Is this 'Old School' I see before me?

One of the ironies of moving – albeit possibly only temporarily – to Ilkley, throbbing hub of Wharfedale wargaming, is that I have played substantially fewer games than when I lived in my central Leeds bachelor pad. However, last night it was back round to James’ for some Seven Years War Piquet. The full details together with loads of photos can be seen on the Olicanalads blog so I will be brief.

'To blow or not to blow?'

Apparently the week before, on the first attempt at the scenario using standard Piquet, the game was ‘turgid’ and seems to have been abandoned fairly early and without any reluctance. James took the only route he knows to improve things and changed the rules, being careful to leave a few typos in movement distances and base dice to add some spice. The resulting mélange of Piquet and FoB worked a treat, probably at least in part to the relatively small number of units and to the period being played.

The world according to Roach

My own part in the evening’s proceedings was as the Russian c-in-c. The transition to 18^th century linear horse and musket tactics from blowing up Crusader tanks with an 88mm in the western Desert proved somewhat problematic. I underestimated the effect the Prussian artillery would have on my cavalry and then I underestimated the effect the Prussian cavalry would have on my artillery. I followed all this up by marching to point blank range before initiating a firefight with one unit of my grenadiers, which naturally led to there not being many of them left to enjoy their first fire bonus. However, in the finest tradition of the Russian army the second unit got stuck in with the bayonet and stands in control of the southern hill.

Considering the nature of the scenario there has been relatively little sapping so far. I can’t see the bridge being blown, certainly not before the Prussian army flees under the double onslaught of the second Russian command (just arrived, but already causing casualties and being handled by Peter with slightly more aplomb than my lot) and them not having any morale chips left.

Presumably you would all concur that I have kept my opinions of old school wargaming to myself until now. But, can I make a wild assertion; this game was, in essence, old school, but without the boring rules. It was adapted from a Charles Grant scenario book (look at James' blog to see which book and indeed which Charles Grant), was set in the eighteenth century, and was bloody good fun. Notwithstanding the cards, dominoes, figures grouped on stands, and even a mysterious D16 appearing at one point, the spirit of the game would I think have been instantly recognisable to the founding fathers of the hobby.