Tuesday 25 January 2011

New PBEM Campaign

Hanover Strategic Map

Its been a busy few days getting the maps and administration completed for the new campaign. I have finally finished them all, and briefed the two CinC on their role in the campaign.

The next step is for them to deploy their corps in accordance with their brief, and issue their first set of orders. They will use the map above to plot their deployment, and to issue objectives to their corps commanders.

I have given them very little information about the enemy, other than that Hanover is the main concentration area for the French and Magdeburg for the Prussians. In this campaign they will have to rely on their corps commaders for information about the enemy. Unlike the test campaign, I will not be monitoring the reports or amending them. If a corps commander makes a map reading error in his orders his corps will go to the wrong location. If he neglects to pass on a contact with the enemy, the CinC will remain in ignorance. I expect this type of human error to provide sufficient "fog of war".

I have alrady received the deployment and initial orders for the French, and expect to receive the Prussian on Wednesday. I will then sent out the initial brief, opening locations and first set of orders to each corps commander.

I have filled 8 of the 10 command posts. I was hoping to get a flood of requests to join the campaign, but it has been more of a trickle! So if any of you have been thinking that you might like to have a go, drop me a line. The campaign is designed to be easy to grasp and fun to play, so why not give it a go.

In the meantime I am close to completing the Second Battle of Colbitz, the last battle of the test campaign. Jan has injured her back, so I have played this game solo. It is the first solo game I have ever attempted, and I have really enjoyed it. The rules I use force each corps commander to stick to his orders, which can only be changed by his CinC. So I am not tempted to react to what is happening on another part of the table. And the degree of luck in the rules means that even when moving both armies my plans are constantly foiled by a good, or bad, dice throw. Despite this, I will be glad when Jan is fit enough to resume tabletop command.

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