3am at Walcourt & the Goldilox Hex Principle

Ages ago, I joined 'Steam', and discovered all of the old PC games that I wasted time on 20 years ago on the PC.

I also found 'Pike & Shot Campaigns' which I had first seen on Doug's excellent 'Cry Havoc' blog, and it included a lot of late C17th battles, so what's not to like?

So when I say this is a screenshot, Duc de 'Luddite' couldn't work out how to do a 'Prt Scrn' from here...these are actual screenshots...like with a camera.

 I chose Walcourt 1689, which is great, as the scope of the battlefield encompasses all of the movement of incoming reinforcements from both sides, seizing built up areas and hanging onto them, and massive cavalry actions on the flank. It's a nice system, which is obviously built upon the mechanisms of wargaming rules, so all makes sense.

Great action, great dynamic gameplay ...I lost!

 Say what you like about video games 'addiction': I was up until 3am ....uhhhh....and I lost!  Great game, and lots of scenario detail. 

Point the second: More thoughts after the last GDW Team Yankee / First Battle game. I'll be graduating to 'Battlefield Europe' next - the follow on variation, which used D10 instead of D6, and added some more developmental rules for modern warfare.

I have a few sizes of hexagon, though the 4.5" variants are the ones that I have most of, and that are finished/flocked.  I had contemplated using the 1/200 and 1/300 stuff on hexes and so had a few tests.

1) I can mimic the rules exactly in terms of smaller hexes- though I can't fit enough vehicles on board to mimic the stacking limits (3 or 4)

Too Small

 2) I can use the ultra large hex, but it allows too many vehicles, and I don't really have enough of them - plus increases the footprint of the map - even if this represents two map hexes.

Too Big

 3) I can use the 4.5" hexes - and model each of them on the  basis of 'two' actual hexes on the GDW gameboards...AHA! Stacking to this extent is rare, but does allow Soviet platoon doctrine.

Just Riiiight!

So this represents 2 hexes on the actual game map.

Now, this also has the handy bonus of mimicking Soviet doctrine - in that, I can place a platoon in the hex and have it restricted to staying in 3 vehicle groupings.

As it's two hexes, I can have a platoon of tanks and BMPs in the same hex, if required.

I can further have a single platoon fire at a single target as per Soviet doctrine, and rule it perfectly with this system.

So, if two hexes in the boardgame, becomes one hex on my table, I re-do the counter information slightly, along these lines:

 Now that I see these rules in action again, I'm wondering even if mimicking NATO training is simply done by virtue of granting them initiative each turn.

Also, I can use the scenarios from here:

 

to test the system

The more I see of this simple (but not simplistic) GDW/Chadwick system, the more I like its elegance. The advent of the D10 over the D6 actually fixes the obvious issue that the system had with decent armour, whereby if you fired enough shots at an M1, you could destroy it through disablement. That's harder on the D10 CRT.

More to come...

More GDW Team Yankee

 Managed to squeeze a game in, and it seems we keep coming back to the old GDW Team Yankee boardgame for WW3. 

I used the stats for British forces at the back of the rulebook, plus there are more of these in the other 'First Battle' supplements.

1:200 vehicles in play today

 The turn sequence seems like nothing new, as does the combat table, but this game is so elegant. 

 Elegant systems include:

• The Turn sequence, where if you have initiative, forces you to choose between going 1st or 2nd in turn - but be careful with reaction fire.
• The CRT seems very old school, but range and cover make such a difference. The game design advice is correct; if you can fire, you 'might as well try it' unless staying hidden and closing range is worth doing. Two Chieftains got taken out in the game below, simply by virtue of the weight of Soviet numbers.
• For me, the great thing here is one set of rules suiting all levels and modern periods / scenarios.

GDW's Team Yankee - all the boxes are like this; it's part of GDW's 'patented battered box' design.

 I've managed to collect all of the 1st Battle series now, including 'Stand or Die 1941' which appears to take 2 jumps up from Team Yankee (where 'Sands of War' jumps to units being platoons, 'Stand or Die' makes them companies - but without making it obvious ;)   ).

 

 So, I'm hoping to explore the entire set using miniatures. Aims include:

• Also expanding 'Last Battle' for Man to Man on tabletop.
• Playing some of the modern battles included in 'Sands of War'.
• Using some bits for 'Hyboria Now'.
• I'm still keen to develop the 'turn clock' and 'traits' systems in conjunction with these rules. 

 

  (oooh Blogger sucks so much now with pics...Now I get it!)

Soviet armour on their left makes a dash for the town.

 

 The British Chieftains are poorly spread out.

BMPs on the left start to take MILAN hits.

T72s exploit an apparent flank opportunity on the right.

While on the right, Soviet infantry mass against the British units in cover, pinning them early.

 

 

Soviet units make it into the BUA.

The weight of Sov armour is just too much, and a couple of lucky hits put paid the British right flank.

There are unexplored nuances in these rules, and the rest of 'First Battle' just waiting to be explored.

'When I said, 'stay on my tail', this is NOT what I meant!'