Rules I use for Wargaming: Crimean War

   I have been playing "Charge of the Light Brigade" since 2003.  These are home brewed self published rules from the author David Raybin so possibly only a few of you have tried them.   I thought I would share some of my impressions about the rules and how they play.  They provide a fun game which captures the spirit of the period and deserve a wider audience.

You can download a set of the rules here:
https://miniaturewargaming.com/blog/charge-of-the-light-brigade-rules/

  I will state right off I am a big fan of these rules. I like simple rules, but with a twist. I like regiments to look like regiments.  And it is important to me that that a group of colorful miniature soldiers represents such and such a regiment.  I want a game I can play in a evening, gives a period "feel" for the time period played, have fun with and come to a conclusion.  "Charge of the Light Brigade" does all of these.

   The rules are a simple I Go U Go but with a difference.  Each side rolls for initiative with high side getting first go.  If you won the roll last time you add one to your roll.  Each of your regiments or batteries do one action (move, change formation, fire or remove a morale point).  To move roll two dice (or more depending on formation) and that is how far you can move.   After all your units have moved  you may spend a command point (CP) per unit and that unit may do a second thing.

  Here is something that sets this set of rules aside from all others. The author has taken the simple move/counter move system and twisted it. Every unit has a commander (i.e. Colonel). He has so many command points (CP). More if he and the regiment are good, less if mediocare or poor. Russians often get around 8 (sluggish, dull)  while British line get 12 and elite Guards might get as many of 16.  Better units can do more at critical times. But when your CP are gone they are gone.

   OK, now it is your turn, and every unit on your side has done one free action. You may then spend a CP and do something else. Fire, remove a Morale marker or what ever. It gives you a chance to take advantage of something or react to what is happeneing on the table. BUT for every action there is a reaction and the enemy now gets to react against that unit and can either return fire at you or change position/facing.   But only against the enemy that spent that CP.   In a past game a Russian battalion removed a Morale pip by paying a CP. The British reacted by firing at the unit and puting 2 morale pips right on back (darn good shooting with the Guards who rolled four 6's). So you spends your money and takes your chaces.  This portion of the rules is what gets a lot of comments and attention from people who  have played this game for the first time. And rightly so. It is simple, inovative and fun. But I would recommend a GM to run the first few games you try to ensure you all stay on tract and not move ahead.  To track CP I put a sticky note under the command figure stand with the number of that units CP.

  Firing is simple. You throw 1D6 per stand for Infantry and 2D6 per artillery stand. Cross refinance with the firing chart for weapon vs. target and this gives you the chances for a hit. Since there is a possible saving roll you might not lose all those figures hit. Yes, the dreaded saving roll.  But here it takes the place of all those calculations you have to do with other rules.  Watch out for double 6's as they can cause a morale marker to drop onto your unit.  Each infantry stand has four figures. Once all four figures are gone you remove the stand.  Until then the stand fights on.

  To me, the neat thing about this system is that you forget about calculation, tables and charts. Hits, saves and morale are all tied into each other. The save chart also brings a little of the old "national modifiers" into the mix. With Russians, who get saved on a 5 or 6 no matter how many stands are left you have to beat each one with a stick until they are all dead. You get that steady, dogged feeling you read about. The British start with a high save chance (they dodge bullets like the bat man said the rules author) but as they loose stands save chances go way down so they wither away. A little fragile. Poor Johnny Turk never gets a save

   Morale is a sneaky system that most folks don't think a lot about until it bites them! You get a morale pip for any number of things (crossing an obstacle, being fired at or having friends route past you). Since you subtract 1 pip from every die roll morale effects everything you do. Move, shot or fight it ties into morale.  In a past game a Russia commander with three morale markers on a regiment found out fast that he could not shoot, or save casualties with that unit. With morale markers, once you get into trouble it comes fast and furious. To me this is a superior system then used in many rules. The unit is effected, and everything it can do is effected.

   Close Combats takes a bit getting used to since it is very different from most rules. You do not charge like in other rules. You move within 2' of the enemy. THEN, you would have to pay a Command Point or wait till next turn to close and fight. This gives the defender a chance to do something. Like blast the enemy with a close range volley that causes casualties or mabey a morale marker.  It is actually hard to close into close combat due to small arms fire.  But when you do it can be devastating.

  I really love these rules. The game feels like the Crimean to me based on my reading.  Also for a I Go U Go both sides get to do something so no sitting around. In my games Russians tend to form columns (or at least reinforced lines) and try and close with the British quickly.  (One player has nicked named them "Zulu's in overcoats.") Russian artillery is better then the allies and there is a lot of it.  Russian cavalry is, well, sluggish.  The British tend to want to shoot at things. And shoot a lot. Cavalry is small but very aggressive.  By the way small numbers of cavalry will not damage infantry who can usually shoot them down before they close. Many of my games have seen a single British battalion stopping massed charge like at Balaklva.  The French are interesting as their line have muskets while elite troops like Zouaves have rifles and  more CP.  So each army is very different from the other.  You have to work with what you have and get the best out of them.

What rules I use for my games

      War game rules are a very personal thing.  There are numerous sets of rules out there.  Which rules we use with our miniature figures are a deeply personal thing and reflex a lot about us and how we view our games.  It is also something I feel that is great about this hobby of ours.  There is something for everyone.  Find a set of rules that appeal to you and how you would like the game to play.  Stick to them, learn them and enjoy the game. 

      I will state right off I am a big fan of  certain types of rules.  Here is what I look for in a rules set.

       I like simple rules, but with a twist. Mechanisms which create challenges.  You do not need complex rules to do this.  I am thinking of the one brain cells types.  The Disorganization Points (DP) in "Loose Files and American Files" represent a variety of problems to a battalion. They effect fire power and morale much better then complex math formulas.  A simple move first and fire second or fire first and move second also makes for numerous command problems for a player.

       I like regiments to look like regiments.  They should have a good number of figures arrayed in two ranks with regimental colors in the center of the battalion.  A most noble sight!   It is important to me that that a group of colorful miniature soldiers represents such and such a regiment.  The history of that regiment, and what it did in real life means something to me. There is often a reason why I paint the regiments I paint.  After all its why we read and research our chosen periods of time.  Otherwise we could spray paint our figures and he done with it.  And I like to command regiments and brigade.  I enjoy that of game rather then higher command. The rules Volley and Bayonet are a wonderful set and are a fantastic game.  But I cannot relate to the units on the table. It is too abstract for me.  I am happy to play them, but I will not be investing my time and energy bin creating armies for them.  My happy place in miniature wargames is a lower level of command.  Find your level or type of game.

        I want a game I can play in a evening and gives a period "feel" for the time period played. For my Crimean War Rules I want the British to act like British and Russians to be Russians.  I want to have fun, throw lots of dice and occasionally have battalions collapse and run away.  I would like the game to come to a conclusion in a reasonable amount of time.

      In addition, I view my miniature games through the experience of my days in the reenactment community.  My miniatures are dressed alike in as correct uniforms as I can research. But they, like many reenactment regiments are more uniformed and parade ground then in reality.  Regiments advanced across fields and had to stop to dress ranks and restore order.  Men tripped over branches or small holes, got hung up going over fences or fell out when winded. Weapons misfired and needed to be cleared.   Regiments needed to be halted and ranks dressed before advancing again. These are things I think about when moving my battalions.   Do the game mechanics on my table top rules reflex this?  I have read and studied the period manuals and use these.  But the experience of being in a 100 plus man "regiments" also effects my thinking.  Far too often regiments can do things in the table top they could not do in real life.

      I find that individuals who have been in reenactment units view the game and rules in a slightly different vain then pure gamers. They get into what the regiments on the table are doing far more then playing a set of rules.   They get into the spirit of the game if it is historically correct.  Send the Light Brigade down the valley against the Russian guns?  Well if That is my orders, here goes the last of the Brudenells old boy.

      Groups like HMGS talk about recruiting for the hobby of historical wargaming.  my understanding it was created to do so after historical wargamers were marginalized at some conventions.  Many members of this organization feel this should be done by converting fantasy gamers.  Hence the increased number of fantasy games at a historical wargamer convention.  I have always felt there is a bond between reenactors and miniature wargamers.  Something that HMGS has not explored enough to their benefit.  What to I mean? In August 1976 at the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Long Island two wargamers showed up and sold copies of their rule set "1776".  A bunch of us participating at that reenactment bought those rules.  A number of us are still playing miniature wargamers today.  For myself I had long been interested in miniature wargames, I had bought figures But was at a loss how to play.  These were the first serious rules I bought and we played them for a very long time.

        So here are The rules I use for my games. I will described why I liked them and how they play.  If they sound interesting please do try them.  I would enjoy to hear how you found them.  If you already play any of them I would enjoy hearing how you play them and modifications or house rules.

Armistice Day

TIME LIFE PICTURES/US ARMY SIGNAL CORPS/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES

   My grandfather, Edward McNamara from Lexington Massachusetts served with the 101st Regiment (Medical company), 26th Yankee Division in the first world war.  He seldom talked about it, and when he did it was a terrible memory which haunted him.  It was only later that I found out  he was mentioned in the division's orders and was decorated for heroism.  He never mentioned this to me.  I found out later through my own research.  But  I will always remember his smile when he told me how at 11:00 A.M. on 11th November the guns stopped and he and his friends knew they would live, knew they had survived.

   And as this date is now called Veterans Day I say thank you to my father in law, Aldrich Stevens  who served in the  3rd Ranger Battalion (Darby's Rangers) in the Second World War.  He saw service with them at North Africa, Sicily and Italy.  Seriously wounded he did not make the Anzio landing and thus missed the action at Cisterna . like my grandfather he too was haunted by the memories of what he saw, experienced and especialy those he lost. 

I remember their sacrifices and hope both have found peace.

Stuart Asquith

  Sad to hear Stuart Asquith has passed on.  While I have never met Stuart I have many of his books and followed his magazines for many years.  His Practical Wargamer magazine was a great influence in my gaming life.  In a time were there was a push for ever more complex rules and terrain his was a voice for simpler rules and more fun.  I truly enjoyed his spirt of enjoyment with this hobby of ours.  He will be sadly missed.  Thank you for all you have done and shared with us.

Update:  I have removed the image that appeared.  I did not credit the site where I used the image from.  For this I apology.

Getting away

   We took a mini vacation to get away from it all this week.  Up in the lakes and hills of New Hampshire.  Peaceful and relaxing before returning to work and the upturn in work.