"How simple is Modern Spearhead?" Topic

Caveats first.

I'm sure there will be some people who will tell me its the easiest rules there are – there always are! If that's you, please pause and re-appraise- there are very few really simple sets, and actually I'm not looking for simple.

Also, oddly, I've played them, and my memory is they aren't as horrendous as they look.

My point I suppose is that – when I try to read them, I find them overwhelming. Whats the best way to play them – I want to get them on the table again, so Daddy's Little Stalinist can be the Heroic People's Red Army, against the Defenders of Tolerance and being a little Freaky-Deaky (like in a good way, yah?) Dutch, and Bastion of Efficiency and saying sorry for 40 years ago, Bundeswehr (I've got 80s forces)

They are a bit old school in that they are very detailed compared to today's standards. I was a big Spearhead fan back in the day, and moved to Modern Spearhead, but I don't have the time to play them any more -- we tend to play Cold War Commander now for our modern conventional games.

Although published in 2000, they're based on the original Spearhead rules from 1995.

Of course, how long a game takes also depends on the size of the forces you use.

The combat mechanics are very simple. Roll a die, add a thing, compare to a thing.

What trips people up when I've taught it to new folks is how to actually PLAY. Changing orders and whatnot.

Artillery and build up areas tend to trip people up as well.

If you are having a rough start, set up some simple battles without too many missiles and fancy toys. T55 vs M48's or some such, and just have a go. See how it comes out.

They ARE one of the easiest rules sets out there. Take each section a piece at a time. Combat is simple as can be, the written orders are best learned by doing and not trying to think it through – play it out a couple times.

My playsheet for any of the Spearhead games is two sides of A4, and one of those is all the equipment data. They really are that simple, but the rules are quite verbose as the actions of individual stands are quite restricted. Anecdotally know how wargamers love restrictions.

Try it out with small scenarios, a couple if battalions a side. I'd be tempted to break the huge NATO battalions down into a couple of combat teams as well.

Very simple, almost games workshop without lots of special rules.

I'm also in the simple camp.

My suggestion to you is start out with just a few tank units per side, then next game add a little artillery or some Infantry combat teams or whatever. then add the thing you didn't last time. I would think that you could play around a brigade per side without getting bogged down too much after a little. you may want to leave out built up areas for a few games, and play each "level" of scenario a couple times?

try adding one additional "element" of warfare to your tank battalion each game, so that you are only learning 1 new thing per game. that way it isn't overwhelming and after the end of the "training missions" series, you have a good idea how everything works.

MS is one of those rulesets that has 2 issues to picking it up. A. its not what people are used to. you really need to get your head around the fact that it is really a command and control game. and B. its one of those rulesets that are simple, but also cram a lot of stuff in there to cover most eventualities. IMHO, a good majority of the stuff in there won't be needed in most games.

I believe that if you were to take the 3 starter scenarios in the book that they scale well, just substitute the troops that you have.

Dobber has it right.

One thing that helped for me is explaining that you are roleplaying as a brigade (or whatever) commander, and that the troops on the table are essentially your intel reports, rather than being in charge of each individual tank unit.

That is a really good way to look at that weasel. I didn't think about that at all. I'm going to try it next time

Yes, the manoeuvre units are battalions, the individual stands are essentially just strength points.

Thanks for the replies. Like I say I've played the, actually I was the one part running. It's just when you look at them they overwhelm. They are quite verbose.

I can understand that, I get it myself. In addition to having an ever shrinking mental capacity these days, I do tend to go cross-eyes from the crappy "two columns of really small densely packed block text with no spacing" layout.

Like I said before, I think the best way to go about it is just take it a section at a time, and don't really bother with the advanced rules section, they are really situation specific.

I believe that the game is well worth it.