Lest we forget

 

Never underestimate the power of unfinished business.

Eisenhower

Eisenhower has emerged recently from Sam Mustafa, who has always been a great rules innovator in my view, employing straightforward approaches to gaming mechanics in terms of making things work, and approaching the history from a discerning perspective, and ensuring that historical flavour trumps simulationist complexity.

I would cite his Maurice as one of the finest designs ever. I have not had enough experience with Blucher (though with a few plays, I do suspect it is a superb adaptive ruleset for all horse and musket – noting that ‘Chamberlain’ is available online) nor Rommel to testify, though I do understand how the latter was a bit of a risk with units as companies – echoing the ww2 Piquet/Field of Battle approach, though striving to do something bigger without the scope, and with mechanics perhaps suiting a smaller scale.

That large scope was ever my own fascination…I have always had three WW2 games in mind, from an operational standpoint, that I wanted to do – either in a group game, or with player vs player: Market Garden (yes, all of it), Kasserine Pass and Bastogne.

Back in the Megablitz days, all three scenarios were readily available through yahoo groups and elsewhere, though having sold my own copy of Megablitz (SHAME you say! I never really grokked it anyway), and looked at larger scale Piquet derivatives and ‘Hexblitz’ with a view to doing something soon(!), so the arrival of Eisenhower is somewhat timely.

Again, some things are familiar from Sam’s other games – units gain advantage through being ‘prepared’ and there are Ops markers and mechanics for getting things done. Squares (like Rommel) are used to delineate movement etc., but key – units are now 'battalions'.

So seeing this, I immediately thought that Bastogne was possible, Hong Kong was possible, Russian Front actions, larger parts (or full part) of Market Garden etc.

I commonly check for two things in a game like this – firstly the unit scale (battalions – check) – indeed, even unit marking in this case is sensible rather than onerous, and then ground scale: in this case 3km or 2 miles per square.

Now most standard games in ‘Ike’ are on a 6x4 table – or 12x8 squares at 6” per square. My mind starts plotting however – Eindhoven to Arnhem – 89km – but that is including various road networks and bends back into the northern town; plot it on a map and you do a little Pythagoras’ Theorem and voila: 64km by 40km on table would have a hypotenuse of 76km…IF...the squares are 4.5” per.

'this is the wide part'

Beware the math, for by its unholy scrawl you will know it!

This was a sudden and fantastic revelation. Market Garden would fit on my table – and indeed Sam has a small bastardized Nijmegan scenario online on a 6x4 – expand this with 4.5” squares on an 8’x5’ and Voila! Added to that, we have multi day games within the mechanics, so it all works well.

Sam's 'Not Nijmegan' scenario.

Each square allows three units – so I play with divisions as maneuver groups – the 82^nd, the 101st, 1st Airborne at Arnhem, with XXX Corps coming to the rescue – all do-able with 3-5 players.

But let’s play with the concept…Bastogne, in the Megablitz scenario available online is on a 60km x 40km map; a massive Tunisia scenario, incorporating Kasserine Pass works too, and then the Hong Kong 1942 scenario in the original Rapid Fire rulebook is also suddenly a possibility without the multiple tables originally envisaged there, not to mention D-Day beaches (with inland para drops).

Bastogne, with map in appropriate colour for December 1944; an old Megablitz scenario by Mike Elliot

20mm German 1940 units on a 4.5" x 4.5" square

A sample of the earlier Megablitz 'Kasserine Pass' mini-campaign

I was never a fan of where I should place the MGs, how quickly I should move up the hedgerow and count the grenades used (though some skirmish games remain beautifully designed), and why the Mauser was crap compared to the Garand, or how rules never took account of the fact that the MG42 rarely had enough ammo available to keep spitting its high rate of death, and thereby could be rendered ineffective in the bigger picture when facing enough ‘crappy’ Brens.

"Hans! I vill simply run out of ammo...vee can't provide enough due to ze bombing and pressure on two fronts, and zee supply issues, that vood enable us to complete zis scenario!"...."zat is not vot zee rules say Fritz!!!"

With Command Decision – a step up again to platoon stands, we once spent an hour plotting the various hull & turret MGs firing from PzIVs and wondering at the genius of the commander who managed to co-ordinate said fire from an entire engaged company, and bend the rules to his will – it’s simply bollocks; but larger operational concerns…that’s a different beast entirely?

…and I haven’t even read the rules yet.

Skyships over Drymoon

I may have mentioned that I run a 5e D&D campaign for younger players now and then.

Now, the current campaign involves Tabaxi (or 'catpeople'), which of course means that I developed a half-assed, mostly made up on the spot, series of adventures, with concepts ripped from Ancient Egypt (tick), Frank Herbert's 'Dune' (tick), John Carter of Mars (tick) and Lawrence of Arabia (tick). With much adventuring in the bag so far, circumstances aligned for a tabletop battle - with D&D rules and a few ideas ripped from 'X-Wing'. What could go wrong?

The Dwarf Engineers - Tyr, Griselda, Sprocket and Dave the Horn

Themes include:

• 'Drymoon' has been invaded by the Githyanki (planar travellers) , who are searching for 'the devil' (a giant monster from the Monster Manual ;) ), have enslaved the local populace of catpeople, with a view to finding said 'artifact' - only the goddess (or a bunch of mad adventurers) can save the realm...
• The characters after exile, arrived back from another realm, with amnesia, little realising that they are part of a prophecy to save the world
• They have liberated the oasis at Blighthaven, some Dwarf engineers, and recently freed a brood of young 'Rocs' - GIANT birds - from an Earth Elemental guarded prison (these were originally called 'Tarns' in the 1970s Blackmoor 'zero' edition D&D, until someone realised that it might be a dodgy copyright...nuff said). The Rocs have joined them.
• They had arranged for refugees to meet them, only to realise that the ship is being chased by the Githyanki (on a red dragon) and their Gnoll (hyena-men), in Airship style skyships.
• Skyships, dragons, giant attack birds with more SQUAWK, cat people, hyena-men, planar travellers, magic swords, Dwarf engineers...and more ;)
• ...brace for the 'Battle of Blighthaven', with thousand foot falls to the death for the unwary...or those who lose balance...

Cardboard representations for the skyships - from the Githyanki side, with decks chock full of evil Gnolls - ready to jump from ship to ship with mooring cables

The red dice - represent the damage roll for red dragon flame breath...yeah...

A Githyanki riding a red dragon leads the charge, just shy of breath weapon range of the refugee ship. piloted by Sprocket the Dwarf

Durathrax the dragon lands on the refugee ship, Rocs counter attack

Yes, so I had to choose names for the Rocs...'Maverick' and 'Goose' seemed apt for one pair (never leave your wing...man...)

On the Gith Right flank, Damien and Seamus hit the Gnoll ship...

...even as skyships clash and troops swamp across the smash between ships to take on the Gnolls...Lidl the Tabaxi, leaps across the gap, before the ship that he is on, damaged in the clash, starts to fall from the sky

The business end of a red dragon

Aldi, dropped off by her pet Roc, lands on the dragon with a view to talking it out of its vile intent (they have history)

Survivors of the clash - the last remnants of the Roc race...

Rules written a few days before - worked well.

Although 5e and WotC are now trying to move in on the 'monthly billing' style business model (D&D 5.5?) - just like the rest of the world's companies, it really won't work...gamers are mostly concerned with the social aspects of this game, and most people are wise to corporate shenanigans...and there are so many alternatives out there to the D&D brand, if we were pushed to go that way. 5e works...and really, it's all we need for this type of game - especially so where the story trumps book flipping, and the players love that engagement.

2 by 2 Games - 'Space Weirdos'

 aaaand we're back - it's been busy recently, but I have been doing a little painting using contrast paints, with some hard sci-fi figures that I have had for ages (mostly GZG 25mm). The advantage of contrast paints is speed, and they win vs the 'two foot' rule, in that i do not need to see that much detail.

I also have a penchant for collecting cheap sci or sword&sorcery rulesets for tabletop - maybe it's time to try a few out?

Clearing a 2 foot by 2 foot space on the book table, allows me to set some little games up. First of these is 'Space Weirdos', which is a sci fi 'heartbreaker' ('Heartbreaker' being old D&D speak for homebrewed, rules hacks that benefit the particular DM or group), though in this case the rules are far from hacking existing provisos, and are very well done.

The Basics

• It's a really cheap pdf - check out wargames vault or direct (caseyg.itch.io)
• Dice are normally 2D* - and the dice type changes up or down, OR a dice type adds - so 2D8 could become 2D10 or 3D8, depending upon circumstance.
• Movement is via 1 to 3x 5" measuring sticks
• Figures are rated for speed, defence, firepower, prowess (in hand to hand) and willpower (which keeps them fighting - i.e. recovering from stagger results)
• Sequence of Play is Command, Initiative, Activation, Maintenance
• You can do 3 things in an activation - moving and shooting can be restricted, but not always
• When you roll a hit - on the under fire table - the opponent may get a chance to fire back, or go down - all works quite well and intuitively
• Different weapons do different things - carbines benefit from suppression, sniper rifles benefit from aim actions etc.
• The range sticks are 'X'ed to denote burst markers or grenade results etc.
• Leaders have traits like 'tactician' which benefits initiative, or 'political officer' which aids recovery
• Being sci fi - there are rules for psychic powers (read Jedi ;) ) and Aliens - this would really suit Star Wars et al (blasters seem to be an entire generation of firearms below current slug throwers - so I think it works without much hacking )

"It all looks clear sir?" Turanian hard-suit heavy infantry approaches the Aquilonian base

'Alright, move in...I mean what can go wrong?"

"Move , move move!"

Aquilonian Sniper Gals rarely miss

the Aquilonian marines are spread out in defensive pattern - they have good fire and willpower, but poor armour and defence

"move it Jansen!"

Early Turanian moves into the airbase, putting softer marines into cover

Turanian Energy weapon moves up, out of sight of the sniper

I had actually forgotten about this Turanian figure, and moved some guys straight into his sights...

Energy weapon was down, but then recovered...this was not a good move - no cover 

 The sniper displaces to find defilade (those are movement sticks, not terrain)

Turanians go down - mostly thanks to the sniper, though Aquilonians move a little 'too' far forward

But then. few are hidden to sniper girl's x8 optic (she benefits from extra aim - adding dice to her shot - and increasing the chance of a better ratio - which adds mods to the 'hit' table - increasing the chances of a kill - very intuitive)

I mean - they probably think they are using the available cover BWOOHAHA

The marines eventually put the energy weapon down - it has been a tough defence - half of their team is taken out

A very nice set of rules, and I also note that 'Sword Weirdos' is available. ...looks at the Vikings on the painting table...

Le Duc on the Road XXIV - Les Invalides

L' Hôtel des Invalides was commissioned in 1670 by Louis XIV in order to provide accommodation and hospital care for wounded soldiers. In 1815, after Napoleon’s abdication, over 5,000 survivors of the Grande Armee were listed there. Napoleon inspected the place and visited his men in 1808, 1813 and 1815.

The chapel was built at the end of the 17th century by Jules-Hardouin Mansart and contains the tombs of Marshals of France (Including Vauban et al) and that of Napoleon himself. 

This formed the second 'major' tour during the trip to Paris avec ma fille during the aforementioned Operation Rat-on-a-Stick...

Now France is very proud of its military history; there were so many authentic uniforms and pieces of equipment on display here, that the overall effect was absolutely stunning. Unlike in the UK, where there are apparent (but usually quasi-political and thereby faux) concerns over military history or Empire, the French are proud of their history, no matter how black or white or with shades of grey, no matter how good or bad - it is history, and they recognise it as such.

This museum and chapel is absolutely stunning and a must see if you have even a passing interest in French or European history; the displays are superb, the quality unbeatable, and the staff very helpful . Highly recommended.

Some fantastic (and authentic) WW1 & WW2 uniforms and equipment on display. France does not muck about with worrying about this sort of thing. Superb displays.

Turret of a Panzer II amongst other equipment.

Business end of a V2

Moving into the '17th-19th Century' building (which we almost missed due to renovation :O ), excellent stories and display surrounding the Army of the Sun King

18th Century American expedition

Muskets...sooo many muskets

Turenne and his armour are displayed

...with maps of his last campaign

A certain Irish regiment - 'pre' Wild Geese era

You quickly realise that the Napoleonic uniforms, are, for the most part, NOT reconstructions or replicas - but actual uniforms from the period, well preserved

Sooo many sabres and blades

Again, the quality of the paintings and the ability to get close and see the brushstrokes - stunning...as Davout looks on

...almost every French Eagle is on display, with regimental histories

Well preserved Revolutionary wars uniforms too

'Are you the Guard???!!!"

Some original pieces in poorer state of repair, including Napoleon's bicorne, have survived

I have so many pics from Les Invalides, that there may be other blog posts including them...

Later that day, the view from Montmartres Cathedral

...and the steps that Mr. Wick gets chucked down repeatedly in 'John Wick 4'

A superb trip. I'd recommend Paris to all...