Packing my snowball teams of Lemax snowballer 54mm figures (including two mystery teams not made by Lemax) and Christmas village snow terrain ready for the Woking 54mm Games Day this Saturday March 4th 2023.
March 4th is also celebrated by some around the world as Toy Soldier Day … and Marching Band Day!
A repost of a December 2019 “clearing the drafts” blogpost about Escape from Kraznir that I reread recently as I try to work out more RPG / narrative and fantasy elements into my Scouting Wide Games Project:
August 2022 Update: New Post with the original Kraznir scenario and map which I have crudely denamed, the characters made gender neutral and differently classed or with more generic, updated character types to suit a wider range of periods:
I wondered whether Kate Bush’s music – most obviously in the track Hounds Of Love 1985 album (which featured her Running Up That Hill song used in Series IV volume 1 – had an unconscious influence on Stranger Things?
What about her Experiment IV song and her 1986 video (from her 1986 Greatest Hits album The Whole Story?)
Did this make it big enough Stateside for the Duffer brothers to have seen or heard this?
Every Reference? Experiment IV or Cloudbusting clearly wasn’t mentioned in this Wired channel Youtube interview with Stranger Things creators The Duffer brothers 🙂
I do not own copyright to these images – copyright Kate Bush- All screenshots for discussion / research purposes only.
A very 1981 Raiders of The Lost Ark ending angel or demon summoned by Experiment IV?
The good old Stranger Things nosebleed motif in Experiment IV ?
The unmarked white Government transit van …
Unlikely but Experiment IV and Stranger Things are both clearly the product of the nuclear 80s Cold War, as is her track and video for Cloudbusting.
Isn’t that device being pushed up the hill by Kate Bush and Professor Donald Sutherland a little like DustinHenderson’s amazing ham radio antenna in Stranger Things Series 3 Episode 1 “Suzie, do you copy?” and the Never Ending Story theme song duet (funny bit) of Series 3 Episode 8: Battle Of StarCourt Mall?
Cloudbusting video still: Donald Sutherland and Kate Bush
As I don’t have the tech skills to film and cut one Kate Bush video to the tune of another song (the Stranger Things soundtrack), instead you can get the effect by watching the official Kate Bush music video of Experiment IV or Cloud Busting with the sound down and the Stranger Things theme music playing from another device.
Richard Vernon, Dawn French, Hugh Laurie – in the British Experiment IV Hawkins Lab?
Insert cameos of famous 80s actors in both Stranger Things or Experiment IV and Cloudbusting. Light the blue touch paper and retire. Do not return …
Peter Vaughan cameo as General with Kate Bush
Somebody has already done 4 his in reverse, cut some Hawkins Lab Stranger Things series 4 scenes (Beware Spoilers! Beware fake blood and gore! etc.) to this Kate Bush music track of Experiment IV – https://youtu.be/NDhdaCFRfGc
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So when speculating as I have done recently why Stranger Things or The X Files couldn’t have been set in Britain or deepest darkest South West, or what its 70s 80s based British TV equivalent would be –
Grange Hill with Monsters meets the troubling and disturbing Rentaghost and Pipkins –
I can now add to this mix Kate Bush Experiment IV and Cloudbusting video along with the earth based Pertwee 1970s Doctor Who Series.
How this mistrust of government (mis)”guided by the science” and other pulp themes will influence my gaming, who knows?
My previous posts on gaming scenarios and Stranger Things:
The Lost Snow Patrol Defrosted – early Girl Scouts versus Mutant Snowmen c. 1909 / 1910
The frozen North, 1909/1910 somewhere in Britain or Europe.
The mystery of a missing Boy Scout patrol. A Girl Scout patrol caught in a snow blizzard up in the hill forests. Lashings of hot chocolate, quarter staff fighting, fire arrows and some carrots …
Scouting Wide Games in Art, on Postcards and in Role Playing Games
Happy Father’s Day to all!
My late Dad was an (Assistant) Scoutmaster for many years, who enjoyed Wide Games as a wartime child and as a Boy Scout, so I think he would appreciate this post.
Here below are a collection of links to some of my recent posts on interesting scouting paintings and postcard images, along with RPG elements, which have provided me with inspiration for gaming scenarios for my Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop Project.
The Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop Project started out in 2019 as a simple page and posts on this Man of TIN blog but has since grown to become an entirely separate blog.
Here for Man Of TIN blog (and Man of TIN Blog Two) readers are these links as a quick update on this ongoing tabletop gaming project.
Postcards
I own so far only a couple of these curious silent film type Davidson Brothers postcards (above) and have found more images online. I hope to acquire some more affordable examples over time:
I have also enjoyed finding some fantastic scouting paintings such as ‘The Wide Game‘ by George Hillyard Swinstead from the Scouts Heritage Service online via Art UK:
All good inspiration for my Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop Project.
Role Playing Game Characters and Badge Skills
With the help of Alan (Duchy Of Tradgardland) Gruber, I am thinking through how to add a Role Playing Game RPG / NPC elements of character ability (and badge skills) to the simple Wide Games and snowball fight rules.
My D&D / Stranger Things related blog post introduces this topic:
It could be The Shire, the Upside Down or a D&D scenario map? Your local woods transformed with The Cloak of Romance and a suitable Wide Games gaming scenario and imagination …
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Scouting Wide Games – for Girls?
Along with uniform research for figure conversions on early Scout uniform and that of other youth movements such as Camp Fire Girls USA and British Camp Fire Girls, each having their own page on the blog.
The little known British version of the American Camp Fire Girls (1925 British handbook photo)
Another enjoyable research ‘rabbit hole’ for my Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop Project, in hobby terms let’s call it obscure uniform research and gaming scenarios for my DMZ demilitarised Project:
Crossposted from my Tabletop Scouting Wide Games Blog:
This will eventually make it onto the tabletop or garden in the form of gaming figure conversions to match my Girl Scouts, Guides, Boy Scouts Figures.
Blog crossposted by Mark Man Of TIN, 1970s Cub Scout (Bronze Arrow, retired) on 23 April 2022 – Shakespeare’s Birthday and St George’s Day. Be nice to Dragons!
It’s behind you! I liked The Borrowers style scale disparity in this photo as ‘Mulder’ and ‘Scully’ of The X Files investigate the giant children terrorising the (Babbacombe) Model Village in Devon, Southwest UK.
I have always said The X Files should have been set in the slightly weird, folkloric and legendary southwest of Britain.
Or set it back in the Bronte period, tracking down the godly, the ungodly and the Gothic … although arguably Jane Austen’s Pride, Prejudice and Zombies got there already?
Seven series of The X Files watched over the last few months, over a 160+ episodes down and I still have four more series to go to the finishline of 218 episodes and a couple of feature films. (Maybe I should have gone for charity sponsorship …)
It might explain why I am not painting figures or blogposting every spare hour of leisure daylight. Like our hobby itself as observed by someone in Facebook forum, it is all “Time Well Wasted“.
Others? If I had been very well organised, I should have kept an “ideas from idle viewing” gaming scenarios logbook. I didn’t. It’s all those “To Be Continued” episode cliffhangers. I can always look back through the Wiki lists of episodes to remind me.
Any Toy Soldiers in the X Files?
Lots of Army, Air Force, police and shadowy government figures in this series. And some toy soldiers …
Toy soldiers turn up only once (so far) during an early 1995 X Files episode The Walk about dead or badly wounded US soldiers from the recent Kuwait or First Gulf War (The X Files Season 3, Episode 7 ‘The Walk’).
Poor young Trevor, the US Army General’s son, ends up buried in the sand by a sand pit monster version of the phantom warrior. There is obviously some ‘meaningful’ sandpit / toy soldiers / Desert Storm / Desert Warriors symbolic echoes going on as well. http://www.thexfiles.com/episodes/season3/3×07.html
Play indoors. Don’t play in the sandpit, Trevor! (BRENNAN KOTOWICH as Trevor Callahan)
A broken axle fixing, Captain Snortt of the Yestershires and Miss MacGuffin …
Scenario Map – Gridded into four by four
The Forests of North Gondal, 1870. A stranded wagon, its wheel off and axle broken. Awaiting rescue and surrounded, the small group of defenders listen to their Captain.
Captain Snortt of the Yestershires is busy briefing his Redcoats, drawing lines in the surface of the Forest Road with his swordpoint.
The Forest Road is a glorified name for a track to the Forest Fort and old Trading Post Fort MacGuffin to the North. Its edges were cleared of timber to make the Fort itself and also make it easier to spot an ambush.
Invading and clearing their sacred forests and hunting grounds had caused tension with the usually peaceful Forest Indians who over the years had traded and stolen many Redcoat muskets and rifles.
Snortt: “We can expect reinforcements to march from the Fort to the North here, unless Ambushed en route. Forest Indians may well appear from here and here to the East, as well as travelling in from the West. We will keep a sentry posted in cover at each point of the compass.”
Snortt: “On first sight of the enemy, fire when you sight them. Whilst it will reveal your location, we need to keep them at a distance and away from accurately counting our numbers. We need to keep them at long range and stop them from closing in too quickly. They will be sounding us out. We need to give them an idea that we have troops all around the perimeter.”
“Only when they are too close and you are likely to be surrounded, may you fall back towards the wagon using what cover you can.”
Snortt: “Meanwhile, Private Fuller and you Miss MacGuffin will remain with the wagon and try to fix the axle and wheel whilst we wait for the repair team and reinforcements from the fort. Miss MacGuffin has also volunteered along with myself to make sure you have enough ammunition.”
“We also have taken off the Wagon two small barrels of gunpowder supplied for the Fort’s cannons that we can explode if we need.”
“Good luck, Men. To your posts. You too, Miss MacGuffin.”
Snortt saluted Major MacGuffin’s daughter and hurried off to post his few men at compass points around the Wagon.
Thus began the desperate situation of the Yestershire Regiment’s daily supply column to Fort MacGuffin, broken down with a damaged wheel and axle, stranded at the plank bridge. The Forest Indian Drums have been heard and glimpses of movement amongst the trees.
Addressing his Braves and Hunting Parties – Forest Indian Chief Old Wooden Legs
A big 54mm game in a small space.
Post 2: The Skirmish
Forest Indian Chief Old Wooden Legs spoke to his assembled braves, now arriving in the grove, from hunting parties across their forest.
Translation of Old Wooden Legs’ words: “I will split you into three groups, one to travel north and circle round to delay any reinforcements and appear to the North and the West side.
“The other two hunting parties will split up and approach through the trees and stream valley to their East.”
“We will raid their supplies, take civilian hostages to barter with the Redcoats and make the Forest Fort Warriors fearful of their supply wagons being attacked again.”
“They rely too much on their slow beast of two wheels, rather than hunting the swift beasts on four legs. The Redcoats are foolish and have not learned to live off the land as we can without destroying it.”
“When they see we can strike without warning and melt away again into the trees like spirits of the mist, maybe then they will become fearful and wise enough to leave our Forests in peace and return to their own places.”
“To your places and may the hunting go well with you!”
The Forest Indians disappeared back into the forest.
Pre-dice roll depositions
2xD6 thrown to decide when the Forest Fort reinforcements will arrive from the North forest road. On Turn 6, Snortt’s reinforcements will arrive on foot at the northern baseline at 4A.
The Forest Indians do not know how many soldiers there are with the wagon or how many will be sent to rescue them.
Snortt did not send the Major’s daughter back to the safety of the Fort on horseback as he did not know if his rider will got through with the message until he hears two of the Forest Fort guns fired in recognition. The Forest Indians will also have heard this sound echoing down the valley.
The Relief Party is setting out on foot. There is a shortage of horses and pack animals in general in Gondal in 1870 due to the ‘Tropical Yorkshire’ North Pacific climate and the horse sickness, horses not being native to the island or the four kingdoms of Gondal. The Forest Indians have become adept at stealing and hiding those horses that are imported and bred.
D6 are thrown for letter and number coordinates on the map
Forest Indian Hunting Party 1 starts out from map point D1 on Turn 1.
Hunting Party 2 from map point D4, starting out on Turn 6.
Hunting Party 3 from map point 4C starting out on Turn 10.
Wheel takes 1xd6 turns to repair once the Engineer arrives, in this case six turns.
D6 to decide if the Redcoat Relief Party appearing at Turn 6 is in one or two groups and how many turns apart. D6 1,3, 5 Apart or d6 2,4,6 Together. Dice roll says – They will arrive together.
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Close Little Wars Rules tweak 1
Playing on a small corner table 2 foot by 4 foot meant that the generous Wells and Featherstone movement rates of 9 to 12 inches were too big and the game would come to blows too fast. This is stealthy forest movement in cluttered terrain of logs and hills, marsh and swamp. I simply cut movement rates and terrain modifiers in half but kept all weapons ranges the same. The effect is of halving each turn into two turns to reflect short skirmish times.
Going up hills, across streams and marshes really does cut into rapid movement.
Firing from cover or sometimes blindly at cover in confined spaces and cluttered terrain of Bold Frontiers trees, hills and streams requires the dice modifiers of casualty savings throws and extras for cover or no cover. Bullets and arrows get blocked by trees and rocks.
If firer is undercover and target in open, 5 or 6 scores a hit.
Casualty Savings Throws if hit
4, 5,6 – slightly / not wounded, carries on
3, 4, 5, 6 – If target undercover, slightly / not wounded, carries on.
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Turn 1 and Turn 2
Close Wars rules. IGOYUGO. Dice thrown for A who moves first, sort out melee, B who moves second, sort out melee, A shoots first, B shoots second. End of Turn.
Redcoats assume their compass positions in cover around the wagon as centre. Sentries at N, NW, E, SE, S, SW and W.
Forest Indian Hunting Party move off from D1 towards wooded hill at B1 /C1.
No shooting – none within range.
Edited and coloured maps to show Redcoat sentry and Hunting Party movements
Turn 3
First firing by Redcoat sentries to East of wagon – several hits on Forest Indians along the stream bed B3/C3. One killed, others saved by casualty savings throws.
Turn 4
Further exchanges of fire between both sides sees another Forest Indian killed by the stream.
Turn 4 and two Forest Indians from Hunting Party 1 have fallen
Turn 4
Position of Indians on Wooded Hill revealed when firing at the Redcoat sentries SE.
Turn 5
Both parts of Hunting Party 1 are now moving in from the stream bed and downhill from the wooded hill, firing on the Redcoat sentries at E and SE positions. The Redcoat sentry at East by the stream is killed. Third Indian in the stream bed area is killed by Redcoat fire.
However three Forest Indians are closing in on the wagon, close to sentry posts around the E and SE positions.
Aware of the risk, Captain Snortt and Miss MacGuffin draw rifles from the wagon and stand behind it, ready to see off any marauding Forest Indians from raiding the supplies and taking Miss MacGuffin hostage.
Turn 6
Relief party of the Yestershires sighted in the distance on the road coming up the hill.
However the immediate threat remains the three Forest Indians getting close to the wagon. Two Indians engage the Redcoat sentry at SE (the Redcoat with the turban) in Melee.
Point markers for duelling from the old Heroscape Game.
The Hunting Party moves in on the wagon – Miss MacGuffin and Captain Snortt unpack rifles.
Redcoat sentries to the southeast engage in hand to hand duelling with rifles and bayonets. Three life points given to each, attacker is the Indian. Card each detailing at random which blows and blocking blows are dealt are hit points removed. The Redcoat Sentry at SE sees off first one Indian, then the second Indian closes in.
Melee Duel 2 – cards reset, melee begins and one of the random cards sees the second Forest Indian retreat, his weapon broken.
A lucky escape for the Indian – retreat with a damaged weapon. Chief Old Wooden Legs keeps watch.
Over the next few turns, the retreating Indian heads back up the wooded hill for safety to join Chief Old Wooden Legs, where he looks to pick up a spare musket or rifle from one of his fallen comrades.
The sentry due south on the road rushes over to cover the fallen E. sentry and is brought down by the Indian archer.
However Captain Snortt and Miss MacGuffin steady their rifles from behind the wagon and aim at the archer. He is brought down by Captain Snortt’s first shot, removing the nearest threat to the wagon and its defenders.
Turn 7
The Redcoat Relief Party of the Yestershires passes the Fallen Tree across the road. The black helmeted section spread out into the trees, whilst the white helmeted section head up the road to surround the wagon. Amongst them you can glimpse the Fort Engineer in his bush hat, ready to fix the wagon axle and wheel over the next six turns.
The Forest Indian Hunting Party 2, who set off at Turn 6, continue up the stream valley closer into range. They are now outnumbered by the Relief Party.
Redcoat reinforcements fan out into the perimeter tree cover
Turn 8
The Forest Indian Hunting Party 2 in the stream bed fire at the Redcoat sentries at long range but fail to kill one. Fire is returned and two further Indians are brought down.
The chief Old Wooden Legs notices that his forces are now down close to half strength, even with the third Hunting Party due to appear at Turn 10. Should he call them and recall them to fight another day?
Turn 9
A further exchange of fire between the remaining Indians on the Stream valley, including a Redcoat grenade being thrown. There was one further Indian dead, with no further Redcoat casualties, once casualty savings throws and being undercover taken into consideration.
The Redcoat Relief Party and Fort Engineer cross the bridge and begin work on repairing the wheel.
Unwisely the second Native Hunting Party moves forward as the Relief Redcoats spread into cover.
Turn 10
The Indian Chief calls to the Hunting Party 2 and 3 to retreat as they are now past 50% casualties and outnumbered.
The Redcoats fire upon these retreating Indians in the stream valley and bring down these three Indian. The battle is over – for now.
Valhalla – the lost warriors from both sides, two Redcoats and eleven Forest Indians from two Hunting Parties.
The shadowy stream valley of death …
Whilst the wagon is repaired, the Redcoat reinforcements keep watch on the trees, quickly bury the native dead and recover the native rifles.
Eagle’s Eye View of the stream valley
Turn 10 – the skirmish is over.
Turn 11 onwards.
The Forest Indians regroup further in the woods. Snortt keeps his sentries posted watching for further attacks.
Will there be another attack from different directions?
Snortt keeps his troops quiet and watchful. It’s not over yet until they reach the Fort.
He thinks – There are no signal drums.
The forest sounds of trees and birdsong return amongst the sound of the wheel and axle being fixed.
They know we are still stranded. The Forest Indians will be watching and listening. The Forest is always full of eyes and ears.
Will they face further ambush and sniping on the road ahead?
By Turn 15 the wagon axle and wheel is fixed by the Fort Engineer. The horseman has returned. The wagon is restacked with its barrels, hitched up and sets off for the Fort, screened by its Relief Party.
The wagon finally leaves carrying supplies and the two fallen Redcoats for burial back at Fort MacGuffin.
A lone brave keeps watch on the Redcoats and repaired supply wagon as they leave.
The Chief recalls his remaining Warriors. They will return to retrieve their dead warriors after dark.
Later that evening
Back at Fort MacGuffin as he writes his report by oil lamp for Headquarters, Snortt reflects on the day and how things went.
From this – the stranded wagon and brave cool Miss MacGuffin …
Captain Snortt and the Major’s daughter Miss MacGuffin as ASC Private Fuller helps the Fort Engineer mend the wheel
To this – Relief or Rescue – and the wagon fixed, his young passenger safe with only two privates dead. Things could have been very different.
Miss Macguffin’s secret weapon … whilst her Guard dog Patch hopes Snortt has biscuits or a ball.
A Captain may dream of promotion – and other things …
The End?
I have a feeling we have not heard the end of Captain Snortt of the Yestershires, Miss MacGuffin and the aggrieved Forest Indians of Gondal led by Chief Old Wooden Legs.
The Forest returns to quietness and wild animals – for now.
Eagle-eyed readers may have spotted that I have painted in the top of the shorter flat tree markers with green and white Acrylic paint, as they show when photographed from above.
Close Little Wars Scenario Post-mortem – initial thoughts
War Games 1962 – Donald Featherstone – Close Wars appendix
Playing solo, I had to work hard not to have favourites. I wanted both sides to succeed in their aims. If in doubt, a dice decided.
The opening turns for the Redcoats were those of stand and wait in cover until first contact and melee, but playing as solo player and umpire, I had to assume for the storyline that the Redcoats could be attacked from any angle and Snortt could not weaken any one side.
The presence of the delayed third Hunting Party who could loopin at the top North and attack from the NW or NE or engage the Relief column had to be borne in mind by Snortt.
Had the outcome of the dice throw for the arrival of the Relief Party been different, say for example Turn 6 plus 1d6, the game could have had a very different outcome.
Blending in Featherstone’s Ancient weapons and ACW weapons rules
Firing through cover and related savings throws had a big influence on the events. Strength of numbers and some lucky dice throws (or excellent shooting) made things easier for the Redcoats.
Melee reference page in my notes
Melee – Duelling by cards – made it feel in places like a skirmish game.
I wish I had taken time to name the initial Redcoats and Forest Indian Hunting Parties, instead of talking about the SE or NW Sentry.
The lumps and bumps of the cluttered terrain of Bold Frontiers trees, book hills and felt streams (with attendant movement modifiers) works well for me. It slows down movement as it would in real life and provides a longer lasting target for concealed riflemen.
Judging Line of Sight (LOS) from the character’s eyeline in cluttered forest was tricky. I used a small mirror from a Christmas cracker to help me see what they could see.
Using a 12 inch ruler in cluttered forest terrain was tricky at times. A ruler half that size would help.
50% loss of strength as part of the Victory Conditions governed the retreat by Forest Indians.
Two useful Featherstone quotes from War Games 1962 in my scrapbook
An enjoyable and fulfilling solo skirmish game ImagiNations scenario of which I feel we have not heard the end.
I hope you have enjoyed the game, the terrain and the build up. I look forward to hearing reader’s thoughts and reflections.
Captain Snortt and the Major’s daughter Miss MacGuffin as ASC Private Fuller helps the Fort Engineer mend the wheel
Man of Tin blog 