Hey all---I am currently designing a set of WWII rules for small unit actions, called A Sergeant's War. I ran a playtest today with gaming buddies Russ, Ethan, Steve, and Bob, at the local gaming store.
I feel that the game's core mechanics are working well—playtesting is now focused on fine tuning and adding flavor and chrome. I have posted an AAR and pictures below, with more pictures at link I have also included notes on how the game plays.
Our game today was a classic urban fight: a platoon of American infantry, with a Sherman and an M-7 Priest support, were trying to clear out a town on the German frontier, sometime in the fall of 1944. The Germans had a weak blocking force of 7 elements: two rifle sections, three MG-42 teams, a platoon commander and his staff, and a towed AT gun. They carried a couple panzerfausts, also.
The game began with Ethan, the infantry platoon commander, impetuously attacking the Germans before his armor support arrived (we supposed that Ethan has political aspirations and desperately wants decorations). His platoon surged forward against one German flank, duking it out with one German squad. The Germans fought hard and well, shifting MGs in support. It took three American assaults to dislodge the Germans: the first attack was thrown back by German defensive fire, the second was kicked out by a counter attack, but the third took and held the German-occupied buildings. American casualties were heavy, including two NCOs.
Steve, controlling the Sherman, rolled up and flattened another German counter-attack, while Bob, with the M-7, nosed the vehicle forward and started shelling a German-held building, inflicting significant casualties and morale damage.
The American infantry attack then rolled forward, overrunning the AT gun (whose crew fought with rifles to hold them back). With the AT gun knocked out, the US armor came forward and directly engaged the remaining German positions. The Germans finally withdrew with heavy losses, but not after mauling the American infantry platoon—including all three US squad leaders. Total play time was 2 hours, with 3 of the 4 gamers having no experience with the game.
Here are some pictures—all from Russ's collection (except for the Sherman and M-7, which were Bob's). The buildings are paper; Russ couldn't remember the designer. I have notes on how the game plays after the pictures.
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A Sergeant's War is intended for small-unit WWII and early Cold War battles, with roughly a platoon per side being the standard sized game—though it definitely can handle bigger forces. The game is focused on units rather than individuals. Troops move in sections of 3+ men. The game can easily be played on small tables—36x36, 24x36, or there abouts, but movement rates are generous so larger tables work, too. The game was designed with 15mm and 20mm scales in mind, but you can play with 6mm and 28mm with a few modifications. Figures can be based individually or in groups, as long as you can track casualties and weapon types.
In each turn, one side conducts operations (with the other side able to use defensive fire), before the other side then takes its turn.
In each turn, a given side 1) deals with morale recovery, 2) requests and carries out fire support, 3) uses ranged fire to kill and suppress the enemy, 4) moves, 5) fights short-range combats ("firefights"), and then 6) firing with any remaining units that have not taken an action this turn.
Fire primarily inflicts morale effects, but can also inflict casualties. Your ability to hit an enemy unit is dependent on your relative troop qualities, on cover, and (for vehicles) on movement.
The close-range combat between infantry units—called "firefights"—represent short-range fire, grenades, and hand-to-hand combat. Firefights are usually decisive—either the attacker retreats, or the defender retreats. Casualties can also be more substantial than in ranged fire.
Units may use defensive fire against enemy movement, but defensive fire is reduced by failed morale checks due to enemy fire.
A big part of A Sergeant's War are your leaders. Squad- and platoon leaders can help your units pass morale tests and brave enemy fire—but there is always that chance that using your leaders aggressively like this can get them killed, as they can only lead by making themselves dangerously exposed to enemy fire.
I plan to post more AARs and game descriptions in the coming weeks and months, before making the rules available for purchase sometime in the spring of 2015. I hope to eventually make supplements for later cold war and modern warfare and near future science fiction games, and scenario and campaign books. I plan to Please feel free to ask me questions here, through PM, or on later posts.
Also—if you're in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, in the McAllen/Weslaco/Harlingen area, please give me a shout. There's a great group of gamers down here who play a wide variety of games.
