Never mind The Bill Hooks - rules release in next month's Wargames Illustrated

[Plynkes]

He's off again! This is one of the dear captain's favourite rants, I think. We've certainly read it enough times.

As for myself, I don't mind my games looking like a board game. I like board games. Providing the tokens and cards look smart and professionally done. But I am happy to admit that casualty figures and markers made from stuff out of the bits box are by far the best option.


Those ones are simply great, Richard. Just the ticket!

[Harry Faversham]

Had a pleasant Saturday afternoon in the Occifer's Mess perusing the magazine and free rules. I'm lucky to have a horde of suitable warriors kicking their heels in the shape of the Knights of the Oblong Table. A cogitation has been had concerning a new leader in the shape of the latest 'Hero in Miniature', methinks I can feel a Sir Harry Hotshite coming on!

 

[Black Burt]

Love your casualty markers Captain, will have to try and copy your ideas.

[Captain Blood]

He's off again! This is one of the dear captain's favourite rants, I think. We've certainly read it enough times.

Oh I know. Dog with a bone 

Love your casualty markers Captain, will have to try and copy your ideas.

Copy away. I got so excited I just spent an enjoyable couple of hours crushing together various bits of Perry plastic to make several more ‘dead’ markers. Hopefully pictures of the (unpainted) new creations on my long dormant WOTR thread tomorrow, once I’ve blended the unfortunate corpses into their bases...

[Charlie_]

Copy away. I got so excited I just spent an enjoyable couple of hours crushing together various bits of Perry plastic to make several more ‘dead’ markers. Hopefully pictures of the (unpainted) new creations on my long dormant WOTR thread tomorrow, once I’ve blended the unfortunate corpses into their bases...

I would be interested in a detailed guide as to how you do it, I've made one or two casualties from the plastics in the past, but would like ideas for more.

[Captain Blood]

I would be interested in a detailed guide as to how you do it, I've made one or two casualties from the plastics in the past, but would like ideas for more.

Well you are a Perry plastic building adept, Charlie, so I'm sure yours are extremely good, but yes, I'll stick something up on my own WOTR thread later, once I've taken some pics...
(But the trick, in a nutshell, is in using the groundwork to make sense of the corpse you've made... More later... )

EDIT: Now showing here... https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=40936.1815 

Now, back to the billhooks!

[Arcane Steve]

Sorry about the late reply to the thread. We are still waiting on the Tokens and cards. Both items are now over due and expected any time this week. As soon as they arrive I'll put a note on the thread. I can only apologise for the delay, they were ordered well in advance but best laid plans and all that! Regards, Steve

[Atheling]

Sorry about the late reply to the thread. We are still waiting on the Tokens and cards. Both items are now over due and expected any time this week. As soon as they arrive I'll put a note on the thread. I can only apologise for the delay, they were ordered well in advance but best laid plans and all that! Regards, Steve

Are you going to be getting them in stock Steve?

If so, will the cards have a laminated option or be on glossy thick card?

[tomrommel1]

Got the rules the other day and after a quick flick through ,I must say I like them.

[OB]

Andy Callan tells me there will be a 'Bill Hooks' Stoke Field scenario designed by him in the next Wargames Illustrated.

[Norm]

I ran a few rounds of combat last night with different unit types and enjoyed the flow, though noticed that there is nothing that really differentiates Pike from Billmen. I don’t know enough about the period to know whether there should be greater differentiation. Would for example cavalry charging good ordered pikes be an issue?

[Atheling]

I ran a few rounds of combat last night with different unit types and enjoyed the flow, though noticed that there is nothing that really differentiates Pike from Billmen. I don’t know enough about the period to know whether there should be greater differentiation. Would for example cavalry charging good ordered pikes be an issue?

It's a tricky one IMHO. We're not talking about the speedy huge blocks of pike etc employed by the Swiss and later the Landskneckts. These soldiers were imported on a small scale (ie. not anything like the numbers imported by Henry VIII for his French expedition of 1513) as I'm sure you know.

So, the question arises, how effective would they have been in smaller groups?

[OB]

Norm, pike blocks get to count 4 ranks in the first round of melee if attacking compared to 3 for other close combat troops.  I'd say that should do the job.  Obviously you need to have two units of pike in block formation to achieve this.  That seems right to me.

I suppose if you wanted to make them more resilient against cavalry you might use the same stat for defending pike.  Possibly casualties could be drawn from the supporting unit too, rather than the one fighting.  Replacements moving forward sort of thing.

The other thing that comes to mind is that formation is very important for pike so should 'Disarray' cause them to revert to 3 ranks?

[Norm]

Ah, thank you and I also note that pike can go ‘hedgehog’ and there are no melee re-rolls for Cav V’s Pike

[AdmiralAndy]

Sorry about the late reply to the thread. We are still waiting on the Tokens and cards. Both items are now over due and expected any time this week. As soon as they arrive I'll put a note on the thread. I can only apologise for the delay, they were ordered well in advance but best laid plans and all that! Regards, Steve

Better late than never

Look forward to the update on availability.