Playing Solo - What am I thinking?

This little mini series on solo wargaming has been getting some favorable comments and so to push my luck, I thought I would add another installment. After a couple of games using Lion Rampant, I am using a tweaked version of the rule set to fight a larger War of the Roses battle.

How does a solo gamer approach a task like this?

First thing is to decide on a battle/scenario that both suits your mood and of course your collection of figures. Next, create a battlefield with some terrain for your tiny warriors to navigate through. This is a task I particularly enjoy, the terrain doesn't have to be out of this world, functional is the key, however if you have top notch, top of the range scenery, then all the better for the effect it gives.

Below is an example of a set up for a game I am about to play. My gaming table is actually eight feet long and three feet wide, I do have an extra one foot in the form of a hinged flap along one of the long edges, giving me the potential for a width of four feet. However, my games room is quite narrow and cluttered at the moment and needs a tidy up, (another job on my list.)

On the table is a Cigar Box Battle Mat, it could just as easily be a sheet of green or brown cloth, it measures six feet by four feet, so a foot is hanging down along with the flap, giving me a fighting field of 6 x 3 feet. A little tight for 28mm figures, but it will have to do for now.

Thoughts on basing.

When first returning to the hobby I simply glued my little 1/72nd scale figures to pennies, this gave them some weight and stopped them toppling over at the slightest knock of the table. At that time I was simply painting for pleasure with no real thoughts about actually wargaming with them. The pennies were then given a coat of PVA (wood glue) and then sprinkled with a mixture of various green flocks. They looked good to me.

Going Solo - What is the point? Where is the enjoyment?

To many the idea of solo wargaming just holds no appeal and is quite understandable in part. The whole point is to pit your wits against an opponent, feel the satisfaction of a victory or disappointment of a defeat, if only the dice roll had gone in my favour when the cavalry went in, the result could have been totally different!

The soloist has to study the table from both sides and decide on the best strategy for both forces. I like to study the battlefield and both forces, come up with a basic plan for both sides, based on strengths and weaknesses of the forces.  A little pictorial example may help.

I am currently experimenting with Lion Rampant, a rule set for skirmish type games in the Dark Ages/Medieval period. In the first photo the Lancastrian raiding force has been pillaging the village to their rear. A Yorkist flying column of light troops has hurriedly been dispatched to deal with the threat. The latter have a slightly larger but, man for man, a weaker force. The Lancastrians fancy their chances and form up for battle. ( A short piece of background to give meaning to the battle)

Closest the camera is a unit of Bill men who wear some armour, to their left is a unit of six foot knights in full armour (strongest foot units in the game). In the centre is a unit of crossbowmen and beyond them another Bill men and finally the leader with his mounted men at arms.

Solo Wargaming - more thoughts.

Does going solo take a particular type of person? Possibly. but I enjoy solo wargaming and consider myself a very sociable animal, I enjoy the company of others for the most part. That said, I am more than happy in my own company too. Jekyll and Hyde personality perhaps? I can easily switch between the two and enjoy doing so. The regular meetings online of the Table Top Commanders for a paint and chat session, is something I always look forward to.

Setting up a solo game is always an enjoyable experience, what is the period, scale, scenario, forces available and back story? Let us take each of those topics in order.

Solo Wargaming or is it?

By choice or necessity, solo wargaming is always an option. For many the thought of simply having to collect and paint up two opposing armies is enough to put them off. Quite true, going solo means double the cost and work required. There is the lack of interaction with an opponent whose tactics might be totally different to what you yourself would have employed. Sharing a few glasses of your preferred beverage and a lot of laughs with a like minded opponent is sadly not the lot of the solitary gamer.

Or is it...?

Returning to the Hobby - Part Six

The same friend who had bought me the Saga rule set and battle boards, led me into Dark Age war gaming described in an earlier post. He also purchased for me three boxes of Perry Miniatures War of the Roses figures as well as some metal leaders and wagons. The three boxes consisted of Mounted Knights, Light Cavalry and a box of Infantry. He knew I was considering the era and of course by presenting me with these lovely figures, gently nudged me down the road to Medieval war gaming too.

The first box tackled was the infantry, it allowed for the building of three units for Lion Rampant. Two units of archers and one of Bill men, each unit being 12 men strong. The box also contained four command figures in full armour. You can see some of the contents behind the box.

Returning to the hobby Part Five.

I watched a couple of videos by Greg Huff and Ringo Simpkins on painting 6mm troops, surely they are too small for me to paint. However, Greg and Ringo made it look so easy, just a blob of paint here and there. I looked at three different manufacturers of this scale and settled on Baccus.

I ordered the American Civil War Starter set which came with a rule book, three buildings and a large bag of metal miniatures, enough to to create a sizeable force for both the Union and Confederacy.

These bags are from the later reinforcements I ordered and picked up at the Joy of Six Wargaming event in Sheffield at the end of July.

Returning to the hobby Part Four

With the English Civil War troops and my copy of Pike & Shotte I was now able to battle to my hearts content. However, a good friend bought me a copy of the SAGA rules. Needless to say I was keen to try them out, so ordered one box each of Dark Age Warriors, Saxons and Vikings from GMB, the plastic sets arrived and some of the figures were painted up.

A few of the Dark Age Warriors.

Returning to the hobby Part Three.

With various units now painted up the Pike & Shotte rules could now be put into action. I commandeered the kitchen table 5 x 3 feet for a first battle using a very limited numbers of troops.

The table was set up with a farm in the middle and the two opposing forces at each side. A simple green cloth and a few rectangles of felt and home made hedges and trees made up the table top, simple and very retro, but looks pretty good, well at least I thought so.

Each side consisted of a single regiment of foot, horse and a cannon.

Returning to the Hobby Part Two.

The enjoyment of building and painting two regiments of foot and a regiment of horse, plus the fantastic book that also came with the set soon had me ordering more troops. I now was seriously looking at building an army for each side of the Civil War and using them to fight battles on the table top.

I ordered two of the box sets shown below, though I seem to think the contents of the starter army was a little different back then. No Saker cannon and something like 120 pike and musket infantry instead, but no matter, one box was designated for each side and would give me the basis of two reasonable sized armies.

Returning to the hobby. Part One

Eight and a half years ago my wife suffered the first of two strokes, it left her in a wheelchair and altered both of our lives for ever. No more trips to the pub, cinema, theatre, restaurant or similar, the logistics, plus my wife's reluctance to venture out in a wheelchair ended all that. It meant I too was now housebound, she couldn't be left unattended, so I too had to completely alter my lifestyle.

I am not a big lover of television and was a total Luddite on a PC, at that time I didn't even have the internet. Most of my time was spent reading, which is fine, I love books and have a large collection. But sometimes that just isn't enough. I began to collect N Gauge model railway items with the intention of building a layout, but that is another story.

A couple of months or so prior to that life changing event, I had been given the Airfix Waterloo Battle set as a present. I had looked at it, reminded me of my boyhood when we played with Airfix soldiers all the time and then promptly put it away on a shelf in the spare room and forgot all about it.

Going full circle

Hi to everyone who has subscribed to the blog, make sure you try and join us on our regular online chats, painting sessions and gaming. All very informal with a great group of guys. I have taken it upon myself, as a contributor to this site to write a short article for your entertainment.

It was Christmas morning 1959, I was six years old and lived with my younger brother and parents in a tiny two bedroom house in Hull, East Yorkshire, England. That house is now long gone, being replaced by modern housing but is situated only a ten minute walk from the house I now own. That morning the fat guy in the red suit had left me a gift I can only describe as magical.