A Good Dusting

[hobbit8602]

Hi,

Played David Bickley's rules for the first time yesterday, with my friend Ian (also on the forum somewhere). Recently we have been playing Chris Peers 'Death in a Dark Continent' and wanted to try something simpler for possible participation game next year.

Rules are good for a quick and fun game and we picked them up quickly. We tried the random arrival rule for the Mahdists, which worked well. I played Anglo-Egyptian and had 2 Egyptian units, 2 good-old British and a couple of cavalry units. We had to stop before a result, but it was 'A Near Run Thing'.

Liked throwing loads of dice and the speed of movement, the pluck test procedure was also very workable and we think these rules will make a very good set for a participation game.

Like any set of rules we have a couple of questions that taxed us a little, we got round them in a common sense way, but would be interested in hearing how others would deal with similar situations:

Scenario 1 - a British cavalry unit charged an Arab cavalry unit. The British won the melle (huzzah!). Immediately behind the Arab cavalry was a unit of Arab infantry, in column, with flank facing the cavalry. The Arab cavalry failed their pluck test and fled. They could not flee straight back, but we decided they would disperse and flow either side of the arab infantry. The British cavalry commander decided not to try and rally his cavalry, not with an open flank in easy reach, so pursued and collided with the infantry.

Our first question is - was there a better/more correct way to deal with the fleeing cavalry?

Scenario 1a - ha - those pesky arabs are up the wadi without paddles - the British cavalry - flushed with success crash into the flank of the infantry. Another melee will follow (after movement of the rest of the two armies). Our next minor dilemma was - do the arab infantry turn and face the British cavalry? If so (and we decided the flank would tunr) how many figures would fight? There were 4 bases hit, we decided 8 infantry could fight (any alternative views on this would be good). In that melle the British cavalry did the business and the arab infantry failed their pluck test. They fled, again pursued by the British cavalry (we did this over 2 periods, not all in the same turn)

Scenario 1b - the fleeing arabs were caugth by the British cavalry - who of course had a good old hack at them - the question is does a fleeing unit fight back? We decided not and they took their medicine before fleeing again (at this point the game ended due to lack of time).

I guess to distill this down - interpenetration - is it allowed and how? - fleeing units - do they fight if contacted (effectively from the rear)? and finally - units hit in flank - how many (if any) can fight?

We hope to play again next Friday and again into the Spring - we will be setting up a painting list and a terrain building programme as it is hoped to have a participation game ready for the 2013 UK Games Expo (if not another show sooner).

Mick

[Plynkes]

David is a regular poster here on the LAF. I'm sure you'll get your answers straight from the horse's mouth (as it were), by-and-by.

Welcome aboard.

[Yankeepedlar01]

Hi Mick!
Glad you enjoyed the game!
1a ~ No, you did what we would have done! Wonderful thing common sense: I find most gamers have it in abundance.
1b ~ IF the cavalry moved less than half their move distance then the Arabs can't change face ~ its a movement, which takes half your allowance. You could try applying a Pluck Test to them and if they passed allow an emergency change for one base.

It all really depends on how you want the game to play. I wrote what I thought would be a solid structure, expecting most gamers, like myself, would tinker away to their hearts' content, which is what you seem to be doing. More power to your elbow!

"Woof - Woof!" {For Plynkes }

David

[Volleyfire!]

We had a similar conundrum using them for the Battle of DeD recently (see posting someway below) and decided that the same rules applied i.e. formed units cannot interpenetrate. Is there a Yahoo group or anywhere with answers to any other things we come up with, or is it best to ask away on here? I think we had one or two other things that we would have liked some expansion on. I'll try and find out what they were.

[Phil Robinson]

No group, but if you have any queries drop Dave a pm.

Contrary to what you may hear he does not bite

[Yankeepedlar01]

No group, but if you have any queries drop Dave a pm.

Contrary to what you may hear he does not bite

Oh Yes he does!

[joroas]

.... but only when he has his teeth in.............

[Volleyfire!]

Well, risking teeth marks and permanent scarring I shall ask anyway!!  


Q.1. Why short and long ranges for Artillery and Machine Guns since both seem to fire at the same effect no matter what the range is as you count the guncrew not the ranks (as they aren't in ranks)?

Q.2. If you mount your Fuzzies or whatever irregulars you have on bases but not in nice serried ranks like regulars, i.e. scattered formation, how do you calculate front and rear ranks for say, firing where you have a unit of Beja rifles, or combat? Do you count the whole base?

[Yankeepedlar01]

Well, risking teeth marks and permanent scarring I shall ask anyway!!  


Q.1. Why short and long ranges for Artillery and Machine Guns since both seem to fire at the same effect no matter what the range is as you count the guncrew not the ranks (as they aren't in ranks)? Easy one: its a typo, its half crew at Long range like infantry.I've dealt with the question before I'm sure, but maybe in a private email...

Q.2. If you mount your Fuzzies or whatever irregulars you have on bases but not in nice serried ranks like regulars, i.e. scattered formation, how do you calculate front and rear ranks for say, firing where you have a unit of Beja rifles, or combat? Do you count the whole base?

Base has 'up to 6 figures' however many models you mount on it and in whatever order; therefore half of six is three ~ "Simples!" If you try to loose the notion that bases MUST have a certain number of figures on, but merely represent a certain number of figures, for gaming/wallet purposes, it becomes easier.
Hope the teeth marks don't hurt too much!
David

[Volleyfire!]

Thanks v much, that clears that up nicely. I get bitten at work every day so a few teeth marks are nothing really 

[Yankeepedlar01]

Thanks v much, that clears that up nicely. I get bitten at work every day so a few teeth marks are nothing really 

Happy to have helped!
David

[Fuzzywuzzieswiflasers]

These rules sound promising. I am currently painting up Egyptians as I start my Sudan period.

I have a copy of Washing the Spears that I have only given a cursory glance but do both rules have the same game mechanics?

One thing that I guess put me off on washing the spears was it didn't look like I could refight Rorkes Drift since the brits were based 4 figs to a base. I wanted to use individual figures to man the barricades. 4 figs to a base would be fine for the larger battles Ishandlawhana , ginginlovu etc. but not such a small battle.

I look forward to being corrected on this point 

Cheers

Fuzzy

[Yankeepedlar01]

No correction is necessary but some lateral thinking might resolve ur dilema:- if you treat every two single figs as front rank of a base you could probably use WtheS for your game. I have about 24 singly based figs myself for buildings & barricades but count 4 as a base for combat and fire myself.
David

[hobbit8602]

Thanks to the replies to my questions. It is good to see the words 'common sense' apply, to a degree, without ending up having debate about whose common sense is right !!!

I hadn't noticed the typo, will have to correct mine, though we didn't use machine guns last time round.

Hoping to get another game in soon, been busy away and working for a while, hopefully March will be calmer and more time for toys.

Mick