tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post4233384745687837229..comments2024-03-28T16:32:41.081+00:00Comments on Battlefields and Warriors: Plancenoit 1815Normhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-71227738042371804002022-02-05T23:02:10.549+00:002022-02-05T23:02:10.549+00:00Hi Iain, re the cavalry, I think it would work bet...Hi Iain, re the cavalry, I think it would work better if the cavalry were rewarded for attacking a disrupted unit and that might even make a good house rule, it is not knowing the designers intent in this area that makes me hesitant.<br /><br />Yes - some Prussians :-)Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-51978925013556460962022-02-05T20:47:43.859+00:002022-02-05T20:47:43.859+00:00More interesting to me than another Waterloo game,...More interesting to me than another Waterloo game,does seem odd re cavalry and infantry but a good source for a figure game, you'd better start on some Prussians!<br />Best Iain caveadsum1471https://www.blogger.com/profile/02174163740406928172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-37201524064775624642022-01-31T16:40:43.933+00:002022-01-31T16:40:43.933+00:00Hi Dean, the good thing about single systems like ...Hi Dean, the good thing about single systems like Black Powder is that you can play it very often and get good at ‘just knowing it’. Sometimes with boardgames, it is like that journey starts repeatedly with each different game put onto the table.<br /><br />I fell into the trap here of thinking that 4 pages of rules would be more straight forward than they were, but then, I did enjoy the greater depth.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-54811266617875183152022-01-31T14:35:14.900+00:002022-01-31T14:35:14.900+00:00Wow, very detailed analysis of the game, Norm. It&...Wow, very detailed analysis of the game, Norm. It's definitely a lot more of a thinking man's game than Black Powder - lol!DeanMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07724268555970663130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-57518029479963064132022-01-30T07:10:37.019+00:002022-01-30T07:10:37.019+00:00Hi Graham, the Plancenoit situation is a different...Hi Graham, the Plancenoit situation is a different perspective on the battle and a bit of a re-fresh to gaming 'Waterloo'. It is interesting to see the comments on clearing out, some regretful, but the majority feeling it does come with a feel good factor. Perhaps a mix of the two is nearer the mark. Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-84917617568803784452022-01-29T20:09:51.266+00:002022-01-29T20:09:51.266+00:00Now I like anything on Waterloo but as you say in ...Now I like anything on Waterloo but as you say in the majority of games the Prussians always seem to be an afterthought. This seems to address that, certainly I will go hunt it out. It also looks like it could be transferred to a table top set up fairly easily, I have a few hex mats 😀 I never got chance to comment on your post re clearing out stuff and refocusing - I’ve done that a couple of times now. I most probably still have too much but the collections are getting smaller and each time I do a clear out I do feel a lot better for it 😊Graham Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05229770388869939725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-43740795188904319492022-01-29T15:11:33.265+00:002022-01-29T15:11:33.265+00:00Hi, I agree and if I had those armies I would be l...Hi, I agree and if I had those armies I would be looking at doing that, though the situation could stand as proxy for any armies. I also wondered about using the broader system as a figures game on the period.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-29194903457049332112022-01-29T15:09:35.358+00:002022-01-29T15:09:35.358+00:00Hi Mike. yes, I think a sheet of design notes woul...Hi Mike. yes, I think a sheet of design notes would help make sense of some design decisions. You can see some of his design ideas in his other games, so they must be seated in his philosophy of how action unfolds.<br /><br />The summary sheet is a welcome addition, though a poor stand - in for for some examples of play or extra space for the rules.<br /><br />Their latest game, Antietam has a really gorgeous map and a separate 4 page play book with examples, so I suppose this 6 year old game has been part of that learning curve for production.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-70631962621967213112022-01-29T09:09:52.546+00:002022-01-29T09:09:52.546+00:00Interesting review, thanks. Game looks well-desig...Interesting review, thanks. Game looks well-designed, although I think the scenario as a whole is the most tempting thing, I don't think I have ever played the Plancenoit actions.JWHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01637785437909299947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-70495199283778227672022-01-29T07:42:06.744+00:002022-01-29T07:42:06.744+00:00Seems a very nice little game Norm. Like Martin, I...Seems a very nice little game Norm. Like Martin, I was quite perplexed with the inf v cav engagement rule. Seems a bit off doesn’t it? <br />Otherwise, nice game board (shame about the low res) and interesting mechanics. Having a summary sheet for four page rulebook made me smile though! :)Mike Vellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01220933613292414697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-10245659349789437172022-01-29T06:28:07.711+00:002022-01-29T06:28:07.711+00:00Thanks Keith, I enjoy board and figure gaming in e...Thanks Keith, I enjoy board and figure gaming in equal measure, though it does add to the list of demands for your time. The handy thing about the smaller titles is they can come out anytime in any place and use a slot of time that you might not otherwise use to get a game done. Plus, for those times when my my back hates me, I can just sit at the dining table in a hard chair with a small game right under my nose and no stretching.<br /><br />Perhaps everyone should have even just one or two titles that they can get good at and know well.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-19478908263691068782022-01-29T02:46:32.094+00:002022-01-29T02:46:32.094+00:00This sounds like a really good little game Norm......This sounds like a really good little game Norm....you must be a good writer and advocate for board gaming, because it's never really interested me that much, but the last few blogs you have written have certainly painted a rather attractive picture of this branch of our hobby....maybe one day I will take the plunge?rrosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07316317334203888350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-5156991183126930122022-01-28T15:28:20.946+00:002022-01-28T15:28:20.946+00:00Thanks Steve, Waterloo is one of those hugely popu...Thanks Steve, Waterloo is one of those hugely popular subjects for game publishers to concentrate on and almost by default, like a spotlight, designs fall on wellington’s stand, while the important Prussian arrival sits somewhat in the shadows - I just can’t think of another Plancenoit game, yet would run out of fingers and toes for Waterloo games, so this title is a welcome addition to the big picture. Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-29698745054591670142022-01-28T14:14:46.532+00:002022-01-28T14:14:46.532+00:00A good review Norm and great to see the very impor...A good review Norm and great to see the very important Prussian action at Waterloo getting its own game. Too often games tend to focus on the main action and ignore the periphery, when the latter can be more interesting than the former. Steve J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12143308117853983963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-67558788958084133642022-01-28T11:54:07.947+00:002022-01-28T11:54:07.947+00:00Hi Martin, it is an interesting point. I had assum...Hi Martin, it is an interesting point. I had assumed the design is doing two things, firstly cav v inf is showing the inf using the advantage of square and that cavalry can retreat (at AP cost) in front of advancing infantry, which seems acceptable, however that doesn’t seem to go far enough, because infantry are very successful when attacking cavalry and cavalry don’t get a benefit for attacking disrupted infantry, so overall, it feels like the cav v infantry rules are a little under-developed in that regard. Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-53680645297682087302022-01-28T07:58:15.253+00:002022-01-28T07:58:15.253+00:00Thanks, that was a very interesting AAR. I'm s...Thanks, that was a very interesting AAR. I'm slightly baffled why cavalry in the open should halved when attacked by infantry. Shouldn't it be the other way around? (Or is the idea that cavalry are more effective against cavalry?) Martin Rapierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16788664847205341619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-43507439920426669992022-01-27T19:18:55.160+00:002022-01-27T19:18:55.160+00:00I wasn’t making that average number (11.45) AP’s p...I wasn’t making that average number (11.45) AP’s per turn, so I must have been making more than the average number of low die rolls …. And it did feel like that. <br /><br />I have not seen the Lodz game or the We Shall Fight game, though I am seeing some of Michaels trademark design elements crop up across a few different titles, such as the treating of woods and buildings terrain as being something that disrupts formations and causes units to presumably fight dispersed, rather like skirmishing.<br />Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-77719759098432618272022-01-27T18:08:07.798+00:002022-01-27T18:08:07.798+00:00I too struggle at times ... one of the calculation...I too struggle at times ... one of the calculations is wrong.<br /><br />The average number of APs per turn is given by [(36/11) - 1] * 4 + 52/22 = 252/22 which is 11.45 APs.<br /><br />My mistake was forgetting the average number of APs per player given neither rolled a "1" is 4 (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 32, 33 .... 65, 66).<br /><br />Have you tried WDG's The Russian Empire Strikes Back: Lodz 1914? Silly title but a pretty good game that also uses APs but only to perform special actions. Same system as We Shall Fight on the Marne but more streamlined and a more interesting situation for this system in my opinion.Hugmenothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07634767362565932566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-56690449621993652132022-01-27T17:03:03.688+00:002022-01-27T17:03:03.688+00:00Thanks, I struggle with such things but I did wond...Thanks, I struggle with such things but I did wonder whether there was a 1/3 chance of the segment ending since either player can roll a ‘1’ (a 1/6th chance) to end the segment, but then I figured that to get the true maths of that, something no doubt had to be multiplied against the other …. So I left it alone :-)<br /><br />I particularly like the way that AP’s and the associated mechanics help solo play. I will run everything again now that I have a better understanding of how the two armies might be better used. <br />Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-60508666206546585672022-01-27T16:58:23.203+00:002022-01-27T16:58:23.203+00:00Thanks Steve, yes I think the cross over between f...Thanks Steve, yes I think the cross over between figure and boardgamers has been growing in recent years. I’m keeping an eye on Compass Games who are bringing back some of the old titles - hopefully this year they will be bring out John Hill’s Tank Leader that was done by West End Games in the 80’s.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-29371699412443174972022-01-27T16:39:44.627+00:002022-01-27T16:39:44.627+00:00A little bit of math.
11 out of possible 36 resu...A little bit of math. <br /><br />11 out of possible 36 results end the turn (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61). The average number of APs a side will have on the last segment is 52/22 (~2.36) To get that value, sum all the digits above and divide them by their count).<br /><br />The average number of segments per turn is given per 36/11 (~3.27). <br /><br />The average number per turn is given by [(36/11) - 1] * 3.5 + 52/22 = 227/22 which is 10.32 APs.<br /><br />I think it's important to know at least the average APs one will get per turn to correctly plan.<br /><br />Note I was part of the early playtest and the turn ended on doubles. The average number of activations was thus 6 (36/6) and the average number of APs was 21 (6 * 3.5), a much higher number. That number was too high and caused the French to lose some games very early.<br /><br />If someone wanted to experiment about the average number of activations, I suggest they use a third die (d6, d8, d10 or d20) and have that die determine if the turn ends on that segment. For example, if using a d10 and saying the turn ends on 1, 2, and 3 then the average number of APs one would receive is (10/3) * 3.5 = 11.67.<br /><br />The way APs work gives the game excellent replayability.Hugmenothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07634767362565932566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-30726185329601721262022-01-27T16:32:10.795+00:002022-01-27T16:32:10.795+00:00outstanding batrep, Norm. that map is absolutely ...outstanding batrep, Norm. that map is absolutely gorgeous, too. I'm seeing a revival in board games in my hobby area, and certainly have been spending quite q bit of money on older games I'm nostalgic for lately. <br /><br />one thing I'll say is that there is no shortage of choice out there across eras and genres for board wargaming. Disgruntled Fusilierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10995610821904415726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-78353342050792880312022-01-27T13:22:18.125+00:002022-01-27T13:22:18.125+00:00Hi, thanks. Their most recent map (Antietam) is go...Hi, thanks. Their most recent map (Antietam) is gorgeous, so something went wrong with this one. Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-36972575721783621162022-01-27T13:03:22.607+00:002022-01-27T13:03:22.607+00:00Very nice AAR and review, as always. I feel that p...Very nice AAR and review, as always. I feel that print to play is no excuse fo fuzzy graphics these days. More likely poor definition art was used in the first place, and maybe a poor printer, but neither need to be... Renaudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784933028434487976noreply@blogger.com