In the past I have commented on what good wargames my PBEM campaign produces. I am pleased to report that if anything they are getting better.
I appreciate that a campaign is only interesting to those taking part, but I must confess that I have been a little disappointed at the apparent lack of outside interest in my PBEM campaign. It has been running nonstop for four years, which must be pretty unusual if not something of a record.
The main reason for my disappointment is that it is such a great source of wargames that I wish I could spread the word more and get others to try something similar.
Of course it is quite possible that there are many wargamers out there running their own campaign and getting just as much enjoyment out of it. But I doubt if they are PBEM campaigns, because there is the constant need to replace commanders and I don't see how they could do that without asking for them across the popular forums.
The wargame which prompted me to write about this subject is the latest in our 1814 campaign. It started as one of those battles which hardly seem worth Wargaming because the odds are so uneven. It started with four French corps against two Bavarian corps. A third Bavarian corps would arrive at the start of move 5 and a fourth at the start of move 9. Each wargame only lasts 12 moves, so the outcome seemed obvious.
At the end of move 7 the French were about to overrun the two Bavarian corps. At the end of move 12 both sides have lost heavy casualties, both have lost more than half of their infantry brigades to rout. It all hinges on hand to hand fighting in the central village. The melee has gone on for three moves, each of them a draw. One brigade is B class, the other C class, but casualties evened out the difference. B now has 30% casualties, C has 20%. It's a miracle that either are still fighting.
The Bavarians have lost the northern half of the table; the French have lost the southern half. Both are pretty well fought to a standstill.
Who would have thought that such an uneven battle could run the full twelve moves and still need one more to decide the winner!
So if any of you reading this post have not tried fighting a campaign I would urge you to do so without delay. For those of you solo wargamers, who find it difficult to motivate yourself, then do please try PBEM. They can be frustrating and thankless, but the credit far outweighs the debit.
