Morris' Wargaming Escapades

Before the battle each side chooses 3 out of these 4 actions: scouting, maneuver, reorganization or propaganda.  The side that lost the last battle rolls one d6 in each chosen table. The side that won the last battle rolls one d8 in each chosen table. SCOUTING 8 May deploy after knowing the disposition of the enemy 7 May move one terrain piece (even a town) up to 3d6 inches 6 May deploy one unit in forward position (up to 2/3 of the table) 1-5 No effect MANEUVER 8 May have an extra unit in reserve coming from own baseline or flank  7 May have an extra unit in reserve coming from own baseline  6 May deploy one unit in ambush (hidden) 1-5 No effect REORGANIZATION 8 Upgrade one random infantry or cavalry unit to elite 7 Add a skirmish screen to one infantry unit 6 Local guide. One close-order infantry unit can move through rough terrain without penalty 1-5 No effect PROPAGANDA 8 If during the battle a Cavalry charge wipes out an enemy unit, regardless of the result of the...

This is the report of the first month of upheavals and the first decisive battle fought in the Peninsula. I'm using these rules: Campaign Rules: Domino Theory Campaign from No End in Sight (Ivan Sorensen). This campaign motor was intended for the Cold War, but it works perfectly for any conflict that has a strong ideological component like the Napoleonic Wars. It works on the basis of two tables. Each turn there are two random rolls, one in the Spread of Ideology table and another in the Spread of Order table . To these rolls a third is added depending on the outcome of that month's main battle. A very clever system by a designer notorious for rules such as Five Parsecs From Home. Tabletop rules: Simplicity in Practice by Neil Thomas (house rule: +2 for each melee factor, not +2 dice) Situation at the onset Simplified map of the Peninsula The numbers in each region represent Alignment. Positive numbers stand for Susceptibility to revolutionary ideals and the negative ones ...

 It has been discussed to exhaustion how these medieval rules were a crucial influence in the genesis of Dungeons & Dragons. This is not the purpose of this post. I will focus on its virtues strictly from a wargaming perspective as a mass battles ruleset.  Chainmail contains a variety of rules. I will only discuss point 1 in the following list: Medieval mass battles rules Siege rules. Man-to-man (skirmish) medieval Jousting rules Fantasy additions to mass battles rules and sieges It is history of gaming how Dave Arneson meshed 3 with 5, added  Hit Points and created the concept of RPGs. There is plenty of books and articles discussing this. On the contrary, I will highlight 3 sub-systems of the mass battles rules that I think deserve more attention. WEATHER  This table in my opinion is pure genius. So simple, dynamic and elegant. It can be overlaid into any ruleset. I would only add perhaps the possibility of mist (reduced visibility) in the cloudy table. O...

This will be a heresy both to Classic Traveller and B/X fans, but bear with me for a little while because it's just a fun reskin. STEP 1 . Roll a character using Classic Traveller Character generator as written. STEP 2 . Convert the characteristics of the rolled character to B/X in a straightforward manner: STR > STR +2 INT > INT +2 WIS > EDU +2 DEX > DEX +2 CON > END +2 CHR > SOC +2 The rolled skill levels become old-school Saving Throws Modifiers , to be used only in tight spots, after a string of bad decisions or really unfortunate outcomes. They are rolled when there is something critical on the line and everything is SNAFU. The base saving throw for an unskilled character is 10 (pure luck). Example: a Pilot-2 rolls against a Piloting Saving Throw of 8 in tight spots (10-2) . Ignore other B/X saving throws except against spells (becomes against psionics). Psionic characters use the spells from B/X. STEP 3 . Pick a Classic Traveller B/X class f...

I wanted to test a ruleset from the classic magazine The Courier called Showdown (n. 71, 1996). These Old West skirmish rules were designed by Samuel D. Campbell and, in short, they are amazing. More on how they work after the battlerep.   Father Morrison and Miss Brodie, the schoolmaster, flank one of the most 'advanced' pupils, Tress Hollister. They have rushed to the entrance arms in hand. The school is next to the ruins of and old hacienda This evening they sense something ominous out there Three ne'er-do-wells are near the grounds. 'Graybeard', 'Whitebeard' and 'The Deserter' Do they intend to drag the girls back to the darkness of Saloons? In this game I just control Tress Hollister. The other figures, friends and foes, are managed by the rules solo system Miss Brodie, though severely wounded, kills Graybeard. No one messes with her protegees.  Tress is behind cover, but she is rushed by The Deserter He fires point blank and wounds her Father ...

  Divide the terrain (and thus the mechanical opponent army) in 3 sectors (usually this will be right, centre and left). Draw a card for each sector and place them outside the mat, next to the opponent baseline as a reminder and guideline for its actions.      SPADES: Defensive posture, reorganize (fallback even), do not help adjacent sectors. Mnemonic: spades are used to dig-in. HEARTS: Defensive posture and, if needed, help adjacent sectors by transferring units there*. Mnemonic: these comrades-in-arms have a heart of gold. DIAMONDS: Probing posture, measured attack. Help an adjacent sector with attack orders if the attack is already underway there or more favorable than an attack in this sector. Else attack in this sector (precede the attack with attritional actions). Mnemonic: diamonds cut, but with precision. CLUBS: All-out attack in this sector. Mnemonic: use a heavy club to batter the enemy.  Each mechanical opponent turn roll a die: if a 6 is rolled, ch...

 * Get my Napoleon in Egypt Campaign going. I've got the campaign map hanged on the wall (see below) plus enough Wofun miniatures for the French, British, Mamelukes and the two Ottoman factions. What am I waiting for? The Directory is not happy with this delay in launching the expedition. Stop studying the map at the Topographical Bureau and get to sea!! * Paint enough  Black Powder Epic Battles  strips to have at least 9 units for the French and 9 for the British. * Consolidate all my house-rules for Simplicity in Practice in a document (I love this ruleset! Pure alchemy achieved by distillation by Neil Thomas). * Maybe? get into naval wargaming in the Napoleonic Era. I have been looking at old rulesets that appeared in MWAN such as As per Margin  by Aelred Glidden (MWAN 109), and the simple rules in Donald Featherstone's Naval War Games by the likes of Tony Bath. Also very tempted by the idea of converting the SPI boardgame Fighting Sail (1981) to t...