Work on the P17CW (THE PORTABLE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY WARGAME) book continues apace, and to date it includes:
I am not sure how big an audience the book will attract, but it does illustrate that the basic system is extremely adaptable.
- A list of the major European wars (and some Japanese ones) that took place between 1600 and 1700
- A chapter about the military innovations that took place during the century
- A set of Portable Thirty Years War/English Civil War Wargame rules written by Antoine Bourguilleau
- A set of Portable English Civil War Wargame rules written by Alan Saunders
- A set of Portable English Civil War Wargame siege rules by Arthur Harman
- An English Civil War pre-battle system by Arthur Harman
- An English Civil War card-driven activation system by Arthur Harman
- A means of showing a unit's current Strength Point Value using flags devised by Arthur Harman
- A set of Portable Wargame rules for fighting battles of the Japanese Sengoku era by by Antoine Bourguilleau
I am not sure how big an audience the book will attract, but it does illustrate that the basic system is extremely adaptable.
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Sounds most interesting. I wonder if Arthur might adapt his Sealed Knot muster rules to a gridded format? They were such fun and would work well in your book.
ReplyDeleteTradgardmastare,
DeleteI am unaware of Arthur’s muster rules, and will contact him to find out more about them.
All the best,
Bob
Bob, I've emailed you about this. Happy to do and provide an appropriate scenario, if you want.
DeleteArthur1815 (Arthur),
DeleteCheers! I’d be more than happy to include it in the book.
All the best,
Bob
Bob. All sounds very interesting, but what is a pre-battle system please?? Paul
ReplyDeletePaul,
DeleteThe pre-battle system deals with getting your force assembled and to the battlefield in an battle-worthy state as well as pre-battle reconnaissance.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteYour list of contents shows a very interesting array of rules and topics that will certainly appeal to the Portable Wargamer- glad your pressing on with the Project to have the book published this year is a boon. All the Best. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteI’ve delayed doing the work on this book for long enough, but now that I have started, it seems to be coming together quite nicely.
All the best,
Bob
But will there be space for battle reports illustrating the rules?
ReplyDeleteTim Spanton,
DeleteI hope to include some, but it is very much dependant on the writers providing them.
All the best,
Bob
All sounds good - I still haven't tried a wargame in this period (despite having some ECW figures) so sign me up for a copy!
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteI'll hold you to that promise ... especially if it allows you the opportunity to use those ECW figures!
All the best,
Bob
It sounds excellent Bob, I can't wait to see it in print. The pre battle system sounds interesting, I encountered it using the AK47 rules and it certainly added an element of uncertainty. Off topic, I have a question, I can find organisation details for most units that would appear on the Eastern front from 1941-1945 but I can't find anything on Russian heavy tank regiments from 1942 until the arrival of the JS2 units. Can you help please ?
ReplyDeleteYours Tony Jones.
Tony Jones,
DeleteThe pre-battle system is an excellent way for players to set the scene for their tabletop battles. In the absence of a good scenario, it really can enhance a wargame.
My ‘go to’ source of information about the Soviet tank forces is Steve Zaloga. If you haven’t got access to a copy of his RED ARMY HANDBOOK or SOVIET TANKS AND COMBAT VEHICLES OF WORLD WAR TWO, let me know and I’ll see if I can find the answe for you.
All the best,
Bob
If you could I would be very much obliged, I've seen a copy of Tanks and combat vehicles on Amazon and while you can't put a price on knowledge it was a bit steep !
DeleteRegarding the pre game, it does help add realism and a "campaign setting" to one off game.
Yours, Tony Jones.
Toby Jones,
DeleteAccording to SOVIET TANKS AND COMBAT VEHICLES OF WORLD WAR TWO, in October 1942 Soviet Heavy Tank Regiments were being formed with:
* 1 x Regimental HQ (with 1 tank)
* 4 x Heavy Tank Companies (each with 1 HQ tank and 4 tanks)
* 1 x Maintenance Company
Total: 215 men, 21 tanks, and an armoured car.
In February 1944, a sub-machine gun company, a pioneer platoon, and a train platoon were added.
Total: 374 men and the same number of armoured vehicles.
I hope that this helps you.
All the best,
Bob
Thank you very much, it's a great help ( being a Hexblitz user yourself you'll know how important it is to know how many thanks are in a battalion). Thank you again for the time and trouble, good luck with the new book and Take Care.
DeleteYours, Tony Jones.
Tony Jones,
DeleteFirst, an apology for getting your first name wrong, thanks to b and n being next to each other on my keyboard!
I’m pleased to have been of help. The Soviet Heavy Tank Regiments were comparable In size with UK and US tank companies ... which means that they are relatively weak, even if their weaponry wasn’t.
All the best,
Bob
Yes, apparently the Russians thought of them as a "flexible assault gun" and organised them accordingly. I had an inkling that the KV units might have been organised as the Heavy battalions in the 1941 division but obviously they changed the organisation in 1942. Thanks again for your trouble, and as always, Take Care.
DeleteTony Jones,
DeleteThe first Heavy Tank Regiments were formed with KV-1S tanks, and they were certainly used in an assault role.
All the best,
Bob
There have been two important books published recently covering 17thc warfare particularly in Britain. David Blackmore, Destructive and Formidable, which exposes the post Edgehill development of tactics which were radically different from those in use on the Continent and a new work on the plug bayonet published by Helion in their Century of the Soldier series.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I am aware nobody has yet used them in an ECW ruleset.
Barry Carter,
DeleteThanks for the information about the two books. I am very much a novice when it comes to the ECW, and I’m relying on my ‘expert’ contributors to make sure that I don’t make too many mistakes.
All the best,
Bob
Probably the single best source on mid/late 17th Century warfare, particularly from a wargaming standpoint, is Charles Stewart Grant's "From Pike to Shot: 1685 to 1720 (Armies and Battles of Western Europe)" Paperback – January 1, 1986. You can find it used on Amazon as well as via the antiquarian book exchange. For the time between midnight and 4 am when you aren't reading other sources ;)
ReplyDeleteEd M,
DeleteThanks for the suggestion. I’ll see if I can get hold of a copy.
All the best,
Bob
I will certainly be in the market for this book when it appears!
ReplyDeleteDavid in Suffolk,
DeleteI’ll hold you to that!
All the best,
Bob
Bob, I can only echo others here and say that I can't wait! I will buy hardback of course....
ReplyDeleteAnthony Morton,
DeleteWell, that’s at least half a dozen sales I can rely on!
All the best,
Bob