Card based system for wargames deployment

One of the features I like about the various strains of card driven board wargames, is the decision involved in playing a card for activation.  Clearly this does not apply to all card driven systems, but the ones I am thinking of have cards with multiple options on them, that the player must choose from when playing a card.  Does the player use the card for bringing on reinforcements, or to activate an event, or for a special ability/modifier, or simply to activate units/leaders already in the game?

 

This seems like a useful thing to try and bring into a miniatures wargame, to put a little spin on that old standby scenario - the meeting engagement.  So what I am considering here is a system of cards, each with two different pieces of information on it. Each player would, in turn, place one of these cards, from a small handful they have to choose from, on the table, in one of three different sectors.eventually, each player will play two cards in each sector.  Each sector would have one card, for that player's forces, that corresponds to one of the two categories of information on he cards (so, one card for forces, and one card for deployment).

The first piece of information is a partial basic order of battle. It would list a number of units that would belong to one of three sectors on the battlefield (left, center, right).  Depending on the period and the number of units a player owns, this could be tailored so that a personal collection could provide the figures needed. This could easily be three or four units, or as many as a dozen, depending on period, scale, and rules used.

The second piece of information would control the deployment of forces in that sector.  Are the forces arrayed in a single line? Some units off board? In column on a road?  Dug in with scouts deployed?  Again lots of possibilities, depending on period, scale, and rules.

An example might be this, for Blue Army's Left Flank... (Fictional situation, of course)

Forces Card: Infantry Division, 6 units of line infantry, 1 medium gun battery. 

Deployment Card: Probing Line, All units in a battle line, 12" in from base edge.  Up to two subunits (converged flank companies, or detached squadrons) can be deployed up to 24" in from base line.  

I can see this used in several ways. The easiest, and maybe most interesting, is to deal out six cards to each player, and they need to use all six.  The second way, is to deal three cards each, and as a player places a card, they draw a new one.  Other possibilities exist, but in all cases, the players roll initiative, and high roller places one card, and then the players alternate until all six cards for each side are played.

I am looking forward to trying a set of these, maybe for Napoleonics first. Loads and loads of possibilities exist, including special event cards, special decks for special scenarios, and ancillary effects of cards, like logistical conditions, weather, or affects to limit or increase command.

A neat project to ponder.

Table Top Teasers - CS Grant wargame scenarios

Steve the Wargamer has put together a great list of the Table Top Teasers that have become available online.  These are wargame scenarios written by Charles Grant in order to stir up some interest in a type of scenario or period, and hopefully to get the reader thinking more about a particular wargaming topic, or excited to try out the scenario.  Here is an example.

From Steve's website...

Over a period of years in the late 70's and early 80's, Charles Grant published a series of articles in "Battle", and then "Military Modelling" called the 'Table Top Teasers'.

As time has passed I've picked up various copies, been given some, but have basically collected a number of them together - they're an invaluable source of scenario idea's, so on this page I thought I'd share them with the world.

The page is intended then as a resource for what I think were a brilliant set of articles, and an endless source of good game ideas - I've played these games over and over again... the page is also meant as a VERY respectful "nod of the head" in the direction of one of the "greats" in the wargaming world, namely Charles Grant, and a now legendary series of articles... my thanks to Charles for giving permission for me to continue hosting these articles.

 These are definitely worth checking out, and would be worth the time for any table top wargamer, regardless of what rules or scale he/she plays, to check these out.  Great stuff.

These are different from the wargaming scenarios books that CS Grant has published over the years, some of which have provided great games and scenarios for various club (ODMS, Roundtable Wargaming Club) games and convention games I've been involved in.  I am sure they will, again, in the future.

Great scenario book - the book has scenarios keyed to appropriate periods of history, hence the title. Very accessible, great maps, and great games ranging from regular set piece battles, down to interesting skirmish and adventure games.

Another great scenario book - this was the first professional scenario book for miniature wargames that I ever owned. I loaned it away years ago, and it never found its way home again. I am always on the lookout for another copy. (email me if you have one...)

Invaluable for the solo wargamer. Lots of great info about generating orders of battle for three broad periods (ancient/medieval; horse and musket; mechanized warfare). Information about generating characteristics for "fictional" opposed generals, and great ways to set up a battlefield with fog of war, even if playing solo.



A good review of the Table Top Teasers, and some of the other scenario books of Mr. Grant (including those above, and his multiple volumes of Wargaming in History) can be found at Wargaming Info.


Chuck