New Rules Pages

I've just created new pages on the blog that contain various rules variants. The first five of them are adaptations of One Hour Wargames for the Great Northern War, Crimean War, War of the Triple Alliance, Franco-Prussian War and Napoleonic Wars. All of them contain my simple command variation and base removal. There are little bits inserted here and there designed to reflect the different aspects of warfare in the various conflicts, hopefully without unbalancing the system too far.

A French Revolutionary game - all units based as in the rules.

Action in the Crimea

The sides line up in Livonia - GNW action from last year

Prepared for battle - the FPW is a project in progress

As is the War of the triple Alliance

The other ruleset is Eagle Rampant for the Gallic Wars. This was the final variant of Lion Rampant I settled on for Caesar in Gaul, before writing a variant of the Punic Wars for Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy.

One of the things about any rules that I write or adapt is that they invariably reflect the figures collection that I have to hand. They don't aim to encompass all possibilities for any period - as they are for my amusement, they really don't need to. My brief for games that I like to play is pretty straight forward. They can't be too complicated - I want to play the game not the rules. I don't want them to drag on - 1 to 2 hours is my favoured resolution time. They have to give a challenging game on a smallish scale - my pocket projects are all about a dozen units or less per side. One Hour Wargames fits the bill for all three criteria, although there are aspects that I have to add in - command and base removal for instance - because they fit with my 'idea' of a wargame.

When I have accumulated the figures and playtested the rules, I'll put the FoW variant for the Indo-Pakistani War up here. I can't imagine Battlefront will be too interested in such an obscure period despite having all of the vehicles and figures necessary.

All of the rules are intended to be 'live'. I will put any amendments I make as a I play into them so that they are up to date with what I am playing. Please feel free to use them, link to them and add and delete things as you see fit. If they are your cup of tea, I hope you enjoy them. If not, maybe you'll get some ideas from them.

Nate

Vive l'empereur - second time around

Yes it is the first French unit for the Franco-Prussian War.

Allons mes enfants!

These chaps are 15mm figures from Lancashire Games and they paint up very easily indeed. It's funny, looking at the photo above the guy on the right looks like he is trying to do squats, but the poses are actually very natural in real life. 

Seen from behind

The figures are only marginally bigger than the Rank and File Prussians, and it is only when you put them side by side that the difference is really noticeable.

Officers see eye to eye but the French Line have obviously been eating better than their Prussian counterparts.

I still have to fix the edges of the flag and varnish the figures, but the French army is underway! Chasseurs up next.

Nate

The latest project - Franco-Prussian War

Not content with all the other things that I am already procrastinating over, I went and started a totally new 'pocket project'. This time it is the 1870-71 conflict between Germany and France rather inaccurately known as the Franco-Prussian War.

The 8th Regiment - Brandenburgers to a man.

These Prussians are Rank and File 15mm. I bought them at the beginning of 2013 when I was at Cancon. They were on special and I had a vague idea that I'd quite like to use them for something. Of course, I never did, until I stumbled across them in the spare figures box. I'd looked at the Franco-Prussian War several times in the past but decided that I didn't like the rules I had, and the armies looked like too big an investment. That was turned on its head by One Hour Wargames. I worked out what I needed to complete the Prussian army and a French army and prepared an order for Allan at Lancashire Games. The figures are a pretty good match in terms of size, and I now have everything that I need for my Franco-Prussian pocket project.

How they appear on the table - in extended line

The Franco-Prussian War has always been one of my favourite periods. I remember a conversation years ago with my wargaming buddy Tim where I said to him that I found Napoleon III more interesting than Napoleon I. His reply was ' Only because he cocked everything up!'. To a ceratin extent yes, but it also has a lot to do with the aesthetic - baggy red trousers and picklehaubes - can't go wrong! And of course, as I was obsessed with WWI, the Franco-Prussian War loomed large in the background to that conflict.
As I painted these chaps up I have to admit to a feeling of attachment. It is hard to describe the exact nature of the connection, but it is entirely possible that people in the real regiment were related to me. My family history on at least one side traces back to Brandenburg, at least as far as I can go with it, and I have to admit to having a certain amount of pride in possessing Prussian heritage. At any rate, I've decided that I'm basing my brigade on Alvensleben's III Corps, Stulpnagel's division. These are the Brandenburg Leib-Grenadier regiment. I'm not too sure if they should have any distinctive lace anywhere, maybe someone can tell me. Up next on the painting tray are the 5th Brandenburg IR48.

Nate