Smooth & Rifled by Dadi & Piombo!

Here's a preview of the New Italian Version of Smooth & Rifled  a Skirmish Wargames rules set that will be released in around 1 week. The English Version is about ready and is planned to be released before X-Mas!

http://smooth-and-rifled.blogspot.com/

1809: Blunders on the Danube Scenario Book for Field of Battle by Piquet!

Published:  December, 2011
Available from: Piquet, Inc.

Cost: $35 US; 122 pages. Maps in full color

1) Sacile: April 16. Prince Eugene's first battle, where he was defeated by Archduke John. *

2) Raszyn: April 19 Poniatowski's Polish troops, with Saxon allies, try to delay Archduke Ferdinand's advance on Warsaw. *

3) Teugen Hausen: April 19 Davout's 3^rd Corps advancing from Ratisbon must defeat Hohenzollern's Austrian III Corps to reunite with the main army and avoid destruction by Archduke Charles *

4) Abensberg: April 20. The Emperor Napoleon arrives in Bavaria, and the momentum shifts decisively to the French and their allies! *

5) Eggmuhl: April 22 Napoleon attempts to trap the retreating Austrians against the Danube. The Austrian rearguard must delay the French , and then make good their own escape. *

6) Neumarkt; April 24 Austrian general Hiller turns at bay and chastises the pursuing French and Bavarians under Marshal Bessieres. *

7) Grochow: April 25 Prince Poniatowski leads his Poles on a raid across the Vistula upon the Advanced Guard Division of Austrian General von Mohr.

8) Ebelsberg: May 3 Massena's troops attempts to destroy the Austrians of Hiller's command before they can retreat across the River Traun. *

9) Battle on the Piave: May 8 Prince Eugene surprises Archduke John by making a bold crossing of the rapidly rising River Piave.

           10) Tarvis: May 17 Prince Eugene and the Army of Italy come across the weak Austrian VII corps under Albert Gyulai. Despite their strong position, the Austrians are swept from the field. *

11) Aspern-Essling Day 1: May 21 Overconfidence and reliance upon a rickety bridge leave the French fighting for their lives along the Danube. *

12) Aspern-Essling Day 2: May 22 Unable to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, Napoleon is ultimately forced to retreat back across the Danube.

13) Gospic: May 21-22 Marshal Marmont attempts to chase the Austrians out of Croatia.

14) St. Michael: May 25 Johann Jellacic's Division is under orders to withdraw from Styria, but Eugene catches up with him and goes immediately to the attack!

15) 2^nd Battle of Bergisel: May 29 Tyrolean Rebels, including Andreas Hoffer, harass Deroy's Bavarian Division near Innsbruck.

16) Klagenfurt: June 6 Chasteler's command must withdraw from the Tyrol. They and their baggage must pass by the walled town of Klagenfurt. French GD Rusca isn't planning to make it easy for them!

17) Raab: June 14 Prince Eugene faces Archduke John for the third time. With his army filled with large numbers of the untested Hungarian Insurrectio, John holds a strong defensive position. *

18) Graz: June 26 “Une contra Dix”; Ignaz Gyulai attempts to destroy the isolated 84e Ligne; the result is one of the most celebrated feats of arms by the French Infantry. *

19) Wagram: July 6 Napoleon and the Archduke Charles square off in what is the largest battle in the history of Europe to that point. *

20)Wagram: Davout’s Attack The action on the French Right Flank.

21) Wagram: Rumble on the Russbach The central portion of the battle along the Russbach stream.

22) Wagram: Crisis on the French Left Massena and Bernadotte attempt to stem the initial Austrian attack... without using up too many of the French reserves!

23) Znaim: July 11 The French catch up with the retreating Austrians, and battle is joined while peace negotiations proceed apace even as brave men on both sides fight and die. *

 

This book contains 23 scenarios for use with Brent Oman's Horse and Musket era rules, Field of Battle, by Piquet.     *  = report of this battle can be found elsewhere on this blog

http://blundersonthedanube.blogspot.com/p/1809-scenarios.html

And can be ordered here;

http://www.piquet.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=30

Italian Edition of Drums and Shakos: Large Battles Available in PDF Format

The English version will be with the editor soon - and as soon as we get it back from him, we'll make it available. Many thanks to all the valiant playtesters who have played the rules during the very long (over three years in the making!) design process.

42 full-color pages, it includes four scenarios. Any scale, any basing system, divisional level (with an appendix to play it at corps level).

The download includes an ink-saving version. $8 USD PDF. More details when the English version is available.

 http://www.ganeshagames.net/product_info.php?cPath=1_7&products_id=164

---

Il regolamento per grandi battaglie napoleoniche Drums and Shakos: Large Battles, scritto da Sergio Laliscia, è disponibile sul nostro sito in PDF. La versione cartacea sarà disponibile tra pochi giorni. 

Drums & Shakos: Large Battles è un regolamento per battaglie Napoleoniche nel quale ogni giocatore comanda una Divisione di due o tre Brigate.

Concepito per essere portato a compimento in meno di tre ore, con meccaniche che richiedono continue scelte tattiche da parte di entrambi i contendenti, Drums & Shakos: Large Battles premia la corretta amministrazione delle riserve, il giusto piazzamento dell'artiglieria ed un uso storico della cavalleria. 

Manovra i tuoi Battaglioni e Reggimenti, reagisci alle azioni del tuo avversario e sferra l'attacco decisivo al momento opportuno! La Vittoria, a volte, è solo pochi metri davanti a te…

L'innovativo sistema di combattimento riproduce sia l'Approccio al nemico sia il successivo Contatto. Sistema di misurazione facile ed intuitivo, minimo di segnalini e nessuna necessità di bookkeeping.

Condizioni di vittoria chiare ed efficaci, basate sulle perdite inflitte e sulla penetrazione nel territorio nemico. Possibilità di reazione nell'iniziativa avversaria: nessun giocatore è mai inattivo.

Quattro Scenari inclusi, con un'Appendice per giocare scontri a livello di Corpo d'Armata o di Esercito. Giocabile in ogni scala, dai 6 ai 28 mm. Liste divisionali standard per le Nazioni Maggiori del periodo (Austria, Francia, Inghilterra, Prussia, Russia e Spagna). Semplici regole per ricreare ogni tipo di battaglia storica.

42 pagine a colori più copertine. Inclusa anche una versione "risparmia inchiostro" per chi stampa il manuale a casa.

New Rules set! "Field of Glory Napoleonic"

From OSPREY & Slitherine Publishing comes;

Osprey Publishing, Limited, Mar 20, 2012 - 212 pages

Field of Glory Napoleonic is being designed in an approachable and easy-to-learn manner to allow players to concentrate on realistic deployments and battlefield tactics of the early modern era. Our aim is to capture the atmosphere of battles ranging from the early wars of the French Republic through the rise of Bonaparte and the Grande Armee, to the Empire's last stand at Waterloo. This period is an ever-popular gaming period, and wargamers enjoy playing both historical battles and 'what-if' scenarios. FOGN will cater for both types of player, with a full point system allowing theoretical battles between balanced armies to be played out, as well as accommodating factual scenarios. The rulebook will maintain the same production values as previous FOG and FOGR releases and will be designed both to explain the game and be a reference guide when playing. To make the rules easier to follow, we will include examples, detailed descriptions and explanations of unusual situations in a similar way to our Ancients and Renaissance rulebooks.

About the author (2012)

Written by Slitherine, one of the top wargaminig companies in the country Alistair McCluskey is a serving officer in the British Army. He has served in the UK, Germany, Northern Ireland and Bosnia. He gained his MA at King's College, London. His interests include military history, particularly the Roman Army and World War 1, and Sunderland Football Club. The author lives in Aldershot, UK.

Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as "Look and Learn" he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects.Peter Dennis lives in Nottinghamshire, UK.

About this book;

Field of Glory Napoleonic is written in an approachable and easy-to-learn manner to allow players to concentrate on realistic deployments and battlefield tactics of the early modern era. FOGN will cater for both types of player, with a full point system allowing theoretical battles between balanced armies to be played out, as well as accommodating factual scenarios. The rulebook will maintain the same production values as previous FOG and FOGR releases and will be designed both to explain the game and be a reference guide when playing. To make the rules easier to follow, we will include examples, detailed descriptions and explanations of unusual situations in a similar way to our Ancients and Renaissance rulebooks.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Basics
• Battle Groups
• Command & Control
• Playing
• Movement Rules
• Impact Phase
• Manoeuvre Phase
• Shooting Phase
• Melee phase
• The Combat Mechanism
• Joint Action Phase
• Battle Group Deterioration
• Victory & Defeat
• Special Features
• App 1: Scales, Base Sizes & Detailed Troop Types
• App 2:Terrain, Visibility & Disorder Effects
• App 3:Terms
• App 4: Full Set Up Rules
• App 5: Army Composition & the Points System
• App 6: Choosing, Painting & Using Your Army
• App 7: Examples of Unusual Situations
• App 8: Full Turn Sequence
• Index
• Reference Sheets

Hardback; March 2012; 148 pages; ISBN: 9781849089265

http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/Field-of-Glory-Napoleonic_9781849089265


I did an extensive review on FOG for wargamer.com (go to

http://www.blogger.com/goog_497910093http://wargamer.com/article/%202609/miniatures-game-review-field-of-glory

if you want to read it), and I'm not sure it will do all that well. FOG is about EMPIRE level on the complexity scale and absolutely made for tournament play. I THINK its a low level tactical game, but given it has neither a ground or time scale that might be incorrect.
I don't see folks doing Wagram with this set of rules.

Warmest regards,
/// BILL ///
Wilbur E Gray
Colonel, US Army (Ret)
AOE, PSS, HMGS WFG+

Winds of Empire: Napoleonic Scenario Book I Just Released!



Winds Of Empire: Corps Command Scenario Book I — Complete Scenarios for use with Corps Command or any other divisional/brigade-level Napoleonic rules.

Battles Include:

Russian Campaign—Valutina Gora 1812
Spanish Campaign—Valls 1809
Spanish Campaign—Medina Rio Seco 1808
Vendean Revolt—Saumur 1793
Austrian Campaign—Dance on the Danube Mini-Campaign 1809
Italian Campaign—Novi 1799

Can be used with any scale, and no rebasing needed. Command at the divisional level, with smallest unit a battalion.

Corps Command, now in its 3rd Edition, enables the player to command brigades and divisions around the Napoleonic world. With the smallest formation being a battalion for infantry of twelve figures, it allows for large battles to be fought within three to four hours, and have a decision without sacrificing the feel of playing the period.

Visit the CORPSCOMMAND Yahoo! Group for details, free fast-play charts, scenarios, and free PC-based army builder software.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/corpscommand/

We have maintained and supported our system and customers since 1994.

Also available is Corps Command: Campaigns: Napoleonic Miniatures Campaign System

http://www.panzerkorps.com/



Commit the Garde!

From the website;



Commit the Garde! is intended to simulate battles of the Napoleonic wars on the grandest of scales.  Entire epic battles are represented; no longer must the players extrapolate the results of the entire battle of Waterloo based upon their game's recreation of the fight for the garden gate at Hougoumont.  Players represent the highest level leaders in any given battle, and as such make the decisions that will shape the entire battle.  Gone are the minutiae which their historical counterparts left to their subordinates, your focus is on your army's brigades, not on the battalions and squadrons.

Decisions made by lower level officers are abstracted into the mechanics of the game, players should understand that there is someone at the lower level who should be taking care of those details (spacing of battalions and squadrons, deployment of skirmishers, sighting of artillery sections, availability of spare ammunition, etc).  Like it or not the real commanders had to trust subordinates to do their duty well.  Often these abstract subordinates will make mistakes (represented by bad dice rolls), whether or not your subordinate's failure is catastrophic to your plan will depend on the allowances you have made for that possibility. This of course is a good reason to have plenty of reserves available.

And speaking of reserves, the most unique aspect of Commit the Garde! is the use of off-table reserves.  No longer can your opponent see the deployment of your entire army.  The location of your reserves is not determined until you commit them to the battle, at which time you place them where you want them (with limitations based upon distance from your Army HQ and proximity of enemy forces).  The skill of your army commander and staff determine how effectively you can commit your reserves.

The game is played on a hex-grid map; the reason for this is to remove the ambiguities of "free movement" common to most miniature rules.  With hexes there is no doubt about a unit's location, it's facing, and what the range is to any other unit on the battlefield.  The intent with this approach is to make this a game/simulation of decisions, not of inches.
Page count 41 (2 books)

2 Introductory Scenarios (Valmy 1792 and Corunna 1809, 8 total pages and 2 maps)
Playing time (2-6 hours, depending on scenario and number of players, more players = faster play)

http://www.wargamevault.com/product_info.php?products_id=94737&src=sub

There's a SAMPLE file there also!

Another NEW Rules set!

There's not a lot of information out on these rules yet so I'll post what information is available from the listing below. Most gamers I've spoken with get a little hesitant to purchase a set of rules when they're both offered as a pre-order as well as state either they're "Fast Play", or a "Card Driven" system. This is supposedly the New and Improved second version. Which then begs one to have to ask the question of "What was wrong with the previous version"? That being said I'll have to get a copy!!!



The latest set of rules from Chris Peers' Ruga Ruga Publishing will be with us
next week.

Tremble ye Tyrants! is a set of rules for medium to large scale wargames set in
the last decade or so of the Napoleonic Wars, or roughly between 1805 and 1815.

This is the classic Napoleonic "Empire" period, including the great campaigns of
Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau and Friedland, Aspern and Wagram, as well as the
invasions of Spain and Russia, and the decisive allied victories at Leipzig and
Waterloo.

In addition to refighting these great battles, and the countless lesser ones of
the era, the rules are designed to be suitable for free-form campaigns,
hypothetical scenarios, and one-off competition style games using armies built
on a system of points values. Tabletop armies can represent a wide variety of
real life levels of organisation, from a division up to a full scale army.

Tremble ye Tyrants! is aimed at players who want a fast playing and enjoyable
game with a minimum of complex mechanisms, but which retains as much as possible
of the tactical flavour of the period, and makes large scale manoeuvres feasible
within the confines of an evening's game. Although designed mainly with 28mm
figures in mind, it is suitable for any scale and any size of game.

We have not only improved the quality of Tremble Ye Tyrants compared to previous
Ruga-Ruga books, we have managed to bring down the cover price to £10.00.

For all pre-orders placed, we are offering Tremble ye Tyrants post free
world-wide.http://northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=3882

New Rules sets!

So I've been watching the Hobby lately and people have been discussing "What's the next big thing" for the hobby? Do you believe these are it? Let me know what you think? I believe although maybe not the greatest rules sets for Napoleonics that you'll ever play in your lifetime, at least they're possibly a gateway in for younger players to start investigating and taking an interest in the era. There's always been something missing in that realm. I started out with board games with counters such as AH's "Waterloo". This younger generation really does have it easier, lol.

Waterloo:

Mark Latham, writer of Warhammer Historical’s popular Trafalgar rulebook, returns to the Napoleonic era with Waterloo, a new set of rules for playing tabletop wargames with 25mm-28mm miniatures set against the backdrop of this turbulent and dramatic period of European history.

Included in this full colour 288 page hardback rulebook are rules, army lists and historical orders of battle, as well as a brief history of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars and a campaign for you to play through. To inspire you there is also a lavish hobby section that takes you through how to collect, assemble and paint your Napoleonic era armies.

The focus of the rulebook is the campaign and battle of Waterloo itself, but also included are rules which enable players to recreate battles from the entire Napoleonic period of 1792 – 1815, and even beyond it.

Waterloo is available to order now for immediate despatch, and Mark Latham has provided a Quick Reference and Roster Sheets as a free download along with some templates.

http://warhammer-historical.com/acatalog/Downloads.html

Battles in the Napoleonic Wars were brutal and bloody. Vast armies fought with musket and bayonet on rain-soaked fields, half-blinded by acrid smoke and deafened by the ceaseless barrage of distant artillery. Men fell in great swathes, marching to death or glory to the rhythmic beat of drums.

Waterloo is a tabletop miniatures game for two or more players, set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. With these rules you are the general, with an army of miniatures at your command, representing the forces of France, Britain, Prussia or their allies. This rulebook is focussed on the campaign and battle of Waterloo, the climax of the Napoleonic Wars, but the rules within allow you to recreate battles from across the entire period (1792-1815) and even beyond.

This 288 page hardback book contains all the information you need to get started, including full rules for fighting tabletop battles in the Napoleonic era, army lists and historical orders of battle, a brief history of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, a complete campaign to get you started, and a hobby section detailing how to collect, assemble and paint your army of miniatures. In addition, you will find an inspirational showcase of beautifully painted models and lavish illustrations.

Napoleon at War: The Napoleonic Miniatures Game


At the beginning of the 19^th Century, war was a serious matter; monarchies, budding new nations and new forms of government tore at Europe’s economic and political fabric for two decades. Conscription was constant. Larger and larger armies clashed on battlefields across the Old Continent, led by noblemen, princes, aristocrats or heroes emerging from the ranks.

Put yourself at the head of an army and become the nobleman or hero accomplishing the mission you have been assigned. You have at your disposal enormous masses of infantry, fast-moving cavalry formations and powerful cannons, backed up by elite forces and legendary warriors. You will have to make quick and daring decisions, take advantage of the favourable positions and terrain features the battlefield has to offer, all to defeat your adversary and obey the orders sent by your superiors.

In Napoleon at War you command your forces, the size of a Division, and try to accomplish your assigned mission in a game played on a gaming table, with an array of magnificently painted miniatures, while a good friend at the other side of the table, tries to thwart your efforts and crush your forces.

To play Napoleon at War you will need:

• First of all, an army, organised according to one of the Campaign Manuals, and made up of a good number of 18mm Napoleon at War miniatures.

• The rules.

• An adversary, since the game is for two or more players.

• A battlefield, consisting of a flat surface on which you can place terrain features to represent important terrain features  such as woods, villages, hills… of the type that can be found anywhere in Europe.

• A measuring tape and a good number of dice. Typical six-sided dice or D6s as they are commonly known.

With Napoleon at War you can recreate important battles of the Napoleonic Wars in your own living room. You can command a terrible Division of French Cuirassiers or a firm red line of determined British infantry. Which is your favourite army?

http://www.manatwar.es/?p=157#more-157

Man at War Miniatures (18mm)

http://www.manatwar.es/?page_id=7

We are Man at War, a new company setting out in the world of miniatures. We have created a game and range of Napoleonic miniatures called Napoleon at War. Several boxes of French, British and Prussian troops are currently available, along with the rulebook. Our first Campaign Manual (the 100 Days campaign) is on its way, and new miniatures will be coming out every month.

In Napoleon at War, you command your forces, the size of a division, and try to accomplish your assigned mission in a game played on a gaming table, with an array of magnificently painted 18mm miniatures, while a good friend at the other side of the table tries to thwart your efforts and crush your forces.

NEW Rules set!

A PDF download of the March Attack Napoleonic rules, 80 A4 pages. The page backgrounds have been removed for ease of printing, for more details of the rules and game mechanics please see the main Crusader Publishing web site. Approximately 8MB download

http://www.crusaderpublishing.com/shop/product.php?productid=16440&cat=0&page=1

March Attack are designed to allow players to fight large battles with battalion sized units in a reasonable amount of time. Command and control, orders and morale for large formations are combined with easy to learn tactical game mechanics so that battles of a Corps or more a side can easily be fought by a few players during an evening.


Each unit on the table represents a battalion of infantry, regiment of cavalry or battery of artillery. A ground scale of 1” to 60 yards, one turn representing 20 minutes and fast paced strategic movement rules mean that battles play out at a realistic rate. Combat is dealt with in a manner that allows large numbers of units to be fielded and the interaction between strategic movement and tactical combat allows for a fast paced game that keeps a good level of detail.


Seven different training and morale levels combined with the historical strength of a unit introduces the concept of ‘Combat Value’. This ties together all of the tactical rules and ensures that troop quality, more than just luck or buckets of dice, plays an important part in every battle.

http://www.crusaderpublishing.com/MarchAttackDownloads.php



New Rules set!

Search Amazon.com for napoleonic wargaming 

Die Fighting! will be offered for pre-publication sale starting Wednesday, January 26th, and its expected delivery to customers will begin on February 25th, 2011, which is the one-year anniversary of Repique Rules.

http://repiquerules.com/page8/page8.html

The rules cover the period 1700-1900. Die Fighting! features a core set of rules that has been playtested and developed over the last year by groups in two locations in the U.S. and in England. In addition, there are four rule-templates sections, each offering specific rule additions or changes, rating suggestions, and a small bibliography for the Linear Warfare of 1700-1763, the Revolutionary Wars in America and France, the early and later Napoleonic Wars, and finally, the Wars of Transition from 1861-1871 (which includes the ACW, APW, and the FPW). Additional templates for the Colonial Wars of the later 19th century will be posted on the forum.

The game is set to a battalion/regiment/squadron/battery scale, with a ground scale of roughly 25mm to the yard. Twelve to 20 units a side is the sweet spot, though fewer and greater numbers of units are quite alright. Any figure scale is usable. Literally, any figure mounting and stands per unit is possible, so no remounting will be required, regardless of the present organization of your armies. Multiple-player games are easily done, and two of the optional phasing systems are for solo play.

http://repiquerules.com/page9/page9.html

The game uses several new techniques, including the gamers "use up" their die rolls as the game proceeds, an extensive tool-box of turn-phasing options is provided which can be crafted to a period's needs or a gamer's tastes. Wagering and the keeping of game statistics over time is easily done. Some of these ideas have been summarized on the Zouave Blog entries on Die Fighting!


Die Fighting! will be closely coordinated with the new Die Marching! campaign rules design, slated for publication in time for Historicon in the summer of 2011.

The Mechanics of Die Fighting, Part I

15/Nov/10 01:29 PM Filed in: Game Mechanics

Die Fighting began its development journey last May at a French restaurant here in Denver called Le Central. Timm Meyers and I were having a wonderful lunch when he told me of an idea he had about a wargame designed around the idea of expendable dice. His concept was a game on a very large strategic scale set in WWII in where each side would get a bucket of dice for movement and combat, but each die could be used only once, and then are discarded from play. When you use up all of your dice you can’t move or combat the enemy and you have lost the game. I found the idea very interesting, though my interests soon took me in a new direction with the basic concept.

I had finished Zouave,which was a great exercise for me in trying to capture elements of grand tactical decision making. The game was selling very well (and is now sold out!), but Repique needed additional products to sell and an obvious choice was a campaign game. So I began developing a Campaign system that incorporated Timm’s initial concept, but I didn’t get too far before I realized that it would be better to take the idea to the tactical level and work out all of the vagaries in that more controllable and familiar environment, and then use the lessons learned from that process to design the Strategic/campaign rules.

Even better, a “Classic” tactical level game would augment Zouave and, yet, not compete with it, and the campaign rules could then be designed to serve BOTH Die Fighting! and Zouave. I adopted that plan.

So began the design of the Die Fighting tactical rules for the Horse and Musket period from 1700-1900.

Die Fighting has been one of the most rewarding of my design projects. First, the rules are fun! Second, it brought me into contact with a group of wargamers in England, who, under the leadership of Tony Hawkins, have provided invaluable feedback and advice. Two Sheds, Watson, Grizzly, Mr. Ben, Clint, Moon Unit, and other Kett’s Men are a resource that few wargame designers have available.

Of course, the Denver Play test group, Jim Getz, and Pat McGuire have been equally important to Die Fighting’s development.

The key to Die Fighting is the use of typical six-sided dice in three distinct ways; as resource dice that a unit uses to move, fire, melee, and all other battle actions and are used up as the game progresses; as leadership dice that can selectively be used to aid units in their activities, which are also used up, but are restorable during play; and as “Free” dice, which are awarded for situations, positioning, quality, and other transient situational factors. Free dice are limitless, never used up, and are earned by the player’s decisions.

The resource dice are the key to the game, as when they have run out, an army has lost the battle. The comparison of the two army’s final die totals also give a measurable and certain determination of the degree of victory. It provides a unique and exciting game, but also one where statistics, wagers, and “scores” may be kept.

It has taken many months to hone the exact values and balance that makes Die Fighting such a compelling game, and one that demands expansion and add-ons! The final stages of development are drawing to a close and I intend to post several blog entries on the many aspects of the rules and their mechanics. One thing I wish to be clear right from the beginning is that you don’t need to actually have hundreds of dice, as several alternatives are given in the rules. I should also state, however, is many gamers will want to have lots of dice-nothing like hearing the clatter of used enemy dice being thrown in the discard bucket!

Next Time-The qualities of the dice, and many different ways the turn may be phased!

The Mechanics of Die Fighting, Part II

27/Nov/10 11:21 AM Filed in: Game Mechanics

One of my strongest interests in game design has been turn sequencing and phasing, or the order and procedures for taking actions in a wargame. This is primarily because it occurred to me very early on in designing wargames that the key to design isn’t some “Distance=Time X Rate” equation with great emphasis on the rate of march and other nonsense, nor was it, given the paucity of usable data, getting the percentages of hits from fire exactly right. It was how TIME is handled in the game play. Many designers thought that by quantifying the time that activities were thought to take, and then allowing that many actions in a turn would be the answer. George Jeffries was one such designer. Most people that tried this idea as he proposed it found that the paperwork, and the almost impossible synchronization problems made the design unplayable. Others simply locked into a fixed turn sequence that made time so predictable that all parties could plainly predict and foresee what was going to happen next. Time became a caged animal, when we all know from our experiences in life it is a wild beast whose next event is difficult to count upon.


My first attempt at capturing this was the “Denver Bounce” in Le Jeu de Le Guerre in 1972. This simply said you could keep the initiative in a turn as long as you could effect the enemy. When you couldn’t fire upon enemy units or contact them initiative went to the other side. It was a neat idea that several people found fun and different. A variation on this was found in Rebel Yell! in the early 1990s, which also tried to graft role-playing elements on to the tactical wargame. It was a design I never was entirely happy with though certain elements of that design-especially in morale, made its way into Piquet.


The big breakthrough was the design of Piquet that literally cut up the turn sequence and placed it on a series of cards which made up decks that could be quite different for either army. To this was added the wide variation of impetus provided by counter-rolled D20s. It was a great concept that provided for complete unpredictability of next events, no foreknowledge of who would move next or how active he could be, and allowed an excellent way to model an army of any given period or nationality. My later design, Zouave, used a heavily modified variation that actually created two decks within each army-one for command issues and the other for tactical movements and combat. This allowed some great modeling of command, quite apart from modeling regimental tactical skills.


Die Fighting is a completely different animal. Most of its mechanisms are quite different from Piquet, or any other design for that matter. Certainly, using the expenditure of dice as a unified measure of morale, command energy, and combat effects is original as I described in Part I, but the thing which also sets it apart is the turn sequencing.


A turn is made up of six phases (the number six is a recurring theme in the rules) and there are three major ways to sequence the phases. Each phase is a segment of a normal turn ranging from infantry actions to officer movement. The phases may be sequenced in a Fixed Synchronous manner, where the phases on every turn run from 1 to 6 just as many “Old Line” designs, and each army executes the phases in the same order with only an initiative roll determining which side does the phase actions first. Other than a clever exception which reverses the order of the phases on a turn for both armies, or where a phase is completely skipped over, the play is very much in the move - countermove mould of many classic wargames.


But Die Fighting offers other options! Gamers can opt for a Fixed Asynchronous sequencing of phases where each side starts and ends at a different point in the phase order, but they still perform phases concurrently - so one side may be moving infantry, while the other is moving cavalry! Again, there are exceptions that allow for reverse sequencing for either or both, and missed phases.


But there is more! Another set of phasing options is Variable Asynchronous sequencing which employs cards that allow each commander to select which phase he wishes to perform and, depending on his command skill, select the order at will, or have to lay down cards that commit him to 2 or 3 or more phases in a sequence.


Finally, the six cards may be shuffled and cards revealed randomly a la Piquet-though much simpler and cleaner in function. This allows for excellent solo play, or a way to model a particularly inept commander!


Obviously some phasing methods are better tailored to certain periods, or a specific theater of operations, so Fixed Synchronous fits Marlborough’s Wars, but Variable Asynchronous fits the French and Indian or later 19th century wars better. But the real cherry on top of the sundae is that the sequence methods can be DIFFERENT for the two armies! That’s right, Braddock’s forces may be using a Fixed Synchronous method, but his French and Indian enemies out in the woods are using a Variable Synchronous sequence! Even more interesting is the thought of the sequencing CHANGING from one turn to the next for an army depending on the tactical situation! There are many different sequencing options that the gamers can agree to use in playing Die Fighting-no other design is so flexible.


The end result is that the variety of turn phasing in Die Fighting is a tremendous tool for modeling command quality, period tactical flexibility, army quality, and adds tremendously to the drama and suspense of the game play. The Die Fighting gamer has the ability to control and experiment with the flow of time as in no other game.


Next segment- The three types of D6s and The Rule of Six!

The Mechanics of Die Fighting, Part III

06/Dec/10 01:43 PM

Die Fighting, unlike Piquet and Zouave, does not use cards-although that is an option. It does not use various polyhedron dice-but just the simple D6, long known to wargame buffs as THE die. It does not use a Combat Results Table or “Hit” table-just simple counter-rolls. It does this by using three different color dice in play.


The Resource Dice-as described in part one of this series, are the life’s blood of the army. Every action of movement, combat, rallying, or engineering uses these dice-they may only be used once and then are gone. The army without resource dice can do nothing and has lost the game. No equivocating at the pub-you lost!


There are two other die types, “Free” Dice, and Leadership Dice, usually distinguished by color-green for Free dice, and yellow/gold for leadership dice. The Free dice are never used up and are awarded for situational advantages in movement and combat-they may augment the resource dice rolls. Likewise the Leadership dice may also augment the rolls-in movement, combat, and rallies, but they are used up within the turn, but fully restored on the next turn. It is the skillful use of the three dice types in unison that an army succeeds, or, if done wastefully, or poorly coordinated, the army will fail. Nothing comes free in Die Fighting, and hard choices must be made.


Most of these dice are used in simple counter-rolls, additive rolls, or unique effects from doubles or triples being thrown. Simple, quick, and decisive, describes the movement and combat.


There is one theme throughout Die Fighting that recurs in many different forms-called The Rule of Six. If there is some outcome of movement, combat, rallying, or command that one wishes to know-you can bet that the number six is involved! It forms an excellent way to pull all the facets of Die Fighting together, and provides an excellent memory aid for gamers new to the rules. If there is a question-it’s likely six is the answer in some form or interpretation. The factor at issue is going to be rolling a six, moving six inches, subtracting six inches from a move, or retreating six inches before disaster strikes. It is even used when some situation occurs that the rules don’t fully cover (It can happen!) as a means of adjudicating a reasonably fair outcome.


Part IV will talk about the use of period templates to insure that each period within Die Fighting’s 200 years scope is handled in a way that provides an historically accurate and period -rich gaming experience.

The Mechanics of Die Fighting, Part IV

28/Dec/10 02:06 PM

I have previously given my opinion on “Army Lists”-which is, to say the least, critical of such “shortcuts.” Mostly I disagree with the “Codex” approach to historical gaming, and strongly believe that games should inspire and require some historical reading on the part of gamers. The history is, after all, the primary distinction between fantasy games and the historical wargaming hobby. Historical gamers should be proud of this distinction and reinforce it. After all, their roots in wargaming go back to Robert Louis Stevenson, H.G. Wells, and Verdy du Vernois; not to a bunch of entrepreneurs in Nottingham.

If all a game does is provide handy little recipes, where you just add water, it adds very little to the gamer’s knowledge of a period and makes any judgement about the game strictly one of gamesmanship and little or no understanding as to whether it makes any meaningful statements about warfare in the period. At the most absurd end of the scale you get the “Three Flaming Pigs” gaming lists. Many other rules sets succumb to the temptation to require nothing of a gamer but the ability to count to twelve.

I have always chosen otherwise. Surely, a designer needs to provide suggestions and information on the armies and tactics of a period, and provide links, forums support, and suggested sources where a gamer can build a knowledge of a period. A designer needs to explain his premises, and do what he can to make the mechanics of a game clear, and indicate how they dovetail into the historical reality of a period. I see Army Lists as doing none of that, and, indeed, warp the history, and make it less relevant.

Now, if you play fantasy-great-you need lists, as there is no history. But, if you play historical games, I suggest you need something more.

That is why in Zouave, I wrote the ten page addenda for each of the three wars covered by the rules that provided typical historical constructs for the armies, and descriptions of the weaponry. It discussed the issues of command, suggested some historically realistic alternative history, and even suggested some “Unique Events.” that were rooted in the history of the period. Most of all it suggested a bibliography where a gamer could learn more about the period, which would allow him to create new elements to the game and create scenarios that had some connection to the historical record.

In short, it demands a little effort and work-some investment of intellectual capital by the gamer into the play of the game. It provides him with the skills to be a fisherman, and not just hand him some frozen fish!

So it will be with Die Fighting. Each period covered from 1700-1900 will have a “Template” (a term I actually like better than addenda-it will be changed in Zouave II) and this template will group a pair of wars. The template will provide a period specific Free Dice Table, ratings tables along with a Command Divisor number, a number of period specific rules, or rule changes, and a bibliography of easily accessible resources, mostly books, but including other media, that the gamer can use to further ground himself in a period. In essence, a gamer will receive eight different rule sets in one, with more to come on the Forum site.

The included templates are: Linear Warfare, covering the War of Spanish Succession and the Wars of Frederick (1704-1769); The Wars of Revolution (Covering the American Revolution, and The French Revolution (1775-1800); The Napoleonic Wars-divided into Early Napoleonic (1801-1809) and Late Napoleonic (1810-1815); The Wars of Transition-covering the American Civil War, The Austro-Prussian War, and the Franco Prussian War (1861-1871). An Internet posting covering Colonials will soon follow.

None of them will provide an Army List. You should consider buying books-good books-not derivative lists! Dennis at On Military Matters will be happy to oblige!

Here I stand, I can do no other! :-)

© 2010-11 Robert Jones Contact Me

highwiremedia@comcast.net