Thursday, February 5, 2015

Wargame Rules Observation and a bit more on basing

This was another post that is of interest to me, for two reasons this time:

1. It looks similar to the recent Blitzkrieg Commander game I played.

2. (and more importantly) there is some good commentary about the selection of wargame rules.

It is also from Doug's Dots of Paints blog which ties into my previous post as I really like his basing style for his Napoleonics.

http://dotsofpaint.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/davemcns-big-1941-russian-front-battle.html

Of course, the wargame rules in use can have a great impact on figure basing.  I have painful memories of this in moving to WRG Ancients 7th Edition.

For the record my 15mm Napoleonics are based for Napoleon's Battles (3/4 by 1 inch for 2x2 infantry and 1 by 2 inches for 2x2 cavalry, although I would prefer at times for the cavalry to be 2x1).

My 1/72nd scale Napoleonics are becoming singles, but otherwise were based to Napoleon's Battles, but with about a 50% increase - 30mm by 40mm for infantry (2x2) or 15mm by 20mm for a single infantry and 20mm by 40mm for a single cavalry figure.

My 15mm WW2 are based for Flames of War, although I don't use those rules.

My 1/72nd scale WW2 are based on multiples of 30mm, for no particularly reason except this seemed to work and fits in with Crossfire.  For both WW2 scales I don't tend to base vehicles.

My 15mm ACW is based for Fire and Fury.

My 15mm Ancients and Medieval are based for WRG 7th which is now the ubiquitous basing style covering at least DBA, Field of Glory and Impetus.

The few fantasy 28mm figures I have are based as singles, but if I got serious I would probably go with HotT basing.

Another post I have been working on for some time now after my experiences with Sails of Glory and Napoleonic naval rules is about models/figures or the game.  Which comes first?

5 comments:

  1. Great link. I missed it in my feed do thanks for sharing it. Nails it on rules in the comments section. Combined with your basing post, it reminds me of all the DBx griping because many bow armed troops fight in base to base contact. The argument that historically they got as close as possible before letting loose was ignored because troops with bows have to fight at a distance whatever the period or ground scale..

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    1. I'm not sure, but I think Google has been mucking up some update feeds recently. I had one turn up today that was from a December post today. Explains why no one comment on my beautiful 13th Light Dragoons (the fragile ego of a wargame blogger).

      I've only ever mastered DBA, the rest of the DBx family I have left alone (mostly - I do have an interest in HotT and did look at DBN as a way of having a quick Napoleonic game with the few 1/72nd scale figures I have).

      After rules and basing comes markers and Doug's just done a good post on what he uses for markers.

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  2. That was a good post. My first question on rules is, what scale can I use them for, scale meaning tactical (squad to platoon), grand tactical (company to battalion) and operational (battalion to brigade or up). My second question is, do I have to rebase figures to play this? If the answer is Yes, I'm likely not interested.
    I'm off to look at your beautiful Dragoons now. :)

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    1. Thanks.

      Good questions too - for Napoleonics I always wanted a ruleset that would allow me to be Napoleon.

      With Ancients it is something similar although over the years I see them more as competition rules (i.e. 800 point affairs) rather than trying to recreate an historical battle.

      ACW is the same as Napoleonics - I want to do the big battles.

      WW2 is a bit tricky. It seems my aim now is to do something that has the flavour of a battle or campaign, but settle for more squad/platoon/company sized units.

      I'm yet to really get into skirmish, but I plan to.

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