Ambush

[Deleted User]

In spite of being a wargamer for quite a while, with the exception of a few WW2 games, I have never gamed with ambush as an element.

Ambush is, of course, often an essential aspect of real warfare. I’m not sure why it’s never featured in our games.

As we plan next year’s Show demo game, a Punic War mega-game, we’re discussing if we should include the Field of Glory mechanism (3 markers, one dummy with a maximum of a unit per marker).
Perhaps a bit pedestrian?

Can you describe any better mechanisms we might incorporate?

donald

[PatG]

Go old school. Mark it on a map of the table, work out how it gets spotted and rely on the ambushing player to be scrupulously honest (or use a referee)

[Angel Barracks]

I don’t think my rules as used in KR 16 would be suitable, but that may suggest/implant an idea?

The rules are sci-fi skirmish.
One of the factions use subterfuge and will masquerade as civilians.
As such the Junker Insurgent player may move groups of civilians around and reveal them to be armed insurgents.
It means the other player is always wary of what may be an enemy.

I guess it is akin to blanks?

[Rhoderic]

I suppose it might help if a ruleset (or umpired system) is being used that denies players total command and control over their troops. Then, the player may be able to suspect an ambush from his God’s Eye perspective, but unable to prevent his troops getting caught in it. Just a thought.

[Rod Robertson]

Ochoin:

For limited ambushes you have several options. Hidden deployment recorded on paper and held by a third party or held sealed by the player to be ambushed. The sudden appearence of enemy troops on table flanks may also work. Using Potential Enemy Force (PEF) markers. Issue a number of PEF markers to one side. There should be between 1-5 PEF’s (ideally 3). The ambushing layer places the PEF’s on the table in cover suitable for launching an ambush from. One or perhaps two of the PEF’s represent real forces. The others are dummies meant to confuse the enemy commander. PEF markets can be made to look like refugees hiding, abandoned camps, fugitive camps or even baggage units cached before battle. Of course they are not really that at all.

For army-wide ambushes like Kadesh or Teutoburg Wald and assuming you’re using an IGo-UGo system, have the player to be ambushed deploy in a predetermined march order on the table. If the ambush is a complete success have the ambushing side begin turn one. If the ambush has been detected, but only at the last minute, then have the player being ambushed go first and thus allow him to partially shake-out his forces from march order to battle deployments before the ambushers strike.

I hope that helps.

Cheers and good gaming.

Rod Robertson.

[Author]

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