EASY WINS

It's that time of the year again when wargamers look ahead and make ambitious plans for buying new armies and dreaming up grand campaigns.

However, and I am guilty of this, the temptation is to draw up some elaborate framework of future games that requires hours of painting and denies any opportunity to slip in some new and shiny period or project.  The plan might last the first few months but bears no resemblance by six months and is wheezing away in some forgotten corner of your mind by the end of the year.  Worse, the plan can hang over us like some portent of doom which can kill off any spontaneity and lead to that worst of wargaming maladies - loss of mojo!

So, do we kick all plans into the long grass and run free like nature intended?

Of course not, and here is my alternative plan for creating easy wins with no or little work involved.

EASY WINS

WW2 Alamein

I have a Rapid fire campaign book and a lot of pdf scenarios that can keep me in Thursday and Saturday games for the rest of the year.  Well detailed and easy to pick up these can be small or very big affairs.

Battle of the Bulge

There is a linked campaign in "Forgotten Battles" - I suspect Mark has all the troops for this - what a great way to spend three consecutive Thursdays.

Operation Goodwood

This perhaps shouldn't be on the list as I would need to make the railway embankment that dominates the centre of the table - but it wouldn't take me long!  Russ and Mark have the figures and the rest of the terrain is done.  Again, this is another excellent Rapid fire scenario.

ECW in Cheshire and the North Wales

The course at the Nantwich museum was inspirational.  For anyone interested I can walk the battlefields of Middlewich, Nantwich, Rowton Moor and Denbigh and follow up with a battle - if I can get these all played this year I would be impressed - and no work is required.

Napoleonic - Battle of Leipzig

Many years ago, in an issue of Miniature Wargames (I think the same one that inspired the operational games!) there was an article about the Battle of Leipzig in which the French players sat enclosed by tables on every side.  Where they sat was Dresden whilst the Allied players brought their separate armies from all directions.  The French, in the centre, would have to husband and redirect their armies in every direction to pull off a win.  This is a very big battle, up there with Waterloo, but I think Mark may have all the troops for this.

Franco-Prussian

Battle of Spicheren, using the Bloody Big Battle rules, is ready for a Thursday night outing - I just need Mark's terrain hexes to represent the historic battlefield.

Gettysburg

I think Jon may have all the troops for the first day?  If so, we should fight this using Mark's hex terrain.  In addition, Mark could give the whole battle a try using Napoleonic armies and we could get the hex terrain played upon in advance of playing it using ACW troops.

18th Century Naval

I'm ready to put on the Combat of Cape Francis, my first historic naval action.

Guadalcanal Naval Campaign

I have a rule set to play the entire campaign - and with Mark I have all the ships.

All the above are ready to roll and require little if any effort.  I think it would take a year to get this lot played and in the meantime they would serve as inspiration for other armies, periods and campaigns.  I'm sure others could easily add to this list.