Sometimes trying to keep the momentum going on a project can be hard ... and since we got back from our recent cruise, that is exactly the problem that I have been facing with my PORTABLE NAPOLEONIC WARGAME book. What I needed was something to revive my flagging morale ... and it came in the form of three PORTABLE WARGAME battle reports.
The first two were written by Kaptain Kobold, and were entitled ORKS VS IMPERIAL GUARD – A PORTABLE WARGAME ...
... and PORTABLE EPIC 40K – POSITIONAL DEFENCE.
The third was a run-through of the World War II exemplar battle from my book THE PORTABLE WARGAME. It was staged by Geordie an Exile FoG, and is the precursor to a proper re-fight of the scenario.
Reading these battle reports has boosted my desire to get on with writing my PORTABLE NAPOLEONIC WARGAME book, and I plan to devote at least a couple of hours per day to it for the foreseeable future.
Please note that the photographs featured above are © Kaptain Kobold and Geordie an Exile FoG.
The first two were written by Kaptain Kobold, and were entitled ORKS VS IMPERIAL GUARD – A PORTABLE WARGAME ...
... and PORTABLE EPIC 40K – POSITIONAL DEFENCE.
The third was a run-through of the World War II exemplar battle from my book THE PORTABLE WARGAME. It was staged by Geordie an Exile FoG, and is the precursor to a proper re-fight of the scenario.
Reading these battle reports has boosted my desire to get on with writing my PORTABLE NAPOLEONIC WARGAME book, and I plan to devote at least a couple of hours per day to it for the foreseeable future.
Please note that the photographs featured above are © Kaptain Kobold and Geordie an Exile FoG.
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;)
ReplyDeleteI am getting excited at the prospects of painting some Colonials so thank you Bob :)
Geordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteWhich colonial conflict (or conflicts) are you going to 'do'? My money would be on the Sudan ...
All the best,
Bob
I have Arabs, British Colonial and FFL in 20mm so Sudan and Beau Gest in the Legion
DeleteI also have 28mm Zulu War ;)
You are a terrible bad influence as I know I will have to get something in 15mm too ;)
Wayne Thomas' Small Wars is also a grower (hence the FFL and Arabs) - Soviet Afghanistan seems colonial to me ;)
I was also thinking about the ACW period for your Portable Wargame Rules as it seems easier to step back from Colonial to that period. There are so many nationalities and mechanisms to think about for Napoleonics - Confederates v Federals simplifies a lot of those parameters! Just a thought ;)
DeleteGeordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteThe joy of PW is that you can raise lots of small armies ... and probably will!
All the best,
Bob
Geordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteI am planning to include a chapter on how to use my PORTABLE NAPOLEONIC WARGAME rules for post-Napoleonic wars, including the ACW.
All the best,
Bob
I'm looking forward to PNW very much!
DeleteKaptain Kobold,
DeleteI don't think that the book will be ready by Christmas as I don't want to rush it. It should, however, be published soon afterwards ... I hope!
All the best,
Bob
Hey, thanks for the links!
ReplyDeleteI thought trying the Portable Wargame for a different period might inspire me a little more with my ECW variant. I quite enjoyed the way the card-based activation worked, so may try that for the ECW set as well. Somehow :)
Tucked through the reports are little tweaks to the rules as well - allowing retreats through friendly units, and requiring a unit in front of an enemy to move directly away, (in order to limit the move where you make a flank attack from a previously frontal position).
Kaptain Kobold,
DeleteIt was my pleasure to add the link to your blog.
I like the tweaks you have made, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to draw other PW users to them.
All the best,
Bob
PS Don't burning T34s just make your heart bleed!
ReplyDeleteGeordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteNot if you are German!
All the best,
Bob
PS: I have tweaked my battle description slightly - I am wondering if I played the close combat rule correctly?
ReplyDeleteCan you move up adjacent and fire direct fire instead of close combat? I thought not
If the result of a close combat results in no hits/retreats are both sides locked in combat? Could/should an unsucessful attacker elect or be allowed to retreat.
I played that the attacker could direct fire next instead. Close combat was deemed optional so the defender did not have to turn into the attacker the next turn.
Sorry for all these late night questions ;)
"Can you move up adjacent and fire direct fire instead of close combat? I thought not"
DeleteI believe you can, yes. Sometimes it's better to take a shot than charge in. Also close combat isn't mandatory.
"If the result of a close combat results in no hits/retreats are both sides locked in combat? Could/should an unsucessful attacker elect or be allowed to retreat."
They stay in position. And can shoot (see above :) )
In terms of close combat I am personally moving towards the idea that only one side actually suffers and outcome - that is, you don't get both of them retreating or being destroyed. I use a tie-break system to decide who *actually* gets hot if both sides manage to score one.
Geordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteI left some of the rules rather vague so that players could interpret them as they felt best fitted the circumstances.
A unit that moves into an adjacent grid area to that occupied by an enemy unit can chose to engage them in Close Combat OR fire at them. One course or the other is not mandatory.
If a Close Combat is inconclusive, the decision whether or not to continue it during the next turn depends upon what the unit that is activated first does. For example, A and B fight a Close Combat, and neither side prevails. If A is activated first and chooses to withdraw, there is no second round of Close Combat BUT if they choose to stay put, they can initiate a second round or fire at B. The same is true if B is activated first; what happens depends upon what they do.
I hope that my answers make sense.
All the best,
Bob
Kaptain Kobold,
DeleteI like the idea that only one side is affected by the outcome of a Close Combat. I did try something similar when I first began writing the rules, but could never quite get it right.
All the best,
Bob
Cheers Bob and Kapitan Kobold
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated
;)
Geordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteIt's feedback from people like you and Kaptain Kobold that helps improve my rules, and shows how people can adapt them to meet their specific requirements.
All the best,
Bob
Cheers Bob another AAR is in teh works as I replayed using SPs
Delete:)
Geordie and Exiled FoG,
DeleteI'm already looking forward to reading it and linking a blog entry to it.
All the best,
Bob