June Newsletter
There is a lot going on so far this Spring and Summer!
I have [participated in two Chainmail play-by-post games, one as a Referee and one as a Player. This has slowed down my video and stack output a little, but we are back on track for an excellent month of content in June.
Question of the Month
What are your favorite miniature wargame Morale rules? Which game has that one mechanic that just hits on all eight cylinders? Join us in the discord for the discussion.
Leveled Characters in Scaled Mass Combat
First, on the RPG channel, I’ve put together a video on how to incorporate leveled NPCs or Player Characters into an AD&D massed combat game, using scaling to simplify the battle itself.
Chainmail Play-by-Post
Rodney Hampton has been hosting the most recent Chainmail game, which we are playing double blind by post on the WGC discord.
We are looking at an alternative interpretation of the Post Melee Morale rules, and only including the figures actually rolling for hits in the calculations. This has created a very different game, many fewer “Surrender” results, and it looks like a more modern game in the combat resolution.
Next month Rdubs will be hosting another Chainmail PbP, this time incorporating magic!
This is my fourth play-by-post game in the past six months and I have to say that playing double-blind like this is very exciting. It makes solo play look like a chore! I will definitely be looking harder at William Sylvester’s Solo Wargaming Guide and Henry Hyde’s Wargaming Campaigns for better techniques for solo games.
Chainmail, Strategos & Siege of Bodenburg
We have found some odd things in the Chainmail rules, small discrepancies or places where detailed rules are missing. In order to better understand where these design errors might be solved, we’re looking at Strategos and Siege of Bodenburg rules. Various sources say that SoB was the direct inspiration for Chainmail, but I honestly believe that Peltast & Pila, by Tony Bath, may have a closer resemblance. The “grail” we seek is the origin of the morale rules.
I will probably run one more PbP game this year, in August. If you are interested in joining, let me know and I’ll be sure to include you when the announcement goes out.
I have some special ideas for this one!
Mini-Campaign
Speaking of Henry Hyde, the next stage of the Mini-Campaign will feature Shot, Steel & Stone for the tactical-map battle. I’m working on the next Strategic moves now, and will have a couple of videos for that game over the next three weeks.
I did forget to add a weather chart to the Campaign rule sheet, so that has been fixed. In the course of studying some other game systems, I’ve decided I need to improve the integration of the morale from Arthur Taylor’s rules. This will be included in the Subscriber Download file shortly.
The third tactical game will be played using Michael Smith’s grid-based wargame rules. I also want to sneak in a couple of 1:1 scale skirmish games, using Crown & Dragon.
Wargame Book Club
The next installment of the Wargame Book club will feature a review of Bill Lamming’s Medieval Campaign Rules. This is a fascinating look at running a small-scale/skirmish map campaign, with an economic system attached, for building fortifications, ships, and more. I think you’ll enjoy it.
There is a wargame included, which will get a demonstration video.
Mordheim
October is the 25th anniversary of the Mordheim game from Games Workshop, and I’ve been diligent in working on minis and terrain/buildings for a new, themed gaming table. The warbands for Witch Hunters, Sisters of Sigmar, and one band of Mercenaries have been completed, along with a dozen “NPCs” which might be used in various scenarios.
The Undead and Possessed warbands are fully assembled and queued up for painting.
Imaginations
I have about 100 more of the 15mm figures to paint for the big ImagiNations game coming this fall (FINALLY!!) There are also three styles of 15mm buildings and a slew of terrain options.
The ImagiNations game will be play-by-post, and subscribers will get first chance at joining the game. The game will take place in the Operational, Company-level, and Individual Skirmish levels simultaneously. I envision a good-old-fashioned map-based campaign, and I don’t see any reason why the participants can’t run some battles of their own, on their home tables!
Thank You!
In conclusion, I want to thank all of the subscribers for joining this group and being part of the Design Journal community. You have asked some great questions and brought up awesome ideas for research and development.
Be sure to stop by the Discord and share your own Wargaming activities, whether miniature painting, gaming sessions, or writing.
I have a couple of questions. First, when scaling from 1:1 to 6:1, shouldn't there have been 3 blue and 6 red cubes to represent the 0-level troops? Second, you showed a different number of hits per cube for the 0-levels in the 6:1 tabulation. It looks like the blues were getting 3.5 hits per cube (total 7) and the reds in the front were getting 1 each. Should they not have been getting 6 each, for 18 hits at 14 just like in the 1:1 representation because there should have been 3 0-level cube on each front line? Finally, it seems like the extra hits afforded the leveled characters need to be curtailed somehow when they aren't applied to 0-level troops. In your 1:1 example, 5 hits carried over to the leveled characters after there were no 0-levels standing, but the bonus hits that the leveled characters produce can only be applied against 0-level opponents. It seems like it would matter whether the leveled characters are engaged by another leveled character or free to sweep through the lesser troops. I have a feeling I'm over-complicating this.
I've watched this through a couple of times, and I'm not quite understanding how the scaling should work as I guess I've made obvious with my questions.