One Hour Wargames - Back of Beyond

I thought I ought to actually finally get around to PLAYING One Hour Wargames before I use it for resolving all the battles for this upcoming campaign. I had a couple of free hours on Saturday afternoon so I set up a little battle between Bolsheviks and Tsarist Russians. 

One little change I thought I'd use was allowing Cavalry to charge - plucking the rules for doing so out of the Rifle and Sabre section of the book, but making a few changes. When charging infantry that was facing them (not their rear or flank), I said they could only deal d6-2 hits (which, mechanically, meant it was pretty much the same as what they would do if they just stood still and fired at them (the shooting range being the same as the charge distance)... I should probably make it the same for charging guns. I may or may not continue to use this change... 

SCENARIO

I used Scenario #1: Pitched Battle (1) from the One Hour Wargames book. 

The scenario is played on a symmetrical board with hills in the middle of the North and South edges of the field of battle. Both sides depoly their entire force within 6" of their respective side. 

Game is played for 15 Turns and the winner is the one that has eliminated the most enemy units. 

FORCES

Bolsheviks

49th Rifle Division, Peoples Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic

From left to right: 44th Red Shock Cavalry Squadron, 4th Rifle Battalion, 3rd Rifle Battalion, 2nd Rifle Battalion, 1st Rifle Battalion, Artillery Battalion.

Tsarists

86th Guards Rifle Division

From left to right: 432nd Artillery Battalion, 2nd Battalion - 369th Guards Rifle Regiment, 1st Battalion - 369th Guards Rifle Regiment, 2nd Battalion - 337th Guards Rifle Regiment, 1st Battalion - 337th Guards Rifle Regiment, and 2nd Squadron - 497th Cavalry Regiment.  

DEPLOYMENT

Bolsheviks deplyed on the north side of the table and Tsarists on the south. 

Another view... 

THE GAME

with that... I started playing. Reds going first. 

TURN ONE

As no enemy was in range of rifles, nearly the entire force advanced. !st Battalion maneuvered slightly, so as not to be in the way of the Artillery Battalion's line of fire, and simultaneously screen the Artillery Battalion from enemy fire. 

The Red Artillery Battalion opened hostilities with a DEVASTATING barrage on the2nd Battalion - 337th Guards Rifle Regiment (II/337) causing SIX HITS!? 

The Tsarist forces of the 86th Guards Rifle Division did pretty much the same thing all advancing under the cover of the 432nd Artillery Battalion's barrage. 

The Tsarist Artillery was not NEARLY so effective!? Most of their shots fell short and caused minimal casualties amongst the 2nd Red Rifle Battalion.

TURN TWO

As the Tsarists has advanced into range of rifles, most of the Bolshevik Infantry stood their ground and opened fire! The 1st Battalion maneuvered slightly to bring their units front back to square, facing the advancing Tsarists. The 44th Red Shock Cavalry Squadron Charged the 1st Battalion - 337th Guards Rifle Regiment. 

Three battalions of the 49th Red Rifle Division poured fire down on the advancing 1st Battalion - 369th Guards Rifle Regiment, and utterly wiped them out! (rolled 4, 5, 6!?) 

44th Red Shock Cavalry Squadron crashed into the 1st Battalion - 337th Guards Rifle Regiment cutting down and scattering nearly a third of their number (rolled a 6-2= 4 hits!?) 

The cavalry then retreated back and prepared for another charge. 

The Red Artillery Battalion continued to hammer the 2nd Battalion - 337th Guards Rifle Regiment causing ANOTHER FIVE HITS!? 

2nd Battalion - 337th Guards Rifle Regiment advanced because their maneuvering around the hill the previous turn hadn't QUITE brought them in range of the Bolsheviks.. and they knew the bolsheviks wouldn't oblige them by walking within range when their artillery was clearly about to finish them off. The 2nd Squadron - 497th Cavalry Regiment endeavoured to maneuver out from behind the infantry.  

1st Battalion - 337th Guards Rifle Regiment fired on the retreating Red Cavalry, dealing three hits (removing one model). 

The artillery was STILL having a hard time zeroing in on the Bolshevik line, despite them standing perfectly still (1 hit)?! The 2nd Battalion - 369th Guards Rifle Regiment started to fire upon the 1st Red Rifles Battalion, but also with little effect (1 hit)!?

Second round... and one side has lost  ONE THIRD of their force - YIKES! The Reds had been having some INSANELY GOOD dice rolls... and teh Tsarists apparently couldn't roll dice to save their lives!?

TURN THREE

The Red Cavalry charged in again! Huzzah! the results were less decisive (I rolled 2 -2 = 0 hits!). Perhaps the gunfire made them a little more hesitant!? 

The 1st Red Rifle Battalion fired on 2nd Battalion/369th Guards Rifle Regiment, dealing 7 hits!? (I seem to have only removed 5 here...?) 

The Red Artillery started blasting the cavalry as they rounded the base of the hill (4hits!) 

Withering fire from the 2nd and 3rd Bolshevik Rifle Regiments finished off the last of 2nd Battalion - 337th Guards Rifle Regiment... 

Two of the Tsarist units have been totally wiped out, two others have taken over a third of their unit as casualties... Only three of the Bolshevik units had taken any casualties and none of them more than 20%. Honestly, thought it was kind of over at this point... how long could this go on? I decided to play it out to 15 turns or whenever one side was wiped out. 

"Wiped out" probably isn't the right word phrasing... The units have left the field. The game is really, really simple and morale and casualties and other reductions to overall combat effectiveness are wrapped up into one neat and tidy roll of a single d6. The two Tsarist units removal from the field mean they were mowed down to the last man... they were simply rendered no longer combat effective through a combination of deaths, injuries, desertions, people running out of ammo, carrying their wounded comrades from the field, etc. 

On the Tsarists part of the turn, their cavalry wheeled around and set themselves up to charge the Bolshevik cavalry on the following turn. Meanwhile, the 1st Battalion - 337th Guards Rifle Regiment continued to fire on the regrouping Bolshevik Cavalry (scoring three hits and removing another model!).

2nd Battalion/369th Guards Rifle Regiment continued to exchange fire with the 1st Bolshevik Rifle Battalion (Scoring 2 hits!).

The imperial Artillerists FINALLY ranged in on the 2nd Bolshevik Rifle Battalion and started dropping shells right amongst their ranks, dealing terrible damage! 

TURN FOUR

Before the Tsarists could charge, the Red Cavalry charged! Most of the Bolshevik infantry on the right of their line didn't do any shooting as there was a cavalry battle obscuring their only target!? 

the Red Cavalrymen scorred a few hits against their opposites before galloping away to regroup. 

The 1st Red Rifle Battalion continued to fire on 2nd Battalion/369th Guards Rifle Regiment, finishing them off!? 

Finally the Bolshevik Guns started firing on I/337Guards Rifle Battalion (dealing 4 hits). 

The Tsarist Cavalry followed up the regrouping Bolsheviks (dealing 3 hits) 

The I/337Guards Rifle Battalion advanced to bring themselves into a better position to fire on the Bolshevik Infantry - as their Cavalry seemed to be dealing with the Red Cavalry

The guns of the 432nd Artillery Battalion shifted their fire to the other end of the Bolshevik line blasting the 4th Red Rifle Battalion (4 hits!) 

Boom! 

TURN FIVE 

Teh REd Cavalty charged in again. As this, once again, screened the remaining Tsarist infantry, the Red Commander called on the line to move up! 

The Red Cavalry, for their part, dealt two more hits to the Tsarist horsemen. 

On the Tsarists turn the Cavalry battle, once again, shifted out of the way and the The I/337Guards Rifle Battalion fired on the 4th Bolshevik Rifle Battalion and dealt some heavy casualties (6 hits!!!) 

The Tsarist Cavalry dealt some serious damage to the Red Cavalry as well! 

Teh Tsarist guns turned on the advancing 1st Rifle Battalion

TURN SIX

This time, the Red Cavalry held their ground and did not charge in agains the Tsarist cavalry. They dismounted and fired their rifles, along with the 4th Rifle Battalion.

The 3rd Red Rifle Battalion continued to maneuver, marching forward, behind the Tsarist Cavalry. . 

the 1st Bolshevik Rifle Battalion started brining fire upon the Tsarist guns (Dealing a total of 6 hits!). The 2nd Battalion continued to advance! 

 

The remains of the 2nd Squadron, 497th Cavalry Regiment galloped out of the kill zone and rode down the remains of the Red Cavalry, setting the surviving members to flight!   

The I/337Guards Rifle Battalion again fired on the 4th Bolshevik Rifle Battalion... but it seems they were running low on ammunition at this point in the battle... 

Tsarist gunners continued to fire on the Bolshevik 1st Rifle Battalion... but they were fighting a losing battle... 

TURN SEVEN

It seems the Bolsheviks were starting to run low on ammo at this point in the battle as well... combined with the thinned Tsarist ranks being able to disperse better...? 

Ammo was running out on the other end of the line as well... But the machine-guns of the 1st battalion continued to cut unprotected tsarist gunners down in swathes.  

Didn't stop the gunners from holding out at long as they could... and continuing to fire back! 

GAH!!! Just can't finish off they tenacious Bolsheviks!? 

TURN EIGHT

Can you believe the Tsarists held on this long - considering the whalloping they took in the first three turns!? 

Wow... 

Actually, I FORGOT to add in the +2 for the Heavy Infantry of teh 1st Bolshevik Battalion, so the gunners SHOULD have been done, here... But holy makerel, it makes a fun story that they held on for ONE MORE ROUND - AGAINST THE ODDS!!!

I also didn't bother moving the Bolshevik Guns... for a few turns... kind of forgot about them in the corner. 

I... for REALS!? 

Ammo... low on ammo... 

The theoretical halfway point of the battle (if it went 15 turns...) 

Oh, NOW they remember how to shoot... or maybe parties were sent out to gather ammo off the dead and wounded...? 

Tsarist gunners (that really should have left the field), finish off the 1st Bolshevik Riffle Battalion. 

TURN NINE

the 2nd Bolshevik Rifle Battalion finished off the last of the Tsarist Gunners. 

The Bolshevik Guns opened up again and, with no help at all from the Bolshevik Rifles, finished off the last of the Tsarist infantry!

CONCLUSIONS

The game works well enough. It took little less than two hours to play out... but I was taking a LOT of notes and staging photos for this report... so... It could definitely be played in an hour as the name suggests. I think it will work out perfectly for determining the outcome of battles generated by the armies moving about in the campaign.  

The changes to cavalry worked out fine. I thought I might change it so CAvalry annot charge the front of guns or infantry of any kind, unless their strength point were 6 or less and the Cavalry had 6 or more...? But I think I'll leave it as is.  

The 3x3 table did not leave a lot of room to maneuver when starting with all units on the table. For similar scenarios, I might try using a 4x4 board - to allow for a little more room to maneuver. In timed scenarios, especially ones involving one side needing to exit off the opposite side, I could just change the turn limit from 15 to 20 turns...? 

I don't think I'll be able to do EVERY battle generated by the campaign in such detail... this was a bit much. 

I did, after the game roll for recovery - to see how many survivors each army were able to rally and recover after the battle. I hadn't really determined who were the attackers and who were the defenders. So I rolled and made note of how things would have worked out. 

According to the Rules I've Written for the Campaign, for each strength point lost in a unit, a d6 is rolled to see if it's recovered after the battle. On a 1 the strength point is lost (representing actual battlefield deaths, serious injuries, and soldiers that ran off and never returned). On 2+ the lost strength is recovered (representing the soldiers that stopped fighting -whether they ran off or just hid for a while, but returned after the battle, the lightly wounded, and those that just ran out of ammo and couldn't continue fighting). 

The roll is modified by -1 if the unit being rolled for was on the side that lost (the enemy holding the field of battle might finish off wounded or have captured more prisoners). Also, currently, it is modified by -1 if the battle took place in territory that was not part of the army's initial territory - as unfamiliar territory and hostile locals might mean it is less likely disappeared soldiers find their way back to their units...? I may or may not remove this modifier. 

I so i rolled for recover for both forces and looked at 1s, 2s and 3s and made note of how much would have been recovered if they were the attacker (and fighting in forign territory) or if they were the defender - defending land they'd held at the beginning of the game. 

A full strength, starting army has six units with 15 strength Points each, totalling 90 Strength Points. 

If the Tsarist were the defender, they would recover Strength Points on 3+ (only gaining -1 for having lost). One could expect they'd lose a third of their force. If they'd been the attacker, they would only recover lost Strength Points on a 4+ (-1 for losing, -1 for the battle taking place in hostile territory) and one might expect they'd lose HALF their force. In the end, for the first case they lost a total of 31 Strength Points, recovering 59 - almost perfectly average rolls. In the latter case, they would have lost 42 Strength and recovered 48... still, pretty close. In the first case, if the lost the one city and fought no more battles and kept hold of their remaining two cities, they'd gain 20 Resource Points and could recover 20 Strength Points... meaning they's STILL be down 17 Strength Points from their starting number.

The Bolsheviks on the other hand... The Bolsheviks still had a lot of their force on the field at the end of the game. They's lost 53 Strength Points - a little over half what the Tsarists lost. If THEY the defender, they would recover Strength Points on 2+. One could expect they'd permanently lose on sixth of those lost in the battle. If they'd been the attacker, they would only recover lost Strength Points on a 3+ (-1 for the battle taking place in hostile territory) and one might expect they'd permanently lose a third of their battlefield losses. In the end, for the first case they lost a total of 9  Strength Points, recovering 44 - a touch more than expected, over all. In the latter case, they would have lost 12 Strength and recovered 41... Which is much better than expected. The bolshevik luck in some of their rolls continued on into the recovery rolls... 

This was for one of the units of 15... ONE loss... regardless of attacking of defending!? 

In the first case, if they successfully defended the one city and fought no more battles and kept hold of their starting cities, they'd gain 30 Resource Points and could recover all of the 9 lost and have 21 Resource Points left over (TANK unit, anyone!?)... meaning THEY would have their full starting strength PLUS a tank unit (or... whatever else they wanted to spend those Resource Points on...!?). 

If we looked at the latter case, they were the attacker, and we assumed they took the one city and participated in NO MORE hostilities... They would gain 40 resource points, recover the 12 they lost, and then have 28 remaining to spend on other things!? 

Hmmmm... maybe we'll play with it, as is, for now and see how it goes. I am just  considering this campaign a "test run" for future campaigns...