A quick photograph after clearing up today's game to illustrate my point. Everything is now safe and easily accessible for another quick game later this week. A refight of Blasthoff Bridge.
It's funny what goes through one's mind while doing
other things. Yesterday evening after dinner, I took my usual long walk
around the neighborhood between 8:30-9:15pm give or take. The sunset was
peachy, the crickets sang, and the air temperature was dry and
comfortable with a slight breeze from the northwest. Perfect for
thinking about nothing in particular.
Until it
occurred to me at one point that, given my usual lack of time for games
during the school year, it might be interesting to keep one of those
large plastic tubs with a lid (and figures inside) readily accessible.
These containers are just large enough to hold four infantry battalions,
two squadrons of cavalry, two cannon, limbers, and crews, two command
vignettes, and two singly mounted aides for conveying messages during
the hat of battle.
In short, two small forces to set up quickly for
short, small games that are easy to clear away once done. Ideal for
fighting some of the smaller demonstration games as presented in so many
classic books about the hobby, but especially those by Donald
Featherstone. Blasthoff Bridge and Sawmill village come to mind too.
The scenarios in One-Hour Wargames by Neil Thomas clearly is also influential now that I think about it.
I
store my painted units in these large tubs already, so it simply means
rearranging the contents of one of them and making sure it is at the
front of a closet shelf here in Zum Stollenkeller, which doubles as my
study and is where I spend a good amount of my time. Having everything
handy in a single container would make it very easy to retrieve from the
closet for a Saturday afternoon game that does not take hours to plan,
hours to play, and hours to (re-) organize everything and put away.
Of course, it's not the same thing as refighting the great battles of history like Salamanca, Waterloo, Borodino. . . or Sittangbad on the table, but faced with time constraints, playing small games regularly, or playing none at all makes the Brigades in a Box idea attractive.
Of course, it's not the same thing as refighting the great battles of history like Salamanca, Waterloo, Borodino. . . or Sittangbad on the table, but faced with time constraints, playing small games regularly, or playing none at all makes the Brigades in a Box idea attractive.
While
my own gaming is restricted to the mid-18th century, I see no reason
why the Brigades in a Box concept could not work for other periods as well,
figure scales and size of painted forces, or type of games sought.
Surely, others have had similar ideas, but I thought I'd share this here
given the pace of life and society in 2019.
Remember, boys and girls! Ask your parents for Brigades in a Box!
-- Stokes
Comments
Stokes
To be honest I think you have an excellent idea. Though essentially it is only choosing the advance guards for two armies and putting at the front of the shelf, how many of us actually think of doing that?
Anything that helps to get the figures on the table is great, I wish you many happy brief encounters.
Best Regards,
Stokes