I have slowly started to look at some grid gaming set ups. My starting point has been that they would aid campaigns and to that end allow quicker solo games. I opted for two 3’x2′ boards which could then give me a 4’x3′ table which also figures in Neil Thomas rulesets.
As a bit of a test I used a Neil Thomas scenario from the C19th European Wars book (NT19e) – the Cristinos v Carlists, in my case Piedmont squared up to Austria.
I use 40mm square bases for my 19th century games and I have chosen a 50mm grid – i.e. no perfect fit of base to grid square. And for this test I used essentially formations from Neil Thomas NT19e. The exception being that my square 40×40 basing really distorts the column or line option choice.
The Wargaming Erratic 
12 replies on “Grids in progress”
Looks to me like this is going how you’d like! 🙂 I think the squares being bigger than the bases is a good idea.
I made up my own rules for HQs with Neil Thomas’ rules. An HQ counts as a single base of skirmishers. It can’t be fired at but it can be charged. ANY UNIT within 4in of the HQ (I think that’s probably 8cm in Neil’s rules since I halved everything and called it inches) can increase its movement rate by 50%, add 1 dice to its close combat effect (1 dice per unit, not per base) and increase its morale by one level.
I only allow the armies fighting to have one HQ each and that evens things out for both sides and I don’t always use HQs.
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I had a bit of a fling with grid wargames some years ago, based around Bob Cordery’s Portable Wargame. I tweaked things a bit but had some decent and quick games. But I just couldn’t go abstract or use anything but 1:1 scale.
Looks like you’re moving in the right direction. Looks nice too 🙂
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Interesting, I discovered grid games through Mike smith at solo wargames association early 2000’s, he published his rules and still does – for campaigns they looked really useful at the time but back then I was simply a measurement gamer. About the same time I encountered Peter pig and his RFCM grid game. Fast forward and only now have those two encounters germinated. I am still a measurement gamer but also I like variety! Formal grid does not work for me when playing ww2 – I like Peter pig style of big but faint grids holding multiple units if necessary- a bit like grids being the measurement tool and zone of influence rolled into one. But formal grid appeals to me for horse and musket. I think it is horses for courses!
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I confess I prefer a more realistic table, and measuring moves and shots, but as you say horses for courses, grids do make for a much faster ‘easier’ game.
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Agreed the visual wargame remains my favourite. It is when I get into campaigns short of using tabulated results or pure board game approach then grid gives you the option to play with the miniatures but have an easier and quicker game. I can appreciate the “style” of grid games. I am very much into art comparison – impressionist, cubism etc. compared to say a Gainsborough or Canaletto – each have their attractions. I guess we are lucky to have a hobby that is flexible unlike say golf!
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Absolutely!
There are so many aspects to the hobby, beyond rules, miniatures, scenery and model making. History (except Sci-Fi games) and “spin-offs”, the parallel interests which run along and sometimes overlap.
So do you play campaigns as the main event, with the smaller grid games as in effect combat resolution for the campaign game? Or is the grid game the main event, with the campaign providing the backdrop and the source and starting conditions for the game? It sounds like the former from what you say above
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I came to wargaming via history and books that were about wargaming more than just a single battle. So all types of board gaming I also enjoyed but were not actually my way into the hobby. Campaigns therefore are my default and even more so as I play solo. Campaign gaming tends to be a flow and table top action is often not possible at the right moment so campaigners tend find out results by other means – even draw a card or throw a dice. Intermediate is things like kingmaker medieval board game – three blocks versus three blocks fight off instead of a card draw in the main game. That leads to say the currently popular portable wargame approach and then inevitably grids. My other avenues for ancient wargames was table top games who published very small unit cards to scale – a miniature wargame on a 300 mm square battlefield complete with dice/measuring etc. but no figures which I followed by taking on DBA with figures in 12 element bases per side – very quick resolution (abstract) on 600 mm square board. The campaign rules the roost and grid is a method. Except that once I started this blog in 2019 and got into mid 19th century warfare I became preoccupied with painting units not armies and not very quick either. Grid games have given me a further benefit of playing games with single base units – and it makes sense. So until I have built up my table top forces for measuring games on 6×4 grids are a great compromise! Hope that makes sense and thanks for the question 👍
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Sure does. Not your standard way into the hobby then.
I saw someone’s photos of a GW Epic game in the early 1990’s with Eldar titans and decided I had to have a go at that. And it kinda spiralled out of control since 🙂
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I settled on 12cm grids for NQM holding four or so units for WW2 after having painted my game board up with a 15cm grid! It seems that my experience is not uncommon! Happily, the game is scale and base size agnostic!
I still prefer measurement games with intentions declared, though, i.e “This unit is intended to be in/out of rifle range.”
Regards, Chris.
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Thanks Chris, I assumed larger grids would help in mechanised era? I suppose the intended abstraction might affect this? I have always been attracted to Peter pig limited forces for 1/72 even though he uses 15mm and felt bigger forces would be best played at say 1/300 and beyond – a friend used to play against me with his Cold War forces with heroics and ros years ago?, which I enjoyed the concept of but it taught me that I like to see the figures and vehicles on the tabletop – that combination of being a modeller and a gamer which requires compromise 😀
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You should take at look at Age of Penda by Dan Mersey. It uses grids and is a nice set of rules with some great ideas, such as the Tactics chart.
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Thanks verytallian I will have a look.
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