Tuesday 18 October 2022

Onwards and upwards?

I have been developing a set of simple rules so that very large games can be played solo as well as multiple player. The concept is an expansion of my solo "red pom-pom" rules using two dice per side to decide winners and losers in missile fire and melee,whilst relying on units(be they warbands or legions etc) being a certain size,ie. in the case of Legions vs Gallic Warbands-8 bases!


Top photo shows the notes to date and the equipment needed to play the game-bottom photo shows a "Legion"-with the figures I have, I can now field 4 Legions and 2 Auxiliary Legions,plus cavalry,skirmishers and officers......................

A Warband-8 bases too-I chose the same number of bases for both Legions and Warbands for convenience sake,not wanting to have split units,and trying to work out how to decide casualties on them!!



The Roman army(minus skirmishers)-Impressive!



The Gallic army(minus skirmishers!)-quite a few!!


Getting "stuck in"-the Warbands received 2 pom-poms for pila casualties,whilst the Legion received 1 pom-pom for javelins etc. At 3 pom-poms the unit is minus one from their dice score,at four pom-poms they are at minus one but are pushed back-at five pom-poms they are off the board-routing/destroyed.The same rules apply to cavalry(who are all 4 bases strong)

Both flanks will have the same number of cavalry,initially,as I play-test the rules to exhaustion!!



Top photo shows a chariot attack-they will skirmish with the Legions but will not be allowed to melee-bottom photo shows a general attack developing.


This is how many figures I had on the board-using these simple rules I had no bother controlling both sides,whilst trying out various situations,like flank attacks,two vs one etc.Tomorrow I will once again play-test these rules until I get it perfect,and then try to persuade the "boys" to try them.My main idea for these rules was to use them in a Demonstration game some time next year-let's see!!



















































 

9 comments:

  1. Good to go big, it looks like proper battle then. I am a bit behind you with my Romans and celts,/gauls, but aim to catch up now I am retired.Mine are mainly Hinchliffe legions, mix of cavalry, think from firms no longer in business. I do prefer old school 25mm compared to The Emperors New Clothes 28mm.figures made today. I note Lamming are back, based in Scotland, and Hinchliffe still about.

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  2. Hi James-we think on the same lines-my Romans and Gauls,shown in the blog,are all Prince August "cast-your- own" figures,and are 30mm.I have some Lamming Roman cavalry-superb figures,I think Bill Lamming was the first to have separate heads and arms(??)Retirement gives so much time to do important things like figure painting and gaming-carry on!!!
    johnc

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    1. The Prince August come up well, nice smooth castings. Yes, think Lamming was the first with choice of years as separate castings. There was another firm in the 80s did separate parts, big range of ancients and medievals, if I recall they operated out of Bridlington?
      They did 15mm as well.
      Duncan McFarlane had them cast his 25mm Marlburians, of which I have several hundred.

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    2. The company in Bridlington was QT Models, I see they are now known as Museum Miniatures, think the owner was Dave?
      They only do their 15mm ranges now tho. Some while back, maybe 15 years, I found a firm called Amazon figures or miniatures, they sold me some of the original Dixon Flodden figures, which they were producing after Trevor Dixon re. newer the moulds.
      Think they had the QT

      moulds as well.They seem to have packed up production.
      newed

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    3. Good info James-ah the good old days!!
      johnc

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  3. Wonderful John. Those big units look great and the overall effect is most, most impressive. You must be rightly pleased!
    Regards, James

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    Replies
    1. HI James,thanks for kind comment_ I hope I can convince the rest of the "club".
      johnc

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  4. It looks great John. Love it. I was going to shout Stockton! However if you’re thinking next year guess you won’t have it show ready for November. Cheers, Chris

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