Initial...

...deployments.

Seconds out...first two rounds, of 15. In the Blue corner (US invaders):

On the right flank, a unit of US Regulars, an artillery battery, and a militia regiment.  Their objective is to make the town too hot for the British-Canadian forces. After more pondering, I decided to reduce the points value of this militia unit to 10, as opposed to the 15 of 'One Hour' rules.

On the left, the US commander has put in his two best regiments of foot. Their objective is to take the hill.

Meanwhile, the centre is taken by this unit of US militia. Unlike the other regiment of militia, this has better morale and training (as represented by the fact that some of the figures are in uniform), and so has an initial points value of 12. Their task is to secure the woodlands. Under 'One Hour' rules, only 'skirmishers' can enter woodland, so the militia of both sides have been classed thus. Interestingly, the scenario set-up has this large woodland separating the two objectives of town and hill. Added to the fact that the defending force must keep two units within 12" of each objective, this introduces certain constraints.

In the Red (British-Canadian) corner, a militia unit rapidly advances down the turnpike into the town, with our Provincial cavalryman hero scouting ahead:

Skirting the edge of the town is a unit of Provincials and one of Regulars:

While another unit of Regulars takes to the hill:

and militiamen infiltrate the wood:

The scene is set; here, an overall view of the town:

Out in the fresh air, we have been having stormy weather in Old England, with high winds, heavy rain, and temperatures down to 10oC. In my tiny greenhouse, courgette seedlings stand ready for better weather and deployment to the allotment plot:

Regiment...

... raised.

Short of a sixth unit for the next planned 'One Hour' game, I dug out some already undercoated 'Emhar' 'British Infantry, Peninsular War 1807-14'. These are very nice figures indeed, and a better hand with the paint brush could make a really fine job of them, whether as our noble lads (Irish - given the Peninsular ?) , or as Yankees:

While painting up the Americans, I came across this fellow:

He is a true veteran, and first graced my tabletop (the same table he is on here) sometime back in the early 1970s, sporting an even worse paint job, in gloss blues and greys. Of course, he is a figure from the Airfix Waterloo RHA set.  After years spent knocking around in an old sweet tin, then the last few years in a makeshift sand-pit, his loyalty has been rewarded. Now in the uniform of a Provincial cavalry regiment, he, too, will join the 1812 'One Hour'.

While doing this emergency painting, I had occasional ponders about the planned 'One Hour'. The core rules for all the periods covered are pretty constant, as one would expect, and therein lies the beauty of the system. However, thinking about 1812 and the initial invasions of Canada/British North America, I decided that assigning 15 points to every unit would be just too ahistorical. Militias played an important part on both sides. However, whereas the militias from Upper and Lower Canada performed well, the US militias (with some exceptions) performed very poorly indeed. The answer is, I think, to reduce their starting points value to 12, or even 10. Similarly, although the scenario has six units per side, the British-Canadian forces were very much outnumbered at the start of the war, so I  think one unit needs to go.

Recently, the crazed fuckwits that are the Islamists have been redoubling their murder efforts - in Egypt (against Christians), in the Philippines, in Kabul, in Syria, and, of course, in my homeland.  I hope the UK government ACTS.  

But, in the world there is still beauty and perfection:

Yankees...

.... in a tin.

Well, I found the invaders of 1812, in 20mm.  They were in Amsterdam. That is, in a biscuit tin with a nice reproduction of Amsterdam in the 17th Century on the lid. So, there are the militiamen:

Regulars:

And gunners:

However, I'm a unit short, so there will now be an interlude while I raise another regiment of foot...

Scenario 14...

... Static Defence.

From Neil Thomas' One-Hour Wargames.  This time, it's going to be a 'Horse & Musket' set-up, specifically the War of 1812 in 20mm.  First deployment by the 'Red' force, i.e., British and Canadian.  The 3'x3' playing area incorporates, a town, road, wood, and hill:

The defending force has to hold both the hill and the town, and must deploy 3 units within 12" of the hill, and 3 within 12" of the town.  Below:

the newly mobilised militia move up towards the town, while, below:

a Provincial regiment, and British Army regulars also move into position.

Now, where are the dam' Yankees....