General de Brigade

colinjallen · Joined: 13 Apr 2003 Posts: 133 Location: London

I have just been involved in some "interesting" debates at TMP. People who are convinced that squares cannot move, that squares and columns cannot fire, that Shako is a good Napoleonic game, that variable length bound systems work well. It is like another world.

Ronan the Librarian · Major Joined: 21 Jul 2004 Posts: 833

You are now enterinng.....

.....the Twighlight Zone.

[Doobey-doobey, doobey-doobey......]
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You can lead a horse to water, but a toy soldier can no longer be lead (due to Health & Safety Regulations).

Ordnanceboard · Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 61 Location: Salisbury, Wilshire

If squares could not move, nor columns fire, then our games would be very static. 'klingondeadeye' at the slightest hint of cavalry marches his French around in squares and nearly always assaults and fires from column!

Zephro · Joined: 23 Sep 2008 Posts: 14

What's wrong with Shako? And what are variable bounds systems?

MPHILLIPS · Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:44 pm Post subject:

"Debates" & "TMP"....... Laughing

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MPHILLIPS · Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:45 pm Post subject:

Only joking, sorry.
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colinjallen · Joined: 13 Apr 2003 Posts: 133 Location: London

The variable length bound system is an idea for rules where there are no "turns". What happens is something like this:

Both sides draw up their plans, and work out how long it will take before units on their side close on the enemy in combat or put them in a situation where the enemy commander has to make a major decision.

They then talk through these plans and decide where the first "change of situation" (COS) occurs. For example:

Player 1: "After the ridge has been bombarded for 2 hours, my 1st Infantry Division will march straight forward towards the enemy, forcing a COS at 12:57pm.

Player 2: "My 2nd Infantry Brigade, supported by my 3rd Cavalry Brigade is under orders to occupy the unoccupied village immediately to the right front of your 1st Infantry Division; it will accomplish this by 11:36am, forcing a COS on your 1st Infantry Division."

You would then move all of the troops on the table to the positions that they would have reached by 11:36am, resolve the COS caused by the occupation of the village, perhaps by Player 1 deciding to send a force to attack it or screen it, and then move on to the next COS, which may be at 12:57 on the ridge or may be another COS caused by other units.

It is an intellectually elegant system which falls apart on the table with anything larger than a brigade.

As for Shako.........