Legends of the Old West

Ok, so it has been a long time coming but at our last meeting we played our first game of LOTOW using figures and terrain supplied by one of our members.  There were six of us playing so we started by creating two ad hoc posses of 9 figures and controlled 3 figures each.  As this was our first game we didn't want it  to become too cumbersome.  All we wanted to do was to try the rules out and see how the mechanisms worked. 

In order to simplify things we chose the same stats for each side so we didn't have too much to remember on our first attempt but that didn't detract from the game in any way.

So, one side was the upstanding citizens of our own town with no name and the other was a group of unwelcome  rowdy types meandering into town.  The game began with the rowdies entering town and the residents attempting to stop them by force, as was always going to be the case.  A few citizens were placed, including an undertaker, a few drunks who got in the way and some floozies lurking with intent.

A gunfight ensued with a number of the characters firing, and missing on several occasions.  Great fun was had and there was plenty of mirth and dubious comments about the 'Pluck Test' and the 'In the way chart' which did create a few situations.  Anyway some figures hid behind door posts and bits of fence as well as other citizens.

A good game using, what appears to be, a very well thought out set of rules with the result that we will be playing it again, hopefully fairly soon.  We like games to have a particular flavour and this one seemed to have it, with figures lurking in buildings and behind cover.

The game ended in a sort of stale mate but we decided that there would be a return match.  if you haven't yet tried this game give it a go as we are sure you will enjoy it as much as we did and despite the fact that this set is published by Warhammer Historical there is not a saving throw in sight nor do you need bucket loads of dice.

Club Christmas game 2011

It has come round far too quickly but I again volunteered to run the club Christmas game last night.

A couple of months ago whilst perusing the web i came across a set of rules for a canoe race game colonial-canoe-race and added a little extra by way of seasonal chocolate coins.

At the start each player took charge of a canoe and four coins which could be used, once per turn, at any point to add 1XD6 movement, which allowed them, most of the time, to cross the rapids safely.  However this was not always the case.

A fun couple of games were had during the evening, along with a couple of beers.  The rules worked nicely and were easily understood by all parties.  All the coins 'spent' on additional movement dice were then added to the pile of coins which would eventually go to the winner

I'll now post a couple of pictures of the games.

 The table at the start with the canoes lined up ready to go

 A game in progress

Black Powder for the English Civil War

The English Civil War

The major difference from standard Black Powder is that the three elements the pike and the two sleeves of shot are able to operate as individual units to achieve common goals, So the sleeves may elect individual targets, and the movement of all three is as required to achieve a new configuration. The individual elements also are treated separately for combat but as a unit for morale purposes.

Command dice

Exceed command on 2D6 and movement is restricted to 50% of standard move

A roll equal to or one below the command entitles the unit(s) to move 100% of standard move

A roll of 2 or more under the command entitles the unit to(s) to move 150% of standard move

Once within 12 “ of enemy all moves are subject to initiative no die rolls and all moves are 100% of standard

No interpenetration is allowed through a pike block, units will flow around a pike block. If that is impossible the unit will become disordered and will make its way to the rear of the pike block in a state of disarray, and will need to be rallied by a brigade commander

.

Orders may be given to brigades or individual units. Should a unit be asked to include any other movement than moving forward it must be given an individual order.

Units and Stamina	Tiny	Small	Standard
	Less than 10	11 to 20	21 to 40
Elite	3	4	5
Trained	2	3	4
Raw	1	2	3

COMMAND MODIFIERS
Per 8” distance from commander to unit	-1
Enemy unit within 8” of unit receiving order	-1
Column, limbered artillery	+1
Column, limbered artillery on road or track	+2

Movement	Elite	Trained	Raw
Pike block	8”	7”	6”
Skirmishers	10”	9”	8”
Cavalry : Galloper	15”	14”	12”
Cavarly: Trotter	13”	12”	11”
Commanders on foot	12”
Commanders mounted	18”
Medium guns
Light guns

SHOOTING
Ranges
Matchlock		12”
Light artillery		20”/10”/4”
Medium artillery		24”/12”/6””
Heavy Artillery		36”/18”/9”
Shooting to hit modifiers
Artillery shooting at column or square			+1
Close range (6”), closing fire, skirmishers			+1
Shooters Shaken or Disordered			-1
Target skirmishers, deployed artillery or Not Clear			-1
Artillery at over half range			-1
Cannon shooting overhead			-1
Artillery which have been laid and protected by gabions			-1
Tactical modifiers
Enfilading infantry	Shoot X2 dice
Enfilading artillery	Shoot X2 dice

MORALE
Save modifiers
Infantry in column unless hit by artillery	+1
Target within woods, hedgerows or similar (light cover)	+1
Target within buildings/fortifications (heavy cover)	+2
Hit by artillery fire at long range	-1
Hit by artillery at medium or close range	-2
Target in melee with mounted includes pikes	+1

MELEE
Combat to hit modifiers
Charging	+1
Won last round of combat	+1
Pike advantage (First round of melee)	+1
Shaken or disordered	-1
Skirmishers	-1
Engaged to flank or rear	-1
Combat result modifiers
Threat to exposed flank	-1
Threat to exposed rear	-2
Pike block vs. cavalry	+3
Occupying buildings	+2

Period Rules

Heavy guns are laid and may not be moved once the combat commences

Pike block are always in column, they may not move 90 degrees to left or right, but may wheel at a cost of 50% of movement

All other troops are always in line

Infantry must form hedgehog if cavalry within 8”

If disordered infantry must roll 1D6 to see if they form hedgehog or are hit before they can form hedgehog on die rol of 1,2 or 3 Hedgehog formed, on 4 or more the cavalry succeed

Move Modifiers

Woods Skirmishers only and at 50% of normal rate

Rough Ground Skirmishers 100%, all others at 50%

Crossing and obstacle 50% penalty

Entering a building 50% penalty

UNIT STATS

Unit	Melee	Shooting	Morale	Special
Pike	6	0	4+	Hedgehog First Fire
Musket	2	3	4+
Horse	5	1	4+	Royalist Horse : Rash
Dragoon	2	3	4+	Marauders
Artillery	1	3-2-1	3+

Rash	If the unit wins a melee only a throw of 5 or 6 on a D6 will prevent them from automatically going on a sweeping advance
Hedgehog	Cannot be attacked by horse if in good order to front
Elite	At start of command if disordered roll D6 and remove if 4+
Lance	On Charge -1 morale against cavalry and -2 against infantry
Reliable	+1 Command
Brave	Shaken units rally on 4+ if more than 12 “ from enemy
Steady	Pass first break test automatically
Determined charge	Must charge where able to do so
Marauders	Ignore distance modifier for command
First Fire	+1 first volley