I noticed recently the phenomenon of the 'paragraph game' creeping in to some of the wargames glossies. The idea of these being that an introductory passage, perhaps describing a historical character's view of a battle, is followed by a number of courses of action; you choose your preferred course and are referred to another paragraph, which again ends with a number of choices for you to take, and so on. You follow the trail of paragraphs until a narrative is built up. Very clever, I'm sure, but is there a point to these games? To be honest, I am not sure there is. However, the other day I had an idea for using this system for giving artificial intelligence to the enemy army in a solo battle. I immediately sat down and scribbled a few notes to expand the idea. The following set of rules is very much a first draft, thrown on to the page while the idea was still fresh, but I offer it up to SWA members as guinea pigs to try and perhaps report back on how it has worked for them. I am sure Kenn would be happy to print your comments or suggestions. I would be the first to admit that this idea has not had extensive playtesting - I've used it twice, but it seemed to work, with a bit of common sense. Unlike the typical paragraph game, this should take some time to work through; there will be pauses between paragraphs as you move your armies, resolve combat, etc., before moving on to the next one. Bear in mind, it is possible, indeed likely, that you will end up following more than one trail of paragraphs through the game at the same time. These ideas are necessarily vague, as they are not intended for any particular period or rule set. I have used one term: the Critical Point, or CP. This is the 'point of no return' of an attack; use your judgement to determine where this point is - perhaps long bowshot plus one inch, or long musket range plus one inch, or medium artillery range or effective LMG range, depending on your period and rules. First of all, consider your enemy army. Divide it up into two wings, a centre and a reserve. The wings and centre should be deployed on the table. The reserve should be kept off the table and should be further divided into two bodies. If any troops are removed from the table as a result of these rules (rather than killed or routed) they should form a further body of reserve. Then deploy ALL your own army. OK? Right, here goes. Both armies are deployed. The appointed hour has been reached. Let battle commence! 1. Who makes the first move? Throw D6. If 1,2 or 3 Enemy attacks first, go to 15. If 4,5 or 6 You attack first, go to 18. 2. You have reinforced threatened area. If, after 3 moves: The enemy attack is faltering, go to 4. The enemy attack continues to gain ground, go to 3. A stalemate ensues, go to 3. 3. Your reaction: You reinforce threatened area. Go to 2. You attempt to outflank enemy attack. When CP reached, go to 16. Launch counter-attack on enemy attacking force. When first unit of either side breaks, go to 5. Launch attack on another part of enemy army. Go to 18. Fall back. Go to 18. Plus, throw D6. If 1 or 2, also go to 15. 4. The enemy attack is faltering. Do you: Throw more troops in to press home your advantage? Go to 7 Put in another attack elsewhere. When new attack reaches CP, go to 18 AND throw D10 for enemy's reaction: 1,2,3 Reinforce threatened area. Add one body of reserve. 4,5,6 They put in an attack elsewhere. Go to 15. 7,8. They fall back. Go to 18. 9,0. They outflank your attack. Add one body of reserve to attack your flank. When they reach CP, go to 13. 5. If, after 3 moves: Enemy attack falters, go to 4 Enemy attack continues to gain ground. Go to 3 Stalemate ensues. Go to 3 Your troops begin to force enemy back. Go to 7. 6. If your attack is succeeding, do you: Reinforce it? Go to 7 Put in another attack elsewhere? Go to 18. If your attack is failing, do you: Pull back? Go to 11 Reinforce them? Go to 5 7. Your attack is succeeding. The enemy's reaction: Throw D6. 1,2 Reinforce the threatened part of their army. Add one body of reserve. Go to 9. 3,4 Fall back and attack elsewhere. Go to 15. 5,6. Outflank your attack. Add one body of reserve on your flank; when at CP, go to 13 8. Throw D6. 1,2,3. It's a strong attack. Add one body from reserve. 4,5. It's a feint. Remove half attacking troops to reserve. 6. Enemy carries out flanking move. Place one body of reserve at CP on your flank. When the first unit on either side breaks, go to 3. 9. Enemy throws in more troops. Do you: Continue as before? After 3 moves, go to 6 Throw in more troops? After 3 moves, go to 6. Fall back and attack elsewhere? Go to 11 AND 18. Fall back? Go to 11 AND 1. 10. Throw D6. 1,2. Strong flank attack. Add all troops from reserve. 3,4. Average strength attack. Add one body of reserve. 5,6. Distraction. Deploy 2 units of light troops from reserve. When the first unit of either side breaks, go to 3. If none after 5 moves, go to 1. 11. You fall back. Throw D6. 1,2,3 The enemy follows up. Go to 3. 4,5,6 The enemy does not follow up, but attacks elsewhere. Go to 15. 12. Throw D6. 1,2,3. Strong attack. Add one body of reserve. 4,5. Feint attack. Remove half strength to reserve. 6. Attack halts at CP and holds position. When the first unit on either side breaks, go to 3. If none after 5 moves, go to 1. 13. Do your troops react to the flank attack? Yes. Go to 5. No. Go to 6. 14. Throw D10. 1,2,3. Enemy flank weaker than it appeared. Remove half its troops to reserve. 4,5,6. Enemy flank stronger than it appeared. Add one body of reserve. 7,8. Enemy is unprepared. No enemy troops are facing you. 9,0. Enemy is prepared. A substantial part of enemy flank has turned to face your flank march. When the first unit of either side has broken, go to 6. 15. Throw D10. 1,2,3. Enemy left attacks your right. When CP reached, go to 8 4,5,6. Enemy centre attacks your centre. When CP reached, go to 12. 7,8,9. Enemy right attacks your left. When CP reached, go to 8. 0. Enemy flank marches. (Dice for flank) Go to 10. 16. You have attempted to outflank the enemy. Throw D10. 1,2,3. Enemy anticipated your move, place one body of reserve in your path. Go to 5. 4,5,6. Enemy did not foresee this. They do not turn to face you. Go to 5. 7,8,9. Enemy reacts. Nearest enemy turn to face you. Go to 5 0. Enemy attack halts. Go to 15. 17. Throw D6. 1,2. Enemy stronger than you thought. Add one body of reserve. 3,4. Enemy weaker than you thought. Remove half troops to reserve. 5,6. Enemy same strength as you thought. When first unit on either side breaks, go to 6. 18. You attack enemy flank. When CP reached, go to 17. You attack enemy centre. When CP reached, go to 17. You flank march. When CP reached, go to 14. Of course, having tried this out, you might consider it a silly idea, which doesn't work at all. If so, please blame the Scottish beverage under whose influence I had the idea in the first place. Slainte Mhath! Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior #131 Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Solo Wargamers Association. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com