I set up this campaign with several goals in mind. These were:
- To test the simple campaign rules that I had developed.
- To test the Fast Play 3 x 3 Napoleonic Portable Wars rules (FP3x3NapPW) I had written.
- To have an excuse to fight a series of online wargames with my good friend Professor Gary Sheffield.
Of these, the third was probably the most important, and I hope to be able to fight another campaign against him in the not-too-distant future.
So, how successful was I in achieving my goals?
Well, both the campaign rules and the FP3x3NapPW rules worked well, and they will be appearing in the next PORTABLE WARGAME COMPENDIUM, along with a turn-by-turn history of the Franco-Prussian War of 1810. In addition, Gary is certainly interested in fighting another campaign ... so he must have enjoyed the experience! I'm not sure when and where it will be set, but I think that the battles will be fought over a bigger grid, possibly a 5 x 5 one.
A quick note on campaign losses and replacements.
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1810, the French lost a total of 24 SPs (the equivalent of 1.33 divisions or 26.6% of their original field army) and the Prussians lost 39 SPs (the equivalent of 2.16 divisions or 43.4% of their original field army).
The French had 41 SPs remaining in their Replacement Pool and the Prussians had 33 SPs in their Replacement Pool ... so if the war had continued, the Prussians would have had to have inflicted a series of massive defeats of the French in the near future to stand any chance of winning.
The King of Prussia's decision to seek peace before his army was totally worn down was a sensible one. At least this way he still has an army to fight with another day.
I'm happy to see you'll be including your campaign rules in the upcoming book. I dug through your previous posts to find your notes and found there were minor revisions. I liked what I found though and look forward to seeing them in their complete form.
ReplyDeleteMr. Pavone,
DeleteI’m hoping to devise a simple campaign system that requires the minimum of paperwork and that can be adapted for different historical eras. I think that it’s now reach the stage where I feel happy to share it with a wider audience, hence its inclusion in the next PW Compendium.
All the best,
Bob
It’s been a great little campaign to follow, Bob. Simple, but not simplistic. 👍🏼👍🏼. Compendium #2 must be getting big now, so much new stuff coming through.
ReplyDeleteMartin S.,
DeleteI'm very pleased that you've enjoyed reading about this campaign.
Work on the next Compendium is underway, but at a leisurely pace as I am trying to do several other things at the same time.
All the best,
Bob
Ahhh, initialisms to the left, acronyms to the right. The wargame rules writers' penchant for making abbreviations of everything possible drives me bonkers. 'Simplifying' Fast Play 3 x 3 Napoleonic Portable Wars to FP3x3NapPW takes the cake!
ReplyDelete[I hope that you take this in the playful (if exasperated) manner in which it is intended :)]
Regards, James
James Fisher (James),
DeleteVery true ... and I am just as prone to it as all the rest! I blame texting, where everything has to be shortened to abbreviations if it is at all possible. I might even have answered your comment with an emoji or two ... if I could have found any appropriate ones!
All the best,
Bob