Rommel by Sam Mustafa

[fred.]

Very nice collection you have

Thanks chaps - does need a bit more basing and finishing off, as these photos show.

In true wargamer fashion I listened to Sam's podcast and immediately wondered if it could be converted to WW1

Me too.

But I am thinking of Market Garden at the minute - got the books out, looking at maps. Lots of bits of key action happen in the right sorts of areas to be covered by these rules.

[Fenton]

So many choices spring to mind. Though Arnhem even though I have played it multi player would be interesting

[toxicpixie]

Hmm, I was hoping for something a bit larger scale than 1km = 6", that's only one up from Spearhead (and not even that with the alternate ground scale!).

Still, company stands is a good plan? Or are they larger - battalion or similar?

[fred.]

Yes, company stands. The scale is down to the size of squares you go with. 6" is the default, and I think based around 15mm miniatures, I think a 1x2" base size is mentioned. If you have smaller figures/bases then you can use a smaller square size and get more geography on the table. I was toying with a 5" square, but it makes little difference on a 6x4' table.

[Nick the Lemming]

Yes, company stands. The scale is down to the size of squares you go with. 6" is the default, and I think based around 15mm miniatures, I think a 1x2" base size is mentioned. If you have smaller figures/bases then you can use a smaller square size and get more geography on the table. I was toying with a 5" square, but it makes little difference on a 6x4' table.

You can use whatever size squares you want; we've been using mostly 6" squares, whether with 15mm, 6mm or 3mm, but if you have a smaller table and smaller figure, you can cut that down to 3" or 4" squares if you wish. If you want to use 25mm, you could even go for 8" or bigger squares, as long as you have a bigger table.

You can certainly use smaller squares *and* a larger table if you want big epic battles, but you'd probably have to increase the forces used, and add some more game turns in, otherwise you run the risk of hardly getting into contact before the game ends. It will affect the scenario objectives too - more spread out, and the attacker is going to find it harder to take and hold specific sites; it's going to take longer to get off the other end of the table, that sort of thing, so you might have to tinker with other stuff too.   

[fred.]

What kind of size does the square need to be in relation to the figures - or probably more importantly the base size of the figures? Or how small a square can you go with before it gets very cramped.

I've been looking at D-Day beaches and they defaut 12x8km is a very interesting size. Any of the beaches easily fit in this size, along with most of the first day objectives. The two most interesting are Sword and Utah where you can get the beach and the airborne landings on the table.

[Nick the Lemming]

You can stack 3 bases at most in a square, so it depends on what basing you've used. The nice thing about using squares is that basing doesn't matter - you and your opponent can have completely different basing and still play Rommel.

[fred.]

Interesting point about different basing. I've just done some checking with my figures, and can get 3 bases into a 4" square quite easily. Which gives me 18x12km on a 6x4' table, and I can usually get another foot if needed so that would be 21x12km.

[Last Hussar]

My bases are 30mm square, 4 of them fit into a RUB hobby tray compartment, so I could do 3" squares, giving me 24x16.

Or use the 4 trays in a 9 l box as a battlefield on the move for a 6x10 minigame.

[KTravlos]

My main goal is to use this for 1939-1940. Especially the German Invasion of Poland , what ifs with Czechoslovakia, the German invasion of the Netherlands, France, and Belgium, the Italian-French mountain fighting, the Chaco War, the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War, the Thai-Vichy French War, and the Greek-Italian War. For me the tools to cover these will be the selling point. If Sam does not do it, then off to Bloody Big Battles WW2 mod. But past history of Sams work makes me hopeful.

[fred.]

The podcast mentions that it will be open system, with all the formula you need to create new units. I think it will cover 6 nations within the rule book, across all periods of the war, covering Africa, Europe and Russia. I think Sam has said that it will be expandable to other theatres - I think by players, rather than by him.

[toxicpixie]

Interesting point about different basing. I've just done some checking with my figures, and can get 3 bases into a 4" square quite easily. Which gives me 18x12km on a 6x4' table, and I can usually get another foot if needed so that would be 21x12km.

4" to the kilometre starts to grab my interest a bit more

As our WW2 is generally on 30mm bases that'd work out nicely with a bit of wiggle room...

[fred.]

With 30mm bases you could probably do 3" squares quite happily as you can deploy in a triangular formation within the square

Which gives a big area - my WWI stuff is on 30mm squares so this is quite interesting

[toxicpixie]

Yes, that'd work - would look like either one up, two back, or two up, one back battalion formations

Presumably with support companies a square back...

[fred.]

The podcast implies that support companies aren't directly represented- they are rolled into the infantry companies.

[toxicpixie]

Ah, using the command post grid to assign extra efforts and resources and assets around?

I suspect I'm thinking Spearhead style still, where your fighting battalions get divisional level assets assigned out by company to them...

[Ithoriel]

So, 25mm squares, 20mm square tokens stacked no more than 3 deep in a square and a 50km x 75km chunk of real estate?

[fred.]

I think you have just described a board game!

[Ithoriel]

I think you have just described a board game!

Listened to the podcast - clear as mud.

He keeps talking as though it's a tabletop wargame but every description sounds like a board game - colour me confused.

Sounds like it IS a board game to me.

[Last Hussar]

Can still be a wargame.  All grids do is regulate measurements, a bit like a tape.