Grey painted undercoated merchant shipping with matchstick funnels where needed. Simple bases need painting.
I am not by nature a naval gamer. Some of my school friends were but it didn’t immediately ring any bells for me as someone who likes Simple 1:1 figure gaming, none of this 1 figure equals so many men. You could argue even more so, that one ship represents even more men.
Buying HMS Flying Tiger eraser battleships as recruits for a Pound store navy?
Hello I'm Mark Mr MIN, Man of TIN. Based in S.W. Britain, I'm a lifelong collector of "tiny men" and old toy soldiers, whether tin, lead or childhood vintage 1960s and 1970s plastic figures.
I randomly collect all scales and periods and "imagi-nations" as well as lead civilians, farm and zoo animals. I enjoy the paint possibilities of cheap poundstore plastic figures as much as the patina of vintage metal figures.
Befuddled by the maths of complex boardgames and wargames, I prefer the small scale skirmish simplicity of very early Donald Featherstone rules.
To relax, I usually play solo games, often using hex boards. Gaming takes second place to making or convert my own gaming figures from polymer clay (Fimo), home-cast metal figures of many scales or plastic paint conversions. I also collect and game with vintage Peter Laing 15mm metal figures, wishing like many others that I had bought more in the 1980s ...
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16 thoughts on “Dipping my Little Toe in the Big Ocean of Naval Wargaming?”
Have you seen Gridded Naval wargaming by Bob Cordery? Available from Lulu and several AAR’s of it around the internet.
I got Featherstone’s Naval Wargaming from the library about 1973 and didn’t touch wargaming again until 2015. I vaguely remember that it was as dry as dust.
Thanks Nobby for the tip, I think this new Naval book by Bob Cordery may be the book of choice. Think I will be heading to Lulu soon.
To be put off the subject for 42 years by one Featherstone book – that must be some kind of a record!
There were a lot of other hobbies fitted into that 42 years, few as expensive as the blind alleys that I have wandered up in wargaming, but now that I have started and settled on skirmish games on a relatively small board one of your blog posts got me started on DF’s Close Wars. Only tried once as yet but it slots in nicely with small actions before bigger ones with One Hour Wargames or Bob Cordery rules.
So, thanks for the blogposts.
Enjoy DF’s Close Wars rules – I think it’s good to go back to simple from time to time.
Ah, all those expensive blind alleys, expensive in time as well as money. We’ve all been there!
I am presently experimenting with Featherstone’s 1875-period naval rules, using paper minis from Junior General. They are actually by Walter Gurney Greene. They work fairly well thus far and the ships can be “designed” easily.
Thanks Jennifer – Junior General is a great site for inexpensively testing stuff out. Thanks for the Featherstone rules pointer, his Naval Wargames Book seems to be a real collaborative effort.
Here’s a third vote for Bob’s rules–to me it seems a person just can’t go wrong relying on Bob’s energy, clarity of thought, and great presentation.
The painted ships look great. I’m not sure what scale will work with them, though. 1/2400 models are reasonably affordable, but I’m sure are too small. 1/1200 may be too small as well, and their cost can be prohibitive, unless you can find the plastic models produced by a number of Japanese firms. (Unfortunately, relatively few non-Japanese vessels were available the last time I looked.). Also, the style for both scales is very different from what you have. Scratch-built may be the way to go, but the amount of work involved seems daunting.
So, having been incredibly helpful, I must wish you well!
Man of Tin blog 
Have you seen Gridded Naval wargaming by Bob Cordery? Available from Lulu and several AAR’s of it around the internet.
I got Featherstone’s Naval Wargaming from the library about 1973 and didn’t touch wargaming again until 2015. I vaguely remember that it was as dry as dust.
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Thanks Nobby for the tip, I think this new Naval book by Bob Cordery may be the book of choice. Think I will be heading to Lulu soon.
To be put off the subject for 42 years by one Featherstone book – that must be some kind of a record!
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I’ve tried Bob’s naval rules; they are available free thru his website. Very simple but workable.
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There were a lot of other hobbies fitted into that 42 years, few as expensive as the blind alleys that I have wandered up in wargaming, but now that I have started and settled on skirmish games on a relatively small board one of your blog posts got me started on DF’s Close Wars. Only tried once as yet but it slots in nicely with small actions before bigger ones with One Hour Wargames or Bob Cordery rules.
So, thanks for the blogposts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enjoy DF’s Close Wars rules – I think it’s good to go back to simple from time to time.
Ah, all those expensive blind alleys, expensive in time as well as money. We’ve all been there!
LikeLike
I am presently experimenting with Featherstone’s 1875-period naval rules, using paper minis from Junior General. They are actually by Walter Gurney Greene. They work fairly well thus far and the ships can be “designed” easily.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jennifer – Junior General is a great site for inexpensively testing stuff out. Thanks for the Featherstone rules pointer, his Naval Wargames Book seems to be a real collaborative effort.
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You beat me to it Nobby , l was going to suggest Bobs rules. I have a copy and it is excellent.
Alan
P.s thanks for the boar rules most interesting
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That’s two recommendations for Bob’s rules. Thanks Alan.
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Nice job, Mark.
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Here’s a third vote for Bob’s rules–to me it seems a person just can’t go wrong relying on Bob’s energy, clarity of thought, and great presentation.
The painted ships look great. I’m not sure what scale will work with them, though. 1/2400 models are reasonably affordable, but I’m sure are too small. 1/1200 may be too small as well, and their cost can be prohibitive, unless you can find the plastic models produced by a number of Japanese firms. (Unfortunately, relatively few non-Japanese vessels were available the last time I looked.). Also, the style for both scales is very different from what you have. Scratch-built may be the way to go, but the amount of work involved seems daunting.
So, having been incredibly helpful, I must wish you well!
Chris
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Thanks, Chris, that is incredibly helpful!
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Those ships have painted up very well Mark. As all the above I would try Bob’s rules first.
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Thanks, MJT, that is another vote for Bob Cordery!
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Naval Wargames by Barry Carter:
https://books.google.ca/books/about/Barry_Carter_s_Naval_War_Games_Naval_War.html?id=Fb24DAEACAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y
Try abebooks for a cheap used copy.
Very good rules for a gridded sea.
Fun.
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Doug, Thanks for the tip off.
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