TTS - Bolt Action Trial Run

Nick and I finally got round to doing some lockdown wargaming last night - and in honour of VE Day decided to give Bolt Action a try on Tabletop Simulator.

It's a credit to the TTS system that Nick hadn't played Bolt Action before, but since TTS is "just" a table top simulator I could walk him through the rules just as though we were playing over a physical tabletop. We used Zoom for the audio so I could guide him through the "find a server" process, and we stayed with Zoom through the game.

This was very much a learning by doing game, and was only my 2nd BA game, and we are using the first draft of my BA house rules - Bolt Action Reality Check (BARC). I could even use TTS's PDF feature to put the rules in there for him. We got through couple of turns pretty well - just the armour facing off, and we'll continue with the infantry fight hopefully later in the week.

It must be said that this particular table (Normandy Farm) looks absolutely stunning and kudos to whoever did it. The pics of the figures moving through the long grass look almost realistic (real world, not wargames table), and there's no argument about line of sight when you can zoom into eye-level with a figure! We're also playing on a 3" grid (my standard for BARC) which removes any measurement which may slow things down a  bit more in TTS.

Anyhow, here are some pics form the game so far - reinforced Pl on either side. I've shrunk the figures ( from a TTS BA "pack") down from ~ 30-40mm to 20mm.

Brits advancing through long grass to the hedgeline

Long shot of the table from the German side

 

Brits reach the wall. Dice nicely for scale. Great "sculpts" too

Nice shot showing the way the ground clutter hides most of the troops 

Germans emerge from the lane - not Brits just visible top left - got LOS then!

Tabletop Simulator

One of my aims during the lockdown was to get some remote wargaming done, as well as solo and campaign gaming. I've cast my eye over virtual tabletops (VTTs) in the past, mainly 1st gen like Vassal and 2nd gen like Roll20, but those are all very much 2D platforms. Tabletop Simulator (TTS) and Tabletopia are very much 3rd Gen and 3D based - although still short of my ideal 3D/VR set up - see http://newconverj.blogspot.com/2019/11/virtual-reality-wargaming.html.

We had a good game of Codenames at work on TTS for a virtual going-away do, and I started looking at what proper wargaming kit is available - initially for WW2 and Napoleonic.

For WW2 there's quite a bit of Bolt Action stuff - which is ideal given how well its scored in my tests. But of course since this is a VTT rather than a game platform, the models and just models, so you can play any rules you like. I've collected all the models and gizmos I need for a game (models are probably bigger than 28mm), and so just need to give it a go.

I've spent a bit more time getting the Napoleonic side sorted. Command and Colours seems to dominate (the inevitable equating grids with simplicity) but there are also some "Black Powder" armies which give a good range of nations but have some odd gaps and oddities (all gun crews have sabers drawn) - but of course these are all free and done for love so shouldn't criticise!. Again figures are more like 40mm, so have been painfully through all the British and French figures I could find and reduced them to 20mm and rebased them (virtually) for SLS. I've also uploaded some activation cards, and created the SLS dice - using the custom component options.

To move the troops around (typically 6 bases per unit) I've made some semi-transparent movement trays, and the figures "stick" to them nicely. Only issue is you can't rotate the tray - if you do the figures stay facing forwards! That's really the only glitch.

French line ready to attack, Bde cards out for reference

So all ready to go and hopefully Nick and I can find time over the next week or so to give it a try.

Highlanders wait in line to receive the French attack

The Household cavalry rests awaiting orders

Oh yes, if that backdrop looks familiar it is Hougoumont. I took some 720 degree photos when I was staying there with Nick and Alan a few years ago, and they import straight into TTS as a backdrop. So we can do our Napoleonic wargaming inside Hougoumont, or even out on the field of Waterloo itself!

Battle of Adwalton Moor - AAR 2 - For King and Parliament

Finally back to the original plan for Roundway Down and Adwalton Moor which was to test out For King and Parliament - the ECW version of To The Strongest. I switched to 6mm for this (but kept the terrain identical, so a far less crowded battlefield). So first a quick AAR and then some comments on the rules.

Starting positions

Battle Report

Royalist Horse surged forward to the enclosures where they were well received and beaten off by the commanded musketry and dragoons. The Royalist Foot then went in, and it wasn't until the 2nd line went in that the enclosures were cleared - on particular commanded musket regiment was still going at the end, reluctantly pulling back to conform with the remaining troops. A late left-flank charge by Royalist cavalry was met the sole Parliamentarian cavalry unit who won, but then got taken out themselves by the Royalist 2nd line. On the right flank two regiments of horse were eaten up in trying to fall on the Parliament Pike & Shot who didn't even bother to go to hedgehog.

Royalist foot advancing whilst the cavalry goes in against the enclosures

I called time about turn 15, by when the Royalists were in control of the enclosures, and Parliament only had two fresh P&S units to defend the ditch, against 6+ Royalist units and a cavalry unit about to wreak havoc in their rear. And Gog an Magog never fired at all.

Interestingly whilst tactically it looked like a clear Royalist win the FKaP victory coins gave a 14:13 victory to Parliament - but the coin numbers may have been skewed by too many colonels! 

The battle at its height from behind Royalist lines

The Rules

I must admit I do quite like the basic TTS mechanism. Drawing cards is actually way faster than rolling dice, and of course I'm always up for anything played on a grid. But something didn't seem quite right with FKaP. In the end the attacks became a real slog (realistic?), with time after time units either not activating, or missing, or having hits saved. Getting on a flank improved things (double opportunities), but in the end it really did just feel like which side could turn over the 8+'s (and then the 9+'s) fastest. An odd thing about cards is that you don't feel the same agency as you do with dice, especially when you opponent has just had a run of 8s and 9s and so you know there won't be many left for you! The slagging match, and the fact that units typically fought to elimination also meant it was a very static game, lines advanced to contact, 10 rounds of push-of-pike, and then it was all over. The previous run of Adwalton Moor had felt far more fluid. I did like the morale test for units adjoining a rout though - just as in SLS!

The Royalists surge forward!

I seem to remember having enjoyed the original TTS more. Checking back missile fire is 8+ (as FKaP), but doesnt reduce to 9+. Melee hits start at 6+, not 8+ - so far more bloody. If I play FKaP again I might well be tempted to revert to TTS values. I also though that there was minimal difference between the different Pike&Shot units, just ammo counters, and dragoons seemed very resilient (they save on 6+ not 7+). The ammo chit system worked well though and wasn't too onerous (Note: I tracked it by adding a chit to a unit when it fired, not giving each unit 3 chits to start and taking away, reduced the clutter on the board).

So, not as good as I'd hoped. The TTS/FKaP system still has a lot going for it,  far more my cup of tea than Pike & Shotte, and the FKaP rule book is a joy to behold. If I was to play it regularly I think I might make a few house rules/TTS throwbacks to make it better suit my gaming style.

ENDEX positions

What is interesting though is that the two games of Adwalton Moor bracketed the real result, one giving a good Parliamentarian victory, one giving a good Royalist victory, whereas the real battle more of less split the field.