Yes, let us do the battles

This was an interesting "peek behind the curtain", when it comes to Campaigning! There is a LOT of preparation, thought, & effort involved... and, "The Law Of Unintended Consequences", rules supreme. I hope that this is not the last time we visit Bellamunda. The Alliance between the White Queen & Red Handed Helen offers many intriguing possibilities!

I agree with Andrew, Forthright City should have more defensive countermeasures in place already. Something like a Maginot Line. Likewise, just because Forthright City falls, it doesn't mean the king is captured. Even if the king is neutralized, keep in mind it took William the Conqueror several years after Hastings to completely pacify the English. At massive cost to both sides. (Yes, I literally just read a book on it) I think it's got potential. To paraphrase Sheldon Cooper, "I wanna roll the dice!"

@AuthoritativeNewsNetwork

Жыл бұрын

Indeed, it becomes more like RHH took the Capital in the opening volley of what would grow into the Dextramanian Civil War. And naturally, with her Albian allies being drawn away, Tenebra now has ample opportunity to repay the favour. (Sinistrea probably wouldn't miss out on the land grab either).

As with others can I make a couple of observations. Your suggestion was that the White Queen had been making improvements to her roads to enable the move north and this was coupled with the intrigues of Red Handed Helen. This would lead me to suggest that the good old King would liklely get wind of this, especially noting the outside agitators in his realm and make suitable plans, so maybe a change in scale might be in order. Your big map shows the access for the Southern forces in constrained by the end of the mountain range, which forms a natural choke point. It would make sense that you would concentrate your defence forces here, rather at the other end of the country. Why not run a campaign set around this area between the two countries , using a more localised map? Instead of full regiments you could have battalions and detachments but still using your existing models (the figure ratios just got smaller). This also adds scope for some skirmish style games, cavalry scouting for crossing points, raids on supply wagons, desperate defence of isolated farmhouses etc. Rather than the previous chapters looking at the big picture, you might have to focus in on smaller yet significent part of this history?

I feel like the coup of Dextramania is something that is inevitable - you've proven it would almost certainly happen - a footnote between the first Elopation war and the next chapter of the saga. I love all your content but your black powder/medieval stuff is fantastic too. The setup for a map-based campaign gives you alot to consider - I know you dice-rolled for the terrain and towns in this one - but as you've seen the need for multiple avenues of attack across a frontier, the size and distribution of cities, etc. has a massive impact. Maybe it would be an idea to consider the next chapter an alliance between Alba and Dextramania as part of a wider empire, and zoom out again?

Good to hear about the things that don't work out as well as those that do. It looks as though you've solidly demonstrated how vulnerable the capital is. Surely the Dextramanians know this too. They're not complete fools. So it would be reasonable to imagine that they would have done something about it. A big fort on the road seems a sensible addition which would offer the chance to delay the attack long enough to allow freindly forces to reach the Forthright city.

@AuthoritativeNewsNetwork

Жыл бұрын

Especially, after their recent scuffle with Sinistrea.

As someone who ran a few nobility level campaign rpgs. I have a few suggestions I've found made things work a bit better. First, the drop map and card pull maps works for terrain but not so much for towns/villages. Civillization most likely pop up in reaction to the terrain until more heavy industry allows for unusual locations. Second, let your subscribers/players pioneer a few sites such as city/town/village/fort and roll a dice to see how advanced it got since its founding. If you really want some craziness, let them have influence as a noble house that rules that town and how they would react. It doesn't need to be super detailed, just some guidelines. Third, node maps of key positions. This was more for planetary invasions, but I found that if a planet/country has a certain level of development or "nodes" these can be major Population, Industry, Culture, Governmental, Military, ect. Capturing the Capital doesn't necessarily mean the end of the war, special towns/locations could have more cultural or military significance to control. The Lord's manor has been burnt down at the capital, but the factories pumping out artillery and guns and the fertile farmland to feed the troops would probably influence things as well. Try giving other key locations that need to be captured to capitulate the population. I've used these in AD&D Birthright, Sword Chronicles (Generic Game of Thrones/ASOIAF rpg), and Traveller. Each with different levels of success, for those wondering.

The one thing about the mobilization chart is it's based on the defender having no geopolitical/strategic awareness, every war is Pearl Harbor. Total surprise like that is not all that common, especially when strategic points are near a border. Political/military paranoia tends more towards readiness and fortifications/tripwires.

The second solo campaign was what really got me hooked on this channel and your excellent content, so I'd never say no to more of it anyways: even if it was a Albian landslide! Makes me think of the German blitzkrieg into Denmark...that campaign didn't even close out the day! Anyways, I just picked up the Solo Wargaming Guide and am in the act of preparing my first solo campaign, so this was a very enlightening watch!

@robertmastrud8124

Жыл бұрын

That was my favorite campaign as well.

YOOOO we're back! The campaigns that got me into wargaming! Great stuff as always!

Lots of potential gaming to be had in this campaign. Echoing what others have already said, a border fortress (or string of fortresses) would make sense. And remember fortresses are not wholly passive - an army bypassing them would have to watch out behind it as the garrison sallies out and tries to do as much damage as possible to the supply lines or stragglers. Maybe the invaders would have to leave a significant 'masking force' at each castle they failed to take to prevent this sort of thing? And the Savaster Mountains - are they uninhabited or full of highlanders and clans? And whose side are they on? Could the locals be paid to attack northern Albi?

A lot depends upon the style of battle as well. Napolionics just lends itself to node based campaign due to troop movement via roads. Fantasy and skirmish level wargaming would lend itself to more off-road travel. Distances become important and perhaps increasing the number of control points or resource bases in node based campaigning is a possible fix. At some point resource control becomes a level that almost seems necessary in order to add depth to the campaign. Minor towns can then become important because of a strategic bridge or proximity to some necessary resource such as pasture lands that are necessary for mustering cavalry units, etc.

Great breakdown, full of practical lessons. This shows the utility of playtesting a campaign, to discover problematic features of the map / geographical layout. But, this presents a dilemma for homemade campaigns, which are generally intended for a single play-through. One possibility is to adapt a previously playtested map for a new campaign. Another possibility is to have some sort of filter or checklist through which to run a randomly generated map in order to test its suitability or fairness. Regardless, thanks for posting this, very good stuff. I want to do wargame campaigns alongside my AD&D campaigns, but haven't settled on a method yet.

Thank you for these vídeos. I bought the book, but it was your vídeos that helped me understand the whole process and I am having a los of fun on my first campaign.

Interesting vid, you are a lot easier to listen to than some dry wargamers. Will check out a few of your other videos.

😁 10:27 Tarrasque rampages across the Dextramanian countryside until it is swept away by a mysterious divine hand.

I think that the order of map creation might be the biggest problem. The borders should be drawn up after all the cities have been added. You can divide the cities more evenly, and once you've done that it might be best to throw in geography to create reasonable impediments to block easy movement along the better roads and rivers. After reading Shelby Foote's series on the Civil War, I recommend more harsh penalties on moving and supplying armies along or across rivers. Simply traveling up or down the river and disembarking is a challenge. Even with enough time to assemble and move on from the landing the whole thing could fall apart at the first sign of trouble A congressman-turned-Colonel had joined in a Union crossing near Washington DC. The landing was uncontested, and everyone became very lackadaisical about things until the congressman was shot dead by a sharpshooter. Subsequently the entire force was routed by a confederate force that wasn't any better off, materially. Rather than fighting to the death because their backs were to the wall, Union soldiers scrambled across the river in whatever way they could- many dying in the process. There are other examples too. Most of the early Western battles show just how easy it is to bottle up an army on the same river that helps them.

Suggestion: The king of dexteria finds an abandoned star ship hidden deep in the mountains.

The journey is interesting and fun, plus you produce so much gaming goodness, thank you!

Always like to hear your thoughts , all hail the process !

The question is, does the country fall when the capitol falls? Dextramania could strategically abandon Forthright and instead launch a counter attack, or wait for the Albian forces to be led out of the city into a more favorable battlefield for Dextramania. Have you read the Bible? You should read the story of when Absalom usurps King David. That's what this reminds me of.

@bobiojimbo

Жыл бұрын

Thinking more about this; Forthright could flee into the mountains to the south east. It will be difficult to enter for them, but also difficult for the attackers. Forthright would also have a defensive advantage inside the mountain range. As long as the weather is nice enough. This could give them time to wait for the reinforcements to arrive, and position them to attack the enemy flank or rear. Alternatively, they could flee East (it looked open on the map), into a neighboring kingdom. If that kingdom is hospitable, they can wait there. If it's unhospitable, they could feign allegiance, and then launch guerilla strikes on Albion. Again, these ideas come from the Bible; read 1 Samuel through 2 Chronicles.

Have you considered how either of the other two countries may react to this campaign. Could albi really have committed that many troops without inviting invasion from the western border? Just a thought. Keep the great stuff coming

It's geographic determinism! Perhaps play out the coup quickly or just assume it happens but follow it up with a full blown Dextramanian civil war and/or have the Princess fortify her lands in the south with border forts and garrisons and such so it can never happen again.

Did you consider Detramanian spies discovering Red-Handed Helen's plot and as a result Dextramanai launching a pre-emptive strike? i.e. Dectramania mobilises first? and a city rebelling being a chance event later on? then that city's troops could mutiny in the field ... IIRC the soio wargaming guide has a section on mutinies

Saw the original campaign back then. Sounds to me, as if the Dextramanians should have fortified their borders a little bit better. Alternatively the goal for Albi should likely not be to conquer the city, but to capture the king, whou could be fleeing north, maybe even hidden, forcing his enemies to hunt for him and giving the dextremanians a point to rally further up north. :D

Helen keeps making trouble. How many people die because of her this time around? She should be disowned and put on the pyre. Does she have any siblings? :)

@bobiojimbo

Жыл бұрын

Yes, her name is: Pink Haired Wyfoo. She is uncannily competent at everything.

well, the mobilization seems to be rather off, there is no options for the defender to even start a small mobilization, nor did you mention any defensive preparations like garrisons and forts... perhaps something like; defender have 25% in garrisons and standing armies in peacetime d6 1. defenders alerted early, allows for a 50% mobilization and pre-deployments to forts/defensive positions before the war starts, rest comes d3 after 2. defenders alerted, 25% mobilized before the war starts, rest mobilizes on the day the enemy declares war or crosses the borders, rest comes d3 days after 3. defenders prepared 10% mobilized before the war starts, 50% mobilizes on the day the enemy declares war or crosses the borders, rest comes d3 days after 4. defender has some preparations, 50% mobilizes in d3 days, rest in d3 days after that 5. defender caught unprepared, 25% mobilizes in d3 days, rest d3 days after that 6. defender caught very unprepared, 10% mobilizes in d3 days, 50% d3 days after that, remnant d3 days after that

i think that the issue that you might be having is the difference between a game and what would happen. Dextramania is doomed to be slapped around by its neighbours, geography is not its friend. Perhaps an aggressive war by Dextramania is the way to get it going or some allies that could put pressure on its opponents.

Game request: ADventurer Conqueror King System: Domains at War.

Enjoy the thoughts on wargaming and campaigns

I think you are not taking into account that the Leader/King Might garrison more troops in the Capitol and send some home, rotating these troops back and forth say every few months so that they can all have time at home, and still have defenders in the Other towns besides Militia. Roll a D4 for Competence or Leadership and roll against a D6 having to score your ability or less to succeed. You could also consider his Ability and his spy network knowing which city is most likely to Rebel for any reason and have more of those troops garrisoning the Capitol or maybe an outpost on the Frontier. Still a delay but possibly more manageable. Still using the Dice to determine outcomes of something you think of without meta interfering. The thing about solo over 2 or more players is the amount of choices that present themselves over trying to think of everything in a campaign, no easy task for anyone, using you chat and comments for names and such, nice, so when you do think of something and feel it makes to much advantage, leave it to the dice somehow, Make your own table, which I have seen you do to good effect, if the Kings spy network is good enough, maybe they can cut some time of of the mobilization of Forces for Defense, or maybe their reports get you replenishing troops sooner and the Capitol Troops drag feet heading home. Just a few thoughts. "Good fortune to you in your coming Campaigns" hehe

I'm surprised you havent reviewed any of the Bob Cordery books. Or maybe I couldnt find them 🤔

@TheJoyofWargaming

Жыл бұрын

I have his book on the Spanish Civil War. It's on my list of some days.

I would think the northern country would see their neighbor mobilizing. A full day of loading troops on a boat? Surely they would catch wind of that. Maybe have that table be days after mobilization instead of invasion. It was is likely countries mass troops at the boarder and drill. Is that king not looking for his daughter? He would get word would he not? I think you just tipped the scales for Albi too much. The last thing I’d say is if your scenario is accurate and every time Albi wins then it’s a sure thing. They would definitely do it. I don’t see that as an issue. Just skip the ‘boring’ fight and get to the main event.

@jeremymullens7167

Жыл бұрын

That’s the thing with the wilderness vs roads too. An army marching on a road will be seen. An army marching through wilderness might not.

@gwynplaine4198

Жыл бұрын

I was thinking something similar.

@solomonkane3989

Жыл бұрын

@@jeremymullens7167 Good point. But an army marching through a wilderness might have difficulty making the journey in the first place. Do they have enough wagons full of supplies? Is there a river to follow for water? No roads mean slower progress, generally. A smaller mobile army might be ok, but a larger one with a siege train in it, might not.

I found the sieges a bit anticlimactic. Such an important aspect of war and it's being reduced to a few dice rolls? Come on! Could I suggest the ruleset "Vauban's Wars" by Eric Burgess? It's designed for sieges from the Absolutist to Napoleonic eras and let's you use any tactical ruleset for assaults.

@TheJoyofWargaming

8 ай бұрын

Thanks, I'll check it out. Actual sieges have always been a hole in my gaming life. It's time to fill that up.