Star Wars

The Millenium Falcon rides again (yipee), courtesy of a Revell snap-together mini-kit (see below):

The excuse to snap this together was of all things a school project about erm, "Space". I might have been stretching the context to have a bit of weekend fun with my son ;)

Note: I did resort to the "let a responsible adult use superglue" to fix things I thought would 'pop-off'. I know it was advertised as a 'no-glue required kit', but neither the laws of physics or the consequences of kids playing with toys believe the marketing blurb ;)

Thoughts on a AWI Project (Part II): "The Slow Gathering of Hosts"- First Purchase, British Infantry

"These are not the Colonials you are looking for!", but I bought them anyway. Somebody else had snaffled the Mel Gibson lookalikes but thanks to Mark Urban's tome I had enough interest to put these in my shopping basket (see below):

The figures can be assembled in so many different variety of headgear a multitude of options exist, however on the back of the box it says these are "Centre Company" or "Hat Men". A closer look at the Perry's Web-Site mean revealed that the sexier stuff is available in metal (doubling the cost from £0.50 a figure to roughly £1.00), such as Mark Urban's 23rd Welch [sic] Fusiliers.

I shall try and steer away from the metal, but certain infantry troop types, cavalry and artillery will lure me there in due course ;)

Hmm, yes I seem to have been bitten by another "shiny madness bug"!

Notes to self for WWI Naval Historical Scenario: December 15/16th 1914, TheScarborough-Whitby-Hartlepool Raid

The Phases of Battle (Sequence of Play)

Stage 0: The Scenario Set-Up and Historical Conditions

German Forces:

1st Scouting Group:

• Position: In Enemy Home Waters 
• Mission: Bombardment (Hartlepool/Whitby/Scarborough)
• Screening Force Cruiser/Destroyer (Alert)
• Battle Cruisers Status (Alert)
• Weakness: Dispersed Formation (Hartlepool, Whitby, Scarborough)
• Incorrect Assumption: High Seas Fleet will stand and fight

High Seas Fleet:

• Position: Distant Covering Force: Distant (Home Waters)
• Screening Force (Alert)
• Battle Squadrons (Complacent)
• Weakness: "Do not engage superior forces order"
• Weakness: Withdraw in face of superior or equal foe

German Intelligence: 

• Weakness: Complacent, over confidence
• Weakness: Assumption "No Battle Cruiser Force (BCF) or Grand Fleet (GF) at sea"
• Zeppelins (Inactive)
• Submarines (Inactive)

RN Forces

RN Intelligence: 

• Status (Active)
• Room 40 Advanced Warning of German Raid (Jellicoe)
• Weakness: Thinks HSF in Jade

Early Interception Force Battle Cruiser Fleet (BCF): 

• Position: Distant (Closing)
• Screening Force Destroyers/Cruisers (Alert)
• Battle Cruisers (Alert)
• Restriction: "Do not enter enemy home waters order"
• Special Ability: "Pursuit of 'Enemy Fleeing' override"
• Weakness: Rashness "Close with enemy"
• Weakness: Poor Signalling

Covering Force: Grand Fleet (GF):

• Position: Distant (Closing) 
• Screening Force Destroyers/Cruisers (Alert)
• Battle Squadrons (Alert)
• Weakness: Partial Deployment of 2nd Battle (Warrender) Squadron only
• Weakness:  "Do not enter enemy home waters order"
• Weakness: Submarine/Torpedo Trap Fear
• Weakness: Mine Trap Fear
• Weakness: "Do not needlessly endanger Grand Fleet"

Local Defense Force Land (Hartlepool):

• Advantage: Heugh Battery Gun camouflage
• Weakness: Complacent Status
• Weakness: Recognition - German Ships Assumed RN
• Local Defense Force Naval (Hartlepool)
• Destroyer Patrol at Sea (Alert)
• Cruiser Force in Harbour (Complacent)
• Submarine Force in Harbour (Complacent) 

Stage 1: German Advanced Penetration

• Forces Identified/Engaged 
• Mission Start Point - Local Defense Activation
• Naval Patrol (Destroyers)
• Turn Restriction (Iterate) to Achieve Mission Objectives
• Bombardment Damage Counting
• Defensive Shore Battery Fire
• Naval Force Escalation (Cruise/Submarine)
• Cessation of Bombardment

Stage 2: The Chase

• Initial Position - BCF Light Forces v 1SG Light Forces
• Screening Rolls for Contact (Visual)
• Strategic Map Positioning
• Command Dice Activation
• Tactical Map Positioning
• Simultaneous Movement
• Fate and Weaknesses

Stage 3: Tactical Engagement

Possible Outcomes of the The Engagement Phase
Repeat sequence until break out of loop

• Fight/Movement
• Force/Asset Commitment
• Gunnery
• Torpedo
• Morale/Confusion Status
• Tactical Orders
• Tactical Movement
• Break off (beyond visual contact)

Stage 4: Strategic Movement

• Chance to Evade or to Escape
• Return to The Chase Strategic Map
• If no Escape (break contact) implies chance to Escalate or End of Strategic Play and game
• Return to Stage 2: The Chase Screening Rolls for Contact (Visual)

To be continued: Solitaire Decision-Making Process considered  

Any comments or thoughts (including requests for more explanation) on the above appreciated ;)

Notes to self: Musings on WWI Naval rules (North Sea) Part #2

WWI North Sea Battle Cruiser-Actions, Beatty versus Hipper: Round One 1914.

"Now you see them now you don't, Battle Cruisers in the mist!"

Hipper's First Scouting Group of December 1914 comprising of: SMS Seydlitz, SMS Molke, SMS Von der Tann, SMS Derfflinger and SMS Blucher (see below):

Beatty's depleted Battle Cruiser Fleet (BCF) of December 1914 comprising of: HMS Lion, HMS Queen Mary, HMS Tiger and HMS New Zealand (see below):

Note: Unbeknownst to the Germans, in terms of Capitol Ships, they actually possessed a numerical superiority of ONE. Despite this they were always thinking in effect they were numerically inferior. This was due to RN Battle Cruiser commitment to other theatres, namely fighting the Goeban and Von Spee. However this superiority is somewhat artificial as the SMS Blucher is technically an Armoured Cruiser rather than a true blood modern Battle Cruiser.

The goal is to develop a solitaire card and dice driven naval combat system (because it is so hard to find an opponent and it is good to replay scenarios over and over again).

The assumption is that the active player is the RN Commander (aka Beatty), for WWI 'contact' naval actions in the North Sea. The RN's goal, with the aid of secret intelligence (courtesy of Admiralty Room 40), is to ambush a German raiding force (aka Hipper) with superior forces and bring about it's destruction. The logic being that Command and Control problems for RN player is far greater, whereas the High Seas Fleet (HSF) is more concentrated, easier to control and is intent more on escape.

This type of scenario was played out several times during the course of the war (particularly 1914 to 1916) and seems an ideal test-vehicle for solo play.

Raw Game Ingredients:

• Formations
• Orders 
• Command Dice

"This is a  new idea since last posting. As I have been playing a lot of Chain of Command, it's Command Dice mechanic seems much more sophisticated and appropriate that my initial musings using PiP points (aka DBA)"

• Simultaneous Movement and Combat
• Morale Status

Next: A historical scenario "The Scarborough Raid December 1914"

Thoughts on an AWI Project: Part I

Source of Inspiration:

Recently caught the last hour of Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" on television and was impressed with the look of the 'brown coated' militia and the blue-coated American militia in the battle scenes. That "twitchy painty" feeling started tingling in my bones. What to do? What to do? Wait and see if it passes? I can at least gather my thoughts ... and ask for advice from fellow bloggers.

Potential Rules: 
http://legio-wargames.com/#/loose-files-awi/4537113783
http://www.caliverbooks.com/Partizan%20Press/partizan_BG.shtml

28mm Figure Ranges: 
Perry's AWI Hard Plastics

Reference Material: 
Mark Urban's: Fusilier (reading at present)

References for other introductory books appreciated?