This is based on a planned solo game with forces drawn directly from Dawns and Departures so it is worth noting that I will expand them for multiplayer game. Each player would get 3 to 4 groups, and the opposition (me) would be expanded accordingly.
This is planned as a team against the umpire, with the aim being everyone on one chat.
The umpire plays Blue and knows in advance where the blocking forces are, making several small games possible, as well, as a big finish.
The TS tabletop for the campaign area would look like the above.
Rough notes
Use of WhatsApp messages to individual detachment commanders. Say Lt La Pisse of the blue Dragoons is scouting ahead of the main body. He detects a force of enemy Hussars. He is informed of this by WhatsApp but must then report back by a dispatch to the main body (ie the discord server.) The second hand report brings in the possibility of a mistransmitted message. ...
 |
| Still working on the map. Looking at it as a whole "on table" like this, I can see I need to increase the width of those battle zones. I also need tiles for the campaign zone marked "main body," etc... or perhaps just Officers names. |
Use of the Officers character to able to give each an individual mission to earn honour points. Visit Countess von Pitt in the old Chateau, get revenge upon Major Fingúan etc... these are worth honour points and these are what will determine the individual "winner."
Possibly. .. using Rebels and Patriots. Players will be unaware of the mechanics, and will be asked to issue commands (as actions)
The camp. Movement in Dawns is by half day marches. Each evening the senior officer asks one of his juniors to give the Loyal toast. ..worth an honour point, and the Sitrep is given by all officers as well as the umpire.
Red poker chip 1: Major of the 4th Foot commanding a Company.
The Senior Red Officer who controls supply and logistics (keeps the wagon with the supply sacks and the claret) issues orders to subordinates (tasks) and keeps the overall force morale totals.
Red chip 2. A Captain of the 4th Foot with three Groups of his own Company
Red chip 3 Sergeant from the Light company and his skirmish groups.
Red chip 4. Rifles Captain with his Jâger Company and Moveable Deployment Point.
Red Chip 5 Hussars Lieutenant his troop, and a 6pdr horse artillery gun
Red chip 6 Sergeant "Mother" Postlethwaite. The spare may be added to any command.
The Blue force is hidden in fog of war, but is guaranteed to be formidable.
I have sufficient 28mm Napoleonics to game this on table pretty easily. Not sure if that is necessary or not. I've placed game boards either side of the map done using Lardy like graphics as the battlefields. Element bases can manoeuvre and fight on these. It would look pretty good.
Using modelled mods I can port figures and poker chip draws into TS. It just makes the game more delicate than using token tiles... considering this, advantages casualty removal, look, disadvantages, keep it simple.
I would gear TS up to use turns, red and blue. A turn sequence would be followed, BUT, and pardon me for shouting, Dawns is written to distance players from the mechanics. The less players know about rolling a 5 on a d6 to enter an area of heath in an adjacent area the better... reports in that a detachment is struggling on the march up to the heath are much more effective for immersion.
However dice rolling during the fighting is fine. I enjoy a dice roll good or bad, that is immersion, so when actually fighting I could still ask for something like a roll of 12d6 hitting on 5 or 6.
I intend to practice this beforehand to make sure it fully works. Planning and prep. ..
My Solo Sitrep from Dawns
The Grand Duchy of the Blau are besieging a Moathouse where a company of foraging Red Line Infantry were cut off. The Kingdom of Cinnabaria, infamous as "Das Röt" have sent Hauptmann von Sexpest and his company to the rescue, but the Blau have horse foot and guns in detachments all over the map.
The Moathouse is in square 8. Sexpest starts in 23.
LEADING PLAYER (Red)
A garrison of our troops is under siege, surrounded by the enemy. It is vital that you reach them and lift the siege. When you get to them you must decide whether you can defeat the enemy or whether you evacuate the garrison and escort them to safety.
SECONDARY PLAYER (Blue)
You have a force of the enemy under siege and are keen to starve them out. Assaulting their strong position is not an option. You must keep the enemy besieged until they surrender.
VICTORY CONDITIONS
The Leading Player must defeat all enemy troops, thus leaving the besieged garrison safe, or escort the garrison to safety off the map via his friendly map edge.
SPECIFIC TERRAIN REQUIREMENTS
A fort, castle or similar strong building must be in Areas 4 to 12. If this does not happen when the terrain is diced for, place one such building in Area 8.
FORCES
The Leading Player’s forces should be 30 points weaker than the Secondary Player.
The Secondary Player may place three Outpost of two Groups of Regular quality troops in any Area on the map adjacent to the besieged structure. From his force he must place one detachment adjacent to the fort to complete the siege. His Main Force may then be place in any are adjacent to an outpost or detachment.
The Leading Player’s Main Force begins the game in Area 23 with three Groups of Regulars under a Status III Leader being in the structure under siege.
SUPPLIES
The Leading Player begins the campaign with 12 sacks of supplies for the main body and a further 12
sacks for the besieged force. The Secondary Player has unlimited supplies for this campaign. The population is considered neutral.
REINFORCEMENTS
No reinforcements are available for this scenario. However, if the Leading Player makes contact with
the besieged force they may join him as reinforcements. When that occurs the Secondary Player may move his outposts to join with his Main Force or Detachments.
INITIATIVE
The Leading Player begins the campaign with the Initiative and retains it until the Secondary Player wins it from him. Initiative will then be held by whichever player won it in the last battle fought.
The Red have three groups of Line Infantry in the relief column, and I added their "rear line skirmishers" as a group of six.
Captain von Sexpest has the services of Max Tötraum, Sergeant of his company, and his Lieutenant Hans Untergloves commands the besieged detachment.
Captain von Sexpest has the services of Max Tötraum, Sergeant of his company, and his Lieutenant Hans Untergloves commands the besieged detachment.
They march into the town of Altenfraü, a border settlement. No contact. The town mayor adds two bags of supplies. A collaborator!
Blue responds by repositioning, but this is a solo game so I have no idea where they go, except that it is only a one square move.
On the heath north of the town Von Sexpest encounters two troops of the Blau Dragoons. Young Baron Fhärtmehr is Lieutenant of this detachment.
An encounter game is indicated.
Färtmehr is a young blood keen to make a reputation, youngest son of the old Baron Färtmehr. He is not beyond a mad charge!
No comments:
Post a Comment