Jugurtha!

[Paul Innes]

Last night's game was a rather unusual one: a full Numidian army takes on a very late (just pre-Marian) Roman force in North Africa:

http://caliban-somewhen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/albinus-encounters-jugurtha.html

[Chris]

Very, very impressive! In some respects, it's exhausting following your production of wargaming posts, but in a good, would-like-to-someday-replicate-that-set-up-on-my-table kind of way.

Hmmm, I'm just starting a "copy" of Justin's recent report about Carthage vs Seleucia, now I see that I might just have to add some sort of Numidian encounter to my schedule.

A version of  Tactica in use again, I presume? Photos and narrative excellent! Thanks for sharing the goings on. Look forward to more accounts of the campaign.

Regards,

Chris

[Paul Innes]

Hi Chris, it's Tactica again. Things are going to change, though, because of an impending move to England. The Glasgow players still want me to run the strategic level remotely, while they play the tabletop encounters. That will mean fewer photos, unless they send them on to me. Of course, once the figure collection catches up with me at the start of next summer, I'll see if I can add to the action myself again. I seem to remember Patrick suggesting that I widen things a bit by electronically including other players. I may well do something like that, but by running the thing myself and asking other groups to play some of the games, if they are interested. The one really good thing about this kind of open-ended campaign is that it produces matches like this one that we don't usually see on the table top.

Cheers!

[stevenneate]

Nice one Paul.  I haven't "seen" Tactica in use for simply yonks!  You should write something up for Slingshot about using Tactica and how it works, using something like "Jugurtha" for illustrative purposes.   Good looking figures but next time you fight a battle in North Africa, I want the troops throwing up huge clouds of dust!

[Paul Innes]

Hi Steven, I'm waiting for Tactica II to be published, and then I'll do exactly that. I'd prefer to write something more in-depth than a review, kind of like a certain Slingshot series on Dux Bellorum. I've been heavily involved in play testing the second edition, and it keeps the basic ideas from the original rules, but has variable unit compositions and command rules to make it much more playable as a game instead of purely based on set matches.

Incidentally, I do have some some dust clouds, which I use to represent units that currently have impetus - just not enough for North Africa! I think you might be able to see some behind the elephants in one or two of the photos.

Cheers!

Paul

[stevenneate]

Nice one Paul, I will look forward to it.  I will be interested to see how Tactica has changed.  Your Jugurtha game looked fabulous.  I have always had a soft spot for the wily Jugurtha, similar to Herod, and their stories contain a vast cast of very interesting characters and sub-plots!

A review is limited and only gives a brief overview of the contents but alerts people that it is there and contains x, y & z.  I've always felt that the only way to truly examine a rule set is to test it repeatedly 'in anger' and writing about it helps to clarify the ideas and thoughts. Repeated plays with various situations has helped me refine the articles and expand beyond first impressions.  First impressions can often be misleading (more judgemental and opinionated) and trying different scenarios and situations so that an article becomes a composite of games can often flesh out these impressions and often change one's mind or highlight what the author was trying to do rather than what I wanted it to do.  Detailed analysis of a rule set is something I enjoy reading and I like to hear where and why it was felt it worked or didn't work. 

It also benefits Slingshot as well because we get a series of articles that hopefully generates interest, often on a rule set that has received very little attention, and then leads to future musings.  I'm still putting together further parts for Dux Bellorum (which will include Saga) and Command & Colours as the ideas and games have developed.   As I mentioned somewhere else on the Forum today, Ancients is back with a vengeance on the tabletop and has been inspired by the great variety of new and clever rule sets now available.  I hope we can give them all an airing in Slingshot!