Morris' Wargaming Escapades

 My Christmas game used Simplicity in practice by Neil Thomas on a 2'x2' mat. Rules mostly as written and two Wofun bases per unit (6 cm wide). A new houserule I used is that if a unit is firing uphill, the target gets to save as if in cover. I got this modifier from an old ACW ruleset called Whipping Bobby Lee (1990), and I think it makes sense given the ballistics of musket and cannon fire. It also encourages taking positions on heights. Nevertheless, it is uncommon to find this modifier in rulesets.

Today I played a game of 1814: Empire's End , a 2p wargame designed by Eric Walters. During his career in the army,  the designer applied conflict simulation as a teaching tool in the Marine Corps and the Joint Advanced Warfighting Division within the Institute for Defense Analyses. You can read an interview about this approach HERE . This accumulated experience tells in the game. The rules are very simple (it takes 15 mins. to learn them), but conceptually and without unnecessary die-rolls they show a deep understanding of the important factors in Napoleonic warfare: supply lines. stragglers, forced marches, bypassing fortresses when time is a factor, etc.. In short, with just 16 counters and a letter size map, it is one of the most elegant designs about the period one can play. As a bonus, admirers of Napoleon's strategical brilliance playing the french side get to unleash his characteristic one-two punch-and-move maneuvers.             ...