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Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: Captain Reid on June 30, 2017, 04:46:56 PM

Title: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on June 30, 2017, 04:46:56 PM: I have embarked on an episodic Peninsular War campaign for Sharp Practice: Cerro Manteca, 1811 (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/), featuring the exploits of Captain the Honourable John Thomas Blunt of the 1/95th Rifles. Nine posts so far:

1. Prelude to Battle (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/first-blog-post/)
2. The Fuexu Affray (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/06/27/the-fuexu-affray/)
3. Encounter at the Viñedo Tripa de Pudrición (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/07/30/encounter-at-the-vinedo-tripa-de-pudricion/)
4. Engagement at Hueco Soñoliento (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/08/28/engagement-at-hueco-sonoliento/)
5. Forcing the Río de la Cocina Laga (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/09/03/forcing-the-rio-de-la-cocina-laga/)
6. Clash at Granja de Grasa (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/09/11/clash-at-granja-de-grasa/)
7. Foray to Corazón Sangrante (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/09/24/foray-to-corazon-sangrante/)
8. Escape to Vitória (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/11/27/escape-to-vitoria/)
9. Assault on La Concha (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/assault-on-la-concha/)
10. Riposte at Iglesia de los Santos Pederastas (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2018/02/19/ripost-at-iglesia-de-los-santos-pederastas/)
11. Race to Río de la Manteca (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2018/03/04/race-to-rio-de-la-manteca/)

(https://cerromanteca1811.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/img_20170924_083337731.jpg)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Driscoles on June 30, 2017, 06:52:35 PM: Funny....my charakter for these games is also called Blunt.
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Harry Faversham on July 01, 2017, 02:42:06 PM: Well done, The Rifles, that's shown them Voltijoors!

:-*

Wot rules you using Cap'n?
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on July 01, 2017, 02:53:06 PM: Quote from: Harry Faversham on July 01, 2017, 02:42:06 PM
Wot rules you using Cap'n?

Sharp Practice 2, which is, in all fairness, the best set of 'large-skirmish' rules I've ever played. It has a quirk or two and some things need tidied up a wee bit but I have yet to play a game of it which has not had several really memorable incidents. I mainly use it for French and Indian War games (and I think it knock spots off Muskets and Tomahawks for that era, albeit I have in the past enjoyed M&T quite a lot) but most of my gaming friends want to do Peninsular War, so . . .
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: vtsaogames on July 07, 2017, 06:49:26 PM: How do you think Sharp Practice II would go with 15mm figures mounted about 3 per stand?
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on July 07, 2017, 09:32:40 PM: Fine I should think.

I mount a single figure on a 20mm base. In my experience if your single figure equivalent takes up less room than that (eg 15mm single figures), big formations become easier to use and can dominate a game much more easily. Conversely, if your single figure equivalent takes up, say, 25mm of front (perhaps 3-4 15mm figures on a base), then formations will become more cumbersome and relatively weaker.

Neither of those things are necessarily bad, but they are worth bearing in mind
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on July 30, 2017, 06:46:47 PM: Encounter at the Viñedo Tripa de Pudrición (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/07/30/encounter-at-the-vinedo-tripa-de-pudricion/)

(https://cerromanteca1811.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/img_20170729_121018673.jpg)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on August 29, 2017, 04:52:10 PM: Engagement at Hueco Sonoliento (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/08/28/engagement-at-hueco-sonoliento/)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Malamute on August 29, 2017, 06:55:25 PM: Splendid stuff. Lots of food for thought for our own forthcoming SP campaign :)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Furt on August 30, 2017, 10:15:33 PM: Great AARs. Right up our alley! :)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on September 03, 2017, 07:20:36 PM: Forcing the Río de la Cocina Laga (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/09/03/forcing-the-rio-de-la-cocina-laga/)

(and thanks very much for all the kind comments)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on September 12, 2017, 03:57:38 PM: Clash at Granja de Grasa (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/09/11/clash-at-granja-de-grasa/)

British Guards against French Grenadiers - who will pound the harder?

(https://cerromanteca1811.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/img_20170910_114620470.jpg)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Earther on September 12, 2017, 04:04:46 PM: Le Boom! lol
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Malamute on September 12, 2017, 10:14:10 PM: Stirring stuff.

Vive La France! :)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on September 25, 2017, 07:56:52 AM: Foray to Corazón Sangrante (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/09/24/foray-to-corazon-sangrante/)

Can Tom Blunt and his Spanish allies capture the notorious Major Manque and bring him to exploring officer Robert Edward Lee?

(https://cerromanteca1811.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/img_20170924_083337731.jpg)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Malamute on September 25, 2017, 10:09:09 PM: Splendid stuff,very much enjoying your AARs and the campaign in general. :)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on September 26, 2017, 09:31:00 AM: Quote from: Malamute on September 25, 2017, 10:09:09 PM
Splendid stuff,very much enjoying your AARs and the campaign in general. :)

Thanks, Malamute (do you have a saloon where bunch of the boys were whooping it up?). I wish I could get better photos but I'm no photographer and messing about for too long getting snaps makes the games take ages.
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on November 27, 2017, 06:48:36 PM: Escape to Vitória (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2017/11/27/escape-to-vitoria/)

Will Valentine Moon win through to Vitória? Can Major Manque be safely delivered to Ace British agent Miss Juliet Mycock's tender care? Or will Lech Wodka's lancers polish them off?

(https://cerromanteca1811.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/img_20171127_090228305.jpg)

(https://cerromanteca1811.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/img_20171126_124010013.jpg)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on January 06, 2018, 06:19:19 PM: Assault on La Concha (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/assault-on-la-concha/).

The 42nd Highlanders make their first appearance.

(https://cerromanteca1811.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_20180101_102323998.jpg)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on March 06, 2018, 05:20:51 PM: Riposte at Iglesia de los Santos Pederastas (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2018/02/19/ripost-at-iglesia-de-los-santos-pederastas/) and Race to Río de la Manteca (https://cerromanteca1811.wordpress.com/2018/03/04/race-to-rio-de-la-manteca/) are the latest reports.

(https://cerromanteca1811.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_20180304_100953672.jpg)
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Bloodysword on March 06, 2018, 10:19:58 PM: Awesome Battle Report. On average how long do they take you to produce? I'd like to blog my ascent into Sharp practice but it seems daunting.
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on March 07, 2018, 05:52:22 AM: Quote from: Bloodysword on March 06, 2018, 10:19:58 PM
On average how long do they take you to produce?

Good question.

Taking photos probably adds up to half an hour to game time.
Editing the photos on my phone (simply cropping, sometimes partially rotating and then auto-balancing) takes about another half hour I suppose.
Inserting them into Wordpress is easy now as it can be done with multi-selection and one click. Say another ten minutes.
Writing up the report is maybe an hour or an hour an a half (they're not long word-wise but I tend to do them in a few sections).

Note all my times are conservative. They are not typical male 'It'll only take me ten minutes to put up a shelf' times (when actually it ends up taking three hours).

So actual working time not including taking the photos in-game, maybe around 2 hours, give or take 15 mins.

Actual time taken to do that probably nearer 3-4 hours allowing for cups of tea, accidental fuck-ups, being distracted, etc. But it's something I like doing as it's a permanent record of the games for me. And hopefully some other people find them of amusement/interest/possibly even inspiration also.

It beats painting, putting up shelves or staring at the walls, drooling . . .
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Furt on March 07, 2018, 06:53:32 AM: Splendid games and good effort keeping at it.

Did this in the day with our Indostan games and I must say it took me a hell of a lot longer to get them "published" with blogger.
Title: Re: Blunt's Rifles, A Sharp Practice Peninsular War Campaign
Post by: Captain Reid on March 07, 2018, 02:59:55 PM: Quote from: Furt on March 07, 2018, 06:53:32 AM
Splendid games and good effort keeping at it.

Did this in the day with our Indostan games and I must say it took me a hell of a lot longer to get them "published" with blogger.

Cheers.

Being able to edit in Google and then upload all the pictures in a single batch direct into the blog post does make a huge difference.