After some prompting I decided to see if there would be any interest in an Ironclads Campaign.

I really haven't thought about all of the rules/requirements and things like that yet. I guess it would obviously be from the Civil War time frame and would allow any ironclad vessel. I am also thinking about allowing submarines from the same time line as well such as the CSS Hunley. I am thinking about later on this fall for a start date and probably a six month campaign. I am thinking any manufactured kits as well as scratch builds. Stand alone kits, dioramas, vignettes and anything else you can think of should be fine.

I have never hosted a campaign before so I would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. I will be counting on Bruce "grayghost666" to help me out...................a lot!!

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks,

HARV

Hello Harv,
No worries I know you can run a great campaign.
The ironclads started about 1854 till the early 1890's, So that should be the time-line. If you agree.
So that will include all ships that had iron sheets bolted to the wooden hull. I am not sure when iron gave over to steel, But it was in the 1890's.
I think this will be a great campaign, Ironclads look very menacing.
Cheers,
Bruce

Good theme for a campaign! Rigging will take forever on any other than those monitor-style ICs.

Given that the campaign doesn't start before November-December, or leave us a few months thereafter I would like to participate.

There are just too many active attractive campaigns right now!

Guido

This subject could have some surprising entries.

--Karl

One of the LHS in town has a small kit of USS Monitor that might make a nice build. That is if somebody else hasn't grabbed it since the last time I was in. I'll have to check it out.

Hello All,
Looks like we have 5 interested in this campaign and some great ideas coming up.
Thanks for your ideas and interest,
Cheers,
Bruce

I am glad to see there is some interest. Hopefully there will be more as time passes.

Thanks for helping out Bruce, I appreciate it. I look forward to having your campaign experience at hand.

Just a few more questions for any that might be interested in the campaign:
1. Is six months enough time or should it be longer? There are some pretty expensive ironclad kits out there and I don't want anybody to feel rushed to complete them.
2. Should the submarines of that period be allowed? Or should they be saved for the "Civil War Subs" campaign that I have been thinking about? After all, they weren't really an ironclad vessel.
3. Is later this fall a good time for a start date or should I throw this out there as a 2011 campaign and start it in January next year?

I am sure that I will think of more stuff as time goes on.

Here is what I plan on building.



I have an old book in my collection from 1947 that has the plans in it to build models of the Monitor and Merrimac from scratch. Kind of interesting.

Again thanks for the interest and please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas.

Thanks,

HARV

HARV-

@1: I’d appreciate a campaign duration of 9+ months, as I plan to do a 350th scratch building project. But that’s just me! If the campaign will be set shorter, I’ll just go with a kit instead.

@2: I think it would make more sense to make a separate “Submarine: The early days” campaign. If you set the time lime from “da Vinci’s sketches to WWI”, you should meet plenty of interest out there. Subs just don’t fit the description “Ironclad”.

@3: We have campaigns starting every months now until June. After that there is a gap opening. I think – considering the summer break and the usual stress of getting the running projects finished for the big autumn shows- you would be on the good side to start November /December ’10.

Your fellow campaign addict,
Guido

Hello Harv,
I agree with evrything Guido said(except about the scratch built part).
I do think that the time line should be 1854- early 1890's when steel took over.
Other then that, I think you have the rules done, I think.
Cheers,
Bruce

Having done two already ironclads already, I could do another one.


Just promise that nobody will refer to the CSS Virginia as the 'Merrimack'.

Hello Ken,
We can try, But no telling what them Yankees will say. I just started to look for my CSA money.
Thanks for you involvement
Cheers,
Bruce

I think you should allow all civil war vessels. Let the builder choose what vessel, after all there where more than just ironclads. There were blockade runners, subs, monitor's, gun boats, torpedo boats, etc etc., you never know what vessel you'll get out of it.

Hi Louis and thank you for the suggestion.

There are several different types of civil war era water craft out there but I mainly wanted to concentrate on just the ironclads for this campaign. I just thought that would fun and interesting.

However if I don't get a few more interested builders then I guess it won't really matter!!

Thanks again, I appreciate the interest and thoughts.

Anyone else interested in this one?

Thanks,

HARV

Hey, Harv!
Counting the above we have 7 guys wanting to participate. That's not bad for a start. I reckon, if you do open a list you'll get 10 folks easily.
Why not give it a try and start an official proposal?
Guido

Hello Harv,
I agree with Guido, again. Lets get it submitted to Mark. I know of 3 modelers I can twist their virtual arms to join up.
Lets post some of the proposed rules for the campaign IE: when it will start and end, The time-line, scales, what is allowed, etc.
Cheers,
Bruce

Im in with the Keokuk!!!!...cant resist all those rrrrrrrivets!!!

Agree, agree, and agree!!

Randy, I would type up the proposal, get her submitted, and see how the enlistment rolls...you can use current campaigns for guidelines if necessary, just go here, click on "Submit a new Campaign" in the upper right, and fill out the web-form...and don't forget to enlist yourself, as all campaign leaders count as an enlisted participant!

I am ready to propose this campaign but I wanted to get everyone's final thoughts on my plans.

1. Start/finish dates - November 1, 2010 to October 31, 2011.
2. Any ironclad vessel.
3. 1854 till the early 1890's time frame.
4. Any manufactured kits as well as scratch builds. Any medium - plastic,resin, paper, wood, etc.
5. Stand alone kits, dioramas, vignettes and anything else you can think of.
6. Ships only, no submarines.
7. Kits already started but less than 25% built should be fine.
8. One to two photographs of the finished project in the gallery.
9. No extensions. I think that a year should be plenty of time.

Anything else you can think of. After all this is my first time hosting a campaign so any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks,

HARV

PS. Bruce, how are you at creating banners and ribbons??

Hello Harv,
For rule #7 I think a photo of what has been done should be posted before you can restart it.

As for ribbons and banners, My stuff looks like a 2 year olds drawling. Jim Adams is your man for them. He does a great job, He did the banner and ribbon for Predread for me.
Cheers,
Bruce

How do you like this one?




Guido

I just saw this post. I'm big-time into ironclads, so count me in. I'm working on my new project at the moment, a City Class gunboat (only partially armored, so she wouldn't count), but I've got a couple of kits and another few scratchbuilds I want to do after this one.

OK, I just finished submitting the proposal. Lets see what happens.

Thank you everyone for your interest in my idea.

Thank you for the ribbon idea Guido. It is very interesting, nice detailing on it.

Well, we will see what becomes of all of this.

Thanks again everyone.

HARV