FLEET OF BATTLE - Published in WI 278

NOW AVAILABLE AS A FREE PDF (4th Sept 2011)

http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/hobby.aspx?art_id=2499

http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/hobby.aspx?art_id=2333

Prometheus (hi) has just informed me that Fleet of Battle is out in issue 278 of Wargames Illustrated. I have not seen it yet, but apparently the article comprises the rules and combat tables; the card stock and full colour ship counters will be available as a download directly from Wargames Illustrated (which should enhance production value to you at home - a scanned copy is never as good).

Fleet of Battle was developed out of Field of Battle by Brent Oman (published by Piquet Inc.). It was published in WI with Brent's kind permission. The rules are for ancient naval warfare from Salamis to Actium. They are best for the Punic, Successor and Roman Civil Wars where the quinquireme (five) was the most common 'line of battle' ship. The rules have been well received. They won the Society of Ancients, Paul Morris Memorial Prize for 'most innovative wargames rules' last year - there is even a photo of me holding the memorial axe floating around on the web somewhere.

With the rules plus download you can play without further expense. Merry Christmas!

I will be glad to support the rules with Q & A here on this blog.

conversion - arm change to below

That's better. He looks less like a toddler in a high chair throwing a paddy. Right hand binoculars, left hand microphone - or possibly lunch.

I can see the pub from 'ere!

Some time ago I came across a picture of a mobile observation tower in the Airfix guide to 8th Army in the Desert (number 20). I don't think anyone makes one in 15mm, so I had a go myself.

The tower is a little wider than the one in the picture I have (for ease of construction) and it's based on a Morris AA tractor (with the ammo boxes removed and some sides added) not the 30cwt(?) in the picture, but there is no mistaking what it is and it will make a good, and different, FOO stand.

The tower is made out of wire pins (the uprights), and thin card (red stuff) soaked with superglue. The metal bit at the top is a turret lid and this was the key to construction: I pushed 4 holes it in a 'square' pattern and glued the pins in these first, the other end of the pins were glued into holes in the resin casting - square, no-wobble solid from the start.

The figure is the upper half of a British officer and the legs of a German motorcyclist. The AA tractor and figure are FoW.

If you are wondering why they built them. The Western Desert is dead flat in most places and there are no tall buildings (not many buildings actually); if you wanted 'high ground' to observe from you had to take it with you.