Mid-summer is not the best season for testing wargame rules here, especially not with games designed to happily last a few hours. Its just too damned hot in my games room from around 10 until 6 and there are too many other things needing to be done. But after several days of one or two turns a day I'm done.
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| About 4 turns in. Reinforcements have arrived and been deployed on both sides and a bold cavalry charge has cleared off 1 unit of Rosmark light infantry. The big gun (which is the primary target for Rosish forces) has been manhandled out of the entrenchment and aimed at the enemy. |
The game was enjoyable in parts and frustrating in parts as I tried to sort out what I want from the game. This would be easier if I was starting from scratch but then I wouldn't be "here" if I were. (
I'd be casting troops in Shakos and gluing them on multi-figure stands)
Several things became abundantly clear however. The first, already known, is that changing several key rule mechanisms several times during a game makes it next to impossible to asses the game as a whole even while allowing a good comparison of the "feel" of each approach. The second, also known, is that while some mechanisms don't work, others are merely a choice between two valid approaches which deliver a different "feel" to the game.
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| A slightly earlier overview of the armies deploying. |
At times I wondered if I should just give up and play Charge! or seperate the two projects entirely but a large part of me wants this sort of rules for these figures and this campaign and I want it to work on this table and without losing my compatibility for those joint convention games so the die is cast.
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| Late in the day the Grey Squadron of the Yellow Hussars are broken by an exceptionally stubborn bunch of Wild Geese. Its a little hard to see but the Pandours brushed aside the Veteran militia without even breaking step. Only a halt by the Cautious Pandour Brigadier prolonged the game to 10 turns. |
Luckily the game felt just right at points so I'm on the right road. A bit of history, a bit of storytelling and a bit of toy soldiering.
Sometimes I love certain rule mechanisms because they give the result I feel is right. By the next game that self same system is infuriatingly unrealistic*, so I guess it is necessary for a couple of games to be played before they can be binned completely.
ReplyDelete* Yes I am referring to Fire and Fury!
Agreed. Its even more annoying when one has written them oneself....
DeleteNice looking game Ross, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou said: ".....At times I wondered if I should just give up and play Charge!...."
But: Isn´t Charge! a difficult ruleset for solo-playing?
I found writing secret orders for both sides to be beyond me so I rolled each turn to see you would go first and that worked well. That the units and ranges etc are too big for my smaller table. Last time I had to cut units and all distances in 1/2.
DeleteIt also goes too fast with just a few units!
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