After a few months or years of gaming we wanted something more. There is always that stubborn soul in the group who fights to the last drop of blood of the last grenadier, and who will never admit defeat. This is the main reason why we have victory conditions and casualty avoidance rules and why we all want (at least at first) to fight campaigns. I don't think we can ever match the excitement of that first miniature campaign, unfortunately it vanishes all too swiftly.
For a while it is fun, then we discover why staff officers have such nasty personalities throughout history-they are grossly overworked clerks. They get paid for for it, but we armchair generals do this stuff for fun! Is it any wonder that the brief initial enthusiasm for a campaign is lost so soon?
The tragic part is that it need not be that way. It has always been our belief that miniature campaigning should be a relatively simple method of generating table top scenarios and simulating command problems.
To this end, we in our group have fought connected battles. Usually two (2) weighted delaying actions then a final larger battle based on the results of the first two, which while fought on the table successively are campaigned as taking place simultaneously. These have worked out very nicely and we recommend the method to you.
Recently however, we have abstracted full fledged, albeit simplified, campaigns, complete with intelligence gathering, based on Paddy Griffith's work and the old Prussian "Free Kriegspiel". It may all be done in only a few nights and requires as few as three players. There is a C inC for each side and a semi (long suffering) umpire. The umpire's duties do not preclude his having a subordinate command in the actual battles.
I hope our system works as enjoyably for your group as it has for ours. Like the real thing our miniature campaign will take place in a specified theater and have an objective. The objective might be seizing a rail-head (a la Civil War?), river crossing, a pair of road junctions, mountain passage or the like.
A map of the area is then drawn with some terrain; hills, forests, etc. You may, of course use either board game or survey maps, but we prefer fiction. The for this is that we then grid the map into squares, each square being a game board. A number of these likely "battle squares" are then enlarged and detailed maps drawn. These enlarged maps are kept by the umpire alone, since they contain terrain features not shown on the campaign grid map. This is the advantage of fictional terrain. After all, our historical alter egos usually soldiered on with imperfect maps, can we do less? Next a few (2 or 3) random maps for chance encounters are made up, showing the stray forest, unknown hill or farmstead. One of these maps will be used when our table top armies do battle.
Campaign Moves
A great part of the fun comes before battle is joined, the campaign moves themselves are a seperate and enjoyable game. First, of course, each side's OB must be determined, the size of the forces naturally varying with the size of your figure collection and giving numerical edge to the attacker. In addition each 4 to 6 infantry units should have a wagon assigned to represent those infernal but necessary supply trains. Next each unit of line and light cavalry (Heavy horse such as Cuirassier are not wasted in recon but saved for battle) are given 4 patrols which they send out each campaign turn.
Each turn the umpire checks the weather by die roll; weather permitting the armies now move as follows:
- Infantry units 1 square
Cavalry units 1 square, then 2, then 1 etc.
Hs. Artillery as cavalry
Ft. Artillery 1 square via roads otherwise must roll 4, 5, 6, to move
Supply trains as Ft. Arty.
Only cavalry and Horse artillery may forage afield. That is, infantry and artillery must stay in the same square with their trains. In addition (this is the fun part) the patrols of the cavalry units may ride reconnaissance into each adjacent square from the position of its parent unit. For example, if a French Hussar outfit is in square "C" (see map) it could send its patrols into squares B, H, I, J, or D. Further its 4 patrols may be broken up as the C.O. wishes; that is 2 into each of 2 squares or 1 into 4 different squares or any similar combination.
It is through these patrols that the C.O. gathers information about the enemy. Now these may contain nothing, enemy patrols, enemy cavalry, or mixed arms. If the square does contain enemy patrols there will be a fight or skirmish. The umpire then settles the issue with a competitive die roll, plus 1 per extra patrol in the square. Thus it may be wise to keep some vedettes handy in the home squares. If a unit loses, it reports nothing except that it had a brush with enemy horse. The winner reports the fight plus what he thinks he saw in the square, again the umpire decides how accurate this intelligence will be.
Three types of squares are possible:
- Empty: squares contains nothing at all or just patrols, stragglers, etc.,
Screen: Square contains only cavalry and Hs. Artillery units.
Main Body: Square contains infantry and mixed arms etc.
Only the umpire knows what is really in the squares; he rolls a die to determine the patrol's report, 1 report per patrol.
| ROLL | EMPTY | SCREEN | MAIN BODY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | nothing | nothing | nothing |
| 2 | nothing | nothing | 1/2 lie |
| 3 | nothing | main body | cav. |
| 4 | nothing | 2X lie | accurate |
| 5 | cav. | accurate | accurate |
| 6 | main body | accurate | accurate |
nothing = patrol reports seeing no enemy units
main body = patrol reports seeing one half of accurate enemy force
cav. = patrol reports seeing 2 units of enemy cavalry
accurate = patrol reports what is truely in the square
2X lie = patrol reports seeing twice accurate amount of enemy force
If there are no enemy patrols, the umpire uses the chart at once. These reports involve some degree of acting or role playing by the umpire who must give each report the ring of truth, but of course this is a great part of the enjoyment of this phase of the campaign.
All the while the umpire is feeding both CinCs information from their scouts, they, in turn, are attempting to use this information to maneuver their army to advantage. Each perplexed general sits at his imperfect map (out of sight of his opponent - separate rooms work best) moving his units until major portions of mixed arms (umpire's decision) end up on the same square. A battle then results. Every 4 battle turns units may map move, including more patrolling. Of course units locked in combat may neither move nor patrol. Remember too that before each campaign turn the umpire must roll for weather as follows: roll 2 dice; doubles equal bad weather,
- Double 1 FOG: -2 on patrol report rolls
Double 2 or 3 LIGHT RAIN: All arms 1 square move, 1/2 number of patrols
Double 4 or 5 HEAVY RAIN: Trains and all arty. stuck, 1/2 patrols, -1 on patrol report rolls
Double 6 CLOUD BURST: No movement of formed troops, 1/4 patrols, -2 on patrol report rolls
These ideas have worked out very well for the Inland Empire Wargamers.
The maps include our campaign map and several battle maps that we have used. The symbol may mean a railroad or in presteam days an all weather highway which allows regular movement even in the rain.
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