"Altar of Freedom: I can't wait to try these rules out...." Topic

I just purchased and am looking over the rules for "Altar of Freedom". I like the look of them a lot. They look like they will really play into my idea of the way a big battle game should play. You get to be the General (Corps or Army Commander) and not sweat the little details.

I can see these as being great rules for a club game where I can host the game and introduce new players easily. The basic conflict rules are pretty straight forward and the 2-sided QRS should be sufficient to play the game for new players.

But its the Command and Control aspect of the game that I believe will really make it shine. Each commander only has a limited amount of "attention" and that attention can only be spread so far. So you have to make choices at the Corps or Army level to decide what is important and needs your attention. I hope to try out the game concept solo (not what the rules are designed for) on Friday and can not wait.

I would really like to run these double blind as the author and his club have done. I think it would make a really great variant of the base rules.

I need to check my 6mm Armies to see if I've got enough for one of the smaller scenarios tonight.

Skipper

There are several ways to handle the "double blind" aspect. Hope you enjoy them. We've played around with three fog of war methods so far: (1) Using flag markers to denote divisions, including some dummy flags. This is very easy, requires no GM, but still doesn't allow fully hidden movement. (2) Using Don Featherstone's matchbox grid system. This was surprisingly quick to manage without a GM and I highly recommend it. (3) Full double blind with two identical boards, two sets of miniatures, and screen. Certainly this is the ultimate experience, but I think it's only practical for smaller scenarios. Tons of work involved. There are photos of all three methods on our site.

I've used the third method many times with WWII scenarios. So I already have much terrain that is duplicated. Its really depends on how difficult it will be to build Civil War boards from what I have and more importantly……duplicate troops so they can be placed on both boards. I always end up as the umpire during these games and enjoy that aspect completely. While this is easier with smaller scenarios, I think multi-player double blind games are the best as the "commanders" debate tactics, and possible enemy activity.

Your rules are complex enough to provide a great game, yet simple enough to allow the umpire a relaxing time running the game. At least thats how it looks to me.

I will definitely be running these normal at first and then trying them with a small double blind scenario…… but ultimately, I would love to run a massive 2 vs 2 or 3 v 3 player double blind game. The last is probably a pipe dream, but it sure would be fun to Second Bullrun / Mannassas in this way…..

I better get painting and building thoough as at the moment my 6mm forces are pretty small (I gave my 1/72 scale ACW figures to a buddy that moved away and have not really gotten heavily into back into the period yet. I probably only have about 6-9 brigades worth of stands for each side painted at the moment and 3-5 batteries for each side.

Skipper

For those curious, this is the link to the rules

6mmacw.com

Late last night I went through my already painted ACW stands and I have enough for the smaller scenarios already….13 brigades of Union and 17 of the Rebs…. I really need to add a few more batteries and the general stands though.

So I primed a bunch of my Adler and Baccus figures in my "to paint" box in preparation for a Thursday night/Friady morning painting spree. With a little luck by next weekend I might have enough for about 20 brigades on each side…..but more likely it'll take longer as we have four soccer games this weekend and the wife is working…..

Looking forward to getting started though.

Skipper

What's this got to do with Ancients?

Good question: I have no idea how it ended in the Ancients list…..and since I started the thread it has to be my error. I was probably in the Ancients list when I started the thread though if I had to guess. My apologies to anyone who might be inconvenienced by this error..

However,

This is the style of rules that I love for ancients. I have a number of 6mm ancient armies that I use for Hail Caesar that could really benefit from a similar Command and Control system….. I might see If I can modify to use something similar…..

How do base sizes for this game work? How does it work for 15mm?

A single "base" represents an entire brigade. Basing is pretty flexible as long as both armies are the same. 60mmx30mm rectangles are suggested. Though designed for 6mm, it plays just the same in 15mm. I've used several stands of Fire & Fury-based figures on a single cardboard movement tray and that works.

Skipper,
Good,luck in your game. I hope you enjoy the as much as I have. I printed the QRS for the game I played but after the first round or two of combat we didn't need to refer back to it.

Skipper,
I feel you on loving the command and control system. I love ACW but this is the first set of rules out there that have actually inspired me to get playing and buy a collection. I ordered enough baccus 6mm to play any of the scenarios, just waiting on delivery.
Let me know if you make any progress retrofitting the command and control stuff onto Hail Caesar, I was interested in that myself. I'm also looking at playing the rules pretty much as writ for War of Spanish Succession/Seven Years War/ Imaginations.
Its a long shot but, I'm located in south east Michigan if your anywhere near there perhaps we could get a game in
~Joe

This might seem like a moot point, given that they have so many scenarios … but is there a system or advice on how to give out command points in the rules? I like to design my own scenarios, but the system seems to rely on interpretation – which is fine for the creators, but maybe harder for us to balance. ;)

Sorry,

I'm located in Central Alabama…….

I'll post progress in a few weeks or so when I'm about ready to go. I evaluated my Hexon II terrain today to see how its holding up in the garage. This terrain makes double blind games so much easier to set up and run.

Now, on to painting. It nice being off this Friday.

Skipper

CAT,
there is a section in the rules on how to build armies. it isn't the main intention of the rules but the system is there and it looks to work.
~Joe

Thanks Joe (from a fellow Michigander, currently abroad) ;)

Project update:

I finished 4 units and four generals this weekend in between four soccer games. 2 CSA and 2 Union. That's 184 miniatures in 6mm. I also managed to hand paint about 5-6 flags. They are what make the units pop to the eye. I really need to paint more Artillery next.

I've started work on an introductory double blind scenario with about 7 or so units per side. Not a historical one yet as I need to get paint on a lot more figures to feasibly run the smaller historical scenarios double blind. The goal is to run a introductory game to keep my motivation up and get more players interested.

Good progress Skipper, look forward to seeing more. I'm still waiting on my order to make it in. keep up the good work.

CAT,
whenever you find yourself back enjoying our amazingly consistent weather, and you fancy yourself a game, my group usually games mondays and saturdays in the evenings, and some other random times. we have collections of most things.
shoot me an email at centurions2275 at yahoo
~Joe