Future plans, narrowing choices

 Several commenters have recommended picking a couple periods and rulesets and sticking to them for a while. This is probably a good idea!

• Central Africa skirmish campaign, to play with The Sword in Africa and my available figures (Zulu standing in for Masai etc, perhaps as the Ouazulu from the Major General's website). I'll just work my way through the TSIA scenarios, linking them loosely.
• 18th-Century freestyle Jacobite campaign, using the Stuart Asquith variant of Charge! with my Wofun figures. I have no idea where to start, though - what should the opening scenario be? I may try the Snakes and Ladders campaign from Grid Based Wargaming
• Picacho Pass skirmish scenario, to play with my local group around March or April, the 160th anniversary of the action. Two things are required - to hammer out appropriate rules and collect terrain. The former, likely Featherstonish, will be playtested if I can at work - anything that kids and teens can understand quickly should be suitable. The latter will be a brown tabletop, a ton of scatter aquarium terrain to hide behind, and a backdrop silhouette of Picacho Peak itself, with shelves for figures to stand on if they choose to climb it. Again, I can probably get away with building it at work, particularly since we're under construction and there is plenty of heavy cardboard free for the taking.
• Gaming with kids and teens at work - something of everything. Starting this week we are back to in-house programming, which is probably not the greatest idea in Florida, but the teen tech lab is already running and podcasting a Dungeons and Dragons campaign which I hope to sit in on. Anything in there will likely be fantasy, however; I am thinking of a jousting game using old Games Workshop rules and Paperboys knights, and the staff are eager to try Munchkin. With the younger kids it'll be weekly tabletop game nights, mostly family board games, but I may be able to get in Close Wars demos and simple RPGs. Both have been popular in the past.

So, two plans for solo-game campaigns at home (perhaps alternately?). A single small-skirmish club game. And things to try at work, though opportunities will have to be snatched - hence using the simplest rules I can hack. I'll still try other things in between; the Over the Hills solo RPG is appealing because I wouldn't have to "set down" too often, I still want to try De Bellis Navalis with my eraser ships, I might get in some remote RPGing, and I've almost forgotten about Glory:1861! But... (takes deep breath) ... I'll try to stick to the above for the majority of posts for a while. Thanks for reading.

Charge! compressed

 

Talking over Zoom with other gamers, I mentioned that I was looking for a version of Peter Young's 1967 classic Charge! that I'd found online. In 1981, it was reissued with modifications by Athena Books, edited by Stuart Asquith and Alan Cook. Several members of the group responded, and it turned out that two of them owned the rules! Graham Knight kindly offered to email me his transcription. It turns out they are related to a couple one-page sets found on Keith Flint's blog which he played with Asquith. (I tried them in a solo battle a few months ago). 

Inspired by some of Andy Callan's beginner scenarios included with various Paperboys books, I decided to start with four infantry battalions and one battery a side. In Asquith's version, infantry regiments number 32 men, while cavalry, engineers and light infantry number 18. I don't know if I'd set this in stone, as many of the Wofun Paperboys are available in five or six eight-man bases, and four six-man cavalry bases. For this runthrough, I kept each battalion at four bases of 32 men. Generals are also prescribed in the rules, but they don't actually play any role in the game (perhaps because of a lack of morale rules; see end of post), so I left them out.

Yet again, I fielded the Irish Brigade with Royal Ecossais alongside. I only have three "normal" French regiments so far in my Wofun collection (though I just ordered a couple more). They are up against the '45 British regiments. All moves and ranges are halved.

The field, with hill and a forest made from Peter Dennis' "crosstrees."

Left: Turn 1: Both sides move, French guns miss at 18". Right: Turn 2: Both sides move; British infantry pivot to give their battery clearance. It misses, but the French guns score a hit and kill two Highlanders.

Left: Turn 3: Further moves, no hits, lines diverging. Right: Turn 4: British realign. Still no hits.

British battery is at canister range, but has moved and failed to fire.

Turn 5: Lines not quite in long-range for musketry (3").
French gunners kill three more Highlanders.

 

British battery fires canister and kills seven of Roth's Regiment.
One base of British infantry also fires and kills two more.

It is only whilst examining this photos I realize some of the infantry bases are facing the wrong way. An occupational hazard with flats...!

Turn 6: Canister kills 8 more Irish, reducing them under half strength.

Would the charge go in? There aren't morale or break rules as such in Charge!, just reduced effectiveness once under half strength. Charges don't just stop, there's no "impetus" roll to push the attackers on. One possibility is if enough troops at the front are killed that the rest don't have the move to reach, but this wasn't so because they were in column. (That was deliberate, to get them through the killing-zone quicker!) I randomly decided they went in, so the guns are eliminated, but the unit must retreat next turn.

Left: Turn 6: Lots of volleys, even at half-casualties for long range, do a LOT of damage to both sides. Right: Turn 7: More carnage as the Irish retreat and Brits follow up. The Highlanders are reduced to half-strength as Roth's Regt skedaddle.

Turn 8: All four regiments on the left, both sides, are now understrength. Since they'd all have to retreat, leaving two guns and shot-up Ecossais facing a near-full-strength redcoat regiment, I think both would withdraw. The armies have battered each other to a standstill, but the French (briefly) carried the guns, so they have honours.

Casualties (out of 136 men a side):

Roth: 17. Dillon: 16. Bulkeley: 18. Ecossai: 13. 64 total.

Blue: 18. Yellow: 17. White: 6. Highlanders: 22. Guns: 8. 71 total.

A very bloody game, and no one even crossed bayonets!

Quick, easy, and fun, though. I remember why I loved these rules when I first read them all those years ago.

Three takeaways: 

• Play a proper scenario rather than a straight-up fight. The 1760 And All That blog suggests using One Hour Wargames by Neil Thomas. 
• Reduce the possible casualties from fire. Even long-range musketry is pretty powerful. The versions on Keith Flint's blog roll one die per two- or four-man stand, and on a 5 or 6 one opponent is hit (or a 6 at long range). This seems workable. Perhaps a die for every eight-man stand, and on a 1 or 2, that many enemy are hit?
• Modify the morale rules. At the least, a general joining an understrength unit should perhaps be able to keep it in the fight. Another possibility is a method from Charles S. Grant's War Game - morale fails on a 1 on a D6, with -1 to the roll for every 10% casualties.

Over the Hills to the Spanish Main

I recently read a Facebook review of Disaster on the Spanish Main by Craig S. Chapman, about the British attempt to capture Cartagena in 1741. I'm reading the ebook now with my Hoopla library account, and it's stoking my interest in the period. Since I haven't yet tried an "expedition" in my solo try of Over the Hills and Far Away (also set in the 1740s) I find it useful inspiration. So instead of rolling for the type of expedition, I'll choose it from the table - West Indies, Raid on an Enemy Island.

A historical point of this campaign is that it was the first large-scale deployment of American troops overseas. Some 3,600 colonials were enlisted for the campaign, and two relations of George Washington were present - his half-brother (an officer in the regiment) and his wife's uncle (captain of a ship). Because the regiment, including officers, was raised in the colonies, this could make for an interesting variant of Over the Hills, with less wealth and position. Other expedition members of future fame included Edward Boscawen and James Murray.

An unusual tactic is mentioned I haven't heard of before - Street Firing. This seems to be a version of move-and-fire tactics designed for 18th-century formations, and was used in close ground like cities. Even for healthy, fully-trained troops it looks a bit impracticable, and the British did not have those:

The night landing assault on the Varadero and Abanicos batteries by sailors and American marines on March 19, 1741 would be interesting fodder for a scenario, perhaps using the jungle-fighting rules in my last post. The rules in Over the Hills, however, replicate the stereotype of period warfare. Another possibility for a scenario, that I think I'll try, is a delaying action:

According to Google Maps, there is now a Burger King at the site.

I randomly decide when during the next six months of my "campaign" the expedition will start, and end up with the first month. That's not good. One month sea voyage each way. Let's make it two, given the actual delay. At least I haven't any improved skills to lose. In the actual campaign there was so much delay that a sizeable fraction of the force died or sickened before they made it to South America - in some cases before they even left port. The enemy is also assumed to be militia, of half to one-and-a-half the force's size, and given the actual events I'm inclined to lean towards the upper end of that range.

All four regiments go to sea. I assume that each (except mine) has improved somewhere - one each in Drill, Musketry and Effectiveness. The Drill is lost when I roll a one for retaining it after a month spent idling aboard ship. Like the original, this is not a well-planned expedition!

I haven't got any Spanish Paperboys yet - at present they're only available for 1809. But the Irish Brigade should work for antagonists in a pinch, as there was a Spanish one. Both sides were weakened by hunger and disease, but the Hispano-Irish might be dug in which should be a significant challenge for my eager rookies.

Left to right: Roth, Dillon and Bulkeley.

Facing them are three British regiments, reduced to three bases (6-7 companies) by disease and detachment to the Navy. In the event, the navy commander, Vernon, seemed to regard the troops as extra sailors and Marines, and refused to land most of them!

12th, 8th and 4th Regiments (4th at the right in the place of honour)

Now, I am assuming that the men have been on land for at least a month, trying to siege the place, which means I can roll for improved Effectiveness even when not in combat. The 4th Regiment (not mine) manages to improve theirs with a roll of 6. I'll also randomize the enemy - each gets to roll 3d6 and on a 6, will improve one of their stats. Everyone, being reduced to three bases by the stress of the campaign, has six or seven companies, randomly selected:

End result: Roth (7 companies, +1 Drill), Dillon (7 companies) and Bulkeley (6 companies, +1 Drill) face off against the 4th (+1 Effectiveness), 8th and 12th (all with 7 companies). My own regiment is the 8th.

Distance and movement are handwaved in these rules; the key to battle is impetus, and even musketry doesn't do much damage - its real effect is against morale. The troops start 18" apart, and I leave out the bombardment phase for this game. 

Left: The eastern approach to Cartagena. Right: A convent overlooking the beach.

The approach phase requires regiments to arrive at the opposing line in good order - their Effectiveness and Drill determine this.

Each regiment first rolls d6+Effectiveness - on all 7s we arrive at the Spanish line simultaneously for a Shock Bonus. Well, that ain't gonna happen because only one regiment even has any Effectiveness! (What were their Lordships thinking...?) Next, we roll D6+(Difference between opposing average Drill). So, D6 - .666, and we need, again, 7s. Guess we don't get a Shock bonus either. On to Close Assault!

The moment of decision.

Close Assault is basically walking through opposing Musketry and cannon fire. You'd think there'd be guns on the hill, but in the actual battle the American troops to the flank carried it, so it's just there.

But the Irish have no Musketry bonuses, so my lads take no serious casualties. Next, work out overall effect of Close Assault:

4th Regiment vs. Bulkeley: D10+1 for Colonel Conspicuously Leading and +1 for difference in Effectiveness, vs. D10 +2 for field defences + 1/2 difference in Drill (.5): 4th gets 7, Dillon 3.5.

8th Regiment vs. Dillon: D10+1 for Colonel leading vs. D10+2 for defences: I get 8, Bulkeley gets 12. (Ulp!)

12th Regiment vs. Roth: D10 (I randomly decided the Colonel doesn't want to get shot today) vs D10+2: totals of 5 vs. 9.

Conspicuous Leaders roll for risk, but I'm not sure what the roll would be. I'll try a D10, with 1 meaning severe injury. Not quite death, because this is an RPG after all...

Crap. I rolled a 1!

With -4 on the Combat Results Table, the 8th and 12th are "driven off," while the 4th forces Dillon out of their entrenchments. All regiments have taken two "TP" (not sure what this stands for, but appears to be a measure of exhaustion) and the 8th and 12th one Kill apiece (half a company in casualties). The Hiberno-Spanish take 2TP apiece.

We could attack again... but would we? Sir Quartus Smith, our Brigadier, has been victorious, but two of his regiments have had a bad morning and one colonel (me!) is down. We have signally failed to take the position.

I think we'll cut our losses and return to camp, thence to catch malaria, yellow jack, and dysentery while we rail at the unsupportive Navy who could have been bombarding those Spanish trenches!

For the heck of it, I'll roll on the Dark Heresy tables for location and nature of wound. I randomly choose Impact Damage to my Head, and roll 1d5 on the Crit table. 5! I am Stunned, Staggered, Fatigued, and have lost 1 point of Intelligence (which, given the typical average and maximum in Dark Heresy, is 2-3%.) Luckily, my officers lead me stumbling away, but I imagine my troops are demoralized by their CO's temporary inability to speak or remember their names. I'll let my Lieutenant-Colonel go ahead next time!

Another month is spent loitering painfully in the swamp, before we take ship and limp home. We've got no guts ('cos we're puking them up), and no glory either.

While it was largely Free-Kriegspiel, I feel this was a fair simulation of a poorly-managed 18th-century expedition. What do you think?

My Colonial Collection, Part 3: Central Africa

In addition to The African Wars, Chris Peers has also written a handful of interesting rulesets; I read his In the Heart of Africa decades ago when it was available on the Foundry website. I was alerted to the newer Death in the Dark Continent by Peter Dennis, the maker of Paperboys, who recently was inspired by Peers to create a new line of his beautiful paper figures. 

 

Heart of Africa is a skirmish game with a maximum of around sixty figures a side; Death in the Dark Continent has similarities but uses up to nine multi-bases per unit - perfect for Paperboys, of course. Both are focused on the era of exploration - ie, interfering European and American busybodies with, in Peers's words, "a mad obsession for lakes and the sources of rivers," and a bewildering mix of African tribes and Arabs who regarded these goings-on with bemusement and increasing alarm.

I first was introduced to this period by Larry Brom's classic The Sword and the Flame, 3rd edition, which includes a "reduced" variant called The Sword in Africa.

When I played Warhammer 40K, one of my favorite armies was the Catachan Jungle Fighters - basically WWII Australians with a touch of Vietnam movies. The 3rd-edition codexes for 40K were masterful examples of concision, compressing impressive amounts of backstory, pictures, rules and hobby ideas into 48 pages or less. Codex Catachan had a unique method of creating a jungle battlefield which I like to use even in non-40K games.

Basically, you place discrete features like hills, clearings and villages. Then you link them with trails. All the rest of the table is assumed to be jungle, and so long as you can tell where it starts there is no need to fill it with immovable tree models - just move the individual bits when figures must pass through them. There is also a useful mechanism for triggering ambushes and traps. I'll use this page to lay out the table for The Sword in Africa.

TSIA is basically a half-size variant of The Sword and the Flame - units number just ten men at maximum, with just half a dozen units a side in most scenarios. These figures (again, purchased from Ebay) are most of the available factions:

 

Left: Three dozen generic Askaris, such as those that accompanied explorers. Could also be Ruga Ruga?

Right: About forty Belgian Askaris.

Left: No idea. Tribal chiefs of some sort?

Right: About forty porters.

Left: Twenty German Schutzetruppe and two officers, though I'm not sure the African troops ever wore slouch hats.

Right: Fifty Zanzibaris.

The only faction I haven't got for this theater is, ironically, natives - Azande, Masai, etc. I'll probably proxy with Zulu.

10mm Paperboys, Terrain, and Decisions

 One of the reasons I struggle to choose a gaming period, scale, or even finish an army is that there are too many options! This week it's the fault of the incredibly prolific Peter Dennis, who is busy working on a series of 10mm figures and buildings.

The appeal of small (heh) armies is that I am limited in my solo games to a very small table. So far the armies available are French and Russian, a war which doesn't appeal much to me. This despite a family legend that our surname comes from a Bordeaux draftee who was left behind in Russia and married a nice Jewish girl. I'm an Anglophile, and my intro to historical gaming started with the Seven Years War, so I'm waiting on the Brits, Prussians and Austrians.

That won't stop me from using what's available so far, though...

Semi-flat buildings and "cross-trees" on a chessboard
of two-inch squares. If I use these for demos at work,
I'll have to cut the buildings down, as the one at the back.

These are designed specifically for Absolute Emperor, one of Osprey's "blue book" series of games. It's a game of massive battles in which a handful of bases represents an entire division. I'm more interested in smaller-scale, along the lines of Keith Flint's own Osprey rulesets Shadow of the Eagles and Honours of War. Or Junior General's generic but simple horse-and-musket rules.

When it comes to the figures, Peter recommends using something called "impact glue" to stick them to bases - edge on. I've had no success with that, so am trying the method used to assemble the "flat" buildings. This is to insert a tab of ground-colored paper before gluing the front-back sides together.

For those who haven't seen Paperboys assembled:

Paste a 20x30mm card to a 30x40mm paper.

Cut the corners off the paper.

Fold over and paste the paper to the card.

Stick the figure strips to the card.

I'm undecided about base size. Because I have such a small table, 30mm wide is about the maximum - but five or six bases mean only about eight regiments can fit in line. Three bases a regiment worked when I had casualty figures - which there are in this paper series... Of course I can use a gridded field with one base representing each unit, too.

Like I said, I struggle to choose.