Over the past week or so several things have conspired to make me give serious thought to setting up and fighting a wargames campaign.
Firstly I have reached the section in Henry Hydes' book THE WARGAMING COMPANION that explained how he had set up his eighteenth century imagi-nation campaign, then I wrote a blog entry about Paul Thistlebarrow's ongoing Napoleonic PBEM campaigns, and finally I have been reading – with considerable interest – about David Crook's planned Aegean Campaign. Added to all this was the fact that I have not actually fought a wargame for quite some time and I have had time to think about this over the past few days whilst I was sorting out our home office.
I am not sure what form the campaign will take, but it is very likely to be a Colonial one set in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century. I already have the troops (mainly 15mm-scale Essex Miniatures), the terrain (my trusty Hexon II terrain), and the rules (the latest draft of my adaptation of Joseph Morschauser's FRONTIER wargames rules). All I need now is a map ... and then I can start my campaign.
There is, however, one fairly important problem that needs to be dealt with first. I need to sort out my toy/wargames room … again! Over the past couple of months – whilst we were away on our recent cruises and whilst the home office was being sorted out – it has been used as a general storage area … and my wargames table is currently covered with stuff that needs to be dealt with (i.e. stored or disposed of). This sort out should only take a day or so to complete, and once that is done – and the map is drawn – the campaign can start!
Firstly I have reached the section in Henry Hydes' book THE WARGAMING COMPANION that explained how he had set up his eighteenth century imagi-nation campaign, then I wrote a blog entry about Paul Thistlebarrow's ongoing Napoleonic PBEM campaigns, and finally I have been reading – with considerable interest – about David Crook's planned Aegean Campaign. Added to all this was the fact that I have not actually fought a wargame for quite some time and I have had time to think about this over the past few days whilst I was sorting out our home office.
I am not sure what form the campaign will take, but it is very likely to be a Colonial one set in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century. I already have the troops (mainly 15mm-scale Essex Miniatures), the terrain (my trusty Hexon II terrain), and the rules (the latest draft of my adaptation of Joseph Morschauser's FRONTIER wargames rules). All I need now is a map ... and then I can start my campaign.
There is, however, one fairly important problem that needs to be dealt with first. I need to sort out my toy/wargames room … again! Over the past couple of months – whilst we were away on our recent cruises and whilst the home office was being sorted out – it has been used as a general storage area … and my wargames table is currently covered with stuff that needs to be dealt with (i.e. stored or disposed of). This sort out should only take a day or so to complete, and once that is done – and the map is drawn – the campaign can start!
I'm looking forward to seeing how the Frontier rules play out in a campaign.
ReplyDeleteKaptain Kobold,
ReplyDeleteWith luck you - and I - will find out very soon.
All the best,
Bob
Did Henry republish what he had already printed in his wargaming magazine, regarding his campaign, or was it completely new?
ReplyDeleteJustin Penwith,
ReplyDeleteI am afraid that I cannot answer your question as I have only read the relevant chapter in Henry's book ... but I doubt that it differs too much from what he wrote in his magazine.
All the best,
Bob
Gremlins! It seems like when ever I turn my back on my games room, someone clutters it up!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the campaign.
Ross Mac,
ReplyDeleteI would love to say that my problems were down to Gremlins ... but the truth is that they are just down to me putting things down and saying to myself 'I'll clear that up later' ... but later ever comes!
I have been playing around with a 'new' computer program that can be used to create maps on a hexagonal grid. It is called Cyberboard and was recommended to me by Philip Sabin. The program not only allows you to create maps but also playing pieces that you can move around on the maps onscreen. Philip Sabin has used it to create the maps in his last two books ... and mighty impressive they look!
All the best,
Bob
I look forward to your Colonial campaign, sir.
ReplyDelete-- Jeff
Bluebear Jeff,
ReplyDeleteI am really keen to get started, and that is the spur to get my toy/wargames room sorted out.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteThe curse of 'I'll-put-it-there-and-get-around-to-moving-it-at-some-point' always has a tendency to creep up on you when you least expect it so good luck with the sort out! I will be interested to see how the 19th century campaign pans out given your liking for this particular era.
I am also very interested in the hex mapping software you mentioned!
The Aegean is a long way away but is most certainly something that will have a multiple of uses in terms of the periods it can cover.
All the best,
DC
David Crook,
ReplyDeleteInherent untidiness is the curse of the wargamer. Show me a wargamer who has a permanently tidy wargames room/area ... and I'll show you someone who rarely wargames!
I am getting to grips with some new hex mapping software (more of this later today) and you may find that it has quite a few uses ... including a possible PBEM option for future campaigns.
As the Aegean has been a centre of civilisation for several millennia, it is an ideal setting for a wargames campaign ... and I will be watching out to see how yours goes in due course.
All the best,
Bob