Ideas of a Mysterious Nature

It has been a funny couple of days. I have been able to spend some quality time in the man cave, sorting through a few things - and it has given me much to think about. I have a hankering to get some figure painting tackled but as I am currently undecided what direction I should head in have decided against spending vast amounts of cash on what may eventually turn into a whim. I have been caught out by this in  the past so a degree of care is needed to ensure that my fickle attention span is not overly challenged.

Whilst rummaging through assorted boxes I came across a number of items acquired at various points - all of which seemed like a good idea at the time - that have given me a good idea or two. I found myself asking - 'why not finish these models and figures before you move on to something new?'

Why indeed.

For some reason - perhaps I am mellowing in my old age - this seemed like a very good idea and whilst it is certainly not my usual method of operating I have decided that there is something in this. the two 'projects' need very little spent on them in order to be at the ideal size and I am thinking they should not take a huge amount of time either - especially one of them. I should point out that neither of these have featured at any point in the past on the blog in the form I intend realising them and in both cases I already have the rules organised.

So what are they?

What indeed.

I do not want to sound enigmatic nor in anyway mysterious but I am not rolling these two out into the public domain just yet - for the simple reason they both involve me painting in a scale I have not yet attempted. I want to see how they turn out first of all. I should also add though, that should this experiment prove successful the potential for me going forward is very significant.

The Return of the Boot Sale

This should be read in conjunction with Riding the Retreat methinks.

I had almost forgotten to mention - last Sunday saw SWMBO and I visit a local indoor boot sale held in the village. This is quite a small affair but I have managed to score a coupe of odds and ends there in the past. I am happy to say that Sunday was no exception and I was able to pick a hardback copy of Tommy - The British Soldier on the Western Front 1914 to 1918 by the late and great Richard Holmes. I must confess that the Western Front has never really appealed to me from a gaming perspective - 1914 and 1918 excepted but I have wanted to explore the whole thing in more detail, mainly to get a better understanding of the whys and wherefores of this awful environment. The image of the trenches and the slaughter of the Somme etc are in my opinion indelibly etched on our understanding of the war so I want to gain a greater understanding of the human perspective.

The price for this tome was the princely sum of £1.

Not a bad Sunday then, all things considered!

Figuring out the Blocks

I appear to have opened a Pandora’s box of opinion in respect of my previous post and my use of the block armies for my wargames. The comments I have received have confirmed much of what I have been thinking but I would be less than honest if I said that seeing such comments in black and white was not a sobering experience. The simple fact is that many of my games have been better to fight than to read about. I suspect that my reduced amount of narrative has not helped because using the blocks in an unsupported fashion lacks the obvious visual appeal associated with figures – a fact of which I am acutely aware. I like to think that they are like the map volume of a book that has the accompanying text missing.

The blocks are now an integral part of my gaming but I readily admit that no amount of ‘prettying’ them up will change them from what they are – functional unit markers. I will certainly continue to use them and in fact, I have a number of strategic level board game type campaign ideas in mind for the future. For a more aesthetic look however, I will need to use figures - either that or I will need to ensure that the supporting narrative for any block based game is of sufficient detail and interest to capture the all-important ‘feel’.

I realise that my block based adventures may not be all things to all men but I can honestly say that I have had enormous fun with the whole process and I know that many of my battles have been both appreciated and enjoyed. I suspect that the initial enthusiasm on my part fell away – this is quite common for me -  and so alas, did the overall quality.

I have a number of figure based ideas to experiment with and I am not going to make any rash or expensive decisions in the meantime - there is no need to rush because behind closed doors I can always rely on my imagination and the block armies for my gaming fix.

Now, where did I put those catalogues.....?

I am Wargamer and I fight Battles with....

I think I know the reason for my recent lethargy.

Over the past couple of years I have fought many games using my block armies and a smattering of terrain to create the look of the 'three dimensional battle map'. I have always supported this by making sure that the action has been photographed and described I have tried to describe the events unfolding as though it were a real action taking place. In truth I have really enjoyed this part of the process as I enjoy writing and although the resultant prose may be purple and sometimes cringe-inducing, I like to think that it has always been enjoyable in a small way. In many ways, the game acts as a support to the story.

I really enjoy this but to do it properly takes time and time is the one commodity I now lack.

My battle accounts have become briefer and long gone is the purple prose and this gives rise to another problem. Using the blocks to illustrate a story - in the same way as a battle map in a book does - is fine if the story is the main resource being used. If it is not then all you are seeing is a collection of blocks being moved around - there is a lack of 'connection' between the two. At least that is how I see it and the number page views on my battle reports would tend to support this - they have been on a gradual decline.

The visual element of our hobby is very important but without a good scenario or back story quickly becomes valueless other than to show off the models. My approach relies heavily on the background story to make the table top action come to life so if this is lacking I do not the consolation of seeing some splendid looking models on the table.

I need to rectify this and there are two ways I can do this. I can revert back to my previous long and occasionally rambling battle reports or I can grasp the nettle and seriously think about painting some models instead. The latter would have the advantage of meaning that my battle reports can be shorter and therefore quicker.

This is not a new thought for me and if I am honest it has always been there. I think I have been guilty of kidding myself if I thought I could satisfy my gaming needs without models - it is just that it has taken me a while to realise it.

The Second Battle of Planeka Pass, 1878....Game Number 49

By the time the Rusland commander realised what had happened the battered columns of green-coated infantry were back behind their starting positions and with the light fading were in no position to attack again. An attack against prepared positions at night was not something he relished and so he resolved to settle the issue once and for all the next day. Whilst many of his troops were able to enjoy a brief respite much of the infantry spent a tiring and irritating night moving, under cover of darkness, to their new positions prior to the new day.

The plan was simple, brutally so. The bulk of the remaining infantry would rush the left flank Fezian position whilst the artillery would silence their artillery. A small force would anchor the Rusland left flank, keeping the opposing Fezians under observation and, crucially, away from the main attack. the Rusland commander was confident that his men, despite the punishing losses of the previous day, would prevail.

For the Fezian commander the new day would come far too quickly. Despite the inexplicable retirement of the Rusland infantry at what would have the moment of success he was well aware that the next day would be a different story entirely. The infantry was woefully insufficient to hold the area required and the losses in artillery were particularly serious. The right hand artillery redoubt was abandoned and occupied instead by infantry - which in turn would have been invaluable if deployed on the left.

The initial dispositions. Both sides have prepared as best they can and have, with one accord, identified the area where the main attack will fall.

Turn 1. The Rusland infantry advance and immediately attract the attention of the Fezian gunners.

Turn 2. The Rusland infantry shake themselves out into attack formation whilst the Fezian gunners continue to batter their ranks.

Turn 3. As the Rusland infantry advance at last their artillery succeeds in destroying the Fezian guns. Their infantry though, continue to suffer.

Turn 4. The Rusland infantry, wary of the Fezian position, seem to be content trading long range rifle fire - for which their superior numbers are used to telling effect.

Turn 5. Endgame. The last of the Fezian infantry is defeated and the way is now open for the Rusland columns. Despite their heavy casualties the Rusland assault has prevailed and the remaining Fezian troops, in order to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, lay down their arms. The road to the Fezian capital is open and her fate has been sealed.

To be continued.... 

The First Battle of Planeka Pass, 1878....Game Number 48

The Planeka Pass. Note the Fezian fortifications on the right - the artist has wrongly depicted the artillery redoubt as being on the floor of the valley.

Following the declaration of war against Fezia the Rusland army launched an invasion on Fezian held Remania. The topography of the northern provinces of the country was less than ideal for an invading army unless a measure of strategic surprise could be gained. The terrain on the border was very mountainous with three main passes leading to the rolling countryside beyond and the capital of the region, the city of Karelevna. The Fezians were well aware of the threat the border passes posed to the city and had for centuries maintained a border defence force. Each of the passes had a system of artillery redoubts backed by infantry occupied field fortifications. When fully manned these were formidable defences. The Fezian policy on the frontier was to substitute manpower for firepower and defences and so these were routinely relatively lightly held due to the strength of the position. In the event of an invasion reinforcements could be readily be sent to the front from Karelevna so the frontier forces were initially designed to check any invasion and then to overwhelm it.

Rusland were able to achieve a degree of strategic surprise - rather surprisingly as the prospect of war and been a major topic of conversation on the international stage for some months - and so two army groups had been able to burst through the border defences and had invested Karelevna on both the west and the southern approaches. Rusland only needed to break through the remaining pass - at Planeka, in the north - to be able to fully invest the Fezian regional capital. Although it was not realised at the time the Rusland invasion had already compromised the Fezian border defence plan as the troops ordinarily earmarked for the Planeka Pass were now having to shore up the defences  of Karelevna. The Fezian force in the pass would have to fight with what it had.

Rusland

1 x 2 Commander
10 x 4 Infantry
3 x 2 Artillery

Strength Points 48 - Exhaustion Level 24

Fezia

1 x 2 Commander
6 x 4 Infantry
3 x 2 Artillery

Strength Points 32 - Exhaustion Level 16

The following action was fought using same variant of Memoir of Battle by Bob Cordery as I used for my last game. As there was no cavalry present I allowed the Cavalry dice icon to be used as an infantry activation. I abandoned the use of the doubles exchange (see the last battle for details) and both sides were able to roll 6 activation dice to determine how many units they could activate per turn.

The Planeka Pass, Northern Remania, 1878....

The initial dispositions. The Fezians are deployed with their artillery in hilltop redoubts whilst the infantry are in field fortifications. Although undermanned compared to the invading Ruslanders they are able to make a bold front.

Turn 1. The Ruslanders commence their attack on their left but with their artillery still moving up into position. Meanwhile the Fezian artillery has no such difficulties and opens fire with effect almost instantly as shell after shell rakes the approaching green coated columns. 

Turn 2. At last the leading Rusland artillery battery comes into action and sores a direct hit on their Fezian opposite number! the respite is brief though as the Fezians continue to bombard the Rusland infantry.

Turn 3. As a furious long range firefight develops the Rusland infantry succeed in destroying the remaining Fezian gun in the central redoubt. Taking advantage of this gap in  the Fezian defences the green coated infantry surge forward to the edge of the redoubt. Meanwhile the other Fezian artillery continues to batter the advancing columns.

Turn 4. The crisis in the centre is averted as the Fezian commander swiftly moves to reinforce the central redoubt as the advancing Ruslanders are caught in a murderous crossfire from rifles and artillery. The attack wavers and then grinds to a halt.

Turn 5. Despite a Fezian infantry unit being temporarily driven back at bayonet point the attackers are now too few in number to have an impact and the remainder is swiftly dealt with. The centre is stabilised although the loss of the central Fezian artillery unit is major blow.

Turn 6. Whilst the Rusland attack on their left had been repulsed with losses on the right events were taking a very different turn. The combined weight of Rusland artillery (the two batteries on the hill) had succeeded in silencing the facing Fezian artillery and so their infantry were able to form up to launch their assault relatively undisturbed. The Fezian infantry was outnumbered and was now being raked with Rusland artillery fire.

Turn 7. The Rusland columns press their assault and the numbers begin to have a telling effect. Meanwhile their artillery fire blazes overhead, smothering the Fezian defences with shot and shell.

Turn 8. At last the breakthrough is in sight as the last of the Fezians defenders succumb to the weight of the Rusland assault. The Fezian reinforcements are now too far away to prevent the Rusland advance from taking the forward positions and so a foot is being readied to boot open the door.

Turn 9. Disaster! As the last Fezian defender is overwhelmed by fire and with their reserves struggling to get into position, the only remaining obstacle impeding the Rusland infantry has been removed. However, due to a command mix up, the green coated columns inexplicably break off the attack and fall back towards their starting positions - presumably to reorganise prior to the assault on the Fezian position being launched. As the Rusland troops fell back so the Fezian infantry, somewhat incredulously, breathed a collective sigh of relief and blazed away at the departing enemy. The Rusland assault, poised on the verge of victory, had been called off!

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! The faux pas on the final turn was entirely my own fault - I had miscounted the number of strength points the Fezians had lost and so pulled the Ruslanders back so they could avoid any further casualties. This failed as the Fezian infantry scored a single hit at long range which took the Ruslanders to their exhaustion level of 24. The Fezians were on 15 out of 16!

The rules worked out really well and the final mistake was the only blot on the landscape - however, not to be put off by my own shortcomings I have resolved to to rectify this unsatisfactory outcome in the only way I can think of - the old wargaming standby of "Night has fallen...."

To be continued....

I wonder what this could mean?

Since the recent cull of the collection I have been in a very curious and unusual frame of mind. It suddenly dawned on me this morning that I have not planned anything gaming related or in any detail since the weekend. This is a really strange turn of events as invariably my mind normally has something to trouble the brain cell on the go! I have a whole raft of potential projects to tackle - many of which have been mentioned on the blog - but have not set my sights in any particular direction. Nor have I had any pressing need to do so - which in itself is equally unsettling. This is very unusual for me as I always have something in mind or on the go but not now. I cannot even offer the excuse of being too busy with work as this is now a known quantity and factored in.

In an odd way it is really rather liberating.

Seriously though, I need to get back into something and the question is which of the various potential projects will take priority.

I will have give that some further thought - and see where it takes me.