1 Company HQ, 140 pts

• 2 M4, M4A1, or M4A3 Sherman
• 1 M3 75mm gun (Smoke)
• 1 .50 cal AA MG
• 1 Coax MG
• 1 Hull MG

1 Tank Platoon, 275 pts

• 4 M4, M4A1, or M4A3 Sherman
• 1 M3 75mm gun (Smoke)
• 1 .50 cal AA MG
• 1 Coax MG
• 1 Hull MG

1 Tank Platoon, 355 pts

• 4 M4A1 (76mm) Sherman (Protected Ammo)
• 1 M1 76mm gun
• 1 .50 cal AA MG
• 1 Coax MG
• 1 Hull MG

1 Tank Destroyer Platoon, 335 pts

• 1 HQ Section
• 1 Carbine team
• 1 Jeep with .50 cal AA MG
• 1 .50 cal AA MG
• 2 Tank Destroyer Section
• 1 Carbine team
• 1 M20 utility
• 1 .50 cal AA MG (Passenger-fired)
• 2 M10 3in GMC
• 1 M7 3in gun
• 1 .50 cal AA MG

1 Armored Rifle Platoon, 240 pts

• 1 HQ Section
• 2 Rifle team
• 1 Bazooka team
• 1 M3 half-track
• 1 .50 cal AA MG (Passenger-fired)
• 2 Rifle Squad
• 2 Rifle team
• 1 Bazooka team
• 1 M3 half-track
• 1 AA MG (Passenger-fired)
• 1 60mm Mortar Squad
• 1 M2 60mm mortar
• 1 Firing Bombardment
• 1 Bazooka team
• 1 M3 half-track
• 1 AA MG (Passenger-fired)
• 1 Light Machine-gun Squad
• 2 M1919 LMG
• 1 Bazooka team
• 1 M3 half-track
• 1 .50 cal AA MG (Passenger-fired)

1 Armored Rifle Platoon, 240 pts

• 1 HQ Section
• 2 Rifle team
• 1 Bazooka team
• 1 M3 half-track
• 1 .50 cal AA MG (Passenger-fired)
• 2 Rifle Squad
• 2 Rifle team
• 1 Bazooka team
• 1 M3 half-track
• 1 AA MG (Passenger-fired)
• 1 60mm Mortar Squad
• 1 M2 60mm mortar
• 1 Firing Bombardment
• 1 Bazooka team
• 1 M3 half-track
• 1 AA MG (Passenger-fired)
• 1 Light Machine-gun Squad
• 2 M1919 LMG
• 1 Bazooka team
• 1 M3 half-track
• 1 .50 cal AA MG (Passenger-fired)

1 Armored Field Artillery Battery, 325 pts

• 1 HQ Section
• 1 Carbine team
• 1 Staff team
• 1 M2 half-track
• 1 .50 cal AA MG (Passenger-fired)
• 1 Observer M4, M4A1, or M4A3 Sherman OP
• 1 M3 75mm gun (Smoke)
• 1 .50 cal AA MG
• 1 Coax MG
• 1 Hull MG
• 2 Gun Section
• 3 M7 Priest HMC
• 1 M2A1 105mm howitzer (Hull Mounted; Smoke)
• 1 Firing bombardments (Smoke Bombardment)
• 1 .50 cal AA MG

1 Recon Platoon, 90 pts (Reconnaissance Platoon)

• 1 HQ Section
• 1 Rifle team
• 1 M2 half-track
• 1 .50 cal AA MG (Passenger-fired)
• 1 Bazooka team
• 1 Recon Squad
• 1 Rifle team
• 1 Jeep
• 1 Recon Squad
• 1 Rifle team
• 1 Jeep
• 1 AA MG

Validation Report:
Briefing: Fortress Europe; Theater: Normandy
List satisfies all enforced validation rules

Composition Report:

• CHQ: 1 (1 – 0)
• Combat: 2 (2 – 3)
• Weapons: 1 (0 – 5)
• Support: 4 (0 –
• Air Support: 0 (0 – 1)

Total List Cost: 2000
Suggestions or comments? Please leave them below.

Created with Army Builder® – Try it for free at http://www.wolflair.com

2000 Pts – US Parachute Rifle Company List

1 Company HQ, 70 pts

• 2 Carbine team
• 2 Bazooka team

1 Parachute Rifle Platoon, 345 pts (Gammon Bomb; Master Sergeant)
1 HQ Section

• 1 Rifle/MG team
• 3 Rifle Squad
• 3 Rifle/MG team
• 1 Mortar Squad
• 1 M2 60mm mortar
• 1 Firing Bombardment
• 1 Bazooka team

1 Parachute Rifle Platoon, 345 pts (Gammon Bomb; Master Sergeant)

• 1 HQ Section
• 1 Rifle/MG team
• 3 Rifle Squad
• 3 Rifle/MG team
• 1 Mortar Squad
• 1 M2 60mm mortar
• 1 Firing Bombardment
• 1 Bazooka team

1 Parachute Machine-gun Platoon, 200 pts

• 1 HQ Section
• 1 Carbine team
• 2 MG Section
• 4 M1919 LMG

1 Parachute Mortar Platoon, 135 pts

• 1 HQ Section
• 1 Carbine team
• 2 Mortar Section
• 2 M1 81mm mortar (Smoke Bombardment)

1 Airborne Anti-tank Platoon, 155 pts

• 1 HQ Section
• 4 Gun Section
• 1 M1 57mm gun (Gun shield)

1 Parachute Field Artillery Battery, 135 pts

• 1 HQ Section
• 1 Carbine team
• 1 Staff team
• 1 Observer Carbine team
• 2 Gun Section
• 2 M1A1 75mm pack howitzer (Smoke)
• 1 Firing Bombardment (Smoke Bombardment)

1 Guards Armoured Platoon, British, 390 pts (Unflappable)

• 2 Sherman V (Tow Hooks)
• 1 M3 75mm gun (Semi-indirect Fire; Smoke)
• 1 Co-ax MG
• 1 Hull MG (Hull Mounted)
• 2 Firefly VC (Tow Hooks)
• 1 OQF 17 pdr gun (No HE; Semi-indirect Fire)
• 1 Co-ax MG

1 Airborne Engineer Platoon, 220 pts (Master Sergeant)

• 1 HQ Section
• 1 Pioneer Rifle team
• 2 Operating Squad
• 2 Pioneer Rifle team
• 1 Weapons Squad
• 2 Pioneer M1919 LMG

Validation Report:
Briefing: Hell’s Highway; Division: 82nd All American
List satisfies all enforced validation rules

Composition Report:

• CHQ: 1 (1 – 0)
• Combat: 2 (2 – 3)
• Weapons: 2 (0 – 2)
• Support: 4 (0 – 9)
• Air Support: 0 (0 – 1)

Total List Cost: 1995

Created with Army Builder® – Try it for free at http://www.wolflair.com

Comments would be appreciated.

• Six players – three per side
• Distances and ranges as in the book but using centimeters not inches
• All unit commanders rated at an 8
• Units were provided to an overall commander and he allocated them as he saw fit
• Roughly twelve infantry brigades, ten artillery batteries, and two cavalry brigades per side (FnF brigades of 24-36, not as shown in Black Powder)
• Corn squeezing wagon moved random distance along the road
• The winner was the side that controlled the wagon at game’s end – a player could destroy it, but that would be an automatic loss
• Table size was roughly  five by nine feet

Union Left Flank/Rebel Right Flank

The battle began with the squeezin’s wagon by the Lutheran Seminary. Both sides weighted this flank so as to be able to move as rapidly as possible to sieze and hold the wagon.  The Confederate Corps Commander placed his headquarters on this wing with the cavalry and despite a number of bad command roles, managed to push his cavalry forward into (or against) the objective. One brigade dismounted and formed a skirmish line in the open fields. The infantry was delayed by the woods and the the limits posed by the Lutheran Seminary.

The Union commanders reacted quickly and pushed forward a sizable combined arms force towards the wagon.  A brisk fight developed and one Confederate cavalry brigade dissolved under the Union attack, fleeing to the rear and losing one battery’s guns. It’s companion brigade fell back, remounted, and moved to support the remaining battery.

The successful Union cavalry attack was followed up with infantry support, but one cavalry brigade advanced too far, unmasking the unlimbered battery. The Confederates opened up and… only hit the squeezin’s wagon which exploded and inflicted casualties on the Union brigade. According to the scenario, the game was over with the Union not winning as much as the Confederates losing!

Bad scenario design in my mind….

But the battle continued…

The Union commanders swung more brigades into action and rapidly began rolling up the Confederate right as they were able to mass against them one at a time.  The Confederate Corps Commander raced from nit to unit in an attempt to shore up the sagging defense, but Union forces continued to advance.

Battle for the Center and Opposite Flank

The battle for the center and the opposite flank developed a lot more slowly as there was room to deploy and the commanders did not have an immediate objective to attack. The Union commander had placed himself on the right so he could control the maneuver against the Confederate left. Both sides suffered heavily on the right as short range firefights quickly escalated into back and forth hand to hand fights. By the time the Confederate left was starting to collapse, their right was turned by the Seminary and the Confederate ommander decided it was time to withdraw and conserve his force.

Center fight

Union Right/Confederate Left

(Some gamers have asked who MG Cornpone is. Please watch the video below for a full explanation.)

• 20 – Cuiraissier
• 40 – Gallopers/Trotters
• 220 – Pikemen
• 140 – Musketeers
• 3 – guns with crew
• 12 – Mounted commanders
• 30 – Billmen (?!?) (The billmen were purchased for Warhammer Fantasy Halberdiers)

Of these, I have a total of 9 line and 12 Trotters painted. Almost all of the metal figures are from Old Glory but I picked up a lot of the Foundry ones when Brookhurst Hobbies was having a sale to reduce their inventory before Foundry went to blister packaging.

Anyone got any ideas as to how to handle the charge pike figures? 8 per group of 16 in the front rank? units of 16? Paint them last and don’t worry about it? Suggestions appreciated….

The unit in the pictures below has ten of the twelve figures that come in the box set. I painted up two previously and will include them in the final pictures. I continued on with this process because I liked how they look and I wanted to make the unit appearance consistent. There is a lot of shade on the wide brim hats and I hope that once I hit them with a spray or two of Dullcote it will not be as noticeable, otherwise I am pretty happy with the way them.

The Confederate forces got the first blows in in the infantry fight that was developing. Two of the center regiments unleashed withering fire against the Union forces because the Union commander could not make his command rolls and get his forces out of columns.  One of the regiments quickly fled the field while the other two finally got deployed.

The battle for the center went back and forth for several turns. Initially it looked like the Confederates were going to sweep the battlefield, but this time Confederate command rolls slowed their advance. Once the Confederate artillery arrived the two remaining Union units on the hill dissolved in bursts of canister.  It was this that made me decide that the Northern forces should stage a dignified retreat to save anything they could. Once again, bad command rolls left the Union artillery on the field facing an advance by three regiments of infantry. One Confederate regiment came under intense fire from the two batteries and fled the field.

The right hand Union commander redeployed his units to support the artillery and managed to get a regiment next to the batteries and one behind in support. Suddenly the artillery couldn’t hit anything and the Confederate advance began again. A final volley broke the defending Union infantry and one of the batteries and the Union army withdrew from the field.

A few thoughts on Black Powder. These rules play quickly and offer moments of suspense and frustration. Both sides suffered from poor command rolls and their maneuvers were halting. I think a higher command rating would have made the battle flow more smoothly but also more predictably. The sudden inability of commanders to motivate their troops was fun, however, and I may do another game like this to see how it goes. Combat between units rapidly degenerated into firefights where attrition played a major role. Hand to hand was rare. All in all, I think the rules reflected actual Civil War combat between green forces very nicely..

Part 1 is here.

Part 2 is here.

Order of Battle

The Northern Army of Persuasion – MG Sherman Sickles

1st Brigade  - BG Grant Chamberlain

• 1st Maine Island Inf.*
• 3rd Montshire Inf
• 5th Yorksey Inf
• 2nd Regular Regiment of Zouaves*

2nd Brigade – BG Butler Reynolds

• 3rd Delayork Inf
• 2nd Michiana Inf
• 6th Massosota Inf
• 4th Wisconois Inf

1st Cavalry Brigade – BG Buford Grierson

• 7th Ohivania
• 6th Pennahio

Army assets

• 1st DC Art
• 2nd Regular Art

The Southern Army of Conviction – MG Jubilation T. Cornpone

1st Brigade – BG Jackson Johnston

• 6th Texarkansas Inf*
• 3rd Missibama Inf*
• 1st Kennessee Inf
• 2nd Missiginia Inf

2nd Brigade COL (P) Pender Hill

• 2nd Missabama Inf
• 3rd Kennessee Inf
• 6th Georida Inf
• 8th Tennelina Inf

1st Cavalry Brigade – BG Forrest Stuart

• 1st Florilina Cavalry
• 2nd West Alassippi Cavalry

Army Assets

• 1st Richmond Artillery
• 2nd Petersburg Artillery

*Morale 4+ units, all others are 5+ to reflect green troops.

I made random rolls for the plan for each side. The Union forces were to advance with the infantry abreast right up the road with the cavalry in reserve. The Confederates were to make their left the main effort with the cavalry on the right. As is normal in combat, the plans were good until the first turn….

In the first turn the Confederates advanced across the board. In the second  turn, however, the left hand brigade moved off the board to the rear due to a commander’s blunder! Not an auspicious beginning!

The Union forces kept up a steady advance across the field but the guns continued to get ahead of the infantry because of command rolls.

I allowed the confederate command under Pender Hill to rally off the board and return to the game as otherwise I was afraid the game was over . Those who know I am from Texas might think I was meddling but it was my game so I thought I would do it!  Sometimes it’s handy to be playing a solo game.

The Union second regular Regiment of Zouaves was the first to crest the hill and they came under a withering Confederate fire. The next turn the confederate forces charged and the Zouaves broke in terror.  The remainder of the brigade was not affected.

The Confederate cavalry continued their advance on the right flank. Their role was an economy of force role but one regiment advanced too far. The 1st Florilina occupied the town, the 2nd West Alassippi the woods on the right flank. This allowed the Union commander to redirect his cavalry reserve and try to get them across the bridge.

The fight in the town was a brisk one but the Union regiment charged and forced the dismounted cavalry to retreat. The Union sacrifice here was to no avail as the fight degenerated into a desultory firefight, however.

The Union cavalry advancing across the river came in column and the lead regiment came under fire.  The regiment, the 7th Ohivania, failed several command rolls in a row and so the Confederates were able to inflict excess casualties on them with long range carbine fire. The resulting morale roll caused the Ohivinians to flee off the field.

The next regiment, the Sixth Pennahio, got its lead elements across the bridge but were again stalled on the bridge in column by poor morale rolls.  They remained immobilized for the next few turns. Since the Seventh Ohivania had routed off the board with three casualties (their Stamina level) I did not allow them to rally and return. After a turn with the commander screaming for the Pennahioans to charge, they finally moved and crashed into the Confederates. Much to their commander’s irritation, they inflicted *one* casualty and remained in contact for another turn and then fled the field.

Part 1 is here.

Part 3 is here.

I have only 6 brigades left to paint as of today and 12 batteries so I took a break and set up a solo game. Our local group has been using Black Powder (BP) for Napoleonics and since the unit sizes translated easily into BP scale I decided to use those rules instead of FnF.

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of 15mm terrain I had on hand but ordered a few more JR Miniature buildings to round them out. To my horror, they were bigger than the ones I had on hand and looked way out of proportion. Then I decided, what the heck, it’s a game, the pieces just have to be used on different areas of the battlefield! The picture to the left shows the smallest JR building I just purchased and that is closest in size to the earlier purchases. The one to the right shows the two largest buildings compared to the ones I had previously.

More on the battle in the next post….

Part 2 is here.

Part 3 is here.

Being the season it is, I had to suggest a list of the ten things any computer oriented fan of Steampunk would enjoy, whether they had to be laboriously made or purchased. So here’s ten of

• Steampunk Keyboard Kit – The first easy piece to add to your setup, this allows you to join your keyboard to the era for a paltry $400 USD.
• Headset – Here is a project that looks relatively simple and one that can be completed by determined hobbyist such as we find in the wargaming world.
• Professor Ocularo X-Ray Monocle – Now you can see what evils lurk behind hills and other masking terrain without cheating (too obviously).
• Victorian PC – Not a project upon which I would embark, but one I would dearly love to own.
• Doctor Grordbort’s Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory – Valuable just for the joy of using the words “I own….”
• Ironman Style Helmet – In case you ever feel the need to go for a motorcycle ride.
• The Bug: Steampunk Computer Mouse « Jake of All Trades – I don’t know if this would contribute to or cause carpal tunnel.
• Personal Computer into Brewery – I don’t drink but I bet this thing could be jimmied to dispense Diet Coke! Now you know why the Russians/USSR were the first into space.
• 8ft Steampunk Frankenstein Computer case mod – Why own a grandfather clock when you can have this?
• Steampunk Computer by Old Time Computer (Yanko Design) – Now for an apple knockoff.

Bonus:

I don’t know of any serious computer user who believes that less power is more. The same holds true for Steampunk fans and their gadgets, but just take a tour of Bruce & Melanie’s Steampunk Victorian House Tour (brought to you by Apartment Therapy Boston) if you want to see .

Let’s talk ImagiNavies for a few minutes.I won’t be subtle here… I just got some pictures of my new additions. I tried the small naval miniatures but I just coudn’t get into assembling and painting the things. Maybe if I had come across them 20 years ago it would have been a hit. So I looked into some alternatives and thought I’d look into The Uncharted Seas rules. I know these are fantasy rules, but they do include human fleets and vessels that look pretty cool. They are also large models.

I have only one quibble with them. All the ship hulls are made from resin but the sails are metal. On the smaller ships this leads to a decided instability. I plan on mounting these on small square metal bases so will have to do some “terraining” of the bases. So without further ado, here are the core of the fleets of Todos Santos and Immer Recht….