My contact with the FPW started back in the late-70s when Heroics and Ross released their 6mm figures. I toyed with a variety of figure scales and rules over the next 25 years or so and along the way started using They Died for Glory with 15mm figures. The only real problems I had with the rules were the table size required (8'x5'), and the fixed number of figures to bases, as this was a figure removal and figures to weapon ratio game (eg when firing it is one D6 per 3 figures in the unit, rounding up or down). Not comfortable with basing my figures for just one set of rules, I settled on 3 figures to a one inch square base, giving a German battalion 6 bases and a French one four bases, using the logic that battalions usually fought understrength. Many games were fought with the French generally losing.

Then Bruce Weigle's 1870 came along, which brought my 6mm armies out of a long hibernation, and so did Piquet, which almost immediately replaced TDFG down the club. Another major change was the remodelling of the Pendraken 10mm FPW range and the 15s were sold off. Then BBB came along and at last a system was there to fight the largest FPW battles on a 6'x4' without spending weeks moving dozens upon dozens of battalions around.

[As an aside there is a 15mm Napoleonic game going on at the club currently. It's on an 8'x6' and to make a physical move of the troops would take at least 20 minutes to half-an-hour. Then of course there is the combat and morale to be carried out. I imagine this game could well be up for 6 weeks.]

BBB has given me immense fun and satisfaction over the last couple of years, but what about the game that has the small patrols clashing, or the small part of the battle that finally allows a division of the Guard with its artillery and cavalry to put in an appearance. I began to envisage playing two styles of game: the 6mm/2mm massive battle in its entirety, and the 10mm part of a large battle, the smaller battle or the clash of small groups of units. I discussed this with one of my regular opponents and his solution took me rather by surprise. Why not use They Died for Glory. It has individual battalions of varying strengths; it allows for different calibres of artillery, including siege guns; it has heavy and light cavalry, gradual destruction of buildings, the use of engineers, the application of different formations, troops are able, or forced, to go prone. I dug out my old copy and had a look. There were lots of optional rules to use for Franc Tireurs, naval troops, Prussian pioneers with explosives and so on. I also found a set of options originally published in WI which, among other things, enabled the German troops to form company and half battalion columns. Despite the depth of detail the rules mechanisms are not complex.  BUT I wouldn't want to fight Gravelotte-St Privat or Le Mans using these rules.

I now looked at my collection of figures in 10mm and started to work out how to make the rules work for me. I had already started to rebase on one inch squares, but in 10mm three, or even four figures to that size base doesn't look good. I remember having read that even though units may initially be of different sizes, they would attempt to match each others frontage, so I decided to keep the number of bases per unit recommended by the rules, but give each base a combat strength. The rules give these strengths in number of figures per base, and there are only four to remember - 5,4,3,2 . Next losses would be shown by using casualty figures on 15mm circular bases. Prone units would be indicated by a prone figure (Red Eagle) on a 15mm x 20mm base with a red P painted on it, next to the unit. Artillery supply has been shown using 15mm circular bases with a symbol painted on for shot, shell or canister. I was surprised at the Prussians getting shot until I read of the French troops who found they were under a number of Krupp rounds that did not detonate. I mark troops requiring a morale test with a small GF9 explosion token. This still left the problem of table size. The rules, as written, are specifically for 15mm figures on an 8'x5' table. However, the base frontage is 1.5", but my frontage is 1". I bought a 6'x4' mat with a 20cm grid (approx. 8") and made some measuring sticks with 18mm "inches".

While putting all this together I have been giving the rules a test with two very small forces on a 15cm grid using cms instead of inches. After 7 moves (just over one hour's play) this very small fight between two forces each of 4 line infantry, 1 light infantry, 2 cavalry and 1 battery has resulted in the French having their artillery knocked out, but a Prussian unit in the  first rout having taken a lot of chassepot fire from the chasseurs. There are also a number of prone infantry units on table waiting for an opportune moment to stand up and charge (or allow rear support to charge). The scenario is taken from Grant and Asquith's 'Scenarios for All Ages' featuring these two avant garde forces being exposed on either side of a river when early morning fog lifts.

I am also trying to post pictures again, but at this stage can just be hopeful.

Leman,
This sounds fab. Please keep me informed of your thoughts.

Attempting photo post:

Quote from: Leman on 18 February 2018, 02:07:50 PM
Attempting photo post:

Hi boss, after [IMG add width=800 then close the bracket?

WTF?    Will try again    

It's a great photo btw

Many thanks Will.

[img width=8oo]https://imgur.com/uGDj3eP[/img]

This is looking Northwest to southeast. The French cavalry are attempting to outflank the Prussian jaeger in the small wood and take the third bridge. Meanwhile, the French attempting to take the footbridge have caused some damage to the Prussian defenders, but have taken hits themselves from the Prussian artillery on the hill, causing them to need a morale test, as shown by the explosion marker. The number 4 shows the French cavalry have taken their allotted two actions. Currently I am using my 1 and 2 counters to mark one side's actions and my 3 and 4 counters to mark the other. these will be replaced by 20mm rounded edge bases painted green on one side to mar 1 and red on the other to mark 2, as in if you move twice you can't shoot and similarly if you shoot twice you can't move. combinations are allowed.

The earlier photo, Southwest to Northeast shows the firefight to control the bridge in the village.The Prussian artillery are in a dominant position on the hill and there is a firefight for the wooden footbridge.In the distance to the south of the village is the routing/rallying first Prussian unit to break. They can re-enter the fray if they link up on the baseline with any other Prussian infantry reduced to at least 75%, but the new unit will have its morale value reduced from 6 to 4. 

Oh dear, computers do make me feel a bit of a failure at times. Clearly still not doing something right.




Finally, after several goes at modify I realised I also had to get rid of some other brackets that were superfluous. Just hope I can remember how to do this for the future 

Enjoyed your thoughts on rules and how you adapt your basing scheme (I use 1" squares as well).
I am particularly glad to see your photos again. Bravo!

I had a bit of a hiatus with Imgur, since when they have slightly changed things so that two more sets of [Img] appear, and it would seem that to post successfully these outer two must be removed and the width=800 must then be added to the remaining first bracket. One would think that there must surely be a much more straightforward way of doing things. It's almost as if barriers to posting are being deliberately set.

Nice piccie Leman

Good photos, Andy. 

Quote from: Leman on 18 February 2018, 01:46:24 PM

The rules, as written, are specifically for 15mm figures on an 8'x5' table. However, the base frontage is 1.5", but my frontage is 1". I bought a 6'x4' mat with a 20cm grid (approx. 8") and made some measuring sticks with 18mm "inches".

Incidentally, I use 1" square bases too (for both my 10mm and 15mm units), and having a 6' x 3' dining table, I've also resorted to making my own custom made measuring sticks (after considering 8/12ths and 3/4 inch "inches" I finally settled for 20mm "inches") to play Field of Battle, which as you know is written for 28mm figures using imperial measurements and a standard base frontage of 1.5." 

Yes indeed. I shall be using my 20cm gridded cloth and 18mm rulers to play FOB2. On consideration I may well use numbered discs with one cartoon disc on top to show ammo supply in TDFG, otherwise I would have to have 40 shot discs just for the artillery of one Prussian division.

Nice piccy !

Cheers - Phil