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Author Topic: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)  (Read 7497 times)

Offline Byblos

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[RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« on: February 15, 2020, 08:37:52 PM »
Hi all !

Do any of them know, or have they ever played The Perfect Captain's "Red Actions" rule?

And especially the version of "Pigmy wars" and the army lists that go with it !?

Same question with their "Beyond the river Don" campaign rule !?

What do you think !?

Offline madman

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2020, 10:04:08 PM »
I have them but haven't played them yet so disclaimer entered.

My understanding is the Pygmy Wars versions are the latest based on them playing it for some time. I plan on gaming in 6mm as it is my primary scale and I have lots of buildings etc.. I plan on playing a few games using counters at first just to make sure I want (need?) to buy into another period.

I have read it a couple of times and like what I have read. Not too deep but not shallow either. The leader's characteristics look to give more feel to the game and the level of interaction of leaders seems suitable. I am just starting to learn about the conflict so I am unsure about forces to collect or build up. I assume a couple games, more knowledge or finding some scenarios defining appropriate forces will help. I seem to recall something in the rules or BtRD supplement suggesting forces for introductory games.

Beyond the river Don looks like a good way to generate scenarios so I downloaded it as well. I have a couple other rules for the revolution but the scale of this, platoon size units using companies as the maneuver basis, is just where I want to be.

I hope some of this helps.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2020, 10:06:01 PM by madman »

Offline cuprum

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2020, 06:26:26 AM »
I myself did not play by these rules, and I can not express my assessment. But the guys from Moscow played according to these rules with 28 mm figures and created their own modification of the game called "Steel Thunderstorms", created their own arm-lists and their own scripts for the game. In these modifications, some aspects of the Civil War in Russia are better taken into account (for example, lack of ammunition, frosts, "psychic attack", etc.) I have all this in the form of PDF, but ... in Russian. If you want, I can send you. I recommend using the Google translator for translation. If you will have any questions, I am ready to help.

Offline Byblos

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2020, 10:16:51 AM »
Thank you to you 2

Madman: I am preparing a campaign on the Volga campaign in 1918 (Komuch & Directoire vs Reds). the interest is that the strategic situation is very interesting, the manpower is still very weak, there are lots of original troops (Latvians, Chinese, Czech Legion, sailors, international volunteers ...) some cars and armored trains, a little aviation ... I would make it available free of charge on LAF, with map, OB and rules ...

Cuprum: this rule could interest me, and Google Trad works quite well with Russian (not like with Japanese!) I send you my email address by MP, and thank you once again ;-)

Offline cuprum

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2020, 10:41:59 AM »
Sent.

I agree. Any European languages can be read almost without problems (you just need a bit of habit). But Japanese or Chinese is some kind of darkness)))

Offline Byblos

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2020, 11:14:39 AM »
Well received Cuprum ! Many thanks !

Offline Schogun

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2020, 02:40:44 PM »
My group has played these rules a lot. They're our go-to ruleset for RCW. The unit cards that the Perfect Captain includes are gorgeous and really add to the games.

The only drawback we have found is that because units fight/fire by unit, there's no combined arms, so it's near impossible to get to the higher columns in the Combat Results Table where damage can be more severe. So it's an win-by-attrition system.

I have toyed with different initiative/activation methods but haven't tried them yet.


Offline Byblos

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2020, 02:49:13 PM »
Maybe it's a good thing that it's a win-by-attrition system, because by many aspects the RCW is a win-by-attrition war !

Offline madman

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2020, 01:40:17 PM »
Pardon my ignorance but is there a way to translate them and retain all the table layouts etc.? I rarely use translate but all I see it the ability to translate the text. This would mean copying the text, translating and creating a new file. Not a big deal but I was curious if it is possible to translate the entire pdf file retaining everything just changing the text. I know being lazy but I am curious about it. Thank you.

Offline Schogun

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2020, 02:06:12 PM »
Maybe it's a good thing that it's a win-by-attrition system, because by many aspects the RCW is a win-by-attrition war !

Ha! I knew someone would catch me on that. Yes, you're right. Most battles were win-by-attrition or by breaking morale.

It's just that PC gives you this beautiful CRT but you never get to use higher attack values. I have considered multiple activations per turn (fixed or random) so one side, for example, could fire at a unit then charge with cavalry in the same turn but haven't tried it yet.

Offline madman

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2020, 02:22:20 PM »
Ha! I knew someone would catch me on that. Yes, you're right. Most battles were win-by-attrition or by breaking morale.

It's just that PC gives you this beautiful CRT but you never get to use higher attack values. I have considered multiple activations per turn (fixed or random) so one side, for example, could fire at a unit then charge with cavalry in the same turn but haven't tried it yet.

Trying not to be critical for a petty reason but could units in that conflict really operate with that level of coordination? If so maybe they would have to start the turn in contact with each other then expend a leadership "bonus" to allow the two units to operate immediately after each other or in the same activation. Sorry but it has been a while since I read the rules so these ideas use concepts probably not in the rules as written but perhaps could be added with a simple modification.

Online Mark Plant

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #11 on: February 19, 2020, 11:58:43 PM »
I usually play Red Actions! solo, or I'm moving for players in a play-by-e-mail game. In those cases I do activations by having cards for each unit and each card is taken at random from the shuffled deck to determine which unit moves. I also have a commander card, and the commander can choose any unit under his command to move. Because many of my games are lop-sided, this also deals with the distorting effect of one side having many more units than the other.

This means that sometimes combined actions come together, and sometimes they don't. Rather like much of the RCW, I think.


Offline Randell

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #12 on: March 14, 2020, 10:01:13 PM »
The only drawback we have found is that because units fight/fire by unit, there's no combined arms, so it's near impossible to get to the higher columns in the Combat Results Table where damage can be more severe. So it's an win-by-attrition system

I haven't played but on read through of the rules a 5 or 6 strong platoon of a specialist company, e.g. White Officers, will reach the last two columns.

Offline bulldogger2000

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #13 on: April 04, 2020, 06:01:04 PM »
Here are some photos of the Red Actions convention game that Schogun was talking about.  Chuck (aka Schogun) did an outstanding job on the action/unit cards provided with the game.  They are a fun set of rules and I would highly recommend them.   BTW...The airplane is beautiful and part of Schogun's handiwork.

Offline Byblos

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Re: [RCW RULES] "Red Actions" (The Perfect Captain)
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2020, 06:06:48 PM »
Wow ! It's superb  :-* Very inspiring !