World War Two Rules.

Last night,my aim was to galvanise the group into thinking about the rules they are going to use once they get their WW2 figures and tanks painted and on the board.
To this end I visited the local "Pound Shop"(I spend so much time and money there that the manager has put me on his Xmas card list!!) and invested £10 of my pension(I'm retired you know) buying 20 tanks,plus 1.5 million infantry figures and helicopters,barbed wire,sand bags,signs etc. etc.!! to try and get the "lads" to organise movement rates and ranges for various types of tanks,ie Light,Medium and Heavy.

This is the terrain I set up,with 10 tanks either side of the board,with hills and buildings,plus a river and bridge,in between them.Each side had 2 brown tanks to act as lights,2 grey tanks to act as heavies,and 6 green tanks to act as mediums.

Cute little models(I tried to identify them through my "Tanks of WW2 book" but couldn't!)

Brown,or "light Tank".

I put these identification numbers on the back of each tank,for easy recognition.

Dave had "knocked up" a set of basic rules,and it was decided to try them-these seemed to work out ok,except that the movement and ranges had to be adjusted as we went along,but that was what the night was about.

We're off!!-I had envisaged a "proper" game using the info we had as a club (me excepted,my knowledge is very limited!) but it evolved into a series of "What if" type scenarios,which is good,but limited I thought,still, the rules were beginning to take shape.

Everyone had a say,and took part in the various "mock-up" scenarios-here Graham is moving a squadron of tanks towards Brian's squadron,who are moving behind some trees,whilst Dave is moving his "Heavies" to fire on the flank of Graham!!!-Paul is looking very relaxed and cool!!

Measuring ranges,using our "normal" measuring sticks-working on the theory that "if it ain't broken don't fix it!!-Dave's rules worked on a percentage chance of hitting the intended target,followed by a percentage chance of delivering a knock-out blow,if you did hit,taking into account the type of tank and thickness of armour in front,side and back!!-all very complicated to me,but made perfect sense to the rest of the lads!

Dave is pointing out that the three different tank types had different size guns,and 37mm and 2lb, guns were mentioned,at which point I "blanked"-I'm still working in pounds,shillings and pence!!!-however I'm sure that given time and a few more practice games,everything will work out fine.In a couple of weeks,Graham is going to bring some of his tanks and infantry etc. and Dave is going to get a few copies of his rules,and we'll have another "bash" at this very interesting and involved period.