Eastern Front 1914

[Si Tyler]

A quick report from another playtest game of the new Square Bashing using PD figures.

Game was set on the Eastern Front in 1914 between Russians and Germans, with the Russians attacking.
The Assault collapsed in the face of German firepower after 3 hours of playing.  A couple of Playtest questions need to go back to Peter Pig but a good game even if I lost.  I am now to be known as MG Bane as I lost 5 out of 6 Russian Machine Gun companies

http://anyonenotfinished.pbworks.com/w/page/51698351/Great%20War%20-%20Square%20Bashing

The Battlefield


The Troops


In Progress shots

[J.S.]

Looks great! I've never considered using the Square Bashing rules, maybe I should give them a try.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

It's a really fun set of rules, the mad victory points are some of the best they've done yet, another rules set against a random timer which really makes you play to win!
We find it best for Early or Late War, trench fights are HARD to score point on!

[J.S.]

Sounds good to me 
I'm always happy to try out new rules, and since I'm doing early war anyways, there's no reason not to give them a chance.

[Si Tyler]

These are the NEW Square Bashing rules....I have never played the current "old" version they are undergoing play testing for an aimed release at the end of May 12.

Si

[nikharwood]

Good to see your kit on-table Si - looking forward to more.

What with you being "MG Bane" & me being "Tankbane", we ought to team up & be the bane of the wargames world 

[Hertsblue]

Neat little game, Si, although I would have said that you needed at least fifty percent superiority in numbers attacking a defended location. Particularly as historically Russian battalions were significantly smaller than their German counterparts. Or put it another way - you wuz robbed. 

[Steve J]

Wasn't Napoleon's maxim that you needed a 3:1 advantage before attacking?

[Si Tyler]

This wasn't an attack against a prepared position.  That will be another play test (possibly along the lines of Gumbinnen).  The Russians were unlucky in that while they had a massive advantage in the pre-battle phase it didn't come to anything, the Germans lost less than a Battalion across the whole division and were only adrift one Regiment.  They only had 50% of the on table artillery and MG with the rest being rushed forward but the Russian's couldn't take advantage of it.

During the pre-game two of my Regular battalions, which would have been used to bolster the right flank attack which COULD of made the best progress, were downgraded to reservists.

The German battalion holding the most forward objective held off, 3 Infantry assaults and two heavy barrages and the Iron Crosses will be awarded later, If I had shifted them then that flank would have been easy to roll up.  In the last photo you can see the Germans had been pushed back out of the way and were facing four battalions and 2 Cavalry Regiments.  But I couldn't clear the defenders and came unstuck.

Thoroughly enjoyed the game and the RFCM method of creating the Fog of War for this period.  I will definitely be playing SB when it come out.

[Jerrylee]

Hi,
I used to game the old "square bashing rules" and really enjoyed them, I notice on your blog the table and square sizes have changed, as I have a nice 4' by 4' board laid out for PBI as in squares, is it still possible to play the new rules on this?

Gary

[Si Tyler]

Yep, most of the play test guys seem to have PBI cloths and boards.  PBI uses the same size squares in a 8 x 8 grid.  SB uses an 8 x 6 grid so the "spare" row on each side of a PBI table could be used to hold reinforcements, markers etc.  PP made some nice comments about the spatial impact of using 10mm figures on the 6" squares which was good

Si

[Leveller Mutineer]

Excellent Batrep Si.

I've got the old SB rules, but haven't done anything with them.  Again it's the thing with WWI and the trench warfare of the western front.  I play the Peter Pig  WWII set, PBI, and it looks as if they're bringing SB into line with that.  I might give them a go when they come out.

In fact I've just finished watching Lawrence of Arabia.  Battle of Aqaba anyone? 

Now which Pendraken figures would make good WWI Arabs........

[Fenton]

Now which Pendraken figures would make good WWI Arabs........

Umm.....the Arab figures in the Middle East range maybe ?

[Leveller Mutineer]

Oh bugger.     I was hoping for something to convert

[lekw]

Great to see a WWI 10mm East Front game. Looks like it was a lot of fun. I am a big fan of WWI East Front I have 10mm Pendraken and 15mm Peter Pig for the period.