Commanding and the Control

I haven't read this but think that it should be on my list

I mentioned briefly in my previous post that I had been looking at Volley and Bayonet by Frank Chadwick for inspiration for my own rules, or to be more accurate, I had been looking at certain parts of them. Now I realise that merely transporting great chunks from various rule sets and lashing them together could be seen as a recipe for disaster and so I shall avoid the temptation to do so. However, taking the concept as a whole is a different matter.

I like the idea of commander driven movement - that is that units have to be within a certain distance of their commander in order to be able to move. Using this approach in conjunction with a hex grid is a very easy way to solve the old activation/command point conundrum - at least it appears to be. I am thinking about using a single hex command zone (that is the hex the commander occupies and each of the six hexes around him) for low level commanders and perhaps a two hex command zone for the army commander. In order for this to work properly it will be essential to have a clearly defined order of battle so that it is clear who commands what on the table.

I do not have anything for this idea on paper as yet but it will certainly be an avenue to explore.

The Joy of Hex - Revisited

Now that looks pretty impressive! Check out Kallistra for more of the same - its a pity there are no blocks in evidence, otherwise it would be perfect....;-)

Earlier this year I was banging on about coming up with a hex-based variant of Volley and Bayonet - the army level wargame rules designed by Frank Chadwick - and indeed, I spent a little time pondering how best to tackle this and some of the ideas I came up with featured in the following post - Volley and Bayonet on Hexes.

I really like the idea behind these rules and so it will probably come as no surprise that I am keen to make use of some of the concepts for my own purposes. All in good time though, as the first thing I want to clarify is what I am using hexes for.

For me a hex is not just an area that is used to regulate movement and combat - it is (or it should be) a representation of an area of terrain. The sides of the hex should not be seen as barriers as the terrain underneath should be naturally flowing across the landscape being represented - as it is for a non-hexed table top game. It is my opinion that units should be able to make use of the area covered by a hex - especially in respect of formations etc. I am of the opinion that for the horse and musket period the use of formations is pretty much essential and so incorporating this within a hex based rule set is for me is obligatory. I have messed around with some unit formation ideas and am thinking that the following just about ticks all the boxes:

An infantry unit in line - the bottom block is simply there as it does not fit on the end of the line within the hex!

An infantry unit in a march column

An infantry unit in square

An infantry line with skirmishers deployed

An infantry column with skirmishers to the fore.

An infantry unit deployed in skirmish order.

A Cavalry unit in line

A Cavalry unit in column

A Cavalry unit in line with a skirmish screen

A Cavalry unit in column with a skirmish screen

A Cavalry unit in line with a reserve

A Cavalry unit deployed in skirmish order

Artillery deployed for firing

Artillery limbered up for travelling

These are just a few examples of the types of formation I shall be representing for the horse and musket period and the skill of the general in deploying his troops into the correct formation when needed will obviously be of paramount importance.

My plan in the short term is to concentrate on the horse and musket period although I have a number of ideas for the modern era to be going on with.

Opening Pandora's Box

Oh well, here we go - let the insanity commence!

A recent email exchange with Bob Cordery has generated a very useful and interesting post over on his blog that any would-be wargames rules designer would be well served by bearing in mind the points - see the following for exactly what I mean: 10 Commandments.

I have taken the plunge into the world of rules design and have duly applied myself to point number one as a firm foundation of exactly what I want the end result to reflect. I sat down and came up with the following:

1. A block is a single unit - either as a sub-unit or in its own right.
2. Only D6 are used
3. A standard battlefield is 13 x 9 hexes
4. Combat is resolved at block level i.e. 1 block, 1 D6
5. The rules are NOT scale specific - ranges and distances reflect relative differences.

So that is the start - the core foundations I want to build my rules from.