I have returned.....

not that I've been anywhere of course!

After a blistering few weeks of work I'm finally getting back into the swing of things. Not easy when my thought processes generally resemble a plate of spaghetti!

What's new?

Now, I like a bit of Firestorm and it's great to see the Team Yankee folks starting up a Cold War version. Fulda Gap here I come!

What's next?

My first task is to complete a longstanding development project which has unfortunately lapsed over the last few weeks. Once this is done and dusted my list is:

• Ground Zero: Modern squad combat - my latest attempt to finish Desert Eagle.
• Ground Zero: Modern platoon combat - I have recently become very interested in the Lock n Load Nations at War and World at War system. As I have said before, I'm also very interested in the Tiny Battles Platoon Command game system. First thoughts are to adapt these ideas for the Turkish assault at al-Bab, Syria, in December 2016. 
• Arras, 1940 - Time to finish the scenario map (it is nearly done!).
• 5Core Sandbox: Also time to play with some toy soldiers using this squad patrol campaign game system from Nordic Weasel. 
• Pikeman's Lament: Finally, I'm doing something with the rules as written. However, I have come across this chap (Roll a One) using 6mm figures to play GNW games. Very nice! Even I could paint up enough little chaps to do this!

Journey's end?

Not quite!

My solo simulation dealing with the Battle for Ramadi in December 2015 has taken me nearly six months to get to playtest status. Longer than it has taken the Iraqi Security Forces to repeat the Ramadi operation in Fallujah. Nevertheless I am just about there and am looking forward to actually playing it through from start to finish.

Game reference map

The background and rules booklet is complete, even if not finalised. Playtest counters and map are also in the bag.

Play test map and counters, not yet deployed

My to do list now includes only the victory point and casualty tracks and the operations board where most of the action takes place. I'm aiming to do those this week.

For those of you not too sure what I am banging on about, here is the game outline:

In this simulation the player acts as commander of ISF forces tasked with taking key objectives within Ramadi city centre. ISF forces are represented as units on a map of the city which has a hex grid superimposed on it to regulate the positioning and movement of ISF units. ISIS forces do not appear on the map. The game system reflects their activities by opposing the combat operations conducted by ISF units.

The ISF player has ten turns to achieve their goals. In each turn the ISF player plans and executes a number of operations designed to extend their control over the city and move their forces closer to the six key objectives (Justice Compound, Government Centre, Hospital, Grand Mosque, Stadium and Ramadi East station). Occupying each objective scores 5 victory points for ISF.

The outcome of each operation is based on the ISF forces and assets committed to battle and a randomised response from ISIS. Each operation results in either a win for ISF, with occupation of territory but the potential for incurring casualties, or a win for ISIS resulting in the accumulation of victory points for ISIS. If ISF incurs casualties the pace of their operations will be degraded. Other outcomes of operations will also result in victory points for either side (e.g. civilian losses or the capture of ISIS leaders).

At the end of turn 10 the ISF player tallies their victory points and determines whether they have won. The ISF player must score more victory points than the ISIS player and must occupy the Government Complex.

I feel more comfortable dealing with historical subjects than current events. However, over Christmas I was very struck by the immediacy of the fighting and its importance in the unfolding situation in the middle east. This was the first successful ISF offensive against ISIS. The key point for me is not necessarily how successful this is as a simulation but rather the learning that comes from simply engaging with it. 

Enough naval gazing, I'll get a page set up for this later in the week. Feedback and comments are, as usual, very welcome.

Aaaaargh!

Its the year end again.....

A quiet time on the blog during February but only because I have been hard at work elsewhere. The year end is a time of special torture for me, and many others. I hope to resurface sometime in late April.

Developments

When I have had a few minutes I have been hard at work on my special project. This is a Firestorm type game on the battle for Ramadi in Iraq over this last Christmas. Pretty much a real time bit of design work. I'm really happy with the way it is shaping up but, as I'm taking a really novel approach, I'm having to do a lot of thinking (don't laugh!).

I was slightly disappointed to find that my local print shop no longer opens on a Saturday so I was unable to print out a play test map in A3. It now looks like this......

I have promised myself that I will plough on with this until it is finished. It will be a worthwhile job and it has meant that I have learnt much about what is going on in the world. That can't be a bad thing.

I am picking up disturbances in the force which indicate a reviving interest in WW1. This therefore means that I am feeling a need to push on with:

• Tannenberg
• A simple strategic game of the first month of WW1
• The whole of the western front in August and September on a 13 by 9 hex grid

One of the motivating factors being Ring of Steel by Alexander Watson, WW1 from the Central Powers' perspective, which is currently occupying my train journeys.

News

We have some very nice news....

• Tricorne: Compass Games now have Tricorne up for pre-order. This is the latest Richard Borg CnC game which this time looks at the AWI. It has 12 scenarios which can no doubt be expanded. It uses blocks rather than miniatures, although I'm not bothered about this. The only thing that does bother me is the e on the end of what I would spell tricorn. Hey ho.

• Billy Bones Studio: This guy makes paper soldiers. He had some great sets for the ECW including Scots troops and scenery, see the example above. His website is now being reconstructed and, I understand, his sets of paper soldiers will be made available free as he is moving on to other paper soldier projects. Good news as I and others had been concerned that he had just shut up shop.

• Battle for Arnhem: One of my favourite subjects. This is a very small pnp game by Jim Bourke which is available free on BGG. Check it out, its nice!

• Zvezda I-16: I have been wanting one of these for ages. Now here it is. I wonder what I could this for.....

Secret project news......

Stuff is occurring!

Yes, I have made some progress and here is a clue.

I have wheeled out M44 again to help with the design process. I have invested a lot of time on research because I'm having to learn a lot of new stuff. It is a real battle but much of the information is conjectural. This makes it difficult in some ways but it is also hard for anyone to tell me I've got it wrong.

The game system is a very modified Firestorm variant using hexes rather than areas and packing in lots of new things. It is also a solo game and will therefore need careful balancing to make it a challenge to win. 

There is an obvious clue in the map so no prizes for guessing where it is! I understand half term is mid February this year so I may have half a chance of publishing a play test version by the end of the month. Fingers crossed!

Firestorm Neuve Chapelle (3)

And some other new stuff...

Well, the map was too cluttered to be able to see the area boundaries and understand how they would interact in play. I have spent some time today (while listening to Sarries win the premiership, hurrah!) making a simplified map. Next step is the counters.

I quite like this presentation and will probably use this as the basis for a complete re-drafting of the map.

New stuff

I am rekindling my interest in the full range of gaming activities and I have spotted some really nice new stuff:

W1815: A new game by a Finnish company which allows the playing of the full battle of Waterloo in 15 minutes! As well as that, it is getting top marks from Phil Sabin and Charles Vasey. This looks really special.

Here is the BGG link. This should be available shortly for £20 or so. It is certainly on my list.

Fivecore Brigade Commander: I have just bought this through Wargames Vault. A very interesting way to play a toy soldier game at brigade level on a 2 foot square area.

This is from Nordic Weasel Games and clocks in at 70 odd pages. My initial scan of the rules indicates they are based on the same very simple engine that features in many of Nordic Weasel's games. Its a bit like the Ganesha "Songs of ....." engine and is very good, and possibly even more simple.

I also got the first of the Nordic Weasel Battle Packs, a monthly compilation of new material for Fivecore games. This edition includes a new short game (Assault Marines about power armour skirmish) and data for brigade commander for Blitzkrieg 1939-40.

At less than £9 for the both, very good value.

A note from your sponsor....

As any of you who drop in from time to time will realise, I use this blog as a not very serious scratch pad for the sometimes very random stuff that I think about in terms of the hobby. I don't keep a close eye on the hit counter and I am really surprised to see this is now over 13,000. I find this very gratifying so let me say thank you to you all for your interest.

The other thing I have noticed is that my most popular recent post is the one featuring the the very nice picture of Sidse. I think there is a learning point here!

"I knew nothing about the about the cows scene, honest!"

Look out for more unjustified Sidse photos in future installments!

Firestorm Neuve Chapelle (2)

Map underway....

Rain prevented lawn mowing this afternoon so I now have a nearly complete Neuve Chapelle Firestorm map. Hurrah!

I am very happy with this so far. However, the areas need some better definition. Also, I can't credit the original map maker as I have lost the reference but will do so as soon as I can. By the way, at this resolution it will not print out very well so I have some work to do to recreate it in a printable A3 format which will be just the right size for a Firestorm game.

I also have to apologise to Norm for losing the interesting sub-locations from my original map. On review I couldn't make them work for this game. 

Firestorm Neuve Chapelle

Finally on the stocks....

I have got my finger out and started doing some real work on this project. I have missed the 100th anniversary unfortunately but still aim to finish this one during the course of the next month or so.

Initial design work is focusing on the map.

Getting the Firestorm grid right is a real problem. I'm never too sure how realistic these grids are. I need to ensure that the combats occur in the right places and that the right options are available. 

The OB is pretty straight forward for the British forces. German forces are more difficult but I have a copy of Landrecies to Cambrai by Capt. G C Wynne which is simply brilliant (a Helion reprint of articles from Army Quarterly published in the period 1924-39). I expect to be able to mine this book for ideas for some time to come!

Even more Firestorm!

A surprise WW1 addition to the Firestorm series

Amongst the many and varied chores that I have had to do today, including fence painting, I have been very much enjoying Neil Thomas' latest book. Loads of good ideas and plenty of inspiration. 

I commented previously that the scenarios reminded me of the Charles Grant scenario books. This is certainly true in terms of style. However, on closer reading, I see he has used Charles' book as the basis for some of the scenarios. This brings back some happy memories. I bought both of Charles' books from Navwar in Seven Kings, London. I wonder if that shop is still there?

Imagine my delight when I find an additional surprise today in a new Firestorm game, this time covering the battle of Villers-Bretonneux in 1918. 

Fantastic, how much more pleasure can an old wargamer get in one weekend? Don't answer that! This Firestorm game is available from the FoW website. If you have not looked into these games before I strongly recommend them. There are eight in the series including one on Stalingrad in an old edition of WSS.

I obviously now have a surfeit of things to play with and consider. I have also just got the Bannockburn game, Scotland Rising, in time for the referendum. So, what's next? Well, I am continuing work on the Napoleonic hex grid game and hope very soon to be able to share a small game to be called Waterloo a la Carte (as in map not menu!).

Summer breeze

Blowing through the jasmine in my mind....

I'm outdoors building a fence so have not had much time for deep thought. I could certainly do with a nice summer breeze rather than 100% humidity and passing thunderstorms. However, three things have recently impinged on my consciousness:

Firestorm Cherbourg: I have now read the rules through and confirmed that it is possible to play Caen and Cherbourg as linked campaigns. Hurrah.

Wurttembergers: Well, would you Adam and Eve it. Mention Wurttembergers once or twice and they crop up everywhere! Monsieur le Rosbif and Johnny Frog have a friend with nice Front Rank Wurttembergers. Glorious.

Fields of Battle 1: Great Northern War: I've been following the development of this game. It features eight battles each with its own map. It looks great (sorry I mean fantastic!) and I hope it is not out of my price range. The publisher has just put out an update on progress so this one looks like a runner in the fairly near future.

More Firestorm

Normandy part two

I'm pleased to see that the Wurttemberg post is generating lots of feedback. I hadn't realised Wurttemberg was such an interesting subject!

Also nice to see is part two of Jokull Gislason's Normandy Firestorm game, this one covering Cherbourg and St Lo.

I really like this game system so will be interested to see if I can play both parts together as a single campaign.