You can learn a lot about wargaming from re-enacting, I was told earlier this year. It turned out to be true. "Ah! but re-enacting is only dressing up", I hear you cry. Could be. Anyway, listed below are a few things that you might like to bear in mind next time you look over your favourite rules.

1. MOVEMENT - COLUMN AND LINE.

It came as a great shock to me that these two formations walk at the same speed. Oh yes they do! It's only when the line has to either change direction or negotiate difficult terrain that it slows down, yet practically every set of rules has columns and lines at varying rates, column of course being faster.

2. CANNONS MAKE BIG NOISE.

Why is this a revelation? Try standing next to one and find out. Now I'm in the horse artillery I don't care, but as a sprog footslogger it quickly makes a difference whether you are deployed in front of the barrel or behind it (I am talking of relative positions alongside guns here). If you are forward of the axle it is impossible to hear anything whilst cannons are going off and quickly becomes very uncomfortable. This should really be incorporated at least in morale rules, and for orders too.

3. MASSED DRUMS ARE A PAIN IN THE BUM.

Why? Because whilst they are all happily beating away like Cozy Powell you can't hear your orders. Not good.

4. MUSKETS GET HOT AND HEAVY.

Talk about a penalty for shooting. After a couple of rounds you need woolly mittens or a tougher constitution than I to manhandle a barrel effectively. Sure, the veterans can hack it, but not the conscripts. Something to think about.

5. THINGS AROUND ARE MEANINGLESS.

(Editor: A not uncommon state for our man eh?)

All rules seems to give units fantastic visibility rules, with all sorts of things effecting troop morale. Tosh! You are so busy with the mundane things like loading and cracking funnies with the blokes next to you that you hardly notice a thing outside your limited arc of visibility. After all, that's what officers are for, right?

So there you are, five things that I have found out this year. I reckon there are more. Indeed, I invite you all to write in with your suggestions for number 6 onwards, or perhaps to tell me that I am completely wrong. That's what the letters page is for.