ED NOTE: This article was submitted by Phil some time ago and temporarily misplaced by yours truly. Though dated I feel that the insights of the American Wargaming Scene by a British visitor well worth its printing at this time. The Wargame Discussion Group meeting referred to took place in 1981.
When THE COURIER started, I was originally briefed to keep you all in touch with what was happening on the British scene. However, this year Sue and I spent a month in Texas, Louisiana and Colorado. To tell Americans about America might be thought of as something of a cheat, but I have discovered there are parts of America which other Americans do not reach. So don't be disturbed by a sudden change of scene halfway.
Winter and spring are quiet times in British wargaming, with no shows, no major meetings apart from the traditional Worthing weekend, and everyone getting on with playing quietly. Except me. I was sweating away on the first of our W.R.G. ancient army list books, covering armies up to Julius Caesar. Army lists are hard work. I can run one up in a day if I know the area well, but most take two or three days research before the typing starts. What was worse, there were lots of ideas for new rule mechanisms I wanted to play around with but didn't have the time. There was some consolation though in finding several new armies never played with before, some delightfully daffy and others potentially deadly.
I did get down to Worthing though. This a playing meeting, so doesn't have the competitions, demonstrations and trade stands of what we term a "wargames show". The organisers provide a rambling old building on several floors, with a large number of tables, a bar, a list of cheap accomodation for those not tough enough to put a sleeping bag on the floor, and catering across the street by Col. Sanders and a Chinese establishment.
The cost of room and table hire is divided by those present, and the treasurer of the host club comes around and puts the grip on you. You make your own arrangements for games with the cream of English ancient players, plus visitors from France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Canada, the U.S.A., Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Not all at once, but I've met gamers from each there. For those as doubtful of British geography as I am of American, Worthing is on the coast due south of London, near Brighton.
The next important event, and it was important for the future of wargaming, was the Knuston Hall conference of Wargames Developments. You will be aware from THE COURIER that WD is an association of wargame ideas generators. The conference centre is a converted country house with accomodation and meals laid on at a reasonable price. The main activity was a series of working parties each discussing one aspect of wargaming under a team leader who later reported to the main conference. You could choose which to attend. There were also demonstrations of new gaming techniques, not all, in fact not many, involving figures on tables. The evenings were devoted to games primarily for entertainment, some of which can be described only in a reverent and disbelieving hush. And most important, every free minute was spent talking wargames ideas. Some didn't bother to sleep.
Starting with the working groups, these included one on Dark Age and Medieval Gaming which succeeded in evolving a new technique which treated the activities of leaders in the sort of detail associated with skirmish games while those of the mass of followers were treated collectively in less detail. Another tried * to pin down just what activities were required of a Napoleonic general and his staff.
Others dealt with role playing games, simulator games based on the same concept as "Ace of Aces", computer-mediated games, and terrain representation. The only problem was that you couldn't get to them all.
Demonstrations and presentations included George Jeffrey's performing midgets with what seemed the whole of the Grand Armee in 5mm scale on a table 50 feet long and 20 players being introduced to his decision point rules recently described in THE COURIER, a WW2 set seeking to incorporate planning time considerations and real life order writing, a presentation on rule writing techniques to a very small audience by me, and the star turn, Paddy Griffiths TEWT "Tactical Exercise Without Troops"
This was set in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, and involved an attack by a battalion and a half squadron on a position defended by a company and pair of guns. Players were allocated roles at company commander level with others taking specialist commands or staff roles. They then went forth into the great outdoors to maneuver imaginary units over real terrain. I didn't take part, so can't vouch for all the stories I heard. They included Steve Badsey as cavalry commander, dismounting and remounting himself, sending himself forward as an individual scout, sending himself as a mounted orderly to report his findings, and finally leading a gallant charge only to find that he was not prepared to follow him! He also regretted the lack of a horse. The umpires drove around in cars, so THEY had no problems.
Another such concerned the company commander who was ordered to charge into a wood, only to find that it was actually a high wall covered with ivy-Bent Bayonets! The attacking commander fouled up his staff work, leaving his subordinates without guidance at a critical time. They put in the suicidal frontal attack they thought he had ordered, but got lost and ended up sweeping the enemy away with a brilliant flank attack. They then listened to their general at the post mortern taking the credit for the success of his plan, and will never accept a story in a history book unquestioningly again. Some of them are now muttering darkly about chance factors for obedience, order delivery, navigation and movement in future Napoleonic rules.
Entertainment games included a tiger hunt with hidden tiger movement but occasional audible growls, in which Sue controlled the tiger and I a pair of cowardly beaters. It ended with the tiger trampled, the elephant stampeding, the deserting dirver escaping up a tree, the rajah flat on his back in the howdah on top of his loader who was having hysterics, and all beaters fled except mine, who were cutting off the tiger's whiskers as souvenirs.
Another such game was the Estonian horse race. My account is second hand and may be influenced by the compulsory beer drinking necessary before admittance. This was ostensibly the normal race track type game, but all the competitors had been given secret instructions. I suspect that they may have all been told to be the sole finisher.
Yet another was an "Ace of Aces" type game involving the attack of Bushnell's turtle on the British fleet. I was told this could only be played once, as after that you either knew too much or were too humiliated. Only one player forgot to close his hatch before submerging. You are right, it was the designer, of course.
The next important happening was arriving in Dallas, where Sue had a computer conference, in 100 degrees plus. Now we don't have such temperatures here, but once I had decided the crucial question as to whether I should walk or run to the next patch of shade, I did all right. My old California stetson had got so old and battered that a Main Street western gear store offered me a 20% discount on anything in stock so that I wouldn't walk out wearing it, which offer I gratefully accepted. I like Dallas. It seems to me a quiet, sensible town, with plenty of good book stores. However, wargamers seeking to tempt their spouses over on a British trip might point out to them that any major city offers as good quality stores as Neiman Marcus, with much better variety and much lower prices.
I also found out how to get to the city wargames club at the Armadillo Soldier Shop by bus, which the locals swore was impossible. I spent a deal of time there, but didn't make the impression that Sue did on her two visits. The first time she walked in, she was wearing the Odin on Slepnir broach she wears when playing with her Vikings. As it happens, a Viking versus Samurai game was just starting. The Vikings took one look at the broach and took off. The distraught Japanese commander looked up from his trampled swordsmen and said, "Jeeze, I ain't never seen Bondi impetuous before." Now he has.
In fact he has seen a whole Viking army impetuous. They were playing again next time she came, and I never got to see that game. I answered a couple of rule queries, and when I looked around it was all over! This unfortunate effect on Vikings was to continue. My main service to the locals was to show them the draft army lists. Absolute quiet all round, except for the rustle of paper and "Gee. This one's a killer."
Next stop Louisiana, to stay with Ed Mills at Baton Rouge. The temperature here was described as a "clement 98 degrees", but with humidity about the same level, which nearly wiped Sue out. I survived better, maybe because of my week wandering Dallas while she was in an air-conditioned auditorium. The stories the Texans fed me of strangers growing green mould over-night turned out to be mild exaggerations, but southern Americans entertaining people from milder climes should mavbe warn them to keep their fluid in take up and be alert for signs of exhaustion.
Other rumors were equally unfounded. There were no alligators in the yard, only raccoons, cottonmouths and such, although the mosquitoes make a good substitute. My British repellant kept them from my bare arms, but they bit me through my shirt!
I had three games in Louisiana, two of which seemed designed to convince me that I had been unjust to some armies in 6th edition by making me play with them against their most feared opponents. One was with Ostrogoths against E. I Romans, the other with Medieval Scots against Assyrians. Since I managed to scrape a draw out of each, maybe Ed Mills' comments on the trend of the rules in THE COURIER might be regarded as Not-Proven. In each case, I managed to eliminate the enemy general. In the game against the Assyrian, it was while he was pursuing part of my front line, and probably a dour Scots revenge for him having created a river all along my back table edge! I enjoyed the Scots.
You wouldn't expect an army almost entirely of medium spearmen to be very capable, but its very simplicity and cheapness work for it. The third game was with my own "18mm" Late Romans against Ed Mills' Burgundians. Again a draw, but I can't remember how. I do know it was him frightening me rather than the opposite.
While in Louisiana, I was not allowed to escape the battlefield at New Orleans. I don't somehow enjoy battles that we lost to you as much as the other sort, but I was gratified to pick up a book by a U.S. Marine general which concluded that Packenham did a reasonable job, and that only adverse luck, Andrew Jackson and a bullet stopped him winning it. More important, we had a grand Civil War tour taking in the opinions of the Americans as opposed to the Yankees, including a visit up north to Vicksburg. I am still somewhat surprised that the Mills boys did not succeed in smuggling a cannon out. However, the high spots were really non-military, the privilege of meeting and working with Ed's beautiful hawks, the delicious cooking, and exotic wild life such as tree locusts and 7 inch red and black grasshoppers.
Next trip was San Antonio, where Ed was competing in the Texas Ancient meet I was umpiring. Ed kept promising that the next few miles along the road would see an end to Louisiana type greenery and the start of the Texas desert. Unfortunately, the desert kept receding, and we never did catch up with it. I hate to say it, but Texas scenery looks more like English than that of any other state I have yet visited, with the same proportion of open land and woods. We hoped to see the western half of the state as well, but we were not rich enough to travel by bus. Believe it. Our supply of cash was waiting ahead in Denver, and the bus companies did not take American Express, so we had to fly-for 20 dollars less!
First, though, the Texas meet. There were local eliminating contests on the Friday, then the surviving locals and the out of town entrants played 3 games each on the Saturday. Their scores were then aggregated, and the top eight took part in a knock-out on the Sunday. This was certainly a contest for tough guys. Such a grueling schedule has never been seen on this side of the Atlantic. We find two games on Saturday and one on Sunday quite enough, and we don't have to travel so far. The rewards were commensurate, a series of huge trophies that make the prizes for our Nationals look like peanuts, plus vouchers from manufacturers. I forgot to mention that there were actually two contests, one for 25mm and one for 15mm. Another canard about Texas is that the inhabitants are noisy and selfassertive. This was the quietest meet I ever attended, and I had nothing to do but watch. I will admit that Texas wargamers have a very adequate ability to pull a leg with a straight face if cautiousl~ offered, but I enjoy the competition.
There were three Viking armies present, and Sue had her previous effect on them. They rampaged all over, killing and maiming. Ed Mills, having just scraped through to the second day's fighting, and knowing he was drawn against a Viking, suggested to Sue that she went sight-seeing on Sunday morning. This ruse was successful. By the time she returned, all the Vikings had been knocked-out, and Ed went on to win the 15mm half of the competitions. I understand that the Texans have since been to HIS meet, and returned the compliment.
We said farewell to Ed, and next day took our host Rusty Rogers to see a great British battle site, the Alamo. True, the English, Scots, Irish and Welsh that died there outnumbered the Americans. On then to Colorado, for hospitality from John Mumby and his wife, mountain scenery and thin dry air. Instead of drying up and blowing away, as we were warned in Louisiana, Sue florished, and now claims the record for high altitude English folk dances, provided that 6 rant steps at 14,000 feet before she had to sit down is sufficient. I also rode western style for the first time, and was considerably surprised to find that my stirrups were supposed to be SHORTER than I ride at home.
There was also a little wargaming. I was put up against Terry Shockey, whose Han Chinese were currently terrorising the neighborhood. I was given my favorite Late Romans. Putting a good face on it, for I am considered nothing better than an average player at home, I started in on the psychological warfare, telling him that I had woken up that morning feeling right with the world on a lovely day, been taken to church to make me right with heaven, had a superb second breakfast, and that nothing could now possibly go wrong for me. This turned out to be true. All my mistakes paid off, all his good ideas fouled him up, and his dice were secretly, no, openly, working for me.
The center of the table turned out to be heavily wooded. I deployed the compulsory proportion of troops there, but gave most of them orders to move immediately to the flanks, leaving behind a single Palatine auxilia unit of 8 LMI with javelins and darts and four with bow. Instead of writing down WH orders as I intended, I then wrote them alongside the next unit and gave the LMI QA instead. So instead of holding the wood on my side of the table, the brave idiots went steaming forward to attack a wood in which half of Terry's army appeared to be hiding.
Unfortunately for Terry, the two woods were exactly 100 paces apart, so on seeing my men emerge, his had to take a surprise sighting test, and proved to be very unhappy about the whole thing. And that was the most satisfactory part of the game from his point of view. From then on it got worse.
Now home again, and feeling slightly guilty about all the hospitality received, we would like to plead for Americans to come and see us. We would like it to be those we have stayed with, but they seem oddly reluctant, so don't anyone else hold back. Visiting wargamers are an asset, and we enjoy showing the sights.
Autumn, or Fall to you, is not quiet, but the season of all the biggest wargames shows, including the Nationals. These were much as usual except for the latter, which turned out to be a disorganized mess, chiefly remarkable for the fact that one player was found to be using a die with non-standard and optimistic numbering.
Much more fury was raised by the discovery that most of the manufacturers of allegedly 15mm figures were actually producing 18mm figures that will not fit the current standard base sizes, and that one in particular was selling them in standard packets of inconvenient number "as a service to the customer." Sales resistance has reportedly been serious, and I have even heard suggestions of a miniboom in 25mm figures as a consequence. Other wargames have gone the other way, to 5mm figures.
The problem with 5mm figures is that only one designer is currently producing them. If he steps under a bus tomorrow, a lot of us will be leftwith half armies or no opponents. He also has difficulty filling all the orders. Maybe this is a field that American manufacturers could take up? I can assure the doubtful that the figures in mass look very realistic, that their light weight preserves them from damage while travelling, and that detailed painting is possible, if hardly necessary. I have seen 5mm Late Romans painted with correct shield patterns.
You might also consider the benefits to the rule writer. He can use present table move distances and an increased ground scale to give him a more realistic time period, and plan on whole corps maneuvering on the table. The rules will have to be simpler, but is that such a bad thing?
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