| Mjr Stalwart | 18 Feb 2017 9:29 a.m. PST |
I've seen pictures of large "big battalion" games with multiple tables set up and terrained. I realize that with the bigger figures and large unit sizes that you need a greater area for maneuvering and the walk ways to be able to reach everything. It looks cool too. My question is exactly how do the rules work for this kind of set up? Do you just measure as of the walk ways don't exist or do the side tables act as some sort of reserve to deploy units from? |
| nickinsomerset | 18 Feb 2017 10:35 a.m. PST |
Measure as if there is no gap, Tally Ho! |
robert piepenbrink  | 18 Feb 2017 10:45 a.m. PST |
This is miniature wargaming. There are no rules which bind all of us. That said, I have seen walkways treated as though they don't exist, and I can't recommend it. Sooner of later, someone will charge or fire across that gap on a close measurement, and in a competitive game,it won't be pretty. If you go with that, I'd say line it up so that the table "joins" are impassable rivers, dense woods, steep hills and such to minimize that problem. That's one. Two is to keep a table or so "in reserve" for when action threatens to spill off the board. When you see you don't have enough space on your right flank, or Red lacks table depth, wheel a board into position and set it up before things go critical. Three is separate but related actions. There might be a big board for the main battle and a smaller board to catch some flanking action without any attempt to model the terrain in between. The winner on one board might or might not be able to march to another board depending on scenario conditions. Four--well, yes, you CAN use terrain boards to hold the reserves. But shelves work just as well and don't use up precious table space. |
| Mjr Stalwart | 18 Feb 2017 12:04 p.m. PST |
My game store has a row of four 4'x12' tables about 4 – 5 feet apart. I'm planning to use large battalions of 48+ 40mm figures (Prince August home cast) and Young and Lawford's CHARGE! rules so I'll want plenty of room to maneuver. I read the thread on table width and I want to add boards to a middle table to make it 6 feet wide. I am just trying to figure out how to handle the large space. |
| Fish | 18 Feb 2017 8:39 p.m. PST |
Width ain't a problem so you can make a table as wide as you can. But width and depth at the same time is. |
| Striker | 18 Feb 2017 9:27 p.m. PST |
Usually we play as if the walkway doesn't exist. |
| vtsaogames | 19 Feb 2017 7:14 a.m. PST |
someone will charge or fire across that gap on a close measurement The person claiming the measurement is right should just roll a die. 4+ and they are right, otherwise wrong. I wish we'd started doing this back in the day… |
| Mjr Stalwart | 19 Feb 2017 8:45 a.m. PST |
How far is a "close" measurement? A foot? Musket range? |
| robert piepenbrink | 19 Feb 2017 9:16 a.m. PST |
I generally regard "close" as somewhere between "let's see if we're within range" and (holding ruler) "Rick, you want to take a look at this?" Rolling dice for such things is not bad--if all the players are equally likely to claim dubious cases. Otherwise, it's advantage to the most outrageous player. As I say, sometimes a table gap of that sort is necessary, but you hate to have it at some critical part of the board. Hmm. Also worth noting. This is not a problem one has playing in squares or hexes. I'm not converting myself: only noting that there is an advantage there. |
| vtsaogames | 19 Feb 2017 2:39 p.m. PST |
I play both with grids/hexes and without. Grids make the game go faster and do away with measurement issues. If someone always makes dubious claims, break their thumbs. |
| Mjr Stalwart | 23 Feb 2017 2:02 p.m. PST |
Thank you everyone for the info. The Major |
paints brigs for the British fleet.
