In my thirty years of historical miniatures wargaming, I must have heard that phrase a thousand times - and must have said it about half that many times myself. The line between realism and playability is a difficult one to draw and moving one way or the other tends to dampen the fun or challenge of the games. But it is bound to happen. You have your troops, supported by guns, on a hill. The enemy must cross the clear ground, cross a ditch, and climb the hill under your fire. You roll the dice and - you miss! It isn't realistic. Or so I thought. My wife, attentive and loving soul that she is, found an old book on the Mexican War in a store and bought it for me, knowing it was one of my periods of interest (what isn't). The Mexican War and its Heroes published in Philadelphia by Lippincott, Crambo & Co., 1855. I'm not even sure the war was over then! One particular anecdote stands out. At Monterey, General Worth is moving to the attack. A force, consisting of four companies of the 2nd U.S. Artillery (fighting as infantry) and two companies of Texas Rangers (dismounted), the total approximately three hundred men, is ordered by General Worth... "Men you are to take that hill and I know you will do it.". The following is the direct quote, from the book, of the attack: "... On we hurried in double quick time, brustling through the rows of cane and corn towards the river bank. It was soon evident that we were discovered, and while yet in the fields, the batteries opened upon us a fierce and plunging fire, enveloping the crown of the hill with smoke, through which could be seen the blazing of the cannon, which seemed to vie with the sunbeams' glare. On we pressed toward their murderous artillery, until we gained the bank of the rapid stream, which we had to cross. Unprotected and exposed to the very face of the enemy, a terrific storm of shot and grape was now poured into our ranks. Nothing daunted the men rushed into the sweeping current, waist deep, while the enemy's shot, as it struck the water, sent forth a hissing sound, and made the riverboil and foam with the whistling windage of their venomous copperballs. Bravely did our men stem the torrent amid the shower of galling grape, and soon we reached the opposite bank and clambered up the rocky steep..." Such is the hell of men under fire and the vision one conjures up is one of death, destruction, and extraordinary bravery. How does one write these into wargame rules? Casualties? Ah yes, the last few words above, which I left out, tell the true tale. "... up the rocky steep without the loss of a man." Three hundred Americans attacked in line across two hundred yards of open ground waded a waist deep stream and climbed a high hill under fire from "two batteries and several hundred infantry" without a loss. It isn't realistic. But the next time the situation arises, and the dice fall badly (as they always seem to), stifle the cry. Another two pages of rules won't change your die rolls. Just play and enjoy it. Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #55 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1991 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com