[Sparker]

Dave Fielder at the HMS Sultan Wargames Club occasionally put on a FPW game in 6mil using Principles of War. Great games and informative.

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Yes thanks for posting mate!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Good stuff mate!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

You can never have too much 15mm goodness – who are your VDV going to fight?

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Ivan Sorensen wrote:

Im in the US currently so I ordered from Scale Creep.

Alles Klar!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

yorkie wrote:

Hi, I would strongly recommend that you take a look at the Battlegroup rules. I too am an ex FOW player, Battlegroup Kursk for me gives a real period flavour, it actually feels right for the Eastern front, and not only is it more detailed and “realistic”* but its a great book too. *Obviously no game is truly realistic but it at least makes alot of sense, Im a soldier myself and alot of what goes on in the game I can relate to…. In a nutshell, top game and great support over on the Guild forums. Steve

Seconded. Ex TA soldier myself, including attendance at the School of Infantry’s Platoon Commander’s Division course, before I saw the light and joined the Royal Navy, where I had much involvement in Naval Gunfire Support, or Naval Fires as its now called. And for my money the BattleGroup series of rules models this very well – it may seem cumbersome the way its written in the rules, but it translates very well onto the table once you’ve got the drill off pat.

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Yes neither of us bloggers at the club took pictures as we were both involved in playtesting a commercially sensitive game ourselves so wanted to avoid temptation, but certainly will take some next time…

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Good to see one of our supporting manufacturers getting some positive feedback. I dunno what it is about Dorset UK but both QRF and Peter Pig are great companies run by really nice blokes! Must be the country and sea-side air or something!

But confused about where Scale Creep come in – did you order your QRF through them?

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

What William said!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Yes what Neil said – use centrimetres instead of inches – easy as! And of course there is a whole section in the rules on base sizes etc with 15mm figures.

Although I have found, for some reason, that in 15mm the command radii for your generals become even more critical and it can be a really difficult decision on where to put your generals!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/thoughts-on-15s.html

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Maurice as its popular at my Uni club and seems to work well with our 10mil collection. Though I daresay if SYW 28mil plastics ever take off my usual megalomania will kick in and I’ll have to use Black Powder for mega games….

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

It all comes down to squad leadership. If in doubt (and who isn’t once in combat!) the German squad leader will know his Commander’s Commander’s intent (his 2 – up), and he will also know he will be praised, indeed expected, to use his initiative. Whereas the Russian sergeant, will be lucky if he knows what his platoon commander’s intent is, let alone his company commanders! Should he exercises his initiative, which he will never have been trained to do, he can expect suspicion if he is successful, and punishment if he is not. His default position, which has gotten him his present rank, is to stick doggedly to his orders, no matter how invalid they may have become. If in doubt, go to ground and await further orders. If its important, someone will come….

That’s not to say there is evidence that at the higher echelons – division, corps and army command, the Russians were starting to permit, even encourage initiative and mission-orientated orders from 1943, but I don’t think this ever filtered down to squad level…

As for the rest, as said above, the Germans have more firepower. As for adversity and courage, well, as Dennis Showalter explains brilliantly in his Blood and Armour there’s not much to choose between both armies’ individuals soldiers realising their best chance of survival is to stick to each other and fight it out…

 

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Yes great looking game – really love the way you’ve done the topography – a real feeling of the curve of the hill. Had to laugh at the Wehrmacht ‘blue on blue’

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Any good?

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Well as it goes a couple of the lads were playing a WW1 FOW game set in Mesopotamia last night at the club…Seemed to go well too…

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Thanks guys. Yes I think I will base my infantry on squad bases a la FOW to provide flexibility. You both make good points about the C2 and the lack of variation in combat results at a smaller scale….I guess the only answer is playtesting!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Thanks mate! Saves my rather painful bodging!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Plastic SYW? Oh my!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Hi Steve,

Yes absolutely bang on about the Barbero work, very even-handed and eminently readable. I wonder if it will be reissued to cash in on the bicentennial?

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Thanks mate, very kind. Yes Black Powder certainly allows you to stage unfeasibly large games! Not heard of anyone doing Tex-Mex yet thoughm, good on you!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Yeah I loved Warmaster Ancients too! Had absolutely no previous interest in Ancients, was entirely new to 10mil, but loved it – it helped that Dave, at my then club, HMS Sultan Wargames Club, was really enthusiastic and organised some great games. I think they were a major breakthrough in rules design…

Now I have followed Rick Priestly into Hail Caesar and Black Powder, and have never looked back, but I might organise a game for nostalgia’s sake sometime….

What do my club mates sneer at? My predilection for using Tigers and Panthers I suppose!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

I was trying to get my Aussie club mates to stage a spectacular for the anniversary of Gallipoli next year, but its all too hard apparently…But we may do some Mesopotamian actions and Pacific stuff…(Yes there were some actions around the German colonies here!)

Other than that I am hoping to organise some of the scalable naval actions – Dogger Bank, and perhaps the Jutland Battle Cruiser action. Some lovely looking 1/1800th models from WTJ are on the way…

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Thanks Geoff no I didn’t know that, but I do now!

But for my 432 I was thinking more of the commander with ‘Battle Bowler’ covered in scrim, rather than a ‘bonedome’ – like in the picture in Gen Sir John Hackett’s ‘The Third World War’ of the Nato Infantry storming a position with the 432 commander providing covering fire.

Kinda like this but also with the GPMG to stick on the front…I guess I could bodge something up once I have your latest in my sweaty palms!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Dear All,

Formatting seems to have fallen out of my earlier post, so here it is again tied up a bit:

We are already seeing a flood of new books being released timed to cash in on the resurgent interest in the Bicenntennial of Waterloo and the 1815 Campaign next year. For what its worth here are some that I think will be worth my hard earned dollars:

Title, Author, Publication date, Why I think they’re worth it!

Waterloo 1 Quatre Bras

Waterloo 2 Ligny

Waterloo 3 Mont St Jean & Wavre

All the above by John Franklin (Osprey) Being published from  20/11/14 and thereafter. Author with solid reputation of existing scholarship/Osprey usually good value

The Prussian Army of the Lower Rhine 1815 Peter Hofschorer/Gerry Embleton 20/10/14 Another Osprey. Both authors are excellent. I’ve crossed swords with Hoffie but he’s the authority on the Prussian army when he doesn’t have an axe to grind. Gerry’s illustrations are always worth the dosh on their own.

Waterloo The Decisive Victory Col Nick Lipscombe 20/10/14 Author-serving British Army Officer and previously published outstanding work (Wellington’s Guns and the Peninsular War atlas

Prelude to Waterloo – Quatre Bras Andrew W Field 19/10/14 Author-serving British Army Officer and previously published outstanding work (Waterloo the French Perspective

Waterloo: The history of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles Bernard Cornwell 05/05/15 Author- if Bernard can’t make yet another Waterloo history unputdownable no-one can!

Waterloo Myth and Reality Gareth Glover 19/12/14 Author also has a good record in this field and is an ex Royal Naval Officer to boot – need I say more!

I look forward to hearing if I have missed any good ones, or if you disagree with my selection! Cheers!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Steve Burt wrote:

What are you doing wasting time on here, Sam?Shouldn’t you be getting Blucher finished?

Lol! Trust me, it will be well worth the wait! Playtesting my Eckmuhl scenario tomorrow – can’t wait!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Can’t find anything open-source so want to be reticent. But think small and high powered vssl with a large control surface to prop ratio…….If wire guided, however, the operator will/should be more cautions to avoid snags and snaps…

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Geoff,

Any value in sculpting an FV432 Commander in battle bowler sitting in the hatch rim manning the GPMG on the turret ring, all in a single casting? Maybe so the hatch coaming on your 432 model can just be sliced off and this piece glued on…Maybe same-same for Chieftain commander?

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

The white horizontal stripe around the turret, often matched with one going across the top of the turret, was used in the last stages of the war as an allied air recognition device, so more 1945 really…

Allen that is a hoofing site, thank you!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Oh man! This is going to show how disorganised I am!

1. Unit of 28mm Nap French cuirassiers – 6 of 18 done;

2. Unit of 15mm WW2 British Infantry – 16 of 18 bases done awaiting flocking, 2 need undercoating (late additions)

3. Unit of 40 professionally painted 28mm Nap British Foot Guards (2/2nd) from Fons – need to assemble and paint a further 2 to bring them up to 42 then base and flock the lot.

4. Broken 1/72nd scale Stuka G needs some TLC after being dropped onto concrete when being brought home after Thursday’s game. Ouch!

 

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Thank you so much Edward that’s exactly the info I was looking for! I think its a fair assumption that other Pz Divs had mixed companies in the same way.

Much appreciated mate!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Hmm, sounds as if you have a good set of rules there then…Personally I’d rather stick pencils in my eyes than play ASW wargames – in fact sticking pencils in my eyes to stay awake during CASEXs was the most interesting aspect of ASW!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Very culture conscious of you to have your greenstuff prepared in the Ukrainian national colours!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Thanks so much for all of your responses. I think Allen’s summary is as good a summary as I’ll find. Thanks mate!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Wow – a really big wargaming name. Be good to get commentary on rules and gaming from someone who’s been there, done that, had it published to popular acclaim!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Outstanding work Burkhard!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

It suggests ‘Fast Play’ at the expense of historical feel to me. Black Powder has been disparaged as a beer and pretzels game. A kind interpretation might mean it is quick and easy to play, but I think they term suggested a lack of historical relevance or grounding.

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Exciting game – who knew the Breakdown chit had such power! A pretty catastrophic blow to C2 though…

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Great news Geoff – will start saving up! Don’t know about left handed SLR users – in my TA battalion a couple of lefties were encouraged to fire right handed on the range, because of the expended cases hitting them in the face making them uncomfortable, but on exercise having a proportion of rifles face right naturally was a real bonus…

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Yes you need blinds, and somehow each needs to generate a percentage chance from possub to probsub to certsub – the difficulty in ASW is prosecuting the right contact from the myriad of datum returned by sonar, dipping sonar, sonobuoy screen, sosus arrays, sl decoys etc!

Someone said that war was 99.99% boredom followed by 0.11% sheer terror – well they must have been thinking of ASW!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Sparker]

Great looking battle! May one enquire as to the figure scale?

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[Author]

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