New Osprey Book

I just noticed this upcoming book from Osprey: Ottoman Infantryman 1914-1918

Hopefully it will contain some useful information and answer some questions we probably all still have. I believe it is due out in February.

Update...

So I have now finished (other than sealing the last 4 figs and flocking the bases) my 20 figure regiment of U.S. Volunteer Infantry. They even have flags attached! It's my first time mounting banners so things didn't go perfectly, but all in all (with some advice from members of the club) they look good. I'll take a photo and post it soon. But what to do next? I've got another command stand ready to be primed for my next regiment. Should I take that on? It took me just over two months to paint this regiment and I have other projects waiting...
I'll probably at least start the next regiment (Crusader Miniatures ACW Frock Coat figures).

I'm planning on running a WWI game in March or April, so this will probably effect what I choose to paint. I have a lot of "half painted" WWI figures waiting: a Sikh 2.75" Mountain Gun crew (the gun is painted), a section of Sharifian Regulars, a section of KAR, some Asienkorps are all in various states of being painted. The Sikhs are probably the most likely to get painted. Now the real question becomes what to run? Arab revolt? 1917 Palestine? 1914-1915 Mesopotamia?
We will see...

Flag furrows, etc...

This weekend I participated in a 15mm Johnny Reb II game. I usually don't show up for these games since they are usually very well attended but since I'm on a little ACW kick I went anyway. I had a good time and initially did very well, driving the confederates before me by breaking their left flank. The rebels then shifted many units to support this flank, and though, at games end, I still held my objectives, almost all my regiments were in rout. I'm not sure who the winner was officially, but it's strange how one bad deployment at set up (allowing a limbered btty of napoleons to be wiped out by enemy artillery fire) , probably put me in this position.

JRII is fun, and of the rules I've read or played thus far, it has the most "authentic" feel on a tactical level. But it is overly detailed (as befits a 1980s era rule-set) and not the fastest. I also feel that it's age really shows when it comes to Command and Control rules (and let's face it, in the Civil War poor generalship was probably the most important single factor in many battles) . I still would choose to play Guns at Gettysburg in 28mm if I was playing a regimental scale game. I feel that RFCM's Civil War Battles (which I have not actually played) probably sets the stage best and implements the various external factors that are critical in properly simulating any "political war". I know I am in the minority, but I think that players are best served by having to try and fulfill conditions imposed by some unseen "higher level commander". It often makes play more unpredictable and bloody.

I got some really beautiful GMB 28mm ACW flags from Jim this weekend, and found that the flagpoles I had already mounted my flag bearers with are too short. I used an existing set of Body's Banners to set the proportions, but these are noticably smaller than the GMB flags. Now I will have to dismount the flagpoles, from painted figures and start over, probably necessitating some touch=up paint work. Oh well. The ACW regiment is within a couple hours painting time of being completely painted. We'll see when I can squeeze that time in.

Update: Early January 2010

Almost there with my Regiment of Hardee Hat wearin' Union boys. Painted the command stand over the New Years Holiday which leaves one stand of Infantry left to do. The flags we ordered at the club were all "back-ordered" so I guess when I finish painting the unit I'll post a photo sans-banners.

Just received the U.S. Army War College guide to the Atlanta Campaign (Rocky Face Ridge to Kenesaw) yesterday. It will supplement my reading of Decision in the West (though I'm just finishing the Kenesaw Mountain part so...) I have read the Chickamauga guide before and have the Shiloh Guide. Very interesting because the text is all orders and dispatches written during the battles by commanders from Army to Brigade level.

I am very excited about two forthcoming Boardgame releases from Victory Point Games: the Trenches of Valor expansion, which will include a new map, new scenarios as well as leaders and new support units. Also they are developing a miniatures-style boardgame called the Tattered Flags (Regimental scale, Wheatfield at Gettysburg) which I can't wait for.