"Tricorne Wars" Playtest Tomorrow --

Well, we'll have our first "real" playtest of "Tricorne Wars" tomorrow. Okay, not really . . . but it will be the first one with properly based troops (instead of 'invisible second ranks').

The forces are similar but not mirror images of each other . . . and we will use the "depletion" rules for the first time. That is, each commander will be rolling dice to determine what portion of each unit actually shows up.

For Infantry (maximum size, 6 four-man stands) 3d6 will be rolled for each battalion . . . high die is the number of stands that show up. Cavalry units will have 1d3 + 1 stands for each regiment and Artillery need to roll their number of crewmen or above to have made it to the battlefield.

Why is this 'depletion rule' in place? For two reasons, it insures that we don't have a bunch of 'cookie-cutter' units (which I abhor); and it increases the 'Fog of War'.

I will be watching the battle to take notes on what needs to be clarified, reworked or was overlooked, while Generals from the Duchy of the North and Duchy of Miecyzslaw fight it out.

My primary focus will be on my "Command and Control" system. Like much else in "Tricorne Wars", it is designed to both be simple and to complicate the life of the Commanding Generals as orders are delayed or misinterpreted.

We'll see how it works out.


-- Jeff

(off-topic) Vardo Talk (i.e., Gypsy Wagons) --

My apologies (since this is totally off-topic) but a friend of mine has just started a "Yahoo group" devoted to "Vardos" -- which we would know of as "gypsy wagons".

He would like to build one (canvas-sided rather than hard-sided) for his attendance at various events (he is a musician and maker of bagpipes and other musical intruments).

To this end, he has "created a yahoo list to allow folks to pass about info about their projects" -- the construction of vardos.

So, if you know of anyone who is interested in this subject, please direct them to this website:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vardoshavora/

The vardo pictured above is the sort of thing he'd like to build. Because, as he says ...

"With a vardo, I can arrive at an event, pop the top, turn on the heat and relax while others scramble madly to pitch tents and furnish them in the driving rain. Sit back and enjoy all the action over a nice civilized cupa."


-- Jeff

New Playtest Upcoming --

Well, unless something unexpected happens we should have another "Tricorne Wars" playtest this coming Sunday.

Generals have now been generated for three of us in the "Wars for Arcadian Glory" (WAG for short) that we plan to use the rules for. (Presumably they'll soon send me names for their generals).

Sides will be comparable . . . but not exactly equal . . . and all are subject to not showing up or showing up with reduced forces. Infantry battalions have six 4-man companies if full-size; and Cavalry regiments have from 2 to 4 squadrons of three figures each. All units also have a "standard bearer" on the "colour stand" who in not a fighting figure, but is used to show a unit's current cohesion.

Anyway, with luck I'll be able to sit back and watch the game and take notes. I've emailed each player what units they have for this playtest . . . but they don't know what their opponent has -- but it is relatively similar in makeup.

To see our "generals" and a rough map of the fight, go to:

http://mypage.uniserve.com/~bluebear/tw_generals.html


-- Jeff

Uniforms Using New Template --

Well, here is the new template showing Saxe-Bearstein Infantry units . . . including the Grenadier Guards. (Remember to click on graphic to see it full-size.)

My thanks once again to David Morfitt who was kind enough to draw up these uniform templates for our use.


-- Jeff

More Uniform Templates --

David Morfitt (of "Old School Wargamers") has kindly sent me some "Hanoverian" style uniform templates. Please direct your thanks (as I do) to him.

I'm certainly presuming (from his emails to me) that David would love to see them in use. Now I will try to get some colored for Saxe-Bearstein units and posted here a bit later, but for now at least you can see the blank templates.

Note that, like Britain, Hanover (and, of course, the Principality of Saxe-Bearstein) used the "split cuff" (most nations did not).

David also sent me a Grenadier template, which is the second template. Saxe-Bearstein (at present) only plans one standing grenadier unit, but will have grenadier companies with each Battalion. These will normally be formed into non-permanent Grenadier units with those of the other units they are brigaded with.

I've posted these templates (like the earlier ones) in ".gif" format (although you may save them in other formats.

Thanks again, David.


-- Jeff

Basic Infantry Flag Templates --

You are all free to use these templates if you would like. Certainly change the colors to whatever you want . . . after all, I'm sure that your country won't want to use these without a few changes.

All of these (as well as the cavalry flag templates I'll upload in a few days) are in 16-color ".gif" format. You are certainly allowed to change these colors (easy to do in most graphics programs) .

The two "German" patterns (as well as one of the "French" ones) have a central oval.

What I would suggest is that you find an image that represents your fictional nation (Saxe-Bearstein, for instance, uses a red bear). Some countries used animals such as lions, horses, eagles, etc., while others used the monarch's cipher. Use what you want and 'paste' it in.

Often, with the "German" style flags, there was something in the corners . . . often a crown or cipher (Saxe-Bearstein uses grape leaves). Sometimes there was something on the ends of the "cross", such as grenades. Use or not, it is your choice.

For Saxe-Bearstein (which uses a slight variation of the German-style with upright oval), I use the 'corner-rays' in the infantry coat color (red for line; green for jagers), while the cross is in the unit's facing color (various). The color of the central oval is the same as the 'hat tape" color (usually white or yellow . . . and black if there's no hat tape).

The "French" style (simple central cross) was actually used by others besides the French. France used a white central cross; England a red cross. Use whatever color you want.

The final template is sort of a hybrid. It uses the French-style cross, but I've added a central oval to take your national symbol.

Of course, once you've got your flags designed the way you want, you will have to "mirror" them so that you can print them and fold them around your flagstaffs. And don't forget to leave a bit of 'blank area' between the two halves for the 'wrap-around'.

And, of course, these templates are too big. You will need to reduce the size . . . and will probably want to copy them to a more easily scalable format . . . but these should do fine for your design work . . . and, of course, they post to the net very easily.

So I encourage you to have fun and again, feel free to play around with these templates.

If you like, post the results on your blogs . . . indeed, I encourage you . . . once you've got something you are happy with . . . to use them as your "photograph" (aka "avatar") if you don't already have something. Flags look great when you leave a comment on someone else's blog.

Have fun!


-- Jeff of Saxe-Bearstein

The Hussars --

David Morfitt of the 'Old School Wargamers' was kind enough to create a template for hussars. And thanks to him, I'm able to give you an idea of what the Saxe-Bearstein Hussars will look like.

I've given them a gray background because the second uniform is mainly white.

The Heineken Hussars are mainly in green with red trousers.

The Hopfenperle Hussars are mostly in white with a red pelisse.

Of course I might decide to change these but probably not. I do intend to mount them on a mixture of galloping horses . . . some with legs bunched, some with legs outstretched. In addition, unlike my other mounted units, their horses will not be matched, but will be different colors.

Once again I'd like to thank David Morfitt for his fine hussar template.


-- Jeff

Uniforms of Mounted Troops --

Okay, I'm not even going to try to do my two Hussar units because I don't have a good template for them (and, like most hussars, they are fancy).

But I do have the uniforms of my other mounted units . . . and, as a bonus, the uniforms of my three jager units.

I will have one guard cavalry unit (horse grenadiers), two Heavy Horse, two Dragoons and two Hussar units:

• Horse Grenadiers are in red coats with black facings.
• von Klosterbrau Kuirassiers have white coats with red facings.
• von Kodiak Kuirassiers have white coats with medium blue facings.
• Wildschwein Dragoons have buff coats with red facings.
• Edelbrau Dragoons have buff coats with green facings.
• Hopfenperle Hussars primary colors are white and red (with busby).
  
• Heineken Hussars primary colors are two shades of green (with Mirliton).
  

The three jager units are:

• Karlsburg Jagers are in green coat with grey facings.
• Falkenbrau Jagers are in green coats with off-white facings.
• Eichhof Jagers are in green coats with buff facings.

So now you have some idea of what my troops will look like when I finally get to start painting them. (We are still in the process of getting moved into our new home . . . and it is amazing how much work there is involved in that . . . *sigh* . . . but I agree that it needs to be done before I get to relax and paint my figures).


-- Jeff

Uniform Template --

Since I've had a few requests for the uniform template I used in my last post, here it is.

This template was modified from the many 'interchangeable pieces" one posted by Otto Schmidt on the 'Society of Daisy' Yahoo Group:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/SOCDAISY/

The Society of Daisy was formed in reaction to some people who take their gaming 'too seriously'. Its purpose is to celebrate the fun (and often silliness) of playing with little toy soldiers.

It is at least worth a look . . . even if you think some of them go too far . . . because there is too little 'fun' in our real worlds.


-- Jeff

Line Infantry Uniforms --

Well, this is a simpler, less artistic uniform template -- but at least you can get an idea of what my line infantry units will look like.

Everyone (except the artillerymen) is in red coats in honor of the "red bear" of Saxe-Bearstein.

• IR1 is von Molson's Battalion. Regimental color is medium blue.
• IR2 is von Becks' Battalion. Regimental color is white.
• IR3 is von Grolsch's Battalion. Regimental color is light green.
• IR4 is von Carling's Battalion. Regimental color is black.
• IR5 is von Shlitz's Battalion. Regimental color is maroon.
• IR6 is von Coors' Battalion. Regimental color is yellow.
• IR7 is von Lowenbrau's Battalion. Regimental color is light blue.
• IR8 is von Urquell's Battalion. Regimental color is dark green.
• All Artillerymen wear a dark grey coat with red cuffs, lapels, turnbacks, etc.

Most units have pewter buttons and white hat tape (silver for officers). The exceptions are Becks', Lowenbrau's and Urquell's battalions who have brass buttons and yellow hat tape (gold for officers). The Artillerymen do have pewter buttons -- but their white hat tape has been permanently stained to grey by the smoke of their cannons.


-- Jeff of Saxe-Bearstein

Variable Dice Woes --

Well, I spent the afternoon up at Murdock's place. We played a 25mm "Napoleon's Battles" game (Friedland).

Now, I don't want to say that the die rolling was unfair -- after all, we used the same pool of dice -- but the dice I chose were of that marvelously variable variety. You see, in "Napoleon's Battles" sometimes you need to roll low (tests) and sometimes you need to roll high (combat).

Now the dice I had (the whole series of them) were certainly not overly friendly when I needed to roll low . . . but weren't horribly unlike everyone else's -- just a bit unluckier than the others.

Ah, but when it came to slaughter, I consistently rolled very low . . . and Murdock seemed to have a d10 with about eight 10s on it. I jokingly accused him of such (of course it had all of the numbers on it) . . . but he rolled like a bandit and I rolled abysmally (I think my dice had about six ones on them).

Still the game was fun . . . or actually the first half was fun. For we are scheduled to complete the game next Sunday . . . and hopefully I will have the good dice that day.

On a positive note, the Duke of the North was also playing and he brought his first Battalion for us to see. The painting isn't finished yet, but he has a very good start on them. Things are looking up for the "Wars for Arcadian Glory" . . . we've scheduled some time in July for more playtests of my rules.


-- Jeff