With rebasing going forward, I have decided to evaluate several rules set with an eye to replacing Blitzkrieg Commander as my main rules set.

So far on the list:

• Rapid Fire 
• Nice level of simplicity, but individual figure tracking leaves me completely cold.  Distance scale is "abstract".  The last time I played, there was a significant miss on the sequence of play and reserved fire.
• Command Decision
• Complete rules with high detail. Complex company-level command rules might make it hard to teach.  One inch = 50m
• Spearhead  
• Simple, designed to allow a full division on the table at stand=platoon.  Scale of 1"=100m.  The odd spearhead "thing" is writing orders by drawing a line on a map.  This probably means significant planning time before a game, but that's not necessarily a bad thing,
• Panzer Korps
• A real outlier.  Units of maneuver are battalions with a stand roughly a company and fire by the battalion rather than the stand.  This sounds tempting, but it does throw away a lot of things people are familiar with.  It just isn't like playing with tanks any more.  But it is an interesting idea.

The plan is:

• Construct an interestingly complex terrain on my 5x7 table, with lots of diverse features to try rules against.  I am studying the battles near Targo-Frumos, Romania in early 1944, so that area will inspire the landforms.
• With each rules set, play a series of solo games
• Once with small but diverse forces to get familiar with the mechanism
• Once with a standard regiment scale scenario, looking closely at times required to perform various parts of the rules
• Once with as large a force as I can argue on to the table -- aiming for a division on one side at least, to see just how far the rules can be stretched.

Once I am down to a favorite, it will be time to get folks in for a game.  Hopefully we will be passed COVID by then,  The final result of player testing might well be a set of franken-rules stealing the best parts of multiple systems.

Retirement, and thoughts on a new rules set

Retired

So I have come to that great change in life where I can do what I want with my days; I also have a nice large gaming space and the freedom to invite over my retired gamer friends at times when working people can't game.  Sweet!

So I have decided to get the minis into gear again, and especially WWII.

New Rules

Seems like an odd choice, doesn't it.  There are a lot of rules out there, after all.  Still, the only way to get exactly what you want is to create it.  Here's my criteria:

• Must be suitable for two to eight players.  Many rules randomize sub-unit activation so that, effectively, only one player may be acting at a time.  I want everyone around the table to either be acting or monitoring the action of the other side.
• Must be simple.  Units should have a small number of states and must act as much as possible as the player expects.  Should be playable at a convention with minimal instruction.
• Minimal command and control randomization.  Nothing adds chaos more than multiple players; I don't see a need to add more.
• Fast resolution with easy to compute target numbers and fast rolls and result application.
• Sweeping movement and a good chance for a decisive win by either side in a decent scenario.  Main use will be with "tabletop teaser" style scenarios so no need for a points of scenario system.  
• Development will be incremental, with only enough of a framework developed to enable a scenario to be played.

Some 10mm figure dimensions

Element	Frontage	Depth
Pendraken MG42 on tripod	18	23
Pendraken MG bipod prone	17	20
Pendraken Panzerschreck team prone	21	21
Pendraken 75mm IG + crew	18	29
Pendraken 80mm mortar + crew	21	10
50mm AT + crew	26	31
75mm AT + crew	30	37

In general:

All support teams would work on 25mm square.  AT guns would all work on 30mm frontage with 40mm depth. Field guns and vehicles are fine as is. For most infantry 30mm frontage by 25mm depth would be generous.

I will probably keep my unique BKC command, recon and observer stands and add new "special" stands for each other system. 

Why Rebase?

I was looking for a Quote I thought I remembered from Marcus Aurelius.  Instead, I found this great article from Quote Investigator.  Enjoy!

Basing and Multiple Rules

I have had great fun with Blitzkrieg Commander II (BKC) and it will probably stay my go-to rules for stand=platoon combat -- although I intend to take a hard look at Fist Full of Tows (FFT).  But I also want to try some alternative scales.

Panzer Korps (PK)  is a set of rules for stand=company action.  Stands are organized in Battalion sized units which fight as one unit, an approach familiar to gamers from pretty much any period except WWII.

The old Wargames Research Group (WRG) Armour and Infantry rules had a lot of traction here 35-40 years ago and if I want to get some old friends over for a comfortable game why re-invent the wheel?

BKC is very base size agnostic; but my existing infantry and support weapon bases are 40x30 mm

• PK is documented as preferring 1" square or so bases, and looks like it will be simpler if support attachments are on smaller bases than "core" companies.
• WRG really will not look right with my big meaty infantry bases, and as a tactical set will need a way to distinguish small support weapons like LMGs that are "baked in" to BKC stands.
• FFT calls for fairly small bases; you can see the 1:300 origin of the ground scale expectations.
• In BKC I am not happy with the frontage of support AT guns which I have on 40mm squares and which should have a less obtrusive frontage.
• Each system has its own expectations about on-board command stands.

So the general plan is:

• Rebase infantry, crew served weapons, and guns around a scheme (yet to be decided) that is compatible with all three systems.
• Existing BKC-mounted specialist stands such as command and forward observer might remain unchanged,  On the other hand, I do think the command stands are a bit clunky although I like the distinct hex shapes.
• Create redundant command stands sets, one for each rule set, for units appropriate to each rule set as required by the rule set.  Good chance to include labels and indicator such as minibits dice frames where useful.
• For each game attach appropriate "line" stands as needed to the specific command figures to form units.

I need to think through this; expect to see a more detailed construction plan to come.  There are lots of undeployed figures in the pipeline so this is also a good time to get more units going at least for some systems.

Germans - a visual inventory

In the process of preparing the stand counts, I got everyone out on the table for some beauty shots.

First the whole collection:

For scale, those are American standard letter sized sheets of paper the lads are laid out on.

Front: Panzer IVH
Rear: Motorcycle and armored car recce












The big cats, Panthers in Front, Tiger I and II to the rear/

Who needs turrets?  StuG III and IV, Jagdpnzer IV, Nashorns and Elephants.

Pendraken Infantry with support weapons.












Pendraken Panzer Grenadiers

Transports

The Minifigs battalion

Command stands and artillery

The Luftwaffe

Odds and Ends (spare infantry, and pre-1944 tanks)

 

 

Red Army Stand Inventory

Unit	Notes	Number
Trucks - Studebaker		8
Trucks - GAZ		2
Limbers		2
Valentine (Lend Lease)		4
T34 with mine roller		1
Engineer		1
BA-10 A/C		1
BA-64 A/C		4
T34/76		14
T34/85		5
SU-76		4
SU-122		4
SU-100	or 85	6
ISI-152		1
ZIS-2 57mm AT		1
ZIS-3 76.2mm		3
122mm Howitzer		1
47mm AT		5
85mm AA		2
37mm AA		2
HMG AA		1
81mm Mortor		3
INF-Sniper		1
INF-Scouts		1
INF-Rifle		15
INF-SMG		12
INF+LGM		2
Maxim		5
INF+ATR		3
NAV INF+LMG		3
NAV Maxim		2
NAV INF+ATR		3
NAV 81mm mortor		1
NAV Rifle		6
NAV FO		1
NAV CMD		1
HQ		2
CMD		5
FO		2
Total		140