The first in an occasional series dedicated to Steve the Wargamers search for the "perfect" set of wargame rules for the American Civil War... now "perfect" is a difficult thing to define, and I'm solidly of the opinion that one mans perfect is another mans mind numbing tedium, so as part of the analysis I'll try and define each of my plus and negatives, so that it might mean more to you...
What I'm looking for, in no particular order, is
First up then a nice simple introduction to the series - Rebel Yell by Simple Systems Inc. -
Price Cheap as chips as we say here - Spirit Games sell them for £2..
Format: A5 white paper, typed, black and white drawings, no photo's, contains pull out A4 quick reference sheet - think Wargamers Newsletter before it went A4 sized..
The RulesA curious hybrid between regimental and brigade level.. which has possibilities... (tick)
The rules are designed for 5mm figures (which I've never seen - 2mm yes, and also 6mm, but never 5mm) but obviously scaling up may be a possible.
Figures 5 to a base for regular infantry - representing 50-100 men - Cavalry are 4 figures to a base. Multiply the bases to make a regiment (according to historical numbers) so 4-7 bases and a CO (tick)
One of these bases can be swapped for two skirmisher bases (tick), or one dismounted plus a horse-holder unit for cavalry (tick)
A Brigade would then be 3-5 regiments plus any attachments - artillery etc. (tick)
..but then it starts to get complicated... they recommend a sheet of graph paper to track the status of the brigade (oh no) and that's because you track regimental training factor and also a separate "effectiveness" measure, which you then add up to get brigade morale, which decides what you can do,... and there's lots of pluses and minuses when working out morale (uh oh)..
Movement is alternate.. moving is by "impulse" - each troop type gets a number of impulses which they can spend on doing things like moving, wheeling, changing formation, etc (interesting)
Command and Control: Staff have their own impulses to cover writing orders and at this point I lost the will to live... have a look at this example....
"An example may help clarify all this. Colonel Green (commanding 2nd brigade, delay factor 3), has just received an order from division telling him to advance on the left. Green spends his delay factor, (3 staff impulses), in understanding the order. He issues an order for his 1st regiment in the 4th staff impulse (actually writing the new instructions on the organisation display) and hands it to an aide. The 1st regt. spent their first normal impulse loading their rifles. The aide rides 4" and over a wall, arriving in the 7th staff impulse, hands over the order, which is understood in the 9th (regt. delay factor 2 always). Meanwhile, Green rode 4" to his 2nd regt., arriving at the end of the 6th staff impulse. He wrote them an order in the 7th, which was also understood in the 9th (3rd normal). If Green's troops had four impulses they could move off in the 4th normal impulse. Otherwise they must wait until their next move."
Do you feel "clarified"?? (big cross)
Firing is by element, calculate effectiveness then read off on a big table for your percentage chance to hit - then throw a percentage dice. Hits are individual - so some more record keeping is required...(yuck)
Melee is a straight compare between the effectiveness of the units engaged - with more modifiers - no dice throws... (bit simplistic)
Summary:This set is described as being "simple and effective" and "allow players to get on with the action avoiding excessive calculation"... I think not....
What did I like.. unit organisation, represented skirmishers, reference sheet, unit impulse to decide what they can do, the idea that units can contribute to the health of their brigade (something similar to what DG and I are doing with the Sudan rules at the moment where the Dervish group concept is currently being discussed)
What didn't I like.. all the calculation and record keeping to make the effectiveness work - which is the core of the rules....
Steve the Wargamer rates these 5 out of 10...but I'd like to hear from anyone who's actually used them...
What I'm looking for, in no particular order, is
- fairly simple (ie. no big calculations and tables)
- regimental level
- playable with 20mm figures
- multiple bases per regiment
- covers/allows skirmishing
- playable on a 6 foot by 4 foot table (possible extension to 8 foot)
- no written orders
- no commander ratings decided by dice (yuck) - or able to ignore it...
First up then a nice simple introduction to the series - Rebel Yell by Simple Systems Inc. -
Price Cheap as chips as we say here - Spirit Games sell them for £2..
Format: A5 white paper, typed, black and white drawings, no photo's, contains pull out A4 quick reference sheet - think Wargamers Newsletter before it went A4 sized..
The RulesA curious hybrid between regimental and brigade level.. which has possibilities... (tick)
The rules are designed for 5mm figures (which I've never seen - 2mm yes, and also 6mm, but never 5mm) but obviously scaling up may be a possible.
Figures 5 to a base for regular infantry - representing 50-100 men - Cavalry are 4 figures to a base. Multiply the bases to make a regiment (according to historical numbers) so 4-7 bases and a CO (tick)
One of these bases can be swapped for two skirmisher bases (tick), or one dismounted plus a horse-holder unit for cavalry (tick)
A Brigade would then be 3-5 regiments plus any attachments - artillery etc. (tick)
..but then it starts to get complicated... they recommend a sheet of graph paper to track the status of the brigade (oh no) and that's because you track regimental training factor and also a separate "effectiveness" measure, which you then add up to get brigade morale, which decides what you can do,... and there's lots of pluses and minuses when working out morale (uh oh)..
Movement is alternate.. moving is by "impulse" - each troop type gets a number of impulses which they can spend on doing things like moving, wheeling, changing formation, etc (interesting)
Command and Control: Staff have their own impulses to cover writing orders and at this point I lost the will to live... have a look at this example....
"An example may help clarify all this. Colonel Green (commanding 2nd brigade, delay factor 3), has just received an order from division telling him to advance on the left. Green spends his delay factor, (3 staff impulses), in understanding the order. He issues an order for his 1st regiment in the 4th staff impulse (actually writing the new instructions on the organisation display) and hands it to an aide. The 1st regt. spent their first normal impulse loading their rifles. The aide rides 4" and over a wall, arriving in the 7th staff impulse, hands over the order, which is understood in the 9th (regt. delay factor 2 always). Meanwhile, Green rode 4" to his 2nd regt., arriving at the end of the 6th staff impulse. He wrote them an order in the 7th, which was also understood in the 9th (3rd normal). If Green's troops had four impulses they could move off in the 4th normal impulse. Otherwise they must wait until their next move."
Do you feel "clarified"?? (big cross)
Firing is by element, calculate effectiveness then read off on a big table for your percentage chance to hit - then throw a percentage dice. Hits are individual - so some more record keeping is required...(yuck)
Melee is a straight compare between the effectiveness of the units engaged - with more modifiers - no dice throws... (bit simplistic)
Summary:This set is described as being "simple and effective" and "allow players to get on with the action avoiding excessive calculation"... I think not....
What did I like.. unit organisation, represented skirmishers, reference sheet, unit impulse to decide what they can do, the idea that units can contribute to the health of their brigade (something similar to what DG and I are doing with the Sudan rules at the moment where the Dervish group concept is currently being discussed)
What didn't I like.. all the calculation and record keeping to make the effectiveness work - which is the core of the rules....
Steve the Wargamer rates these 5 out of 10...but I'd like to hear from anyone who's actually used them...