Sunday 17 January 2016

One day campaign game


This is something I have had in the back of my mind for some time - in fact its from issue 2 of Miniature Wargames way back in 1983.

I enjoyed Jon's game on Thursday but it got me thinking about the possibilities of playing a large game in one day but with plenty of movement, reserves, flank attacks, off table artillery etc. when I remembered this famous article from George Gush.  I also thought how much fun we all got from Russ' terrain board and how many scenarios we managed to wring from one set up.  The above is a development of both these ideas.

If Russ is up for it, he very kindly creates boards of the same dimension (4'x3') to represent the areas indicated in the squares above listed 1A to 3B.

At the top a British infantry division with armour support deploys on red start table A or B.  These tables are screened from the German player to disguise the axis of attack.  The British can only move from table to table following the large outlined arrows.  This simulates unit demarcation and command chains for a large push to secure as many of the tables as possible.

Tables in the first row have one objective, tables in the second two and the third row three.  To win the British must secure more objectives than the Germans hold.

However, the Germans are fewer in number but they can move from table to table using the dotted lines to represent their more flexible command and control, and so have the opportunity to launch local counter attacks.

In addition both sides have an air table from which they give their air assets orders during the game including counter strike, ground attack or top cover.

Unoccupied tables allow double movement, artillery of 105mm or less can fire indirectly on adjacent tables, artillery that is larger can bombard tables that are two rows away.

We would need to use the club and the aim would be to get the game finished in one day.  There are no turn limits just a time by which the game ends.  Air assets are refuelled and reused on the hour regardless of the turns taken and only indirect fire is allowed from one table to the other.

I would need Russ to agree to making up the tables, and all of us to agree on a Saturday or a Sunday for the game.  What we get is another set of tables that can be used like the scenarios we played for weeks last year and we also get a campaign set up that can be used again and again.  It could be an American, a Russian or a mixed allied division attacking.  It could be a German division attacking the Russians.  It could be a Napoleonic large scale battle or even an ACW battle with the Union attacking a Confederate city whereby the river could be used to bring on naval assets.  The list could be endless but the basic system is there to use over and over again just like that one terrain board.

Apart from the tables we have everything else.  Obviously Russ needs to be up for this (although I could probably put something together using my terrain boards) but can everyone let me know if this is of interest as I think the format could be used for everyone's favourite period and army.

3 comments:

mark said...

count me in mein Herr

jono said...

I am up for this and also have terrain boards and hills we can use

Broeders said...

sounds good to me!