A Comprehensive Wargames System

[thistlebarrow]

I started my campaign in 2008 and it has run without break despite converting from solo to PBEM and back to solo.   The secret of its long life is that it is a series of mini campaigns within an overall framework of a fictional campaign.

Each mini campaign, or “campaign phase”, is self-contained.   Each is designed to use one of my five wargame armies and located in one of the five campaign areas.

At the start of each campaign phase both armies are at full strength, and have four days supplies.   The introduction sets with scene with a brief history of their earlier campaign phases within the overall 1813 campaign.   The campaign diary blog is designed so that anyone can access each campaign day and each battle fought.

In this month’s post I explain how these phases work. You will find it on my “Napoleonic Wargaming” blog here

http://napoleonicwargaming.blogspot.com/

[thistlebarrow]

This week I explain how I handle battle and attrition casualties in my campaign.

I wanted battle, or wargame, casualties to have an ongoing effect on the brigade and corps concerned for the remainder of the campaign.  But I did not want heavier casualties in the first battle to result in what I call the “steam roller” effect.   By that I mean the loser will start the next battle with a greatly reduced chance of winning due to battle casualties.  This unbalance will increase throughout the campaign.

I overcome this by replacing battle casualties providing that the corps concerned is in supply, not moving and not in contact with the enemy.  However 10% of casualties (or one “pip” in wargame rule terms) remain throughout the campaign.    This reduces the morale and combat effectiveness of the brigade concerned by minus 1 on each morale or combat dice throw.

I explain it in a little more detail on the blog, which you can find here

http://napoleonicwargaming.blogspot.com/

[thistlebarrow]

I have found that getting campaign supply right is really very difficult.   There is a tendency to have very complicated supply rules, however they become a great burden to administer.

This week I explain how I tackled this problem.   I developed these rules when it was a PBEM campaign.  I wanted logistics to play a vital role, and to punish any commander who did not plan ahead to ensure his supply lines.   However the rules would have to be easy enough for casual players to handle, and realistic enough for most (if not all) players to accept as reasonable.

I explain what I wanted to achieve, and how I did so, in the blog here

http://napoleonicwargaming.blogspot.com/

[thistlebarrow]

It has been my experience that the most difficult part of a campaign is the interface between the map campaign and wargaming the battles on the table.  This is particularly so in multi player campaigns, when the wargame decides the outcome of their strategic planning and manoeuvring.   I suspect that it will remain so whatever system is used to fight the battles as wargames.   However my system has the advantage that the whole campaign has been planned to provide wargames (not just map battles) to decide the outcome.

This week I explain how I handle this problem.   It is at this stage that the real advantage of my whole wargame system becomes clear.

As always you can find the blog here

http://napoleonicwargaming.blogspot.com/

[thistlebarrow]

This week I give a brief history of the campaign and explain how the sequence works.   This is the last in this series of blogs.  I hope that you have enjoyed them or even found them interesting or useful.

If anyone would like any further information, or any assistance in setting up your own system, I would be happy to help.

As always you will find the blog here
http://napoleonicwargaming.blogspot.com/