Recruiting for ACW Shenandoah Valley game

 

We interrupt our Travelogue coverage to announce that Martin, the Arnhem game host, is putting together his own American Civil War campaign game set in the Shenandoah Valley.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577104145093

If you are keen to take part, please drop the MarauderS an email and we will work to connect you.

viperbbb@gmail.com

Murat Playtest

 I was asked by a fellow Napoleonic game player to go over a set of tabletop rules they have built and have some commentary for them.

I decided to use the battle of Quatre-Bras to run a game in, as the layout is reasonably well known and the history well known.

You will see the die rolls in the images, along with the turn counter (d20), red & blue dice are combat & morale AND the initiative dice
the white one is for luck or morale or firing
the green one for morale and movement

deployment
(the French light horse still to arrive)

initial positions

artillery fire was wearing down the opposing batteries

'smoke puffs' can be seen in front of the guns
they will drift across the field to the west
as it was determined wind was from the east

Allied troops arrive (top left)
while the melees are joined in the woods
(both left and right)

Dutch troops are falling back in both woods
French Cavalry (center) is pushed out to the right

now artillery has begun hitting the Brunswick forces hard

close range fire had run out of ammunition in the woods
(double 1's)

snake eyes also ended ammunition for the British
troops before Quatre Bras

the ensuing melee went REALLY BAD

now across the lines the French were pushing back the
Anglo-Dutch allies

more artillery fire was massing against the black
clad Brunswickers

the Brunswick force had fallen back into QB
while British guardsmen came forward
the Dutch in the woods (left in image) had been
fully pushed out now

British guards fail to stem the French tide
(right side of image)

the Dutch outside the woods fail to rally at all
continue to fall back

the Brunswick forces in QB are being encouraged to hold
via Wellington and his staff directly

the French left had broken out of the woods

in Quatre Bras, firing goes well for the French

then a melee causes the Brunswickers to collapse

Wellington is killed in action

the whole force had only a few guards to hope to re-take
Quatre Bras

This quickly failed

the French sent guard horsemen to open the right flank
only a force of Hanoverian conscripts were in the way

they lost the die roll of the exchange by 14 pips!

the Anglo-Allied force was now routed
Wellington was dead

The system allowed for good employment of combined arms and I really liked the one page QRS.

There are some changes I have suggested via an email to the designers.

Thank you for reading this quite delayed AAR.

Basic 'tiles'

 In an exploration of possible 15mm American Civil War minis, I have used up some left over paints and the off-cuts of MDF that Jeff left me.

a set in Grey
with distinctive command markers

sets in blue and red

finally in black

Each set contains 1 'corps' commander, 4 'division' commanders, 8 artillery, 4 transport (used as limbers), 8 cavalry and 40 infantry markers painted onto MDF.

My plans are to use these as proxy troops in a number of configurations, though the American Civil War is the primary purpose.

The house works continue, these are a project in evenings to use up left over materials without cost.

LIVE GAME Pratzen Plateau - May 16, 2020

You could command a division of French or Austrians or Russians at the Pratzen Plateau, a game in 28mm of the1805 Battle of Austerlitz, planned for May 16, 2020.

view the game on twitch.tv/murdocksmarauders

Contact me direct via email for the active player code or jump onto https://www.twitch.tv/murdocksmarauders/ starting at 11 am Saturday 16 May 2020.

Siege Warfare primer

The games tabletop is dominated by the field battle, for the simple reason that it is much more exciting and both sides get to 'take actions' that provide an entertainment.

Yet to simulate the period, the siege is far more prevalent.

This is a new video discussing the siege warfare of the period.

Campaigning season nearing an opening?

recently reviewed titles

I have been away on a road trip with family, during the little down time I had (#1 driver on a 7800 km round trip over 14 days), I managed to get in a re-reading of the Grant and Bath titles.

While Tony Bath did have some interesting input for just the ACW period, sadly most of his work revolved around the details of a long-running Hyborean game that he had run in the 1970s and was very much an ancients and points system tour-de-force.  GDW must have been happy with any 'uptick' in sales after his product hit the shelves.

Grant was more of a generic approach and touched on loads of subjects in all time-periods and even some of the speculative fiction in high-tech and fantasy realms.

The Nanaimo group has been discussing a campaign in ACW for some time now and I have put in a few immediate observances from my 21+ years of running Napoleonic (100 Days and Campaign of Nations) and Sci-Fi (Battletech mostly) minis campaigns on written postal, email and electronic forum systems as well as playing in at least three 'local' campaigns with Jeff Hudelson (of BlueBear fame).

The responses prompted me to review these titles so as to come at the resolution from a text supported point of view.

As this is potentially a local based game with email as a control factor, two methods come to the forefront by Bath and Grant:

Mini Campaigns (p61. of "Setting up a Wargames Campaign")

For this a series of teams of twos or threes were used.

While Tony did it with ancients and Wars of the Roses, we could just as easily use this for ACW:

Each 'side' breaks their available forces into three parts, then decides on the strength of forces to engage on one of three battlefields (which could be blind random or known by both sides and thus make overall plans for), with retreating forces kept track as well as the surviving winning forces (with each side having some recovery of wounded and routed troops, as well as the winning force on a field getting better re-supply) for a 'final push' game where the winner of the best of three takes on the looser of the best of three with the surviving attacking forces against the surviving retreating forces.

Thus you could see the first two battles going to one side and the third battle simply conceded, with a sacrificial blocking force to allow the majority of the troops to retire to the 'final battle' to attempt to shore up the final defender forces.  Alternately the first two might split and make the third an all important tie-breaker and deciding battle for who will be having a chance to conquer and who will need to last-stand defend.

Okay, so much for something quick, as this will only take four table-top encounters to come to a conclusion, Bath writes about 'mini-campaigns' as something to fill in while a larger one is being organized or when a larger campaign has 'gone quiet' and isn't generating the expected field battles.

four battle mini-campaign

The Use of Board Games (Chapter 23, p134-136, "Wargames Campaigns")

Here Grant uses a full chapter to expound on the value of using already existing board-based war-games to conduct the 'strategic' or 'operational' level of movement on the board map system, then convert the 'encounter battles' to the appropriate tabletop system that you may already be using to run the miniature battles.

While Grant admits to not having used the system himself, he vouches, as do I, for the effectiveness of using such games.

Columbia Games has a pair of games to simulate the American Civil War from the grand strategic point of view in Virginia, with Bobby Lee and in the west with Sam Grant

Here I leave a copy of the map from Sam Grant, as the discussion has been revolving around using the war in the west as the basis for a series of connected battle actions, hence a campaign.

Sam Grant map from Columbia Games

What campaign effects and systems have you used?
What were the results?

Kriegsspiel as it formed

A great video all about the formation of this grand hobby:

Carnage & Glory II : First blush Napoleonic & ECW computer moderated tabletop games.

Carnage & Glory II Napoleon's Wars

A fresh approach begins.

I have examined many tabletop game systems, few of them hold the promise that Carnage & Glory II does for solo-play.

The removal of dice and the multitude of charts and other record keeping is moved to the computer, the right place for it!

So now over the coming few months I shall delve into the details and run some tabletop encounters with this system Nigel P. Marsh.

Carnage & Glory The Age of Pike and Shot

A tip of the virtual hat to Nigel, for the copy of the P&S version of the game system that I had on memory stick had failed only a day after I had first uploaded the game onto my computer.

Not missing a beat Nigel sent out a download link for the program so that I could stay functional.

Bravo to Nigel P. Marsh!

Hundred Days, heating up ...

Having worked out the details a few more times, I am now able to put out this last call for prospective players in a Campaign of the Hundred Days or Waterloo Campaign.

Even if all you have to take part in the game is an email address and a computer capable of running the Cyberboard software, then please do contact me below.

If you have some French and 'other' opponent troops, best would be Anglo-Dutch and Prussian of course, yet even if all you have are Russians to take on the French and a table-top crew to game out the battle then please do contact me below.

I am planning to use similar systems and methods as I did with the Campaign of Nations game, run from 2013-2015.

To summarize, I am recruiting at least three 'Commanders' to take on the Napoleon, Wellington and Blucher roles, then I would also like to have a 'deputy' for each one also that could generate the kind of movements and 'alternate' history that makes for a more fun experience.  Yes this means I would like to have 6 players.  Even better would be 7 players, 3 for the French, 2 each for the Anglo-Dutch and Prussian Armies.

I know that I have been musing about doing this for many months now, and given that the big ceremonies of the 200th anniversary are over now, we could get on with a re-set of a different proportion.

If this interests you please do contact me or comment below.

Campaign of Hundred Days, recruiting

With the gamebox for Cyberboard firming up in my mind the time has come to again seek those stalwart players of Napoleonic battles who wish to take part in a play-by-email campaign game.  This time the Campaign of the Hundred Days, or what most refer to as the Waterloo Campaign.

As with the Campaign of Nations game that I ran in 2012-15, the overall plan will be to have a 'sample run' for the new players to get a feel for what a turn or two will be like, then go straight on into the action.

Also similar to last time, the plan is to have at least 3 active 'commanders' for the field armies supreme command, Wellington, Blucher and Napoleon; who need not be the tabletop commanders (though really each would like to take on one another I am sure).  While also needed will be many tabletops for running the games, especially the smaller more 'skirmish' level actions at the start of the campaign.  These game players need not have any particular 'stake' in the campaign, leaving them free to 'play out' the battles with their miniatures on their own tabletop(s).

In essence I am seeking both the senior command and these 'proxy battle hosts'.

If you have a keen desire to take a command position, like Bonaparte, Ney or Grouchy for the French, Blucher, Pirch or Zeithen for the Prussians or Wellington, William of Orange or Uxbridge for the Anglo-Dutch then you do not need to have any miniatures at all - indeed the "Blucher" player in our last campaign owns no miniatures at all.

If you have no desire to command, yet would like to share your miniature collection and have 1815 era battle situations established for your game group to play out (or solo play) then please do come forward and let me know what you can support on your tabletop!

Alexandria Hussars skirmish again for the Campaign of Nations

A skirmish match for the Campaign of Nations game.

the terrain was a mesa that dominated the local area

the battle came down to the last trooper for each side

Alexandria Hussars came out with the win, by surviving with one of the 8 starting troopers

The Russians win match five!

Thinking out loud ...

Napoleon at work

I have been examining the game play options going forward at the local and nearby regional conventions.

None of them include strategic or what I would call campaign level games.  Plenty of single battlefields, from Hausen-Teugen to Waterloo in the Napoleonic era and others. 

There are some that have boardgames, and while this does include the strategic element, the miniatures 'feel' of the tabletop is completely lacking.

My first thought was to put out a call to those whom I knew had the minis to support multiple games and see if they would be willing to stage a 'campaign' or perhaps a 'mini-campaign' to try it all out at the coming year's Salute convention.

Then an even bigger idea came ... what about reaching out to the Napoleonic tabletop community that I have contact with world-wide, via this blog, and see what the appetite was for an online version of a campaign style game?  Where they could take command of troops in hand, with their local players or via such remote means as Skype or old fashioned e-mail?  Though the Skype options allows for near real-time battlefield adjustments.

The idea being to re-create the convention-like game experience without having to travel, or haul all our minis and terrain?

There you have it dear reader ... tell me what you feel you could do? - or what pitfalls you see this having?

RECRUITING ... 100 Days Campaign

Again my thoughts turn to a campaign game of the 100 days, starting during the 'build up' phase, early in May or June of the 1815 era.

First class armies and still plenty of variety in the troops.

Opportunity for players to take on the top roles of Wellington, Blucher and Bonaparte, with space for more such as Uxbridge, Gneisenau and Ney.  Or even possibly down to the Corps commanders.

Consider this the opportunity call out, recruiting for those players keen to take on a command.   We play out the battles on tabletops all over the world and handle the strategic movements on digital maps that are emailed.  All you need is a PC computer capable of reading this blog, email and running the cyberboard software (free download at the link) to become a command player in the campaign.

For tabletop players, all you will need is the troops of the era (1815 French, Anglo-Allies and Prussians would be superior - though troops of similar nations and earlier eras will also 'make do' in a pinch), email and be willing to run the game within 10 days of accepting the battle posting.  Minis and rules etc are all your own choice as what we are looking for are the results, though it is even better if you could post pictures and after action reports on your own blog(s).

The Campaign of Nations has shown that we can do this via such a forum, and have a good time along the way. 

Post in comments what your thoughts are and if you are in any way inclined to participate in such a wide-ranging campaign game.

SCRUD - Simple Combat Resolution Using Dice

SCRUD

Simple     Combat     Resolution     Using     Dice

Methodology / Explanation

1.      Throw one die for every unit present in the action.

2.      Line up one sides dice in order of highest first,

3.      Line up the other sides beside them.

4.      Compare each pair of dice. Highest v. highest, then next highest pair so on... 

5.      Same score on both dice is a STAND-OFF,

6.      Difference of 1 means Loser RECOILS.

7.      Difference of 2 means loser RETIRES.

8.      Difference of 3 means 1oser RETREATS.

9.      Difference of 4 means loser ROUTS.

Note: Any dice left over usually won't count, eg. If 8 die v. 6 then the odd 2 can be ignored as by definition they must be the lowest 2 scores and lots of reasons can be advanced to show why they would have had no influence on the battle.

This mechanism can be expanded to make it a more accurate combat resolution.

(Don’t make it too complex or you will spoil the whole concept.)

Adding Other Factors

1.    The addition of any UNIT COMBAT VALUES (such as for example, +2 for Elite; +1 for Veteran and -1 for Raw troops) will modify the dice throws.

2.    (This can be done by simply turning the die over. (eg a 3 becomes a 4)

3.    IN THIS CASE IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO NOMINATE THE THROWS (EG These 2 die have a +2, etc.)

4.    IT MAY ALSO BE USEFUL TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN HORSE AND FOOT. “These 2 die are

the Cavalry.” Then throw them and turn them if appropriate.

5.    When modifying the dice It will be assumed that 6 is the MAX score and 1 the lowest. So a nominated +2 which is then thrown an a 6 stays a 6. (Tough luck). In the same way a nominated -1 which is thrown as a l stays a 1.

6.    There could also be OTHER +/- FACTORS such as TERRAIN ADVANTAGES, which side is ATTACKING / DEFENDING, MORALE and LEADERSHIP etc. But these will tend to be better reflected By the Umpire using IMP [inherent Military Probability). ie using his Umpire skills / knowledge to 'fiddle' the COMBAT RESULTS.

7.      However in a Campaign some aspects, such as FATIGUE due to FORCED NARCHES may / will have to be built in as +/- factors at the dice throwing stage.

EXAMPLE SITUATION: The ATTACKER has 8 units of Foot & 2 of Horse. (1 of the Foot units is Elite (+2); 2 are Veteran (+1); 4 are Experienced (0); 1 Foot is Raw (-1): the Horse are both experienced (0).)

THE DEFENDER has 6 units of Foot & 2 of Horse. (3 Foot are Veteran (+1), the rest are Experienced (0). The Horse are Experienced (0).)

ATTACKERS Dice Foot - 4  4  2  6  1  2  1  2 Horse –  1  4

FACTORS              +2 +1 +1  0  0  0  0 -1          0  0

Dice after adjusting  6  5  3  6  1  2  1  1          1  4

DEFENDERS Dice Foot - 5  3  1  2  1  3       Horse –  3  5

FACTORS              +1 +1 +1  0  0  0                0  0

Dice after adjusting  6  4  2  2  1  3                3  5

Dice in descending value

ATTACKER      Foot      6  6  5  3  2  1  1  1 Horse -  4  1

DEFENDER      Foot      6  4  3  2  2  1     Horse -  5  3

Difference-Defender   = -2 -2 -1  =  =                +1 +2

RESULTS ARE - Defenders Foot 3 Stand-offs; I Recoil & 2 Retire. The Defenders Horse drive off the Attacking Horse, (A further dice throw then showed that the Defenders Horse did not pursue, staying on the battlefield with it’s Foot units.

Umpire Analysis – The Defenders Foot have been beaten and have been driven from their position. The presence of their Horse allows their withdrawal from the field to be conducted in reasonable order so their casualties remain moderate.

Special thanks to Mike Irvin for the system details. 

Edit Feb 22 added:
Great resource for the original vision of SCRUD: Matrix Games

Game on a Map

In the play test in progress for the Campaign of Nations that I am doing in conjunction with 7 other tabletop and internet players, there is a call for a table layout, for a game potentially to be played using SHAKO.

As I am reasonably familiar with the game system I took a quick shot at doing a table layout that would provide some interesting potential.

A game on a map, 1813 River Crossing in force

Essentially this is a river crossing assault at 3:1 odds in manpower.  The difficulty is the quality of the troops doing the assault: Landwher.  While the Prussians of 1813 were very exuberant and willing to 'get at' the French oppressors ... their martial skills were no where near the same as their French, or in this case Polish, counterparts and the Prussian equipment was quite often obsolete, improvised, or almost non-existent (with pikes being used at times).  So the battle power is more like 2:1 at best.

While Jiminho has decided to set up the game, it would be fun if there were others who took a run at this scenario.

Campaign of Nations playtest moving

French Attack Potsdam to force the Spree River

The Campaign of Nations that I have set up with tabletop and cyberboard players from Australia through North America to the UK has started in motion.

We are doing the playtest section now and the first move from the French that looks to generate a battle is at Potsdam.

To see more about the Campaign visit the blog.

To take part in the full game yourself - we are still seeking internet - email - based players to take on the active commands of the Allied armies (and possibly the French), send an email to viperbbb"at" gmail.com to get your interest lodged with the GM.

Campaign of Nations - Cyberboard tools complete

The cyberboard game box for the Campaign of Nations (1813) has been sent out to the prospective players today.

In another week I plan to set up some conversations about the game and start a test run.

Just the 'pieces' on the map, no details as you need to have cyberboard to get that data

For now I share with you, dear readers, this sample map from the game box.

Campaign of Nations

Leipzig, this is the big one ...

I have started the blog and process for the 1813 campaign plan that has been percolating in the background for some time.

You will find the blog at:

CAMPAIGN OF NATIONS

In the blog I have the Order of Battle for all the principle armies and have set out their Troop Strengths as will be used in GURPS Mass Combat as a relative strength comparison tool, as well as the combat system to 'abstract' those battles that we do not have proxy tabletop players to run the battle for.

To date I have three local (Courtenay, BC) area players, one more in Canada, one in USA, one in Spain, one in United Kingdom and three in Australia.  The playtest is still planned for starting in mid November and there is still plenty of room for any tabletops or players to join in.

Campaign Planning

I have had some response to my call out for game players interested in taking part in the LEIPZIG 2013 campaign that I have in the works, thank you gents.

One question has come up and I felt it worthwhile answering here.

Osprey Campaign Series #25 : LEIPZIG 1813

I have been reading up plenty on the campaign, a primary source of inspiration for me has been the Osprey Campaign Series #25 book.

The concern has been whether there would likely be more than 12 cavalry squadrons in action - per side in any one battle.  As I am planning on letting the players decide their force compositions based on historical precedent it is possible for a battle like Liebertwolkowitz to take place.

In the event that such a game needs to be played out, all that need be done is to break down the forces into formations that the player can support - I have one that says he can do 2-3 Corps per side in any battle - though they may not all be 'perfect' uniforms [I can totally accept that as I cannot do them in perfect uniforms either] with up to 12 cavalry formations per side.  Immense!

His concern is that the 'scale' of his rules would make doing something like Liebertwolkowitz not possible for the minis that he has.

The formations in a game setup can be 'compressed'

I counter-argue with the image from Campaign Series #25, in it (though it may be hard to see as they are near the 'fold') the battlefield of Liebertwolkowitz has eleven Cavalry formation for the allied side and eight for the French.  Meaning that (as long as some 'large scale' fudging is done) the minis that he has will more than do the job.

While on the subject of planning, and referring back to the maps that I have posted on the blog recently, I have come up with some 'formation' ideas and movement rates.  As well as some formation 'statuses' for use in the game environment that come from Campaign Series #25 as well.

First up the movement rates:  (all move rates are doubled on roads)

French - Austrian - Prussians - Swedes:
Infantry & Foot Artillery 1 hex (6 miles) per day
Heavy Cavalry & Horse Artillery 2 hexes (12 miles) per day
Light Cavalry 3 hexes (18 miles) per day

Russians (plus ANY Allied formations that are moving WITH Russians - an often occurrence in the context of this campaign)
Infantry & Foot Artillery 1/2 hex per day (3 miles)
Heavy Cavalry & Horse Artillery 1 Hex (6 miles) per day
Light Cavalry 2 Hexes (12 miles) per day
Cossacks 3 Hexes (18 miles) per day

Unlimited number of units (Divisions) per hex, however only 8 may move down a 'main' road (such a road can be seen between Hamburg and Schwerin - upper left) and 6 down a 'secondary' road (such a road can be seen from Schwerin and Domitz).  Whenever crossing a river the road rate is 'halved' so only 4 divisions may cross a river on a main road and 3 on a secondary.

zoom in of the campaign map - Hamburg to Schwerin with no grid

Other crossings of rivers will be by pontoons only (both sides have pontooniers and engineers or bridging trains) likely at a rate of 2 divisions per day in open country - less in more questionable terrain.

What constitutes a Division is still going to be hashed out I suspect, the basic 2 brigades minimum or about 4 cavalry squadrons - 6 infantry battalions - 4 batteries (for a corps artillery 'support') are what my thinking is at the moment.  With a Corps simply being 2 or more formations of 'division' size combined (so yes it is possible to have an all cavalry corps - just as the French used historically).

The Campaign Series #25 also has some great notes sections about 'gaming out' the huge Leipzig campaign:

Participants will take the roles of army and, if sufficient players wish to take part, corps commanders.  The tactical unit will be the division, which will be assigned a points value prior to the game representing numerical strength, morale and training/experience in one Combat Value [here I plan to use GURPS Mass Combat].  Divisions will be regarded as marching/Maneuvering when moving out of contact with the enemy, when arriving on the battlefield, or executing a flank march, for example; Formed when stationary on the battlefield, out of contact with the enemy and able to march or deploy at short notice, as when held in reserve awaiting orders; Deployed when drawn up in battle formation for attack or defense; Engaged when in contact with the enemy, whether making or receiving a determined attack or merely skirmishing and feeding troops into the firing line; and Spent/Dispersed after having been Engaged for several hours, repulsed after making several unsuccessful attacks on a position, or driven off in disorder by an enemy attack.  Troops cannot Deploy easily or rapidly unless they are Formed, or March/Maneuver quickly from Deployed without first being formed, preventing the rapid reactions and redeployment so often seen in tabletop war-games, which take little or no account of the way bodies of troops had to change formation in reality.

~ p. 96, Campaign Series #25 : LEIPZIG 1813

So my plans revolve around handling the Divisions in the 'virtual' environment for their big moves across the map and then to have proxy battles engaged (and do a few myself - of course!) all over the world with reporting back about those battles coming into a single blog site - something newly setup most likely.

I am still recruiting for the army commanders and any and all tabletops that want to take on a piece of this gigantic action.  Email: viperbbb@gmail.com with your interests and ability to support games (or if you are not at all able and just want to take on the command role).