Valour & Fortitude practice

[Ochoin]

I've used the Valour & Fortitude rules twice, some months ago.

I often run simulations prior to games to try out tactics, re-fresh a rule set, or in this case, make sure I actually know & can use the rules.


So far, the rules seem relatively simple & uncontroversial…..we'll see.
You may notice I'm using 3 gun batteries instead of the recommended 1 gun model battery. Two reasons for this – 1 model doesn't give an artillery battery any presence or, I think, the necessary footprint. And, my collection has always used 3-4 models for a battery & I don't want to have 75% of my guns as superfluous.The only issue I can think of is the bigger batteries might clog up the battlefield but if so, I think we could allow the Rules' brigade interpenetration rules to apply to stray artillery batteries.

I'm very much looking forward to the game on the 13th.

A French Brigade pitched against an Anglo-Hanoverian brigade.

French in column & attack columns

British in traditional line with 95th skirmishers in front.

donald

[PaulRPetri]

Lovely figures as always Donald! I have watched a few battle reports using those rules they seem to me to be a simpler version of Black Powder. I could be mistaken! I hope you do a battle report!

[Ochoin]

I have watched a few battle reports using those rules they seem to me to be a simpler version of Black Powder. I could be mistaken!

I've never gamed BP but I believe they share mechanisms. One difference is that you fire first which given that most troops cannot move in the same phase as they fire, changes things a lot.

I have some priorities before I endorse the rules. One is for a quicker game, the second is that it feels like a Napoleonic battle. I've read several who decry the lack of "granularity" in V&F. It *is* kind of cool to have musketry rules that allow a bonus for First Volley, differentiate between short & long range, take weather into account etc. But not if it means you run a game for hours and still don't have the time to finish. So - a trade-off.

Now you, as an expert on SYW gaming will appreciate that the SYW rules you use aren't nearly as complex as some/most Napoleonic sets but you still have satisfying games that look & feel SYW-ish.
So, we will see.

donald

[PaulRPetri]

Donald I am a strong advocate of simple rules with lots of figures! I feel the same way about Napoleonics as I have a large collection for the Waterloo Campaign.
A few game shots from many moons ago.




I am very surprised you have not been captured by the Black Powder net. I have played and run many games the rules are okay in my view but can be taught as you play which is very helpful with my group of gamers.

[Ochoin]

Very cool set-up, Paul.
I am using 'Hail Caesar' so BP isn't out of the question - let's see how V&F go over a half dozen or so more games.

I guess many gamers would be happy doing ONE Horse & Musket period but you, like me, do two.
I could give you plenty of reasons why this is madness but for me the good outweighs the evil. One reason is the 2 periods, only separated by a few decades, are so very different.

You want to buy in?

donald

[PaulRPetri]

Oh I am way in Donald!!
And I am not recommending Black Powder rules by any means. The games I showed above I actually used the first version of Shako rules they had a large scale game variant in the back which I thought was excellent. Very simple elegant system to fight out big battles like Waterloo etc in a short time period, a few hours. I know I did it.