A Cavalier attitude or, what I did instead

I didn't get to go to Cavalier this year, wifey was ill and so I stayed home to comfort her...I am a nice guy after all. 'Ealdgyth', I said, for 'tis her name, 'Ealdgyth, if the pain gets too much fear not, for thou shalt not find me wanting when the time cometh-eth'. A smile crept over her face that said she was indeed deeply comforted...or it may just have been another bout of wind it was difficult to tell that day; poor little love. 'I am a dab hand with the ol' pillow my sweet and would not stand by whilst you suffer...'. A small tear ran from her eye so touched was she.....although, she declined my suggestion that it might be a good idea to practice a bit (emergency pillow always on stand-by, just in case).

This all left me with a little spare time so I decided to familiarise my self with the Operation Squad rules again, in preparation for my game with Mark on Tuesday....only to find that they were missing! I thought I had lent them to club member Bob C. but no. Luckily, I did have a copy of the 'Modern' version of the rules at hand and a copy of the rules explanation sheet I drew up last year. I always get a tad confused on the mortar rules and didn't want to slow the game up. That took up a while and I am now better prepared....possibly...all I need now is some decent die rolls. Yeah, I know. I'm screwed no matter how well I know the rules. Mortars are a bit tricky to use in Op Squad. They can fire at a target in the open and in their own line of sight, so no problem there, but they need to be directed by the squad Sergeant and be within 20cm of him to hit anything else. The Sergeant must first 'spot' the target figure and then communicate that to his squad members, including the mortar crew. The mortar can then fire at the newly acquired target during its own activation phase....as long as the target doesn't move before the mortar can fire. Choosing a suitable target and getting good priority rolls is important.

That done, I took the dog for a walk in a local park I had not been to before and ended up considered the local topography in relation to the known historical features of the island (Sheppey). The park must have been part of an old estate although there are no obvious features that indicate a focal point, nor are there any obvious medieval manorial sites other than those still intact; it could be an Early Modern landscaped estate though, cool. Sheppey has a very interesting history and I think I have identified two possible sites for a conquest period Norman castle (other than the later one at Queenborough)...maps, field walking and aerial photographs can be so useful! There is a lot of history here that would be of interest to a wargamer for scenario ideas. Ah, the joys of being a wargaming social historian....anyway..........

So, after all of this (plus lunch, housework, a decision to paint up one box/unit of wargame figures a month, the realisation that I may have enough figures to build a modern British force for Operation Squad Modern Forces but actually not by about three figure types and a few trips to the lavy) I started getting the odd call from people telling me about Cavalier. It seems that club member Simon was seen ferrying box loads of kit to his car with a slight 'oh what have I done' look upon his usually happy face. Mark also enjoyed his run out and spoke to a lot of traders and clubs about coming along to Broadside; smiled a lot, handed out flyer's and booking forms. I have had three bookings from these already! Our good mate Ray, of Posties rejects fame, was having a good show, even sold some of his newly painted figures on the Bring & Buy. Sadly, he had his experience somewhat ruined when he realised that one of his items had been stolen! I dont think this is an issue peculiar to Cavalier but it is a risk with Bring & Buys; one of the reasons we chose to have a Flea Market system instead. Clint seemed to have a good show, bought a few goodies and spent some time chatting with wargame pals...as one does at these events. Clint also told me about one of the games being played at Cavalier. One club had been using 'Beneath the Lily Banners' but had discovered the rule set 'Maurice', by Sam Mustafa. They were so  bowled over by this set they now use it almost exclusively and highly recommend it....so I then spent the rest of the evening looking at on line reviews!! The rules are played using a set of special cards which make the package some £35.00!! Why am I looking at these damn things??? Because I have Screaming Rule Book Fever, that's why!!! Damn you Clint.....

My research into Maurice have shown it to be very interesting and would accommodate most basing systems. Players are forced into making decisions based upon the cards in their hand at the time, the ability to gain new cards and some clever mechanics that account for national characteristics. An aspect that I came across in one review particularly caught my eye. Player A was moving a formation of cavalry but player B was able to interrupt the move with a card. This card allowed player B to place a new terrain feature, in this case some boggy ground, in the path of the cavalry and thus caused them issues. This is the sort of thing that happens in battles, an order from higher up the command chain cannot take into account the exact ground conditions the units have to deal with....nasty surprises crop up often. What other rule book provides this element in a game? Quirky? Yes. Traditional? Not really. A good game? It seems so......just need to find a set on ebay that someone has given up on and wants rid. Anyone???

So that is what I did rather than go to Cavalier. Bet you all wish I had gone now! :)

MHWC purchases new rules sets

Our club believes in making purchases on behalf of the members, the earlier post regarding the 1/700 scale ships being a case in point. But we do not just believe in buying things for events, we have bought club terrain and other resources for the members to use. Our latest batch of buys on behalf of the members are some of the new rule sets recently published. Rules sets are so expensive these days and it can be a real risk buying a set only to discover they are not for you; online or magazine reviews are not always spot on and can leave much out.

MHWC members have all spoken about different sets of rules at meetings or on our club forum, many tempted but wary of the expense. So we took the top five sets that had raised interest and bought them to create our own mini members rule book library. This is what we have bought;

 

First up is SAGA, this rules really seem to have caught on....despite the heavy cost, £25 for a fairly thin book and four cardboard counter boards. The game seems to have countered any cost concerns but it seemed reasonable to buy a club set so everyone could see what the fuss was about for themselves given the interest.A test game was played at the last club meeting and looks to be a hit. There are a few concerns for some, it is a game first and historical simulation second...like most rules to be fair but this set more so. That doesn't mean it isn't any good, one or two quirks aside it works well and makes you think. It uses sets of army specific dice to control possible actions and these can be £12.00 for a set of eight!!! This is an expensive hobby as we know but the costs involved in SAGA are very high for such a thin rule book. that said, the armies are small and with the rise of plastic figures can be very cheap, perhaps this balances things out? Just nine possible armies at the moment but I can see this changing, there are already a number of home spun variations to use the game mechanics with other periods appearing in the magazines.

I can see this becoming a bit of a club favourite, many already have figures that can be pressed into service and others, myself included, have embarked on an army since seeing the rule book. A wise purchase that has actually encouraged members to go out an buy their own copy.

Next we have Operation Squad Modern War. The WW2 version has been a great hit with the members and so all were very interested in taking a look at the latest offering. It works on the same principles, using a squad of figure with a one figure one man ratio, most forces use a dozen figures at the most so this is a really accessible game in these troubles economic times. The rules have been adapted to take into account the more varied forces involved in modern combat theatres and the weapons. Units are built using a points system but these units are nation specific and so you purchase from a given pool of nationally accurate options. This is another game that makes you think, you need to plan but also need to adapt in equal measure. Some find the rather unique turn sequence difficult to get the hang of but it does work and works well. I can see these being very popular, small units on a 4ft x 4ft table....what's not to like?!

Pike and Shotte is one of the more traditional 'big battle' sets compared to the more skirmish based rules we have bought. That said, many asked for it and so we were happy to oblige! This is a warlord Games publication, essentially Black Powder for the seventeenth century but with enough period tweeks to make it a stand alone rule set. If you have played Black Powder then you will take to this quickly, there is also a lot of info and arm details so plenty to help get newcomers to the period up and running quickly. List price is £30.00 but can be found on Amazon for just £19.50! Bargain!!! We have a few members that play this period and others that just enjoy playing it with other peoples armies, part of the joy of a club of course! This will get plenty of game hours at the club, the Black Powder systems lend themselves well to club nights, big games can be fought to a conclusion and a good game is had by all...except the losers of course but there is no helping some people.

Muskets and Tomahawks is an eighteenth century small battles / large skirmish set of rules for fighting in the wilds of the American Colonies; French Indian wars or AWI. Not every ones cup of tea of  course but the rules are well tested, the have been available in France for years, and they provide a great if not quirky game. Each side has their own victory conditions but these can be augmented by 'side plots' that can have a bearing on the result. Like its stable mate, SAGA, it does not need too many figures and so many people could run this using figures they already have....others, given the more skirmish orientation of the battles, may wish to splash out on a new force. I know one idiot who been bitten by the bug so badly he is going to do it in 40mm using Front Rank figures! I have no idea what come over me but they are fantastic models and quite reasonably priced....did i say me?.....I meant someone else that I have never met before.....Damn!! 

There is a Meeples & Miniatures pod cast about these rules that you might want to listen to given that the rules are quite expensive, almost £25.00 again, but you do get a set of cards in a sturdy plastic box. The pod cast is detailed enough to give you enough detail to make an informed decision....then go and look at the Front Rank 40mm web page............hmmmmmmmmmmm.......

last is Normandy Firefight. This is the cheapest set at £11.99 and it uses the least figures, you can easily get away with just three or four per side! It calls itself 'detailed', in so much that each game turn is just two seconds of real time, removing an empty magazine is a move in itself so you can imagine how much planning you need to do...but don't panic! The game is really easy to pick up and flows really well. It can also be quite fast too. The rules are designed for 54mm figures, which may be a bit of a bugger terrain wise, but a 4ft x 4ft table is all you really need. Unlike a lot of modern rule sets these rules have a useful turn by turn battle report that gives you all the detail you need to follow what is going on and how to do it. The combat is really simple but very elegant too, you can even be hit in the hand or lower leg, and without complicated slide rule mechanisms too! I really like these rules, they are the real surprise of the bunch for me and I can heartily recommend them. I also think that they would lend themselves really well to club team play, even inter club team play. Each player could control one figure....I am getting ahead of myself.

The last action of a players/figures turn is to chose a stance, either standing, kneeling or prone. Give the low number of figures needed I think each figure/character could easily have three models to represent these important stances....just a thought.

So there you have it, a brief introduction to our recent club purchases. No doubt reports will appear here as these games get played and armies get painted...I can't wait!!!