Is your solo wargaming getting a little dull? You feel comfortable with a set of rules but get less and less satisfaction from your games? Maybe you need to return to the basics for a moment and rethink your rule set. Maybe a small change in your procedures is all you need to rekindle the spark. Let's go to the beginning.
The fundamental problem of solo wargaming is how to create a rational opponent, one whose actions are plausible yet somewhat unpredictable. Most rule sets tackle this problem head on by isolating certain variables and defining a process by which you choose which variable will come into effect. Satisfaction is derived by successfully negotiating through this "fog of war."
The history of warfare is replete with surprises. The role of chance is immense. Neither side can be certain of what to expect. While the commander strives to put his well-thought plan into operation he sometimes forgets that his opponent is working every bit as hard to force his will upon his enemy. Your rules might reflect this rich diversity, this dynamism.
For our purposes, let's explore two realms of variables: the terrain and the opposing force.
Terrain. One of the problems with wargaming is that the wargamer has a bird's-eye view of the terrain. Few generals have been so fortunate. Begin by satisfying yourself that you will start your scenario with a reasonable appreciation for the lay of the land but no more than that. A conquistador in the New World may only know that three or four days march on a jungle path will take his band to a fabled city of gold.
However, he also knows that along the way there is a broad river to cross and that a tribe of fierce warriors of unknown strength can be expected to challenge his passage. On the other hand, a leader of Russian partisans may know the taiga like the back of his hand. He may know the best sites to ambush German patrols or fire at armored vehicles with the best chance of withdrawing unmolested. Once you have resolved in your mind how much you should reasonably know about the terrain, identify what it is that you don't know. This will result in variables that your rules can manipulate.
For example, you know the location of a river. Do you know the location of bridges? Will the bridge support your heaviest guns or vehicles? Has the enemy destroyed the bridge as you approached? Do you know the locations of the fords? What are the chances of finding one? I am reminded of General Burnside at Antietam. His corps was held up at Antietam Creek for hours by a handful of confederates while his patrols looked for fording sites. His attempts to cross the stone bridge were thrown back repeatedly until one final, desperate assault by two regiments. Once on the other side of the creek, Burnside learned that a subordinate unit had forded the shallow stream a few miles away. But at least the hapless general got the bridge named after him.
How about that forest. Is the forest floor relatively open with trees far apart and visibility stretching for thirty meters? Or is the floor choked with fallen timber, dense growth of bushes and vines, and visibility no more than five meters? These are conditions not easily determined from an examination of a map. Have you stumbled upon an unexpected path in the forest? Will it take you where you want to go or does it gradually bend off in a different direction?
My favorite terrain trick is the marsh in the center of the valley. From a distance it is virtually undetectable until your troops try crossing it and sink to their knees in goo. Your guns and caissons get mired and can neither go forward nor backward.
Then there is your battalion defending a position protected by an unassailable cliff. Has an enemy patrol found an unguarded pathway up the cliff and into the rear of your unit which your men failed to discover when they occupied the position? Do not forget those man-made obstacles that will not appear on a map. Does your advance guard exit the forest only to run into a long row of wire entanglements, an anti-tank ditch, or a minefield of undetermined length and depth? More often than not, the enemy has weapons trained on the obstacles to make breaching them that much more interesting. There are countless ways to surprise yourself with variables of terrain.
Opposing Force. Now let's look at some of the many variables associated with the enemy force such as size, composition, morale, leadership, location, and posture. Let's look at size first.
There are several ways to describe the size of a force. You might use the number of figures or the number of people those figures are supposed to represent. Another way is to describe the force by the number of units. Perhaps your goal should be to set parameters on the size of the enemy. For example, as your advance guard rounds a bend in the road, you roll a die and determine that there is an enemy force in a wide field before you. You have previously set the following parameters for such an event. You have decided that a force stumbled upon will be at least 40 figures but no more than 90 figures (0r between 800 and 1800 warriors; or between one and three battalions). I chose limits of 40 and 90 for this example because I can easily roll a 1D6 to generate the size of the force using the formula below.
figures = 30 + (die roll x 10)
It should be relatively easy to think up upper and lower limits of a force and then derive a formula to generate the size of the force within those limits. Once you know the size of the force, you want to know how it is composed.
By composition I mean the types and proportion of types in an enemy force. Do you run into a battalion of the Grenadier Guards supported by a troop of the 21st Lancers or does your enemy consist of the Cumberland County Fire Fighters and Militia Company accompanied by the Ladies Auxiliary? There are any number of ways to generate an enemy force; my point here is to use your imagination in designing the parameters of the force. For example, set upper and lower limits of types of troops and the order in which you will determine them. You may want to use people equivalents for major weaponry such as tanks, machine guns, or cannon. For example, you may decide before hand that four figures equals a cannon while six equals a tank.
Examine the following table as an example from the napoleonic era:
-
1. battery: 1 min. - 3 max.
2. heavy cavalry: 0 - 12%
3. light cavalry: 6 - 21%
4. militia: 13 - 28 %
5. guard infantry: 0 - 10%
6. regular infantry: all the rest
The purpose of this article is conceptual only, but at the end I will develop an example rule which demonstrates how you might generate the composition of a force within the example parameters above.
You may also want to prepare two or more sets of parameters. The one above represents a more or less balanced force. You may want to design a set of parameters representing an advance guard. This composite unit, depending on the time period, would be heavy in both light cavalry and light infantry with some possibility of light artillery and regular infantry tagging along.
Okay, so far you have determined how large your enemy is and its composition. Now it is an easy matter to generate morale for the various sub-elements. Just assign die rolls for various morale levels and roll away. Sounds arbitrary but it is historically supportable. Do not be bothered that a militia unit has higher morale than an elite unit, it happened all the time - particularly when the militia had never seen a battle and the elites had seen too much.
You may want to consider having another person doing the rolling and recording of morale. Then keep each unit's morale rating in a separate folded note to be consulted only when you need the morale rating in order to continue with the play.
Leadership is determined very much the same as morale. Designate leaders and roll for their leader rating. As above, consider dragooning some other person to do the rolling and assigning. Then do not open the note until necessary. Of course, another technique is not to roll for morale and leader ratings until the moment you need the ratings in order to continue. Your choice.
Ahh.....location! Once you round that bend, how do you determine the location of the enemy in that field? Remember to position the enemy some place where your front man could have seen them - not deep in the woods or behind the next hill; the placement of hidden forces is a science all its own. Consider this method. Place six markers numbered one through six in six different but plausible locations in the area that can be readily viewed by your troops. Then roll a 1D6. The lucky marker marks the center of mass of the enemy force.
Where might you put these markers? Perhaps on a road, on a hill mass, in the middle of that field, along the edge of a wood, in a village, on a bridge or even in the water at a ford site. Put the markers where logic tells you an enemy might be situated. Remember, when you meet the enemy unexpectedly, he is not always drawn up in line of battle and occupying key terrain. Sometimes you stumble upon him as unprepared as you are. That's why they call these meeting engagements.
And that brings us to our last factor. . . posture. What formation are these schmucks in and how prepared to give battle are they? Well, that might depend on where you located them. If the center of mass was on a bridge, the possibilities are that they are either heading in one direction or the other. This is a pretty simple die roll here. If heading away from you, roll to see what portion of the force is drawn up as a rear guard to protect the crossing. Roll again to see if the enemy commander decides to turn about and give battle. Roll again to see if he moves to the far side of the bridge to defend the river line (most likely) or he moves back to your side of the river and falls in on his rear guard (now his advance guard).
How about that ford? Treat this like the bridge situation as to direction and intentions. Imagine the possibilities if you will. As your force deploys to engage, the enemy scrambles to put himself in a fighting posture. Who will win the race?
If the enemy was on a road, again roll to see if they are marching or are drawn up for a fight. If marching, roll to determine what direction they are heading. Roll to see if they will stand or double-time to get away.
If in a field, atop a hill, or in a woodline, chances are that they are postured for battle. In these cases devise a simple scheme to place them. If there are less than 12 units (including batteries) then place markers numbered 2 through 12 in likely positions. Pick a unit, roll 2D6, and place the unit at the marker with the corresponding number. Place only one unit at each marker. Thus, you may have to roll several times before you arrive at a vacant marker. Yes, this may result in an unconventional formation but historically it happened frequently enough that it should not bother you if the cavalry is in the center while the guns are on the flanks.
Well, there it is. Perhaps this has given you some ideas on how to play with the variables of terrain and the opposing force. The great thing about solo wargaming is the satisfaction derived in working out rules that suit you.
As promised, here is a set of rules for deriving the composition of a force. Let's assume that we have determined the enemy to consist of 100 figures. Let us also assume that 1 battery will equate to four figures. In this simple case, each percentage point equals one figure. Now consult the table below.
Use a 1D6 and role for troop composition in the order shown.
| ORDER | TROOP TYPE | MIN - MAX | FORMULA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | battery | 1 - 3 # bat. = 1 (roll of 1 or 2) 2 (roll of 3 or 4) 3 (roll of 5 or 6) | |
| 2 | heavy cavalry | 0% - 10% | % hv. cav. = (roll x 2)-2 |
| 3 | light cavalry | 6% - 21% | % lt. cav. = 3% + (roll x 3) |
| 4 | militia | 13% - 28% | % mil. = 10 + (roll x 3) |
| 5 | guard infantry | 0 - 10% | % gd. = (die roll x 2) - 2 |
| 6 | regular infantry | all the rest | . |
First, roll for the batteries. We roll a 4 which means 2 batteries (and 8 figures from our 100 expended). Next, we roll a 4 for heavy cavalry which results in 6 figures. Rolling a 5 for militia gives us 25 of those rascals. A roll of 3 results in 4 guard figures. So far we have accounted for 43 figures meaning that the remaining 57 are regular infantry. Voila! Of course, these formulas give percentages of the force so in those cases where the force is not 100 figures, then multiply the per cent by the size of the force. Is this fun or what!
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