- Steve Jones' 'Napoleonic Squares' rules are a possibility. I have read through them several times and I like them. No physical marked grid is required and they are specific 6mm rules. By using 4 of my small 'battalion' bases together to represent the larger formations I could make this work.
- I could return to experimenting with playing C&C games on a conventional table using Distance Units instead of hexes. It does work, but it's not true C&C of course and you have to get the hex grid somehow to the back of the mind when playing that way. There were issues with things like leader retreats and movement paths etc, but the basic mechanics of the rules can still work well in a more conventional manner. The upside is of course being able to play on a fully textured table with each of my little bases representing one block. This is very much on my mind right now!
- I could try more rule sets. I have looked at Polemos, I own a set of the rules and they seem very popular, but I'm just not sure about them. There are of course many others out there and I have been following Steve as he seeks to find a set that will give him the type of game he's looking for, I fully identify with his frustrations because that's exactly where I was before being introduced to C&C Napoleonics and I'd rather not go back there again.
This weekend I'm going to set up and play another experimental non hex C&C game in order to test a few more theories. It will be a small affair using larger units (3 to 5 'blocks' as required) on a simple terrain board with just 3 small hills (non hex), a village, woods and a river. I'll be using my trusty old DU stick which is marked out in 80mm sections. As previously each DU represents a hex, so for example line infantry move 1 DU, lights 2 DU's or 1 and battle, musket range is 2 DU's, rifles 3 DU's etc. When units move within 1 DU of each other they melee etc, and flags cause retreats of 1 to 3 DU's back towards the players own table edge etc. Units and leaders count as support when within 1 DU etc. By keeping in mind that 80mm DU as a sort of virtual grid the game plays pretty well as I hope to demonstrate to myself this weekend.
Why would I bother some might well ask, why not just play C&C on the game board or the old hex table? The answer is probably that I'm now so familiar with the mechanics of the game, which I think are simply excellent, that I want to stick with them if I can. I also want to be able to play using much larger units, as I feel this is the whole point of 6mm armies, and a solid block of 80 infantry figures (4 of my battalion bases) looks so much more convincing as representing higher formations. I placed a '4 block' unit of French light cavalry on a non hex hill for a quick photo, 56 figures, and as you can see it's pretty impressive!
Meantime I'm still happy playing out quick set up solo games on the supplied board, which I love, and have no intention of giving this up, but there is no doubting the visual impact of the larger formations.
I'll report back on the experimental game after the weekend, I intend to run through all of the features of conventional C&C including squares, combined arms, leader casualty checks, retreats etc to see how they work.
Beyond this I plan to update both the gallery page and the 'guide' page with the new basing style using the Baccus kit, which I feel is a big improvement, and a new painting guide reflecting my latest methods which includes improved face painting technique for these tiny figures, the detail is there to be picked out and a simple flesh 'blob' is no longer adequate! I'll also discuss brushes and illustrate my method for 'steadying' tiny fine strokes and some ideas on how best to work with paint that skins over fast such as whites and blacks, some of which hopefully might prove useful to other 6mm painters.
First Russians will also follow shortly.
