Thursday, April 30, 2015

Play Test of Robert's Rules of Disorder

Last Friday a group of us got together for an enjoyable play test Napoleonics game using my friend Robert's own rules which we affectionately call "Robert's Rules of Disorder". I am not sure if this is the working title or not but that's what we're using. Some of the games base mechanics draw from one of our favorite rule sets, Volley & Bayonet, mostly due to our desire to re-use our 15mm collections without re-basing. Robert has re-build from the ground up most of the rules and has his own unique combat system that features much more predictable attrition while still providing for good variance of outcomes. The combat system also includes all of the expected modifiers for each tactical situation.

For the game we had a game of France versus a Ruso-Prussian force. Ed and I played the coalation and Charlie, Ralph and George played the French. We were able to kill a bunch of troops and try out some of each type of combat: ranged artillery and small arms, close combat infantry versus cavalry, cavalry versus cavalry and cavalry versus artillery. Robert left with a good pile of notes.

I believe this is the 2nd or 3rd play test of these rules I've been involved with. Each time the rules have made good amounts of improvement, and they're already fun to play. Our club is doing a lot of good creative work the past couple of years. We have at least a half dozen rule sets in various states of completion. All of this creativity has been a catalyst for a lot of great gaming.











Thursday, April 23, 2015

Electronic Brigadier at Huzzah! Convention - May 16th, 2015

Come see a demo of the The Electronic Brigadier at the Huzzah! convention in Portland, Maine on May 16th, 2015. I will be running my Freeman's Farm scenario during the 2pm - 6pm session. The event number is 410. Unfortunately the game is already full, but I welcome people to stop by and see the rules in action.

Fore more information about the scenario and photos of it being run at the 2014 Carnage convetion, you can see my past blog post about those games. I hope to see you at Huzzah! Stop by my table to take a peek at the Electronic Brigadier rules in action.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Recent Ebay Purchases

Recently I picked up two batches of figures and a Sherman tank from three different sellers on Ebay. The first auction was nine more ancient Greek hoplites from the same seller that I got my previous batch from. As seen below, this completes a full wing of four stands of hoplites for Marathon to Marius. All I have to add is an officer and some soldiers or skirmishers. Both of the latter likely to include the Thracians I re-based earlier in the year. These figures came based for an unknown rule set. I re-based them for as shown.













The next group are some 28mm WWII British commandos. The group includes a forward observer, a 3-man Vickers heavy/medium machine gun crew, a 3-man command team, a 10-man infantry squad and a 2-man piat team. This is a pretty solid starter kit towards a British command for Bolt action.














Last but not least, a 28mm Bolt Action resin and lead Sherman 75mm. I liked this model because it was well weathered with mud and without markings. The latter makes it suitable for Americans or for British or Russian lend/lease use. I'll most likely use it with the Commandos shown above.


Sunday, April 12, 2015

Northern Conspiracy April 2015 Game Day

Yesterday was our club game day. Normally we do a single session game night on a Friday evening, but this month's event was an all day Saturday game day with two sessions. During the morning session I played in my friend Byron's Indian Mutiny game. Byron is shown to the left in the red shirt going over the game mechanics. Byron's game used the Brother Against Brother ACW skirmish rule set, slightly modified by Byron for use with the Indian Mutiny period.

Byron's games feature beautiful terrain and figures and are always well run. This one was no exception as you can see from the photos below. The scenario was a hypothetical rescue of some loyal citizens (recently painted and shown in close up below) by crown troops. The citizens, held up in a small compound were protected by some local loyal forces. The compound was attacked by mutineers from one table edge and a relief force of crown forces were arriving from the opposite table edge. Present at the game was a new guest, Mark shown below in the tan shirt and beard.












Also run in the morning session were Mark D's war of 1812 game, and Pete's WWI naval combat game. I took a few quick photos which are shown below.















In the afternoon I played in my friend Charlie's Napoleonic game using his own rules, Napoleon's Rules of War. The scenario was Ruffin’s and Villatte’s attack at Talavera 28 July 1809. Rob and I played the German forces and Kevin, Bob and Ralph played the French.

Rob and I set up about half of our forces on the defensive ridge and the remaining we kept behind in a mobile formation to deploy as the French advanced. The French deployed enough across our front to keep us from leaving the ridge while their main attack went in on our left, which I defended by rushing our reserve into line there. With our cavalry arriving, Kevin was forced to form square, which our horse artillery punished with very effective fire (my dice were smokin' hot). Elsewhere the French attacked our center with cavalry as we couldn't form square due to the presence of French artillery in the sector. The cavalry punched a hole in our center, but then were forced to surrender behind our lines due to withering fire from our reserve. As the French tried to exploit the hole our reserves also rushed in to plug the void in the line, both arriving at about the same time. That sector stabilized while Kevin's flank attack was blunted by our artillery and infantry line. Victory to the Germans. Due to my hot dice, I received the table award, a tiny bottle of Chivas Regal scotch!






Sincere apologies to Michael, who ran the other afternoon game as I didn't get photos of his medieval skirmish game, Robin hood vs. the sheriff of Nottingham. Michael's games are always great fun and feature his home brew rules, Have Fun Storming the Castle Lads.