Issue #19 Command & Control: Fall 2007 Is Realism Possible in Wargaming? Most gamers have heard control”. They like to pre- or units don’t react to of The Charge of the Light tend like they’re on Mount threats quick enough be- Brigade, Frederick’s turn- Olympus, issuing com- cause their orders don’t ing movement at Leuthen, mands to the mortals be- allow them to. and Davout’s rout of the low. There’s no surprise To answer the question Prussians at Jena- flanking maneuvers to about whether or not com- Auerstedt. However, worry about, units do ex- mand and control should be probably few have read actly as ordered, and the in wargames, you need to about the Mexican Army game comes down to at- go back to the early days of sitting still even when they tacks based upon points the hobby and see how the were being outmaneuvered ratios to chance of success rules we use have pro- at Cerro Gordo, the debacle plus the roll of dice. I’ve gressed. at Villers-Bocage in 1944, been in games where there or the ill advised, impetu- ous charge of the Swiss pike at Bicocca. The com- mon theme of all of these actions was the presence of or lack of command and control. Now ask yourself, could any of these things happen during your gaming nights? The answer is probably not. As wargam- ing rules continue to trend towards playability versus realism, command and control is seen to be adding a layer of unwanted com- are command and control When I first got into the plexity. Two of the most rules and some gamers hobby in the mid-70’s, popular historical wargam- simply come unglued when there was WRG, Newbury, ing rules sets, Flames of their units can’t move or a and several other rules sets War and Warhammer An- huge attack goes in piece- for various periods. The cients, have no command meal. big thing back then was and control system or so written orders and depend- little it is usually ignored But that is exactly what ing upon the rules, this during play. has happened on battle- could be quite complex or fields throughout history. I’ve been in this hobby very generic. This system Attacks don’t always go off for a long time and I think introduced an element of as scheduled, reinforce- that some of this is due to command and control by ments get lost on the wrong gamers wanting “absolute (cont. on page 6) road and arrive hours late, Inside this issue: Special points of interest: Treachery! A TSATF battle report 2 • Review of Ambush Blitz and an interview Memoirs of a Miniature and Board Wargamer 8 with the author. Blast From The Past 9 • TSATF battle report. WASATCH FRONT HISTORICAL GAMING SOCIETY SOCIETY GAMING HISTORICAL FRONT WASATCH Interview with Ambush Blitz author Jerboa 10 • Warmaster Ancients battle report. Ambush Blitz review 13 • Book, movie, and board game reviews. Warmaster Ancients Battle Report 14 • Regular features such as Blast From The Warning Order Board Game Reviews 17 Past and more... TSATF Scenario: Treachery! Scenario Replay Our group had not played The Sword wife, then and the Flame for quite some time, due to get them the fact that one of our members had to over the move away and he took about half of the bridge group’s figures with him! So after a long where rebuilding process, we were finally able they to do another game on the Northwest would be Frontier. held hos- tage. A The year is 1898 and the tribes along second the frontier are getting restless again. force The local British commissioner and his would wife have been invited for tea and to talk advance over the local tribe’s grievances at the across the home of the local tribal leader. Taking a river and platoon of British infantry along for an pin down escort, the group is fired upon when the the de- Pathans spring their ambush too early. fenders in The commissioner, his wife, and the pla- the fort toon of infantry get into the walled com- while a pound and barricade themselves in. At third force the fort the firing has been heard and the British troops form a firing line to engage the Pathans emerging from the would garrison is ordered to stand to. The sec- riverbed. position ond platoon of the company who was out itself in on patrol near the river turns around and and around the village to prevent rein- ployed into skirmish formation and began heads for the compound. Meanwhile, forcements from reaching the defenders to move towards the sound of the guns. with the advantage of surprise now gone, at the compound. The Mgs and screw guns were deployed the Pathans launch their assault. along the fort’s towers to provide long To win, both sides needed to get the After choosing sides both teams set range support. commissioner and his wife either to up. While the British were very limited safety in the fort or across the bridge to The first Pathan tribe quickly sur- in their set up, the Pathans had several the tribe’s territory to be used as bargain- rounded the compound and launched a options. The Pathan leaders decided to ing chips in future negotiations. The probing attack against one of the walls, launch a full scale attack on the com- British force had the advantage of fire- which was defeated. The second Pathan pound in an effort to overwhelm the de- power, but the Pathans were in a good force crossed the river and moved up fenders, seize the commissioner and his position and were towards the ridge near the fort while the able to make the third Pathan force waited patiently for the British come to Indians to get a little closer to the village them for a before they opened fire. The stage was change. set for a running battle that would see wild swings of fortune for both sides. The first two units out of the Imperial Forces Order of Battle fort were the two Indian infantry • (1) platoon of infantry at the com- platoons. They pound. quickly formed up and prepared • (1) platoon of infantry on patrol near to move against the river. the village with a • (2) platoons of British infantry at the secondary objec- fort. tive of trying to provide support • (2) platoons of the Rifle Brigade at to the defenders the fort. in the compound. The British infan- • (2) screw guns w/crew at the fort. Pathans crossing the river in an effort to tie down the British in the try platoon that • (2) machine guns w/crew at the fort. fort. was on patrol de- Page 2 WARNING ORDER TSATF Scenario: Treachery! (cont.) Scenario Replay was now pretty severe. Although a first and second attack were repulsed, the third actually saw Pathans get over the wall and kill several of the defenders. The British redeployed their remaining de- fenders while a fresh Pathan unit attacked the rear wall. This too was beaten off, but several more British lay dead or dy- ing in the compound and the defenses were by now severely undermanned. The two remaining Pathan units on the ridge decided that it was now or never. They launched a charge directly at the two British infantry units that had deployed into a line outside of the fort. Despite tremendous odds and taking nu- merous casualties, they hit both British platoons. The first melee was going well A unit of Pathans in the village tion of the compound. This worried the for the British, but then the Pathans opened fire on the Indians that were de- three Pathan units that were in the proc- started to roll good and it became an ava- ploying into formation outside of the fort. ess of surrounding the compound, so one lanche as British soldier after British This triggered a heavy response from the unit was turned around to meet this new soldier went down in hand to hand com- artillery and machine guns in the fort that threat. bat. By the end of the first melee the were covering that area, but in a theme As the two Indian infantry platoons Pathan unit was destroyed, but the British that would be repeated often during this neared the village, they were met by fire platoon was reduced to eight effective battle, they scored few hits. The remain- from the village and a charge from the soldiers. The second Pathan unit was ing British infantry in the fort were now brush/scrub behind the village. The also destroyed, but the second British filing past the Indians towards the side charge was launched too early and was infantry unit was now down to half that faced the ridge overlooking the river. met by devastating fire from one of the strength. This seemingly suicidal charge The Pathan force that had crossed the Indian infantry platoons. The second crippled any chance of the British infan- river now approached the ridge, wary of Indian infantry platoon was now involved try from the fort being able to get to the the firepower inside of the fort. One of in a serious firefight with a Pathan unit compound or to provide effective sup- the units tried to cross the bridge to inter- deployed in the village. Both sides were port. The survivors redeployed near the cept the British infantry platoon on patrol taking hits, bit so far they were both hold- fort walls to await the next attack.