Monday, 12 September 2016

The 11th Massachusetts Regiment mustered for action

I`m back in Cyprus and the first game I have planned is an American Civil War encounter game.  The forces of the Union are just about ready and I spent a nice sunny afternoon on the terrace sorting out their basing. 

Using an additional 16 Em4 Miniatures 28mm plastics brings my Regiment/Company up to 48 line, as six groups of 8, and a group of 6 Perry miniatures metal skirmishers.  The command figures at the front of the regiment are Captain Status III Floyd "Parson" Farthingdale, Lt. Status I Winfield Armstrong Fluster, and Sergeant Major Status II “Grievous” McSinister.  


One of my favourite moments from the Movie "Glory," is when our brave young Colonel points to the standard bearer and asks in a slightly high pitch voice "if this man falls who will pick up the flag?"  I have no problem with the Colonel.  He went on to die gloriously... and later in his career killed Godzilla during one of the big lizard's more destructive rampages.  I do have a problem with the fact that only one brave/idiotic soul in the regiment (also a Massachusetts force) volunteers.  Its a dreadful job it seems, almost guaranteed to get you killed in that movie, but it just seems too scripted and contrived in a movie that is otherwise one of my favourites.  


My second Standard bearer is shown above, and he is carrying a white flag.  This is of course because its a cast on flag and I am having serious qualms about painting it.  More caustic members of the Petains may see it as a sign that the Parson is ready to surrender at a moments notice... time will tell. The picture also shows my "spare" Officers.  I made a decision for this campaign that I will maintain a roll of the honoured dead, and when one of my command group gets killed I will replace him with a newly appointed Officer.  


I`m interested to see if I can get through the war with the minimum of casualties. 
I also have to confess that the Confederates are only about half painted, so I`m planning to use a lot of grey undercoated figures.

In the meantime a line of 6 groups looks impressive!
The 11th Massachusetts.  58 figures.

2 comments:

  1. Most excellent, well done. But I have to say that your ambition to minimise casualties may be optimistic. My experience so far with SP2 is that they are equally bloody to version 1 if not more so. You will need those spares.

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  2. I will be bringing the 11th Massachusetts back to the UK in a few weeks, and I suspect that you are correct, reading accounts of the ACW it seems to me that casualty rates among Officers were terrible. There may be some recycling of 28mm Officer figures needed.

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