So in this weird time of isolation, we thought we’d attempt a fly-by-wire wargame amongst a few LAF chums.
The idea: To not let the current crisis stop everything we enjoy. Also to run some distraction from the grim news in the real world...
I’d been looking to bring my 300 figure ECW collection out of retirement and have a crack at The Pikeman’s Lament.
These rules, being pleasingly simple on the whole, also seemed to lend themselves to a game being played remotely.
We considered using Zoom or a similar app to run proceedings by live video, but concluded this would be too difficult – especially as my games room is above my garage, 50 metres from my house and WiFi connection!
Also, in these weird and discombobulating times, there’s something quite appealing about having the time to think about, plan and consider your moves, and respond as and when you can – some people are still working, of course, even if they’re at home.
So we’re playing the game using a WhatsApp group.
Basically, I’m making all the moves and rolling the dice for the players, and reporting back to them / showing the outcomes in real time (or shortly afterwards) using video clips, voice messages, photographs, and chat via WhatsApp.
Each side then has its own WhatsApp chat for discussing their tactics, orders etc.
Orders are given to me via these groups.
This is quite interesting, because in a normal wargame we’re all standing round the table and can see exactly what’s happening everywhere and what everyone is doing. But in this case the fog of war is genuine. You can’t see or hear what the other side is planning or thinking – you can only see the outcomes of their actions on the virtual tabletop in front of you. You have a slightly limited view of things. Which makes for a bit more interest as it turns out.
Mind you, there’s not much new under the sun, and this is just a slightly updated version of ‘Kriegspiel by mail’. But having the instant messaging and multimedia capabilities certainly makes it more interesting.
Of course, this may get frustrating after a while – different people have different commitments to manage right now, so there will be inevitable delays in between moves – a few minutes, or a few hours in some cases. We shall see…
So first I set up the battlefield.
It will be a straight encounter battle between Royalist and Parliamentary forces. The objective is simply to seize the farm with its barn full of stores, and to drive off / destroy the enemy force.
I’ve then marked up numbered deployment zones along the start lines of the respective sides, so that each player can easily let me know their starting dispositions.
The commanders are:
Silent Invader and
Dr De’ath for Parliament;
Elk101 and
OshiroModelTerrain for the King.
Thus are we able to play a game more or less simultaneously from Essex, Dorset, Teesside, Surbiton and darkest East Surrey!
Next, having reorganised my entire ECW collection into The Pikeman’s Lament sized units (basically 12 figure units of pike or shot, and 6 figure units of horse, dragoons, specialist shot types and gun crews), I sent a schedule of all 36 available units (each with a different points cost) to the players, and asked them to select their forces: 18 points per player / 36 points per side.
(Depending on the cost and type of the units you select, this would typically equate to somewhere between 3 – 6 units per player).
As it happens, each side ended up with 8 units (see attached pdf for the orders of battle chosen), although of quite different complexions.
The Royalists have gone for a balanced force of horse, dragoons and shot.
The Parliamentarians, evidently having eyed all those dry-stone walls and hedgerows, have gone overwhelmingly for shot units. No horse at all, just one troop of dragoons, and a frame gun.
No-one opted for pike.
So, I’ll report progress on the game as it unfolds over the next few days here, so you can vicariously share in the experience
We'll see if it works!
If the figures look familiar, it’s because I contributed some shots of my collection to The Pikeman’s Lament rulebook.
The foot are mainly painted by Baner, the horse, dragoons, gunners etc by me.
Opening dispositions. A general view of the battlefield.
The Royalist line
The Parliamentarian line
The view from behind the massed ranks of Parliamentarian shot…
Crowe’s commanded shot (skirmishers in TPL) and Lilburne’s Folorn Hope (sort of tough specialists) peer over the hedgerows and gorse in front of their positions…
Okey’s dragoons on the Parliamentarian right…
On the left of the Royalist line, Sir Lucius Spoons’ commanded shot and Crawley’s troop of dragoons…
Then, in the centre, Sir Marmaduke Fondling’s regt. of shot (pink coats), and Hopton’s blew regt. of dragoons.
Beside them, centre right, Sir Lancelot Crawley’s troop of horse (‘trotters’ in TPL terms) and Spoons’ Greencoat veteran shot.
And finally, Fondling’s veteran Folorn Hope, and Sir Ralph Hopton’s blew regt. of horse – aggressive gallopers, so prone to wild charges.
Which could be a bit of a liability when they are faced by a veritable wall of Parliamentarian shot, snugly positioned behind an actual wall
Turn 1In this game, we’re dicing for initiative each turn rather than playing a straight, continuous IGOUGO (which the rules suggest).
We’re
not playing the personal challenge / single combat rule (because it's silly in this period, IMHO), nor are we giving officers, traits.
Trying to keep it as simple as possible for the fly-by-wire experience!
The Royalists win the dice roll-off. Orders are sent in, and the Royalist line rolls forward, except for the horse regiments, who hold their positions… (tactics, already!)
In these rules, there is ‘friction’ – each unit has to successfully roll to activate in order to move, shoot, attack etc. Different troop types have different stats for different actions, all as marked on the unit cards…
If one of a player’s unit fails to activate, that’s his whole turn stymied. Play passes to his fellow commander, and then to the other side. But moving is fairly easy, only requiring a 5+ on 2D6 (4+ if your officer is within 12”, since he adds a +1 to all activation and morale rolls) - so no friction so far!
The dicing trays for Parliament and the King…
Parliament’s turn…
Orders received, and another general advance – to be expected in these opening phases.
Once again, everyone successfully rolls to activate…
Okey’s dragoons and Gibson’s commanded shot spill forward into the lane…
Crowe’s commanded shot and Lilburne’s Folorn Hope skirt the pond and make it up to the hedge…
The three units of Parliamentarian shot (Sir Melville Gibson’s raw shot, Nathaniel Crowe’s veteran shot, and Robert Lilburne’s shot, complete with agitator - +1 to morale rolls) advance to the hedgerow too.
And the frame gun redeploys to the lane…
Turn 2Parliament roll higher. They go first this turn. Orders are sent in. The general advance continues - with care…
Okey’s dragoons pick their way through the gorse patch at half speed…
Gibson’s commanded shot and Lilburne’s Folorn Hope cross the lane to the hedge by the gorse patch…
Crowe’s commanded shot enter the farmhouse garden…
The massed Parliamentarian shot make it to the western wall of the farmyard…
And the frame gun is trundled up to the crossroads…
Still no friction.
That’s the Parliamentarian turn over. Royalist orders awaited…
Watch this space!
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April 20, 2024, 12:22:01 AM
