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Post by jimmn on Jun 10, 2019 1:14:40 GMT
The Boer War devolved into guerrilla action by the Boers against the invading British forces. My Boer Commandos are ready for action and will soon be joined by a khaki-clad unit of British troops (AIP).
Which scenarios fit the situation and which rule sets should I be considering?
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Post by zuludon on Jun 10, 2019 2:14:46 GMT
The Sword and the Flame (TSATF) and The Men Who Would Be Kings (TMWWBK) are both good, popular sets of colonial rules. TMWWBK units are 12 figures, so you can start playing right away. TSATF units are 20 figures, but many players use a 10 or 8 unit option and it plays just as well. A good scenario for either set is for the Boer Bitternenders to launch a surprise attack on a British camp to obtain ammunition and horses. Also check out this Boer War game on pmcd-mobilisatie.blogspot.com/2017/01/run-for-vaal-river-boers-tale.htmlNick Stern |
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Post by jimmn on Jun 10, 2019 2:35:05 GMT
Nick, thanks for the reply.
Tmwwbk is available from amazon. Ordinarily i buy kindle books but a reviewer said not to do that because of formatting problems with the tables. I am not sure how to proceed,
Tsatf did not pop up on amazon.
All the king’s men has a supplement for skirmishes but their website is defunct. I have the basic atkm rules. Unfortunately they call for a large table. A pdf of the skirmish supplement would be nice.
I like the surprise attack scenario you mentioned. The link you provided was interesting. However, i lack cavalry.
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Post by zuludon on Jun 10, 2019 3:39:08 GMT
I have the TMWWBK rules book and the only difference between the original game and the skirmish game is that in the skirmish game you use half size units, so 6 figures instead of 12. Everything else is the same as the original game. With one or two six figure units per side, I think you could easily get away with playing on a small table. Long range for modern rifles only goes out to 24 inches, so I think you could happily play on your kitchen table. Just make sure there is plenty of cover!
One more advantage of TMWWBK rules is that they provide a solo player option, so either the Boer or the British actions could be automated.
Cheers,
Nick
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Post by jimmn on Jun 10, 2019 14:08:42 GMT
Nick, thanks, you convinced me to order the kindle version of TMWWBK. I play solo on a modest surface area so it should work well. If not, then I will have still enjoyed studying the rules. One-Hour Wargame rules have worked for me so far, so that is my fall back. I can just define one figure as one unit and change the hits per unit from 15 to one.
Making a simple British encampment or fort for the Boers to raid will be a nice little challenge also.
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Post by leswhite on Jun 24, 2019 14:08:41 GMT
Jimmn,
I'm with Nick on his comments , I'm trying the solo elements of the TMWWBK and I think it will work out quite nicely and allow for tweaks for different period specific games.
I prefer skirmish size games with 10 - 20 figures per side and have picked up a few rule sets recently to delve into and produce units for, which are not catered for by any maker yet! or maybe never !
If you are USA based might I suggest you keep, an eye on the Armies in Plastic website for special offers, as some are so great ! that they are worth picking up even if you don't need them right away. The sets of mounted figures are already made in units of 5 ,ideal for some rules and head swaps can be done on cavalry too to get any missing types.
Looking forward to seeing what you create for your British encampment and maybe do the opposite a Boer farm being raided by the British.
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Post by jimmn on Jun 24, 2019 14:44:15 GMT
Les,
Using TMWWBK rules seems fine to me. The trick for solo gaming seems to rely on good use of Mr Babbage. Done wrong, the outcome is always determine by luck. But we can create a puzzle with several possible solutions. For example, the battle field can contain a river with two bridges, two possible ambush points that each will only provide cover to three men, and two different routes for falling back. The optimal plan for an attack by Boer commandos on a British infantry patrol is not clear so the outcome is not due entirely to luck.
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