Walls for Napoleonic sieges

[martin goddard]

https://www.wargamevault.com/download_preview.php?pid=513016

These are the sort of walls I am thinking of for  the Napoleonic thing.
Not specifically this company but the Vauban style.

A 2 foot section is needed. Too big for a PP resin casting.  Maybe a free card model by PP for gamers to make. That should be reasonably straight forward.
On that idea, possibly sections of 4, 6 or 8 inches.

The models would be card. That would make it very cheap, but gamers would need to actually cut it out and glue it together.

martin

[Sean Clark]

I think the card solution is ideal for most people. Those who wish to go to town a bit more could either scratch build or find a resin solution.

[Stewart 46A]

My wall is done, not as high as suggested but my little men don't like heights in case they fall and get hurt

Stewart

[John Watson]

I was thinking that you would be adopting a Peninsular War scenario, where most of the stormings seemed to take place (I could be wrong). If so, then the Vauban fortifications would be incorrect. A more Spanish style of defences would be needed such as those used in SCW or FFM. Just a thought.
Also would resin walls work as say 4 sections each 6" long.
John

[martin goddard]

Yes it is peninsular war based.
There are a mixture of defence types.
The majority are certainly Vauban. Vauban being a style, for those not into this part of warfare...yet.

The potential with resin walls is that players are often  reluctant to spend money on scenery for a once in a while type game.


http://jjwargames.blogspot.com/2022/03/vaubans-wars-wargame-rules-for-siege.html
This is interesting too.


martin

[Colonel Kilgore]

Given:
 - the rectilinear aspect to Vauban defences
 - the relatively small (?) length of wall to be involved in our action (otherwise we'll get into all the pointy-outy bits, for which we won't have room on the table);
I was wondering whether some kind of profiled timber, to which one could stick stone-effect wallpaper, might do the job?

Or something similar in polystyrene, with stones inscribed? One can only fit so many 1:100 scale stones onto a 2ft-long real world piece of polystyrene   

Simon

[martin goddard]

Good thoughts.
The walls will be mainly decorative.
There will be some cheap methods such as wood etc. as you say Simon


martin

[martin goddard]

It also depends whether only the interior face of that wall is shown or the whole depth of the wall is shown.
The full depth would look nicer but use more table space. Although that could be a useable row of the table?
The wall could have a breach in it or gate piece etc.

martin

[Colonel Kilgore]

Maybe a nice Peter Pig resin piece for the gate / breach only, allowing gamers to add their own bits to extend on either side?

And if this (extension) were just part of the inner face, it could be much simpler to scratch-build? I feel it would be a shame to sacrifice a whole row of the table for the wall.

Simon

[martin goddard]

I agree Simon.
The attackers will not all arrive through the wall end.
The wall could be an arrival area with some need to exit it via ramps or steps in specific wall squares?  Attackers might also arrive from the table sides as there is general mayhem.

martin

[martin goddard]

This is good chat that knocks ideas about a bit.  I commend it.

Maybe the wall should be a row into the table so that it can be fully modelled?
Other scenery could be houses, barricades, bombs, holes??

Victory points could include depth of occupancy, freed prisoners, captured officers.

martin

[Colonel Kilgore]

Fundamentally, is it a "grab all the loot you can, then hang around for the liberated booze" (cf. Pirates land raids) or "get in quick and escape with your ill-gotten gains" type of game, Martin (since you refer to an exit below)?

Simon

[Sean Clark]

The second one sounds akin to Vietnam.

Am I right in thinking this will be on a 3'x2' board like Pirates?

[martin goddard]

I would prefer a 3x2 so that it is easy to fill with nice scenery.  Also, it allows the players to easily reach over the whole table.

3x2 = 6 x 4 squares = 24 squares area.
The table could be 5 squares by 5 squares, which gives a nice little 2.5 by 2.5 foot table.
Longer and less deep is easier to view than narrower and deeper.

The matter of making a new cloth  needs discussion too.  However the game will dictate the table size more than players reluctance to make a new cloth.  Players who will not spend £5 on a new cloth probably have little interest in trying the game anyway?  They have their 1983 piece of felt that dictates what they can play?


martin

[Smoking gun]

You can use an existing cloth for a smaller gaming area simply by using masking tape to define the perimeter.

Best wishes,
Martin, from a small village near Grimsby.