Tweenwater War - Turning the Sea Red

Battle 4 of the Tweenwater War Eastern Front


General Spengler's defeat at Rose Lake forced the Redgravian army to retreat to Blancport, where it found itself besieged by General Whittelspoon. Afraid of destroying one of the Emperor's cities, Whittelspoon refrained from a systematic bombardment. Instead, he settled in and prepared to starve out the enemy.

Unfortunately for Whittelspoon, the Redgravian navy sought to thwart his plans by supplying the beleaguered garrison. The Empire sent warships to blockade the city. The blockade reduced supplies to a trickle. That is, until Redgrave made a last ditch effort to break the blockade. They sent the bulk of the fleet on a long cruise far to the east. This drew off much of the Imperial navy. Then they tried to sneak a supply ship, escorted by one warship, past the blockade.

However, a squadron of Imperial warships spotted the convoy. The supply ship tried to run for it while the Redgravian warship engaged. Its shattering broadside sank an Imperial warship.

But two other warships cut off the supply ship. It then made a deft maneuver and found itself crossing the stern of one of the ships. Its broadside was puny but it managed to do substantial damage.

The supply side took some damage from the rear Imperial. However, it now had the wind advantage and was able to sail away without further molestation.

Unable to cut off the Redgravian supplies, General Whittelspoon now has no option but to assault Blancport!

Game Notes

• I am counting this as game 4 of the Tweenwater Eastern Front campaign. With the Redgravian victory, the score is now tied at 2-2. The next battle will be decisive. As mentioned, it will be an assault on the city.
• I used rules of my own design. Warship broadsides had 3 dice, hitting on a 4+. The supply ship rolled 2 dice. Targets then rolled to save (also needing 4+), with ships able to take 3 hits. This turned out a bit bloody. I may make the target number 5+ instead.

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

Oft get derailed by cats.

As I mentioned last time, I was planning to add a naval battle to my Tweenwater campaign. Saturday I decided to set it up.

A Redgravian warship is escorting a troop transport to Blancport. A squadron of Imperial ships intercepts the reinforcements.

But what is that line of dark clouds on the horizon?

It's Hurricane Onyx, who scatters the fleets!

Per our house rules, the game ends when the cat sits on the board. Oh well.

I did get a couple of turns in. I think I need to reduce the movement rates (I was using a rate of 3" if sailing with the wind). I also think that a gridded board will work better.

But my biggest issue was with the combat rules. Most Age of Sail rules use a dice pool mechanism. I was trying to avoid a dice pool so that I don't have to scrounge around for a bunch of dice. I tried a variant of my space dogfight rules - roll 2D6 and consult a chart to determine if the target is destroyed, damaged, or merely disrupted. This mechanism works well for dogfights where hitting the target in the first place is a big part of the challenge. It just did not feel right for Age of Sail. Hits should not be that difficult, however ships can take a lot of damage. I think I'll investigate other options.

In other news, my 2mm armies are progressing rapidly. Here is the Red army.

Top row (L to R) - Heavy cav, elite infantry, militia infantry, elite infantry, cavalry
Middle row (L to R) - cavalry, 2 x regular infantry, general, 2 x regular infantry, cavalry
Bottom row (L to R) - skirmishers, artillery, skirmishers, artillery

Blue is also finished.

I went for very simple paint jobs - I only painted ground, uniforms, and hats. The idea is to create a recognizable splash of color that can be seen while looking down on the board.

And Now For Something Really Different

After the last battle in my Tweenwater War campaign, I've been thinking about the next scenario. I wrote that General Spengler retreated to his base at Blancport. Since then I have been envisioning a siege of the city. Perhaps I can assume that Imperial artillery has breached the city walls and the Imperials are attacking through the breach.

However, another scenario idea has sprung into my mind. Considering that Blancport is on the coast, the Redgravians can supply it by sea.

Of course, the Imperials would try to blockade the city, Which means that I need to fight a sea battle!

I have a smattering of ships but have lost the rules I used to use. Which means I am now on a hunt for some very simple Age of Sail rules (ones that will allow me to handle up to 6 ships a side while playing solo).

A sea battle experiment. Looks like rough seas.

And Now The Rules

These are the rules I used for my most recent horse & musket experiment.

Preliminary Concepts

• I plan to use the rules for solo horse & musket battles using 6-unit armies (a la One Hour Wargames)
• I'll be using an 8 x 10 gridded battlefield. Each square of the grid is 1 inch. I'm using a Pathfinder flip-mat, which allows me to draw terrain on the board.
• The game is designed to be portable. I can fit the components into an A4 sized plastic box.

The Rules

• Initiative (first turn only) - roll D6 per side to determine who goes first each turn
• Side A (winner of initiative) phase
• Roll to activate units
• Choose 2 units and roll >= Quality to move
• If both fail, turn ends
• Move activated units
• Infantry can move 2 or move 1 and fight
• Skirmishers can move 2 and fight
• Cavalry can move 3 and fight
• Artillery can move 1 or fight
• Roll vs Quality to exit rough terrain
• Adjudicate combat
• Determine units in combat - includes units attacked by the active side and units of the active side that could receive return fire
• Make a morale check for each unit in combat
• Roll = D6 + mods
• +1 if advantaged, -1 if disadvantaged
• -1 for close combat (range = 1)
• -1 per morale marker
• Apply results
• 0 or less = Rout! Remove the unit from the field
• 1 - 2 = Shaken! Add a morale marker. Roll >= Quality or retreat 1 space. Units with 2-3 markers rout.
• 3 - 4 = Disordered! Subtract 1 from Quality roll next turn
• 5 or more = Steady! No effect
• Army Morale - once an army loses half its units, roll to determine if the army is demoralized. On a roll of 1 - 3, the army must retreat from the field. If it passes, it continues to fight but must recheck with each additional unit lost.
• Side B phase - same as side A

Design Notes

Activation

Recently I have been using the Song of Blades and Heroes method (roll 1-3 D6s vs. Quality; each success allows 1 action; 2 failures ends the turn) on a per unit basis. I felt that it slowed play. Furthermore, there were too many occasions where turns ended prematurely.

To speed play, I decided to roll 1D6 per unit, but roll for activation in pairs. This forces some thought in terms of activation order, still keeps the possibility of a quick end to the turn, but makes abject failure less prevalent. This new method seemed to work OK. More experimentation is needed.

Movement

Movement rules are pretty much derived from the Command & Colors series (especially Memoir '44). I added a Quality roll to exit rough terrain. This rule did not come into play during my first experiment.

Combat

Combat is inspired by Twilight of the Sun King. There is no firing or melee (these are assumed to be occurring throughout the turn). Instead, units simply roll morale if engaged in combat. 

I decided to have both sides test in a turn. I found that this speeds play considerably, and it feels right. The defenders are able to return fire rather than just standing around while the enemy attacks. This will affect scenario design (especially if I use OHW scenarios). Essentially, units experience double the amount of combat each turn, reducing the number of turns they can survive.

Looking over the TotSK rules, I was concerned about keeping track of all the modifiers to morale. I decided to simplify the rules a lot. I simply looked at the situation in an individual combat, decided which side had the advantage, and modified both sides' rolls as noted above. I found this quick and intuitive for solo play; I'm not sure how well it would work in a competitive game. I added a couple of additional modifiers for a bit more granularity. Nevertheless, the morale checks were a breeze. I usually rolled both sides at the same time (using different colored dice). It was quick and easy to adjudicate morale results.

Army Morale

I have not bothered with an army morale rule since I abandoned DBA. However, Bob Cordery's Portable Wargame and TotSK inspired me to implement a system. I may still need to tweak it, but I think it gave a realistic result.

Tweenwater War - Battle of Rose Lake

Battle 3 of the Tweenwater War Eastern Front

After his defeat at Redmead Ridge, Imperial General Whittelspoon tried to outflank the Redgravian defenders under General Spengler. The Imperial scouts report that crossroads near Rosetown (just north of Rose Lake) is weakly defended. Whittelspoon decides to seize the town and control the crossroads. Spengler rushes to reinforce Rosetown.

Whittelspoon's white-clad Imperial forces advance on Rosetown (lower left), Spengler (center left) rushes in support.

Imperial jaegers (gray) engage the Redgravian artillery on the hill, forcing it to retreat but suffering severe casualties. On the east flank (top), Imperial cavalry drive off the Redgravian Rifles.

But then both Imperial cavalry units (squares) rout! The Imperial army is momentarily shaken but Whittelspoon rallies the troops (the Imperials must test army morale but they passed).

Despite being virtually surrounded, the Imperial 3rd Division pushes into Rosetown.

While the First and Second Divisions engage Spengler's relief force, the Third Division routs the Redgravian artillery.

 Faced with determined attacks, Spengler's army loses heart (it failed an army morale roll)

With control of Rosetown and the crossroads, Whittelspoon has access to two routes to Blancport. If Spengler tries to defend one road, Whittelspoon can take the other. This forces Spengler to retreat to his base at Blancport!

Game Notes

• Today's game was played with rules inspired by Twilight of the Sun King (TotSK). I ordered these rules but haven't received them yet. Because I was eager to try out the concept. I read over the original TotSK, jotted down some ideas, and unleashed the dogs of war. I'll post tomorrow about the rules I used.
• I was originally going to use a OHW scenario but didn't feel like retrieving the book. Instead, I created a quick battlefield using Manoeuvre terrain tiles, which I transcribed to my battlemat. I decided that the Imperial army had to control the town on the Redgravian side. I did not keep track of turns.
• With this victory, the Imperials are up 2-1 in the campaign.

Twilight is a New Dawn

I attempted another experiment earlier this week - a full-blown game.

I didn't finish and didn't take pics either so no battle report. However, it generated some more thoughts and a new direction.

In this experiment, a unit would roll 2D6 to melee or shoot at the enemy. However, I assumed that the enemy was fighting back. If the modified roll was below 7, the attacker actually took damage (morale loss).

In general, the rules worked, although they seemed to generate a little more dice-rolling than I'd like. More importantly, there were a couple of issues that niggled me:

• What to do if a unit was in range of the enemy but did not attack? Should the enemy get a chance to fire? I allowed it, rolled an attack, but ignored any damage on the defender.
• What to do if a unit is attacked by multiple enemies? I rolled each attack separately, with a modifier for each additional attack.

It dawned on me that I could alleviate the above concerns and reduce the number of dice rolls if I just made a morale roll for any units that could be shot at or meleed. 

Wait, where did I see that idea before?

• Ah, I found a set called Lace Wars on Free Wargames Rules that used the idea.
• LW references rules by Aelred Glidden. Aha! I had those once upon a time. They were in the old MWAN.
• A little more research and the plot thickens. Glidden's rules were based on a Stephen Simpson's rules for the American Revolution which appeared in Wargames Illustrated #75.
• Apparently, Simpson's rules inspired a set for the War of the Spanish Succession posted on the web, This set eventually became Twilight of the Sun King.

• Ironically, Kaptain Kobold discussed this very set last year! 

At the time I read KK's account but dismissed the rules. Perhaps because the good Kaptain noted some issues with the rules. I may also not have cared for the period (Malburian Wars). Nevertheless, my interest is now piqued and I have ordered the rules. Of course, I already plan to make changes - gridifying them for starters. Nevertheless, the combat system has promise. Perhaps Twilight is a new dawn for me?!

Experiment 2

After my previous experiment, I had to ponder my initial design. Rolling a modified 2D6 to determine if the defender or attacker wins that stage of the engagement effectively allowed defensive fire during the attacker's phase. This seemed to make any attack too risky. I considered only allowing a side to damage the enemy during it's own phase. However, I foresee some issues with this (it will be too easy for cavalry to get into close combat among other things).

Instead, I decided to try another tack. I kept my original design for determining if the defenders or attacker wins. However, I reduced the odds of acquiring a morale marker during the Morale Phase. How did it work out? I ran a test.

Two infantry units of the Red army attack a Blue-held hill. One unit outpaces its companion (I was making activation rolls). The first Red unit manages to get into a firefight with Blue artillery.

Ultimately, Red overruns the guns. The other unit gets into action against the Blue infantry.

 Note: orange markers indicate morale loss.

But is forced to retreat. Blue then engages the first Red unit.

Two Red infantry assault the defenders.

After a lengthy fight, the Red units are driven off with severe losses.

Overall my modifications worked well, too well in fact. At first, it was too difficult to cause a morale marker. I made an adjustment and the results seemed better. I liked that the infantry managed to get into close range, bringing a little suspense into the engagement. I think I can continue with my current framework.

My main concern with this experiment was Blue's ability to fight off double the numbers. There is a mod for fighting outnumbered but it didn't seem to help much. I'm hoping that this was an aberration. I'll have to perform some more experiments.

Horse & Musket Experiment

After looking for some new rules this week, I started jotting down some ideas. Essentially these involved a 2D6 dice roll to determine if the attacker or defender wins the round. The loser takes a morale check.

I didn't have time for a full game so I set up an abbreviated engagement. With two units of infantry and one of cavalry, Red advances on Blue's position.

Blue's artillery opens fire. The Red infantry's morale falters.

And then breaks!

Meanwhile, a cavalry clash ensues as the sound of musketry begins to echo off the hills.

A couple of thoughts:

• Long range artillery seems too powerful. I'll need to weaken it.
• In my initial version, the attackers can suffer morale loss if they roll too low. I think this makes it very difficult for the attackers. I don't want to making attacks too hard - then there won't be much incentive to advance vigorously and games will drag. I'll probably change the rules for long-range fire so that the attacking unit cannot lose morale on its turn.

On a side note, I really like how the "smoke" looks in the pictures. 

Rules of Engagement

Now that I ordered some new miniatures, I need a set of rules for them. Over the past few days I have been perusing various fast-play big battle horse and musket rules.

From https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BattleofLongisland.jpg

In the past my H&M rules were a derivation of the Command & Colors series but I want to get away from those. So what am I looking for?

1. Simple, intuitive mechanics without too much math
2. Uses or can be adapted to a grid - I'll be using an 8x10 gridded battlemat
3. 1 unit = 1 stand - I don't want to deal with stand removal
4. Minimal record-keeping - I don't mind using markers but I don't want to track a large number of hits per unit. I'm thinking of 2 hits per unit.
5. For horse & musket but potentially adaptable to ancients/medieval - I like using the same framework across eras
6. Free or not too expensive - I don't want to spend too much (preferably under $10)
7. Available in PDF - I prefer my rules in PDF form
8. Roll multiple dice but not too many
9. Designed for solo play

I've been searching on Wargames Vault, Free Wargames Rules, TMP, Google, etc. What have I found?

One Hour Wargames - I have the book already. However, the combat system violated requirement # 4 as each unit can take 15 hits.

Simplicity in Practice - Another Neil Thomas set. Found a copy and read through it. I found the combat system to be a bit fiddly. First you rolled a number of dice; the number to score a hit varied depending on type of unit. Then you rolled saves if the target is in cover. Finally, you roll one more time to determine if the target gains a demoralization point; the necessary roll depends on the number of hits. I don't mind a roll to hit followed by a save, but this system was too much. Simplicity in practice it wasn't.

DBA/HoTT - A definite possibility, but I go back and forth on the opposed die roll mechanic. Sometimes it feels like it violates requirement # 1 (I have to divide?!). For now, I am looking for something different.

Portable Wargames - I've dabbled with them before but haven't given them a full trial. I need to revisit them. I am concerned that reducing hits to 2 (from 4) will harm the game.

I'm increasingly of the mind that I will end up writing my own rules. However, I like perusing other rules for ideas. I'll keep this blog posted with my research.

Quite Irregular

Irregular Miniatures, that is.

Late last year I abandoned my various miniatures project and created some generic block armies. Here we have two of those armies standing in for Wellington and Napoleon,

Of course, I'm never satisfied for long and recently decided that I wanted to use some small-scale miniatures in lieu of blocks, So now I have placed an order from Irregular for some packs of their 2mm line.

For a start, I'm planning 3 generic armies - red, white, and blue. Each army will consist of the following:

• Infantry - 4 units of regulars, 4 militia, 2 elite, and 2 light
• Cavalry - 4 units of light, and 4 heavy
• Artillery - 2 units field guns
• Commanders -1 command stand

Each unit will consist of 1 strip on a 20mm x 10mm base - very minimalist. I still plan to draw the terrain using markers (as shown above).

Something Old
I've gone through my old miniatures inventory and bagged up most stuff; most likely I'll donate it (don't know where yet). I did keep a few airplane miniatures, my 2mm sci-fi from GZG (Germy), and a some 6mm fantasy and sci-fi minis I want to use for skirmishes.