One thing that struck me as I was adapting Joseph Morschauser's 'Modern' period rules for use on a 3-inch square gridded battlefield was how easy it would be to adapt them for use with a hexed grid.
As I own a huge amount of HEXON II and HEROSCAPE hexed terrain, this would pose few problems for me but ...
I think that this is one step too far for the moment, but if the current adaptation works I cannot see why a move from squares to hexes would not be the next logical step to take, especially as hexes seem to work better than squares do when one is trying to recreate mid and late twentieth century warfare on the tabletop.
As I own a huge amount of HEXON II and HEROSCAPE hexed terrain, this would pose few problems for me but ...
I think that this is one step too far for the moment, but if the current adaptation works I cannot see why a move from squares to hexes would not be the next logical step to take, especially as hexes seem to work better than squares do when one is trying to recreate mid and late twentieth century warfare on the tabletop.
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Doh!
ReplyDeleteI suggested that you used hexes or at least tried it, ages ago - and you said that squares were better.
Confused from Windum
Tone,
ReplyDeleteYes I know but ...
My original intention was to recreate Morschauser's 'Musket' period rules, which use 1-inch squares; the work I have done on his 'Modern' period rules was only to give me some ideas on how to go about achieving my original goal.
Now I have started the process it is beginning to give me new ideas … especially as I have a long-term project that they would fit in with particularly well (It is a re-fight of the ‘Bay of Pigs’ incident, which is almost contemporaneous with Morschauser’s ‘Modern’ rules).
Perhaps you can now see my dilemma. Where to go next?
All the best,
Bob
I've been playing my way through Sturat Aquith & CS Grant's Scenarios for All Ages and the next game up was Helicoter Operations.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lochsloy.ca/wargames/weekly5.htm
Having been following your progress with Morschauser I decided to try them out again. Short and bloody but fun. At first I was bothered by the absence of a modifier for shooting at a target in cover and about the ability to move into range and open up but then I realized that one can use cover by pulling back so there is no line of sight, then advance to the edge and fire 1st against a target in the open. You have to take 1 round of return fire but can then fire and pull back to safety again. Simple but effective. I suppose one could allow troops to do something similar with foxholes etc, duck back into full cover.
-Ross
Ross Mac,
ReplyDeleteThe absence of any factors for cover did seem a bit odd to me at first, but I was willing to go along with the original concept to see how it would work. In the world of 'shoot and scoot' warfare, what you suggest makes sense. In addition, on a battlefield covered in buildings, woods, fields etc. there is lots of cover that will break up line-of-sight.
Morschauser certainly indicates in his book that the rules work better with a roster if you want a longer game; I suppose that 'saving throws' and 'cover factors' are slightly less important if a unit has several 'lives' that it can lose before being destroyed.
Yet another area for development, I think!
All the best,
Bob
PS. I love reading your reports on the SCENARIOS FOR ALL AGES battles, particularly those involving your 40mm figures.
I almost implented a "troops in cover are only hit on a 6" rule but likewise decided that the rules really deserved some play time straight up before adjusting. Having troops pop in and out of cover makes me think of Hollywood movies with cowboys or GI's leaning around a tree to shoot and ducking back.
ReplyDeleteThe next scenario calls for pillboxes and I'm thinking of treating these like immobile armoured cars. (ie fire as MG, can only be destroyed by arty, tank or anti-tank weapons, no melee)
I have used rosters with H&M, not too bad with a few trays of identifiable or clearly labelled troops but I wouldn't want to go there with a score of 20mm plastic figures. Even though the number of dice goes up at the same or nearly the same rate as the hits, the odds kick in and thus it takes more than 1 lucky hit to ko. Of course a melee still ends in the destruction of 1 or the other, just with more die rolling. I think more troops would have a similar impact but without the hidden strength factor.
Glad you've enjoyed the scenarios, its been fun sharing them.
Ross
Ross Mac,
ReplyDeleteThe images of troops shooting and then ducking behind cover appeals to me. As you say, very Hollywood!
The idea that pillboxes are immobile Armoured Scout Cars sounds like a good one. I look forward to seeing how it works in practice.
Until you pointed it out I had not realised the implications of the roster system on a unit's ability to 'kill' another unit. As I prefer the 'short and bloody' style of wargame, I suspect that I will end up opting for the use of more units rather than using a roster.
All the best,
Bob