My AWI (250th anniversary game After Action Report link on page 3)

[79thPA]

Great progress.

[Cat]

Well, when the Sash & Saber Kickstarter packages landed and I was hauling them in from the front porch, I thought to myself "Mistakes might have been made."  Two cartons, about a cubic foot and 8 pounds each.  The volume was bulked up with a resin block house and cabin that were KS freebies in each one.  Most of the 16 pounds shipping weight was lead though. 
 
This was additions to a working collection, so quite possibly excessive.
 
In happy corrective measures, by switching to Rebels & Patriots for large games, that doubles the number of figures each player can push compared to my usual Donnybrook.  Now to get more of them painted...
 
Reviewing the troops to see how they would shake out for R&P units and commands, I had more than enough figures for nearly all of them. 

Did have to place an order for one more pack of Gage's Light Infantry to round things off.  And paying shipping for just one pack didn't make any sense, so I ordered the S&S civilians too.
: P

[FifteensAway]

Cat - are your figures up here on LAF somwhere to see?

Below edited and corrected a bit, especially to show the German troops by state - and added the French and Spanish.  I believe, except for the cavalry units, everything is listed here.  Will check and add in a later post.

Noted the three 24 figure British regiments in above post, seven additional 24 figure units with the German units below, so 10 instead of 12 as stated earlier - plus the more than 12 for continentals.  All of below is primed and ready for painting - or in process for some.

First three partially painted, plus von Lossberg.

Waldeck
1st Ansbach
2nd Bayreuth

von Donop
Lieb/Landgraf (Hesse Cassel)
von Mirbach - 24 figures
Prinz Karl - 24 figures
von Trumbach - 24 figures

von Lossberg fusiliers (in painting process)
von Ditfurth fusiliers
Erbprinz fusiliers (Hesse Cassel)
von Knyphausen fusiliers

von Linsingen grenadiers
von Rall grenadiers
von Block grenadiers
von Minnegerode grenadiers - 24 figures
von Kohler grenadiers (garrison regiment grenadiers)

von Huyn garrison
von Stein garrison
von Wissenbach (fusiliers) garrison

Jaeger 1 and 2 companies - 24 figures
Jaeger 3 and 4 companies - 24 figures
Jaeger 5 company and Ansbach-Bayreuth company - 24 figures

von Riedesel (Brunswick)
von Rhetz (Brunswick)
von Specht (Brunswick)
von Breyman Grenadiers (Brunswick)
von Barner Chasseurs (Brunswick)
Jaeger (Brunswick)
Erbprinz (Hesse Hanau)

Plus 11 pieces of artillery primed and ready - or partially painted #12(?).

And "generals": Knyphausen, Riedesel, Ayb, Ewald, Lossberg, Heister, Kospoth, Loos, von Rall, Mirmach, Donop, Breyman, Stein, Wurmb, Genisenau (yeah - the famous one, but a junior officer at the time, just because I needed a name and found his), Bose.  And, yes, that is a lot of leaders for the number of units.  There will be similar extras for most contingents throughout the collection.  Most of the time, I will be able to match an historical leader to his units.

And here are the Loyalists:

Prince of Wales
Volunteers of Ireland
Royal Highland Emigrants
King's American Rifles
with a 6# gun and Montfort Brown as general - that much is already painted.

Butler's Rangers
King's Royal Regiment of New York
Queen's Loyal Rangers
King's Loyal Americans
North Carolina Highlanders with Ferguson's Rifles attached
British Legion
Queen's Rangers - Highlanders, grenadiers, lights
Queen's Rangers - rifles
!st New Jersey Volunteers
2nd New Jersey Volunteers
3rd New Jersey Volunteers
Provincial Light Infantry
1st DeLancey's
2nd DeLancey's
King's Orange Rangers
New York Volunteers

Plus an additional 4 artillery pieces and six more 'generals' only Simon Fraser named so far.

I believe it will work out so that 10 of the 20 units will be green coated and the other 10 red coated.  Or maybe 12 units in green coats - to somewhat counter-balance all the British red.

The French and Spanish are ready for painting as well.

Royal Duex Ponts
Soissonais
Bourbonnais
Saintogne
Saintogne - 2nd battalion

St. Simon's grenadiers
St. Simon's chasseurs
Rochambeau's grenadiers
Lauzan's Lights

Agenois
Gatenois
Marines
Touraine

10 pieces of artillery

"generals": de Choisy, Lafayette, Rochambeaue, Viomenil (x2 the baron and the count), Lauzan, and St. Simon

For the Spanish (all partially painted):

Grenadiers
Louisiana Regiment
New Orleans Militia
15th regiment

One field gun and Bernardo de Galvez. 

French and Spanish I will mix freely when needed since, mostly, they are all in white - probably the biggest 'fudge' in the collection.  Some compromises are necessary.

[Cat]

That's quite the roster!

No, I don't have a thread yet on the figures.  My big build thread has been for the buildings of Sleepy Hollow over in the Gothic Horror board.  Painting the figures was squeezed in around the edges of the buildings during the first mad run up to getting a convention game on the table, then continued work on the figures afterwards, including flocking finally.
 
Getting back to work now on buildings, game boards, and minis.  A goodly number are done and flocked.  Even more just need some final touch-up painting and flocking, including additions to the done units.  Then there are those we call the unpainted, many prepped and primed, many trimmed, and many yet to trim.  As it is now quite officially spooky movie fest season, many of the untrimmed will be coming out at night when the vids go on.
: 3
 
When the next flocking festival begins and I've got full completed units all out on the workbench, then I'll start up a figure thread.

[FifteensAway]

Finally got some additional photos of the last batch of figures.  First up are the Spanish:



Duc de Lauzan (French, not Spanish) on the left, a Spanish field gun with crew in the center, and Bernardo de Galvez on the right.



New Orleans Well Disciplined Militia



15th Regiment - a bit of a dull blue for facings, not the best photo.



Louisiana Regiment, blue pants help to differentiate.



Spanish Grenadiers.  I did not try to make all different.

That is it, my one brigade of Spanish.  However, I realized I could use a half dozen more or less finished units based the same from my pirate collection - just bases are textured with sand.  Could press into service if needed though not a perfect match since earlier than AWI.

And the first "brigade" of the many Hessian units to come:



Riedesel on the left, a 12# gun and crew, and Knyphausen on the right.



von Lossberg fusiliers, technically the only 'true' Hessian unit in this group.



1st Ansbach



2nd Bayreuth.  I suppose they should be 1st and 2nd Ansbach-Bayreuth but easier to label as listed here.



Last, for now, the unit from Waldeck.

Four battalions of green coated Loyalists should be done soon along with a couple of generals and one gun.  Then a unit of five battalions of French along with a couple more generals.  And in a departure, I decided to paint all 10 of the French guns and crews in one batch to keep the gun carriages all the same color.  And, yes, ten guns is a lot for what will only be three brigades (though, again, I can 'cheat' the Spanish here and the pirate Spanish for additional French if needed) but I figure a lot of the guns in use were supplied by the French plus would need to do a proper Yorktown siege if I ever want to do such a game.  Loyalists should be done in a few days, French in a week or so - if a diversion into a bunch of Old West figures for a game on November 17th doesn't pull me away which is highly probable but I do want the French done to clear a way for more AWI units on the other side of the Old West distraction.

[FifteensAway]

After an excessively long break after completing my 100+10 day painting challenge back in January, I am finally back painting again - and I really need to kick into high gear for the planned Lexington and Concord game on April 19th, the actual 250th anniversary.

No photos yet but just finished four more battalions of militia today, started during painting challenge, and then immediately placed four more militia battalions onto the painting table and got them started (already primed and ready) with base skin tones along with two more battalions of the Extra Continentals, the German Battalion and the 2nd Candadian, also a couple more generals and three more gun sets with one being the Rhode Island Train of Artillery.  Hair then hats next and just slog away.  When they are done then in it is time for Grenadiers and Light Infantry and, hopefully, line battalions of British - though if I have to I can 'cheat' and use my red coated Loyalists if time becomes a pinch.  Plus I've already pulled out all useable FIW forces as a supplement 'just in case' for the British but for sure to add in a few more battalions of militia.

Lots of buildings to get painted and more stone walls and hedges!

My scenario will re-create the running battle starting with Lexington Green then jumping to Concord and the action at North Bridge and then working back to Lexington to finish the game.  I will have the militia as "pop up" forces at each of the main conflict areas along 'battle road' with the British always on the table working their way back to Boston with the relief force showing up just east of Lexington.  Won't be a cake walk for the militia, the British will get some 'surprise' flanking maneuvers. 

Goal is to, as much as possible, re-create the battle as it occurred.  Part of the plan is to create the table with a double sided back drop down part of its length and have the road make a U-turn so that we actually get the length of two tables to better fit it all onto one 5' x 7' table.  Rank and File rules and 15 mm figures should make it work.

More photos when I have time - and the latest completions get their bases textured. 

I'm going to be busy!

[Wellington Bonaparte]

Fabulous thread and I admire your work ethic and determination! So nice to see the Spanish included for a change, I've now started a small French infantry force to join my my traitors, they may well end up a 4x Bn brigade with attached artillery and a dragoon regt.
I knew very little about the war of 1776-83 when I started my Redcoated army  but have learnt so much on here in the last 18 moths I'm now adding a villainous army of scoundrels to fight King George's finest and some Colonials doing their bit for King and Country. Of course I'll not forget we let some people from Germany come along and have a bash.

[FifteensAway]

WB, your post made me smile.   

7 of 8 positions in my game now filled - and prepared to have a wait list if needed.  Not everyday you get to play such a significant piece of history on so significant an anniversary.

Did a practice layout this afternoon so will probably lengthen the table a foot or two.

Last game I ran played with the Spanish in Florida going up against Loyalists.  Proper students of the revolution know the significance of the Spanish.  I am, however, by and large, restricting myself to the events on the North American continent but might do something in the Caribbean one day - I have plenty of additional Spanish similarly based in my pirate forces.

[kingsmt]

Great stuff, 15's. Keep it going!!

[FifteensAway]

So, taking a stab at taking stock: 5 game ready militia battalions, 4 green coated and 4 red coated loyalists battalions table ready, 4 Spanish battalions game ready, also 4 German battalions table ready, 9 French battalions painted and need bases textured, ditto 4 militia battalions and 2 Extra Continental battalions.  On the painting table and in progress 4 militia battalions and 2 Extra Continental battalions - and 4 partly painted French battalions set aside to get ready for next game.

21 ready, 15 need texturing, 6 in process for game, plus 4 French battalions in process = 46 battalions.  At least 8 more to paint for next game, Grenadiers and Lights plus some line for the British, and maybe 2 more besides, grenadiers and lights from Burgoyne to supplement.  Getting those last done will take me over the 25% mark.  Still only 4 cavalry regiments done which is 20% of the way.  Need to do a better tally of generals and artillery.  And, of course, a casualty figure for each battalion, regiment, general, or artillery piece (one of the British line units in line will get two casualty figures because it is 24 versus 18 figures).  Pretty much at least one general and one artillery piece per 4 battalions - though higher for French and of course lots of 'extra' generals for higher echelons or alternatives.

Oh, and some civilians painted - African men - that need bases textured as well as four generic bases of civilians in same status (lots more available from my FIW figures that are game ready and some will likely be used in the Lexington-Concord game).

Persevere and progress rolls along.  Seeing these numbers feels good.  And, yeah, I am inherently a bit of a 'numbers guy'. 

[FifteensAway]

Game prep moving along.  Sixty roofed structures ready for the game.  Okay, I didn't paint all 60 just for this game but I did make sure all the roofs 'matched' more or less, had to repaint some that just didn't work for me and adjust almost all of the rest.  The three I did nothing to were two outhouses and a covered well from my Old West gaming stuff.  And, full disclosure, eighteen of the sixty are either outhouses or covered wells.  Still, I did paint over half of the buildings - the 'full size' structures - in preparation for the game along with thirteen more outhouses and two more covered wells. 

Also finished a variety of hitching rails, a couple of water troughs (hand pump types), and a LOT of linear obstacles - hedges, stone walls, and wooden fencing; with what I already have I must have over twenty linear feet, probably more.  And that might be enough.  Oh, and repainted one and painted a few more stone/brick bridges and assembled and painted a quartet of wooden bridges.  All of that is game ready now, bases textured where needed, seal coated, etc.  (two buildings with some minor touch-up needed I noticed after sealing with matter spray so easy to modify, take a couple minutes, tops).

Getting close to being done with the last four militia units and the last two Extra Continental units.  I will have, at least, twenty units for the patriotic forces.  All of the British units are ready for paint with most having a minor start.  So that is a challenge to get those done in less than two weeks.  The other challenge is getting that double-sided backdrop into the mix.  I might have to cheat on that and just use a 'sky' colored backdrop, perhaps pre-colored (or modified if necessary) foam core board. 

At least the mechanics of the game itself are all falling into place.  I will be representing - sometimes with only a 'reasonable' approximation - all of the most key buildings and significant terrain points on the day.  Heck, I even identified the weather as sunny and cool with the roads still being too muddy, from the rain the day before, for the British to bring along artillery - until Percy late departure later in the day with the relief force.  Oh, and I have my eight player so game is fully subscribed as long as everyone shows up.  Some of the players are coming from about 100 miles away even.  Pressure on to keep them 'happy' - but no guarantees of victory!

Still hoping my TimeCast rivers and streams arrive in time to prep for the game - if I have time.  But will not rush, last significant terrain purchase so I want to do them right.  Can use other water ways I have if needed.

Still too busy to get photos but they will come eventually.

[FifteensAway]

Just one quick WIP in progress photo showing what I am working on for my game (backdrop done and ready - though if time allows may 'improve' it).  From the right, 2nd Grenadiers, 2nd Light infantry, 1st light infantry, 1st grenadiers, leaders: Pitcairn, Smith, and Percy - and a 6# gun and crew.  And further over, 23rd fusiliers (to stand in as grenadiers if I can get them done), and then three line regiments.   Those last four I want to get done but I need the rest to be done before Saturday.  Just paint these and add paper flags and pretty much good to go.  That is only 184 figures total - I can do it.  Hopeful. 

[AKULA]

Who doesn't love a progress photo?

Look forward to seeing the game

 

[FriendlyNeighbourhoodNerd]

That is a serious production line! Love the bold colours on the figures as well, keep it up!

[FifteensAway]

On the 250th anniversary of the battle of Lexington and Concord proof positive revealed: the British fired the first shot! 

 . Sorry all you folks in the UK.  Hope you get over it. We over here, more or less, forgive you.

 

Actually, with more later after cleaning up and resting and sorting photos and writing an AAR, this was part of the game I ran at my place on the actual 250th anniversary.  And here was the chart:

———GM EYES ONLY UNTIL END OF MAIN GAME:
3 x British - if all 3 are ‘in range’ for British fired, very bad for British cause
5(or 4) x Militia - if 3 of 5 or more ‘in range’ for Militia fired, very bad for American cause

1,2 Militia clearly and unequivocally fired
99,100 British clearly and unequivocally fired
3-6 Probably Militia
95-98 Probably British
7-13 Good possibility it was Militia
88-94 Good possibility it was British
Any other possibility - impossible to know who fired the first shot

Rather than having to calculate after collecting all the die rolls (all players rolled a set of dice) - there was only one that mattered, someone rolled 100 (00-0 on two d10s), the others mostly in the mid-range.  Thus "proof positive" the British fired the "shot heard round the world".  Oh, I feel so relieved it wasn't us.