"Daydreaming WW1 campaign idea" Topic

After looking at other's WW1 tables, I found myself doing that dangerous thing again: daydreaming at work. I'm curious if anyone had ever done something similar to this table set up.

The setting is a fictional section of the western front late Summer 1914; a small village with surrounding farms, fields, and forests. Every game the timeline would advance a season and alongside it new buffs and handicaps would be handed out based on what was going on during the war (Poilu mutiny for Spring 1917 represented by lower morale for the French player for example) in addition to new technology and uniforms being introduced.

While each game/season would have the same starting positions, there would be a different objective each game, like capturing an artillery position or a trench line. Most importantly, there would be persistent damage to the board's terrain. A church that takes a direct hit by an artillery shell in the Spring 1915 game would be replaced with a damaged model for further games and the grassy terrain mat would be replaced with a muddy variant as trench warfare sets in.

There's other mechanics I've thought up of, like having varying start positions based on previous matches for the 1914 and Spring 1918 games, but Im not sure how well that would work.

I like the idea. It would really give the feeling of the largely static Western Front, fighting back and forth over the same ground.

I have built models of the same scenic terrain features in various states to depict changes before. It adds to immersion for me if a building is replaced by ruins when it is destroyed.

Your defensive positions would change radically over time, moving from improvised positions to regularized trench systems (themselves demolished in the heavy fighting in 1916) to the in-depth systems of 1917-1918- and then the open country five miles behind them.

Interesting concept. I have been gathering some maps to make boards for the ANZAC Cove area in 1/285, and gave some thought to duplicating the upper contours, so that one version could be the open country of the landing and the second the entrenched and wired positions of August, 1915. Still just an idea, though.

I personally couldn't see any enjoyment from such a campaign. WW1 after trench warfare sets in is, to me, an ungamable war. Too many emotive issues mixed with the acceptance of losses on one front to supposedly relieve pressure on another. How do you game a British attack in your little sector that is designed to fail simply so the politicians can tell their allies they were 'doing their bit' ?

Great idea! Also good to know you're putting your brain to good use at work.
If you don't already own a copy, the Kindle version of The Western Front Companion is available for CHEAP at Amazon. Could be a source of inspiration.

The Western Front Association has tremendous map resources available online (I suspect mostly for the British sectors), and may be a help.

I suspect you will find that operations change significantly with changes in available ammunition types and fortification patterns. That's what happened in the war, anyway.

So we did a WW2 scenario generation system based on data from the war. Much of it was based on actual days. A number of charts, matrix style were used, so simple die rolls made scenario generation faster.
Charts were on nationality vs nationality, combat days in a year or campaign, aggressor vs defender, season which influenced weather, forecast ratios and mission. Rarely did a 1:1 meeting engagement was rolled, against the odds and fighting withdrawals could occur.

Such a tactical chart is needed for a campaign for variety. Of course in a campaign some factors are predetermined. Year, location, combatants.
So if you are willing to do some research, the chart production would be easier.