| Oldgrumbler | 13 Oct 2016 3:47 p.m. PST |
On Military Matters has just published my ruleset "BN:Before Napoleon." More or less 20 years in the making. It has a campaign set that addresses 18th Century Imagination campaigns. For more information you can checkout the new support site at: bnbeforenapoleon.com JPK |
79thPA  | 13 Oct 2016 5:50 p.m. PST |
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| Northern Monkey | 13 Oct 2016 5:57 p.m. PST |
Good luck indeed. Can you tell us anything about how they work? |
| Oldgrumbler | 13 Oct 2016 7:54 p.m. PST |
The web page has a few downloads that explain things in more detail than would advisable here. The command mechanic requires that you roll 2D6 to activate the units of a brigade applying appropriate activating modifiers to each unit & usually giving 1 to 3 actions per unit. Fire combat has you total up firing points & then rolling 2D6 for damage. Melee combat is similar. A morale roll is done at the end of each turn by each brigade commander with modifiers applied to individual units. Very much like the command roll mechanic. The mechanics have been reworked numerous times to allow for rapid play. Detail has not been ignored. Cavalry varies in how easily it disorders on charging depending on training, Prussian infantry will move & fire more efficiently than others, Militia will be difficult to maneuver, 3 rank infantry will melee better & disorder more easily, defensive fire can halt a charge or instead may be fired off ineffectively.
There are prebattle maneuver rules where each hex of the maneuver map is 1 foot on the tabletop, & there is a campaign system for team or solo play.
There is a big battle version where the scale is 66 yds per inch rather than the standard 33 yds per inch.
The basing system is the most commonly used for 18th century.
It represents 20 plus years of experience playing numerous systems & eras. Plus the whole thing is only $20. USD |
| Frederick | 14 Oct 2016 4:43 a.m. PST |
Very interesting – must give this a careful look |
| Khusrau | 14 Oct 2016 10:58 a.m. PST |
you say uses a popular basing system.. what? And how dependent is it on a specific bases size..? |
| Oldgrumbler | 14 Oct 2016 1:00 p.m. PST |
15mm Infantry has 4 figures on a .75"x1" base (same as Koenig Kreig.) 25mm the same as Blackpowder. The opposing armies bases need to be close, but it is not DBA!
I sometimes mix in some 15mm Peter Pig bases (3cm x 3cm) & troops mounted 1"x.75" with no problems. Figures are not counted, bases are.
I think with a sensible modification of how many overlapping stands can take part in a melee (maybe just say the whole unit) then most anything could work even if opposing armies have different basing. JPK |
| Khusrau | 14 Oct 2016 2:31 p.m. PST |
oh.. still using inches then. Ok. All my troops for the period other than 28mm are based on 60mm x 30mm. I do wonder when the holdouts will eventually adopt a base 10 system. Maybe the last resistance to the Code Napoleon? |
| Oldgrumbler | 14 Oct 2016 2:44 p.m. PST |
The infantry bases are .75" x 1.0" or 19 mm x 25 mm, whichever makes more sense to you. I understand that on the European continent it can be hard to find measuring sticks in inches. Of course Amazon has everything!
So with 60 mm stands it would take 2 stands to give the proper frontage for a battalion. 2 stands is the minimum you need to show a column or line formation, so I don't see why it would not work.
I play all sorts of rulesets with my various armies & have found that basing can be worked around. JPK |
| Khusrau | 14 Oct 2016 4:34 p.m. PST |
ok, so a 12com frontage for a battalion. On 180cm (6 foot approx) table, that means a grand total of 15 battalions, (assuming jammed in and no flanks or gaps.) sorry.. in period, you are talking 100+ battalions plus 100+ squadrons in major battles – 15 battalions is barely a skirmish. No more than three brigades per side + supports. |
| Oldgrumbler | 14 Oct 2016 5:25 p.m. PST |
There are 2 scales available. 33yds per inch with 5 or 6 stands per battalion & 66 yds per inch with 3 stands per battalion. So an 8 foot table can be 3,200 to 6,400 yds (1.8 to 3.6 miles or 2.9 to 5.8 km.)
JPK |
| Oldgrumbler | 14 Oct 2016 5:45 p.m. PST |
For the largest battles then a ruleset like Frank Chadwck's is the best. Or maybe Major Gray's Age of Honor. You lose the battalion level tatics but at 100 yds per inch you can do bigger battles. Beyond that a boardgame would be best.
Personally I am moving to the smaller scale. My next project is 10 yards per hex with 2 to 4 stands per company! It will do battles like Braddock's defeat & Pirate & Indian raids. JPK |
paints brigs for the British fleet.
