Setting up a Valour & Fortitude(V&F) 1745 Jacobite Rebellion game using WorldofFun (WOF) 18mm plastic flats. Finally have the shed table (re)squared away and ready for action (photos in follow-up post).
You can read all about these rules over at the Perry Miniatures website.
I bought the figures several years ago without any specific game system in mind. V&F is all the rage, the rules are free, and they had army lists available for the rebellion. I use the past tense, as I have copies of the lists in Goodreader, but can’t find them on the net.
Why a new search? Well, I downloaded the Jacobite army sheet twice, but not the characteristics – or fate cards – sheet. Typical. I’ll cobble something together from other lists. Fortunately, only the first four characteristics on the sheet are unique. The remainder appear to be the same for each army.
While the game system involves drawing a fate card as the first action of a player’s turn, and using points to upgrade a commander’s capabilities, I wanted to add other, more personal, characteristics for each side’s leaders. Rather than use the Irregular Wars system for that, I dug out the old standby, Programmed Wargames Scenarios by Charles Stewart Grant. Published in 1981, it has been an influential and relevant resource.
Grant’s system uses dice to determine his array of characteristics for commanders, and “programmed” orders for either Red (Attacker), Blue (Defender), or both armies. It’s a good and fun solo system. He also includes an excellent and amusing set of “fate cards”. However, I’ll use those contained in V&F for my first couple of games.
The results were interesting to say the least. Here’s a summary.
|
TRAIT/ORDERS |
BRITISH (Blue – Defense) |
JACOBITES (Red – Offense) |
| C in C Personality |
Bold |
Bold |
| Tactical Capabilities | ||
| Attack | Good – +2 to unit attack | Weak – -1 to unit attack |
| Defense | Above Average – +1 to unit | Weak – -1 to unit defense |
| Local Population Attitude |
Indifferent |
Indifferent |
| Allocation of Forces | 50% defend South Hill | 40% attack South Hill |
| 30% defend North Hill | 20% bypass to East, attack N. Hill | |
| 20% reserve (West of bridge) | 40% reserve (off table) | |
| Execution of Orders | Give no ground. Defend well forward. Can move off contour to exploit favorable situation.
See Pg. 19 for responses to events. |
See Pg. 21 for reserve response to events. |
The local population option is an interesting touch. Locals can actively aide one side or the other. This includes sabotage, giving bad directions, or whatever one’s imagination conjures up.
I haven’t figured out how to apply the tactical modifiers. Apply to the entire army or to a single unit designated by the CinC?
In addition to the CinC, V&F calls for Brigade Commanders. A brigade can have anywhere from two to eight units. I’ll have two Brigadiers per side. However, I’m not assigning characteristics/traits to them since it’s my first game with this system, and I’ll have plenty of other opportunities to butcher the rules.
More as I get things figured out.