Rules & BWS

I have been writing up our games at Birmingham Wargames Society on this blog whilst other reports have appeared elsewhere. So BWS have a new blog site where we can consolidate our wargaming story - please follow the link if interested.

The intention is keep this blog for my attempt at creating the world of wine and cheese which I can hopefully (re) kick start over the forthcoming holiday period.

Firstly which rules:

As with many imagineers I started this project with the intention of using the seminal Charge! rules (Young & Lawford) that first revealed to me that playing with toy soldiers didn’t have to end with junior school. A joy just to read but also a simple, fun and subtle set of rules for horse foot and guns.

There is of course a “but” or two about to follow.

Firstly while I love the look of individually based figures it does lead to a lot of messing about. Unfortunately I do not have a permanent wargame space and need to get games over and packed away in less than three hours. I get the impression that the Brigadier may have spent a day or two over his games. Also I am using the lovely Zvezda plastics which even when based on thin steel have a propensity to fall over if the table is nudged.

So the figures are now based up in eights (a firing platoon in Charge). This, of course, leads to the predicament of removing individual figures which I have solved with the use of steel bases and magnetic sheet. Gluing the front rank down and having the second rank on magnetic sheet. Choosing the simple Old Wargames approach of painted bases this doesn’t present too much of an issue. In fact painting the bases the same colour as the wargames table (Wittenburg green) means that you can’t really tell they’re on bases at all. The steel bases do slide easily across the painted MDF too. This does mean that officers and Nco are included in the unit total.

However there is of course the issue of individual cavalry melees. These can be fun but big fights can take an inordinate amount of time. I have therefore decided on new cavalry melee rules based on the old Wargames Holiday Centre Marlburian rules published in a magazine in the early 90’s. Essentially throwing a dice per figure in the front rank and determining total hits from a predetermined number.

Another thing that gives me headaches is the half and halve again after some firing. So while I intend to keep the half casualties at long range I shall adopt the “save” on top half of the dice for targets requiring half effect such as cavalry. While this will balance out over a game it can give more varied results.

Then there is the issue of morale. While the rules as written have the morale built in with regards casualties lost, the use of the 50% rule (ie a unit is fine at 51% but not at 49%) does mean that the point at which a unit will withdraw can, sometimes, be easily judged. Also, following a melee the loser will withdraw, very civilized but I would prefer an option to rout too. Finally one point I don’t like is that a charge cannot be stopped by fire. It can lead to a situation where a cavalry charge on an infantry unit can take a lot of punishment going in and get well beaten in melee and still leave the infantry in a disordered state that has to withdraw. There are many examples of cavalry being stopped short by steady volleys.

So, I’m going to try out the following morale tests. Firstly for units whose losses exceed 50% a dice throw (following firing) less casualties taken above half the original unit strength, a resulting score of 0 or less means withdraw as per rules, a pass allows the unit to carry on. Secondly for units charging in a couple of dice thrown less casualties taken during the charge a resulting score of 0 or less means withdraw before contact. Finally a throw of one or two dice for the loser (one if understrength) less the difference in melee casualties: a resulting score of 0 or less means rout otherwise withdraw as per the rules.

Hopefully I’ll be able to give these a whirl over Christmas. Calls for port and stilton methinks.

Octobers military disasters

I keep trying to get my son interested in wargames but to little avail. Not as exciting as Call of Duty or whatever the latest Xbox fad is.

However to keep his dad happy he agreed a quick game of Crossfire which, I told him, needed the same sort of tactical skills as COD.



Unfortunately the battery gave up on the camera so only a couple of shots of the table before deployment.

A typical Crossfire set up with lots of terrain pieces to move between.

We played a simple scenario with Jack (my son) ordered to assault the village with a couple of Italian companies and HMGs. I held the village and surrounding woods with half the number of French. Jack quickly grasped the simple mechanisms of the game and, with pretty poor firing on my part, had quickly outflanked the French and charged in decisively.

In less than an hour the Italians held the village and the poor French were destroyed.

Perhaps I need to get my own Xbox .

I forgot my camera for my monthly game at Birmingham Wargames Society this month but no doubt there will be questions in parliament.

As commander of a large British and native force it should (in hindsight) have been relatively easy to get a wagon train across the veldt. With a couple of cannon and a gatling gun I naively assumed we could simply mow the Zulu hordes down. There were of course "farsands or 'em" but "we are British Old Chap".

The Zulu plan, I discovered, was to draw us into the valley.

However Blackpowder's command system meant that the British really didn't want to move. Bored waiting in the bush the Zulus attacked. The British sent out the cavalry to hold up the impis but even the lancers had little success. Out in the open there were just too many natives and we were over run.




Not an auspicious wargaming month. At least we live to fight another day.
I

Wake me up when September ends

Long time no post. Summer stuff has got in the way of drivelling on the blog but it's dark at 7:30 now. Winter drawers on? Not quite as it was 28c today. Ridiculous temperatures for October.

Anyway - yesterday we got out Songs of Drums and Shakoes again. We took the scenarios from the main book and supplement (the sensibly named More Drums and Shakoes) and had three fun games with only a few figures. The first scenarios was the Foraging Mission which gave Richard the opportunity to show of his rather dapper sheep. Having more players than expected we stretched the table to six feet by three and had four British squads attempting to run off the Johnny frog and steal the mutton.




Very out of focus redcoats look a bit arty in the woods.




A single French squad hold off the Brits from behind the fold.

The gunfire soon brings reinforcements from the nearby farm and a protracted struggle ensues around the stone walls.

Eventually however numbers tell and the French run away to the farmhouse leaving the redcoats with the meat.

Brimming with confidence Major Gray has no hesitation in following the retreating French ever hopeful of more supplies in the farm.

A wide stream stretches in front of the fenced farmyard. But only one bridge.

Of course the question is always asked "is the river fordable?". The scenario in the book suggests that it should not be but as this was a mulitplayer game the rule was that a soldier may attempt to cross but must throw a D6 to see if he got wet. 4,5,6 meant a successful crossing, 2 or 3 and that meant a slip and damp powder so no firing for the rest of the game. And a 1 would lead to the poor soldier being dragged down stream and drowned. So probably worth a try as we will see.





Two French squads take up positions in and around the farm with the bridge well covered.

Good activation brings a squad of rifles quickly onto the bridge and get a quick kill. Good start by the chosen men. Another British squad follow up in support while a third intend to make a quick dash over the stream to assault the lightly held farmyard.

I suspect Private Boursin smokes too much.

However the French light infantry taking advantage of their cover hold their own around the bridge and quite a few Brits hit the deck allowing the French to charge in.

The outflanking movement reaches the stream. The first brave soldier wades in and Richard shakes his dice with the wry comment "and now he drowns." Of course a 1! Undeterred the next figure takes off his boots and dips his toe.

1!

Another Brit floats face down.

It can't happen again - and doesn't. The third figure crosses the babbling brook.

Now for the fourth figure.

1

Oh dear!

It was about now I was struggling for breath - with laughter - for poor Richard had lost half his unit playing in the water and of course fails his morale.

On the bridge Major Gray leads a charge to break through but is brought down by a well aimed musket!

The rules suggest a game can be quick but this must be a record.

Scenario 3 Baggage Wagon

Wary that the Brits may come back the French load up the wagons and head off to the border.

All they have to is get the two wagons from one end of the table to the other. Given that no one else can be seen this shouldn't be a problem.

The wagons are allowed to move once every turn but the squads must activate as usual.



Due to poor activation the wagon starts to pull ahead from the guard.

The wagon train moves along the road unhindered for half a dozen moves but there is movement in the bushes and a crashing volley is delivered at point blank range.

Fortunately for the French it is Spanish guerillas hidden in the woods and there is no effect.

However at the head of the column the Spanish charge out and with odds of four to one manage to bring down sergeant Boursin.



All seems to be going well for the Spanish until a rash charge onto a wagon by Furia Roja himself leads to him being skewered on a French bayonet.

The resultant morale failure sees the guerillas scurry back to the woods and against all the odds two tired squads of Frenchmen make their wearyway towards the Pyrenees.

Through the streets

Song of Drums and Shako (cont)

The rules suggest that a game of SDS ought to last up to 45 minutes so I had hoped that in the five hours we normally have at the club would could get through 5 scenarios. However as the first game took us a couple of hours I decided to compress a couple of scenarios into one for the next game.

Having been pushed backs from the town walls the French fall back through the town. The standing orders in case of attack were to make for the church.

So in scenario two all the French have to do is get across the table. A table only three feet across. Of course success of the British assault has inspired the locals to retrieve their old guns, or recently captured muskets, from barns lofts or sheds and make trouble for the retreating French.


French squads enter the table and head for the comparative cover of the central park.

However the locals of San Antonio have a score to settle.

A number of partisans were set up in ambush using the simple mechanism of laying a couple of markers down one being a dummy and the other the actual figure. Activated at will by the Spanish player or when the French move close enough.


Xavi and Pepe await les bleus.

An interesting thing to note with most wargamers is that although the oblective is simply to get across the table as intact as possible the temptation to stand and fire is just too great. Despite the fact that the British are just a couple of moves behind!





A sharp firefight ensues around the central park. Luckily the gunfire brought a supporting squad to the aid of the beleaguered French. Very poor movement dice for the Rifles prevented the destruction of the retreating French and eventually most of them got across the board.

The final scenario of the day ( as that was all we had time for) was the assault on the churchyard.

The standing order for the French forces was too retreat and consolidate at the church if attacked.

One French squad was placed in the churchyard and all the (now) allies had to do was get in take the gold. Of course other French squads could appear down the side streets to join in the fight.




The church of San Antonio under assault by Spanish and British alike.

A bitter battle ensued despite snake eyes Bob (defending) living up to his name. Luckily he didn't have to move much. Again the greencoats seemed hesitant to get stuck in whilst the Spaniards suffered by their impetuosity (or lack of support).



Soon the French support began to arrive.




It wasn't long before the partisans' reckless charges led to too many casualties and they were forced to retreat. Whilst the original French defenders were also whittled down to nought the reinforcing squads proved too much for the attackers who had a foothold arund the gravestones but not in the church itself and the British were repulsed. Leaving the payroll chest intact but and with fewer to pay.

I think most of the players enjoyed the game and indeed further orders have been dispatched to Front Rank to bolster the ranks a little. It made a change from corps or divisional level battles. Fewer than sixty figures were used. The rules were simple but subtle and made for a fun game. With a little thought many scenarios can be devised to create mini campaigns. Brigadier Gerard and Sharpe may yet meet in a little Spanish village.

p.s.
I've now bought the Arthur and Merlin rules so watch you're back Jim, Adrianus of Pant Glas may ride again.

Once More into the Breach.....

The battered walls of San Antonio.



Song of Drums and Shakos is designed to be played by two players on a 3 foot square table (for 28mm). I wasn't sure how many players were going to turn up - but more than two anyway. So I took along the old sand covered boards; all of which were three feet deep but with various widths so we could choose what size when we set up. The rules suggest that the three feet deep table is used as routing figures with a bad morale throw are likely to exit rearwards. We decided on a five foot wide board for the six players that turned up. Each player got a squad each of 5,6 or 7 figures.

All the Britsh players had to do was get more of their figures on the town side of the wall than the French had. However the frogs began with more figures so some had to be disposed of.

Deploying first the French had to defend three breaches in the wall so were rather stretched. Sensibly Major Gray concentrated his forces on one breach and advanced without hesitation. Despite the victory condition the French squad furthest from the assault ventured beyond the wall to try to catch the British in the flank.

One of the nice subtleties of the game is the activation where one needs to equal or beat the Quality of the soldier on a dice One chooses to throw 1,2 or 3 dice to determine the number of actions allowed the soldier. The sting is that 2 fails means the end of activations allowed to the squad. Throwing one dice means that a fail is impossible but means that a) this leads to slow progress 2) some actions, such as reloading, require two passes.

Fortunately for the Red (and Green) coats the assault was made against the squad of "snake eyes Bob". I believe that chance of throwing double one is less that 3%. For Bob this seemed to have changed to 50%. Despite losing a couple of privates to long range fire the Brits advanced without further loss due to the nervous slow loading French and with accurate rifle fire and a bayonet charge routed Bob's French squad and had made their way into San Antonio.

Private Boursin mans the defences

Assault on San Antonio

Song of Drums and Shakos

January 1812 - the British march back into Spain and find themselves having to besiege a number of fortified towns and villages on their way. They have the manpower and siege train to do this but Marmont is moving westwards to meet them.

Much to the chagrin of Major Bull, having spent a day digging in a number of his artillery pieces behind some nicely improvised redoubts, the Duke sent new orders for him to rejoin the main force immediately to meet Marmont a few miles away. Only a couple of score shells had been lobbed onto San Antonio destroying half a dozen houses and knocking a few holes in the already ramshackle outer wall.

The Duke had quickly seen that little threat lay within San Antonio and no strategic import. A couple of companies of foot have been left behind under the command of Major Gray (bart) to keep an eye on the few remaining froggies. “May as well just leave ‘em to rot,” the Duke had said. “But don’t let ‘em out.”

However a prisoner, caught trying to escape the town, insists that the regiments pay chest is sitting under the altar of the church in the centre of the village. He also maintains that a number of partisans are roaming the streets cutting the throats of any bluecoats they find and searching for aforementioned strongbox.

Not only having lost his last decent mount to a broken leg but also a large amount of sovereigns to poor luck in whist game French gold does seem quite attractive to Major Gray. Obviously he couldn’t mount a major assault with both companies but a small party could break in and pinch a franc or two whilst the frogs are hiding under their beds from the partisans … and of course Bull had made a few holes in the wall already.

Scenario one: Once more into the breach...

With a hand picked bunch of the stony broke and desperate, Major Gray must lead his troops past the motley French guard and into the town.

The British win if they have more men on the town side of the wall than the French

Bases on the forlorn hope scenario in the rules.

In the rules figures are lost when they are killed, wounded or run away. Over the course of the scenarios the idea was that dead soldiers are lost forever, wounded may recover fully or recover with less ability or may die of wounds. The cowards would return sheepishly.

(more to follow).

Song of Drums and Shakos

May (and early June) sped past in a whirr of work. I've managed no figure painting for six weeks but I have put together a little Spanish village to fight Song Of Drums and Shakos over. I had a look at the resin buildings on the market and very nice they were too; and pricey. I figured that a nice size village would set me back at least £200.

A quick browse over t'internet led me to the lovely Kapiti Fusiliers site where the clever Roly Hermans showed me how to knock together a foam board village. (I recall similar from the sadly defunct Major Rederring).

So a quick trip to ye olde arte shoppe and for less than a tenner I got a couple of A2 size foamboards. I chose the more expensive black version so I wouldn't have to undercoat. A further visit to the local model train shop got me some splendid pantile roofs. For about £20 I made myself a village in about three weeks, probably 20 hours work. Being a fat fingered Klutz they're not as good as a purchased article but cheap and quick (there seems to be a theme recurring through this blog) and not too bad on the table. I also play with very nice people who are always complimentary.

Song of Drums and Shako are produced by Ganesha Games who produced mostly fantasy or futuristic small scale rules but have released some historical skirmish rules on the same game engine. If fantasy/sci fi players are going to convert to historical gaming I think this could be the way. Most of their rules are skirmish type games where each player has fewer then ten figures each. Based on a simple but subtle activation system with basic combat and morale it seemed right up our street.

The rules suggested that a game should take about 45 minutes so a mini "campaign" seemed in order. Or rather a series of scenarios like those computer game thingies the youngsters play these days.

The rules have a few scenario ideas so I started with these and added a bit of a twist. tbc