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Post by hardlec on May 14, 2016 22:36:24 GMT
The "Wild West" was peppered with small forts. A stockade of logs enclosed a small area. There was a lookout tower, parapets around the inside of the wall, one gate, and inside there were barracks and small appartments for the officers, men and wives and children of the older men. There would also be a blacksmith, a sutlers, a telegraph office, barns for the horses and storage for food, fodder and ammunition.
Cavalry would sally forth to patrol the area and keep the peace. Bandits were the most common opponent, although there would be the occasional discord among Native Americans.
Advance time to 1910-1916.
A small fort now has walls of concrete. There would be a lookout tower that would also include a docking tower for an airship. Inside there would be quarters, repair shops and storage for supplies. Doubtless there would also be a sutlers, were a man could get a cold brew and something that did not taste like Army Rations after a long patrol.
The standard Anti-Martian fort would be 16 by 16 inches on the tabletop, 125 feet by 125 feet in scale.
I'd suggest that, as a start, the fort would be occupied by 3 units (nine stands) of infantry, one unit (3 stands) of Machine guns, a platoon of 3 Mark III tanks, and 3 units (nine stands) of rough riders. The lookout tower would be a command post. Each corner would have a turret with a 6" gun.
Now: My humble thought on how to man a Fort could use review.
What forces would the Martians need to storm such a Fort ?(In an interesting, balanced scenario?)
What buildings are in the Fort?
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Post by mikedski on May 15, 2016 9:25:37 GMT
Are you envisioning these forts as isolated outposts that would be held inside Martian territory? Or are they part of a strategic defensive belt as fortified cantonment areas?
Instead of an isolated US Cavalry wooden fort used as a patrol base I could see your concrete positions like the Roman fort that I visited along Hadrian's wall. They would be similar to the coastal artillery positions discussed on previous threads.
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Post by hardlec on May 15, 2016 16:11:48 GMT
Some forts would be isolated behind the lines. Most will be defensive strong points along the contested borders.
The forts are staging areas for patrols that keep track of Martian movements and to be a base of operations, at first to counter Martian attacks, then to strike back.
If humans learn the Martians are planning an attack, combat troops can quickly converge on a fort to coordinate a defense or to launch a preemptive strike. Lots of scenario options here
Refugees can reach safety in a Fort and later be evacuated. The scenarios to escort civilians to safety have been few, but could be interesting.
Mostly, I see the scenario of Martians attacking the fort to be good eye candy at an event. There are lots of reenactments of the Alamo.
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Post by madmorgan on May 20, 2016 9:49:50 GMT
Nice - and the Alamo is available in a lot of 1/72 and 15mm formats as well as Old Glory's current 18mm line. In any case, using your refractory concrete mentioned in another thread, this would be a real nut to crack. I could also see this as a supply depot point, with less RR bikes and more arty and infantry in transit to the front. This kind of fort would also be used alot in Texas and along the Sierra front. I also thought of 'painting' timbers with asbestos and using actual log forts from the old west & colonial periods. Your 'recon' fort would be a base for alot of forces along those long streches of territory on those two fronts. Really great idea. Some of our talent 'terrain' modelers should do a mockup for us!
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Post by hardlec on May 21, 2016 14:31:32 GMT
Actually, Scott Washburn's Walls might work well
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Post by madmorgan on May 22, 2016 8:31:59 GMT
Indeed! And maybe his 'timber' forts with the asbestos painting and even his 'star forts', at least the outer walls with embankments.  Anyone got an idea on point cost for said forts. I would think that 1/these are 1915 or 1916+ structures and 2/they would 'cost' more than the standard concrete structures used thus far in the war. We have a pretty good list of struture costs for fortifications in the AD book. Should we open that can of worms and create a new listing of structures and costs for the Living Rulebook?? Being 'lazy' and wanting to keep moving, I'd prefer just to add a new list of structures based on the the old ones with new points. |
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Post by hardlec on May 23, 2016 0:02:31 GMT
Adding would be appropriate. Refractory concrete would increase toughness and cost more. It might even reduce vulnerability to gas, as refractory concrete is much less permeable.
The old forts would need to be "plastered" or Stuccoed with a refractory compound. Painting wouls not be enough.
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Post by madmorgan on May 23, 2016 9:38:36 GMT
Hmm good point on the old forts - giving them a plastered or Stuccoed look is the way to go (odd paint scheme). What color difference is the refractory concrete (if any) and does it have a sheme being refrative??
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Post by hardlec on May 25, 2016 14:28:38 GMT
Refractory concrete is very similar to regular concrete, a bit lighter in shade.
Concrete tends to take on some of the color of the aggregate.
Mixing acrylic paint with a little plaster of paris gives a nice concrete texture, good for the middle-eastern and adobe look as well.
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Post by joker on May 25, 2016 19:42:11 GMT
Battlefront has a Desert Fort in 15mm. Works fine with 20mm!  Joker |
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Post by madmorgan on May 26, 2016 10:29:38 GMT
BTW Military Building Authority is having a May sale and just added a bunch of 15mm I was drolling for. Sales ends 1 Jun so get em while they're hot. I particularly like some of their 15mm buildings. They also have a nice accessory pack in 25/28 that has a really nice long gas or some such ground tank. Check em out -
sales@militarybuildingauthority.com
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Post by boxholder on May 26, 2016 12:18:22 GMT
I have mixed sand into acrylic paint (craft store) to get a textured coating, usually some shade of gray. Varying the sand content will give anything from a thin coating (to paint on) all the way to a thick, sculptable (real word?) coating that can be troweled onto the structure.
It's cheap, too.
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Post by madmorgan on May 27, 2016 9:48:48 GMT
Yes, nice technique. Addtionally, you could used colored sands from a petstore or hobby store - giving really nice desert/sandy textured coatings.
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Post by boxholder on May 27, 2016 12:04:31 GMT
Nice idea, but while some sands might give color, I have found that the acrylic totally covers the sand and dominates the finish. Any color sand works. I used some lurid blue "craft sand" that was closeout (+really cheap) for gray concrete. So, you just choose the base color you want from literally scores of colors at the craft store premixed. Drybrush and/or wash afterward to give you the final coloration you want. (Ask how I know.) <grin>
Get a cheap brush, too. The sand really grinds up the bristles, especially on nice brushes. Cheap, coarse nylon bristles held up pretty well and you don't feel so bad about trashing it afterward.
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Post by madmorgan on May 31, 2016 9:54:10 GMT
Ah thank you - as you can tell I've not tried this technique yet - but, its added to my list of 'How To' now |
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