Regular Monday SOW HITS games

Have emailed mod & map links and very brief scenario details to everyone who has contacted me. Let me know if you haven't received this stuff.

Martin (J)

I'd like to try out the new version to the Nappy mod this coming Monday. I'll throw together a scenario that will allow us to test some of the new behavior in a co-op game. The regulars have already been given the links to these new mods. If you haven't already downloaded them, I suggest you do it well before the start time as one of them, the sprites mod is very large, 782MB

Here is a doodle so I can have an idea as to the size of the scenario: Doodle Sign-Up

Would it be possible to contact Crikey and Pom and ask permission to include the Spanish Guardia cavalry from the Carlist Wars mod be added to the sprites mod? These gents look extremely close to French Grenadiers a Cheval de a Garde.

I've already got mounted grenadiers in the mod, compliments of Pom.

Took a look thru the new sprites list for the first time - lots of great new stuff in there, a French gendarme as well as the HG and Guard Chasseurs, plus all those nice winter overcoats

Guard Chasseurs??? - neat!!! - gimme a squadron of "les invincibles" any day

Yes, one of the few units in any army I personally rate as a 9 experience. Very fine fellows

I quite agree - maybe also "les dieux" - personally I simply prefer the uniforms of "les Grenadiers à cheval de la garde imperiale" ...

that one picture of them charging at Eylau is simply too beautiful...



I keep trying to find a bigger version  - so that I can have a poster made out of it

A whole new topic in itself but for me the only 9's I rate are:

British Foot Guards
British Lifeguards (Blues) and Royal Horse Guards (but mitigated by some low ratings elsewhere and low rated commanders)
Vieille Garde Regiments
Horse Grenadiers of the Guard
Chasseurs a Cheval of the Guard
Lowest numbered batteries of the French Horse Guard Artillery

I would be interested in anyone rates any unit in any other nationality as a 9 bearing in mind they need to be on a par with the above. I think there's a case for adjusting SoW ratings on an as-needed basis to represent local conditions of battles or campaigns but that can get highly subjective.

We will have 4 players if we start at 20:00BST. Let's plan to meet earlier than that so we can test and make sure we all have the mods properly installed. One advantage of the new mods is that the order you have them installed no longer matters!

but just so YOU can remember Kevin... what comes first.. Road to Wagram or Supplemental maps?

One advantage of the new mods is that the order you have them installed no longer matters!

I can't help thinking Kevin has only done this to save a certain person from another embarrassing incident!

I can't help thinking Kevin has only done this to save a certain person from another embarrassing incident!

Précisément.

Well, I haven't taken a beating like that in a long time. The French army of 1807 was pretty good. The mounted grenadiers were even better. They broke three of my squares and then went on to trash my artillery. At least I was able to share the misery with Phil and Roland. They were left with no divisions at all. Martin was there too. He reported engaging and defeating 3 enemy battalions. Well done!

The AI was very aggressive. They even moved their reserve division around us and attacked us from the rear. Watching the cuirassiers emerge from the woods and ride down Phil's troops was painful but mesmerizing, (correct spelling), to watch. I don't think Phil enjoyed it much either.

Reporting from my new Datcha in Eastern Siberia!

Great game. Really enjoyed my first (and probably last) experience of high command. My cunning plan didn't quite work out as my left flanking movement was mirrored by the French. However, Diggers did really well on his side of the battlefield. But as someone said, that may be because most of the French army was on the other side slaughtering the rest of us! The cuirassiers looked great (and explains why many of my men stood by totally awe struck by their fantastic artwork as they were run down!) even if they were unstoppable by my exhausted Russian troops.

A good game even if our victory was marred by only one minor thing. Defeat.

Many thanks to all.

More cunning plans from Baldrick later.

Don't understand what all the fuss was about. Plan went like clockwork. I led the left hook advance to some place that was called (I think) Soweto, saw the enemy down in a valley, lined up 24 guns on a nice slope, proceeded to knock seven bells out of them (both my batteries ended the battle with over 1000 points each and empty caissons), then while some odd looking foreign horsemen fellows in bearskins were occupied trampling Kevin's men to my right, I swung left, went up the hill, captured three batteries, went further up the hill, captured two more, went over the hill, down the other side and smacked some garlic eaters about for a while until they all went off somewhere then found I was sitting on the objective and the enemy had all run off.

Turns out they were running off towards the rest of our corps shouting something that sounded like "On a vont!" whatever that is while our guys were running the same direction even faster shouting "Shiiiiiiiit....!"

Well done Phill, Roland and Kevin, you gents made a nice distraction so our plan worked and I took the objective and racked up a 3,900ish score.

Replay.

Lovely game. Same time next week?

Bad form, Phill.

Around here it's a tradition to blame any personal failings on Kevin.  "He was too slow to engage."  "He never engaged at all."  "He engaged way too eary" (almost never used).

Anything but being honest. Please edit you post and place the blame squarely on Kevin.

Your compliance is greatly appreciated.

...and when Kevin's in command and the div commanders fail it was because of a bad plan or a drunk or insane commander. Or all three.

totally agree! sack the general that's me. Well, at least I wasn't drunk! Not sure about the other though!!! I'm in two minds about it;-) I'm still coming to terms with the fact that I ended up with a strength of minus 7.

Of course, this will all be sorted out in my memoirs. I have plenty of spare time after a hard day counting trees in Siberia. Not sure why the Tsar needs to have such detailed records. Oh well, where was I? Damn, can't remember, 1,2,3...........

I’d like to run another Little Bighorn scenario on Monday, with us playing as the Indians for the first time.  A number of folks have said they'd like to try this.

It will use an excellent new map of the high plains produced for me by Crikey.  You can almost imagine you're at the Little Bighorn.

This is very much an experiment, as we haven’t tried the Indians in MP before.  I’ve tried playing the Sioux/Cheyenne in SP a few of times now, and it makes for a very different game.  There will be some constraints on how you control your warriors, to reflect the historical lack of an Indian command structure.

Let's just say it's probably not one for micro-managers

Here's a doodle http://doodle.com/eeem727rncghc2wq#table

Martin (J)

Can you give us some more info on how the unit control will work?

Yes I can.  Suggest you sit down for this.....

1. There is no Indian CinC.  Because there wasn't in any meaningful military sense.

2. Players will control a tribal division, such as Crazy Horse of the Oglala, or Gall of the Hunkpapa.

3. Beneath you in the tribal hierarchy are a varying number of war-chiefs.  Beneath them are a varying number of war-bands of varying size.

4. Your roles are scouting, liaising with those of equivalent status, and overall control of those who follow you.

5. You can order your warriors to follow you and they mostly will.  You can order them to attack and at least some of them probably will.  At least initially.  You can order them not to attack, and at least some of them probably won't.

6. The only Indian flags you will see are those of your fellow tribal leaders.  There are none for subordinate war-chiefs or individual units.  This is not like commanding a battalion of US cavalry.

7. To reinforce this message, the only way you can gain access to any subordinate war-chief or individual unit is via the OOB pane.  This will not allow easy control, as that did not exist historically.

8. When the scenario starts, you will know the general location of the Indian camps, and where the other tribal groupings are to be found.  For this scenario, which post-dates Custer's Last Stand, the Sioux and Cheyenne are spread among a number of camps, rather than just one very large one.  This was in fact the normal situation.  The mega-camp at LBH was highly unusual for both logistical and health reasons.  

9. No pre-game planning should take place.  This reflects the lack of an Indian command structure, staff or any other mechanism for detailed advance planning

10. You can scout wherever you wish from the outset.

11.You should not contact any other player until such time as you spot the US Army, or you receive a message that they have been spotted by someone else.  This is to reflect the often lackadaisical Indian approach to precautionary scouting.

Right.  If that lot doesn't scare you, I don't know what will  

Martin (J)

Hm. I shall take the role of Big Chief Sit n Bull.

Though without our resident "I am King George the Third and I am NOT mad!" roleplayer I feel this encounter will lack... something.

As previously mentioned, this is is an experimental game, as we haven’t tried the playing Indians vs an AI-controlled US army force before.  There will be some constraints on how you control your warriors, to reflect the historical lack of an Indian command structure.  Essentially you lead rather than command.

The scenario is set in July 1876, some weeks after Custer’s annihilation.  The large Indian force, now swelled by further arrivals of ‘summer roamers’ from the Indian agencies, has found it impossible to keep together because of the lack of game ........not to mention sanitation.  The various tribal groupings have therefore moved east to the Powder River country, and spread over a wide region.



In our area, there are 4 camps - for the northern Cheyenne, and for the Oglala, Minneconju and Hunkpapa Sioux.  Buffalo are plentiful in this area, and smaller contingents of warriors from other tribal groupings, such as the Brule and Sans Arcs, are also in the camps.  In total there are approaching 2,000 braves.

There has been little recent contact with the Army,and you assume they have learnt their lesson.  It’s summertime (and the livin’ is easy).  What on earth could go wrong?!!

The LBH Mod has been updated for this game.  This is the *only* mod you will need for this session.  It will be played on a whizzo new map (thanks to Crikey), included with the mod.  Please make sure you’ve downloaded the new version of the mod before the game.  Unusually for this mod, you should set your vegetation at 100% and map objects as ‘best’ in the options screens.  Link to version 1_3 here https://www.dropbox.com/s/epienz8n97y30mp/KS%20Little%20Bighorn%20Campaign%20v1_3.zip?dl=0

As previously mentioned, we need to reflect the historical lack of planning etc by the Sioux & Cheyenne.  So *please* no discussion of plans before the game   .

All welcome.  Doodle here http://doodle.com/eeem727rncghc2wq#table

Martin (J)

We have 5 signed-up for tomorrow's game, which should be about right.  Although we could fit one or two more in.  Any more than that might make it too easy for the Sioux however

Doodle here http://doodle.com/eeem727rncghc2wq#table

As in all the 1876 battles, the Sioux will be facing an unknown army force.  It will certainly include cavalry, but there might also be infantry, armed civilians, artillery, scouts, and our sworn enemies - the Crow and Shoshone.



Here is a screenshot from a test game on Crikey's new map.  The few remaining men of a US infantry company make their last stand on the bank of the Eagle River.

Martin (J)