Spring 2004

Mar 2004: The "sliding block puzzle" at home is still in progress, but getting there… No room or time for any games at present.

Played a game at the weekend - 15mm Stargrunt II, IDF vs. NAC, nice win for the IDF. Played it on a 4 by 2 board using a "half scale" ruler. This worked very well. Used the carpet tiles on this board - gave a nice "muddy brown" river.

I have decided that I need to get rid of the 4 by 2.5 board and replace it with 2 3by2s (to make a 4by3). Was going to buy a couple of boards when I realised that we actually have 4 4by2 MDF boards. Problem solved - cut down 2 of them to 3by2!!

(April 2004) Went to the Napoleonic Fair on Sunday, met Richard Clarke and bought IABSM. Also heard Bernard Cornwell speak - very entertaining!

Cut down the boards and set up a 4by3 in the front room. Played a 25mm DBA WOTR game. All Knights dismounted as Blades, Yorkists had an Artillery base, Lancastrians a 3Sp. Lancastrians won by a short head (1 Bw base). Interesting because it seemed natural to deploy the Bows in the first rank with Blades right behind. In DBA Bows can recoil through Blades. This has a direct relevance to the Barnet site research. If Bills / Men at Arms formed up behind the archers then the required frontage is about half what I thought before...

Tried the Humberside version of DBA for AWI. Not sure about it… The Americans are supposed to win Eutaw Springs but I couldn't see how they could under these rules. The -1 for militia is crippling.