What was the last rules set you played 2020

Started by paulr, 01 January 2020, 08:51:13 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Last Hussar

I did take part on a "reveal as you go" game 30 years ago, but that was on a table.  Sunjester was getting less info than that, I restricted the camera to what he could see as much as I could. It did mean that he did a lot of running around, rather than wait for reports back.  Also I had the Section Leaders act on their own initiative, Lance Corporals shifting Bren fire without instruction if target presented, etc. Of course the fact that he relied on just two runners for communications out side shouting/waving range wasn't helping.

I look forward to any comments he has.

The SH games sounds like a kriegspiel set up. I have run games on 1:50000 maps, with the umpires communicating by radios with the teams in real time. That is hard work. You need two umpires per team, plus an overseer
I have neither the time or the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

GNU PTerry

pierre the shy

Quote from: paulr on 28 April 2020, 08:25:15 PM

I can't say too much about how it is going as there is at least one player on the 'other side' on this forum...  :-h

neither can I  ;)
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
we are not now that strength which in old days
moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.

Last Hussar

So what are you doing - Umpire has the gaming table, but players just have maps and messages back?
I have neither the time or the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

GNU PTerry

Orcs

Quote from: Last Hussar on 28 April 2020, 09:10:52 PM
I did take part on a "reveal as you go" game 30 years ago,

So did I about 16 years ago, got me into lots of trouble. :d

The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -Mencken, H. L.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson

Last Hussar

I have neither the time or the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

GNU PTerry

Orcs

The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -Mencken, H. L.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson

paulr

Quote from: Last Hussar on 28 April 2020, 10:02:33 PM
So what are you doing - Umpire has the gaming table, but players just have maps and messages back?

Pretty much, we also got pictures of the table before we started

To add a further layer of confusion the umpire emails reports to the players who then email a 'summary' to the Brigade commander
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

Steve J

1) What ruleset do you use in your last game? - BKCII with BKCIV add-ons
2) What armies were confronted? - British vs Italians, Italy 1943
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - Very
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - No, been playing them since they were published.
5) How many players were in the game? - Solo
6) What went well? - Two games played recently as part of a mini-campaign, with both scenarios giving a good and plausible outcome.
7) What could have been improved? - Not a lot really as both sides had their fair share of good and bad luck, opportunities to win etc.

FierceKitty

19 May 2020, 11:38:26 AM #113 Last Edit: 19 May 2020, 11:41:25 AM by FierceKitty
1) What ruleset do you use in your last game? - IACTA ALEA EST1
2) What armies were confronted? - Athenians vs Spartans; e-game, with Lee and me umpiring
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - Very
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - No, been playing them since they were published.
5) How many players were in the game? - 2, with two auxilliaries
6) What went well? - Sensible moves on both sides.
7) What could have been improved? - Spartans had rotten luck in melees they needed to win. They then rolled a 1 for army morale in response to their losses. Both sides could have greatly improved their performance at key moments if they'd paid attention to what they were allowed to do (esp. deeper formations in a hoplite shoving contest).
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

Last Hussar

1) What ruleset do you use in your last game? - Blucher
2) What armies were confronted? - French and Russian
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - Yes
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - Yes - solo learning game
5) How many players were in the game? - Me, running round the table
6) What went well? - Pretty much all of it.  I feel I picked the rules up well, though obviously a number of leafing through the book to check things.  Sam has a pretty good writing and layout style.  Also used the Spreadsheet I've written to allow the use of the 'Unknown Momentum' central to the order system - Thinking of calling it 'Clausewitz' in the style of the Rules aids in the book
7) What could have been improved? - The normal things with a new rule set, especially the multiple unit combat - the only part of the rules that isn't clear - the examples appear to contradict the text; the examples are solid, but the text implies, so I went with the examples.  It would also have been quicker with 2 players.

If anybody plays - what do you do? the defender roll matched up individually with each attacker roll, or combine all the attacker rolls?

It was a basic 300 pt. game, with the Russians having 5 infantry Corp and 2 Cavalry (1 heavy, 1 light). The infantry had a mixed Guard/Grenadier corps with cuirassiers, and a Conscript corps, while the French 3 infantry, the Imperial Guard, and one large corps of cavalry of 3 light and 2 heavy.

The Russians (shall we assume commanded by Bagration?) attempted to break both flanks, and were coming off better, while on the other flank (right/ north-east) the Guards and Grenadiers wore down one corps and were working to encircle the Allied corps (Possibly Italian) that was the 2nd line there.  In response Napoleon threw a corps against the village in the middle, driving out the defenders, and the Guard against the centre.

The battle developed into 2 separate engagements, forming a V shape as the Russians moved round the flanks, and the Garde pushed through the middle, most of them swinging south to destroy III corps.

With the cavalry pushing back their French counterparts round the woods a quarter of the field up from the southern edge, Bagration was confident to move reserves II Corps towards the centre, where the Guard and 3 corps found themselves facing south against the fresh troops, with the Conscript IV corps moving to support those to the east

'Napoleon' had a dilemma: The break limits were 9 for the Russians, and 7 for the French, and although the Russians were losing more units (7-3), the French ones were becoming more Fragile.  On Turn 20, when Routs stood at 8-4, 4 French units were voluntarily retired from the fields as they only had 1 elan left, and leaving them on the field was inviting them to be attacked - a unit in close combat will lose at least 1 elan, no matter what the combat outcome.

In what was either a characteristically bold stroke, or an act of desperation, Napoleon took command of the Italians, and a brigade of Old Guard, and threw them into the Grenadiers and guards in the north - ignoring the bulk of his army that had swung from facing east to facing south over the afternoon and now over  mile away from their left flank.

The repeated attacks had obviously worn the Astrakhan Grenadier - they scored just 1 defence success, and while the Italians were happy to sit there and watch the guard - they only scored 1 - the Grognards charged like it was their first assault, not the 3rd or 4th, sweeping the Russians away. This 9th loss caused the army breakpoint to be reached, ending the game.

If this was not just a one off game, Napoleon would have been in trouble.  Of the 21 units the French started with 4 were routed, and 4 retired, including a brigade of the Young Guard, his cavalry shattered, and the Guard worn down.  The Russians lost 9, with 2 retired, from 26 units. The conscripts were still fresh, and III corps  in pretty good state. Many Russian cavalry were severely depleted, but there was enough left to cause worries for French infantry.

On the balance the French won but broke their army to do so. The Russians had more than enough to retire and reorganise unmolested.
I have neither the time or the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

GNU PTerry

paulr

Quote from: Last Hussar on 23 May 2020, 04:10:25 PM
...
It was a basic 300 pt. game, with the Russians having 5 infantry Corp and 2 Cavalry (1 heavy, 1 light)...
:o :o :o I knew Blucher was a large scale game, but

Quote from: Last Hussar on 23 May 2020, 04:10:25 PM
...
In what was either a characteristically bold stroke, or an act of desperation,...This 9th loss caused the army breakpoint to be reached, ending the game...
He won, the edits above apply :D
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

Last Hussar

A unit is 2-3000 men, and a "base width'" (actually a unit width if not using 1 base a unit) is approx 350 yards (8BW is a mile in the rules). Most standard line are 10-14 points, with 6-10 in a corps. There's no formations, just facing, and infantry can become "prepared", which means they do not have flanks, and don't suffer disadvantage against cavalry.

If you want to convert large or smaller historical battles scales of 3-5000 and 1200-2000 men per unit are given.
Wagram at Grand Scale is 42 Austrian units.

So yeah, I think you could call it large scale!
I have neither the time or the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

GNU PTerry

Duke Speedy of Leighton

1) What ruleset do you use in your last game? - Naval Thunder
2) What armies navies were confronted? - Kreigsmarine and Royal Navy
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - yes, not played in a while, but it was fine.
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - nope
5) How many players were in the game? - two, one in Kent, one in Bedfordshire
6) What went well? - WhatsApp gaming in the garden.
7) What could have been improved? - my opponent blowing up HMS Exeter on his second critical roll! 1/100 chance.

A pyrric victory for the Royal Navy as a heavily damaged HMNZ Achilles (down to 2 damage points) and HMS Ajax (untouched) sink Graf Spee within a nautical mile of the spot HMS Exeter catastrophically self immolated, someone left the magazine hatch open...
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

paulr

1) What ruleset did you use in your last game? - General Quarters I/II
2) What armies navies were confronted? - Kreigsmarine and Royal Navy
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - yes, not played in a while
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - not by a long way
5) How many players were in the game? - four, appropriately socially distanced
6) What went well? - the gunnery of the German battle squadron
7) What could have been improved? - the rest of the gunnery

It was a 'throw some battleships on the table' game for a bit of fun and Pierre the Shy's scenario was enjoyed by all

A tactical German victory with one British light cruiser and one destroyer sunk to no Germans sunk. Several other ships were significantly damaged
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

paulr

1) What ruleset did you use in your last game? - DBA 3.0
2) What armies were confronted? - Polybian Roman & Syracuse v Carthaginian & Celtiberian
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - yes, not played in a while
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - not by a long way
5) How many players were in the game? - three, appropriately socially distanced
6) What went well? - a very balanced game with both sides feeling they were in with a good chance and quite a bit of to & fro
7) What could have been improved? - the dice rolling for Syracuse & the Romans

This was the debut of my Punic War - DBA project and all were pleased with the result

Deployment

On the right Carthaginian 1, Carthaginian 2, Celtiberian with the camps behind them
On the left Syracuse, Roman 2, Roman 1 with the camps behind them

Carthaginian centre

Spear, Warband, Elephants (supported by Psiloi), Auxilia advance across a ploughed area which turned out to be no impediment to movement
Opposing them are a mixed line of Roman blades, spear and allied auxilia

Clash in the centre and right

Mixed results in the centre, on the right the Celtiberian fast blade have been repulsed from the hill but their caetrati are overwhelming the outnumbered velites in the wood

We played many more turns but I won't bore you with the other 19 pictures

The Romans concede

An overview of the confused fighting

Left

With the loss of a third of their troops the remaining Syracuse forces are about to flee

Centre

The Romans have assembled a second line but the loss of their first line has left them close to breaking and the Carthaginians have managed to fight off the attacks on both of their flanks

Right

The caetrati have cleared the wood of velites and the fast blades have a foothold on the hill
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!