Trebian  | 21 Apr 2017 3:05 a.m. PST |
I've been playing around with using SPI's classic commando rules, "RAID!" with miniatures. You can see my thoughts on it here: link and the first run through here: link There are issues, but they got quite a lot right. |
| Sydney Gamer | 21 Apr 2017 7:24 a.m. PST |
Very interesting to note your preference for offset squares over hexes – I can see the advantages from your pictures.
What were the real life French forces opposing the commandos? |
| Trebian | 21 Apr 2017 8:40 a.m. PST |
@Durban Gamer: Well, I think the offsets look more like a map grid. Hexes look so unnatural (Giant's Causeway not withstanding!) and are harder to draw well. The Vichy French were 22 Algerian Tirailleurs. |
| daler240D | 21 Apr 2017 9:23 a.m. PST |
agree about hexes. The offset squares seem to offer the best of both worlds. easy to draw, yet still giving more movement options. Looks great. |
| Weasel | 21 Apr 2017 10:28 a.m. PST |
I just came across the offset idea in "portable war-games" but I must admit I do really like the way they look. |
| Trebian | 21 Apr 2017 11:44 a.m. PST |
@Weasel. That Bob Cordery is always nicking my ideas. I've got several rule sets that use them. @daler240D Yes, they give the same options as hexes, – you have 6 directions to move in from any given square. |
| MTnest | 21 Apr 2017 9:13 p.m. PST |
One more thing about offset squares: If you make them offset rectangles instead, with the height of rows being .866 x the width of each rectangle, then the center to center distance is the same on the diagonal as within a row (as is the case with hexes). And if .875 is close enough to .866 for you, then 8 units wide by 7 units high is easy to measure (4 x 3.5 cm, for example). |
| Trebian | 22 Apr 2017 1:34 a.m. PST |
@MTnest: That's a good tip. Shame I've drawn all mine out already! That would explain why the rules where I got the original idea from (Navwar Ancient Naval) used rectangles not squares. In practice, of course, as distance is measured in spaces it doesn't matter, except possible for measuring centre to centre for line of sight. |
| Sydney Gamer | 22 Apr 2017 4:55 a.m. PST |
Thanks for the info about the Algerians, Trebian. I'm converting and painting 1/300 for Syria WW2. |
| Trebian | 22 Apr 2017 7:43 a.m. PST |
@Durban Gamer. Google "Battle of Litiani River" for some really atmospheric accounts of the action. Much overlooked as we didn't want to admit to fighting the French when we were promising to liberate them. |
| Marc at work | 26 Apr 2017 1:18 a.m. PST |
Nice idea Trebian Read some of your blog – Command and Colours (memoir esp) IS portable – I take it on holiday and we play by the pool, along with Wings of War and Star Wars… And offset rectangles – yup, been there, works well, and matches hexes, without the fuss of drawing. And with the crossroads conundrum – if the roads don't fill a "hex", why not keep them square (the crossroads that is) and have the roads on one axis sit at the top (or bottom) of their row? I admit that the weird 60 degree crossroads always puts me off hexes |
