Orienting hexes for Linear Warfare, opinions?

pharmakeup September 30, 2022

Contemplating my 4" hex grid cloth and trying to decide the best way to use it for linear warfare such as the AWI and Darke Ages. The Portable Wargame recommends using squares for this purpose, but I have this great hex cloth I want to use!

So, anyone with hex grid miniature gaming have any advice?

I see two options, here are examples using my 6mm AWI troops.

Option 1: With the grain

Like this, but the disadvantage is that you cannot make a continuous line.

Option 2: Against the grain

This option was inspired by the excellent Tigers at Minsk rules by Norm at the outstanding Battlefields and Warriors blog.

I am going to modify my One Hour Wargame variant for the AWI to hexes and am experimenting with infantry units moving 1 hex per turn. Melee only happens when you enter the opponent's hex. So a British line advancing on a Patriot line would look like this:

Turn 1

Turn 2

Turn 3

In this scenario, assuming a musket range of 2 hexes, the Patriots get 2 shots off at the British, which is exactly what they get in the non-hex version.

But in principle, you can see how it would work. I am leaning heavily towards this option.

Here is what moving and arcs of fire would look like, facing changes are done inside the hex at the start and or end of the move like in One Hour Wargame. The black arrows show 1 hex movement and the red outline shows 2 hex range target hexes.