Napoleonic & ECW wargaming, with a load of old Hooptedoodle on this & that


Saturday 1 January 2022

WSS: A Little Midnight Testing

 So what am I doing at midnight on Hogmanay? Am I drunk?

No. Not a drop has been taken. In fact, I may be on the wagon at present - the stuff isn't really agreeing with me. Red wine is currently off the list, since it's like drinking razor blades. Tea and a scone is fine.

Am I feeling festive?

Not bad. My wife went to bed fairly early, and the Polish family next door are having a party in their garden (South-East Scotland, 1st January) which is going to disturb the peace for a few hours yet. I have taken the opportunity to do a bit more solo rules testing - the knotty issue of Combat in my WSS rules. It may be a little unusual as a celebration, but it's going OK - I've got about 5 new tweaks or clarifications thus far, so that's useful.


Examples? Well, for one thing, a unit of Foot which is forced to take a double retreat will now lose any attached battalion gun in their haste. For another, a unit being charged from the flank, while still allowed to make an emergency change (if they pass a test), will no longer be allowed to swing around on the spot if they are already engaged with (or adjacent to) an enemy unit to their front. I think we used to use the term "pinned" once upon a time. And there's more similar; twiddly stuff, but OK.

I'm also getting the hang of the Combat bonuses - what you get an extra dice for - and it's actually as easy as I had hoped it would be. It's just a matter of practice...

Anyway, Billy No-Mates sends you best wishes for the New Year. All the very best to you.

11 comments:

  1. Ha ha! Good thinking. Tonight would have been a good time to have a wargame as the sound effects were particularly good for black powder tonight.

    I’m afraid I didn’t do anything half so useful. Just watched the 6 episodes of The Detectorists series 3.

    Happy New Year!

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  2. Happy New Year to you too. We had a similarly subdued Hogmany although I did manage to consume four small bottles of beer over about three hours - so, the equivalent of two pints probably! No wargaming content in my New Year celebrations so far - maybe some kind person will invite me for a game in the coming week or two that I have off work - fingers crossed!

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  3. And a happy New Year to you!
    I stopped drinking alcohol many years ago; I found that whatever I drank, the effect was to bypass any enjoyable aspects or "buzz" and go immediately to the worst hangover headache imaginable.
    Neil

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  4. Happy new year mate. I faked a bit of enthusiasm for the countdown…as usual but otherwise it was a suitably quiet end to a crap year. Last year I spent the first hour of ‘21 painting War of The Roses figures, this year it was a Neanderthal with a bow (don’t worry - he wasn’t a real one) for a rule set called Paleo Diet. Funny old hobby.

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  5. Sounds like fun to me, but I tend to run out of rule writing writing steam without others to bounce ideas off.
    Clearly we have way more Romanians than Poles hereabouts judging by the fireworks synchronised with midnight in their respective time zones. By midnight local time the (now) traditional salvoes had quite literally had their thunder stolen.

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  6. Sensible use of the evening Tony - I did manage a couple of hours painting but also half a bottle of wine so some detail may be a bit squiffy. Happy new year to you!

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  7. I feel I should say 'Snap'! I was testing my rules ideas for a few years earlier - Jacobite Ireland. And I did have the aid of a nice Skye malt whisky. The firework sound effects were particularly useful and started oddly about 10pm. The flashes from over the hills were reflected in the clouds and reminded me of that old Pathe broadcast of the Battle of El Alamein.
    Anyway, all the best for the new year, hope you have a good one! (Am I glad to see the back of 2021!)

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  8. Probably one of the more useful ways to spend NYE.. a very Happy New Year to you!

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  9. Happy New Year Tony…
    There are certainly worse things you could be doing over Hogmanay…
    I spent a couple of hours painting toy soldiers before spending time (FaceTime) with friends and family…
    Here’s to a better year ahead….

    All the best. Aly

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  10. Happy New Year - your evening was well spent indeed!

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  11. Happy New Year to you and yours Tony. Seems a perfectly sensible way to spend NYE to me, I'm no big fan of all that business these days, in fact I was tucked up in bed by 11pm!

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