As I have mentioned before, I'm located about halfway up Vancouver Island (off the west coast of Canada). The local gaming group is "The Arcadian Guild". (Check out the link to the right).
Myself and a few others are looking to start a campaign set in the mid-eighteenth century using imaginary European countries. My principality of Saxe-Bearstein is one of these countries. (See Archives for August 31 to check on Saxe-Bearstein's fictional history).
One of the purposes of this campaign will be to build-up armies. This means that we don't want to need too many painted troops too early. To begin with, each player will need one Brigade of Foot and one of Mounted, plus some generals and two pieces of artillery.
Using Bluebear's Tricorne Wars rules, this means a minimum of three battalions of foot (17 to 25 men each) and one unit of mounted (7 to 16 cavalry figures). There should be four more mounted figures (2 brigadiers, 1 major general and 1 aide-de-camp).
In addition, two artillery pieces (one Light, one Medium) are permitted, as are two more small mounted units (7 to 10 men each) and a unit of skirmishing foot (5 to 13 figures). These are suggested -- but not required.
Thus, if someone wanted to meet the bare minimums, that would mean 51 foot and 11 mounted; whereas, if they wanted the maximum, they would need 88 foot (including the skirmishers), 40 mounted and two artillery pieces plus 7 crew.
Campaign Concept
Since we hope to have a flexible number of participants in the "Wars for Arcadian Glory" (or WAG for short), I'm thinking of not tying us down to a fixed "map". Instead each unit will be tied to a "territory" (which could be an area or city).
When two players want to fight a battle, they would each roll a die to determine which "territory" of theirs was "at risk". In addition, they would roll up a random, unnamed territory (most of which will just supply another infantry unit -- but a few of which would allow more cavalry units to be built).
The winner of the battle keeps his territory and may select either the other player's "at risk" territory OR the new territory. In either case the loser gets the remaining territory (usually his own back; but occasionally a new one).
Whoever gets the new "territory" gets to name it. Whatever territory a player gets, he can raise troops from it (although it takes some time before he can use them). This means that you never lose your overall units -- and that your army will slowly grow.
In addition, battle winners have a better chance of recouping battle losses than do the losers. What I'm currently thinking is that all "full" or partially full companies and/or squadrons are restored to full health. Any stands that had been eliminated must be individually diced for. Winner of battle recovers 2/3rds of his troops (rolls a 3+); while the loser only gets about half of them back (rolls a 4 or better).
Over the Winter season, all of your units recruit themselves back up to full strength -- except those that you've "lost" (i.e., are now owned by an opponent) -- they cannot be re-built unless you recapture their home "territory".
However, any unit that has its "home territory" at risk (no matter which side currently owns it) gets a temporary morale rating of "elite" for that battle only (otherwise reverting to it's normal morale rating).
What I'm currently thinking is allowing a maximum of three or four battles per "campaign year" per participant. However, all armies who either did not fight or failed to win any battles, may still build one new unit over the winter.
If someone wins an "infantry territory", they would roll 1d3 and add one (generating a number from 2 to 4) . . . this is how many seasons before a "Raw" unit can be raised from that territory. If they wish to use the troops before then, they will be rated as "Militia" until they are successfully raised to "Raw" by their battle actions.
If someone wins an "mounted territory", they would roll 1dAv and add one (generating a number from 3 to 6) . . . this is how many seasons before a "Raw" unit can be raised from that territory. If they wish to use the troops before then, they will be rated as "Militia" until they are successfully raised to "Raw" by their battle actions.
After each battle, every unit that has captured a "standard" will get a roll to improve their morale grade by one. In addition, the winner of a battle gets to select one unit to roll for morale improvement; while the loser must select a unit to roll for lowering it's morale grade (which is how a "Veteran" unit could fall to "Poor" -- which is the same as "Raw", but disgraced.)
Winner of a battle may award a "Battle Honor" to up to 33% of the unit's participating in the battle. This doesn't really mean anything except that it builds up unit histories.
The above description is, of course, only a sketch, but hopefully it will give you some idea of how the "Wars for Arcadian Glory" will operate.
-- Jeff
Since we hope to have a flexible number of participants in the "Wars for Arcadian Glory" (or WAG for short), I'm thinking of not tying us down to a fixed "map". Instead each unit will be tied to a "territory" (which could be an area or city).
When two players want to fight a battle, they would each roll a die to determine which "territory" of theirs was "at risk". In addition, they would roll up a random, unnamed territory (most of which will just supply another infantry unit -- but a few of which would allow more cavalry units to be built).
The winner of the battle keeps his territory and may select either the other player's "at risk" territory OR the new territory. In either case the loser gets the remaining territory (usually his own back; but occasionally a new one).
Whoever gets the new "territory" gets to name it. Whatever territory a player gets, he can raise troops from it (although it takes some time before he can use them). This means that you never lose your overall units -- and that your army will slowly grow.
In addition, battle winners have a better chance of recouping battle losses than do the losers. What I'm currently thinking is that all "full" or partially full companies and/or squadrons are restored to full health. Any stands that had been eliminated must be individually diced for. Winner of battle recovers 2/3rds of his troops (rolls a 3+); while the loser only gets about half of them back (rolls a 4 or better).
Over the Winter season, all of your units recruit themselves back up to full strength -- except those that you've "lost" (i.e., are now owned by an opponent) -- they cannot be re-built unless you recapture their home "territory".
However, any unit that has its "home territory" at risk (no matter which side currently owns it) gets a temporary morale rating of "elite" for that battle only (otherwise reverting to it's normal morale rating).
What I'm currently thinking is allowing a maximum of three or four battles per "campaign year" per participant. However, all armies who either did not fight or failed to win any battles, may still build one new unit over the winter.
If someone wins an "infantry territory", they would roll 1d3 and add one (generating a number from 2 to 4) . . . this is how many seasons before a "Raw" unit can be raised from that territory. If they wish to use the troops before then, they will be rated as "Militia" until they are successfully raised to "Raw" by their battle actions.
If someone wins an "mounted territory", they would roll 1dAv and add one (generating a number from 3 to 6) . . . this is how many seasons before a "Raw" unit can be raised from that territory. If they wish to use the troops before then, they will be rated as "Militia" until they are successfully raised to "Raw" by their battle actions.
After each battle, every unit that has captured a "standard" will get a roll to improve their morale grade by one. In addition, the winner of a battle gets to select one unit to roll for morale improvement; while the loser must select a unit to roll for lowering it's morale grade (which is how a "Veteran" unit could fall to "Poor" -- which is the same as "Raw", but disgraced.)
Winner of a battle may award a "Battle Honor" to up to 33% of the unit's participating in the battle. This doesn't really mean anything except that it builds up unit histories.
The above description is, of course, only a sketch, but hopefully it will give you some idea of how the "Wars for Arcadian Glory" will operate.
-- Jeff
3 comments:
Alright Jeff, I shall start the process of forming The Dutchy of Mieczyslaw.
Give me a week or two after the Auerstadt game and I shall have the starting story-line.
Sounds good to me . . . except please don't expect me to be able to pronounce it correctly (or spell it correctly for that matter).
-- Jeff
I like your campaign idea Jeff.
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