I've had time for a quick first look at the Bruce Weigle 1870 booklet - not so much the rules as the historical information, aems and tactics stuff. This is excellent and all that I had hoped. Its flagged up a number of things I had thought would be significant but it was good to have them confirmed:
- the long range fire zone of French Chassepots
- the superiority in materiel, training, and handling of the German artillery
- cavalry's real value limited to scouting, pursuit, and cavalry v cavalry action
- superior command and control enjoyed by the Germans
While this helps me with thoughts for FPW rules it leaves me considering Georland rules in a slightly different light. Though George Keef uses FPW figures Georland was more like Britain so the specific advantages of eiiher the French or the germans probably should not appear. For example, the British Army rifle of the period was the Snider Enfield, which did not enjoy the long range of the Chassepot.
Therefore I am thinking I might need two versions of any rules, one with the FPW factors and another "vanilla" one for Georland use, which is more generic.
I also want to take a look at a few other sets of rules to see if there is anything else I should take into account/borrow. next stop here is going to be the late nineteenth century rules in George Gush and Andrew Finch's A Guide to Wargaming.
I look forward to seeing your impressions of 1870. Certainly is a first rate resource but the rules I have yet to try. Another, more generic 19th Century ruleset to consider might be Neil Thomas' Wargaming 19th Century Europe 1815-1878.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonathan I have the Neil Thomas book and I will have a look at it for ideas
ReplyDeleteI am pleased to say that George Gush's book is back in print through the History of Wargaming Project
ReplyDeleteCan't remember if I have ever got around to say thank you for running the vintage wargaming blog. I have had endless fun wandering around your site.
ReplyDeleteI know it has run out of steam a little in the last couple of years, partly because of other projects (History of Georland and Interwar Tank development blogs) and also because there is only so much old material but I am hoping to get back to a bit more activity now.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see the Gush book getting a mention. In my a very handy as a bedside book as much as anything else, probably the least useful chapters now would be the Review of Wargames Periods and Rules and the one on 'Armies' (figure makers), these being rather dated, and apt to do quickly if and when updated.
ReplyDeleteI have played the FPW/ACW set as ACW - simple rule set, very playable. I would probably be inclined now to amend the small arms mechanics and the artillery fire charts, and change the shape of the canister 'triangle' (actually a pentagon), but they are really just details.
The Gush rules, as indeed the Bayonet publications Napoleonic set, would seem to be developments of Donald Featherstones original Horse and Musket rules in his seminal book War Games.
ReplyDeleteMark