Firing & Movement Sticks. . .

 

No, not hitherto undiscovered paintings by Piet Mondrian (or The Patridge Family Bus), but a movement stick (top) and a musket volley and skirmish fire stick (below).  The rulers are 18" in length and based on the Grants' dimensions laid out in The War Game.

 

Still glossing the Austrian dragoons piecemeal, but with the planned Thanksgiving Weekend game between the Young Master and me now two weeks away, it seemed like a good idea to begin preparations for it.  I aim to simplify things as much as possible to keep the game moving and a positive experience for young Paul, now 11 years old, so that he will want to continue these occasional tabletop adventures with ol' Dad.  Hence the movement and firing sticks, which owe as much to the von Reisswitz kriegspiel as they to Charles S. Grant.

The measuring devices I've produced over a couple of days have movement dimensions marked on one side, and firing distances on the other.  I must touch up and label the various colored bars before everything is finished, but once done, the Young Master and I will each wield a movement-firing stick on our upcoming game(s).  I've also whipped up a four foot artillery stick, painted in yellow (long range), orange (medium), and red (canister range).

 The movement stick, that closest to the dragoons, has infantry, artillery, and transport move distances marked out on the upper edge with those for heavy and light cavalry on the lower edge.  The firing stick at bottom has musket volleys distance marked out in yellow (long range), orange (medium range), and red (close range) with ranges for skirmish fire denoted in light and dark blue.  Once labeled, all movement and firing should be clear and easy to determine without referring to a play sheet or fooling with tape measures.  He said.

As to the scenario we'll attempt, I am leaning toward a refight of Sawmill Village, although The Young Master has already informed me that any settlement laid out on the table will be dubbed  Hasenpfeffer.  As Greg Horne, the man behind The Duchy of Alzheim blog, advised me several years ago now, when it comes to kids, you've got to follow their lead.

-- Stokes