So the rules are not clear on this and it can’t be a draw said Jones. Smith: Well the rules say both players agree a method to resolve equal results when the rules give no more guidance.
Jones: How about a dice off then – say best of five?
Now Smith was unhappy – even his mate had a blog called “don’t throw a one Smithy”*, and Smith had been throwing poorly all night.
Jones: ok ready?
Smith: yes
Jones threw a 6, Smith a 1 – Jones goes 1 up
Smith throws a 5, Jones a 4 – its 1-1
Jones threw a 2, Smith a 6 (wow!) – Smith now goes 2-1 up!
Smith throws 1, Jones a 3 – its now 2-2
Jones threw a 2 – just dont throw a 1 Smith!
Smith throws a……………..
1……
Jones lets a faint smile trace across his face – his dice throwing had been appalling recently.
Jones wins 3-2.
Bad luck old chap says Jones. Throwing three ones – now thats really just bad luck.
Jones: Your Douro Grenadiers need to retreat 6 inches – better luck next time.
Smith: Muttering about the problem of probabilities Smith measured out the 6 inch retreat for his defeated Douro Grenadiers.
With apologies to Lawford and Young.
*There is a blog “don’t throw a one” https://onelover-ray.blogspot.com/ and it is really good – so go pay a visit – the latest blog post is on a LIVE wargame and with, no doubt, some poor dice throwing – maybe even three 1’s!
If you throw three ones in a row, when wargaming, its best to hum Eric Idles – “always look on the bright side of life” as the opposition will then admire your tenacity.
These figures are my take on Cacciatori, in this case the 5th Chasseur Battalion who squared up to Garibaldi in Sicily.
Two Neil Thomas skirmisher units set up for euro19th century rules.
You can see an illustration in the excellent Osprey 512 Armies of the Italian Unification 1848-1870
In Neil Thomas Euro 19th century rules the firing line remains static for line infantry – only columns can move on the table. But these two skirmisher units can fire and move in this format and also break into their standard two base arrangement.
The figures are unmodified World War 1 Belgians from Hat Miniatures.
It is interesting that uniforms were largely unchanged from the 1850’s until the first months of 1914 and the Great War. What did change were the weapons, belts and ammunition packs
The painting table rarely gets a look in on this blog. But when your paintbrushes have scarpered you can always rely on the paint table to be harbouring some unfinished treats
Here are some recent arrivals – no completion date though.
My pesky paintbrushes are still on their jollies, and they sent me a message saying they will be in isolation when they get back – the cheeky chappies!
Surely Campaigning without maps is an oxymoron? and when it comes to wargaming, maps are central to what defines wargame campaigns as opposed to say, endless rounds of competition encounter battles.
Well thats true. I have spent most of my wargaming life pursuing the mantra that the greater the detailed map the more satisfying the campaign.
Or so I thought.
I guess there have been numerous nudges away from that point of view when I think about it.
The thing is that I have applied the same abstraction that works for the field of battle to campaign maps. Out go measured marches and in comes the dreaded “outcome”. I suppose the test for some might be “does the end justify the means?” or why waste time getting a result that does not improve your hobby enjoyment.
Except “process” is what a lot of wargaming is and that means the process is the enjoyment in itself.
Moving pieces across a map at steady rates, checking the weather, accounting for ground conditions and working out where the enemy is are themselves a process to get to that almighty battle outcome – ok 6 units a side armed with One Hour Wargames – because you must go shopping or rearrange the cushions on the settee this afternoon for an evening watching the football/that latest box set/a comedy (delete /insert as appropriate).
It is not all about “outcomes ” because you could complete the abstraction and just toss a coin to find out who won that 5 year campaign you cannot seem to finish.
abstraction or the level of abstraction is often best considered in art – East Coast port image to be found in Hull Ferens Art Gallery.
It is about putting your effort into those parts of the process you most want to enjoy and sacrificing others through abstration to get you to those parts that matter.
And it is not that I don’t have any maps. I just use them in certain areas. I just don’t measure movement of forces “to scale” across them.
To my mind wargame rules came to the fore in the decades when scale paper maps became something to be purchased and valued – and used. People were taught eastings and northings and also how to fold a map. Remember some Generals fought their battles on the creases of the map in the pouring rain……..
Today you just flick the “app” tap a few virtual buttons and a high resolution image appears – is that my neighbours 3rd or 4th car – don’t remember it being that red – just how old is that image anyway…….sat navs beware……
For my Twins War in Fauxterre I have a narrative map.
And I do have a means of moving forces in Fauxterre – it is an abstraction.
So here is the abstraction for my Twins War in Fauxterre.
looks familiar…………..
I guess at a certain point – by the late 1990’s? the DBA wargame rules offered the most popular version of this diagram.
well used and enjoyedthe last page
By version 3.0 campaigns had been quietly dropped from the title along with the diagram.
Except NO! – the diagram had been replaced by a set of words in the giant hardback tome that is now DBA post 2014: Maybe a case of more becoming less?
ok so you get colour and royal purple(maybe mauve?) but the simple diagram has been discarded in favour of words
I suspect this diagram had in the meantime launched tens of thousands of wargames campaigns – ok maybe thats a bit excessive!
Well that’s it for now, I will explore the mechanisms that allow me to abstract the mapping activity in a way that balances my available time, the process, the outcome and most of all the enjoyment of solo wargame campaigns.
I will finish with some words from Donald Featherstone which are surprising given they are to be found in his book War Game Campaigns.
quite a statement in a book devoted to campaigning wargames! the one about the real meat of the hobby NOT austrian armies rolling over……………
That is the challenge – making table top battles part of a narrative or simply having continuity requires effort. Effort which is not available for gaming the battles or painting the troops. Take your pick or choose your abstraction.
I have revisited some grid based wargames rules I used with some success last year in my shieldwall battles.
This time they are dealing with post Napoleonic Warfare.
Rules: Table Top Battles now branded for GRID Wargaming by Mike Smith and I was using a 50mm grid style table just slightly bigger than the one used in the rules.
You will notice that I like asymmetrical forces wargaming which is essential if you are to enjoy solo campaigns.
Narrative: Zarland is in crisis with the succession challenged and neighbouring countries all seizing opportunities!
Davaria, located south west of Zarland, decide it is time apply some pressure and march on Zarland.
General Jacapo Guarnieri led a strong force to the border. Meanwhile the Regent dispatched General Jenthe Knees with a hastily gathered force to hold the river Plima. General Knees at least had the good fortune to discover the likely crossing point of the Davarians.
He bivouacked his troops around the village of Menas.
He had with him
4 units of Hussars
6 units of Infantry mostly untried militia
2 field guns
As the morning mist drifted off the river Plima General Knees viewed the arrival of the Davarians, who had been marching since just before dawn.
General Guarnieri had the following troops at his disposal. Many of his light troops were away foraging, sorting logistics and scouting. The irregulars were probably just sleeping under some trees!
4 regular infantry units
4 regular heavy cavalry units
4 field guns
General Knees ordered his Zarland cavalry forward to test the Davarian left wing marching against the north Menas bridge. He posted the rest of his forces on the defensive.
General Guarnieri ordered his troops forward to take both bridges and force a crossing. The river here was narrow but with steep banks, difficult to cross. The Davarians planned to keep their feet dry.
The Zarlanders on the right have put together a scratch force with many new or militia units. They are trying to hold the river and prevent the Davarian forces securing a crossing to exploit.The Zarland Hussars recklessly charge the enemy guns which are withdrawn. The success of the Zarland Hussars is shortlived as they encounter Davarian foot with some Davarian cavalry arriving on their flank.
Meanwhile the Zarland militia do well to repulse the Davarian Foot who try to rush the south Menas bridge.
Eventually the battle ends in stalemate at the south bridge as the Davarian Infantry can make no headway here. The north Menas bridge though is now exposed by the loss of the Zarland hussars who are driven off to the North West.
General Knees uses the cover of dusk to abandon his positions. The Davarian Commander General Guarnieri has secured his objective.
I used the standard rules plus elements of the solo rules section. The rules are a really useful halfway house for campaign battles where to set up a full game is not possible but dicing for a result is too blunt.
I have become a lot more amenable to grids – Peter Pig was my first enjoyable exposure (Rules for the common man) especially since I have simply never managed to like large hex wargames where I just feel its a blown up board game. Peter Pigs grids were almost invisible – excellent. Mike Smith’s grids are for me a happy compromise.
Summer is here and some fine weather is in prospect, following on a week or so of warm and sunny days.
So the paint brush gang have packed their bags and headed for the seaside or wherever paintbrushes go in holiday.
figures abandoned in the basing zone………. WW1 Belgians (posing as Neapolitan Chasseurs 1859) with ACW Union Infantry (posing as Bologna Volunteers 1859) and Austrians in kettel and short shako (posing as themselves 1848 – 1860)
That means the Painting Pedestal stands bare.
the painting pedestal – a study in “still life”
Hopefully the Painting Pedestal will return later this year. Meanwhile the Painting Table is crowded with a queue of figures pleading to be painted or have their bases finished off……..
These Irregular Miniatures metal 20mm British Infantry boast the mid 19th century fancy of the wide topped shako.These Warrior Miniatures metal 25mm Napoleonic Spanish are just started – in the distance some revolutionry chaps are awaiting their first colours – also from Warrior Miniatures.
Enjoy your Summer whatever the weather and whatever you do.
Last year was a “good growing” spring. This year it has not been so good. The sun shone, it was cold and warm and even hot. It was wet and dry. Maybe it was simply the temperatures were usually a few degrees down on average……
The sky was indeed very blue on some days – and cloudless. The object is no a UFO but a seagull (wings tight in) on its way to bomb a buzzard would you believe!
It was just last year the weather components came in the right order and this year they didn’t.
Still summer beckons – the male Bullfinch is one of Britains really impressively colourful birds – if you can get them close to you. The photo does not do justice to him.
You win some you lose some as they say – certainly the case with Spring 2021 so maybe that bullfinch will herald a nice summer.
Lets say goodbye to Spring 2021 with some lovely clouds.
A Northumberland vista
Alnmouth Beach in May is still a sight to behold if you catch a sunny day. And that was something we could not do in 2020.
Yorkshire has some “strade bianchi” in its Cleveland Hills.
The famous strade bianchi cycle race takes place in Tuscany around Sienna.
I like the grainy effect here – a welcome change from our now very pixilated world? is this how an “impressionist” might have painted this years races?
This years Giro d’Italia included a “strade bianchi” stage.
The Wargaming Erratic 