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?!