How's it going MrF Jan 2011?

The Presidents Mansion is torched by The Brits!

Here we go again another year & what to do.  For some time now I've felt we've reached a peak with DBA based games, don't get me wrong it's still a cracking set of rules & it's fun gaming.  However a change is as good as the rest, the biggest problem was.. What else to play?  Lots of rules sit on the book shelves in our humble abode, a lot of them only good for sending me to sleep (mental note... I must sell them on Ebay or something).  A while ago whilst trawling through the web, I came along a set of images for cards & counters, but not where they came from.  Eventually I tracked them down to THE PERFECT CAPTAIN website.  These are sets of rules created by wargamer's who were disillusioned with the rules out there.  A brief  look at the periods listed & my interest was perked. 

SO what new period? I picked the War of 1812, some say Napoleonics with Indians...  Again it's different plus not many people have done it. A lot of the battles were small so no need for hordes of regiments, in large wooded areas. I had been thinking of running it a few months ago with DBA but.... Anyway, what scale?  I think we've collected enough 15mm lead, no more.  When I first started gaming (again) with the kids a few years ago, we collected a shed load of 28mm, mainly from the Del Prado Waterloo series.  After discovering DBA, we flogged a fair bit of it (what a mistake) at game shows.  Of course the good stuff goes (for a pittance of what you paid) & your left with the average.  We've got some Brunswick Cavalry/Infantry which we've never been able to get rid off.  So these were used as the base, a new paint job & a few conversions (The bit I love doing) produced some snazzy American troops & British Dragoons.  We're still putting together the forces, I'll put pix of what we've got later.  The John Bull Patriots, is aimed at the AWI & War of 1812,  for small scale actions.  I'll go over them later as we are just getting to grips with them now.  

Next the inspiration & research, another favourite of mine.  Book, videos & websites.  Osprey of course always comes in handy.  The best books I picked up were from Partizan Press including one of the best scenario books I've ever read, all in colour as well.  A big thank you to Dave of Caliver Books after the books I ordered 'disappeared' in the British Postal system, Dave promptly replaced them - cheers cracking service.      http://www.caliverbooks.com/  

The Perfect Captain Website

http://perfectcaptain.50megs.com/captain.html

John Bull Rules

http://perfectcaptain.50megs.com/jbull.html

War of 1812 

http://www.redcoat.me.uk/1812.htm

The War of 1812

http://www.warof1812.ca/

A cracking set of games from the Gourmet Wargaming Club

http://www.warsweb.com/WGM/09.07.12-AOE-Plattsburg-1814/index.html

http://www.warsweb.com/WGM/09.11.28-AOE-Larkins-Ridge-1814/index.html

http://www.warsweb.com/WGM/10.01.09-AOE-Shipmans-Corner-1814/index.html

http://www.warsweb.com/WGM/10.03.20-AOE-St-David-1814/index.html

http://www.warsweb.com/WGM/09.06.13-AOE-1812-Browns-Bridge/index.html

The John Bull Rules by the Perfect Captain

The War of 1812 - A Campaign Guide to the War with America 1812-1815 by Stuart Asquith

A cracking book, lots of info about the war year by year

Osprey's The American War 1812-14.  Both Us & British/Canadian uniforms

Osprey's The United States Army 1812-15.

The Niagra Campaign 1814

Scenarios for The War of 1812 by Stuart Asquith

Fantastic book, a lot of scenarios, lots of maps & OOB's all in colour too!