From Chris Nelson I believe the Franco-Prussian War is the next up and coming period. Paul Koch's NACH PARIS rules attracted a great deal of enthusiastic attention at what was otherwise a pretty dismal ORIGINS Convention for miniatures gainers, I hope you'll consider for your next special issue. Your newsletter is the best publication in the hobby!
From Joe Alexander Currently I do almost no wargaming, just paint and collecting. I am working on the Second Boer Way armies, Napoleonic (French and Austrian), Renaissance (French-Swiss) & Ancients (Rome). MWAN remains the journal of choice in this field - would like to see more figure reviews - articles, in general, are excellent.
Kevin Fitzpatrick Issue #23 was superb! We played "Last Stand on Bataan" twice. Both games resulted in American tactical victories. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the rules, I think it would make a fine convention demo game.
In reference to Ron Telucky's letter, I believe his intentions are well placed, but perhaps a bit too ambitous to start with. I firmly believe that recruiting one or two people a year per current gamer would be a good start.
From Ned Zuparto A friend of mine, Peter Dennis in England, has designed 2mm Napoleonic blocks. I saw the masters in England last summer, Apparently someone there has indicated interest in producing them, so they may hit the market. They did look good, but are naturally an acquired taste, just like 5mm. The infantry block is a rectangular shaped base upon which are sculpted a 3-deep infantry unit, I think they'd be perfect as each block could equal a company stand, I would then mount them on battalion stands and interchange battalion stands to depict different formations,. Thus, 6 stands spaced apart but glued to the same stand would be a battalion in open coluan, while the stands back to back on one base would be a close column, etc. Painting, of course, would be more "suggestive" than with larger figures! I think table space is at a premium in England than here, and these things could find a good market there. In fact, I wonder if a boardgame company couldn't hook up to include them in a Napoleonic boardgame, as a beginning bridge to miniatures,. For myself, I'm currently fooling around using the Jeffrey command and control, rates of movement/change of formation structure, but trying to find a way of kriegspieling the tactical results without an umpire. From that I'll see if I can formalize something simple to handle tactical engagements. One of my ideas is that perhaps +3 is NOT equal to three +1s. Typically in wargames, we assign values to many different things, some important, some minor. We then add up all of the numbers and compare, I'm thinking that maybe there should be different categories or types of modifiers.
Thus, if all is equal between combatants, perhaps we can look at a minor difference or two to help determine a winner. On the other hand, there might be one particular value that is crucial in a situation -- and whoever has that value in that situation can ignore the other little "plus 1" modifiers as not being relevant. That might speed up calculation time and simplify combat resolution.
From Richard Black There have been a couple of articles lately which I think deserve a reply. First, I would like to take up Greg Novak's statement about ZULU and ZULU DAWN in the interview from Vol 4, #5. Although what he says about these two movies may actually be true (I don't know, it is past my period), I think the point he is trying to make is false. As I read it, he is saying you can have good or historical -- but not both. Let us analyze these movies. In ZULU you had two major characters (which seems an awful lot for the moviegoer to cope with) whose experiences became the focal point of the move. You saw the action through the eyes of these two (Hook & Chard), and got interested in their experiences. In Zulu Dawn there were so many, the scenes kept shifting between them so much that no interest in the players could be felt. It thus became a documentary, I think the same could be said for the tabletop wargame. A good set of rules can be "historical", but most sets of rules tend to be tilted toward the unhistorical. The problem is that the writers tend to either try to recreate every problem experienced by every soldier, or else bend the facts to give a feel for the period. The first technique leads to endless arguments over whether it is historically accurate that you have a 10% chance of closing and killing a man in a bayonet charge or something equally as impossible to agree on, The second leads to the attitude "if you don't like my rules, I don't care, I only write them for my own pleasure anyway."
I don't think we can afford the luxury of either point. I think that is why the skirmish/role-playing/small action games are becoming so popular. As with ZULU, they allow you to focus on one or two (probably a few) figures and care what happens to them.You don't have to worry about whether the right flank is holding or how fast the artillery can be brought up, only about seeing your figure(s) survive. Thus, very historical (perhaps as shown by the recreation societies) events can occur on the tabletop.
Secondly, I would like to "defend myself" from the statements made by Tom Harris in Vol 4 #6. He has espoused the usage of metal stands wither without magnetic material to keep them from shifting. He did something which I should have done in my original article, that is state what his experience is. My experience is with 30mm and 25mm troops. Now, some of these can be quite heft and create a good amount of momentum when sliding around. Thus, a metal stand can have quite an effect when they slide from side to side. In his 15mm, you are talking much smaller masses (quite often 3 or 4 figures compared to 6 to 10 figures in the 30's) and the damage will be scaled down accordingly. Thus, I stand by my original statement, I wouldn't use metal stands for my troops without being able to secure them from sliding. This is no argument with those using 15mm who wish to do so.
As far as cost goes, I mount my troops on 1/8th inch hardboard (Masmite). This can be bought in 4X8 foot sheets at a reasonable cost. Also, unlike Tom, I dm1t make a practice of dismounting and remounting my figures. I typically buy enough figures to play in a period and mount them permanently. Thus, I am always ready to play in one of my periods.
From Tom Fields I'm very sensitive to the fate of beginners in the hobby.I know how easy it is to discourage them. After watching a medieval game in a friend's basement, I became very excited about miniatures and agreed to attend their next meeting, fully intent upon joining. At the meeting, they drafted me into an age of sail game. I had only one ship to worry about, which was fine with me as I had never seen the rules. I was doing OK with my ship until the judge decided to see if I really knew what I was doing. For the next two turns, he gave me control of our entire force. I ran several of the ships aground and the enemy escaped. One of the players on my side was so mad that he spent the rest of the evening yelling at me . Needless to say, I never went back. At least I didn't desert the hobby entirely. I kept reading and painting and going to conventions even though I was afraid to play with strangers. I wonder how many in similar situations just give up completely? Most, I suspect. We have to remember others' feelings, especially when we are trying to win them over to our hobby. I've since met so many nice people in gaming and expect I will continue to do so. But in the beginning, it was a "close run thing".
From Doug Ziprick In response to Howard Whitehouse's article on pickled fish, when he starts smearing catsup on his tee-shirt, we will know he has taken this staging too far! In regards to the article on preparing figures for painting, I tried it and his ideas work very well. I have been working on some short and sweet "beer and pretzel" rules for the ACW period and for the WWII period. Each runs about four type-written pages. If you would like to see them for possible inclusion in your magazine (Editor's Note: please do) I will be pleased to send copies of each to you. They are both in the play testing stage yet I would not be unhappy if you felt they required more work before inclusion in MWAN. We have played several scenarios where one side has a few units to start out with and is attempting to cut off retreating and routing units from an off-table battle. This game was a very fluid free for all with me junction having units from both sides passing through it on several occasions during the course of the game because the number of units on the table were so few that none could be spared for a stationary holding force! It was our groups first time of trying a multifront gave and was enjoyed by all. The winner was determined by the ratio of how many units the rebs were able to rout off the table vs the number of federal units that were able to escape off the other side of the frustration. with the movement tables on JOHNNY REB and like Todd Fisher's suggestion for modifying the movement table. As regards skirmishers, we consider that they will take advantage of every bit of cover that is found on the battlefield and as such re rate them as being always in cover, unless they are in the middle of a plantation front lawn. We also noted the bloody tables for cannons blowing up and officer casualties, but felt that this would be representing in an easy way that artillery units could run out of ammo very easily and very easily if a limber or two blew up. Also, as the gun barrels became fouled and the pails ran out of water, the effective rate of fire from the gun battery became very slow. As far as officers are concerned, we felt that this represents the progressive loss of command control that occurs as various key officers become lost to the chain of command for whatever reasons. Someone was questioning in his article just when the development of mavement stands took place. The first that I became aware of this possibility was in 1962 when Joseph Morschauser III published his book on wargames in miniature. I tried playing all the games in the book and found them to be too dependent on die rolling to my liking, The next time I noted multi movement stands was in an article by Mr. Grant in his series on WWII battles in I believe the old AIRFIX magazine.
The article on Bristoe Station was very good -- more like it would be very useful. It is interest that Hill never officially admitted he had been suckered into an ambush! The Iroquis terror game and Wilderness Game were also excellent! For the game conventions, I believe the participants in the game would be most happy to receive a small medalion or felt emblem that credited their participation. in the game (Editor's Note: LITTLE WARS Convention, run by Todd Fisher and Ken Kaufman, do this for the "best" Players).
The only time a prize of larger size would be given would be in an elimination. tournament such as the type where a number of ancients players take part in. That would allow everyone who participated in the game to have a remembrance of the game and also leave with a "good feeling" toward the gaming. A modelling tip, WWII Bailey bridges are easily modeled in 1:200 and 1-300 scales by using Campbell's bridge girder set for HO scale in styrene plastic, The girders come with a flange for modeling box girders.
This flange makes a useful roadway portion of he bridge with the edges of two flanges glued together.
- A: Remove corner of girder
B: Glue together or add a "small girder' filler inbetween as I do in 1:200 Zap-A-Gap glue does it!
From Howard Whitehouse Another excellent issue! Got MWAN #23 Monday I had to hide Tony Adams article from my wife in case she forbids from wargaming with Faye Dunaway ever again. I'm glad you printed Paddy's "Garde Mobile" game - I'd seen that some months ago and hoped he might let you use it.
From Orv Banasik The part of your letter to me regarding possible format changes in MWAN was interesting. If I might make a couple of suggestions; you have to careful of catching the dreaded disease of Editor's Burnout! As much as I would like to got MWAN every two months, a quarterly approach would certainly be easier and allows a person some personal time. It seems like most wargame publications go great guns for a period of time until the editor collapses from exhaustion or loses interest from overwork. Next I would try to keep a certain amount (maybe one-third) of the material very basic. The magazine should be useful to the new wargamer. These types of articles could and should be run every so often so there is magazine appeal to the new gamer.
The last idea is from a review of MWAN which I saw in MILITARY MODELING last week, which calls it a "friendly magazine". I hope you can keep it that way. Gamers that specialize in criticism and nitpicking can start their own magazine. I'm starting to work on the scenery articles. The first one will deal with building a light portable and cheap wargaming table. I hope to have a good 3-dimensional drawing of the table design. Then into actually building the scenery, I've also been working on a project of converting 1/500th scale Napoleonic sailing ships for wargaming. Holler has a mini line of plastic ships (8-9 useful ships) which sell for $2.25 each, They are 4-6" long and 5" tall I've been cutting them down to waterline models and they work great! I'll try and get an article together on the modifications.
(Editor's Note; Received the ship conversion article and it will be in next issue - very good indeed and good graphics! Regarding Orv's comments re Editor Burnout, it is an issue that pops up from time to time, which should be no surprise to anyone and a great number of subscribers have mentionied this possbility to me, especially MWAN grows and grows and grows in as it has during the last year, I am very appreciative of everyone's in this regard, I view MWAN as a "friendly magazine" and because of that, free to discuss issues, such as this one, within its pages as I hope always will be a newsletter through which I have developed a great good friends who support it by writing for it and subscribing to it. During last year, I have given a lot of thought to turning it into a "Professional" one, though I suspect, it would become too much work as with MWAN, I can ignore the typing mistakes and make fast, poor attempts at layout, etc., while with a "professional" magazine, I could not afford to do so. Besides, we have THE COURIER & MILITARY WARGAMES, both of which are quality products and probably fill current need on the market. MWAN is in it's fifth year of publishing and as I mentioned previously, has grown a great deal. The first year I had 25 or so subscribers and now there are nearly 250 with an additional 100 copies going to hobby stores. Ads keep coming in (I've stopped attempting to obtain them) which, in my own mind, means that MWAN be longer so as to not have a newsletter which has more ads than articles. There are times when I think, how much more can I add to MWAN, in terms of typewritten pages, each tire, as with this issue I am now on page 61 with a number of regular features to go. The only time I ever really feel burn-out is when I approach page 40, or so and realize that I have a long way to go and when I am collating 500 copies. Otherwise, I look forward to putting out each issue and to be honest, waiting for the response from readers, which always comes, stating the fact that they enjoy it. What has made this issue much easier is the fact that a number of writers typed their own articles using my format so that I could just cut and tape their articles to my 8.5 x 14" paper, something I hope that more people will do in the future. Such an approach may reduce how "nice" MWAN looks with just one type of typewriter being used ' but will save me time and energy. With two jobs, two kids, a new house, figures to paint, rules to write, and games to play, the less time I spend typing the better, I have always "aired" for ten years of publishing or 100 issues, feeling that if I accomplished that, MWAN could not be thought of a wargaming publication that, as Orv described, went great guns for a period of time" and then stopped publishing. Hope you don't mind the rambling.
Back to MWAN # 24 Table of Contents
Back to MWAN List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Magazine List
© Copyright 1986 Legio X
This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com