As part of my somewhat OCD lifestyle my daily tasks are dictated by what emerges from the in-tray.
Today we started with: “Trim back lawn edges”: No thank you, it is raining. Task is replaced in the interim tray.
Next: “Trim front lawn edges”: No, it is still raining. Similar destination.
“Update blog”: I have nothing to report since yesterday.
“ASL Napoleonic wargame”.: Ah! Now we are talking. Up to the loft to retrieve the two boxes of stuff – and to get out all the Christmas decorations while I am there.
This game was developed during a week-long solo caravan trip in Spain, between two re-enactment events set in 1710 (Zaragoza) and 1811 (Albuera).
With the boxes of Squad Leader game boards and home-made gaming tokens retrieved, I began to roll the dice. 5, 2, 6 means take the 5th board from the stack, then the 2nd below that and the 6th below that. I ended up with boards 15, 12 and 12.
Next, each board must be orientated. Dice again. Odd, Even, Odd. With an odd number the printed board number is to the right, with an even number, to the left.
Result:
Now to the forces.
Blue and Red dice rolled. Blue has 2 units, red has 5.Opening the playing tile boxes (note 1), Red’s units are (from top left) : 95th Rifles, Royal Horse Artillery 6pr Battery, Royal Artillery 6pr Battery, King’s German Legion 6pr Battery, 52nd Line.
Blue has: 3eme Regiment de Ligne, 5eme Regiment de Ligne.
Note 1. The playing pieces are made by attaching printed sticky labels, designed in Microsoft Excel, onto 13mm x 13mm x 5mm plastic tokens bought from Plastics for Games
Next, dice for sides: higher comes from ‘north”. Blue.
Both sides now make a plan, assuming they have not yet made contact.
Red is clearly an artillery column being escorted by light troops moving from south to north. They will take the quickest route on road, with scouts from the 95th to the front and the 52nd battalion to the rear.
Blue is an understrength brigade, moving from the north. A die roll decides that they are deployed, looking for the enemy.
Thus we start the game.
It turns out that the game was most disappointing and not worth reporting, but I thought that my methodology may be of interest.
General Whiskers' semi-historical wanderings 