Holiday Season wars Featherstone-style

The last years I've usually played a 'Seasonal Christmas Wargame' between my Gingerbread and Cookie Men armies. Last year I also added a Cookie Monster to my Holiday games encouraged by James from Quantrill's Toy Soldiers Blog. I've usually been using different rules for these 'Seasonal games' each year, and needed to find something 'new' for this year. My initial plan this year was to play using the 'One Page Rules - Age of Fantasy: Skirmish', but when I saw a Battle Report with the full rules posted by Bob on his Wargame Miscellany Blog recently I changed my mind. Bob described these rules as Featherstone-style based on Donald Featherstone's Ancient rules and they seemed very complete and playable, and I got really interested to try them out while I was reading his blogpost. Bob and his friend played a game with these rules using Vikings and Anglo-Saxon miniatures, but I think my 'Gingerbread men and Cookie men armies' are armed in a similar way and therefore can be used with these rules. My war bands are smaller than what's suggested by the rules so I just had to amend them to suit my smaller units. This game and 'Battle Report' is not a review of the rules, but just playing for pure fun.

Rules

This is the rules how they were posted by Bob Cordery. I've just formatted them to fit one page in a Word-document for ease of reference:

Scenario

The Scenario is simply to control and hold the Christmas table (top).

Forces:

• Gingerbread men Army
• A leader with sword and shield.
• A unit of 2 'Knights' armed with swords and shields. They will fight as 'Huscarls' and 'armoured infantry'.
• A unit of 3 unarmored infantry armed with spears. They will fight as 'Fyrd/ Bondi'.
• A unit of 3 archers. 

• Cookie men Army:
• A leader with sword and shield
• A unit of 2 'Knights' armed with sword and shield. They will fight as 'Huscarls' and 'armoured infantry'.
• A unit of 3 unarmored infantry armed with spears. They will fight as 'Fyrd/ Bondi'.
• A unit of 3 archers. 

• Cookie Monster: Perhaps not so 'Featherstone style' but a single Cookie Monster on the table to create some chaos. It will fight as 'Berserker' and only in melee, have +2 in melee each time and a health of 6.

The rules are not so clear regarding initiative, so I roll dice for initiative each turn, and always activate the cookie-monester last. So let's poor some 'Christmas brew', roll some dice and let the game begin:

Turn 1

To close in the large gap on the battlefield the combatants are advancing toward each other. Still none of them are in range for ranged weapons, The Gingerbread Husecarls are moving around the wood to flank the Cookie men army:

Turn 2

The mutual advancement continues and the armies opposing each other are in range of the archers. - With no effect though:

Turn 3

To eliminate the efficiency  of the Cookie men's bows the Gingerbread Fyrd charges into a melee. 

The Gingerbread archers managed to take out a member of the Cookie men Fyrd, which in return charges into the Gingerbread archers accompanied with their leader. At the same time the Cookie monster had caught upon the charging Cookie men warband and takes out another one of their Fyrd:

Turn 4

The Gingerbread archers falls back so they can take advantage of their ranged weapons. -With no success though so the Cookie men keep following them. The Cookie men archers makes a tactical retreat to use the advantage of their ranged weapons. -With no success: The Cookie monster engages one of the Cookie men Huscarls in a melee:

Turn 5

As the Cookie men Fyrd and leader keeps fighting the Gingerbread archers in melee, it finally pays of and they takes out one of those Gingerbread archers. The Gingerbread Fyrd follows the Cookie men archers and charges into another melee. The Cookie monster finish one of the Cookie Huscarls off:

Turn 6

The last Cookie Huscarl charges into a melee with the Gingerbread Fyrd, and manage to takes one of them out:

...The remaining part of the Gingerbread Fyrd counter attack and takes out the Cookie Huscarl which earlier received a wound from the Cookie monster:

Turn 7

The Gingerbread archers keep falling back to create som space between them and the following Cookie men Fyrd and leader. Their arrow misses again:

The Gingerbread Huscarls are finally around the woods, but the Cookie men archers turns around to front them. No hits though. The Gingerbread leader teams up with his archers. The Cookie monster charges the last  Gingerbread Fyrd and takes it out:

Turn 8

The melee between the Gingerbread archers and leader continues and the last Cookie men Fyrd is lost. The Cookie monster gives the Gingerbread leader a wound. Behind them the Gingerbread Huscarls has made a 'shieldwall' against those incoming arrows, awaiting a flanging maneuver from their leader and Fyrd:

Turn 9

The Cookie men leader takes out one Gingerbread archer and the Cookie monster takes out the Gingerbread leader:

The Gingerbread Huscarls realizes that there will be no flanking maneuver  and relief so they charges into the Cookie men archers:

Turn 10

The remaining Gingerbread archer manages to take out the Cookie men leader... 

...the the Cookie monster takes out the the last Gingerbread archer:

Turn 11

In a melee the Gingerbread Huscarls takes out one of the Cookie men archers:

Turn 12

The rest of the Cookie men archers runs of in panic and send soe arrows against those Gingerbread Huscarls with no effect:

The Gingerbread Huscarls follows up. So does the Cookie monster:

Turn 13

The Gingerbread Huscarls charges into another melee with the Cookie men archers and takes one of them out:

The Cookie monster attack one of the Gingerbread Huscarls from behind and takes him out:

Turn 14

Both the last remaining Cookie men archer and Gingerbread Huscarl 'freezes'. The Cookie monster takes advantage and approaches the last Gingerbread Huscarl:

Turn 14

The Gingerbread Huscarl and Cookie monster continue to fight in a melee:

Realizing that they have a common enemy the Cookie man archer also charges into a melee with the Cookie monster. Both of them get a wound:

Turn 15

The Cookie monster finis of the Gingerbread Huscarl, and the Cookie man backs off and fire an arrow with no success:

Turn 16

The Cookie monter follow the retreating Cookie man and charges into another melee. -With no success though:

Turn 17

The Cookie man keeps backing and shoots another unsuccessful arrow:

Turn 18

The Cookie monster keeps following the fleeing Cookie man and finish him off in a melee:

The game took about an hour and a half to complete and the complete rules can be found on Bobs's blog 'Wargame Miscellany' in this blogpost. Thank you for the rules and inspiration Bob!
I guess the rules for next years Seasonal Battle gives it self, as it will probably and finally be 'One Page Rules - Age of Fantasy: Skirmish'.

Good continuing on the Holidays!

A simplified set of rules for Modern Wargames

One of the nice things with writing this blog are all you people who reads it, and sometimes comments on my posts. Especially appreciated  are comments which points me into new rules or aspects of wargaming.

After writing a review on Donald Featherstone's 'Close Wars', John Yorio from the excellent blogg '54mm or Fight' suggested another Donald Featherstone's rules; 'War Games or Battles with Models Soldiers' as an alternative for simple rules in a more modern setting with heavier weapons. This was also encouraged by Mark from the excellent 'Man of Tin blog'. Links to both of these inspiring blogs are found in the bar to the right and below in the link-sections (and if you haven't been there yet, pay them a visit). John even provided me of a copy of the 3 short pages of Donald Feathersone's rules.  So I decided I had to try them out. Wow! What a society!!

I think it would be fair to play them with the same scenario as I've done with the other reviews of free wargame rules for army men and toy soldiers, and a scenario some of you will be familiar by now. I repeat the scenario here if it's your first time here and you haven't read it yet:

The scenario

I've placed this skirmish to the United Nations largest mission in both scale and operational scope during the Congo Crisis 1960-65, when UN troops 'peacekeeping' was more offensive 'peace enforcement' with force.

Situation:

This skirmish is finding place in fictional place of Lumbaya in the early January of 1963, when the UN during operation 'Grand Slam' are turning their attention to the remaining Katangese strongholds in Southern Katanga after after securing the Katangese capitol of Élisabethville.

Place:

Lumbaya is a very small village located 80km south west of Élisabethville, and are made into a stronghold by a small platoon of Katangese Gendarmes. The village is one of several strongholds in the area to trying to hold the UN off while trying to keep the self-proclaimed president Tshombe by power of the self-proclaimed Katanga state.

Forces:

• Katangese:
• 2 rifle-squads each of 10 soldiers, a LMG and and a bazooka/flame thrower. Each squad can operate as 2 fireteams independently. 
• 1 HMG-detachment of 3 soldiers
• 1 sniper
• HQ-section with platoon-leader and 2 medics
• After turn 12 if rules include vehicles or skilled troops: A QRF consisting of 1 truck with a HMG and a section of 10 'veterans' with a LMG and a bazooka arrives from the next village. Only if Lumbaya is still held by Katangese forces.

• UN:
• 1 Platoon of 3 rifle-squads each of 8 soldiers and a LMG. The squads can operate independently.
• 1 Light mortar-detachment of  2 soldiers and an observer
• 1 bazooka-detachment of 3 soldiers
• HQ-section with platoon-leader
• 1 Jeep with HMG and 2 soldiers.

Mission:

• Katangese: To hold the strongpoint of Lumbaya. Can request QRF-support as mentioned in the force-section from turn 12 if still holding whole or part of the strongpoint.
• UN: To take and hold the strongpoint of Lumbya, preferably within 12 turns, and take control on as many Katangese gendarms located there as possible.

AAR

Time:    1 hour and 30 minutes

Turns:   11

Result:  UN victory

The UN platoon made their advance towards Lumbaya, supported by both a Mortar team and a vehicle-mounted HMG.

Very early in the campaign the UN mortar made two successfully hits andt eliminated the Katangese HMG and support-base. This made the UN advancement much easier and quicker...

... and gave the UN the needed initiative in the battle.

When getting closer to the village the UN forces met more resistance and heavier fire, and their jeep and HMG were eventually taken out by a Katangese LMG, but not before...

...the UN support weapons made to tear up the Katangese line of defense completely...

...and the Katangese reserves didn't even make it to their defense line before they were under heavy fire and taken out by another successful UN-mortar grenade.

In turn 8 the first UN squads were entering the village. The Katangese had only one team and surprise left for the entering UN-troops, a 'secret weapon'. 

...Until it malfunctioned in the next turn (because you just don't miss with a weapon like this), and another UN squad came to the rescue. By this time there were only 2 unarmed Katangese medics left in the village, and an UN success with minimal losses (just a jeep and 4 plastic grunts).

Pros

• It's simple and can be played with easily available and cheap army men or toy soldiers from a lot of different (modern-) periods.
• Fast playing.

Cons

• These rules are really simple. Perhaps too simple. In only 3 small pages there are minimal information which may lead to misinterpretations.
• Even if the rules were short they were contradictory on the rifle ranges. One place it was written that the rifle range was 12", and on another thet you had to deduct '3' from your dice if firing rifles on ranges between 12"-24". I went for the long range alternative as I think the firing range for infantry weapons are a little too short.
• There were no clear turn sequence, so I decided to play is at 'I go, You go'.
• Even if it contains rules for a lots of special weapons, it doesn't have any rules for sniper rifles. It didn't matter much in my game anyway, because my 'sniper' (which I treated as a infantry man with long range) was only rolling '1's every time.
• In this game you don't roll a dice (or more) for each weapon. Infantry units fire 1 D6 for each volley of 5 men. - and deduct numbers from your dice depending on the range. The units under fire makes a roll for a save thou. So some calculation is needed when not operating 5-men teams or teams divisible by 5. It also makes it very difficult for smaller units to hit anything at all.

Conclusion

As the last time I played a game by Donald Featherstone, I had a good time. The game is easy and fast playing. I think it would work even better in a smaller scale such as 1:72 or similar. This game also shows that heavier weapons cause more damage and casualties, and that was exactly what I missed with Donald Featherstone's Close Wars. Thanks to John for the suggestion and the rules and Mark for the encouragement.

When writing this it seems like there has to be at least one more revisit to Lumbaya during 'Grand Slam'. Sign up on this blog if you haven't done so already, and stay tuned...

Close Wars

Close Wars

The rules

I wanted to try some really oldschool wargaming, and I think Donald Featherstone is considered to be one of the inventors of simple rules for wargaming with toy soldiers. On the excellent blog of 'The Man of Tinblog' I found a blogpost with a copy of Donald Featherstone's Close Wars. These rule are very simple and aren't exactly made for this size or modern battles, but I wanted to have a go at a 'classic' and see if it was playable with the scenario I've used in my recent games.

The scenario

I've placed this skirmish to the United Nations largest mission in both scale and operational scope during the Congo Crisis 1960-65, when UN troops 'peacekeeping' was more offensive 'peace enforcement' with force.

Situation:

This skirmish is finding place in fictional place of Lumbaya in the early January of 1963, when the UN during operation 'Grand Slam' are turning their attention to the remaining Katangese strongholds in Southern Katanga after after securing the Katangese capitol of Élisabethville.

Place:

Lumbaya is a very small village located 80km south west of Élisabethville, and are made into a stronghold by a small platoon of Katangese Gendarmes. The village is one of several strongholds in the area to trying to hold the UN off while trying to keep the self-proclaimed president Tshombe by power of the self-proclaimed Katanga state.

Forces:

• Katangese:
• 2 rifle-squads each of 10 soldiers, a LMG and and a bazooka/flame thrower. Each squad can operate as 2 fireteams independently. 
• 1 HMG-detachment of 3 soldiers
• 1 sniper
• HQ-section with platoon-leader and 2 medics
• After turn 12 if rules include vehicles or skilled troops: A QRF consisting of 1 truck with a HMG and a section of 10 'veterans' with a LMG and a bazooka arrives from the next village. Only if Lumbaya is still held by Katangese forces. Since these rules doesn't support vehicles, the QRF enters the village at foot.
• UN:
• 1 Platoon of 3 rifle-squads each of 8 soldiers and a LMG. The squads can operate independently.
• 1 Light mortar-detachment of  2 soldiers and an observer
• 1 bazooka-detachment of 3 soldiers
• HQ-section with platoon-leader
• 1 Jeep with HMG and 2 soldiers. Since these rules do not include vehicles, the Jeep stayed stationary with the HMG at the deployment-area acting a 1 unit, but due to short firing ranges never come close enough to enter combat.
• Since these rules doesn't include any heavy weapons, I just rolled a dice for any weapons and let all of them have the same range.

Mission:

• Katangese: To hold the strongpoint of Lumbaya. Can request QRF-support as mentioned in the force-section from turn 12 if still holding whole or part of the strongpoint.
• UN: To take and hold the strongpoint of Lumbya, preferably within 12 turns, and take control on as many Katangese gendarms located there as possible.

AAR

Time:    1 hour and 40 minutes

Turns:   18 (!)

Result:  UN defeat

Due to the short weapon ranges and not including any heavy weapons for support, this was a rush for the UN forces to get to a cover close enough for the their short weapon range:

The UN forces made initially some successful hits in the Katangese line of defence, and used the opportunity to try to brake into their defensive positions...

...and managed. But from this point on the Katangese Gendarmerie fought real well, and the UN didn't make any further advancement into the village.

This was the situation for so long time and so many turns, that the Katangese QRF arrived in turn 12:

This was finally what made the UN advancement come to an definite halt, and those few UN soldiers left who managed to enter the village was either killed or taken as prisoner of war after heroic street fighting. But they didn't give up very easy.

Impetus Bonus!!

Pros

• Impetus Bonus gives a +1 for surprising when emerging from cover and achieved an ambush
• It's simple and can be played with easily available and cheap army men or toy soldiers from a lot of different periods.
• Retreating forces (due to a moral check) have to dice to see if the're routing or can go back to battle.
• Really fast playing

Cons

• It's just too simple and doesn't divide weapons into groups by their damage potential.
• It doesn't include any vehicles.
• The turn sequence seems unclear. I played it I Go, You Go.
• What really happens to  wounded; hits that makes a save also seems unclear. I let them just fight on.

Conclusion

Due to lack of rules for different weapons with longer range and higher damage-potential, this was a very uncomplicated, interesting, intense and very fast playing game. With the limited weapon-ranges this is truly 'Close Wars'. As mentioned, I don't think these rules are made for modern battles or this scale, but I'm surprised how extremely well they worked for such after all. I would consider to play this in a smaller scale than I did (with my 54mm soldiers). Perhaps 20mm would be more suitable? And perhaps a period and units without a lot of hevy weapons. If you have only time for a quickie, consider this game.

Please follow this blog for some few more AAR on free wargame-rules to come...