Monthly Archives: February 2016

New Dice

As part of the ongoing grappling with solo gaming, I purchased several types of dice over the past few weeks.

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The top die is for points of the compass.  Could be used for entries for opposing forces, reinforcements, etc.

The row below is to be used for decision making.  Which course of action to take?

The big die have various body parts labeled.  Great for solo gaming, especially with these guys…..my Warhammer Renaissance Skirmishers.   This should eliminate the drudgery of chart reading for “hits”.

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The bottom two rows are directional.  Useful for creating some type of AI for your opposition force/forces.

All the dice are manufactured by Koplow Games.

Looking forward to coming up with creative ways of using them.

 

 

RAF – End Of Scenario Thoughts

Finished up “The Hardest Days” scenario. Lots of fun.

Like many solitaire games, RAF is process oriented. The turn sequence mechanics are the crux of the game, with player decisions taking far less time than in a typical multi-player game.

The obvious reasons are the low counter density, and the player’s active involvement with counter movement is limited to the RAF. Another reason is that many of the mechanics are card driven, without the usual wristage.

The lessons learned during this play through were to take full advantage of the ability of adjacent sectors to patrol in those sectors most threatened, that at least once a day you just have to take a beating, and use everything you can on the last raid of the day.

Squadrons in adjacent sectors can augment patrols. This is a far better use of these assets than waiting for a favorable warning situation which allows the employment of adjacent squadrons in the target sector,.

With followup raids and limited time advances, the RAF will have at least one turn when most of its assets are either landing or rearming. Sending up a single squadron to contest a raid is suicide, so it is best to just sit back, get bombed, and wait until your grounded aircraft become operational.

By the 1800 turn (last of the day), the Luftwaffe has few assets remaining. This can be especially true for fighters. That last raid may comprise only a couple of escorts. If the RAF commander places all of his available assets on patrol, the chances are that he can achieve air superiority for that interception and really do some damage to the bombers. This tactic is so effective that there is actually a rule limiting the number of patrolling squadrons for the 1800 turn.

My game ended in a draw. I might just try the campaign scenario which adds several layers of chrome. Why not?

Renaissance Wargame – The Action Pt 3

What a dog fight!  The Poles right wing is shattered, with Tartars enveloping that flank.  However, the Dvor Sipahis’ attempts to repulse the Polish Haiduks threatening the Russia  rear failed.

The Polish cavalry are now a beaten command, with only the Hussars having a reasonable chance of being steadied.  The left flank Pancerni have been attrited and the light cavalry is incapable of any real resistance.

With all that, I still might play a couple more turns to see how the doughty Haiduks fare.

Haiduks Deploy
Haiduks Deploy
Polish Left is Shattered. Russian Cavalry Begins Envelopment
Polish Right is Shattered. Russian Cavalry Begins Envelopment
Russian Dvor Sipahis Regroup After Being Repulsed By Haiduk Musketry
Russian Dvor Sipahis Regroup After Being Repulsed By Haiduk Musketry

Solo DBR (De Bellis Renationis) Tweaks

Been thinking about my solo play of DBR and ways to artificially interject some variety. By artificially I mean using random generators for a scenario, rather than just pre determining scenario inputs.

I won’t bore you with the overall thought process. What thinking that did take place was random and unfocused, flitting about with all types of tables and charts to reflect temperment, efficiency, and morale by CinC, sub-general, troop type and unit. After messing around with various and increasingly arcane methodologies, it dawned on me that I had to work “inside” the rules, not outside of them.

Let’s assume that Phil Barker is a superior game designer. If that assumption is made, then the parts are connected to the whole and his system, at the very least, abstracts many considerations that are presented in a far more granular manner in other rule sets. Think Gush’s (very good) Renaissance rules.

When this series of assumptions is made, then any changes reflecting my three criteria (temperment, competency, morale) must be inside, or within Rules as Written (RAW).

If the objective is to add variety, but directly and without undue complications, then some general assumptions have to be made.

First and foremost is that the army will reflect the temperment of their general. I’m playing games with about 150-200 points, so only need a CinC. There’s no way I want to get into the business of creating an AI to guide the behaviors of various types of generals. However, I can directly, and within, DBR’s rules guide how the army will behave.

The three categories for the CinC are rash, steady and cautious. Elements or groups in a “rash” army will always followup and pursue, regardless of troop type. A “steady” army will follow RAW, since Barker has built in typical behaviors into his troop types. A “cautious” army will not followup or pursue in any situation.

Individual unit competency will be reflected in their (as Barker puts it) “efficiency”. Units can be up or down graded from the “Superior”, “Ordinary”, and “Inferior” ratings contained in RAW. I did not mess with “Fast” since this seems to be heavily dependent on fighting style. A change in ratings effects combat outcomes, and for shooters, a decrease in effective range. I decided not to downgrade movement for “Inferior” shot units to that of a “Horde”, or from 150 paces to 100.

As with my CinC ratings and effects, morale will be army-wide.

Morale is reflected by changing the criteria for a “Beaten Command”, as well as the rallying and steadying units of a Beaten Command. RAW has an army becoming beaten when casualties exceed one-third of its individual element strength. When this threshold is crossed, groups of elements can be steadied (in that turn, only), if not steadied, the units rout, but can be rallied element by element during subsequent turns. All of this takes Player Initiative Points (PIPs), which are generated by a D6 roll for that turn.

An army with good morale will use the RAW over one-third element criteria. An army with high morale will become beaten with a threshold over forty percent, and an army with low morale will have its threshold drop to over twenty-five percent.

An army with high morale takes one PIP to rally an element or steady a group. An army with good morale takes the RAW two PIPs per, and an army with bad morale takes three PIPs per.

How all of this works in a campaign is another question. I’ll try this out once I finish the current Pole vs. Russian game.

Renaissance Wargame – The Action Pt 2

Solo war gaming can be either mundane or chaotic.  This is the latter.

Poles right flank caves in and losses mount, with center Hussars in disarray due to musketry.  Still some hope, as Haiduks and Pancerni attack on the left.  A wacky tactical revolving door.

Polish Right Flank: Problems
Polish Right Flank: Problems
Polish Left Flank: Haiduks Deploying and Pancerni Ready To Charge
Polish Left Flank: Haiduks Deploying and Pancerni Ready To Charge
Russians React and Poles Hope
View To The West:  Russians React and Poles Hope

RAF – Initial Thoughts

Finally comfortable enough with the rules to start the “Hardest Days” scenario.  This is a highly regarded solitaire game with great reviews.  I started out with “Lion”, playing the British.

For a solitaire game, it has a relatively low level of wristage.  The game process and progress is, to a large degree,  driven by cards; for targets, raid size, raid strength, approach events, target events and passage of time during a raid “day”.  Dice rolling is limited to combat results, bombing results, British ability to respond to attacks and weather.

Unlike many other games, the end of a raid does not mean the time clock advances.  There can be raid somewhere else over England, or a followup raid on the target just attacked.  Have a couple of “0” time advance results, and it makes for a damn long turn, and day.

As a result, the RAF is stretched thin and beat up from the get-go.  Their warning system is not good, and this restricts the ability of the RAF to respond in any strength – from adjacent sectors – to a raid.  Even a minor raid can leave the RAF out-manned, especially when a sector has been attacked several times during the day.   In most instances, the RAF cannot even get to the bombers, having all their assets engaged by German “Hunter” gruppen.

The instructions advertise that the 5-Day, “Hardest” scenario can be played in three hours.  Don’t think so.  One day takes about an hour, and that’s now that I can play without my nose buried in the rules.

Gonna keeping hacking at it, and see if the game play speeds up.  Keep hoping for those “2 Hour” time advance cards.  Both the Brits and I need them!

 

 

 

Renaissance Wargame – The Action Pt 1

Was able to play several turns of my Poles vs. Russians DBR game.

The initial Polish Hussar attack on the formed Russian Streltsi was repulsed, as was a Cossack charge against the Russian Tartar light cavalry.

Attempts by the Hussars to reform were continually frustrated by Streltsi musketry. Both the Polish  Pancerni (Armored Cossacks)  and Russian Boyars moved to support their comrades. The Russian charge on their left shattered the Pancerni and Cossacks. The right wing Boyars maneuvered to engage the Polish left’s Pancerni.

Engrossed by this action, I forgot to role for the variable turn entrance on the Polish Haiduk infantry. The first role allowed them to enter on both roads leading into the village.

This seemed like a good time to quit for the evening.

A sessions report would not be complete without impaired photography.

Polish Pancerni Advance
Polish Pancerni Advance
Russian Boyars Begin Their Advance
Russian Boyars Begin Their Advance
Hussars and Pancerni Unsuccessfully Melee with Streltsi
Hussars and Pancerni Unsuccessfully Melee with Streltsi
Winged Hussars Attempt To Reform For Another Charge
Winged Hussars Attempt To Reform For Another Charge
Haiduks Enter Through Village
Haiduks Enter Through Village

Change In Plans

Finally made it to Portland for a wargaming weekend. The first two attempts were stymied by weather and family.

The plan was for a third playing of the “Fate of Nanking” scenario from War of Resistance (WOR). Set the scenario up, then just stared at it. Started talking, having a couple of beers, and three movies later it was time for a good night’s sleep.

Enthusiasm was limited Saturday morning, so we bit the bullet and took it down. Instead of WOR, we had fun playing Paths of Glory, which we hadn’t played for awhile. We didn’t get that far into it, but it was a lot more fun then doing the supply book keeping for KMT units fighting in the suburbs of Shanghai.

The plan is for Tim to come over to Central Oregon in March. We’ll get Wavell’s War out and play the East African campaign game. That will be something!

Something Different – Hordes of Dervishes – DBA Variant

Very cold, bad TV, no sports,  not even a movie to get excited about.  So, I dove into a DBA variant, Hordes of Dervishes by Bob Cordery,  that had been on the playlist for quite a while.  Bob is a wargaming stalwart, with his own interesting site.

There are any number of DBA variants out there.  This one is colonial.  It’s an excuse to pull out the British 15mm troops that I’ve had for decades, and were lingering out in the shed,  patiently waiting for this opportunity.  They were all that was left of what had been a rather substantial force of British and French colonials, painted for the aborted World War 1896 campaign,  that I sold off a few years ago.  I used some of my 15mm figures painted up for the East African Renaissance as the “Dervishes”.

With all my usual finesse, I just lined them up at went at it.

As with DBA, there is a lot of wristage, and the Brits’ roles were horrendous.  If the Dervishes get into contact, there is real trouble.  While a Dervish element’s (I’m talking Lingua DBA here) combat factor is 3 as compared to 5 for the British, any favorable ratio – not the typical “kill” ratio of over half – will destroy the British element.  So it is  absolutely critical for the British player to roll well not only in melee but also for his rifle fire to be effective.  Especially because the Dervishes are rated as Warband, and can use 2 pips to move 6 inches (600 paces), if that puts them into contact.  Rifle range is 5 inches (500 paces).

With the bad rolling, things did not go well for the Highlanders.  Here’s a flashbulb view of the battle (the game was played after dark in bad lighting in the dining room).  Good game, and I’ll probably play it again this evening.

Set Up.  Hill Rated Bad Going.  I Constructed The DBA Board Many Years Ago.
Set Up. Hill Rated Bad Going. I Constructed The DBA Board Many Years Ago.
Highlanders.  Old MiniFigs.
Highlanders. Old MiniFigs.
Dervish Horde.  Old MiniFigs.
Dervish Horde. Old MiniFigs.
Closing To Contact
Closing To Contact
Contact and Flanked!
Contact and Flanked!
Highlanders Withdrawing.  A Dervish Victory.
Highlanders Withdrawing. A Dervish Victory.