Kreigspiel style blocks AAR

[Steve J]

Something that I'm trying out with wooden blocks that works for me, but won't be to everyones taste I'm sure. I've put up a simple AAR on my Blog:

http://wwiiwargaming.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/black-powder-kreigspiel.html

[Subedai]

Not my thing but interesting nonetheless. The idea of Lego sounds like a winner for the Kreigspielers amongst us.

[paulr]

Certainly a reasonable way to test rules, periods or forces...

[barbarian]

Or to have a fog of war.

[toxicpixie]

It's quick and easy but I bet Irregulars 2mm blocks are cheaper

Looks like a good game though and gets it on table quick as which can't be bad

[Steve J]

Certainly a reasonable way to test rules, periods or forces...

That's one of the reasons I went down this route. The blocks can be anything from Romans to Prussians, the pike blocks Greek Phalanxes to Great Northern War chaps. Very flexible and they cost me nothing as I made them at work .

Looks like a good game though and gets it on table quick as which can't be bad

Yep, damn quick to set up which these days gets a big thumbs up from me.

It's quick and easy but I bet Irregulars 2mm blocks are cheaper

I tried these but they never grabbed me visually. These blocks are the same footprint and height as my standard 10mm figure bases, so they give me the same feel of playing with figures, if that makes sense?

[Fenton]

We still play republique with wooden blocks with red for  British. Green for Russian etc.

[toxicpixie]

I've had some of te 2mm blocks on the table for a while (everything personal is a bit behind ATM as I try to crack thru Williamites!), and I think I got them where I want - each block is on a 20mm by 10mm base, with a little printed unit notation on the back corner and the rest flocked. Getting the label on is the time consuming bit, painting for "gaming standard" is about 90secs of work

I do like the look of the Kreigspiel though - I'd be tempted to knock up paper "maps" to use them on, so it looks and feels like a "command post exercise" and not "toy soldiers" as you say...

On another note my phone has "Thrud" as autocorrect for thru - obviously Apple employ Pale Stunty readers from the mid-eighties as dictionary wonks

[Hertsblue]

The original Kriegspiel was played on two tables in different rooms, one table for each side. Communication was by means of umpires, who only put on to the tables those troops they judged could be seen by their opponents. Not easy to replicate in the standard house or club-room, I guess, but very interesting (and frustrating!) to play.

[Steve J]

I'd be tempted to knock up paper "maps" to use them on, so it looks and feels like a "command post exercise" and not "toy soldiers" as you say...

That is one of my longterm plans, but with painted 6mm mdf boards and a map per side.

[barbarian]

Map can be easily arranged with a online printing service.

[Last Hussar]

As a kid I used LEGO blocks to try Napoleonics - every 6 studs got you a die, and you killed what ever you rolled.  Bit bloody!

[toxicpixie]

That sounds like a massacre, Last Hussar

Steve - that sounds a good plan... I was thinking something similar for the 2mm Irregular blocks, but really not sure how to do a C19th map of Nachod-Skalitz that's usable, looks good and is about the right scale!

[Steve J]

Steve - that sounds a good plan... I was thinking something similar for the 2mm Irregular blocks, but really not sure how to do a C19th map of Nachod-Skalitz that's usable, looks good and is about the right scale!

When I do get round to it I plan on using Bruce Weigle's maps as a guide. Hill contours will either be indicated by lines, or by lines and a different shade of green for each level. As his maps are gridded, they are quite easy to replicate at a scale suitable for whatever figures you use. BUAs can be painted on or some simple Monopoly style houses used instead.

Plenty of ideas I want to try and I may in fact do a small sample at work, given that I have a full spray shop at my disposal .

[Westmarcher]

This link has a few maps.

http://toofatlardies.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=8

Also, here's a couple of AARs on Nachod from Angus Konstam's Edinburgh Wargames site. And they're in 10mm too.

http://www.edinburghwargames.com/Journal%2079.htm     (scroll down to third report)

http://www.edinburghwargames.com/Journal%2077.htm     (scroll down to third and fifth reports)