"Featherstone's "Wargames"" Topic

I have read through the bulk of this book and have to say I really enjoyed it. It is a great primer for those wanting to get into wargaming. Several rules sets that look to be pretty fun and easy to use. One of the big surprises is the Tony Bath rules. Many of the concepts have been used in GW's line of rules. Goes to show that the "old school" rules are still relevant today.

I do recommend this book to pretty much anyone who wants an interesting read.

The other thing I've noticed is that Featherstone's rules have many similarities to those in HG Wells's Little Wars – apart from the absence of screw-firing toy guns! – as, for example, the use of single figure basing, the treatment of the model soldiers as individuals for the purposes of firing and combat and allowing infantrymen to replace gun crew who have become casualties [in real life, surely just an accident waiting to happen?]. I understand that Don first encountered wargames via Little Wars, and seems to have been very influenced by it.

infantrymen to replace gun crew who have become casualties [in real life, surely just an accident waiting to happen?]

Actually, being a former re-enactor artilleryman, I can say for certain that so long as at least 1 gun crew remains, the gun can be recrewed by infantry (or cavalry). None of the positions, save the gunner, are difficult to learn. You can have someone trained in 5 minutes. If the gunner goes down, all bets are off. He has to aim the thing and make sure fuses are set on the round etc.

Tony Bath Ancient Rules are where Warhammer came from (via Reaper from TTG). Warhammer can be considered old school rules as they are very old fashioned in many ways.

I have presented both the ancients and ACW games in the Featherstone book at Historicon. Each with the appropriate figures -- flats and 30mm SAE/Spencer Smith. They play a bit more difficult than they read. The authors assume that the players already know a few things and have a shared sense of fair play.

All wargames until Joseph Morschauser's HOW TO PLAY WAR GAMES IN MINIATURE used individual figures. Joe created the concept of the figure tray, with a paper roster system to keep track casualties.

Our rules are old fashioned, then: have always been individually based minis, combat individual to individual, shooting idividually, etc. Works for us and is FUN to play….

1066.us

"All wargames until Joseph Morschauser's HOW TO PLAY WAR GAMES IN MINIATURE used individual figures. Joe created the concept of the figure tray, with a paper roster system to keep track casualties."

Not so! Von Reisswitz's 1824 Kriegsspiel used a troop block that represented half a battalion.

If you were to qualify your original statement to "All hobby/recreational wargames…" you might well be correct.

"Actually, being a former re-enactor artilleryman, I can say for certain that so long as at least 1 gun crew remains, the gun can be recrewed by infantry (or cavalry). None of the positions, save the gunner, are difficult to learn. You can have someone trained in 5 minutes. If the gunner goes down, all bets are off. He has to aim the thing and make sure fuses are set on the round etc."

I wouldn't dream of arguing with your practical experience, other than to wonder whether, by virtue of being dedicated historical reenactors, your infantrymen already had a greater knowledge/understanding of black-powder artillery pieces than a typical Napoleonic Wars conscript?

I wouldn't dream of arguing with your practical experience, other than to wonder whether, by virtue of being dedicated historical reenactors, your infantrymen already had a greater knowledge/understanding of black-powder artillery pieces than a typical Napoleonic Wars conscript?

You bring up a valid point. There have been times where we have come up short for a re-enactment and had to crew with a few ringers from the infantry. Some were at least somewhat knowledgeable while others were less so. All worked out well. The Seargent would walk the positions in a mock load and fire drill instructing each person what to do at that moment. After once around he would do it again without saying another. Then we would run a few drills without him walking around.

The other point to make is that it is much easier to train someone when you are not being shot at!

It is feasible for infantry to replace crew and have the gun be fully effective. Based on the time scale portrayed, there might be some downtime while the crew learns their duties. Donald Featherstone says that guns can't operate in the move they were re-crewed.

"Not so! Von Reisswitz's 1824 Kriegsspiel used a troop block that represented half a battalion."

Indeed, Charles Roberts via Avalon Hill re-introduced wargames with counters in the early 1950's. However, the thread is dealing with games with figures, not games with counters.

"However, the thread is dealing with games with figures, not games with counters."

And what are figures, but very elaborate counters?

And what are figures, but very elaborate counters?

Mine are all fully self-actualized individuals each with their own hopes and dreams…. :^)

"However, the thread is dealing with games with figures, not games with counters."

Forgive me, but there is no specific mention of figures in the thread title, although one could argue that the use of figures is implied because Featherstone used figures. And your original statement did refer to "All wargames", not "wargames with figures".

"And what are figures, but very elaborate counters?"

Quite. Especially when each figure is representing more than one real man – as it certainly does in Featherstone's War Games rules. The Reisswitz troop blocks did not attempt to portray the visual appearance of a body of troops, but – unlike the formations suggested by Featherstone – did have a 'footprint' that more closely portrayed the frontage occupied by a formation.

What about the 5mm troop blocks made by Irregular Miniatures, which do attempt to portray groups of men – are they figures or counters?

JamesonFirefox 20

Jameson, that's the truth hereabouts as well. And I hear them, at night, clamoring and grumbling to be let out of their boxes. I am a neglectful, unappreciative "parent"….

I am not a figure, I am a free miniature!

Says Wargames in the title. Many of the wargames I played in the 70s and 80s involved counters, not miniatures. I say either are a fair cop. Also, I will point out that Donald typically uses figures but not always!

two of the sets of rules in Don's Lost Tales involve the use of carboard units, as the rules are set at unit level.

While using miniatures, he also tried different scales and used board games as a basis to generate campaigns (which he then resolved on the table top.