10mm - Something Different

I am thinking about starting a 10mm project in the near future. I have always been interested in the Seven Years War involving the forces of Prussia and Austria. I am sure the Mrs will be happy to know I will require more storage space for another project. She has a tendency to say, "You have little army men, why do you want more ?" She does allow for hobby time whenever I want to paint or play so I can't really complain. I have it pretty good. I did pick up a copy of the Osprey book for Leuthen and Rossbach. The OOB and maps are a great resource, but not too much on uniforms.

OK, got it.

Why 10mm? Well I want to have the ability for maneuver during a game. I have played quite a bit of  28mm horse and musket and we use a similar approach due to the size of units, figures and game space. You line up across from the opponent, march straight ahead. Then we  shoot and melee until one side breaks and then its over. Don't get me wrong, I love the games I have played, but I just want something different. I like making the decision to send a division to guard a road that can be used by an opponent to flank my army. I like the movement and management of reserves and the strategic deployment of brigades to assault or hold key areas. I guess this is just me harkoning back to the time when I would spend a weekend playing SPI's Terrible Swift Sword, or A Gleam of Bayonets for hours on end.

So now I want to dive into the world of 10mm. The cost, availability and quality is an attractive combination. The figures don't appear to be so small that you can not see the figures. It is true that most of the gamers I spend time with have vast collections of 15mm figures and we could pool our resources to run a grand game. There are three reasons for me not to look to 15mm. The first is that it is difficult to coordinate having everyone available who owns 15mm figures, making the option of co-hosting a game difficult. The second is that the figures (Pendraken especially) are attractive to me personally. I am not a good painter, the figures seem more forgiving to my lack of skill. The third is that the game is easier to transport, especially at conventions.  Since I need to buy all of the figures to fill out the forces of 2 opposing armies I can only see 10mm as the way to accomplish the project. This blog is an excellent way to reference my decisions for consistency as I make progress.




The complete set up. Good lord  it's a lot of ground.



As you can see the Battle of Leuthen is no small feat. I need figures, terrain, bases and everything else to run a successful game. The map of the battlefield shows the vast distances needing to be negotiated as desperate Austrian commanders try to manuver troops into position.




Wurtemburg Grenadier...hmm looks Prussian


 So before I buy any figures or terrain I would like to list out the requirements and cost for the project on this blog. I need to decide on the number of figures per unit. the number of bases, the rules, the size of the game space. Will I just do the Prussian assault on the Austrian left wing, or concentrate on the grand battle; thus giving the Austrian commanders the opportunity to right so many wrongs of the actual battle? One thing is for sure, I want units that look like nasses of men, horses and equipment, not just game pieces. I will probably need more figures than I plan for, but 10mm allows for the option without breaking the bank.

I am still undecided about the project as I am still paining up 28mm Napoleonic Russians. I can't start another project until I make more progress on my 28mm Russians and French. But I can still make plans and dream. I am still learning the basics of the Seven Years War and I need to do some more research before pulling the trigger on this project. Perhaps in late 2013 or early 2014.




This is Fred, he hates Austrians, Russians, and French...research complete.