tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51858765135522727232024-03-17T04:35:25.693-07:00PolemarchThe Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.comBlogger690125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-53457388934631509242024-03-16T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-16T03:00:00.134-07:00 Moving on….<p>… in random directions.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
As you might recall, I have more or less stopped painting. That is,
of course, untrue, but (aside from one) I am not planning any major
painting projects at the moment, and I am trying very hard to curb my
enthusiasm for buying any more models, either soldiers or ships. Some
more ships were mooted for my recent birthday, but the Estimable Mrs
P. spotted her husband’s slightly cold feet at generating even more
ships to paint. The idea was thus placed firmly on the back burner
and I got a coffee bean grinder instead.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, painting after a fashion has been taking place, so this post
is a bit of a matter of record for my own interest and hopefully
ability to build some momentum. The first lot finished (more or less)
was a bunch of scythed chariots. Now, I do not think I need another
six scythed chariots, but there they were, sitting in my painting
shoebox of shame, and so I hoicked them out and set about applying
paint.
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErSU6oOHqWHQ82Yea7_y9eYkjbRmdJnJ4p_rlMONlDxgi2us3RCQOPaRRzdzsVVvjmZ8dTNqF3AUqyGWeaQdR6Y9vuVHVXjsWCCo1vZAVzhNo7zR0nf6E4l6SarEVE7dMCsYAPSdA62nFtukBbiCD6xj0krfVOmOihXHgfaKX_qHZCzd-hjgb7mNhYg4Y/s1610/chariots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="1610" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErSU6oOHqWHQ82Yea7_y9eYkjbRmdJnJ4p_rlMONlDxgi2us3RCQOPaRRzdzsVVvjmZ8dTNqF3AUqyGWeaQdR6Y9vuVHVXjsWCCo1vZAVzhNo7zR0nf6E4l6SarEVE7dMCsYAPSdA62nFtukBbiCD6xj0krfVOmOihXHgfaKX_qHZCzd-hjgb7mNhYg4Y/w400-h180/chariots.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">As you can see above, the addition is of six Baccus 6 mm scythed
chariots, all rather gaudily painted, I think. But then, if you are
about to embark on a near-suicide mission, why not flaunt it, I feel.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
There are a couple of points of interest and irritation, here. I
already have 4 scythed chariots in the Persian army box. The addition
of these will, of course, mean the box is over full and so further
consideration to storage will have to be made. This is a tiny bit
irritating, but perhaps some of the chariots could go in the Pontic
army box, or with the Macedonian successors. Of such decisions, a
wargamer’s life is made. On the other hand, I’ve a load of
Persian Immortals living outside their box at the moment, so another
Persian storage box might be due.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The other thing which, if you look really carefully at the picture
you will note, is that my standard basing green colour ran out halfway through painting this lot. The bases are 40 mm square, so there
is really quite a lot of area to cover. I had to switch to my newer
alternative, which, on the base wet, looked terrible but has dried
darker and less artificially green. So that was all right then.
Consistent sourcing of base colours has bugged me throughout my
wargaming career, at least since I moved off cardboard bases and onto
plastic card and polyfiller. My local source of paint keeps switching
suppliers, which is a tad annoying. The latest colour is from
Hobbycraft, which should be reliable (I hope) but is a bit further
away.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still. I am pleased to have this lot out of the box and into a
temporary storage tray, with hopes that my organisational abilities
and interest will be sparked sufficiently to actually move them into
a proper storage box soon. I mean, the Immortals have only been
waiting a year or so….</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Anyway, moving on. I may have mentioned the acquisition of the 25+ mm
Warbases civilians at Christmas. They are still in the box, of
course, but when I put them in the pending tin for big figures, I
discovered 5 or so assembled but not painted ECW figures, so, in a
moment of whimsy, I decided to paint them. I am not used to painting
big figures, and I suspect it shows. I am also not a good painter,
and that shows too, but they pleased me somewhat.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcwPE9_uUJQbiMpweqHF9pvv6Pv7DBSw6X0U4h4UWRp4YI2Eru2FVi0FxPa94LPtAM_lchyphenhyphenjDi51oUVS_F8vaAgUa2xs1jacM-eqymnkG1T2Zvwn8epbFPKpukNaQ5mDJhKnd4Ju6AL2IC_6DlsOL-F1B24mpnvJSvjncG_if2qpFH7EeS-q88fspIfxv/s1900/biggies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1900" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcwPE9_uUJQbiMpweqHF9pvv6Pv7DBSw6X0U4h4UWRp4YI2Eru2FVi0FxPa94LPtAM_lchyphenhyphenjDi51oUVS_F8vaAgUa2xs1jacM-eqymnkG1T2Zvwn8epbFPKpukNaQ5mDJhKnd4Ju6AL2IC_6DlsOL-F1B24mpnvJSvjncG_if2qpFH7EeS-q88fspIfxv/w400-h144/biggies.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I think these figures are all Redoubt Enterprises and have been in
stock for an embarrassing length of time. Part of the problem with
them is that they are multi-part figures – legs, torso, and head –
and I am an even more rubbish modeller than I am a painter. It takes a
while to stick them together, for them to dry and then test whether
they will survive undercoating. If they do then they are usually fit
for painting.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
These have now joined my skirmish figures, which include a few Border
Rievers, some Irregular cavalry whom I painted last year and quite a
few others including Landsknechts, French Musketeers and more
dismounted ECW cavalry. The idea is for a role-playing or skirmish
campaign. I have far more figures than I need, plus another 16 or so
waiting to be painted. No wonder I am also working on very fast play
sword fighting rules.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
And finally, the new project, which is (if you were paying
attention earlier in the year) Far Eastern fleets. I have had
Japanese (Samurai), Korean and Ming Chinese armies for ages, but was
always frustrated by, firstly, the lack of information on the Japanese
invasion of Korea and secondly, by the lack of suitable ships for
the period. Both of these deficiencies have now been rectified thanks
to Osprey Books and Tumbling Dice miniatures respectively.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
That means, of course, that I now have three fleets to paint. I do
not mind painting ships quite as much as I do soldiers. The ships, at
least at 1:2400 scale are reasonably easy to actually paint.
Assembling them is, of course, much more fiddly, and I refer my
reader to the comments above about my modelling skills. It also has
to be admitted that the names of the ship types are not normally in
my naval vocabulary, so I am trying to record the ships as they are
painted so that at least I have some record of what they are.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fe4c8YnN7-rd_KfzVICc1YSpTEIdkwwhQydD4TqxqSk8yMU7PDY0S-SN5yZbJ7CpOTXLw5lwYQqv_QYmjztWxtZhJAQHCGvW0e4wuNjF-xqPLCq-z827C0xdRABOlYbMFAx0N7maKp_6AOy2tzQCO-Y8UnFKHQ8nPjn-GH5FCCQ5qvZhGnxgoTei5D2n/s2169/ships.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="2169" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fe4c8YnN7-rd_KfzVICc1YSpTEIdkwwhQydD4TqxqSk8yMU7PDY0S-SN5yZbJ7CpOTXLw5lwYQqv_QYmjztWxtZhJAQHCGvW0e4wuNjF-xqPLCq-z827C0xdRABOlYbMFAx0N7maKp_6AOy2tzQCO-Y8UnFKHQ8nPjn-GH5FCCQ5qvZhGnxgoTei5D2n/w400-h221/ships.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The picture shows the first sixteen results of my efforts. At the
back are four Korean P’Anokson. These were the sort of main Korean
battleships of the era, and there were usually more of them than
there were of the famous Turtle ships. At the front are 12 Kobaya,
which are the smaller vessels, scoutships, coasters and small
merchantmen. Next up, partially painted, are 5 turtle ships. At least
they are assembled.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Interestingly, Korean tactics in the war were to stand off and use
cannons, while the Japanese aimed to close and board (hence the spikes
on the roof of the turtle ships). This reminds me of the battles of
the era of the Spanish Armada (same time, different continent) where
the English stood off and shot while the Spanish aimed to close.
There is something here about the construction of the ships, and
neither the Spanish nor Japanese hulls seem to have been able to
stand the strain of constant cannon fire, being much more lightly
built.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, there is a long way to go: just over 50 more vessels to paint
by my reckoning. Bit at least I have go the Persians finished.</p>
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</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-60662522518608582222024-03-09T02:00:00.000-08:002024-03-09T02:00:00.131-08:00 An Announcement<p><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
It is now about 18 months or so since I left paid employment. I was,
shall we say, eased out by post-Covid management irresponsibility and
incompetence. At least, that’s my story and I am sticking to it. In
my last conversation with my line manager, before I was declared
persona non gratia for resigning, he asked what I was going to do. To
my surprise, and to his, it seemed (it is a bit hard to tell over
Zoom) I immediately replied ‘Write’.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Post-paid employment I sat at my desk and considered. ‘Write’ is
all very well but it lacks, shall we say, detail. The normal response
in creative writing courses to the question of what to write about is
to write about what you know about.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
My thought process thus turned to what I know about. Hopefully, the
long-term reader of these pages will have picked up that I have read
about a variety of things, even though knowing about them, still less
understanding them, remains somewhat elusive. So, I thought, what do
I really, really know about, from the inside (to use a possibly
unhelpful spatial metaphor).
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Eventually, the answer struck ‘Solo Wargaming’. Counting back the
years I have been a mostly solo wargamer for over four decades, with
a few breaks for role-playing games among my student friendship
group, the occasional Napoleonic wargame with a friend, and so on.
But, as this blog, which has been going for well over ten years it
seems, shows, most of my wargaming is done solo.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Those of you with very long memories might recall a <a href="https://ancientrules.blogspot.com/2022/04/a-long-long-time-ago.html">post
here in April 2022</a> on the subject of what there should be in a
solo book. At the time the idea had not occurred to me to try and
write, but clearly, a seed was being sown. I would like to thank
everyone who responded in the comments, which seemed to suggest that
the idea was viable.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, slowly and painfully, my fingers were applied to the keyboard. My usual
mind-mapping sorts of scrawls (which the Estimable Mrs. P. describes
as ‘bubble diagrams’) were sketched for some chapter outlines and
some ideas were collected. Some draft chapters started to grow, and
I wondered what to do with them. There seemed to be a book gestating.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
To get a book published you can either do it yourself
(self-publishing) or involve a publisher. There are pros and cons to
each, granted, but given that your correspondent is a shrinking
violet (we will come back to that) I went down the publisher route
and put together an outline of the bits I had written (about three
chapters, as it turned out) and the bits I thought would make the
thing whole. I settled in for a long wait (used to academic
publishing timescales) and was a bit surprised to receive a response
from the editorial office of the publishers asking for any chapters I
had so they could pass it on for consideration by the commissioning
editor within a few days.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
There the matter rested. Again, I expected a long wait, but a few
days later the commissioning editor was in contact saying that he
liked the outline and would read the chapters. I sent what was
probably a rather pathetically needy reply.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
That was all in September 2022. By the beginning of October, I had a
contract to write the book. Rather surprisingly I managed not to get
too stressed or panic, but I sat down and actually tried to write and
revise the originals and, working from my outline, do the rest. In
the meantime, there were a few questions about the number of
pictures and maps (not many) and the timescale, which I found
difficult to answer but did a rough calculation based on writing 3000
words a week, plus a bit for the maps.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I did not want the book to reproduce the blog posts. I have seen
non-wargame books that have done that and very annoying I find them
too. So, while the ideas in the book might come from the same mind as
the blog posts, and have some of the same themes as them, it was all
supposed to be original stuff.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Rather to my surprise, the book was nearly finished by April last
year. It was then put to bed for a week or so before I did proofreading, and eventually, submitted it to the publisher. Things went
rather quiet until November, when the jacket was designed (my idea
did not work, but that is life), and then in December copy-editing
happened. This is a potentially traumatic occasion for an author
where all the errors, repetitions, lacunae, and continuity lapses are
ruthlessly detected and exposed. Actually, I think I got off rather
lightly on this – the worst was a reference to Cannae which
certainly did not belong in the paragraph. I wondered long what I was
thinking at the time.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
January ticked around and I got the first proofs, which I returned
with, as I recall, 26 errors and two or three bigger points, and,
presumably the cogs of the publishing industry were turning. Then,
the dreaded email arrived, the occasion on which most authors head
for the hills or hide behind the sofa (remember the shrinking violet thing?). The time had come to start the
marketing.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I am trying to be rational and reasonable about this. After all, the
book is the one that I would like to read about solo wargaming. It
has gone through the process of being written and edited and everyone
who knows about it so far has been kind and encouraging. If people do
not know that the book exists (or, strictly, will fairly soon exist)
they cannot choose whether to buy it or not. On the other hand, whenever I have had an article published I have had to ask the
Estimable Mrs P. to open the package in which the item is published because I dare not. It is hard to know which route this one will go
down.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Anyway, enough of this and the apologia. I will, almost certainly, be
giving more detail in the next month or three about the book, its
contents, and its route to publication. It is listed for publication in
June, by Pen and Sword Books, although the last time I examined their
<a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Wargaming/c/109">website</a>
it was not up there yet. You probably want to know what it is called
and so on, so here is the cover. I have reduced the resolution to
make it a smaller file, so the original looks better than this.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht74rdSGBkmj05sWn2N9mVUnwv2Y-O10UFBk5-YjqR8bZLTF_qrPEmB1KS2vwX919wFI0fdmz2L6Waq7eWc1OrXNrfG47_DJ-GsGfSKIPTvvVKNY9rAcf7C4XFGMU3CcF40TrlNk2_E-OsAjOEt9_LislaHXrAuXXfziNOpOmYHhlbLtFMLDC0SVeP2TFt/s1403/jacketpng.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1403" data-original-width="992" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht74rdSGBkmj05sWn2N9mVUnwv2Y-O10UFBk5-YjqR8bZLTF_qrPEmB1KS2vwX919wFI0fdmz2L6Waq7eWc1OrXNrfG47_DJ-GsGfSKIPTvvVKNY9rAcf7C4XFGMU3CcF40TrlNk2_E-OsAjOEt9_LislaHXrAuXXfziNOpOmYHhlbLtFMLDC0SVeP2TFt/w453-h640/jacketpng.png" width="453" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">As I said above, there will be more on this in the coming weeks, and
I will also be setting up a Facebook page for shorter comments and
discussion of it. In the meantime, comments and questions are welcome
in the usual manner here.</span></p>
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</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-56126574108415311942024-03-02T02:00:00.000-08:002024-03-02T02:00:00.131-08:00 On Artillery<p><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I have, on and off, been pondering early modern artillery and its
usefulness, effectiveness, and, above all, why armies bothered
dragging the pieces over the countryside. After all, I think it was
King Charles I who commented that the artillery train was a sponge
that soaked up all the money.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
By the War of the Three Kingdoms cannon had been around for a while.
I think the first illustration of one dates from the early 14<sup>th</sup>
Century, and they were certainly deployed by the English in the 1327
campaign, not that they were particularly useful on that occasion.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, by the 17<sup>th</sup> Century, things had improved. Powder,
for example, was more powerful, and improved construction techniques
meant that the pieces could take the strain, although a full charge
of corned powder could well be too much for many gun tubes. That, I
imagine, comes down to the skill of the individual gunner and his
knowledge of his piece.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Gunpowder weapons of all sorts were horribly inaccurate. Bert Hall’s
excellent book on early firearms reports a test of 325 discharges of
smooth-bore muskets (dating from the 16<sup>th</sup>—18<sup>th</sup>
Centuries). Surprisingly high muzzle velocities were reported
(averaging 454 m/s, or 1490 ft/s), although that depends, of course,
on the charge weights. There are some similar results for ACW
artillery.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Spheres are the worst regular shape possible for generating drag, and
the bullets decelerated at about 2.5 m/s for every meter of travel.
About half the kinetic energy is lost at 100 m from the muzzle. Hall
reckons that early modern weapons only have a possibility of being
lethal at 100 – 120 m. At Blenheim and Fontenoy the high casualty
rates were generated by shooting at about 40 meters. Drag meant that
under normal circumstances at best 10-20% of shots hit the target,
and, frequently, it is more like 5%.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Of course, artillery kept its velocity better, or at least, because
the bullet was heavier they maintained lethal velocity for longer.
But both firearms and artillery were notoriously inaccurate.
Frederick the Great of Prussia calculated that 650000 rounds had been
fired at Chotusitz (1742) killing about 2500 Austrians and wounding a
similar number. That is, 1 in 130 discharges hurt someone. Other
numbers bandied about were even more pessimistic.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Inaccuracy was also measured. At 100 meters the size of a square
enclosing half the bullets is about 1 foot on each side. Actually,
rifled muskets from the same period did not do much better. So the
chance of hitting someone at 100 m was about 50%. Some weapons were
better than others.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The problem is that spherical balls with windage – the difference
between the diameter of the ball and the inner diameter of the barrel
– bounce along the barrel. Ward reports that the standard windage
was about a quarter of an inch in cannon. So the ball strikes the
sides of the barrel after the gun is discharged, and picks up spin
from such collisions.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
As any cricketer or baseball player will know, balls with a spin on can
behave in unusual, counterintuitive, ways. In a controlled spin,
such as in a sport, this can be helpful. When aiming a weapon with
the spn in an unknown random direction, it will move in the air. Hall
reports an amusing experiment with a slightly left-bent barrel where
the ball actually struck the target to the right of the centreline.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Artillery, although with longer ranges, suffers from the same issue.
The ACW artillery deviated by 3 feet at 600 yards and 12 feet at 1200
yards for a 12-pounder. Lighter pieces seem to have deviated more.
The aim of gunners, of course, was also to keep their shot below
the height of a man. There is also the consideration of ‘point
blank’ range, where the shot starts to drop away from its expected
trajectory. Ward records point blank to a saker (5 ½ pounder) as 300
paces and a culverin (19 pounder) as 420 paces, which is the furthest
in the list. Ultimate random ranges were 1500 paces and 2100 paces
respectively, although the deviations Hall records for smooth bore
artillery indicate that you were unlikely to actually hit what you
aimed at at those ranges.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I have long suspected that part of the impact of artillery is simply
the noise. A cannon discharging is, from my experience of attending
re-enactments, very, very loud. Musket fire is less so, but these
noises were probably the loudest ones available to most people. It
would, at least until you got used to it, be frightening. Along with
the noise the smoke and the possibility of being hit by a cannonball
(which could damage you if it hit you at even extreme ranges), there
was quite enough to perturb most people.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
In Polemos: ECW we have a maximum range of artillery as 4 base widths
and a factor of 3. At over 1 base width the artillery loses 1 from
its factor. This, as JWH has pointed out in the past, seems a bit too
swingeing. I suggested an alteration, making the artillery fire as
normal over 4 base widths and then losing 1 per base width from its
factor. That seems to make artillery too effective, as my experiment
with Beatrice last week might suggest. I also added a second dice
roll at over 6 base widths – the cannon needed to roll a 6 to hit.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
In my homebrew Wars of the Counter-Reformation rules, I have adopted
the above model. It attempts to depict the problems with the deviation of
cannon shots, as well as the disruption artillery fire can cause.
Beatrice disrupted the attacking Parliamentarians but did not cause
any problems other than command and control. That seems about right
to me, although I still suspect that the factor is a little high –
perhaps it should be 3 rather than 4, although firing at dense pike
blocks might give a bit of an advantage. But I am trying not to have
too many factors in the rules.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, in summary, I think early modern artillery should be a disruptor
in battles, rather than a critical element. The hope of early modern
generals must have been to shake the enemy and disrupt their
deployment and advance rather than anything else unless there were
specific tactical situations, such as narrow bridges or flanking
fire, which would give the cannon an advantage. Sieges, of course,
are a different thing again. </p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-58908437445941312292024-02-24T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-24T02:00:00.169-08:00The Bridge at Muchado<p> </p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
One of the great advantages of wargaming, particularly when you have
been a wargamer for a number of years and have built up various
collections of toys, is that you can switch from, say, one period to
another, or from a ‘serious’ game to something just played for
fun. You can get embroiled in heavy-duty campaigns, for example, and
then just put a few bases on the table and have a wargame, just for
the heck of it, or just because you can.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
The Estimable Mrs. P has been a bit concerned about my wargaming,
worried that it has become bogged down in concerns about painting
(which she knows I don’t much enjoy) and also in campaigns. It
gets, she argues, too complex for her husband’s overheated little
brain, and she is probably right. I tend to overthink stuff.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
I woke up one morning with an idea for an English Civil War / War of
the Three Kingdoms action. In a sense it follows on, or is at least
parallel to, the gunrunning scenario of a few weeks ago. But it is
different and stand-alone. The idea of the scenario is that both
sides have to try to seize a bridge, to permit (or deny) the passage
of carts to where the supplies are needed. Hence the bridge at
Muchado was born.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
The peculiar name, for those who are interested, arises from Mr
Shakespeare’s play. He evidently had these three villages in mind
when he wrote, about 1600, a play about them. Granted, he transposed
the action to Italy and so on, but I find that these sorts of things
do spark the imagination.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
So, we have the hamlet of Muchado, with a bridge over a fordable
stream (except by carts, of course). We have two other villages,
Nodding and Abbot. Put them together and you do have (roughly) the
name of a Shakespeare play. A quick look through my complete plays of
the Bard yielded some commanders, as well.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
The Royalists, based at Nodding, were led by Sir Peter, with
Benedict’s blue regiment of foot, Claudio’s buff coats, Claud’s
cavalry, and two companies of dragoons, led by Dogberry and Watchman.
On the other side, Sir Peter’s illegitimate brother Sir John leads
the Parliamentary forces. He has Conrad’s and Leonard’s regiments
of foot, Francis’ cavalry, and Verge’s and Sexton’s dragoons.
Both sides are also blessed with a gun, although I did not name the
commanders. Possibly, on the face of it, the Royalist gun should be
called Beatrice.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhML5G4ZatRvyKW2rkU4oi8ML1qnRBwv39Hsi1dYdBVkEguIgvPRSFLRdR0RFQkZmdUzGqcKPu2hIRDN4ff-4_kH5SjzKJ52urN7Vvh6ZWcC24a8GzvjI5Qv1rXAiPFhfQintdJ1Dg6-lsiFKHLk0w3QLFHZX7YuNlNcpcX1IDWJ6RY4CQ81g_J5MiAuGSb/s2560/picture1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2560" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhML5G4ZatRvyKW2rkU4oi8ML1qnRBwv39Hsi1dYdBVkEguIgvPRSFLRdR0RFQkZmdUzGqcKPu2hIRDN4ff-4_kH5SjzKJ52urN7Vvh6ZWcC24a8GzvjI5Qv1rXAiPFhfQintdJ1Dg6-lsiFKHLk0w3QLFHZX7YuNlNcpcX1IDWJ6RY4CQ81g_J5MiAuGSb/w400-h239/picture1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;"><br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
The picture shows Sir John’s troops deployed on the right, with Sir
Peter’s on the left. Sir Peter decided to stand, more or less, on
the defensive and let Beatrice do the talking, as it were. Perforce,
then, Sir John took the offensive, aiming to cross the stream with
his cavalry while storming and holding the bridge.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cC8ep2L6Gletes15D1mMZojA97syB8JkpcLcamkcQmvUNWrNRJz1_D0YDIzF8DDRQSa3z-oNg2uGsOFi_wg3-B3UTHq3XpcW6VZ-YjiS5qilJs-N8Ifp7zEMh97gsCibRtgowJyY36X4h5XQgdbBQTN1ac-pjmRrG7jW0srJDE4V-y8cTfDyPRGPJeGK/s2560/picture2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cC8ep2L6Gletes15D1mMZojA97syB8JkpcLcamkcQmvUNWrNRJz1_D0YDIzF8DDRQSa3z-oNg2uGsOFi_wg3-B3UTHq3XpcW6VZ-YjiS5qilJs-N8Ifp7zEMh97gsCibRtgowJyY36X4h5XQgdbBQTN1ac-pjmRrG7jW0srJDE4V-y8cTfDyPRGPJeGK/w400-h300/picture2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
A few moves into the game and you can see the plans developing.
Beatrice has certainly disrupted the Parliamentary foot, and Sir
Peter has moved his cavalry around the wood to oppose Sir John’s
cavalry. What the picture doesn’t show, however, is that Claud’s
cavalry is uphill of the Roundheads, which will cause them a
problem. Poor tempo dice rolling has rather hampered Sir John’s
attempt to get his attack moving, however, and he is having to now
spend a lot of time persuading Conrad’s regiment to start advancing
again.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJaPIbY9PtXxArTYMSrB-y5ODa5s4Td-L-qEUGv7bzJcEJ-Aq7Z4j_NQ2_nXxzg5rkFY2haXp2rd5RBE529BIgFH_T_Gph5wyjEzbV_vex6DRu9yAqqXcpNi2gIz9FTOcBSfiVb6V4aS6GauMxsrWiBdmgQcAWgUpitHgKt_8WSSj5_RWZV-Yv70xI34s/s2560/picture3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="2560" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJaPIbY9PtXxArTYMSrB-y5ODa5s4Td-L-qEUGv7bzJcEJ-Aq7Z4j_NQ2_nXxzg5rkFY2haXp2rd5RBE529BIgFH_T_Gph5wyjEzbV_vex6DRu9yAqqXcpNi2gIz9FTOcBSfiVb6V4aS6GauMxsrWiBdmgQcAWgUpitHgKt_8WSSj5_RWZV-Yv70xI34s/w400-h264/picture3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
The main clash was on the near side of the bridge, of course. Claud’s
cavalry charged downhill and routed two of the three squadrons of
Francis’ immediately. The third squadron held out for another move
before turning tail and running, incidentally collecting Verge’s
dragoons (who had dismounted) on their way and routing them. Four
bases down, Sir John’s army decided that discretion was the better
part of valour and decided to beat a retreat.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
The Parliamentary cavalry had been caught with their backs to the
stream, disorganised and downhill of the Royalists. It has to be
said, however, that Sir John’s dice rolling was poor, and that his
combat dice were even worse. To be several points down in the cavalry
combat and then to roll a one does not indicate that the combat will
last long. It also indicates that crossing obstacles is difficult
under my rules, which is at it should be. While Verge’s dragoons
tried to cover Francis’ reorganisation, they were under fire from
Dogberry’s dragoons in the woods anyway and could not really face
three bases of Royalist cavalry looming on the brow of the hill. They
beat a retreat to behind their cavalry, who, when blown away, took
them with them.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
As I said earlier, this was really just a bit of fun. It was nice to
get the ECW boys out again, and have a proper battle (as it were)
albeit with small armies. The whole action did not take long, it has
to be admitted and I think Sir John’s tactics were flawed. He could
probably have done to have crossed the stream with both infantry and
cavalry, at different points on the nearside of the table. Then the
Royalists could have been a bit overstretched. As it was, Conrad’s
attempted to cross the stream on the far side of the bridge and
discovered it was a famous ‘crocodile-filled’ stream, and failed.
Sir John did not have the tempo to get them going again, especially
as they were under fire from Beatrice (who was alarmingly effective,
as it happened).
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
Still, the use of the play gave a bit of extra depth and fun to the
proceedings, so it felt a little bit more than just a stand-alone
scenario, or a bash just for fun. I might use the idea again,
especially as my complete plays is stored in the same room as the
wargames take place (I’m not allowed to call it the wargame room –
it is the snug). Sir Peter and Sir John and their merry men may well
make another outing. We shall see.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-60271025485433374442024-02-17T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-17T02:00:00.284-08:00 The Campaign Paradox Revisited<p><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
My recent <a href="https://ancientrules.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-campaign-paradox.html">post
on campaigning</a> and why we, as wargamers, tend not to run
campaigns seems to have sparked a bit of interest and comments, for
which I thank everyone who has engaged. In particular, JWH posted a
response on his <a href="https://hereticalgaming.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-campaign-paradox-heretical-take.html">Heretical
Wargaming</a> blog, and the comments there are interesting too, and
worth a look.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
To attempt to summarize the comments, campaigns do happen and are
usually regarded with fondness in retrospect. The reasons for not
running wargame campaigns seem to cluster around the time
constraints, the complexity of campaigns, and the desire to actually get
the toys out and fight tabletop battles, rather than move pins or
counters around a map.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
That said, a fair number of campaigns have been run. Some of them are
linked scenario campaigns, where, for example, a battle group or
platoon is followed through a series of engagements. As was noted,
these tend to be the more resource management sort of games, deciding
which resources you are going to commit to a given action, and
resting up and conserving elements you might need later. While this
is certainly giving a wargamer pause for thought before committing
the reserves to a final charge, it is not quite a strategic decision.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The other end of the telescope gives us board games. Aside from
self-consciously tactical games, such as, I imagine, Squad Leader,
these tend to be inherently strategic in nature. Even a single battle board game gives the wargamer pause for thought about deployment and
axes of advance, although again the strategic scope is distinctly
limited. Many board wargames are, of course, on the scale of a front
or theatre, or even a whole war. These tend to be enormous, quite
detailed, and take a great deal of time to set up, let alone play. I
think Phil Sabin observes in <i>Simulating War</i> that hobby games
are far too complex and lengthy to be useful teaching aids.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Of course, to a great extent, wargame campaigns, as with wargames
themselves, are open and flexible objects, and wargamers can and
should do whatever floats their boats, as it were. If delving into
the logistical arrangements of the war in the desert in 1941-2 is
your thing, I am not the person to stop you. Similarly, if all you
want to wargame is big battles in the Napoleonic era, that is fine by
me. But many of the wargame books you see around do seem to suggest
that a campaign is another level of wargaming, as JWH suggested in
his survey of books on his blog response.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I suspect that one thing that has not really happened is rule writing
for campaign games. I know that there are quite a few rule sets
around which include campaigns, and even a few rule sets specifically
for them (there is a set in Henry Hyde’s book, for example) but, in
my view, they tend to the rather complex. If they do not, they have a
habit of being severely simple, as a sort of afterthought to the
rules themselves. Neither of these outcomes, in my view, are really
conducive to encouraging people to run wargame campaigns.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
A wargamer who would like to run a campaign is faced with some
more or less complex decisions. There is the level of campaign,
whether the participants are squads or armies or anything in between.
There is the scope of the campaign, whether it is open-ended or aimed
at specific objectives, in a specific time frame. There is also the
question of what is to be modelled within the campaign. Are logistics
included? Personalities? Replacements and reinforcements? And so on.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
In part, I suspect, the question revolves around the campaign rules
to be used and the complexity (or lack of it) involved. My narrative
campaigns are very simple and easy to run. The outcome of the first
battle leads to some choices for both the winner and the loser as to
what to do. Normally the winner will make a decision, the loser
responds and another battle will be set up, possibly with a few
quirks. This is how the Armada Abbey campaign ran, and it still makes
me smile when I think about it.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
It is not always easy to think of the narrative, however, and,
sometimes, the lack of detail might prove to be frustrating. Some
wargamers might like the reconnaissance element of campaigning, for
example, and the narrative process, while it can incorporate this,
might well get bogged down. It is, as I have said, a question of what
you want to model.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
While many campaign rules do exist, as I mentioned, none have
really caught on widely, it seems to me, and many of them tend to the
complex. There is no real campaign equivalent to DBA. Whether you
like DBA or not, it certainly encouraged wargamers to fight battles.
It might even have encouraged a few campaigns at the very abstract
level it included. But therein lies the rub: it was very abstract, a
vehicle for creating tabletop wargames. Aside from the armies
involved, it could have been any period.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I do not, of course, have any answers. DBA was a rule set that arose
from long experience of wargaming by the authors, and much practice in
wargaming. It may or may not have worked for a given wargamer, but
the systems were quite elegant. We do not seem to have an equivalent
elegance in wargame campaigns. War is, I suppose, inherently complex.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Clausewitz noted that everything in war is easy, but that the easy
things are very difficult. Wargame campaigns should be fairly easy.
After all, they are ‘only’ wargames writ a bit bigger. Perhaps if
we had some truly elegant rules for wargame campaigns, one which
ideally had zero record keeping and many opportunities for strategic
thought and decision-making, we might have something that provides a
satisfying vehicle for tabletop wargames with context.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The problem seems to be that these two objectives are mutually
opposed. We cannot, it seems, have a strategic campaign system that
is simple and has zero record keeping, but keeps the interest and
decision points that wargamers need. Perhaps we just always land up in this
bind and prefer to get the toys out (or do painting) after
all.</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-23925029696909355132024-02-10T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-10T02:00:00.272-08:00Gunrunning<p> </p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
It might mildly surprise some of the readers of the blog (you think
they are plural – really? (ed)) that I have an interest in naval
matters and that naval matters during the English Civil War (or Wars
of the Three Kingdoms, or whatever the latest name for the conflicts
are) were significant. Unfortunately, they are also heavily neglected
in the historiography, although that is starting to change with an
eyewateringly expensive academic tome titled ‘The British Civil War
at Sea’. At £75 or so, I’ll have to wait for the paperback.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Fortunately, I have a few ideas on the matter. There is some stuff
around. For example, the failed naval expeditions to La Rochelle in
1627 and 1628 were expensive, cost Charles I his favourite and led to
dissolving Parliament in a huff. Ship Money, of course, caused
further tensions in the 1630s, and the wars with Scotland brought the
nation to the brink. After the Irish rebellion, the navy went over to
the Parliamentarian side.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The consequences were serious for the Royalists (and Irish
Confederates). They turned to private enterprise, but still needed
foreign arms and munitions, which had to be imported. Slowly the
Royalists gained strength at sea – capturing West Country ports
helped. Henrietta Maria, famously, landed with arms at Bridlington in
February 1643, under fire from a pursuing Parliamentary squadron.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The big ships in the Royal Navy were fairly useless, being too slow,
for the war of intercepting merchant ships, convoys, and privateers.
Both sides hired armed merchantmen, and Parliament even built some
frigates. While there were no big battles there were bloody
hostilities at sea, not to mention the relief of various ports by
naval forces.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
As I mentioned, that was also the question of the importation of guns
and ammunition, and it was this that gave me an idea for a scenario.
As the Royalists were the worst off for domestic production, they had
to try to get cargo across the Channel, while Parliamentary forces,
of course, tried to intercept and stop them.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZ6SchbLhCt10V_lz_LgK6yGDU7vwDRnLWtCEMLq7Smu9C673yM6aTz1L22BMPZH-hqnKWtLqt5QiK5LN6CrTG07xzWt4jGNHiQ-wU7F80FiqMB7wam4Th4H3RIAO4t9o5fT8MZzOyumIeZV-UaqQQBQxM4TKPzphL5qmZsbjP-pFEy4TI99BoBE1zlG8/s2560/picture1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1873" data-original-width="2560" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZ6SchbLhCt10V_lz_LgK6yGDU7vwDRnLWtCEMLq7Smu9C673yM6aTz1L22BMPZH-hqnKWtLqt5QiK5LN6CrTG07xzWt4jGNHiQ-wU7F80FiqMB7wam4Th4H3RIAO4t9o5fT8MZzOyumIeZV-UaqQQBQxM4TKPzphL5qmZsbjP-pFEy4TI99BoBE1zlG8/w400-h293/picture1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">The scenario is shown set up above. Really boring I know, but it
gives the idea. The Royalists are in port, and the Parliamentarians are
patrolling the sea with their heavier ships nearest the camera. The
royalists have to exit by the nearest or near right-hand table edges.
Each ship getting to the corner will score 3 points, the middle third
of each side will score 2 points, and the last third of the near
table will score 1 point. For Parliament, each ship taken will be
worth 3 points, while each ship damaged will be worth 1 point per
point of damage (for either side, in fact), or if the ship is forced
off the table elsewhere than the Royal exit areas Parliament will
gain 1 point. Each damage level a Parliamentary ship receives will
lose them 1 point.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I should note at this point that the Royalists could fight back
against the Parliamentary light ships but would surrender if the
heavies (1 third and 1 fourth rate) came into close range. This is
because, under the rules, mostly the merchantmen and 6<sup>th</sup>
rates will be at least badly mauled by a close-range broadside from
even a fifth rate. I should also note that the rules are my own, and
are now covered with scribbled pencil notes.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I have recently discovered that naval wargames and describing the
action is even more difficult than land-based wargames. Furthermore,
the interaction of wind strength and direction makes things even more
complex. The basic problem here was that for the first half of the
game, the winds were light and so no one really moved very far or very
fast. The wind veered from a north easterly at the start of the game
and then round to south-west, which gave the Royalists the wind
advantage from the second half of the game especially as the wind
then strengthened, meaning that all the ships could move faster.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The game caused a lot of thought and manoeuvring, even more than a
land game. The lighter ships clashed and Parliament lost one ship
crippled and one seriously damaged (minus 5 points, oops). The main
question was whether the Parliamentarian heavies could get among the
main Royalist convoy. They were, at one point, getting close and the
Royalists tacked (135-degree turn under the rules). The
Parliamentarians were slower to turn and the Royalists gained but
then reversed their tack and, moving a little faster than the
Parliamentarian heavies managed to leave them just about behind.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vQfejnQMWgUeYbLKIMiaTHx6ZtDlGhH9vhyphenhyphenv134EjnUdf_KogmCrjtco3_CuYHE8Qdq6Vm7r94DgAWhacPFc20L0hBa87jki00xGsHsVdJ_u7L8QLgV6jFeePVyJ3meAPyJj1dPw9Ns_mBGEtgD-uYYCDB23ZcyFiySIS6P6vUS3EC_o4ny6YN9qg-un/s2560/P1010025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vQfejnQMWgUeYbLKIMiaTHx6ZtDlGhH9vhyphenhyphenv134EjnUdf_KogmCrjtco3_CuYHE8Qdq6Vm7r94DgAWhacPFc20L0hBa87jki00xGsHsVdJ_u7L8QLgV6jFeePVyJ3meAPyJj1dPw9Ns_mBGEtgD-uYYCDB23ZcyFiySIS6P6vUS3EC_o4ny6YN9qg-un/w400-h300/P1010025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">The picture shows the final situation. While it would seem that the
Parliamentary heavy ships are about to sail through the convoy, in
fact, the next Royalist move will take them off the table and, due to
the wind, there is nothing the Parliamentary ships can do about it.
In the distance, on the right, you can see the two damaged
Parliamentary 6</span><sup style="text-align: left;">th</sup><span style="text-align: left;"> rates, as well as one in the foreground
and one in the background which are in the wrong place and going the
wrong way. Two Royalist sixth rates are already off the table,
incidentally.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, that was interesting. The rules, which I have not used for quite
a while, seemed to work quite well, although they now need revision.
The Royalists came out of port into a headwind, but the wind veered
and gave them the weather gauge, which helped considerably. The
Parliamentary ships contested the progress of the convoy bravely but
were bested by lucky Royalist shooting rolls. The heavies never quite
got into combat as they were extremely slow in the wind conditions.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, the question now is what next, aside from rule revision. As Paul
Hague remarked, naval wargames are best in the context of a campaign
narrative, so the choices are either a chase at sea, with various
Parliamentary ships trying to intercept the Royalists, and/or attempt
to blockade the port to which they are heading. Mind you, the
Royalists are on +13 points and the Parliamentarians on -5 at the
moment, so there is a lot to catch up.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-39509545345043160862024-02-03T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-03T02:00:00.166-08:00 The Campaign Paradox<p><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
As the regular reader of this blog might have surmised by now, I am
something of a fan of campaign games. The ideas of linked battles,
the movement on the map, the decisions of strategic import, and so on
interest me. Perhaps I am much more of a big-picture wargamer than
most others, I am not sure. The Estimable Mrs. P. keeps arguing that I
think in the abstract, so maybe the interest in campaigns is a
consequence of that.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, it is a little hard to find evidence that campaign wargaming
is particularly popular among wargamers. I know that some campaigns
are played (I could name a few blogs that report them) but, to be
honest, most battle reports in the blogosphere, at least the slice of
it that I read, are of either historical battles or of scenario
games, with Neil Thomas’ <i>One Hour Wargames</i> as the source of
choice.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Now, to be clear, I do not have the slightest problem with that.
Again, the regular reader will be aware that I have indulged in not a
few scenario-based games from OHW, as well as a few historical games.
But the hankering after campaign games does not, for me, go away.
Perhaps, as a solo wargamer, I have imbibed too much of the advice that,
to keep the solo interest going, we need to move to campaigns.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
There are, of course, campaigns and campaigns. There are sequences of
scenarios, where the sequence is fought out step-wise, with results
and casualties carried forward. Indeed, OHW suggests taking those
scenarios and linking them. Then there are ladder campaigns, where
the sequence starts with a middle-ground scenario and the action
moves one way or the other until either the top or the bottom of the
ladder is reached and the campaign is won and lost.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I suppose somewhere in this my ideas about narrative campaigns, where
the detail of the map moving is ignored but the moves are conducted
with reference to a map to decide where the next game is to be fought
fits somewhere alongside these forms of campaigning.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The next logical step from narrative and ladder-style campaigns is
probably to use a proper map, gridded or hexed, and plot out the
moves properly. I tried this out with the <i>Jersey Boys</i> campaign
and it did work quite nicely, but there is, of course, a bit of a
penalty to be paid in terms of preparation. It might be at this point
that some wargamers decide that an off-the-shelf scenario game is
preferable.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Of course, as in real life, the complexity of campaign games is
potentially unlimited. <i>Jersey Boys</i> did have personalities
created for the officers, although it has to be admitted that most of
the effort expended on this was rather wasted, I feel. It also made
use of a proper map, with pins to locate the units, weather, and
couriers. These latter bits worked quite nicely, although the
invasion had to wait until the weather cleared.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
At the most complex end of the spectrum are those imagination games
where the action spans continent(s) and decades. These take a lot of
work, I think, to set up and, if my own memories serve me correctly,
a fair bit of effort to maintain. The gold standard in such campaigns
is, of course, Tony Bath’s <i>Hyboria</i> campaign, as documented
in <i>Setting Up a Wargame Campaign</i>. I have tried this sort of
thing, and much simpler settings, but the sheer size of it tends to
overwhelm me.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I am aware, as you might have seen, of most of the wargame books that
cover campaigns: Bath, Grant, Featherstone, Hyde. But the fact
remains, it seems to me, that campaign games are a thing that is more
honoured in the breach than execution. That is, not many people
actually carry out campaigns, even though they might like to in
principle.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I think there might be a fundamental paradox lurking behind this. The
idea of a campaign is to achieve an objective – capture Jersey, for
example. The objective for the other side is, of course, a mirror
image of this. However, the next idea along is that the objective
needs to be achieved with minimal casualties because for each combat
you might lose forces you will need shortly. The campaign paradox
emerges.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The campaign paradox is that the wargamer wants to fight wargames,
fairly obviously. In a campaign game, however, the idea is to fight
as little as possible while winning the campaign. The nature of the
campaign game, therefore, is to limit the number of wargames to be
fought out, while maximising the paperwork. This is not an attractive
proposition to many wargamers, I suspect.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Given the popularity of OHW, I was wondering if there was any scope
for (and perhaps it already exists) a sort of similar book, packed
full of smallish campaigns. A set of easily transferable campaign
outlines might work. It would be the sort of thing that OHW does for
scenario games, crossed with Featherstone’s actual examples of
small campaigns.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Or, maybe, the scope should be bigger. The Featherstone games are,
mostly, what could be termed grand tactical rather than strategic
games. The introduction of strategy is, naturally, opening a whole
extra can of worms, and there would be no telling where it would
end. Nevertheless, it is fairly clear that generals of times gone by
had strategies, even if they did not use the term (which seems to
have got its current meaning sometime in the Eighteenth Century).
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, I open the discussion to the floor, if there is any interest.
What would persuade you to get the maps out instead of starting
another scenario? Is there anything, or do time constraints preclude
such things? I suppose, somewhere in my mind, is the question of
whether we have to dash on to the next wargame all the time. Slow
wargaming, anyone?</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-82252089543556426812024-01-27T02:00:00.000-08:002024-01-27T02:00:00.131-08:00 Clarity<p><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The Heretical Wargaming blog, run by JWH, has made some comments on
the <a href="https://hereticalgaming.blogspot.com/2023/12/clarity-versus-inspiration-heretical.html">concepts of clarity and inspiration</a>, a <a href="https://youtu.be/LZ8w88slU1w">video blog post by Mr BigLee of Posties Rejects</a>. I confess I have not watched the whole vlog;
they are not my favourite form of communication, but I have seen a
few minutes to get the gist of the point at issue. At least, I think
I have.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Mr Lee (I could hardly call him ‘Mr Big’ could I?) suggests that
clarity and inspiration are opposed in writing rules. That is, the
clarity of a rule set is compromised by the addition of pictures,
paintings, original documents, historical descriptions, and so on. JWH
disagrees, and I think I agree with him.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The fact is that clarity is a usefully vague expression. It is
probably best understood along the lines of an irregular verb: I am
clear, you are vague, he is all over the place. That is, clarity is
in the eye of the beholder. Clarity, however, seems to cover a range
of issues, and so it is not just a single ‘thing’.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Clarity is not the same thing as coherence, for example. Coherence is
not the same as meaninglessness, either. Meaninglessness is absolute.
The sentence ‘The present king of France is bald’ is meaningless
because it does not refer – that is, there is no present king of
France. The sentence ‘The Pz II is a German Second World War tank’
in a set of rules about Napoleonic Wargaming is not meaningless –
the sentence is correct and means something – it is rather
incoherent with the rest of the context.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
It is quite possible to be coherent without clarity. Much writing
lacks clarity, unfortunately (including mine). Wittgenstein once
wrote ‘Whatever can be said can be said clearly’. However, later
work by Wittgenstein rather nuanced that statement, I think. Sentences are
clear in a given context, with a given background and some sort of
agreement between speaker and hearer, or writer and reader, as to
what is the background of the writing.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Clarity thus depends on the audience, or the implied audience, the
reader of wargame rules. An exposition of Godel’s incompleteness
theorem might be clear to a class of mathematicians, but not really
for a class of linguists. We can aim for precision, but the cost of
precision is additional words or jargon. We have to explain what we
mean and, moreover, expect the reader to remember what we mean. For
example, in some philosophy (and wargame rules) you are barraged with
a bunch of abbreviations and acronyms in the first few pages. These
are then used extensively throughout the work. My mind does not
retain these well – the meaning is clear, of course, but at the
cost of introducing many more symbols into the work (and explaining
them). Whether this is worth the price seems to me to be a bit moot.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Language is, of course, ambiguous. ‘I went to the bank’ could
mean a trip to withdraw money or going fishing. We can try to avoid
ambiguity when we write, but, because of the way English works (and,
I presume, other languages do too), we cannot avoid ambiguity. Mostly
the context saves us. Reading, in a set of wargame rules ‘The guard
charges home’ suggests elite infantry advancing, rather than a
railway conductor dashing to their house.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
There is also vagueness. Vagueness is both a curse and a help. In the
early writing of a set of rules, vagueness is extremely useful. As I
have mentioned before, in the Polemos rules the initial state of
shaken was referred to as being ‘not happy’ – a base that lost combat was described as ‘not happy’, for example. Over time the
term was replaced with ‘shaken’ and the meaning of the term was
defined more precisely. This is an avoidable vagueness that should
be tidied up before the work is published.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
However, some vagueness is unavoidable; some concepts are simply
vague. We know what we mean, for example, by the term ‘morale’,
but try to write a paragraph or two defining exactly what it is, how
it is measured, and what effects it has. I would wager a small amount
of money that you do not find it as easy as you expect. There is
inherent vagueness about the word morale – we know what we mean by
it but it can cover a great number of things all lumped together
under it’s hat. We cannot demand more precision than the concept
demands.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Finally, there is indeterminateness. This indicates that something is
missing from our definition or our thought or concept. The sentence
‘The guard is elite’ is, in fact, indeterminate. How many guards
are we referring to? All of them some of the time, some of them all
the time, or something in between. This is different from ambiguity or
vagueness and does indicate a lacuna in the thought. Therefore,
wargame rules should try not to permit indeterminateness as it does
lead to multiple, avoidable, interpretations.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The final comment is, I suppose, about conciseness. We can all waffle
on endlessly about a subject such as the use of firearms in the Wars
of the Roses. Whether all that waffle actually contributes anything,
particularly anything to a rule set, is a bit moot. In the rules I
have tried to write, I do try to keep the interpretative waffle away
from the actual rules. I think it is healthy if a writer gives
reasons for their choices in creating rules, but those
interpretations should not, I think, be part of the rule set itself.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Perhaps this is what Lee means by ‘inspiration’, the background,
explanations, and pictures attempting to give the wargamer the impetus
to get the figures and play the game according to the rules.
Personally, I do not find the pictures, at least, terribly helpful as
there is no way that I can paint that many figures that well. I also
sometimes find in the background some dubious assumptions about the
period (assuming that I know anything about it, which is rare), which
are not that helpful in getting into playing the rules either.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, I think JWH is correct in arguing that clarity is distinct
from inspiration and that they can (and should) be separated in a
rule set. But clarity itself is a portmanteau of different sins, some of which are unavoidable but most of which are traps for
the unwary writer and reader.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
If you have made it this far through the post, I hope the foregoing
is clear…...</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-40668147839564512672024-01-20T02:00:00.000-08:002024-01-20T02:00:00.137-08:00 Moving On…<p>Having reviewed 2023, I suppose it is only fair to consider what 2024
might hold wargame-wise. As with most wargamers this is largely
unknown territory. After all, we never know when something new and
shiny might come along to tempt us away from the path of
righteousness which we have been treading with family and credit
cards.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Anyway, a few certainties are clear. First, I was rather alarmed to
find a lack of naval wargaming in my games for last year. This is, as
they say, an oversight. After all, <i>Machiavelli</i> does have
fleets, and so I was open to some naval clashes. It is just that they
did not happen. I suppose the result here is <i>must try harder</i>.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Thinking about it a little more, it is in fact much easier to
conceive of naval actions taking place in campaign contexts. A good
number of years ago Paul Hague, I think it was, observed that in a
land-based game, it is quite easy to designate that crossroads or hill
as being strategically important and to fight over it. At sea, one
bit of water looks much like another, and so wider reasons for having
a fight need to be sought. Thus, campaign wargaming is a useful
additive for making naval games meaningful. This, combined with my
penchant recently for campaigns, could be helpful.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
On that note, I would quite like to develop some more campaigns. I do
not know whether my reader is interested in such things – sometimes
it seems you are, sometimes not – but I am fairly sure that I am
and that there is a vast quantity of untapped possibilities in
running campaign games. As I remarked a couple of times over the last
year or so, campaigns can create their own scenarios and battle
outcomes. Sometimes what happens on the battlefield is largely
irrelevant to the outcome of a campaign, after all (I know that
statement would need to be nuanced, by the way…).
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
There is always the holy grail of campaign gaming, or the apparent
one, of some sort of complex imgai-nations type game, along the lines
of Tony Bath’s Hyboria. This always seems to get set as the ideal
wargame campaign. I am sure that this was not the intention, but that
is sometimes how it seems. I think that rougher and readier methods
of generating and playing wargame campaigns can be created, and I
have tried out a few ideas in the last year or so. The ACW Greeks
campaign was one such. Machiavelli and the Siena campaign are more.
This needs thinking about, and some naval elements adding.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
When we come to painting and acquisitions, there is a bit less to
discuss, mercifully. I have demolished most of the unpainted lead
pile, and my strategy is not to increase it by very much, if
possible, not at all. This resolution has already been undermined, however, by the acquisition of some Warbase Parisian Civilians. These
are 25+ mm and are aimed at my Flashing Blades role-playing campaign.
Civilians, in any scale, are really quite difficult to find, which is
a bit of a nuisance to those of us who do not think that everyone
spends all their time fighting battles. Still, I also have about 16
other 25+ mm figures to assemble and paint.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The larger project is the recent (Santa is responsible. It wasn’t
my fault, guv) of Chinese, Korean and Japanese fleets. These are
aimed at the later Sixteenth Century, of course. Years ago I recall
my frustration at being unable to obtain suitable ships for the
Japanese invasion of Korea. A couple of years ago I discovered that
Tumbling Dice has ranges which fit the bill very nicely, in my
favoured 1:2400 scale. This was only slightly mitigated by
discovering that I had failed to order any flags, but as the ships
are still in their packages this is not going to be a problem any
time soon.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Aside from that I am trying to keep the expansion of the forces to a
minimum. I might, if they are ever released, obtain some more Italian
Wars gendarmes from Baccus. As you might have noted from my Italian
Wars campaigns I keep running out of the fellows. While I am about it
some more jinites would not go amiss either, but I will try to limit
acquisitions. Oh, and there might be some Turkish light cavalry as
well, of which stocks are rather limited. And who knows what else.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Alongside this, there has been some writing. I was a bit perturbed to
find this on the <a href="https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/joy-of-six-a-guide-to-wargaming-in-6mm.php">Helion
website</a>:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhtXareM1yhW4skZGWwgM4scYNBrVqwJK54EhsveicbwgRrHytDgp2DgJZNKHeAwdSSg89EgI6cbcJquE8paMh_BNFR7tEKgixZUgtgOh8KXHOFRbN1dCFganRZLBprFWRMzSS-u2YnjoA61WsKV7t4nG7mQ9WzXdV8Yn5H60PRWa7hDb12dMCvd4lmAs/s482/helion1001504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhtXareM1yhW4skZGWwgM4scYNBrVqwJK54EhsveicbwgRrHytDgp2DgJZNKHeAwdSSg89EgI6cbcJquE8paMh_BNFR7tEKgixZUgtgOh8KXHOFRbN1dCFganRZLBprFWRMzSS-u2YnjoA61WsKV7t4nG7mQ9WzXdV8Yn5H60PRWa7hDb12dMCvd4lmAs/s320/helion1001504.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
This is listed for release in the spring. There might be a bit of a
problem with it, as it is nowhere near finished yet, and we are
awaiting photographs to make it a feast of joy for lovers of the
small chaps, and also for those who are willing to be converted. We
shall see. If you have any nice pictures of 6 mm figures, from any
manufacturer, drop me a comment (I won’t publish them) and we chat.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I have to say that while it has sort of been a labour of love, it has
also been blinking hard work and quite frustrating to boot. I am
awaiting further information from my co-author – yes, although I
am named on the cover, it is actually a collaborative effort betwixt
myself and Mr Berry. The Estimable Mrs P and been slightly perturbed on
occasion by her husband stomping around the house shouting ‘All
collaborators will be shot!’. Mind you, that sort of behaviour is
not totally unknown in these parts as it is. It all stems from being
in the Academy and trying to cooperate with people separated by time,
geography and language.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, there you are. As I have hinted there may still be some
surprises, both in terms of subjects, wargames and even, possibly,
more writing projects. In this life, you never quite know what is
going to happen next, which does keep things interesting.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-83008464552733942072024-01-13T02:00:00.000-08:002024-01-13T02:00:00.148-08:00 Siena Survives<p>Well, it had to happen. The ‘AI’ for the Italian city wars system
occasionally throws up a battle that appears to be unwinnable by the
solo wargamer. Not that this is a bad thing, of course. There is a
certain amount of hubristic delight in designing a system which can
beat you, or at least keep you very much on the hop.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Anyway, to summarise, Siena has had a good year or two, taken over
Florence and its provinces and is now looking at gobbling up the
Papal States, making the Pope a vassal and holding a string of
territory across the centre of Italy. Hubris indeed, you might think.
And you may well be right.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The year is 1504 and I rolled for the random event, which occurred
before my move. The draw was the King of Clubs. Oh dear. I have been
invaded. A die was rolled to establish which misguided power had
dared to intervene in my territory. A six was rolled. The Spanish. Oh
dear, oh dear.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
As you can tell by my comments this was not good news. The Spanish
are, in terms of the campaign, a large army and difficult to beat,
although quite a few of their elements are skirmishers. My advantage
is that they are a bit light in terms of gendarmes. If I could get my
heavies among their crossbow skirmishers I could, I reckoned, win
this one, or at least not lose.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Things got a bit worse when I drew for Spanish allies. They got two
allied contingents, one of shot (ouch) and one of gendarmes (ouch
ouch). My advantage in heavy cavalry had suddenly turned into a
deficit. So too had my advantage, albeit slight, in shot. I called in
some allies who, fortunately, turned out to be arquebusiers, so my
equilibrium was somewhat restored. Nevertheless, I expected to lose
this one, and the campaign to end forthwith. I determined to go down
fighting.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The terrain rolling was kinder to me. The Spanish, being heavy on the
skirmishers both mounted and foot, did not want an open board, and I,
being outnumbered 15 bases to 23, did not either. So a fair bit of
terrain (although oddly, no hills) was rolled up. A couple of
settlements, some fields and two streams took their place. The die
roll for the sides was also kind to me. I got the edge with the fields
and settlements.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Being the defender I set up first with my shot in the fields and
settlements, my light cavalry out front and my gendarmes hanging
around, trying to look threatening in reserve. I was so worried about
this battle that I allowed both sides to redeploy two bases. I
brought some shot in from the farm on my right to the central
village, while the Spanish moved some gendarmes out to their left
flank.
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2josNvi0Z7nq1hBtu8Plr_plhi3CR5feJFiIxNup3nJP5tkS-YZ0C-jpLdP3OPQAhuruXRfLAS2M8jsmuiMjHpflrjJdRAYjdSFHFPVeg9mPEdBULbDbr-CT-5XMHwGHPyzJOBd7IuNjTQcwxTs370QTQajpEiOkAnAviAa2VxV5BOt6Zoa_dvcQLFX_O/s2560/P1010006a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1522" data-original-width="2560" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2josNvi0Z7nq1hBtu8Plr_plhi3CR5feJFiIxNup3nJP5tkS-YZ0C-jpLdP3OPQAhuruXRfLAS2M8jsmuiMjHpflrjJdRAYjdSFHFPVeg9mPEdBULbDbr-CT-5XMHwGHPyzJOBd7IuNjTQcwxTs370QTQajpEiOkAnAviAa2VxV5BOt6Zoa_dvcQLFX_O/w400-h238/P1010006a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">A few moves in and things were hotting up. The Sienese are to the
left, where you can see my arquebusiers lining the hedges and my
mounted crossbowmen out front, backed by some gendarmes. At this
point, and in fact, during most of the game, the Spanish have been
suffering from a tempo point drought. The idea was to push their left
flank skirmishers up, backed by the gendarmes you can see bottom
right who would sail around my right flank and wreak carnage.
Meanwhile, their superior light cavalry would see off mine while the
foot advanced to assault the fields and then the central gendarmes
would administer the coup de grace.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
However, the Spanish centre has only just got moving under direct
orders from their general, while the Spanish right flank is immobile,
as are the gendarmes on their left. The dice rolling was awful, and
they rarely held the tempo, let alone managed to do anything with it.
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWa8j-LLNSM1JLfkdnTYOvqmFQSwEcRN1nfEBcB-YjrsPq9n7_5imt_w-KIUwgRgdfEMTM7gv2Y1qnpMgNMmrpxOG2QU2sx1uFf6KhJsADkcoM8X8iUyzW1hFMvR-RYK89SworVj2Id7P7bVXENsDz5YAsqzI2IhrJosoG4l30ow5QtNmUxKtrYrm71E3/s2560/P1010009a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1676" data-original-width="2560" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWa8j-LLNSM1JLfkdnTYOvqmFQSwEcRN1nfEBcB-YjrsPq9n7_5imt_w-KIUwgRgdfEMTM7gv2Y1qnpMgNMmrpxOG2QU2sx1uFf6KhJsADkcoM8X8iUyzW1hFMvR-RYK89SworVj2Id7P7bVXENsDz5YAsqzI2IhrJosoG4l30ow5QtNmUxKtrYrm71E3/w400-h263/P1010009a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">Things got rather complex in the centre. My gendarmes got stuck into
the remains of theirs after my mounted crossbows had managed to
disrupt them significantly. Not only that but a spare base of
gendarmes went after their right flank shot and were busy chasing
them off. You can see in the rear of the Spanish several bases
without orders forming a second line. The cavalry combat in the
centre also got rather more complex than I can describe and needed
some thinking about bases being hit in the flank and rear. The upshot was
that I managed to rout a couple of Spanish gendarme bases in exchange
for one of mine, and then managed to bag the general.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
This, however, did not finish off the Spanish. It is a resilient
army. I had to dispose of another base of skirmishers (shot to bits
by my now otherwise unengaged right) and charge another shot base in
the flank, which took a turn or two to do the decent thing and flee.
My dice-rolling touch was clearly starting to dwindle. At this point, the Spanish decided that the Pope could be Sienese for all
they cared and withdrew. Somehow Siena had managed to survive.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
That was a very fraught action, and neither the pictures nor the
description do it justice. I kept winning tempo rolls and having
sufficient to do what I wanted. For example, when the Spanish
gendarmes came a bit close for comfort I could pull my infantry back
into the village and move my mounted crossbowmen out of danger, while
the Spanish did not manage to get all of their army moving forward.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
There is some food for rule thought here. In part, the result was that
of poor dice rolling for the Spanish. In part, as well, there is the
fact that the defenders need fewer tempo points than an attacker
anyway. I do not think I was biased; the Spanish plan still seems
viable to me.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, in the campaign, Siena has survived the biggest existential
threat to its existence to date. Also, I still have my move this year
and Rome lies at my feet. Plus, I have won a battle and only lost a
single base of troops. Forwards!</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-74722999082852718702024-01-06T02:00:00.000-08:002024-01-06T02:00:00.135-08:00 The Small, Thin Review of the Year<p>Well, that was (nearly) the year that was. And I suppose it is time
to look back and see what has happened. A quick scroll through the
posts of the year suggests that approximately 20 wargames have been
fought out, which is quite good going for me at least. I cannot
really get my head around those who manage 500 wargames in a year,
paint four thousand figures to collectors standards, and still hold
down a full-time job and spend endless quality time with their
families and friends. I must be really inefficient, aside from a poor
painter, because I can’t manage that.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, enough negativity. So far as I can see most of the wargames
were part of different campaigns. The first was from my much-neglected ancients collection and was a consequence of my having
painted the rest of the Germans. They forced their passage into the
Roman Empire past the hapless Dacians who, if they did not keep
defeating the Romans, I would start to suspect of being a sort of
ancient road-bump.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, next up was a rather interesting and enjoyable campaign in
Italian Wars Italy, based on the old Avalon Hill game <i>Machiavelli</i>.
This was fascinating, trying out the different armies available with
different strengths against each other. The French were within an ace
of winning the whole thing, while the Papacy was close to being
wiped off the map. Most of the systems I used for regulating the
campaign solo, such as the diplomacy table worked very nicely,
although the Spanish and French remained in alliance. By the end, the
situation in central Italy was fairly well blocked. The powers
involved had two armies in the area and were too strong, therefore,
to take on any of the others, but not strong enough to have a go
themselves. In the north the French were attempting to retake Milan,
having lost it to a cheeky Imperial attack. If the French had managed
to get moving they would have swamped the defenders, but the
initiative cards were not kind.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The <i>Machiavelli</i> campaign generated seven of the wargames,
which is pretty good going, I think, and a few surprises. The fight
does not always go to the strongest, which is nice to know. The
blocking of central Italy could probably have been solved by using
the advanced Machiavelli rules, which include finance and the
ability to pay off your enemies’ armies. The constipation of Italy
could have been relieved by this, but I was cautious because I did
not want to overcomplicate the campaign.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Flushed with success, however, I turned to the Thirty Year’s War
and tried that. This was a very nice set up although it took most of
a morning to sort it out. The map is good, and the counters and state
cards are well done. However, even my simplified mechanics made the game
too complex, and I gave up after two or three moves, and the same
number of wargames. I do not think that it was the fault of it being
played solo; the report I have is that the game is unplayable by
groups as well. Back, as they say, to the drawing board, or at least
to push on a little further with <i>Machiavelli</i>.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Next along, I decided to try out another campaign, this time much
more limited in scope. I had been reading a bit about strategy and
had sort of understood the strategic problems and opportunities found
in the American Civil War. This is probably old hat to most
wargamers but was news to me, so I decided to try it out. A very
abstract map was generated and forces were randomly allocated from my
ancient Greek collection. Four wargames ensued and the Athenians
(representing to Union) won. This also was fascinating as a campaign
as the Athenian defensive victories early in the campaign really
crippled the Spartan plan, as well as crippling one of their forces
which should really have been romping to victory.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The <i>Machiavelli</i> and the ACW Greeks campaigns both highlighted
how scenarios can be created by the campaign itself. In the
Machiavelli campaign, the Papal forces confronted the Spanish,
defending a river line. The Spanish crossed the river and, instead of
counter-attacking, the Papal army withdrew. This was a strategic
decision to lose Rome but to keep the army in being to save Ancona
and the other Papal army there. If the Papal army had carried on they
would probably have lost and then the remaining army would have been
defeated in detail. As it was they could contribute to blocking the
centre of Italy.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
In the ACW campaign the last battle related to the attempt of a
Spartan army to escape the Athenians and retreat south to the other
remaining Spartan army. They went down to defeat (partially, of
course, glorious) but the scenario was to escape, not beat the enemy.
Food, I think, for thought.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
For something a bit lighter we revisited Ferdinand and Isabella and
their bed antics (um, yes), in which Ferdinand had a much-reduced
army. It was quite a lot harder to win with the reduced Spanish but
after an initial defeat, he did manage to recapture his bed and carry
it back in triumph to his lady. Perhaps you had to be there.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The final run of games has been based around Siena in the Italian
Wars. This is an adaptation of an article in Miniature Wargames I
wrote ages ago about the rise of the Aztecs. As I write the Sienese
have conquered Florence but are desperately fighting against some
random invaders. The game is actually midway through downstairs as I
write, so I do not know the outcomes of this one. Expect to see a
post soon.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
There have been one or two other games, of course. The Irish, led by
Donal and Dougal went down to defeat in the Curlieu Hills, which
seems to round off the Armada Abbeys spur campaign nicely. I also
experimented with a game representing reconnaissance. This tried out
a few ideas for how to conduct a recce solo and seemed to work quite
nicely. Integrating the game into a campaign is a work in progress.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, there you are a year’s worth of games. I also managed some
painting, more or less wiping out the lead pile. However, Santa has
delivered some more, so you need not fear about my unpainted lead
depression. It is still going strong. </p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-67950807509841506952023-12-30T02:00:00.000-08:002023-12-30T02:00:00.338-08:00 Geopolitics<p><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I was reading a book almost totally unconnected from wargaming. I
know, I know, but it does happen and is encouraged by the Estimable
Mrs P., who, for reasons I do not understand, does not wish to talk
about the finer details of Alexander’s phalanx, Cromwell’s
deployment at Naseby and similar subjects. At least, not all the
time.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, there I was, innocently reading a book about the history of
libraries, when I came across a reference to do with the Jesuits
creating a college in Poland. This was noted in the book as being
geopolitically significant. It just did not say why.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I could think of a few reasons why Poland was geopolitically
significant in the late 16<sup>th</sup> Century. To start off with
there were Protestant enclaves around in Poland and the surrounding
region – Scandinavia, for example. It was also next door to
Muscovy, which probably had some sort of missionary interest for the
Jesuits. After all, they were busy getting into China, Japan, and
South America at the time.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
But still, I was slightly intrigued. Why was a college in northern
Poland determined, even a book about the history of libraries, to be
deemed geopolitically significant? Anyway, what is geopolitics?</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Those who know me will also know that I do not like such questions. A
quick search on Google did not satisfy my quest for understanding,
and so a book was purchased:</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Dodds, K. (2019),<i> Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction</i>
(Oxford, OUP).</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
As the attentive reader of this blog might be aware, I rather like
these Very Short Introductions. They do what they say on the tin and
are usually quite up to date, or at least give a good launch pad into
further literature. This one is reassuringly in its third edition,
which means that other people must like it as well.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Geopolitics is not quite what I expected, I confess, at least on
Dodds’ account. It is not that far away, admittedly, but when I
worked at a university I noticed that geographers were trying not
only to colonise the geographical world but also the intellectual
world. I once worked with a student whose research, as a geographer,
was on madness and not the spatial distribution of mental health
problems either. It is probably a good job she never found out I was a
wargamer.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Anyway, geopolitics is defined (p. 3) as involving three qualities.
These are questions of influence and power over space and territory.
Secondly, geographical frames are used to make sense of world
affairs. Thirdly, it is future oriented, trying to guess the future
activity of states, assuming that their interests are basically
unchanging.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
All of these are questionable assumptions and positions, of course,
and, this being the postmodern academy, they are certainly
questioned. There is a strand of thought called ‘critical’
geopolitics which asks questions which most people do not, such as
‘why are most economic migrants male?’ and ‘what were the
routes used in extraordinary rendition?’. A section is devoted to
these sorts of awkward questions, and they keep coming up. Any quick
perusal of a news website today shows the relevance of these
questions, even if most media outlets do not wish to ask them, let
alone get any answers.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Geopolitics, as future-oriented, is not, on the face of it, terribly
helpful to a wargamer. I mean that, given the term is more or less
confined to the Twentieth Century as a subject, and that it was for
many years after 1945 a sort of academic poison due to perceived
links with the politics of Nazi Germany, particularly the idea of
lebensraum, it has not been much applied, so far as I can tell, to
historical issues. Nevertheless, I think it does have some concepts
and ideas which might make us pause to consider our wargaming,
especially those of us who create a play campaign games.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
For example, have you ever wondered why countries down the centuries
have spent so much money on prestige projects? Even in the midst of a crisis, plague, and civil war world leaders have found the time to
pose for portraits, and send them to allies or friends (or hoped for
allies). Again, states have built large buildings, or thrown parties
for visiting dignitaries. Siena, for example, stopped work on
updating its defences in the early 1550s to welcome some posh dude
who might help in the future. These activities may seem to be vanity
or a distraction from the main event, the military, but the argument
is that they were worth doing, to show off.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
A lot depends on our senses of identity. As an example Dodds uses the
Falkland Islands, noting that Argentina still regards them as
Argentine in spite of recent history, and that maps of the Islands
adorn monuments and school books. In parallel, of course, British
maps mark the Falklands differently. Similarly, recent Chinese maps
with dotted lines around the South China Sea have upset and worried
countries around that area. The point is that objects – maps,
books, memorials, buildings – are statements of some sort of
identity, whether that identity is present or aspired to.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
There are lots of other issues (did I mention that geography seems to
aspire to academic hegemony?). Social media, for example, not only
allows international terrorists to communicate, but world wide
protest movements to take off. The example given is the Occupy
movement of 2010, but others could be adduced. After all, without
social media would we have heard of Greta Thurnburg?
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So there is an awful lot in this little book. Not much, admittedly,
is directly applicable to wargaming per se, although for anyone who
is running a campaign based around competing nations it might be
worth pondering if you should build in some vanity projects to build
a nation’s reputation without it having to go to war and win
battles and sieges. It would be an interesting exercise, but would
not, of course, get toy soldiers on the wargame table.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
On the other hand, building a military force in a peaceful world
could also be thought be be a vanity project. Like a gun on the table
in a play, sooner or later you know it will be used. Now, where is
the nearest bunker?</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-14334720433890164282023-12-23T02:00:00.000-08:002023-12-23T02:00:00.144-08:00 The Raiders<p><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Well, after my success at Arezzo, my personal rating took off. The
city, of course, surrendered and so I was +2 for the move, to the
heady heights of PR of 9. Italy lay at my feet (sort of). Certainly, Florence, as an independent political entity had, for the moment,
evaporated. Cheers all round, and I am considering inviting a certain
Niccolo Machiavelli, an experienced diplomat, to run the place for
me. After all, I have new worlds, or new bits of Italy at least, to
conquer.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Anyway, more prosaically, I had to deal with the random event in the
second half of the year. This turned up some raiders who had to be
dealt with. In the original version of the game, these were Chichimec
tribes, who were almost entirely psiloi. As you probably know, in DBA
these are hard to beat while being difficult to lose to. Here, I
envisage them being a sort of free company of deserters,
disillusioned and unemployed mercenaries and bandits clubbing
together.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The raiders mustered a 12 base army, of 2 mounted crossbowmen, 6
skirmishing crossbowmen and 4 bases of crossbowmen. As you can see,
there were a lot of crossbows and not much else. Light raiders, as I
said above, out for loot and not really for hard fighting, I hope.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Again, in the original game the raiders, as a random event, was aimed
at being an easier wargame with less at stake than the attacks on
cities and so on. The aim was to minimise any losses which would
impede further expansion while getting a fairly easy win. It should
be similar here.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
My own forces, mercifully still at current full strength after the
fight against Arezzo, consisted of 4 gendarmes, 1 mounted crossbows,
2 crossbows, 2 arquebusiers, 2 sword and buckler men, for a total of
11 bases. Pondering this I reckoned that the best tactics would be to
get the gendarmes and the swordsmen into action as soon as possible.
The gendarmes, at least, should be pretty safe against anything the
enemy can throw at them.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQm6JrhfWk6f_dYzYu5U11W5lSWh1IYHakSwC3e8mqB4f64mWCmKY_60vthOWXD-tZTgkWTTZ0AX4CL_ZmQ7dik0Zl95b7tPdLajAyVZuXlwz2evSi_K60AD0WdWVoQIBLsJMmTKBjjTqTZeeMU4MlD8ZUUKMnLF8HHwRdmRbkno0-7rZq7p7tRCerp6gY/s2560/P1010003a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="2560" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQm6JrhfWk6f_dYzYu5U11W5lSWh1IYHakSwC3e8mqB4f64mWCmKY_60vthOWXD-tZTgkWTTZ0AX4CL_ZmQ7dik0Zl95b7tPdLajAyVZuXlwz2evSi_K60AD0WdWVoQIBLsJMmTKBjjTqTZeeMU4MlD8ZUUKMnLF8HHwRdmRbkno0-7rZq7p7tRCerp6gY/w400-h213/P1010003a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
In the picture, the raiders are on the right. Their left, nearest the
camera, is held by skirmishers on a hill, with more skirmishers in
the wood next to them. The centre infantry are nearly engaged with
mine, while on their right the mounted crossbowmen try to hold up my
gendarmes, who are shielded by mounted crossbowmen themselves. The
playing cards you can see are potential ambushes. As it turned out,
there were none, which was a bit of a relief.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
My own plan was to get the gendarmes into action. On my right that is
going ahead as you can see with half of the heavies aiming for the
hill. On the far side, my gendarmes are advancing against their light
horse (which are backed up by crossbowmen). In the centre my
firepower is advancing, backed by the swordsmen.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
It all went rather pear-shaped for the raiders, as you might expect.
A bad tempo roll meant that my left wing gendarmes, with yours truly
at the helm, trotted gently into the mounted crossbowmen and routed
them. They then ambled into the supporting crossbowmen and routed
them as well. Admitted this did take a few moves (about three, I
think) but it was a bit of a crushing blow, especially as because
these gendarmes had not charged I still had them in hand.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
In the centre, my shot exchanged fire with the two available
crossbowmen on the other side. This was pretty much a draw as not all
my shot were yet in range. On the other side of the field, my
gendarmes took advantage of the raider’s tempo famine and charged
home up the hill. This was not exactly what I had planned – I was
trying to flank the skirmishers first – but the opportunity
presented itself. The skirmishers only resisted briefly (although
they did not immediately flee – some good rolling saw them hold out
for a turn or so) and then fled.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
When the mounted crossbowmen fled the raiders went into waver mode.
Then the skirmishers fled and they went to fall back. Finally, the
crossbowmen ran for it, so the raiders routed.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNnlx5tZCvC-RU42fJExp5_GrTy7tqHTHpUPz4sTaKk-hK0HeCLZKdPlrXvGKyc5tjKZRW4DlD0oDQ8doPiUgx61TzJV7mrN4zYxk-xgs6XyqBz7z97okK8EhBxTEJaheoMPpUk92aDgyf3Kub70s_ItUxBQgLXFr6Z4E4OuGV-yyJH8UpRBKmzkeH6BK/s2560/P1010007b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1576" data-original-width="2560" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNnlx5tZCvC-RU42fJExp5_GrTy7tqHTHpUPz4sTaKk-hK0HeCLZKdPlrXvGKyc5tjKZRW4DlD0oDQ8doPiUgx61TzJV7mrN4zYxk-xgs6XyqBz7z97okK8EhBxTEJaheoMPpUk92aDgyf3Kub70s_ItUxBQgLXFr6Z4E4OuGV-yyJH8UpRBKmzkeH6BK/w400-h246/P1010007b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
As my right-wing gendarmes charged, they are now busy pursuing the
routing enemy, but that hardly matters. It seems, using my rules,
that the key factor is to keep the gendarmes under close control and
only let them rip when you need to. After all, the non-charging
gendarmes routed four enemy bases, the chargers only routed two. It
was enough, however, and finished the battle quickly and without
losses, which was part of the point.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, now, having won the battle and dispersed the raiders, my personal
rating stands at the heady heights of 10. The domination of the
centre of Italy is at hand, and I am starting to wonder if I could
make myself Pope, so long as my wife doesn’t mind. It is quite
possible, at the moment, but the cards may have a different opinion.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I have been thinking of further developments of this campaign
process, and I think it could work for some very different periods
and sizes of campaigns. For example, two ECW garrisons attempting to
capture and hold villages, or two North American Indians attempting
to grab hunting grounds to supply the Europeans with furs. These are
aside from the more obvious ones such as German states grabbing each
other (oooh-errr missus) in the early Seventeenth Century, South-East
Asians scrapping in what is now Myanmar and Thailand and I am sure
that my noble reader can think of a few more that would work nicely,
aside from the original Aztec context.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, as this is the blog post nearest Christmas I shall wish you
all a Merry one. I usually have some sort of offering as a Christmas
present but, due to circumstances which hopefully will soon become
clear, I do not have anything quite yet, so you will have to
anticipate...</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-45935889623384743882023-12-16T02:00:00.000-08:002023-12-16T02:00:00.135-08:00 Siena Expands<p>After my not-quite-a-victory at Piombino in the new Italian Wars
campaign, I still had my own 1501 move to effect, even though my army
was down three bases and my personal rating was at four. Many more
setbacks and my nobility would recall their manners an assassinate
me. Still, I had to do something and so, Piombino being inaccessible
to me at present, I invited Perugia, in the Papal States, to join my
republic. Unfortunately, they declined, leaving my personal rating at
three, and the Siennese nobles wheting their knives and attempting to
source poisons.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
In the firm belief that things could turn around, I entered 1502 as
full of optimism as a rat in a maze with poison down every turn. The
good news was that a unit of gendarmes rejoined my army, making good
a little of the damage inflicted by the dastardly Piombinese. Careful
consideration of the strategic situation led me to advance to Pisa
(Florentine territory) and invite that august tower to lean in my
direction. To my slight surprise, they did.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
Having gained one city, the surrounding ones can be invited to yield
as well. Lucca declined but Pistoia (also Florentine) surrendered. My
personal rating soared again to the heady heights of 5. Florence then
decided that my form of republicanism was better than her own, but
Piombino continued to defy my benevolent rule. I really will have to
go and sort that lot out properly soon.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
So, my rating was now 6, and further glory awaited, especially as
there was no random event this year. In 1503 my move was first, and
so I decided to complete my conquest of Florence by taking Arezzo.
Not that I come as a conqueror, of course. It really is in the best
interests of these cities that they join with me for our mutual
benefit.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
Still, my forces further augmented by the return of a unit of
crossbowmen, I advanced in great humility to Arezzo and invited them
to join their brethren from the rest of the former Florentine
territories in the shiny new super-soar-away republic of Siena. They
declined, meaning that I had to crush them in battle instead. So much
for humility.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
For this action the Florentines, for I suspect that the resistance
was orchestrated by renegades from Florence itself, obtained an
allied contingent of 3 shot bases, in addition to the normal
Florentine army of 4 gendarmes, 2 mounted crossbowmen, 2 shot, 2
crossbows, 1 sword and buckler men, 1 skirmisher base and 2 pike.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
My own contingent was not of 4 gendarmes, 1 mounted crossbow, 2 shot,
2 crossbows, 2 sword and bucker men, and, in order not to be totally
outnumbered, 3 shot from my new allies in Pisa. I was still
outnumbered by 17 bases to 14, but I find that as the solo player,
being outnumbered evens up the pitch a little, as it were.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRrY1iGLaKEYNUD52LXWszG3lgwj8b0J__csdkhC8AfRKXVnmXci1tcEGIPYvN79APgNIdZLlHiFvKiv7AnX68ZSepuDTOMJy63v4tcBYyz-lLiHzaoGYx_zpXHbnv9GLq06uO6kAPN5PLVFiw9FelEloCq1AWqD7KUdRQ6fkyechz6lQOD837_qfgc3b/s2560/P1010004a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1895" data-original-width="2560" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRrY1iGLaKEYNUD52LXWszG3lgwj8b0J__csdkhC8AfRKXVnmXci1tcEGIPYvN79APgNIdZLlHiFvKiv7AnX68ZSepuDTOMJy63v4tcBYyz-lLiHzaoGYx_zpXHbnv9GLq06uO6kAPN5PLVFiw9FelEloCq1AWqD7KUdRQ6fkyechz6lQOD837_qfgc3b/w400-h296/P1010004a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;"><br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
A few moves in and you can see my cunning plan evolving. The Sienese
are to the left and the Florentines to the right. The infantry and
Florentine light cavalry on on a hill, and my plan was to attack them
in force while holding the rest of the army back, ready to strike
once the Florentines were wobbling. You can see in the right
foreground that half the Florentine gendarmes have just arrived as
reinforcement for this flank.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
On the far side, my left has started to advance, although at this
point I was concerned that I would not be able to stop the gendarmes
in time. I have also advanced my centre to cover the flank of the
forces aiming for the hill, and they have hit the pesky Florentine
mounted crossbows and stopped them from annoying everyone.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
My plan worked, just about. I had to divert my gendarmes to try to
march across the battlefield to threaten the Florentine gendarmes who
had just arrived on my right. This failed as my gendarmes were
threatened by the rest of the Florentine heavies, who were also
looking dangerously at my central infantry.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
As it turned out, my mounted crossbowmen on my right performed
heroically (or luckily, if you want to be prosaic) preventing the
gendarmes from interfering in the fight on the hill. My sword and
buckler men made short work of the enemy mounted crossbowmen. The
rightmost Florentine crossbowmen on the hill resisted for a while but
were heavily outnumbered and wilted and ran eventually.
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNglxdjF7ynli2hfSzEEX_tnZrlBPq590QyX2KaICjb3GyavkYLbzxYIJqSofxVcKmTwWTndC8tYuWn-jGuJ3CP_6Ch0fvzYOO9v-MAAm5QSZA3ghvBnwFoOSJrRxvZA19YfZALERYCqkfec_X9FP4dFqGqWWMGdGmxbGUJ6SXiPCxB3J-RoMTSnqBQM_I/s2560/P1010008a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1676" data-original-width="2560" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNglxdjF7ynli2hfSzEEX_tnZrlBPq590QyX2KaICjb3GyavkYLbzxYIJqSofxVcKmTwWTndC8tYuWn-jGuJ3CP_6Ch0fvzYOO9v-MAAm5QSZA3ghvBnwFoOSJrRxvZA19YfZALERYCqkfec_X9FP4dFqGqWWMGdGmxbGUJ6SXiPCxB3J-RoMTSnqBQM_I/w400-h263/P1010008a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">The end of the game is above. Nearest the camera my brave troops have
captured the hill on my right, while the mounted crossbowmen are
leading the Florentine gendarmes a merry dance. On the far side, my
left, the second line of gendarmes, noting the battle going in my
favour, charged the Florentine infantry and routed them – the
action is still in process, but the second Florentine base is looking
dodgy. This, together with the losses on the Florentine left (who can
be seen fleeing bottom right) caused the army to go into withdraw
mode.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
A victory!</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
A lot of the glory has to go to my right-wing mounted crossbowmen who
disrupted two bases of Florentine and kept them occupied while the
infantry stormed the hill. As in the previous battle, my sword and
buckler men performed magnificently, and the gendarmes did a good job
of blocking the Florentine heavies in the centre and then
administering the coup-de-grace on my left. Medals all round, I
think.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
I have yet to work out the implications of this action on the
campaign. My personal rating will increase by 2, and Perugia and
Umbria are in line to be tested for surrendering. Florence has also
been wiped off the map (snigger), although there is still the
possibility of a random event disrupting everything in the second
half of the turn.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
I think I learned quite a bit about how to handle the army after the
last outing. The sword and buckler men can be quite devastating if
they get into combat, but gendarmes need careful husbanding if they
are to have a positive impact. For the Florentines, I think I rather
messed up their deployment. The pikes and two bases of shot never got
a sniff of action; nor did their sword and buckler men. Still, I am
not complaining.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-39589314094415503052023-12-09T02:00:00.000-08:002023-12-09T02:00:00.172-08:00 The Bigger…<p>You hopefully will not have noticed it, but there has been rather a
dearth of posts hereabouts recently. I tend to write in advance, and
my backlog, so to speak, has diminished to the point of practically
vanishing. So, what has been happening?</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Looking around the wargame blogosphere, I detect that this state of
affairs is not uncommon. Referred to in different ways the wargaming
mojo comes and goes, it seems, for reasons that the wargamers
themselves are not really aware of. Usually, for me, the answer comes
from my nearest and dearest who point to stress, anxiety, and
tiredness as being the major culprits, followed by focusing too much
on one aspect of the hobby, usually painting, which I do not
like that much.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
This has been somewhat the case for your correspondent. Not the
painting, actually, as I have not been doing very much of that, but
the anxiety and so on. Not that this is clinical or anything, so
please save your sympathy for those who do suffer in this way, but
just that state of uncertainty about what to do and how to do it,
combined with external factors which make, to misquote St Thomas
Aquinas, ones wargaming taste like straw.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, not to worry. Usually the answer to this is to get some toys
out and play a game which, as evidence shows, has been being done. I
prefer, these days, campaign-related games, even if these campaigns
are vague ideas of narratives rather than anything else. These take a
bit more setting up and effort. We might also see my latest project,
Sienna, being conquered before I really get going, but that is, of
course, my fault.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Another thing that has sidetracked me is my efforts to create a
village for my 28 mm plus ECW-era figures. Those with a long memory
might recall a campaign focussed on getting the English Ambassador to
Calais in 1635, along the lines of the Three Musketeers. This then
requires a village for them to pass through and be ambushed from, as
well as some buildings to give a representation of Calais itself.
Card buildings are being assembled in copious numbers, alongside many
paper cuts. Never let it be said that I am not willing to shed blood
for the hobby.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The card buildings were bought many years ago (they are now out of
print) for a different project, of 20 mm medieval forces. In the
remaining box of shame (or at least, the only other B. o. S. that I
am willing to admit to my consciousness) there are about 6 or 8 boxes
of medieval figures from various manufacturers, which were also
bought over 20 years ago. I also rooted out the figures that I had
painted (not many of them) and tried to work out what my younger self
had been planning.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I also noted that this was clearly a project that had not fared well.
I pulled out of the box a number of figures which had been partially
painted but not finished. As you do, to go along with the buildings,
I decided to finish what I had and then decide what they were. Eight
archers down the line I could deploy the following:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4AXyS7163tMVjn1ViOWXq_uy2i71LELXGgMcuu-uIoWozwYlXgWOidKknHyW7RtCW4qt34k113XemAz-FsPmlZyPXYK45MC_R9LCsa-9QMuM3SDojLziVQrudArr8YqOjpL-txe6bAItd-mO_PTc-doKHZfuwwrqMKAfN4zAxe8G0VNUap3j7CkrlcQz6/s2560/20mmshot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="2560" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4AXyS7163tMVjn1ViOWXq_uy2i71LELXGgMcuu-uIoWozwYlXgWOidKknHyW7RtCW4qt34k113XemAz-FsPmlZyPXYK45MC_R9LCsa-9QMuM3SDojLziVQrudArr8YqOjpL-txe6bAItd-mO_PTc-doKHZfuwwrqMKAfN4zAxe8G0VNUap3j7CkrlcQz6/w400-h176/20mmshot.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">This is, of course, a non-DBA twelve-base medieval army. Some head-scratching ensued, but eventually, I decided that they were based for
a War of the Roses English army. You can see, incidentally, a variety
of Revell, HaT, and Italeri figures (I think). If you were looking
really closely, or at the figures in real life, you would find that
some were rather dull. I think this is because of the way I was
experimenting at the time with painting, basing, and final coating –
I think about 2/3 of these bases were overpainted with undiluted PVA
glue.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Now I have realised why the project ground to a halt at this stage: I
do not have sufficient archers in stock, in spite of all the boxes of
troops, to create another 6 bases of them for the other side. This is
a little disappointing but is explanatory not only of the incomplete
state of the armies but also the reason why I have a sample pack of
20 mm metal figures in the same box. I was evidently trying to fix
the problem but then got sidelined into something else.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
That something else probably has to do with the equivalent army I
deployed at the same time, just for fun:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sqmXftwt0GA0vylDw7Eut3mMSJtKy0QGbXfNmnVGC-fw3on_Mc6ac8bfj4U5KfrFRMg7ArbJg5ptJ4Tsr4SRdyxIZC-KLLFHOQLfOwlbcLUR_lwPjSw5mFrOuRF8bZhHIqxhfa6UE9OjIwHcj9PG7aroeKHPC5Vsvx88i2naHECXwjf4Ub8Db_rnjF6q/s2560/6mmshot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="2560" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sqmXftwt0GA0vylDw7Eut3mMSJtKy0QGbXfNmnVGC-fw3on_Mc6ac8bfj4U5KfrFRMg7ArbJg5ptJ4Tsr4SRdyxIZC-KLLFHOQLfOwlbcLUR_lwPjSw5mFrOuRF8bZhHIqxhfa6UE9OjIwHcj9PG7aroeKHPC5Vsvx88i2naHECXwjf4Ub8Db_rnjF6q/w400-h148/6mmshot.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">This is, of course, a 6 mm army of the Wars of the Roses. Here, there
is a mix of Irregular, Baccus, and Heroics and Ros figures and, by
comparison with the above, a lot more figures (128 against 24) and a
host more flags.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I am not about to launch into the aesthetics of 20 mm against 6 mm
figures and armies, or anything, so you can put those cudgels down.
Both are scales that land up being looked down upon a little by some
‘proper’ wargamers. Nevertheless, there are some observations I
can make.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Firstly, painting the little chaps is a lot easier than the bigger
figures. I find this with the 28+ mm figures as well – there is a
lot of surface area to cover with the big figures. Progress is, or
feels slow. Plus you do have to think differently. In 6 mm I think by
the strip of figures. In the bigger figures, I think by the figure, or
even by part of a figure.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
This may, of course, just be me. After all, in the last few years, I
have painted 3000 or so 6 mm figures and about 30 big ones, and so
the former have had a lot more practice. However, the experience of
finishing these 20 mm figures has not really endeared me to the scale,
and the difficulty of completing the armies is a bit of a turn-off. I
might have to revert to buying metal archers just so I can justify
the effort and investment of time, and then consider a small battle
with big figures.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-6017986469436180722023-12-02T02:00:00.000-08:002023-12-02T02:00:00.131-08:00 Back to Italy<p><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I am not sure why, but the Italian Wars seem to be a bit like an
addictive drug. No sooner had I decided that the Machiavelli campaign
was more or less deadlocked than I started to read a book about
Siena.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Stevenson, J., Siena: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval City, 2023
(Head of Zeus, London)</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
To be fair, this book, which was a rather late birthday present, was
bought for me by the Estimable Mrs P. on the strict understanding
that it was not a book about wargaming, military history, battles, or
campaigns. And, indeed, it is not. Siena, after all, was a more
regional power in Italy, overshadowed from the 13<sup>th</sup>
Century or so by Florence. There are a few interesting military
incidents described, such as the Battle of Porta Camollia (1526)
where the Sienese, besieged by a joint Florentine and Papal army with
cannon that were destroying the unreinforced medieval walls, simply
sallied out and captured them, thus securing the city until the 1550s
when the big boys got involved for an 18-month horrific siege.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Anyway, the book has a lot of art history in it and so it does fit the
brief about having little military about it. But, well, you know what
wargamer’s minds are like, as does the Estimable Mrs P. When she
inquired what the next wargame was and I replied ‘Italian Wars’
she sort of sighted and asked ‘Siena?’ I could not deny it.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Anyway, this is an idea that has been brewing for a while. Astute
readers with long memories might recall a campaign with Aztecs where
the idea was to take over the whole of the Valley of Mexico, fighting
DBA battles along the way. This is very similar but set in the Italy of
1500 or so. The random elements are much the same, except I have
added a chance of assassination. After all, you never know when you
are going to be invited to supper with the Borgias.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, Siena in 1500 faced the world alone and was desperate for some
friends, whether real or coerced. This being a wargame campaign, of
course, the latter was the preferred option, so long as I won. Not
everything wished for, however, comes about. Still, my first move (as
there were no random events) was on the port of Piombino which
submitted and joined the greater Sienese co-prosperity zone. My
personal reputation soared to a heady 8.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The next turn, 1501 saw a random event, however, and that event was
that a random vassal city revolted. At least I did not have to spend
much time wondering which of my possessions had the temerity to
reject my gentle rule. Piombino, obviously the victim of deluded
factions and outside forces, rebelled.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
A few more dice rolls established the facts. The army of Piombino,
augmented by some skirmishing crossbowmen from an unnamed ally, was
going to fight. This gave them 16 bases to my 12; the Aztec game had
established that outnumbering the solo player made the game more
equitable. The terrain rolling made things a bit worse for me (I’m
getting my excuses in first, you understand) with the rebels
defending a stream.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4O2CdiYtWYVi3YL5_cieLMFFKlJGM4llUqCLusm1tqYL8PyDTG3rnNGooeDvyinoBXY7Px0XAC3qDk3hvEFQ99pMF4VV5PUbrkQZHgG2yNOvrjko9IWxNSsRYZ_e3PuRzPQh4MHhoDUuytkOLgITw3KkYOOwl1P1eD6TMUxVBDxl1zr5h3ahaD01A_RSN/s2560/picture1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1340" data-original-width="2560" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4O2CdiYtWYVi3YL5_cieLMFFKlJGM4llUqCLusm1tqYL8PyDTG3rnNGooeDvyinoBXY7Px0XAC3qDk3hvEFQ99pMF4VV5PUbrkQZHgG2yNOvrjko9IWxNSsRYZ_e3PuRzPQh4MHhoDUuytkOLgITw3KkYOOwl1P1eD6TMUxVBDxl1zr5h3ahaD01A_RSN/w400-h210/picture1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The rebel centre was held by their light troops, with crossbows and
shot on either wing. Their left had their mounted crossbowmen and
half their gendarmes. My plan was to attack gently on my right and
smash their centre with my sword and buckler-armed troops. This,
well, sort of worked.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUx6adUgP7mrHLRoPMEb4gUPA4ouM0hKuDPZWqrHCgXHWrf4qR03ZJTZ8fjX8PXavTFI_bV-lV2XmjjfacBCMlOww-O8VkjCsNLbUr6ZKkkkF_hTr-rHTLeRuj9ehwGoQSQ2x6ukHE0kZSuXAlMuMsT1DmYzvvDnpUtL6Km-G9D3j7LaxMBrdJQRJMKm-/s2560/picture7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1752" data-original-width="2560" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUx6adUgP7mrHLRoPMEb4gUPA4ouM0hKuDPZWqrHCgXHWrf4qR03ZJTZ8fjX8PXavTFI_bV-lV2XmjjfacBCMlOww-O8VkjCsNLbUr6ZKkkkF_hTr-rHTLeRuj9ehwGoQSQ2x6ukHE0kZSuXAlMuMsT1DmYzvvDnpUtL6Km-G9D3j7LaxMBrdJQRJMKm-/w400-h274/picture7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
On my right, the mounted crossbowmen clashed, but that allowed my
gendarmes to sneak up on their troops and amble into them at a trot,
routing them (snigger). It did, however, leave my gendarmes exposed
to a charge by the rebel heavies, and a tempo drought meant I was
very concerned for their welfare for a few turns. As shown I managed
to infiltrate some mounted crossbows between my gallant men and the
scurvy rebel rabble.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
In the centre my brave troops were crossing the stream and, even
though disordered, were sticking it the skirmishers there and routing
them, only slightly disturbed by incoming rebel fire from the flanks
(which in fact did for one of my crossbow bases). On the far side (my
left) however, my lack of tempo allowed my gendarmes to stray too
close to the stream and they got advanced into by the rebel sword and
buckler men and driven back. Eventually, these gendarmes would break.
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YaTD7BJtinm_Yros3KaAjujDRG2xKVTbtsPKRR0Igbz-h5u3rMFlIAsrToYd2sSPSblN678fzqELK3v809sq47BPz5aC_7mjlB1idfN6sr5OVF8PsbtgEEtpc9nwt-LmGElKE9sVQgc7ZNabkajgsv7vYknFrcdhGVrc5fcvTf16zbemSuNX9ixP1TBX/s2560/picture11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1838" data-original-width="2560" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YaTD7BJtinm_Yros3KaAjujDRG2xKVTbtsPKRR0Igbz-h5u3rMFlIAsrToYd2sSPSblN678fzqELK3v809sq47BPz5aC_7mjlB1idfN6sr5OVF8PsbtgEEtpc9nwt-LmGElKE9sVQgc7ZNabkajgsv7vYknFrcdhGVrc5fcvTf16zbemSuNX9ixP1TBX/w400-h288/picture11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Eventually, it went a bit pear-shaped for both sides. The rebel
gendarmes on my right charged but hit the mounted crossbowmen. They
routed them, but then cantered on into my waiting gendarmes and were
recoiled. As they had the general with them, he had to roll for
survival – anything but a six. Oh, well, another dead general. My
gendarmes, following up, put both bases to flight. You can just see,
by the way, an ambush of even more enemy skirmishers who have just
jumped out of the rough ground in the far right corner.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
On the other wing, my own gendarmes have been put to flight, causing
a morale test which my army failed, going into withdraw mode. As my
gendarmes were still in combat, however, I permitted them to finish
routing the rebels before disengaging. The rebel army also failed it
morale test, withdrawing.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
In spite of the carnage, then, I can claim a tactical draw. However,
as these pesky rebels were exactly pesky rebels, and my army, three
bases down, is a bit small to retake Piombino, it has to count as a
strategic defeat. My personal rating has dropped by four points, two
for the defeat and two for the city rebelling and not being brought
to heel.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
All this was, as you will recall, from a random event. I still have
to take my own move in 1501. With a much-weakened army, I am not sure
what, exactly I can do and, unless I am really lucky with my dice
rolling and card drawing, I cannot really see much success in
bullying others into submission given my paltry personal rating.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
When the Sienese were defeated, sold to Florence, and subjected to a
controlling citadel they turned to culture to express their
independence. Perhaps I should take up painting instead of
aggrandisement in Italy.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-78454263497728709442023-11-25T02:00:00.001-08:002023-11-25T02:00:00.136-08:00 Roman Forts<p><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I picked up out of casual interest, of course, an interesting paper
last week. As the title suggests it is about Roman fortifications,
this time in what is now Syria, Turkey, and northern Iraq.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/wall-or-a-road-a-remote-sensingbased-investigation-of-fortifications-on-romes-eastern-frontier/8FE59FB0D5476EA329614EEC6DC414FD#">Casana,
J., Goodman, D., Ferwerda, C., ‘A wall or a road? A remote
sensing-based investigation of fortifications on Rome's eastern
frontier.’ Antiquity, 2023, 1-18.</a></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The reference is a bit incomplete above, but the link should take you
there. The paper is released under a common creative licence, so it
is free (unlike a lot of academic journal stuff).
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The paper, as the title suggests, is about finding a lot of Roman
forts on the Empire’s eastern frontier. Or rather, to me, it
undermines the idea of there being an eastern frontier in the first
place. In the 1920s Jesuit French priest Father Antoine Poidebard
conducted a series of ariel surveys over the region and detected a
line of forts which he took to be along the military road set out
under Diocletian. This, then, was Rome’s eastern frontier, erected
to defend the Empire from the Persians and also from nomadic tribes.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Poidebard detected 116 fort structures, of various sizes from towers
through small forts to larger ones of 100 meters square or more. The
paper reports the results of a survey of the same region using
declassified satellite imagery from the 1960s and 1970s, and they
found a large number (396) of additional fortifications in the
region. They also failed to find some of the originals, and suggest
that increased agriculture and urban development have removed them
from the archaeological record.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The structures, however, are not distributed along the frontier, but
form a roughly east-west line along the desert margins, connecting
Mosul on the Tigris River in the east to Aleppo in western Syria.
This does not seem to be a defensive fortification system, nor one to
protect a road. The authors hypothesise that the structures, while
fortified, were, in fact, to provide secure resting places for
merchants, messengers and military personnel travelling from east to
west (and vice versa).
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The paper suggests that the original survey suffered somewhat from
bias, in that Poidebard hypothesised where the frontier road was and
surveyed that bit, his results confirming the hypothesis. This is not
to denigrate his achievement, of course, his was a pioneering study
and ariel archaeology did not really get going in a methodical way
until after World War Two. Nevertheless, the recent findings do
suggest that a re-think of Roman frontiers might be needed. Such
rethinks are not uncommon, of course. The nature and purpose of
Hadrian’s Wall, for one, have been a matter of some puzzlement for
decades. It does not seem to be a purely military installation
either, but exactly what it was remains a little disputed. Similarly,
I believe that Roman forts in Germany have been discovered far further
east than it was thought the Romans ever penetrated. This too is a
puzzle.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The authors suggest that the larger forts, at least, were constructed
in the Third Century AD. Some of them, of course, were reused in
medieval times but digging on the sites is rendered impossible for
geopolitical reasons. Therefore good solid dating information is hard
to come by, although the authors note that it is difficult at
military sites anyway.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
It seems possible that our picture of Roman frontiers, or at least
some of them, have to change. The idea of legionaries looking out
from behind walls at the unknown barbarian wasteland ahead of them,
nervously fingering their pila, is clearly incorrect. I suspect that
has been known for some time, but it is still the sort of trope we
are fed by some parts of the media.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Instead, we have to consider the possibility that neither the Romans
nor their neighbours really thought in terms of borders as we do. The
frontier was, necessarily, porous. Merchants, at least, needed to
cross them to bring luxury goods that the Empire did not produce,
and export other things. Diplomats, similarly, needed to cross the
frontier and all of these groups also needed places to stay along the
way. In Britain the Romans erected mansios along the way, and these
were sometimes accompanied by fortifications. Perhaps in Syria, where
the population on the desert limit was low and water was in short
supply, the staging posts were smaller and more concentrated in a
fortified location.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Recent work, apparently, suggests that Roman forts were places of
cultural exchange rather than confrontation. The authors suggest that
these fortifications were places for travellers to rest, water
themselves and their horses or camels, eat, and sleep. While they
would have enabled the faster movement of troops to disputed zones
within or beyond the fortified zone, their main function seems to
have been to enable trade and communication between the Roman Empire
and Persia.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
As wargamers, of course, this is a bit frustrating. We like our ideas
of legionaries marching out to pay the barbarians a lesson, be that
in Syria, Germany, or Britain. The evidence, however, does not tend to
support the view that cultural encounters were necessarily violent
ones. While the military had a presence, they were, perhaps, more
there as a sort of civil police rather than to impose the will of
Rome on the locality. Unlike wargamers, the Romans were perhaps
interested in trade rather than confrontation.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
That does not mean that the Romans were unwilling to resort to force,
of course. It does suggest that on the frontier there was less of a
threat most of the time. It was only when tensions rose, locally or
between the Empire and, say, Persia, that these installations became
militarily useful, and they would have then secured the lines of
communication for any army sent to and beyond the end of the road (as
it were).
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
It is always possible, of course, that more discoveries will
undermine even this theory. On the other hand, we do think that Magi
from the East managed to arrive in Bethlehem reasonably quickly
(within a year or two) from somewhere near Babylon. That does not
suggest a heavily fortified and controlled frontier, even though it
would make a better wargame.</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-14081602861434974532023-11-18T02:00:00.038-08:002023-11-18T02:00:00.138-08:00 Curlew Hills<p>‘Donal,
Donal, wake up.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘What
is the matter Dougal? It is still dark.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘I’m
worried Donal.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘What
about this time?’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘Well,
like, we fought a battle against the English right?’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘Yes,
and we captured Limerick.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘But
then the Spanish who did the fighting went home.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘Can’t
blame them for that, Dougal. The weather’s better in Spain.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘Yes,
but now the English are advancing on Limerick.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘Well,
we’re going to stop them, Dougal.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘But
how. The Spanish took all their pointy sticks and bang sticks away
with them’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘Their
pike and arquebuses, you mean. Yes, they did. But Dougal, we are
going to fight the English the old way, by jumping out at them from
bogs and woods. The old way, Dougal. The one you prefer, remember?’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘Well,
yes, Donal. But I’d prefer to be jumping out at them with
bang-sticks rather than javelins.’</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">*</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Those
of you with very long memories might recall a sub-plot to the Armada
Abbeys campaign which featured two cousins, Donal and Dougal, and an
errant ship from the Armada unexpected beating the English in battle.
If you are really bored, you can catch up using the Armada Abbeys
Campaign link on the right.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Be
that as it may, I was looking for a game to test out some more
reconnaissance and ambush-type rules, and thought the Irish-English
clashes might be interesting in this context. A quick look at
Wesencraft’s With Pike and Musket refreshed my memory and I set on
something that was akin to the Action in the Curlieu Hills from that
book, slightly adjusted.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The
aim of the English was to transport a siege gun across the board,
while that of the Irish was to prevent that. The Spanish, having run
out of wine, have sailed back to Spain, unwilling to drink Irish beer
any longer. They also seem to have taken their arquebuses and pike
with them, so our slightly hapless Irish pair are reverting to proper
warfare.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Each
side consisted of twelve bases. For the Irish, a spade was allocated
for each base. Ace to 4 for the kern, 5-7 for bonnachts, 8-10 for
gallowglass, and Jack and Queen for light cavalry. A king indicated
two cards were drawn from the deck and troops were allocated
according to their value, ignoring the suit.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The
English were a standard army from my lists: 2 border horse, one
demi-lancer, three shot, three pike, two bows and two polearms. They
also had a siege gun to escort across the table, as noted.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">For
this sort of wargame, you need a fair bit of terrain. The original
scenario had a variety of hills, bogs, and woods, and I sort of
followed that and added bits as I could I landed up with a fair
number of hiding places for the Irish although, not 52, so I was
unsure if all of them would turn up.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The
English would spot Irish hiding in terrain items at 3 base widths
away, while those in open terrain, such as behind hills, would be
spotted 6 base widths away.
</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniGrAuW9ZkrDvC-g7v2BzoL4AmsXT0HeWhasXYyZRosj5HSf4rvPli7av5RI30hy473SgRcviEhh2UPXERJqE7P8M5HLYhekhM-anIFAVzFdcbNJznmTdRTojO5BscWecxYlKNn96PA-Xu8DXvDZ4UOabHPBfCPks8K__n93b4gMgOr2sGEZnSldjnL5K/s2560/P1010006a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="2560" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniGrAuW9ZkrDvC-g7v2BzoL4AmsXT0HeWhasXYyZRosj5HSf4rvPli7av5RI30hy473SgRcviEhh2UPXERJqE7P8M5HLYhekhM-anIFAVzFdcbNJznmTdRTojO5BscWecxYlKNn96PA-Xu8DXvDZ4UOabHPBfCPks8K__n93b4gMgOr2sGEZnSldjnL5K/w400-h185/P1010006a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">The
photograph shows the game a number of moves in. The English have
deployed their border horse against some Irish light cavalry who
jumped out from behind a hill (actually, a dip where the wood is) and
also managed to deploy some infantry against some kern who were
hiding behind the far right wood. As you can see the Irish horse has
been driven back.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">A
few moves later things are starting to heat up. More Irish have
appeared, but the English convoy is moving forward mostly
unperturbed.</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5_lVZ6N3_388BQcdecfBIaapnJgMbAIBxKHoa40HrOZqFxuyY3wrfu0r_ZVyPUMXbyk2QgI0zV48EZxJ-bPl8OWoAdNg2PvHd6dHjPRrbw6JpFg4igYHs2HgwJiSXtEdsQwHox9s8WfE5wZV7OrvhJF1vDc8ULgmYBtpnschuS3hcYwEHeU92NA02r75/s2560/P1010010a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1613" data-original-width="2560" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5_lVZ6N3_388BQcdecfBIaapnJgMbAIBxKHoa40HrOZqFxuyY3wrfu0r_ZVyPUMXbyk2QgI0zV48EZxJ-bPl8OWoAdNg2PvHd6dHjPRrbw6JpFg4igYHs2HgwJiSXtEdsQwHox9s8WfE5wZV7OrvhJF1vDc8ULgmYBtpnschuS3hcYwEHeU92NA02r75/w400-h253/P1010010a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">The
Irish horse routing to the bottom right of the picture actually had a
go at the siege gun but failed to make any impression, and have just
been charged by the English demi-lancers who routed them with almost
insulting ease. In the background you can see the English redcoats
have driven back the kern – actually, they routed one base with which they managed to get into contact. On the left in the centre you
can see the border horse; they are actually engaging a gallowglass
base in the bog at the extreme left. Other Irish bases are converging
on the pass, through which the English will have to move. Another
couple of bases of English foot have been deployed against these,
but the leading bonnacht base, together with the general, is
beginning to appear to be a bit of a threat, especially as they are
uphill of the convoy.</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpru6K21cOQDKhOQLHSFKJy2QoE1kCHsnqXVquX_v9-w-BArb6r-vC6RE2PrVzcuM1ZjmI05y1k9WOhyKagOLiCe-Zbv5jG506OjC2QMtYg7x502f6NhYNcmjzIwbYr0Z-FOwHYlC_hKv4oyl_9_HKso_Ghyphenhyphenx9uZ5T1u5EG4F_kOnNJoxLAH_HObPCV94/s2560/P1010012a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1844" data-original-width="2560" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpru6K21cOQDKhOQLHSFKJy2QoE1kCHsnqXVquX_v9-w-BArb6r-vC6RE2PrVzcuM1ZjmI05y1k9WOhyKagOLiCe-Zbv5jG506OjC2QMtYg7x502f6NhYNcmjzIwbYr0Z-FOwHYlC_hKv4oyl_9_HKso_Ghyphenhyphenx9uZ5T1u5EG4F_kOnNJoxLAH_HObPCV94/w400-h289/P1010012a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The
crunch came when the bonnachts charged the lead English pike who had
just deployed against them. Decent English tempo rolls meant that
other foot and some borderers were lurking ominously. The Irish were,
by this time, in a little difficulty, having lost two bases and had
their morale slump to ‘waver’, which removes all the orders.
Thus, only the bonnachts are moving under direct orders. Poor tempo
rolling means that the rest of the Irish are admiring the bravery of
their boys.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">It
nearly worked. The English pike, despite their initial support, were
driven back, but the English had sufficient tempo to bring in the
heavy mob and practically surround them, and their general, next
bound. While the bonnachts fought bravely and nearly pulled off an
astonishing victory, the odds wewre too great and they were recoiled.
However, with bases in contact to the flank, that result became a lot
worse and they routed, taking the general with them. At that point, Donal and Dougal called stumps. Although Irish morale was still
OK-ish (withdraw), without a general there was little chance of
coordinating any attacks at all.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">It
was a nice battle, and the mcguffin of the siege gun did its job. The
English had to stick to it, and the Irish had to try to overrun it. A
problem with these sorts of ambush games is that the attack is
uncoordinated and the pressure on the defenders can be rather feeble,
or at least not as intense as it could have been. On the other hand, the card system raises lots of questions in the mind of the solo
wargamer and encourages the use of light troops for scouting places
where the enemy might hide.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">So,
will Donal and Dougal survive? Will they make their peace with Queen
Elizabeth or retreat back to their family home and pass their time
eating roast chicken? Only time will tell...</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-42932368818098643372023-11-11T02:00:00.018-08:002023-11-11T02:00:00.128-08:00 The Scope of Wargame Ethics<p><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Quite a long time ago I had a run of posts on the ethics of
wargaming. I am not sure that I came to any useful conclusion, but
the thought has returned to my head after a recent post on the
<a href="https://palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.com/2023/10/thoughts-on-re-fighting-history-war-in.html">Palouse
Wargaming Journal</a>. I do not wish to recount the content of the
post (you can, and should, read it for yourself) but, in summary, it
is about the Eastern Front in World War Two and whether, for example,
a board wargame should incorporate elements of the Holocaust,
diverting units to round up Jews, and other rear area activities like
executing partisans, whole villages and anyone who got it the way.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The subsequent discussion is also interesting, and I will not try to
summarise it here, either. In a sense there is no ethical question
here: it is a matter of historical accuracy and whether we view the
Wehrmacht as being ‘clean’ or not, that is, whether the German
army was involved in the atrocities or ignorant of them, or simply
decided that it was none of its business. That too is a
historiographical minefield as, as the Cold War developed, interest
grew in the means of German resistance to Soviet tactics, and some of
the participants could get their memoirs out and also attempt to
whitewash themselves and their army.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Even without these difficulties, which are real, and the problems
that most accounts of the Eastern Front are from a German
perspective, simply because the said Cold War denied Soviet archives
to historians, there is a bit of a non-ethical (I think) scoping
issue here, at least as far as wargaming goes. As a comment notes as
wargamers were have the usual historian’s problem – what is to be
included and what ignored. We cannot include everything; we are
creating a model of a historical situation. Including everything
would be recreating the original which is not something we really
wish to do.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The scoping problem is then what do we include. At, say, a squad
level this might not be too hard a problem. To the question of whether
the average German soldier was a Nazi in 1941, 1942, or whenever, the
answer is that in a skirmish-level game, the specific ideology of a
given solider might not matter too much, except that they may be, I
suppose, more or less motivated by the cause.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
At the other end of the spectrum, a campaign covering the whole of
the war, the syphoning off of units onto other duties might matter
quite a lot, both in terms of numbers available at the front and also
in terms of suppressing partisan activity and achieving the political
goals of the highest levels of command. Whether this was palatable or
not is not at issue here (it was not and is not) but whether it
should be represented and, if so, how.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
There are no simple answers, I suspect. Ignoring the rear areas
problem (a nice euphemism for mass murder, I know) might mean that we
are ignoring, or at the very least, downplaying the slaughter and
mayhem the German invasion brought. On the other hand including these
items could be glorifying the very same thing, which is also an
unpalatable outcome.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
To an extent, these issues are usually ruled offside by wargamers. We
know they happened, and we believe them to have been very, very, wrong,
but we do not want these facts to get in the way of a good game.
There might also be some interest in trying to work out how these two
deeply unpleasant regimes fought each other and why one of them won.
There are tactical and strategic points of interest to be examined
and assessed and, to do so we have to make some compromises and
exclusions elsewhere.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The question arises, therefore, if we rule that the rear area
murdering is out of scope, are we then really creating a historical
wargame of the Eastern Front in World War Two? Are we not, in fact,
queering the pitch even by calling it the ‘Eastern’ Front, given
that that implies a German-centric point of view?
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Again, the question returns to scoping and what we think we need to
include and what to leave out in order to create a playable and
believable game. There may also be the issue that we would rather
not, as nice Western liberals of the Twenty-First Century, no engage
in the mass murder, pillage, and rape that the armies engaged in. As I
noted before all my wargame armies are well-behaved, pay cash upfront
for their food and lodging, and never so much look at a local girl. I
would like to wargame, not bog myself down in an ethical and
historical quagmire.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Therefore, most wargamers would prefer, I suspect, to ignore the rear
area mayhem. If any cognisance is taken of it, it is simply to reduce
front-line strength by so many troops who were deployed to other
duties (another nice euphemism, well done – ed). We simply rule
such activities out of court, or at least out of our wargame.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
One way of conceptualising ethical scope is to view it as a series of
concentric circles. Innermost is ourselves and our nearest and
dearest. Next are our broader families, neighbours, and communities. Then
come other items of concern, such as nations, other people (those we
do not know), those in far-flung places (relative to ourselves), and
then other things such as animals, the environment, and such like.
Part of the idea of considering our ethics and attitudes to to widen
our ethical scope, to consider more of the items in the circles
beyond the closest ones.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Possibly the original post and the questions it raises are related to
this. As wargamers how far and how wide does our ethical scope go. We
can retain a tight focus on the battle itself and ignore the
political, social, and other ramifications of the conflict, or we can,
perhaps over time, widen our ethical concerns for what these
activities meant in the real world.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I am not sure there is a final answer to that. It might depend quite
a lot on who we are and how we are engaging at the time. After all,
as wargamers, we want wargames, not historiographical and ethical
mazes to navigate.</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-31332837587474753522023-11-04T03:00:00.035-07:002023-11-04T03:00:00.149-07:00 The Bed Recapture<p>‘Good morning my dear.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
‘Now Ferdinand. Did you sleep well? You are up early for you.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
‘No. I was uncomfortable.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
‘Well, our bed is currently being transported back to Granada. I
believe they are going to put it on display.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
‘On display? How dare they!’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
‘Quite easily. They captured it from under your nose. Anyway, if
you hurry you can intercept them at the Pass of Adutra.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
‘Ah, yes. I know that place. A very fine young lady came from
there. She had a wonderful… um… singing voice. Yes, Voice. She
was a base baritone.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
‘Remarkable indeed Ferdinand. I recall the young lady you mean. She
could barely croak, but she did wear some low-cut dresses. I sent her
away before she could catch pneumonia. Anyway, you should be able to
lay an ambush for the Granadines at Adutra.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
‘I shall, I shall. They will ride straight into it.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
‘And then you can shut your trap, Ferdinand.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
‘No need to be like that, my dear. I’m trying my best.’</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm; text-align: center;">
*</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
So, in order to get any marital action, Ferdinand needs to recapture
his bed. Fortunately, Isabella has already discovered where the ox
cart loaded with the bed is heading for, and is despatching Ferdinand
to intercept it. Ferdinand still does not have his full heavy cavalry
complement, but he does now outnumber the Granadans in jinites. He
did not get his full army deployed last week, which I felt might have
been a little unfair, so he gets to lie in wait for the bed-snaffling
enemy this time.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcnpzcksI2BCJvZoTxwdY4ovfO7P2wmI8Bm2Emh7G4y7YpOsq08i6-SxRF2WZFicP7-NiY6JSvML2JqMtcYoRxK4H9moB8LY5ViLY2rtpP-Tk4YJ2XgYqU2I9yotpju6CsEJvrqlPwWNfkcDb9dY-HEWhvgLATh8cap0ms4NJqzuxgpBXYRf6BwcBPsuF/s2560/P1010004a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1597" data-original-width="2560" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcnpzcksI2BCJvZoTxwdY4ovfO7P2wmI8Bm2Emh7G4y7YpOsq08i6-SxRF2WZFicP7-NiY6JSvML2JqMtcYoRxK4H9moB8LY5ViLY2rtpP-Tk4YJ2XgYqU2I9yotpju6CsEJvrqlPwWNfkcDb9dY-HEWhvgLATh8cap0ms4NJqzuxgpBXYRf6BwcBPsuF/w400-h250/P1010004a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">The picture shows the situation after a few moves. Ferdinand, who
does not really do subtlety, as you might have noticed, has his
infantry astride the road and on the hills to each side, while the
jinites are skirmishing forward to try to disrupt the enemy march
column. His right-wing jinites are in combat and both sides have
been a little disrupted. Still, the ox cart with its vital load is
plodding along the road and should eventually turn up in Ferdinand’s
hands.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjf4ggjwCQ3w8A-55VCbIWPbDVLqOS-U5YpJg7Gv7NXQfEBuaoEqELq8dAnAnyJLn4VghtF_lHSFihua_GPLAiDOeXedrgJ5J0ssUmprTEtTn-v8-zxx9NxVGxZejwgtFf56nKxo7NpfF115gqw0LboND_9ySEh75dgDpgmuvOinKFd3_LQSFCgJm4A64d/s2560/P1010008a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1727" data-original-width="2560" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjf4ggjwCQ3w8A-55VCbIWPbDVLqOS-U5YpJg7Gv7NXQfEBuaoEqELq8dAnAnyJLn4VghtF_lHSFihua_GPLAiDOeXedrgJ5J0ssUmprTEtTn-v8-zxx9NxVGxZejwgtFf56nKxo7NpfF115gqw0LboND_9ySEh75dgDpgmuvOinKFd3_LQSFCgJm4A64d/w400-h270/P1010008a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
A few moves later, and the Granada army is nearly deployed, while
their left-wing jinites have forced the Castilians back a bit. On the
other flank Ferdinand’s left has caused some damage to the
remaining enemy lights, but their crossbowmen are now coming after
them. Ferdinand is also starting to advance his infantry in the
centre, concerned that his elements will be a bit far apart to
support each other. The Granadine infantry is also pushing up, but
they have suffered from insufficient tempo to get their heavier
cavalry moving again.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHmWoSWa7hlCg4g9lN8FYoL9VGhQbXjAvVeDZERaMO7zuqmVhWrR_str92lyHBJ5dra2B96kSVz01gnu5qEzbqEkH4soeAVYJH4ov4FxgatWHVScUx8v_y7WdcVfvHjXG6aqu0NSwciuIwLpBP7nnvVrHNLJ95Mnf0UwGHQ1LHKOuXsJm7-TfKbGIYo3cd/s2560/P1010011a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1847" data-original-width="2560" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHmWoSWa7hlCg4g9lN8FYoL9VGhQbXjAvVeDZERaMO7zuqmVhWrR_str92lyHBJ5dra2B96kSVz01gnu5qEzbqEkH4soeAVYJH4ov4FxgatWHVScUx8v_y7WdcVfvHjXG6aqu0NSwciuIwLpBP7nnvVrHNLJ95Mnf0UwGHQ1LHKOuXsJm7-TfKbGIYo3cd/w400-h289/P1010011a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">The above picture shows the end of the game. The Granadine
crossbowmen have forced Ferdiand’s left wing jinites back although
they are still in action. However, this meant that those three bases
of crossbowmen were not available to the centre. On the Granadine
centre left you can see that a base of crossbows is forcing back (and
has nearly broken) a base of Castilian shot. On the other hand, the
Castilian foot, together with Ferdinand’s gendarmes have just
destroyed the second base of Granadine spearmen. The first base can
be seen routing in the centre of the picture. They have also
accounted for the Granadine general. The ox cart is within reach of
the Castilian foot now, as well. On the Castilian right the Granadine
tempo drought has left the jinites lacking in orders and ability to
reform, and one of the bases is looking a bit rocky.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
At this point, however, due to losses, the Granadines were forced to
make a morale check which they failed and got a withdraw result.
Without a general to persuade them otherwise they withdrew, much to
Ferdinand’s relief.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I think I am getting to grips with using the new ‘Castilian light’
army. Having exchanged to base of gendarmes for two of jinites they
cannot just smash their way through their opponents as they used to.
On the other hand, the light horse can cause considerable problems. In
this scenario, the Granadines were forced to try to block the
Castilian left-wing jinites from getting to the wagon by deploying
three bases of crossbowmen, which meant that these were not available
in the centre where their army was crushed. Ferdinand also managed to
use his gendarmes and heavy infantry to good effect, administering
the coup de grace with the former while the infantry backed them up –
in fact, as the picture shows, the final Granadan spear base was
practically surrounded when it was destroyed.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Perhaps the Granadines were always up against it in this scenario.
They had to keep cohesion while seeing off a mobile enemy. On their
left, they more or less succeeded, but not on their right, and they
did not manage to get a coordinated defence by infantry and cavalry.
A lack of tempo really did not help, granted, but they deployment
from column into line also hampered things, as did a general lack of
space.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm; text-align: center;">
*</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘Behold your conquering hero comes, Isabella.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘Oh, hello Ferdinand.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘Put the bed down lads. Carefully. Good. Now, dismiss!’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘Ferdinand, why were you carried into the room by those poor
soldiers?’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘The Spartans were told to either return carrying their shields or
carried on them, my dear. So I thought…’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘So you returned carried on your bed, rather than carrying it?’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘Rather a wheeze, don’t you think Issy?’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘How far did they carry you?’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘Oh, only from the waiting hall, my dear. I’m not that hard a
taskmaster.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘Well, I suppose it is appropriate Ferdinand.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘Why?’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘You spend most of your time attempting to get young ladies into
bed.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘I only have eyes for your loveliness, my dear. You know that.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘When you talk about this sort of thing, my dear, do you know how I
know you are lying?’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘No.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
‘Your lips are moving, my darling. Still, you did manage to
recapture our bed, and so that is a good thing. Now, if you carry it
into our chamber, we will investigate how much damage it has incurred
during its journeys.’</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-88492039085510549562023-10-28T02:00:00.000-07:002023-10-28T02:00:00.143-07:00The King's Bed<p> ‘Ah, there you are Ferdinand.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Oh. Isabella, my sweet. I wasn’t expecting you.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘So I understand. I have sent those young ladies home.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Young ladies? What young ladies?’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘The ones not wearing sufficient clothes who were waiting in the corridor for you to be free.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Oh, those young ladies. Um. They are all excellent singers, my dear, its just that they find modern fashions rather restricting.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘As do you, Ferdinand. Anyway, you won’t need to worry about getting undressed unless you do something.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Yes, dear. You have to undo all these knots that hold your trousers up. That can be quite time-consuming.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘No Ferdinand. That is not what I mean. I have news of great import to us.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Oh? What news?’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Granada is poised to capture our bed.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Our bed?’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘The new one, that you enjoyed testing so much.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘How dare they!’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘It was on an ox cart and I have a report from the escort that they have been forced to stop on a hill by a pursuing enemy force. You must go and relieve them, or no more bed.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘At once, my dear. I depart at once!’</p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm; text-align: center;">*</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">Recently I was reading a little bit about the conquest of Peru. The Estimable Mrs P, having endured my confusion as to what was going on – there were about 17 years of civil war after the conquest, after all – suggested that a wargame involving the Reconquista might be interesting. She might have meant the conquistadors, but it reminded me about Ferdinand and Isabella and their quest to conquer Granada.</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">Anyway, a perusal of some resources came up with Scenario 4 in One Hour Wargames, in which an isolated force holds a hill and waits for reinforcements. The isolated force is one-third of the whole army, and the rest appears from a corner. Needing some sort of reason for an isolated force to be holding a hill, I decided that Ferdinand and Isabella’s new portable bed, for use on campaign, was in danger of being captured. This, as the above might have shown, motivated Ferdinand to saddle up and ride to the rescue.</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">Those of you with long memories will recall that Ferdinand's forces were downgraded by the loss of two bases of gendarmes, which were the main strike force as they tended to win battles on their own. He therefore has only one gendarme base and more jinites than he is used to. The advanced force, holding the hill and the bed, consists of two bases of shot and two jinites. They need to hold out until the rest of the army arrives.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGA7OUkzay6Pw5xJQbqoonfPOAPR8WfxOSyO4fPImYegFjUu-49UefpphV3_Y9magjSS9lJK1RQkpYoeffLQqXKHGYleKSCG8-QlQcoKNTDcLYE2fVw3VZFVZCx6RCEAUwb5tfPs8vGzEZNUxPsGxDqS6X5fAOFVxQg1bjEgUwwrIAadzGDf6C1urvz9an/s2560/P1010002a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="2560" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGA7OUkzay6Pw5xJQbqoonfPOAPR8WfxOSyO4fPImYegFjUu-49UefpphV3_Y9magjSS9lJK1RQkpYoeffLQqXKHGYleKSCG8-QlQcoKNTDcLYE2fVw3VZFVZCx6RCEAUwb5tfPs8vGzEZNUxPsGxDqS6X5fAOFVxQg1bjEgUwwrIAadzGDf6C1urvz9an/w400-h186/P1010002a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">The picture shows the initial position with the bed wagon in the centre, the holding force on a hill just to the right of it, and the might of the army of Granada on the far right. Ferdinand will arrive top left at the end of turn two.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADccLG5T8HHzCHFl4kx6N5NV_qbTk4z04mjbGsXJe60rFCr_GVERnnyovkZcJN6_Et4e4Uy07zA__n1tEqFpMhU63RVjCVkvCoKojnWLV91334eE9-PaugMTdY1wKyrOxgE56IpsKd35OA9J8z0wbubYYCz9S0u70aIXZg_7UAqa2_GB22cTiy8d8eXTl/s2560/P1010006a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1604" data-original-width="2560" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADccLG5T8HHzCHFl4kx6N5NV_qbTk4z04mjbGsXJe60rFCr_GVERnnyovkZcJN6_Et4e4Uy07zA__n1tEqFpMhU63RVjCVkvCoKojnWLV91334eE9-PaugMTdY1wKyrOxgE56IpsKd35OA9J8z0wbubYYCz9S0u70aIXZg_7UAqa2_GB22cTiy8d8eXTl/w400-h251/P1010006a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br /></p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">The picture shows a few moves in. The Castilians on the hill are under pressure from the Granardan infantry and some jinites, while they are also being flanked both left and right. The arrival of Ferdinand means that the Granardan cavalry has been diverted from surrounding the hill to delaying Ferdinand’s advance.</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">A few moves later and it is nearly all over for the Castilians on the hill, the infantry attack having gone in, overrun them and captured the wagon with the King’s bed on it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4seq_Od9Mji9jXbLksLxKukuwALTiY4kHHloJ4fEvPewZIBZ04UZE5VHrsg35ACBoXmqSuct8OZfKq5iw1SxxmSbCezIV9hpuEjf8WJZke_DJPhuRGtYlaKebvIANmRieu4HVYT6HGUamENSe4ttVOQdfYVeJXOcTDZ7cLH6IOUJk54DYtLpkNYifbWy/s2560/P1010010.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4seq_Od9Mji9jXbLksLxKukuwALTiY4kHHloJ4fEvPewZIBZ04UZE5VHrsg35ACBoXmqSuct8OZfKq5iw1SxxmSbCezIV9hpuEjf8WJZke_DJPhuRGtYlaKebvIANmRieu4HVYT6HGUamENSe4ttVOQdfYVeJXOcTDZ7cLH6IOUJk54DYtLpkNYifbWy/w400-h300/P1010010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br /></p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">The wagon has been temporarily moved to permit the infantry to fight. In the background, Ferdinand has carefully lined his gendarmes up to charge the Granadine cavalry. They refused. Three times.</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Why are we charging, sire?’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘To rescue my bed!’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Your bed?’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Yes. Charge.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Are we talking a bed, like a thing to sleep on?’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Yes, man. My bed, and the Queen’s bed.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘We are about to risk life and limb for your bed, sire?’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Well, that and Christendom.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Oh, Christendom as well as your marital relations, sire?’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Um. Christendom first, man, of course. We are crusaders.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">Eventually, Ferdinand persuaded them to charge home and they did defeat the Granardian cavalry, but Ferdinand had spent his personal tempo on persuading them to do so for some time and the rest of the army was either un-deployed or defeated.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8TpDUXDaQ28y1ZRd5t892zMV8kAjfVwFUsAtEqo50n-YO9NDgqLnByjvIyJncdil2ez_Y3adZF3A0amn7D0z8wXLUR1tPqkaUKMwKJFdSMnDG4p9amZsclO5ClqYm_RHyaGRBt4sxyADBkiWGoI7oBkis43NrbAt_If6lVvmk8ORp1B5z-1a2QeHbSyt/s2560/P1010014a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="2560" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8TpDUXDaQ28y1ZRd5t892zMV8kAjfVwFUsAtEqo50n-YO9NDgqLnByjvIyJncdil2ez_Y3adZF3A0amn7D0z8wXLUR1tPqkaUKMwKJFdSMnDG4p9amZsclO5ClqYm_RHyaGRBt4sxyADBkiWGoI7oBkis43NrbAt_If6lVvmk8ORp1B5z-1a2QeHbSyt/w400-h201/P1010014a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">The photograph shows the end of the game. Ferdinand’s cavalry charge has taken him to the right-hand edge of the board, where they are being harassed by some jinites. The wagon, of course, should be on the other side of the hill. The rest of the Castilian army has still not deployed and their morale is a bit low. At this point, I, as Ferdinand, decided to use my second-best bed instead and withdraw.</span></p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">I think that this scenario depends quite heavily on movement rates. For my rules, the hill could have done to have been a little further from the Granadan table edge. As it was the Castilians on the hill edged backwards as much as they could, but eventually were caught. Ferdinand did suffer from a bit of a tempo drought at times during the game, but his endless attempts to get the gendarmes to charge could have been better spent. I think I got the Granardan command right, for once. Their infantry was too powerful for the detachment on the hill and the jinites did their job quite nicely, better than their counterparts.</p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm; text-align: center;">*</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Ah, Ferdinand. How did you get on? Where is my bed?’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘My dear, in warfare you cannot always achieve the results you desire.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘I see. Without the bed, you will not achieve the results you desire. You know that.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘We do have alternative beds, Isabella.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘If you think I am going to share a bed with you that creaks every time I turn over while living in a tent, you have another think coming. I don’t want the servants to know what we are up to.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘We do have some children, my dear. I dare say they know what we’ve been up to.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘You had better start working out how you are going to intercept the carriage of that bed before they get it back to Granada, or it will be no result for you, my friend.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">‘Yes, Isabella.’</p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br /><br /></p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br /><br /></p><p align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br /></p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-18911245953767641262023-10-21T02:00:00.032-07:002023-10-21T02:00:00.147-07:00 A Reconnaissance<p>A short time ago I read in <i>Lone Warrior</i> an article by Jeff
Subko, about reconnaissance operations in World War Two and their
importance. It also included quite a lot of information about
reconnaissance units and equipment in France in 1944-5 and
provoked some thinking by yours truly.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I am rarely one to let a lack of suitable toys slow me down. If you
abstract sufficiently, I think, more or less any situation can have
its period changed, and so I started pondering. I also recalled some
of the activities by the force before Naseby. In short, the
Parliamentary scouts surprised a Royalist cavalry outpost in Naseby
village. The latter were gambling and playing quoits; I am not sure
if the two were linked. Some reports suggest that the Royalists were
also having lunch.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
All of this went together in my poor overstretched little mind and
combined with some of the stuff I read about intelligence in Andrew’s
book that I wrote about last week. As I was getting desperate to have
a wargame and could not quite stomach starting another campaign, or
reviving Machiavelli again, I sketched out a possible reconnaissance
game. I vaguely remembered a report on a participation game from
years ago, where the player was leading a squad sent to scout a
farmhouse in 1944 Normandy where what they found was, in fact,
randomly controlled and could be anything from nothing to a Panzer
division, I needed a bit of a random method of creating what I found.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I will not bore you with the details here. It is really too much of a
scribble. I might write it up more sensibly sometime. Basically, what
was found in each terrain item, plus each square of the table, was
controlled by playing cards. The encounters ranged from nothing to an
enemy camp. There was a points system as well. Getting a message back
to headquarters on what was found was 1 point, getting a prisoner or
deserter back was 2 points, and losing a base in combat lost 3
points. The idea was to get out with a positive point balance.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0nDX8AqUmle6wax4tRNkZDOzJr5grqIU4d_P5cFnXhoUEXvdAOZIgv54N-wVHlpbwTYNBez_bnLq80ohqu9skCWHdqwKQXq9l2sGwcLKVJlJuwKCuDoQ4xEbSVKWN-D88srfnUALiNrrpN1ZG2NeJ6bB8KbsDWzNucdaCSPJf9sUrn7s32WxU7L9hU7vq/s2560/pic1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="2560" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0nDX8AqUmle6wax4tRNkZDOzJr5grqIU4d_P5cFnXhoUEXvdAOZIgv54N-wVHlpbwTYNBez_bnLq80ohqu9skCWHdqwKQXq9l2sGwcLKVJlJuwKCuDoQ4xEbSVKWN-D88srfnUALiNrrpN1ZG2NeJ6bB8KbsDWzNucdaCSPJf9sUrn7s32WxU7L9hU7vq/w400-h208/pic1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The picture shows the initial terrain. Each terrain item was,
potentially, the concealment place for an enemy force of some
description. My side (the Royalists, for no better reason than that I
picked a Royalist cavalry base first) enters by one of the two roads
nearest the camera. The idea is to see what might be lurking in the
rural scene above and get away without damage, as the points system
suggests.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
In order to do this I had four bases of dragoons and three of
cavalry. The latter was conceived of as backup, to rescue the
dragoon bases if they hit trouble. I suppose I could have deployed
some scouts as well, but decided against it (or forgot). It probably
would not have made much difference. The other thing to note is that
I ran out of hedges and walls. I needed quite a lot of cover for
troops to hide in, and that included along the roads, so every hedge
and wall was deployed. I also have some more unpainted and un-based
hedges. I might need to break them out.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, I cautiously moved some dragoons onto the table and sprang
some enemy dragoons in the rough ground on the right, nearest the
camera, as well as a scout on the road ahead of my troops. The
dragoons opened fire (ineffectively) while the scout made off pursued
by my brave men. After a turn or two they did, in fact, catch him and
he was sent up the line to be questioned.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
A few moves later things were getting lively. My advanced dragoon
troop had found an enemy camp near the road. The shooting of the
enemy dragoons (and my dragoon’s return fire when they had
dismounted) had started to alert the camp but they were slow to
deploy, their general in particular being rather sluggish (I wonder
what he was doing). The picture shows the situation as the camp was
getting organised. You can see to left and right Parliamentary
dragoon outposts and patrols withdrawing, while centre right a
Parliamentary cavalry troop is heading for what might become the fray
from covering a foraging party which was way out to the right. The
foragers themselves, another troop of horse, are rallying.
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwM2as8VpOA05Ei-vq2Hnxeou-clD8p7PbxoqVtKz9f7LNH1joeiJLKNTal45uRLIY88ngVsKcepmo9HHjvXw87POFaCs0KOJz9hCDBUdlofZ7mVTGtm6HdL2Yrlg4FIe4hVorpa05n9uQQO24h04f-IdD3W6Wsc1Wa_tXgNWpnRvFasCeX4n3O3fQQbK7/s2560/P1010006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwM2as8VpOA05Ei-vq2Hnxeou-clD8p7PbxoqVtKz9f7LNH1joeiJLKNTal45uRLIY88ngVsKcepmo9HHjvXw87POFaCs0KOJz9hCDBUdlofZ7mVTGtm6HdL2Yrlg4FIe4hVorpa05n9uQQO24h04f-IdD3W6Wsc1Wa_tXgNWpnRvFasCeX4n3O3fQQbK7/w400-h300/P1010006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
On my side, on the left, a troop of dragoons backed by cavalry are
probing forwards. In the centre I have started to withdraw my leading
dragoons as they are a bit exposed, and I have deployed my cavalry to
stop any smart ideas of charging them.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
As it was it did get a little fraught. The dragoons took a bit longer
to withdraw than I hoped, leaving the cavalry facing three bases of
enemy cavalry. Both sides attempted to charge but the troops of
neither side fancied their chances and so after a few growls and
doubtless some sword waving from the more excitable elements on both
sides, I completed my withdrawal without too much further ado.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
You might think that this was very boring as a wargame. Fair enough.
Not much happened. But I did succeed in the mission, and got a
message reporting the camp and a prisoner back to headquarters, and
managed to get my troops away without too much damage – one of the
dragoon troops took a lucky hit from some Parliamentary dragoons near
the end of the game.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
On the other hand, I had discovered the enemy’s presence in some
strength and, possibly, the captive scout might tell us more about
the enemy's dispositions. My dragoons had inflicted a few casualties on
their most advanced post as well and those dragoons, plus their
colleagues on the other flank had been pushed in, to use the
contemporary term.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
All in all, it was a rather satisfactory little game, I thought, and,
if it had been part of a campaign context, might have been a bit more
important. The thing with reconnaissance, as I have said, is to try
to get your troops off without casualties and the message back to
headquarters as to what you have found. Dying in a ditch while taking on
the whole New Model Army with a couple of troops of dragoons is not
much use to anyone.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-87639910758951262402023-10-14T02:00:00.001-07:002023-10-14T02:00:00.143-07:00 The Secret World<p>Everyone does it, you know. Even people who deny that they do it, do
it. I am, of course, referring to spying or, to give it its
respectable name, intelligence gathering.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I have just been reading</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Andrew, C., <i>The Secret World: A History of Intelligence</i>
(London, Yale, 2018)</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
This is a thick brick of a book, with 760 pages of text (more or
less, there are some illustrations) and another hundred or so of
(very compressed) notes. A serious tome, and it has taken me a bit to
read it all. It was, however, undeniably fascinating and by turns
amusing, alarming, and bewildering. As with Geoffrey Parker’s <i>Global
Crisis</i>, you do start to think that world leaders are rather
stupid.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, this book claims to be a comprehensive history of intelligence
services from the earliest times (the spies Moses sent into the
Promised Land, Numbers 13) to the aftermath of the Islamist attacks
in the early 2000s. There is much of interest in it for the wargamer,
although the actual operations are usually more along the lines of
role-playing or skirmish games rather than actual large-scale
wargames. That said, one of Andrew’s points is that intelligence
and the history thereof is largely unknown in government, security
services, and academia.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
For example, early on in the book, Andrew notes that on the three
occasions when Britain has been seriously threatened by invasion by a
foreign power – 1588, 1805, and 1940 – the intelligence services
have been quite happily reading the enemy communications. On each
occasion (except the first, of course) the codebreakers were ignorant
of the fact that it had been done before. It would have helped, it
would seem, if they had known because, firstly, it enables a longer
view of intelligence and what it can deliver to be taken and,
secondly, knowing what went before can clear up a good deal of
confusion in how to handle the results of intelligence gathering.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Example abound. For an audience of wargamers, I might not need to
mention the US intelligence decision in the late 1930s to have the
Navy and the Army decrypt messages on alternate days. It probably
seemed a good way to defuse inter-service rivalry at the time, but it
led to serious confusion in the run-up to Pearl Harbour, even if the
intelligence that had been received probably would not have issued a
specific warning.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
There are all sorts of fascinating historical items floating around.
As another example, the machinations of the 1815 Conference of Vienna
were a secret agent’s dream and a security officer’s nightmare.
So many diplomats descended on Vienna that it was a simple matter of
the Austrians to pay newly hired staff to retrieve documents that
they were supposed to burn. Not that the diplomats were much better.
A lot depended on who their mistresses were and who the mistresses
spoke to. That Europe survived and was reshaped is possibly
remarkable.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Another item of interest is that from 1844 to the outbreak of World
War One the British had no cryptology department. The interception
of letters from Mazzini, an Italian revolutionary caused a political
outcry. No gentleman would read another’s mail. This attitude
persisted for seventy-five years, more of less. Apparently, the US Embassy in Moscow was
so riddled with spies and bugs that nothing could be kept secret
until it was swept in the early 1950s. US diplomats continued to use
easily cracked codes as well, on the basis that no one would
intercept and read them.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
It is also the case that the use of intelligence is a bit dubious as
well. Enigma information, as is well known, was kept securely under
wraps for fear of the enemy detecting that the codes had been broken.
On the other hand, ministers and other leaders have a sometimes
laughable propensity to announce that they have seen decrypts of
foreign diplomatic messages – the temptation to boast is always
around, I suppose.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
There are also problems with intelligence analysis. Moses had a bit
of an issue with that as 10 out of the 12 spies he sent into Canaan
brought back scary reports of the place, with the result that the
Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years. Poor analysis of the
results of intelligence can have significant implications for policy,
warfare, and diplomacy. Countries have a predilection to misjudge others. The US and British misjudged the capabilities and imagination
of the Japanese in 1941, as well as of Islamist terrorists in 2000.
You cannot tell if there is a threat unless you are looking in the
right place.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Intelligence does not of itself provide victory, either
diplomatically or militarily. It can give a force multiplier,
however. If you know what your enemy is probably up to you can take
suitable countermeasures. If you do not, as with the German army at
the beginning of World War One, you have to cover more options, in
this case, the Channel ports as it was unknown where or when the
British Expeditionary Force was going to land. The resulting division
of the German army possibly affected the outcome of the Battle of the
Marne.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
In wargaming terms, not to mention real life, intelligence, both
general diplomatic and specifically military is often overlooked
(guilty as charged, m’lud), and, perhaps, it should not be. For
example, agents in Bayonne fed Wellington lists of French units
passing through on their way to Spain, so he had a pretty good idea
of what he was up against. On the other hand, while the Prussians
seem to have had far better intelligence than Napoleon before Jena,
it did not stop them from losing. Nevertheless, some consideration of
the obtaining of intelligence and its analysis and use could well
enhance our games and, perhaps more specifically, our wargame
campaigns.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
I did like this book, although it is a very lengthy text. It has some
great ideas for wargame (RPG / skirmish) scenarios in it, and has
made me stop and ponder a bit about how intelligence gathering and use
could be factored into our games, particularly when, as I do, you
play solo. Hm.</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-67710865357820887362023-10-07T02:00:00.001-07:002023-10-07T02:00:00.153-07:00 ‘These dice are not Spartans’<p><br /></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The ACW Greek campaign has, after a hiatus, continued. I had
considered stopping after the Athenians captured the Spartan capital,
but decided that would be boring. A rethink of the strategy for both
sides was clearly necessary, however. The situation was this.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrK8u6aTJ-FV6NtlWIO6KAHI-H90VARnu5zGBxWYzZK7_U7JFNKXvQvBnGWgDcTvihH0YXxuEKkGAjzfAMLTEmBHvLN9bwfVfe3LK12tXtsFrvLZRL2-4l1KuF34RaIbO7-dSOH2IQaYXckTNqVkp5pt7qqPVSR47rVw3WE5lW-CxoaTlPYnF7Ed6hGKE/s2560/P1010005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrK8u6aTJ-FV6NtlWIO6KAHI-H90VARnu5zGBxWYzZK7_U7JFNKXvQvBnGWgDcTvihH0YXxuEKkGAjzfAMLTEmBHvLN9bwfVfe3LK12tXtsFrvLZRL2-4l1KuF34RaIbO7-dSOH2IQaYXckTNqVkp5pt7qqPVSR47rVw3WE5lW-CxoaTlPYnF7Ed6hGKE/w400-h300/P1010005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">Spartan army S has ceased to exist. Spartan strategy needs to account
for this, and the fact that Athenian army A, the red pin in the
centre of the map, is 20 bases strong, having just captured the
Spartan capital. Looking at the troop strengths of the armies, the
two Spartan forces, if combined, could easily defeat (at least in
theory) Athenian armies D (top left) and H (top centre), at least in
detail. The problem is to combine them, and so both Spartan armies
have started a retreat to town B, at the southern edge of the
mountain range.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The aim of the Athenians is, of course, to trap the Spartan armies
with army A and eliminate them in detail. As the shot above shows, it
is a close run thing. Both armies are converging on Spartan town J.
Whoever gets there first will have an advantage. The other Athenian
armies, weakened by their combats, have withdrawn to their respective
bases, ordered to defend them if the Spartans tuen up.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Things went wrong for the Spartans from the off. They failed the next
initiative roll while the Athenians made theirs, and so blocked the
road which led to Spartan safety. One of the interesting things about
campaigns, aside from yielding unequal wargames, such as this one, is
that they do generate their own scenarios as well. Here, the Spartans
needed to get past the Athenians without necessarily defeating them.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The terrain dice rolls were not kind to the Spartans either. They had
to get across an impassable river with an Athenian held ford, as well
as crossing a stream to get there.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2y9B5BqGAntAPypMs6iR3IH4LpQ5wToSH7CQy5eFBai05Epty2qYbdKTI5NwRqgYJvReU8XYEzOw_9V36tqClo8MXqDUqNBQ13vktoe8QINKczfkak9ewvNls65cXEn1ftTU_-r9YelKuoq7RFSQgwx3sjjEzPHcXuNJ7GSQRpO5fDfBhkRW4f_4dveP/s2560/P1010011%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1793" data-original-width="2560" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2y9B5BqGAntAPypMs6iR3IH4LpQ5wToSH7CQy5eFBai05Epty2qYbdKTI5NwRqgYJvReU8XYEzOw_9V36tqClo8MXqDUqNBQ13vktoe8QINKczfkak9ewvNls65cXEn1ftTU_-r9YelKuoq7RFSQgwx3sjjEzPHcXuNJ7GSQRpO5fDfBhkRW4f_4dveP/w400-h280/P1010011%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">The picture shows both sides struggling to deploy. The Spartan
columns became separated by crossing the stream (I rolled 2 sixes for
the rightmost column which delayed it considerably). The Athenians
simply did not have that much room and had to juggle the deployment
of the cavalry to cover the hoplites, the changing of the hoplites
into line as well as the movement of the peltasts and light infantry
into useful positions.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Eventually, the Athenians were ready and the Spartans were across the
stream. The Spartan general was the first casualty, going down to a
javelin shot from the skirmishing Athenian peltasts. That rather
inhibited the Spartans, but they carried on in true Spartan style.
The Athenians hoplite attack was met with some initially desperate
resistance, but numbers told, except by the river where the Spartan
hoplite base disposed of its foemen. In turn, however, it was charged
and routed by the Athenian cavalry who were hanging around in the
rear without much to do since the hoplite deployment.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3s6BtU7eadGyi9V7qLWSdWcOprPKiDdOMlIryyWMOTdeJ5L4mkvllEny1oV7NNI79axUQIJUZirWfhLKVjKHNkYQjM1FHQYn6Yyav3OAVlYhGAMsmG9txNoLEBlOfLbUOE5o3pBVI6sqZLDk0OpOMwUgm6TmELFv8g7KJv1NBvvZ_hkNHsAGY7lAhVuh/s2560/P1010020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3s6BtU7eadGyi9V7qLWSdWcOprPKiDdOMlIryyWMOTdeJ5L4mkvllEny1oV7NNI79axUQIJUZirWfhLKVjKHNkYQjM1FHQYn6Yyav3OAVlYhGAMsmG9txNoLEBlOfLbUOE5o3pBVI6sqZLDk0OpOMwUgm6TmELFv8g7KJv1NBvvZ_hkNHsAGY7lAhVuh/w400-h300/P1010020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;"><span style="text-align: left;">The Spartan casualties were sufficient to cause the Spartan army to
rout, and so that was, as they say, that. Neither the initiative
dice. Terrain dice nor the combat dice were kind to the Spartans this
day, hence the pseudo-quote at the top.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
As a result of this, the Spartans are going to have to negotiate.
They only have around 8 active bases left on the map in their army B,
and this is heavily outnumbered by the Athenians. While one of the
lessons learnt from the campaign battles has been that slightly
smaller forces can successfully hold off and even defeat larger ones
in defensive actions, there are limits, and the Athenians have learnt
to surround outnumbered enemies.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Overall, I enjoyed the campaign. It created some intriguing wargames
with a point and they, in turn generated some unexpected results and
threw up problems for the respective generals (who were both, of
course, me) to ponder. The movement was simple and straightforward.
The campaign set-up was controlled by dice, hence the rather
radically uneven initial deployments.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
One of the godd things about the campaign was its simplicity. I could
pick it up and put it down on a whim. The campaign diary only records
which armies got the initiative in a given move; the location was
designated by the pin in the map board. With only three armies a side
I could keep track of which was which without straining my brain
cell.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
The initiative rolls worked well in providing unexplained delays and
permitting strategic opportunities to slip by. They introduced a nice
bit of ‘friction’ in a very simple way. Similarly, while in a
face to face campaign the initial strengths of armies would have been
hidden, as a solo game I did not need to bother, and it probably did
not matter. The map was sufficiently large to prevent reinforcements
from being rushed across the board.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Was it anything like the prototype, the American Civil War? Of course
not. For a start the northern armies advanced, in the end, down the
far side of the mountains and then across. The victory conditions in
fact encouraged that, but the deployment dice decreed that the
Spartans were gambling very heavily by holding their capital very
lightly. This might have worked in Sparta, but probably not in the
Confederacy.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Still, I did learn quite a lot about campaign games from this. The
first lesson was really about the time and space movement on a map a
bit larger than I am used to. When the Spartans looked like punching
past the Athenians in the west I spent a fair amount of time counting
hexes for Athenian army A got get across to protect the flank and,
indeed, their own capital. I am not sure they would have made it. As
it turned out it was unnecessary, but it was a bit fraught.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Would I do it again? Yes, of course. Further campaigns are already in
pondering mode. I think that switching period does not detract from
the campaign, and by stripping away some of the external historical
context, it might even help to concentrate on the bare bones of the
strategic situation.
</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
Or maybe that is just pretentious.</p>
<p align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.3cm; margin-top: 0.3cm;">
</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185876513552272723.post-62598914942347339362023-10-04T02:00:00.007-07:002023-10-04T02:00:00.165-07:00 Maybe of Some Interest…<p><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.2cm; margin-top: 0.2cm;">
For those of you who are not trendy leftie Guardian readers, this might be
of some interest:</p>
<p style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/30/what-would-happen-if-russia-invaded-finland-i-went-to-a-giant-war-game-in-london-to-find-out">https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/30/what-would-happen-if-russia-invaded-finland-i-went-to-a-giant-war-game-in-london-to-find-out</a></p><p style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
It is an account of a game held in London on the attempted
destabilisation of Finland. Interesting and scary.</p><p style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
<a href="https://paxsims.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/wargaming-its-history-and-future.pdf">https://paxsims.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/wargaming-its-history-and-future.pdf</a></p><p style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
This is a link, found in the above story, to a paper on the history
of wargaming, perhaps more aimed at ‘serious wargaming’, that is
trying to persuade movers, shakers and their minions that Armageddon
might be a bad idea.</p><p style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;">
I just thought you might like to know, and may be interested.</p>The Polemarchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958736917525649927noreply@blogger.com5