"18th C Rules Question" Topic

I am going to get my 15mm WAS armies out of retirement, and want to start playing again.

I want to move up in battle size, so what rules would you suggest if I want a 1 base = 1 battalion scale ?

Maybe even 1 base = 1 brigade ?

TIA

One and a half years ago, I changed all my 18th century armies to DBA-HX system. I have upgraded the old version with DBAv3 to bring variation to reflect command, training and morale issues.

One base of infantry is a battalion and one of horse a regiment. With 40 or 50 elements a side you can fight most of the WAS battles.

The link will bring you to the list of topics and projects.

link

Cheers,

Age of Honor/ Age of Eagles.

Or

Might and Reason.

Volley and Bayonet. 1 base=1regiment

I like Volley and Bayonet (a base will be 3" x 1.5" for a regimental stand). DBx should also give a good game.

I have upgraded the old version with DBAv3 to bring variation to reflect command, training and morale issues.

Is your upgraded version of DBA-HX available for download anywhere?

Two points.

First, I am waiting for the official publication of DBAv3. When that happens, a copy will be posted to the Fanaticus Resource section where other period variants are filed.

Secondly, the Civil War project has introduced many interesting features, that a revision of the 18th century variant is definitely planned; improved General characteristics, morale and training, the transition to and from the battle map and game board to name a few.

The Civil War project can be followed at the Fanaticus Forum here: link

Our test games are modelled after the historical battles that took place in the West from June to December of 1861.

Boonville and Carthage have been done and this week is Wilson's Creek.

Cheers,

Try might and reason

Volley & Bayonet is an excellent suggestion.
I have another set that is very DBAish called Battle of Minden or something close. Will try to post it this PM.

John Kelly

Single unit bases is the way I want to go, so m&r isn't for me. V&b sounds right, but it seems focussed on napoleonics. Is there a source/scenario book for the Marlborough period ?

Might be interested in the 'Minden' set as well.

There is But One Set of Horse and Musket Rules! WRG 1685-1845! All Else is Heresy!

Another vote for Volley&Bayonet from me. We've tried it in both 1SP=500 men and 1SP=200 men scales (roughly 1 base=1 regiment and 1 base=1 battalion respectively), for WSS, SYW and Napoleonics and they work beautifully. The rulebook contains pretty much everything you'll need from the early 1700s to just about 1900, and there are two scenario books for the Seven Years War. The semi-official V&B page has several scenarios from the 18th century at link , including the WAS period. The official V&B page ( link ) has SYW army lists which might also give you an idea on Orders of Battle etc. There was a Marlburian army list type thingy around when the rules were being playtested but it did not make it to the final book, it should be available in the rules' Yahoo group but again. Have fun!

Don't do 15mm but 28-32mm. Doesn't matter though. My rules "Oh God!Anything but a six" can be used for any scale, as all figures in a regiment are mounted on one base (28 privates, 2 colors 1 drummer, 1 fifer, 2 sergeants, 2 officers) The whole game runs on "measures." A measure is the frontage of a normal infantry unit in line. So infantry fires one measure, moves one measure, and cavalry move two measures. Simple, easy 12 pages with all charts, diagrams, illistrations, cover art, and army and detatchment strength in that 12 pages of 12 pt. Times Roman text. Game designer drivel in separate folder to keep the rule book in size.

The Designer drivel has no impact on the game.

Oh yeah- it's all frontages so you can fight different basing systems against each other. If you want a copy, just send me your postal address to sigurd@eclipse.net and I'll mail you a copy.

for easy throw-away

Hmmm. The link goes to a new 'Official' webpage which is a very VERY poor replacement for the old one.

While I'm not opposed to folk making a few bob out of wargames, as someone who has been on the web long enough to remember when sharing stuff was the reward itself, I find it is a great pity that what used to be available for free will now cost me at least £40.00 GBP ( $70 USD ).

Makes me glad I printed them all off years ago ….

Volley and Bayonet is one of those rule sets that can be adapted to anything. I have seen a Great Northern War variant and a Russian Civil War variant. I have played the AWI, the ACW and colonials with it.

As you know, there are plenty of tactical level rules out there, catering for the battalion as the basic unit. A simple solution is to take your favourite set and count each unit as a brigade instead. Some of the newer rules aren't closely welded to a particular unit scale anyway, so this is not as outrageous as it may sound.

Black Powder is popular and relatively easy to sink into after time away, though the basic rules have a somewhat generic feel covering 200 years. This is gradually being addressed with various period-specific supplements, but then you're starting to creep into expensive territory and the endless cycle of needing the latest and greatest. My personal favourite for the period is Maurice.

This is in fact my 3rd dive into SYW gaming, as my pile of rule books will attest, and I've decided I'm going back to full sized V&B. (I tried the smaller base system and didn't like it.) Re-basing and filling out the regiments is now the job to do, the games will start in September.

I've played BP Napoleonic and 19thC and I find it has some problems. The 'Hard-Backed Glossy Supplement' model of marketing also bothers me – both ethically and from a monetary perspective.

In a discussion at the club recently I expressed the opinion that BP was at best a half-tested rule system, sold on the basis of wargaming porn, and really only intended to drive sales of the figures made by the same company. The subsequent follow up books correct and amend the existing rules, and user changes are encouraged by the rules writers.

This puts them at odds with systems like Might & Reason, V&B etc where it's the rules that matter not the bottom line based on hard plastic and metal figures.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

"Wargaming porn", I like it!