Maritime Museum but hopefully some gaming at home on Sunday.

14 comments:

  1. Ross, you cannot recall why or when you rebased these figures? Very funny! For most games, I prefer the look of two ranks of soldiers per base but in most matters, "it depends."

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    1. My experience of rebasing is uniformly so awful that I never forget, but that probably reflects something in my own lack of ability. I sometimes wonder if odd things happen at night in dark cupboards - you don't suppose the figures somehow rebase themselves, or the new bases evolve into something else - possibly something very like the old ones?

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    2. I was wondering the same! Could it be a case of the cobbler's elves?

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    3. Well, I vaguely recall doing it one weekend last summer and I know it had to do with an anticipated Colonial style campaign which did not get far but while there is a hint of this order posts about the revival of my Mad Duff rules, I was surprised to have trouble findin getting a explicit post discussing the decision to switch rules. Might have been embarrassment since I had only gone from singles back to elements 6 months earlier.

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    4. Ah yes, the midnight carousel. Could be but since I never seem to find the Vivandierre on the same shelf twice, I suspect it's not re-basing they are indulging in.

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  2. Hopefully the Maritime Museum experiment will be a rousing success and you will return home well energized.


    -- Jeff

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  3. The joys of rebasing are many but you've taken it to a whole new level by forgetting why you did it - respect!

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    1. Well I vaguely remember why, (I changed rule sets) just surprised there wasn't more explicit discussion.

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  4. Peter's First Rule of Wargaming: Never, ever rebase! :-)

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  5. Good on you Ross for keeping up the displays at the Museum!

    Ideally they (the Museum) have done some marketing about the living history study?

    Your challenges with re-basing were a big part of my inspiration for doing my magnetic bases system.

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    1. I'm glad I was able to help :) I find the 40's so big and my fingers so short that any basing system must allow me to pick up stands by grabbing a figure when they are crowded by other units or terrain and with the weight of a base full of 40's I haven'lt had much luck.

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  6. Are you doing the naval / privateer demo at the museum?

    FMB

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