2018-2021 plans (will make into a permanent page later))

Short introduction
For something not usual for this blog, a discussion rather than rule reviews or battle reports.  I discuss how to potentially improve my wargaming mojo by listing my possible projects for the next few years.

Introduction
In November 2017 I was losing my interest in playing wargames, possibly as my focus in my gaming had spread across so many projects and I was lost at sea. So why not list my gaming interests and what I feel I should be investing my time in for the next few years?  It is based on what I have really enjoyed over the last few years.  I will copy this into a blog page in a few weeks so I easily remember where it is :-) and will update in sometime in 2019/2020 to see how much has changed.

It is more of a list of things to help me choose projects from for the next two to three years rather than a small defined target.  The ones that I am most keen on are listed as priority; the secondary are those I would like to fit in but in reality are not likely.  And based on past experience, there is a good chance of something new or re-prioritisation!

Background
I played 20mm WW2 in the mid-late 80's. I dabbled in Ancients in the 90's but mostly played a lot of boardgames, mostly multiplayer affairs.  In the 2000’s the games were limited to a few games a year of Armati 2 or 20mm WW2 using various rules (mostly Take Cover!! , a Rapid Fire-ish clone).  In 2009 I began this blog to get more familiar with various ancient rules by replaying the same battles with different rules.  The games played since have expanded. I am at the point in 2018 where I feel my gaming mojo is in need of repair - I have lots of potential projects that I already have minis or kit for but not that much time.  Taking stock for a main focus may help bring the mojo back.  Not saying I will not detour and sideline from this, but at least having it written down I have more of a chance of concentrating on the things I found I like.   I also have some 10+ AARs lined up to to post that are in various stages of completion. And three games half played. This is also preying on my mind and possibly also contributing to mojo loss.  A focus for the first half of 2018 will be finishing them off and then trying to not let potential posts bank up so much. I am also hoping to cut down on spending as I do not have to buy anything (or at least not much) to play from this list. Being a realist I do know that the "Ooh, shiny!" will still "force" me to spend my cash occasionally and  detour from anything I have written down :-)

Ancients
Priority

• Keep playing Peter Sides’ historical scenarios with Ancient Battlelines Clash.
• Play different rules with the same battle (a new battle already chosen). Try and get 10 done.  I have a list of 30 or so rulesets I would happily give a go.

Secondary

• I bought the book "As Told in the Great Hall" about 4 years ago.  I have wanted to play the 14 or so British early Medieval scenarios within.
• I would like to complete basing some 200 or so 15mm Chinese and Dark Ages figures I acquired in 2012; and finish fixing up some other figures that need some maintenance.
•  Play Bill Banks Imperator again and revisit the 8x8 grid rules but expand to 12x8.

WW2
Priority

• Finish off the WW2x2 Company Advance rules and play a few more Operation Jupiter games (20mm).  Maybe streamline them to fit in with the 4x3 simple rules would be good.
• Need to complete the armour and penetration value updates for these rules.

Secondary

• Finish off the WW2x2 Section Advance rules, put them on the blog and play a few more games.
• IABSM.  I have lots of cards I made for IABSM (I Ain't' Been Shot Mum) in 2002-ish and I believe I could simply use my WW2x2 Company Advance combat mechanisms to replace the ones in IABSM and leave everything else the same in IABSM. I was never happy with combat but loved everything else.  Then I could play some IABSM scenarios without having to convert them.
• The ww3x4 games  (WW2 on a 3x4 grid) were fun and could possibly see another outing.
• Maybe even play some 6mm games with different rules. Maybe.

Fantasy
Priority

• I have a whole lot of Heroscape and could reuse the figures to play some fantasy skirmish along the lines of Songs of Blades and Heroes, Melee, Open Combat, Sellswords and Spellsingers  or something similar.  Something co-op.  Or just play Heroscape.

Pulp
Priority

• I have written some rules that take the Pulp Alley concept (mostly the cards) and used a simplified GoalSystem (Chaos in Cairo) task resolution system for a combat-light solo pulp game.  Suitable to play out the Pulp Alley campaigns.  I need to dig these out and give them a run with the children.

SF
Priority

• Continue playing solo the Traveller Adventures using my solo adventure framework.

Secondary

• Find some simple rules that are suitable to play with a small number of ships.  Vector movement would be good. Order systems not so good. Starfire is probably out, but Full Thrust, Engage!, Shooting Stars, Call to Arms come to mind and could be good.  I have quite a few more SF spaceship rules and just need to go back and go through them looking for something that appeals.

Boardgames
Priority

• Play more of the ones I already have with the children.  I have two children (9 and 11 as at Feb 2018) and we play together so the games have to be good for three people and generally co-op games, although my daughter does love to thrash us at Love Letter Adventure time! There is a list of about 20 Euro, AmeriTrash, mini/boardgame crossovers and card games we have played over the last 5 or so years.. I hope to play them some more and see which ones are keepers and which are not. Currently on the list (either have played in the past or ready to play) are Betrayal at House on the Hill, Zombicide, Forbidden Island, Warhammer Quest, Cluedo, Space Crusade, X-Wing Miniatures, Thunderbirds!, Wings of War, Star Fluxx, Battlestations!, 221b Baker Street, Love Letter Adventure Time, Sushi Go, Ghooosts! and Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters.  There are more I can't remember :-)  And some more I would like to buy (such as Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan). Plus three Kickstarters I backed in 2017 on track to deliver in 2018.

Secondary

• Play some of the smaller “old school” boardgames I have but have never played.
• Find a fairly good short solo game I like playing. Dungeon Roll is not bad but a bit generic;  Tiny Epic Galaxy is fun but does not quite cut it.  I have a list of about 6 to try.

Side projects
Let's call these tertiary.  They may happen but more unlikely than the secondaries above.

• More Machinas
• Revisit Solo Sword and the Stars-type star system game (blog posts to still be written).
• Complete development of a solo Sargon II Mesopotamia ruler type boardgame (I think this is the last of my 20 years+ projects that I have not managed to do something with in the last 5 years)
• Revisit Medieval Naval Warfare rules and play a few games.

Things not really on the list for the next few years (but you never know)

• Most of my boardgames I do not have the space to set them and leave them in place so unlikely they will see daylight.
• Cold war miniatures – I have 6mm miniatures but not a priority.
• Solo story writing – the SFRPG solo adventuring framework morphed into story creator that was interesting but requires a bit of time investment to do.
• Mass fantasy battles – I have been given quite a few unpainted Warhammer figures but have done nothing with them.
• Starfire – I have a few undocumented AARs of playing Starfire with miniatures but it was not as exciting as I was expecting.
• Some CCGs – I have Illuminati New World Order and Star Trek TOS but unlikely this will see any play soon.
• I have some 20mm WW2 vehicles that need painting that I am unlikely to get around to doing.  I have some 20mm WW2 vehicles that need to be built - even more unlikely to occur.
• I have some 6mm Napoleonic Brits that need painting and while I would like to try out some Napoleonics, I cannot see that happening in the next few years.
• I have about 40 15mm SF figures (old Ral Partha), about 12 painted.  I am ready to play some SF skirmish using something like Five Parsecs from Home.

Final word
So, there you have it - everything I would like to do and loosely prioritised. I will try and check back on this list later in the year and in future years to see if it helped with my mojo.  Also to see how I went to then determine my wargamer butterfly rating :-)

Machinas - post apocalyptic car dueiing - two solo games report

Introduction
My first two games with the Two Hour Wargames Machinas – car racing in a post-apocalyptic world. Summary: Loads of fun but was looking fora shorter game.

Background

The 2017 6x6 challenge wass nearing an end and I was looking for a simple ruleset to play a few games and I was thinking spaceships.  I thought of X-wing, then onto Wings of War.  I remembered a boardless game of WWI aerial combat from Kaptain Kobold that I could maybe modify into a space game.  However, Spandau and Lewis does require measuring distances, bad memory..  While browsing for those rules I came across Kaptain Kobold's Machinas posts and  Warwell Wargames was playing these as part of the 6x6 challenge. The “boardless” bit of Machinas is very clever as it only concerns itself with the placement of cars relative to each other, rather than using a racing track.  I was a big Car Wars player for a few years when it first came out.  Wow - just remembered that!  I played that and Star Fleet Battles a lot (and I mean a lot) in the early 80's. I have not touched or really thought about post apocalyptic car dueling for 30 years.

So what did I do next?
I thought I would give them a go and see if I could either rework it for a space game, or play it with my children.  I promptly set about spending way to many hours writing a 1-page quick reference sheet and  moving onto writing an Excel car generation tool.  While playing the first game solo, I got tired of remembering the car features and dice rolls and auto successes so I spent many more hours wrote some formulas that calculate the number of successes for the possible actions of a car (passing, shooting, bashing, out of control) with all the modifiers included.  So when a car wants to do something look up the cell with the result for the primary and the target.  The manual bit is doing the compare and implementing the result.  The game is longer than I thought it would be - even with the formulas doing most of the work - so may not be suitable to play with the children (I was looking for something less than 30 minutes but maybe I could do one lap?).  But it is fun! 

Game One

This is a game with 4 Sedans, costing 17-19 and attributes adding up to 9.  I run one car (red) while other three are non-player cars.

I am going to play 2 laps.

Format - name (colour): Savvy-Tech-Speed, driver signature, car customisations
Rapscallion (Red): 4-2-3, Loner, Molotov Cocktails, Power Steering, Big Slab
Yeti (Yellow):3-3-3, Speedster, Tail gun, Tuned Up, Oil
Blazer (Blue): 3-2-2, Slow to React, Cluster Rockets, Leaky Fuel Lines, Oil, Spiked Ram, Anti-lock Brakes 
Gnasher (Green):3-3-2, Bumper, Twin 50s, Clunker, Oil, Spiked Wheels, Power Steering, Barbed Chains 

Here is the actual Excel generated cars:

Lap 1

Zone 2
Yeti starts in front, Blazer goes wide.  Rapscallion (me) ends up last.
Blazer attempt to pass failed, Gnasher bashes Blazer but no effect.  

Zone 3
Blazer attempts to paas Yeti but fails and Yeti gets a shot in with their tail gun!  Blazer loses a speed. Green bashes Blazer and Blazer drops back.

Zone 3
Blazer dropping back has blocked Rapscallions (me) chance to pass. 

Zone 4
Blazer passes Gnasher.  Did not expect that!  Blazer has taken some hits to speed.

Zone 5
Rapscallion goes wide - that way guaranteed of a chance to pass!  Random event sees Rapscallion having a chance to pass immediately, and passes Gnasher.

Zone 5
Rapscallion decides to keep going and attempts to pass Blazer.

Zone 5
Rapscallion passes Blazer!  Why not attempt to pass Yeti and get in the lead.  Using the rest of the bonus dice...

Zone 5
Success!  Rapscallion in the lead!

Zone 5
Blazer nearly loses control when attempting to pass Yeti; and the other pass attempts fail.

Zone 6
Yeti attempts to pass Rapscallion for the lead.  Successful!
Rapscallion attempts to pass Yeti.  Successful!  Rapscallion still in the lead at the end of the zone.

Zone 1
Yeti passes Rapscallion to regain the lead.   Blazer attempts to pass Rapscallion and fails badly, giving Rapscallion a chance to throw a Molotov cocktail at Blazer.  Direct hit!  Blazer loses speed and flips directly behind!  Blazer is out of the race.

Lap 2

Zone 2
Rapscallion gets to close to Gnasher, but both are OK.
All attempt to pass and all fail.

Zone 3
Rapscallion sees an opening opportunity and attempts to pass Yeti and succeeds

Zone 3
Gnasher gets too close to Yeti and both are out of control.  Yeti does nor get their car back under control and flips!  Luciky it flips to the side and so misses Gnasher.  

Zone 4
Gnasher attempts to pass Rapscallion but fails. 

Zone 5
Nothing, just cruising along.

Zone 6
Gnasher attempts to pass Rapscallion but fails.

Zone 1 - the FINISH LINE
RAPSCALLION CROSSES THE LINE FIRST AND WINS!.

Well, that was loads of fun, even if it took awhile.  The NPC cars and the odd random event really make the game unpredictable - each lap is very unique.  I immediately rolled up some more cars to play another game.

Game 2
I am using the same car models but they represent different cars. I am using the same Driver names, but this is from earlier in their careers (Wastelands) and so have poorer stats and different signatures.

The cars:

Format - name (colour): Savvy-Tech-Speed, driver signature, car customisations
Rapscallion (Red): 3-2-3, Slow to React, Tail Gun, Big Block
Yeti (Yellow):3-2-3, Slow to React, Spiked Wheels, Old Tires, Heavy Armour
Blazer (Blue): 3-3-3, Speedster,  Twin 50s, Old Tires, Oil 
Gnasher (Green):3-3-2, Faint of Heart, Grenade Launcher, Heavy Armour

Rapscallion is me and driving in a sports car, the rest are non-player characters and driving sedans.

Again, here is the excel sheet with the generated cars:

I am going to play 2 laps for this game, same as game 1.

Lap 1

Zone 2
The randomly rolled start sees Yeti in front and Rapscallion last. 

Zone 2
Blazer passes Yeti for a change or leader in the first zone of the game.

Zone 3
Rapscallion brakes lock and falls behind. Yeti attempts to pass Blazer and fails badly and loses control as Blazer spills oil on the track.

Zone 3
Yeti loses complete control and flips to the back left, missing Gnasher.  Gnasher moves up into the space now vacant.

Zone 3
Gnasher now attempts to pass Blazer and does so with ease.

Zone 4.
Rapscallion back in the race.

Zone 4
Blazer attempts to pass Gnasher to become the leader and just manages to do so.  Meaning the opportunity for Rapscallion to pass is lost.

Zone 5
Rapscallion sets up to pass Gnasher....

Zone 5
...amd succeeds!  But fails to pass Blazer.n

Zone 6 and Zone 1
Rapscallion manages to pass blazer to take the lead.

Lap 2

Zone 2
Gnasher attempts to pass Blue...

Zone 2
...and succeeds.  But fails to pass Rapscallion.

Zone 3
Blazer attempts to pass Gnasher but fails.

Zone 4
Gnasher sets up for a wide pass.

Zone 4
Gnasher's wide pass succeeds!

Zone 5
Rapscallion sets up for the pass, and fails.

Zone 6
Rapscallion sets up for the pass..

Zone 6
Rapscallion attempts to pass Gnasher, using all bonus dice and passes to take the lead in the final zone.

Zone 1
All attempted passes fail.  RAPSCALLION WINS!

Verdict
Machinas is loads of fun albeit longer than I wanted for playing this game. but that was only what I was looking for - a fast game.  Machinas delivers a great narrative experience (as do all Two Hour Wargames).  I did not even consider changing any rules but I can see that some rules about when NPCs use limited ammo weapons/defense may be needed if I played more.  Kaptain Kobold has some proposed house rules I may need to look at if I play this a lot more.  For anyone into post-apocalyptic car racing, Machinas is a great set of rules.  

20mm WW2 1944 West Front skirmish - near Cahagnes

Introduction
I have played a little of WW2 low level skirmish in the past.  As part of the 2017 6x6 challenge I  played four of my new-ish company level rules (based on rolling a number of d6 and counting successes rather than rolling 1d6 and adding and subtracting modifiers).   I wanted to try out the mechanics with a skirmish level game.  Lastly, I promised my internet buddy Just Jack I would play a WW2 skirmish game. How many reasons do I need :-)

The game was going to be loosely based on a real world event that occurred with B Company of the 7th Battalion, The Hampshire regiment on 31st July 1944 outside Cahagnes but now a fictional scenario with a small lost patrol making their way back to the lines on that same day.

Game is done in comic book style using Comic Life 3.    Figures are 80's vintage 20mm plastic from Revell, Matchbox and Airfix.  Table size is 2'x2' representing about 100mx100mm.  Rules are my own and are like a cross between NUTS! and FiveCore Skirmish. Sort-of.

Background
I was going to do a fairly normal – for me – game of a patrol of 7-8 British soldiers based on a real event that occurred in July.   Just Jack posted up 5 more battle reports with small units of modern soldiers facing some opposition.  Also, Nordic Weasel released a new version of Five Parsecs from Home – a SF campaign and battle system for a small band of adventurers.  I don’t really have the figures or the time to do Five Parsecs from Home justice but did like the idea of a small band of heroic adventurers.  I am slowly re-watching the Combat! TV series.  I already have a board setup for a WW2 skirmish game. It all came together into an idea. The premise is that a British patrol has been cut-off, a German counterattack has pushed the front-line even further way, and our band it making it back to their lines.  The band is five troopers, mostly veterans and will give them all skills just to spice it up.  This should hopefully appease my appetite for a small heroic game.

The Game

The game in non-comic form
Troopers
Lieutenant Lightfoot, Rifle, Veteran, Agile: move and shoot without the -1 penalty
Sergeant Samms, Rifle, Veteran, Stealthy: Roll one more die to be spotted and if no success on that die, not spotted.
Corporal Chapman, SMG, Veteran, Tough: +1d6 in close assault
Lance Corporal Palin, Rifle, Veteran, Eagle eyes: +1d6 for spotting
Private Baker, Rifle.

Mission
Follow the road and exit on the other edge to entry.  The German MMG at the road curve has not been spotted and is in ambush.

The Game

• The team move up.
• Palin spots the two potential enemies that are revealed not to be enemies.
• Palin moves up and attempts to spot MMG.  He is joined by Chapman who are then attacked by MG.
• Palin pinned and Chapman suppressed.
• Subsequently both are out of the fight.
• The other three move into shellholes, then up through the orchard and across to side of MMG.  All fire but all that happens in one pinned!
• Meanwhile 3 Germans have appeared on the other side and are moving towards the noise of battle.
• The British  fire has suppressed one of the gunners.
• The MG fires back and pins Lightfoot and suppresses Baker.
• Brit return fire has no effect on Germans (poor dice rolling here!).
• MG fires - Samms out of the fight, Baker out of the fight. Oh dear.
• Lighfoot suppresses another of the German crew.
• MG gunners all rally.
• MG fires and Lightfoot out of the fight.

Verdict
Well, that did not go as planned, although it was likely realistic.  I have no idea what I was thinking when Palin and Chapman jumped the hedge in front of the German MG.  It does go to show that rifle armed infantry does not do so well against a well placed MG.  I guess I will be using different soldiers for my next patrol.

The rules are still very much a work in progress - as are the company level rules, although the latter are quite close to finished.