Field Days - enhanced Battalion rules for Funny Little Wars

Warning!  This post includes non 54mm toy soldiers

Here at FLW HQ - central - it is very hot!  

When writing Funny Little Wars, the aim was to keep the spirit of the Wellsian original, but add some tweaks to make it more playable.  HG had alluded to these ideas at the end of Little Wars and these featured in Garden Campaigns.  

I have been thinking about how the rules could be more nuanced for a smaller game - in which less toy soldiers are deployed, but an extra level of complexity is added.  But, not too much complexity ...

At the heart of FLW are the volunteer soldiers of the pre 1914 world - and these units would exercise every year in 'Field Days' to test out their military skills - especially marksmanship and fire and manoeuvre.  Can we replicate these exercises in a game?

The answer has been to hold some Field Days here - which in 1913 were played from the Australian deserts, to Salisbury Plain to Ontario.  Army Red and Blue are the teams, but Army Brown and White also appear in the real war games of the era, and Southland and Northland.

The first playtest is being played with 1" figures, which HG suggested were permissible for an indoor Kriegsspiel - please see Garden Campaigns.  

Attacking - Red/Infantry

1 x Battalion - 

Defending - Red/ Light Horse - dug in.

1 x Company - 

To date, the defenders have won three - nil.  The attacking battalion C/O and RSM have to choose where to place themselves.  It's tricky ...

I also think there should be Bugle calls in FLW.  This is a challenge.

And here is the real thing...

and to reassure everyone in toy soldier land, some proper scale miniatures kept an eye on the proceedings, which will move outdoors at the next opportunity.

 

Field Days - a Sunday afternoon manoeuvre

 The militia forces finally have the opportunity of a run out - as two young visitors to FLW HQ have requested a game.  The available forces are a little slim, as they are all involved in the North American naval campaign, but a game can always be produced at short notice...

Scenario

The fortress guns are under attack from a small Militia field force

Army Red/Garrison - defending 

2 x heavy fortress guns with RGA crew

1 x company of infantry

Signals section

HQ - with piano

The Command Post with Mess piano 

Army Red/Militia - attacking

3 x companies of infantry

2 x light guns

HQ

The Militia baseline - cannons firing

The game was played with (mostly) HG's rules, and my two young visitors were eager and excellent shots.  The poor Toronto Scots were wiped out by one heavy shell, and the garrison had one cannon knocked out.  The Garrison fire being very ably directed.

The Garrison troops were not helped by being in white drill order ...

Play ended as dinner was served, and an honourable draw was declared.  Toy soldier games are indeed for boys of all ages.  And khaki will be the uniform of the future.