September 2000

1st September: Tried “With MacDuff to the Frontier” (colonial rules free on the web, appear to be no longer available). Imperial troops are far too effective!! They have a 7/12 chance of killing a Zulu in CC, while the Zulu only has a 2/12 chance of killing him! Frontier Patrol II (home grown set of colonial rules, based on Featherstone) seems much better & more believable. Will drop MacDuff to work on FPII, maybe nick some ideas though.

Need to play SCWaRes sometime - needs squared terrain. Must get some FIMO to make some ships like Bob’s!

Added new combat system to “Bastogne to Berlin”. Works, but boy, is it fast! Also new combat system for Fire & Cold Steel (FCS) (very simple and small Napoleonic rules). Need to test this (ho, hum, here we go again).

2nd September: Bought some FIMO.... Thought about the squared terrain, decided that NW Frontier should be mainly a SCWaRes game but the Zulu War might be better as FPII. So I need squared terrain for NW Frontier. Got a piece of 2mm MDF 3ft * 2ft. Will cut this into 4 pieces 12” * 18” and draw 2” squares on them. If I decide to do Zulu War using SCWaRes as well then I can paint the other side of these sections green. Incidentally, Bob’s mountains will look good for the NW frontier. Rebased Pathans and Indian troops for SCWaRes. Will probably rebase all colonial figures anyway and add rules to FPII to work with multiple figure bases (using AGPs).
I am rebasing all colonial figures to multiple bases.

17th September: David and I went to Colours. It's years since I went to this show and now I know why. The Hexagon is a titchy little venue with hardly any games (I think the competition stuff is in another hall somewhere). Travelled by train which was fun (and cheap!). The “Off the Wall” shelf games were unimpressive. Bought horses and driver for buckboard, pirates and some Mexican Bandidos from Dixons, nice figures. Also ACW civilians from Redoubt, rather nice again. Had a chat with Jon and Tim. I don’t think I’ll go to this one again. Warfare is much better - and cheaper too. Looked at buying river sections but decided I could make ‘em for a lot less. Modified the buckboard model to fit the Dixon driver. Started painting the new figures and also some Naismith Zulus (3 * 18 figure units). Looks like painting is the job in hand right now...

Checking through my list of rules, I have nothing for ACW in 6mm. I will put these figs in the back eaves. For now anyway.

Well, actually... they will do nicely for Hammerin’ Iron land actions, but I need more cavalry and skirmisher elements...