"A question of time! " Topic

I'm limited to 3 hours of gaming time each session.

I've flirted with general de brigade, Der kriegskunst and British grenadier for years but never played. I own lassalle and have owned black powder but didn't like it.

I like the ideas behind general de brigade but wonder if I can get a good game with just 3 hours after some practise?

Should I look at other rules?

Blucher, for its grand scale is lovely but I want something at the same level as GdeB.

Cheers

There will be a rule set from TFL at some point, it is being worked on and play tested. It's pitched at the same level as GdeB and I'd very much expect it to fit that three hour time slot.

Can you leave a game up and finish it next time? Three hours is a short amount of time for most games.

I've played division sized or sightly larger battles of GdeB in less than 3 hours.
The amount and type of attached cavalry you want to use makes a bit of a difference. Too much and the infantry has to hunker down and you get a stand off of square and mounted. Having at least a bit of cavalry – especially if light – means that you can pursue defeated troops and either destroy them or at least stop them rallying.

At the moment, 3 hours is all i have due to little people. I can't keep the game going due to it being a church hall.

I may get 4 hours at a push in the future but it's unlikely for at least a couple of years.

Does lassalle play quicker?

You want to have a look at Neil Thomas' collection of rulesets, the quickest of which are the One Hour variety.

link

link

Compass Games is developing a boardgame called "Tricorne" that is another game in the "Commands & Colors" series by Richard Borg. The game can be played with miniatures instead of the stickered wooden blocks that it will come with. If it's like the other C&C games, it can probably be played twice in 3 hours.

Isn't that the purpose of board games?
Short playing time!

Yup Coopman is on it!

MG

Certainly some rules play faster than others *generally.*

Regardless of the rules, the size of the 'armies' used on the table work to reduce or extend the time needed to play. There are rules designed to be played on the dining room table.

Also whether you are playing solo or with a group also impact that. The scenarios also influence play time.

There are all sorts of ways to control the time needed to complete a game.

Another thought is to set up a battle that is in its middle and play that out. That avoids the approach march and a lot of the preliminary strategic decisions. I like it if people have to live with them, but then the practical features of wargaming mean that we don't get to play to a conclusion.

Try: "You army has been broken, and can you retreat off the board and save X % of your cannon and infantry? " Some units are retreating. Some are outflanked. Some are standing. Some enemy cavalry is in charge distance of the flank of a retreating unit. Loose the dogs of havoc !!!!

get the idea- blood splattered everywhere on the first turn.

In all honesty, the length of time a game lasts is totally based on two things:
1. The familiarity of the players with the rules.
2. The size of the scenario.

Luckily, most AWI battles fall well within criterion 2.

In other words, to quote that great philosopher Henny Youngman, "Practise, Practise, Practise!"
Pick a set of rules that appeals to you. Any rules.

The Young Guard:
Sounds so familiar! The guys are right in one sense – if you can limit megalomania and shrink the scenario down enough, you can play most rules in the 3 hour window.

For me the criteria for games has been – can I play to a conclusion in three hours….with every toy I own! Hey – I din't accumulate them just to look at them :)

So – with my criteria in mind I went Coopman's route: I play a lot of miniatures games with the C&C system (ancients, ACW, Napoleonic). We've played Waterloo several times – finished with plenty of time for recrimination and backslapping. It's not "perfect" simulation. But it's done in 3 hours; we have a blast; I can trot out at ton of my minis; and usually the games feel right (I've never seen a rules set model the command paralysis that a massive cavalry charge can cause the way C&C Nap does it).

I play a lot Black Powder for the same reason. We can trundle out 15+ units a side for our rev war games and finish in 3 hours. You can adjust the break points in your games to speed or slow the game.

If you crave a more granular game – the guys are right – any rules set can work – just play with a lot less toys. Whatever scratches the itch, right? I find this is easier said than done. Your inner "Cecil B Demille" will try to take over to stage a grand spectacle – which you can't possibly finish in 3 hours :)

Keep trying. You'll find a route that works for you.
BC

Volley and Bayonet, as well as the various DBx variants will allow you to play to a conclusion in three hours.

Nothing wrong with three hour games; that's frequently about all of the time I want to spend on a game anymore.

I second the C&C system for quick play rules that still give a fun game that feels right. You can adjust it easy enough so that you don't need hexes. Just count each hex as three inches or whatever works for your setup.

oldregimerules.com
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Try my Batailles de l'Ancien Régime 1740-1763.
Fast and with probably over 100 games played we finish very large games to conclusion in six hours typically with 1,500 to 2,000 miniatures. Thus, if you play with a lot fewer miniatures, time needed will be significantly less.

Respectfully,
Bill P.

I think Lasalle fits the bill, and you say you already have it?

Yeah I do, just haven't played it yet. I've yet to get the figures as small people got in the way.

Thanks to everyone else for their ideas.

Another consideration I read on another forum was about are these rules suitable for after work gaming. What is meant by this is that after nine hours of work I need a hand that allows a good representation of the period without too much micro management. My brain hurts by 9 0 clock!

I think that "Land of the Free" can also fill the bill.

If you played Command and Colours while retaining the hexes in some way, you could note down positions if you run out of time and continue the next session. The same would apply with any rules set using a square grid of some kind.

Depends whether you're ok with grids or not. Some people aren't I'm led to believe ;)

Although GdB, British Grenadier and Kriegskunst are all based on the same principles, because of the different periods, I've found that I get more satisfaction with small games if I play British Grenadier. It's the AWI – no-one expects to be fighting with cuirassier brigades or the Imperial Guard. Stick with BG and small forces.

On the other hand, if you're looking at the same level of play but with a simpler system that doesn't burn your brain, try `Rank and File' from Crusader. Never known a battle last more than 3 hours.

Plus one for Commands and Colors. Full disclosure, I get to participate in the play testing for Tricorne. We played the Yorktown Redoubts scenario 3 times last night in about 3 1/2 hours. We also use minis and terrain. Granted, in that particular scenario, there aren't a lot of decisions or movements for the British player to make. So it probably played a little fast.

As Lanercost2001 pointed out, we had the opportunity to play three games of the attack of Redoubts #9 & #10 three times last night. We use the Commands & Colors Tricorne American Revolution rules and some very old 20mm figures (Scruby, Command Post, etc) and a battlefield with 5 inch hexes. There were three players per side. Each player took the position of CIC in one game and the other two players acted as his left and right field generals. Multi-players really works very well, since there is plenty of shoulder room for each player with the larger size battlefield. Of course, the Commands & Colors Tricorne American Revolution board game from Compass is actually set up for two players with a smaller battlefield game board and blocks for units.

The point of this is that most Commands & Colors Tricorne American Revolution scenarios can be played to a conclusion in less than 3 hours.

Richard Borg

Try Lasalle; I can set up, play and clean up in about 2.5 hours.

There is a command and colors revywar game coming in the fall…. Dammit…….but, have you tried all the Kings men? Cracking good musket game……..

Anyone have pix of scrubby 20mm revywar mins? Their site is worthless for window shopping

I agree with Mr W. Smith. Lower the number or size of units. Become very familiar with the rules. Don't sweat the small stuff – if a di roll result is obvious or will have no affect on anything don't bother plugging in all the plus/minus. Cut out the calculation time and use it for something else. Go for beer and pretzels good times. Good Luck.