GPWG Endorses Testers Model Master Glue

I bought a box of Celts from Wargames Factory... great, cheap minis, if you care to give them a look. Anyway, I'd only ever put together one plastic mini (the Perry Brothers Miniatures rifleman in the picture above the rules), and I'd read somewhere that a hot glue gun works. It does, but it doesn't work well.

This stuff, on the other hand, is fantastic. It's recommended in the WF forum and also by the guy at the hobby shop. If you haven't given plastics a try, maybe you should. If you do, consider purchasing yourself some of this.

Testudo

How about a testudo rule?

If your medium and heavy fighters do not have additional weapons they add +1 to armor saves when in block formation as long as they are drilled.

Block

Block would be at least three ranks. The front rank must have at least 3 miniatures, and the rear ranks must have an equal number of miniatures to the rank in front of it, or an equal number minus 1. Each forward rank may have no more than one outlying miniature.

If a block does not meet this criteria, it is no longer a block. This would allow enemies to break up a block formation during combat. Also, when in block formation 5's count as 6's. If elite troops are in block, 4's count as 5's and 5's count as 6's.

The benefit to a block formation is that it is impossible to flank. Suppose two Celtic mediums attack a single elite Roman heavy. That's 4 dice to 3. Now suppose they attack a Roman block. 2 to 3, because they must attack 1-1.

How do you break up a block? Send your best fighter to break up the front rank so that it has fewer miniatures than the rank behind it. No more block benefit, so 5's are once again 5's for any troops still in combat.

Examples

X X X X
X X X
X


X X X
X X X
X X X


X X X X
X X X
X X
X

These are NOT blocks:

X X X
X X X X
X

X X X X
  X X X
  X X X

Column

So here's column:

RearX X X X X X X X X Front

OR...

RearX X X X X X X X X Front
RearX X X X X X X X X Front

OR...

RearXXXXXXXXXXXXFront
                     XXXXXXXFront

Column moves like a snake, with one figure following another.

Simplification

I have tried to make this a simple, straightforward game which still gives a bit of historical flavor, but I may have included too much detail.

I like the idea of an "elite" rule, and I think that my "disciplined" rule is too complicated.

What I really want to do is somehow give a benefit to well-drilled troops. Perhaps I'll have a "drilled" rule which allows a bonus in combat and maybe gaurantees a minimum movement as long as the troops are in formation.

Formation ideas:

Line of Battle
Column
Block (pike blocks, Romans)

When in block formation, drilled troops may only be attacked 1-1.

When in Column, infantry move 1 1/2 inches for every normal inch of movement.
When in line of battle, drilled shooters may re-roll any single result of "1" as long as the target was to the shooter's front. When in line of battle shooters in the rear rank may shoot through shooters in the front rank.

Also, I'm thinking of dropping the requirement to shoot at the closest enemy as long as no enemy is closer than 6 inches. Otherwise you must shoot at the closest enemy.

For morale, how about an actual retreat with the possibility of a rally?

I'm going to expand command distance to 12 inches.

Also, if there are shooters in the same company as fighters, shooters must shoot before any fighter moves into hand-to-hand combat. No shooting after hand-to-hand begins.

Painted Up Some Celts

From the Wargames Factory...

They look pretty good thanks to GW's Devlan Mud and Ogrin Flesh wash, but I had mixed results using a hot glue gun to stick pieces together. I'd met someone who swears by it, but...

I'm going to try Testors Model Glue. It's supposed to work well, says the WF forum.

We shall see...

Did Some Playtesting

A few friends and I playtested the rules using the following pieces:
Light fighters (Aztecs)
Light fighters, slings and javelins (Aztecs)
Light fighters (wardogs... Spaniards)
Medium fighters (Aztecs, suit wearers)
Elite Medim fighters (Aztecs, Otomi)
Medium fighters, crossbow (Spaniards)
Medium fighters, arquebus (Spaniards)
Elite Heavy fighters (Spanish swordsmen)
Heavy horse (Spaniards)
Cannon (Spaniards)

Elite is a new characteristic I'm playing with. Elite fighters have the same combat dice, but 5's count as 6's.

My point system seems to be pretty off. A reasonably even game was to be had at the following point totals:

Light fighters 1 point
Light slingers and javelineers: 2 points
Medium fighters 2 points
Elite Medium fighters 3 points
Elite Heavy fighters 4 points
Heavy horse 8 points
Cannon 7 points

Elite would cost 1 point, then

Crossbow range was Short, 1-4 and Long, 4-18

Arquebus range was short, 1-4 and long, 4-12 (no save allowed)