Category Archives: Renaissance

Renaissance Wargame – The Action Pt 1

Miniatures, Renaissance, Sessions

Was able to play several turns of my Poles vs. Russians DBR game.

The initial Polish Hussar attack on the formed Russian Streltsi was repulsed, as was a Cossack charge against the Russian Tartar light cavalry.

Attempts by the Hussars to reform were continually frustrated by Streltsi musketry. Both the Polish  Pancerni (Armored Cossacks)  and Russian Boyars moved to support their comrades. The Russian charge on their left shattered the Pancerni and Cossacks. The right wing Boyars maneuvered to engage the Polish left’s Pancerni.

Engrossed by this action, I forgot to role for the variable turn entrance on the Polish Haiduk infantry. The first role allowed them to enter on both roads leading into the village.

This seemed like a good time to quit for the evening.

A sessions report would not be complete without impaired photography.

Polish Pancerni Advance
Polish Pancerni Advance
Russian Boyars Begin Their Advance
Russian Boyars Begin Their Advance
Hussars and Pancerni Unsuccessfully Melee with Streltsi
Hussars and Pancerni Unsuccessfully Melee with Streltsi
Winged Hussars Attempt To Reform For Another Charge
Winged Hussars Attempt To Reform For Another Charge
Haiduks Enter Through Village
Haiduks Enter Through Village

Renaissance Wargame – The Battlefield

Miniatures, Renaissance, Sessions

Took RedActions! off the table yesterday.  Cleared off the old and dug out some new terrain and buildings in preparation for a battle between Russians and Poles circa 1625.

I’ll use Phil Barker’s De Bellis Renationis (DBR) rules.  The scenario is based on the Battle of Roundway Down as diagrammed and described in C.F. Wesencraft’s “With Musket and Pike”.  Why?  Because the book was at-hand and it’s a interesting little challenge.

The Russians are besieging a town, with Polish mounted units advancing  to lift the siege.  The Russian command decides to meet and destroy the Poles in the field, and then finish the siege.  In the historical battle, the besieged brushed aside forces masking the town, and attacked their enemy’s flank.

I’ve tweaked the layout of the battlefield by substituting a village for Blagdon Hill.  Wanted to get the buildings out of their box!

While the published scenario calls for the flank attack forces to come on-table during the fourth turn, I’m going to come up with the mechanics for a variable arrival sometime after Turn 2.

Here’s a few photos

The Battlefield Looking South
The Battlefield Looking South
Initial Dispositions.
Initial Dispositions.
Close up of The Village. A mix of purchased and scratch built buildings.
Close up of The Village. A mix of purchased and scratch built buildings.

New Project

Back of Beyond, Miniatures, Renaissance, Terrain and Buildings

Decided to focus on putting together the ubiquitous Middle Eastern and/or Central Asian town and/or village for Back of Beyond and/or battles with Renaissance Turks and/or Persians.  OK, I will  not and/or again.

This is a project well suited for my (lack of) modeling capabilities.  My architectural models make the town in Cabinet of Dr. Caligari look like the work of Mies Van Der Rohe.  No square corners, even walls, or precision cuts required for this one.  Just get a sharp skill knife, plenty of foamcore and balsa, lather on the Elmers, cover up most defects with spackle and voila!

Plan to have two large homes, one smaller house, market building and a mosque.  Should spruce things up on the table.  Won’t terrify you with work in progress photos.  However, here’s a couple of shots of things after the carnage of basic construction.  Will add domes, awnings and other domestic touches over the next few days.

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Irregular Wars

Miniatures, Renaissance, Sessions

Finished up my last game of Irregular Wars for awhile.  Another dust up between the Portuguese and Arabs.  This was a followup to an initial game, with the addition of chance cards and disease/mishaps.

The card draw effected the Portuguese.  They drew a weak leader, which is a -1 DRM to any rally rolls.  The disease and mishaps die rolls that take place for each unit right before the start caused a few units on each side to lose one resolve point.

This time the Arabs used their camel units to attack the crossbowmen manning the Portuguese right flank.  The crossbow fire was ineffective, and the camels closed with a +2 DRM for charge.  So, contrary to the  lessons learned in the initial game, camels can be effective.

The big take-away from this game was how an entire wing of your army can collapse after a series of melees.  This is a function of the game’s resolve (morale) mechanics.

When a unit’s resolve reaches one (1), it wavers.  A wavering unit must withdraw 1D3.  The opponent rolls for pursuit.  If allowed, it can contact the wavering unit again, receiving a charge bonus, if applicable.  If the wavering unit  contacts a friendly unit (no interpenetration in these rules), the contacted unit has an immediate loss of one (1) resolve.  When a unit’s resolve reaches 0, it scatters.  Any unit within two (2) movement units (2u in game terminology), suffers an immediate loss of one (1) resolve.  This can be quite a chain reaction, with waverers withdrawing into friendly units or being hacked at by pursuers.  Take a look at what happened to the Portuguese right flank.

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In the top photo, several Portuguese units have already scattered.  In the next photo, the entire wing is gone.  However, you’ll notice the Arab center is in very bad shape, also.  Quite a game!

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As reported earlier, Irregular Wars will come off the bigger table to make way for Red Actions!  However, it will be played this Winter, because it’s just too much fun.

Irregular Wars Chance Cards

East African Renaissance Campaign, Miniatures

Chance Cards were not used in my first play-thrus.  I was not familiar enough with the game to come to grips with how to use these cards playing solo.

I’m too artistically incompetent to put together a deck, and I missed out on the opportunity to request a custom made deck from the game’s designer.  So, I put together a numeric listing of each of the cards. The listing is divided into the 26 cards that are revealed right after being drawn, and the 26 cards that are held, and played when deemed appropriate.

For solo play, the cards  immediately revealed are not an issue. However, cards drawn and held for later play are problematic. How to incorporate some uncertainity/randomness?

My inital plan is to use a random number application (one that a range of numbers can be set) to “pick” the cards.

Step 1) Generate 3 numbers for 3 cards.

Step 2) If numbers are 26 or less, cross index from list to card description contained in the rules.

Step 3) If numbers are 27 or higher, that side has a random draw at the beginning of a turn whenever it chooses. This random draw will be from the cards to be played when appropriate list.  Again, use the app to make the draw.

While far from perfect, I’ll see if this solo fix “works”.

Irregular Wars Lessons Learned

East African Renaissance Campaign, Miniatures

Following based on several play-throughs using Portuguese and Arab forces. No cavalry, just camelry. I set up each game to be a slugfest in order to maximize repetitions through the rules. I didn’t use concealment, and line-of-sight was not an issue. Here are a few observations…

1) Shot is ineffective: Best at short range, but can be charged after firing at short range, and have a low melee strength. Have to shoot and then fall back behind melee effective units in order to reload.

2) Crossbows are semi-effective: High to hit number, but at least do not have to spend an action to reload because they use archaic weapons. Again, a low melee number, so vulnerable if melee effective units can get in close.

3) Because of 1) and 2), when opposing Europeans, get into melee as soon as possible, hopefully with a +2 charge bonus.

4) Use your native auxiliaries in rough terrain: No negative effects for movement or combat. They are particularly effective at flank attacks on pursuing units.

5) The CRT (which I like) creates situations where units are “stuck” in melee: Disengaging risks pursuit,with pursuers able to use their charge bonus.

6) Camels are ineffective against anything but horse: They’re “exotic”, and have a significant DRM for that, which is added to a charge bonus. However, their melee against foot is a lowly “2”.

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Here’s what happens when you don’t aggressively charge crossbows, and allow them to skirmish, supported by native troops that can hover in rough terrain.  No Arab troops?  That’s right, they’ve been wiped out, and a camel unit has to now hold the left flank.

I’ll keep working with different combinations of unit types over the next few weeks.

Irregular Wars – Progress

East African Renaissance Campaign, Miniatures, Renaissance

Back from three days cycling the OC&E trail.

Finished up another play-through of Irregular Wars. Finally consistently applying the rules. One of the toughest to remember (for me) is the charge bonus.

One result was the need to rebase my Portuguese foot.  I bought these Grumpy’s figures some time ago anticipating playing a DBA variant for my campaign. With the change in rule sets, the basing had to be revised. In order have enough elements for the two base depth I think is visually appealing, several elements were reduced from a DBA four to three per base. Looks better.

Here’s a photo of my setup for the next iteration. Note I’m using very small dice to keep track of resolve levels.  Also notice the (lack of) tactical imagination.  Want to get to it, and get comfortable with the system.

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I’ll flock the bases in the next couple of days. Likewise for the palm trees I just painted (They’re part of the pirate set discussed in a previous post).

I hope to resolve a couple of questions I have about rules design during this next game.  If not,  will post up to the designer.

Shipbuilding (New/Old Project)

East African Renaissance Campaign, Miniatures

Nice song by Elvis Costello.  Wargaming theme…..Falklands.

Finished up my last complete ship and pinnace last night, as discussed earlier in my New/Old Project post.  Here’s a couple of photographs of the fleet.

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Indifferent photos, as usual.  I just can’t work up the enthusiasm for precise, dynamic pictures.  Working on it.

These should be a start for the East African project.   No fleet actions, but they might make for some tactical fun, or at least Pretty Up The Battlefield.  Not a bad thing at all.

Also finished up the two forts, and will finish the  the palm trees also included in the boxed sets.

 

Irregular Wars Review

East African Renaissance Campaign, Miniatures, Renaissance, Review

Been playing “Irregular Wars – Confict at the World’s End”, off-and-on for the past couple of weeks. I bought the 2nd Edition rules last Winter for potential use as the ground combat system for my East African Renaissance Campaign. I was looking for something more streamlined than De Bellis Renationnis (DBR).

I’ve played DBR for a number of years using 25mm figures. Before that, it was George Gush’s rulesets. Gush was extremely detailed, DBR less so. I’ve enjoyed all of these rules. I’ve also played DBR’s cousin De Bellis Antiquitatis (DBA) with 15mm ancient and medieval armies. It is also a good system, but its renaissance variants seemed to lack period chrome.

Irregular Wars is described as “A Wargaming System for Small Actions in the Age of Discovery”. The 90 page book contains both rules,army lists and campaign guidance. It is a system….one which allows a great deal of flexibility, emphasizes playability and not gamesmanship. This is a far cry from DBR/DBA’s emphasis on precise alignment of units for melee and distances for shot. Even distances (or units) are flexible in IW, as each unit of measure is derived from base width. Any type of basing can be used, which avoids the living hell that is  rebasing.

Many of my figures are based for DBR. The one “element” look just didn’t seem right for the larger table size allowed by IR. The solution was easy, just double up the bases. The result is a nice “block” unit providing a sense of density on the table.

While the lists aren’t as detailed as DBR’s, they are varied and provide for a random army composition. Outside of compulsory companies, the Lord (as IR puts it) must recruit an agreed upon number of troop types, then role a die to determine the number of companies available for each type. The number of figures per company is low, so an army can be built quickly and inexpensively.

IR uses several die types to randomize game situations. These range from d6 to d2. It also employs Chance Cards as well as a pre-game Disease and Mishaps table to inject uncertainity into a game. The ruleset includes five scenario types for those players looking for more than a straight-up fight. Easily reproducable game charts are contained at the end of the book.

Each unit is rated for resolve (more on that in a moment), movement, melee, short range fire and long range fire. Certain units have special capabilities. Here is a link to an  Army Rosters sheet I put together, as well as a link to a unit  Capabilities Chart.

The author states that resolve is the key element in the game system. Units lose resolve as the result of unfavorable combat outcomes, reaching a point where they waver (and retire) and, finally, when resolve reaches a zero level, eliminated as fighting units. Both wavering and scattering companies can effect the resolve of other companies. The Lord can rally a company, restoring one point of resolve. Resolve levels range from 5 to 3, with the former representing elite units.

The turn sequence is a basic roll for initiative, shoot, action, and melee. Gunpowder weapons may fire once before having to take an action to reload. Actions are not limited to movement or disengagement from melee. Specific units can hurl curses at the opposition reducing their resolve, or invoke blessings to restore resolve. Melee is straightforward and bloody. Melee strengths are added to a d6 roll. It doesn’t take long for those 3 resolve units to waver.

The result is something that I hoped to find, with well crafted random elements making it well adapted for solitaire play. Highly Recommended.

Irregular Wars/Galleys and Galleons

East African Renaissance Campaign, Miniatures,

Quick post to mention that I’ve been playing Irregular Wars off and on over the past week.  Fun little game, and the anticipated “engine” for my East Africa project.  Less cumbersome and more applicable than DBR.

I’m also going to check out their Galleons and Galleys naval game, for use with the ships I’m working on.

Good stuff, designed with verve and imagination.

You can get to the Irregular Wars website here.

For Galleys and Galleons, check out the Ganesha Games website.

I’ll be posting a quick review of Irregular Wars sometime next week.