Principles of War the Magazine

PRINCIPLES OF WAR THE MAGAZINE JOHN HOLLYOAK COMPLIMENTARY ISSUE 1 OCTOBER 1995 Editorial Welcome to issue zero of Principles of War. I believe this is a we would hope to include some sort of league table of games new concept for wargames rules and I am sure you will agree played in competitions or under competition circumstances that it is an excellent one. Tom and I have come into contact (more on this later). We would also include details of new with many sets of rules over the years and with the best will in army lists or other publications. the world there are always queries. Principles of War has been The overall mix depends on you the players. I would welcome playtested for nearly two years and we estimate that nearly 200 any suggestions or articles for publication. The easiest way for games have been played, including some under competition me to process articles is if they are sent on disk, produced in conditions. We would like to think that every eventuality has Word 6 for Windows. These can be poured into my desktop been covered but it is inevitable that someone will find publisher in seconds. Disks will be returned promptly. something that is not covered. Normally if a problem occurs However, do not be put off if you do not have access to a you would come to an agreement at the table and treat it as an computer. I will take them in any form as long as I can read in house rule for the future. But what happens if you go to your writing. In order to keep the cost down I do not intend to another club or play in a competition ? Do these players have go much over 12 sides so I cannot guarantee that an article will the same in house rule ? Have they ever come across the go in the next issue. I will however, endeavour to get them in problem and if not do they agree with your interpretation ? as quickly as possible, especially if I feel they are of This magazine will give you the chance to ask for immediate use to all players. clarifications from the author of the rules. At the same time I anticipate the first issue proper to be available at the end of you also have a forum to voice your opinions or ask for ideas January and thereafter on a quarterly basis. There will have to as to how to represent certain troop types, terrain features etc. be a nominal charge to cover the cost of printing and postage under the rules. and the figure we have settled on is £2.00. As an incentive, the I would foresee each issue containing a mixture of rule first issue will contain a free laminated playsheet, which at queries/clarifications, army lists, reports/reviews on new current prices, means you are paying next to nothing for the figures and probably a battle report. This may be a complete first year’s magazine. report of the battle plus army lists for you to photocopy and a refight, as in this issue, or it may be army lists for a battle which has appeared in another wargames magazine. Finally CONTENTS: Page 3 Principles of War - Future publications 3 Unit Identification 3 Rule Queries 4 - 8 The Battle of Maiwand 1880 All articles in this issue are by John Hollyoak. All illustrations are taken from the London Illustrated News or Battles of the Nineteenth Century, and relate to various aspects of the Second Afghan War. Please contact us on the addresses shown below. Both are in fact interchangeable so there is no need to send separate letters or make cheques payable to separate people. Articles for future magazines and Orders for rules, army lists etc. (cheques subscriptions (cheques payable to John payable to Tom Penn) should be sent to: Hollyoak) should be sent to: John Hollyoak Tom Penn The Farrows, Talavera House, Offmore Court, 138 Godiva Road, Offmore Farm Close Leominster, Kidderminster Herefordshire, DY10 3XJ HR6 8TA 2 Principles of War - Future Productions We see Principles of War as the top of a pyramid from which theatres you are interested in (or other ones if they do not the follow-up publications flow. It will not be necessary to appear to be covered). buy these further books, all the information required to play Finally there will be a series of smaller books on particular the game is contained in the main rules. However, to make campaigns, giving more detailed information, and army lists things simple for the wargamer we intend to produce a set of for some or all of the battles not covered in the previous books covering the major theatres of war during the period. series. The planned items are as follows (in no particular order): There has already been some interest in a set of competition style army lists, indeed the initial response to the rules seems 1) The Americas to suggest that it is this which interests most players. These 2) Europe would be similar to the colonial armies on pages 65 to 76 but 3) Eastern Europe & the Far East would cover the whole of the period. We prefer to play 4) Africa (probably split into north and south) within a narrow timespan rather than pit 1846 Sikhs against 5) India/Afghanistan 1914 Germans and there is a problem in that regular colonial 6) First World War armies have to be smaller than their European counterparts because the irregular army would become too large. Each book will cover the major campaigns during the period Therefore there would be 5 or 6 groups of lists which the and give details of the uniforms and organisation of the players may choose from, but they would not be able to play participants plus army lists for one or two battles from each armies from another group. Although there is a lot of work campaign. for this it is probably the easiest of the books to produce. We We already have much of the information available for the look forward to hearing from you. above but there is a lot of work to convert it into book form. We would appreciate your help in planning which one should come first. Please let us know which of the above Unit Identification One of the problems with wargames involving large numbers Boyles for an idea which I have taken on board and seems to of troops is identification. There are many ways in which a work well. When basing a unit always include a small pebble player can identify individual units, by the use of flags or to the rear of the base which has a flat side which points standards or by identifying individual figures within a unit. backwards. On this can be painted an identification number Principles of War encourages large amounts of units and which is relatively easy to see. I painted mine in a dark wide flanking manoeuvres which can make things difficult brown paint but this can be difficult to see in the dim light of for the owner to identify which unit is firing or being shot at. the wargames club. I would suggest black paint is a better I have seen various attempts at unit recognition, usually alternative. For irregulars the marker can be anywhere on the based on a small number which is carried around with the base as long as it is visible to the player. For regulars I would unit, either next to it, on it or attached to it. The other suggest putting the marker on the officer’s base and always common method is to write an identification number on the having that base in the middle of the unit. That way all the underneath of the base. None of these methods is ideal. other infantry can be used for any unit (unless you have Separate numbers seem to always detach themselves at the facing colours etc.). vital moment and it is not always ideal to be continually picking up units to look at a number. I am indebted to Ray Rule Queries Clive McLeod writes: Clive also asked which movement base a brigade should use ‘On page 31, Hand to Hand Combat the multiplier for if it includes regulars and irregulars. Regular cavalry is shown as ‘2’. As Regular cavalry is a Tom suggests that it depends whether the brigadier is regular troop type (which covers dragoons, hussars, chasseurs etc. - or irregular. However, the only examples we can think of at Ed) there is technically no multiplier for Cuirassiers.’ the moment relate to regular brigades including an irregular Unfortunately it would appear that Clive is right. The unit. In this case the player should use regular movement playsheet is correct in that it shows Regular cavalry/ bases. If the base is spotted before having fully deployed, the cuirassiers as a category and ‘cuirassiers’ should be added irregulars are placed on the table as fully deployed (the only after Regular cavalry on Page 31. formation they can use). 3 Maiwand 1880 Over the past few years the Wargames Study Group of the encamped at Khusk-i-Nakhud, I received information that 2000 of Victorian Military Society have put on demonstration games at the enemy's cavalry and a large number of ghazis had arrived at various venues to try to raise the profile of 19th Century Garmao and Maiwand, and that it was Ayub Khan’s intention to Wargaming in general and the Victorian Military Society in follow with the main body of his army immediately.

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