Campaign Mechanisms And Thoughts On Fantasy versus Realism

I have long wanted to work out some campaign mechanisms. My earliest attempts were simply a string of battles, not necessarily even tied to a map. The winner was the one who had one the most battles.
I wanted to move a step up from that but was always put off by the preparation and thought required. There were a few sources of ideas that stimulated me and finally got me to work out my own version. As always in wargaming, there is a struggle between wishing to be 'realistic' and having a playable game. Like my fellow 54mm gamers in ACOTS we tend to keep the rules to one or two pages rather than get bogged down in to many realistic details, however tempting to add all variables.
Related to a campaign map dimension is the issue of supplies. I have played quite a few interesting games where ammo was limited and had to be re-supplied by wagon. This was usually limited to artillery to avoid having to keep track of every unit. But where did the supplies come from? Obviously there was a place 'off board' or off the edge of the toy soldier world.
I have to admit it did my head in for a long time as I struggled to take in all the ideas of other wargamers. However, I'll say the following have influenced me: various editions of Warhammer rules books campaigning sections, Tony Bath's Wargaming Campaigns, Frank Perry's First and Second Books of Wargaming, Paul Wright's Funny Little Wars Campaign book and Tony Hacketts Fantasy Wargaming. Those who know me well and read my posts know I love fantasy, science fiction AND history and I have little hesitancy in combining ideas from all three areas. There is no reason why an idea for painting figures in Warhammer fantasy or 40K can't be used in historical figures in 54mm scale just as an idea about supplies and hexes found in a fantasy wargaming book can't be used in a historical wargame. In any case our 'historical' games have a large element of fantasy anyway. All those lines of shiny Napoleonics on campaign and not an item of civilian clothing, a patch or a smear of mud - looks nice but it's fantasy. And when we set up a game it's usually with the goal of an enjoyable game where we have a 'fair' set up where both sides have a chance of winning. Fantasy again! Or we see if Napoleon can win this time or Custer join up with Reno or even, and this is more of a stretch, the Confederacy is assisted by European powers. So, fantasy is a matter of degree. I just don't necessarily stop at that and don't mind the odd Undead or Ork army.

Now by this time, Joe the Duck, you might be going quackers so I'll endeavor to answer your question about how I know where everything is. I don't, and here's the beauty of it. Ideally you would have an umpire who has all the fun of knowing all and watching players fall into traps. Bob Bolton loves doing this. The secret I discovered in Frank Perry's book; he mentioned using matchboxes glued together numbered or lettered to correspond with wargame map squares or hexes. Each player, un-observed, during a map move, would place his piece of paper or card with forces written on it and place in the box corresponding to the map hex. If to do this he discovered enemy units in the boxes/hexes passed through a battle was set up.

I started buying dozens of cheap boxes of matches, and not wanting to wait to use all the hundreds of matches simply removed them. Then then I realized the boxes were easily squashed and instead I invested in sixty dollars' worth of screw drawer sets; these are metal with clear plastic drawers and I spray painted then so it would not be obvious that there were cards in them. (I painted both sides in case temptation gained the better of anyone). Obviously, whoever hosts the drawers at his abode has to have strong principles and will power not to sneak a peek but in the absence of a third party the players rely on each other's integrity.

As for the actual map you can go for an area map and use an existing map of a modern area and transport it to whatever time you want. Paul Wright makes some excellent maps to go with his book. I decided I wanted my own map to correspond to my own fantasy world, each hex being equivalent to a tabletop and cavalry able to move over two hexes and infantry and supply wagons and artillery one hexe in a campaign move. Movement is halved for crossing difficult terrain. It takes a full move to cross a river with no bridge or punt and a half day if there is a bridge. Supply wagons and artillery must move on roads during the campaign move. They may be in adjoining hexes.

At the start of our campaign, it was determined that forces had to start at a settlement or castle. Each army composition was marked on a cut down filing card which would fit in the drawers. On this each line was used to write the unit (eg 'mounted knights) and then the number. Initially I was going to have a numerical limit for each card but then I just looked at the room available and said a maximum of 25 units. Also there is space for the commander, if present and any heroes. (Commander and heroes get an extra attack and extra wound and they can recover their wounds with a 50% chance but lose an attack when they lose a wound). The commander has to follow the orders written on the card. For example, 'besiege Castle Mathers'. Ideally, as Matthew is finding out, he should have added a qualifier 'unless defences overwhelming'. Otherwise I give a sub-commander a chance to 'modify' his orders if he rolls an 11 or 12 on a 12D. Where no commander is present as with scouts they require a 12. A force commanded by the overall commander or king can change purpose at will. A sub commander can request a change or the commander can direct a change of orders by sending couriers.

Getting back to knowing where things are: I write down in an exercise book what I have with a page for each hex an army started in and the units and orders. I record any discoveries or battles and what the latest hex is they have reached. Obviously, I'll know the enemy whereabouts as I discover them.
You can have these map moves completely hidden this way or you can have markers on the map as well or instead of the box system. If you don't use the boxes then your markers have to be numbered with notes on what is on each one. The marker system can cause severe stress to your opponent when he sees his capital apparently surrounded, only to find that they are just scouts.

The Hackett and Bath books are good for suggesting ideas for building maps and dynasties so by using dice rolls you can generate random map details, personality and events. There are also ideas for wealth generation from hexes. I mostly used Hackett's ideas where certain hexes generate more 'credits' than others. For example, coastal hexes benefit from trade and fishing. I also add extra wealth for mines, castles and so on. I translated a credit to be 10 points. A light infantryman or horse is worth one point and so on. (A book which helped me develop a points system was an old 70s one called Chainmail). Getting back to Hackett, he says each hex generates a given amount of credits each map move. Each man or horse consumes a point each map move so deduct this from the hex earnings, What is left over is divided between military and non military spending; simplistically, I made this 50/50. You can then decide on troop types and building projects. As it turned out I had more to spend than Mathew due to territorial acquisitions last campaign but I chose to do some defensive building projects and also funded more mounted and elite troops than Mathew so my army ended up being 100 less than Mathew's.

Also, each army has a supply chain and wagons. Single units and individuals can live off the land to allow scouting and raiding. Wagons and siege weapons arrive by reserve unless already occupying a hex. If they don't arrive they are in the adjoining hex and vulnerable to attack. If supply wagons are 'acquired' from the enemy D12 credits are also acquired that can be used when taken to a friendly army.

Each of our campaigns goes for twelve map moves and then there is a rest for Winter. To renew a war we first have to roll for 'permission' on the percentage dice. At the end of each four moves we have a random events dice roll and also a new calculation of credits available. New units and unit top ups can come from the capital. By the way, at the end of a battle the victor gets 50% of casualties back and the loser gets 25%. Heroes 'killed' are actually 'unconscious' and if the enemy won it is assumed that they are prisoners. The second time they are rendered 'unconscious' a lavish funeral and a statue are in order. (Incidentally a good use of odd scale figures is to stick them to jar lids and paint them bronze). At the end of each 'year' we roll a percentage dice to see if any personalities have died from old age, illness and so on, the chance being greater for older characters.

Another important consideration is how many units can fit in a hex. I decided to limit it to 25 units whether from one army or more and after that they arrive from reserve where you have to roll a 5 or 6 on a D6 and so on. Also units driven off the board or routed in a previous battle can only return on the roll of a 6 on a D6.

Another factor I am going to add is Hackett's idea that heroes can acquire artefacts - cloak of invisibility anyone?- on entering a new hex. There is something like a five percent chance. I increase this for non-human hexes.

Another idea is to dice for hero and commander personal qualities. For example: hesitant, impetuous, inspirational, morale dampening, average, in various combinations with various consequences. This means you can dice for a chance that a sub-commander WON'T follow orders - instead he may go on the offensive or refuse to move when ordered to! I already do this with units. My knights have to pass a leadership test NOT to charge, especially other knights. Other units have to pass leadership tests to assault.