Historically, I have always loved reading rules, but I have the concentration of a goldfish when it comes to wargaming a period. I tend to flit from one rule set to another, never settling on a single set. However, I've decided to reduce the number of rules I use and focus on my favourites. As part of this effort, I've decided to fight roughly the same War of Spanish Succession (WSS) battle using different rules to see which I prefer. See the Summary Page for other rule reviews.
Rules: Kampe in Reihen (Rules for the Lace Wars)
Overview
These rules contain a number of innovative elements to the rules. The key points I noticed were:
- Friction of command: Unlike many other rules sets the player is not limited by the number of commands or units they can move, for example DBx rules having command pips or Blackpower having a command roll for each activation…However in a very nice twist you can activate each unit once to fire or move but you can have a double or triple activation if you are willing to take a risk with an activation roll. Once of the things I like about these rules is choosing when to take a gamble.
- Turn sequence: The rules have random activation by command, so with three commands on each side with occasionally allows a command to active late in one turn and then early in the next which is fun and adds an element of chaos to the battle. (When I have fought large battles at the Wargame Holiday Centre or with people unfamiliar with the rules we have used the traditional I go/you go system).
- No of units: I played a sole game with 13 units on each side in 2:30hrs. In large battles 4-6 players most players have had two commands, each of 3-5 units.
- Special equipment: The author (and I ) have D6 with three red (success) and 3 black (failure) sides. There would be no problem using standard dice 1-3: fail and 4-6: success.
- Casualties: Players need to be able to record hits and moral hits on units until the unit is removed. There are no figures removed as casualties. Units generally have three or four bases and can take one hit per base. Once a unit has taken the maximum number of hits it starts to take moral hits. Each turn, moral hits must be removed or the units will retreat or route. The author (and I ) use double dice stands for each unit, one for a white hits die and one for a red moral hits die. (Any dice or paper tracker can be used.)
- Scale: The rules make no recommendations on base size or figure scale.
- Availability: SKT Wargames Rules
- Cost: Donation to Combat stress
Although this game as played solo, I fought it from the side of the British with the French taking minimal steps to repulse my attack, which makes my crushing defeat even the more galling.
The Battlefield.
The battlefield was set up to allow for the various tests in the scenario.
Time Period: WSS 1701 (pre-creation of Britain)
English
4 English Infantry lead by a Gentleman - Marked as (1)
4 British Dragoons lead by a officer - Marked as (2)
4 Hanoverian Infantry plus medium gun - Marked as (3)
French
4 French Infantry plus medium
4 French Infantry
4 Horse (2 veteran, 2 trained)
Stream Crossing
The English commander encouraged his brigade forward risking a group double move. Promptly fumbled and the entire command advanced briskly to the rear! Fumbles are not very common in these rules and only if the general takes a risk. In this case these was a 1:16 chance which I "achieved". Marked (1)
Realising the English were going the wrong way the French infantry advanced over the stream, double distance to cross . They would have faced combat penalties but their crossing was unopposed. (marked 2)
The English horse in the centre advanced across the hedges and stream my movement penalties than just crossing the stream but not a problem to fast moving horse. One regiment peeled off to attack the French infantry who had just crossed the river.
The French Infantry were unstoppable, very effective closing fire was followed up by a outstanding bayonet work. (Closing fire - 5 dice hitting on 50% resulted in 3 casualties followed by the resulting melee (4 dice hitting 4 times). The English cavalry waved their swords around then routed (6 dice, hitting 3 times, with one French save resulting in 2 casualties) . Although this was an atypical result with 5 dice closig fire and 4 dice melee v's 6 dice for the cavalry the advantage in the fight was with the infantry which is historically accurate.
Cavalry v's Cavalry
The two elite French cavalry (Gendarmerie de France) charged two English Regiments of horse and won both melee despite having only having 5 dice (with one reroll) v 6 dice. In subsequent turns one English horse retired and the other broke and routed, affecting the moral of other nearby English horse. In retrospect I'd set the English horse a 3 base charging horse (6 dice when changing and 3 dice in subsequent rounds). Possibly I should have used then as a 4 base regiment, (5 dice changing and 4 dice in subsequent rounds) , The French horse changed with 5 dice but stood for counter change and fired 2 dice closing fire then melee at 4 dice.) The rules allow for both. One to discuss with the author of the rules.
Artillery
The French guns on the English left flank caused the occasional hit but to no create effect. The German guns bombarding the French in the village caused hits on the French Defenders but without any extra pressure on them they were able to rally off the hits. (Guns at long and medium range have little significant effect unless other troops are putting pressure on the command.)
Infantry vs Buildings
The village proved challenging to take by firepower alone. The English could always fall back to rally from losses but this allowed the French to do the same. The battle ended before the English tried an assault by bayonet.
Infantry vs Infantry
The English and French infantry closed to were kept busy removing moral hits on their troops and keeping them in the firefight. The balance was tipped when a French battalion gambled for a triple move and let of three volleys into an English battalion, destroying them by giving them an unrecoverable number of moral hits. The loss of this battalion caused knock on moral hits to the remaining English battalions, one fell back and two held firm. Without the loss of the cavalry centre the English Infantry may have won but the loss of the battalion took the English cumulative losses bast the army's break point and the battle was lost.
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