A - Map Campaign Basics
You define a campaign point value - 10,000 points for example - that would be enough for 20 nail biting combat games or so assuming you are using 500 point games. You of course would adjust your game accordingly before play begins. These forces will be all that you have to fight with for the remainder of the campaign. Units which are reduced in size may be combined with other weaker units during the 'campaign turn' (see below).
You then select your units and assign them in 1000 point increments or some other predefined value. These units will then become a part of a controlling force within the game map (see below).
B - Campaign Game Sequence
Each game will be broken down into different phases. By far the longest phase would be the game phase, the others being merely an administrative and record keeping step in the progression of the campaign.
B1 - Deployment & Disposition
The initial deployment will require some work on the part of at least two - if not all - of the participants in the campaign. This step is only done once in the setup of the campaign. The campaign will need some form of deliniated map (hexes, graph paper, etc.) This map will be the basis for tracking zones of control and objectives controlled by which player as well as keeping a quick reference of ones standing within the campaign.
One player will roll randomly for 1D10 worth of objectives on the map. These objectives should be randomly assigned across the map but no closer than five and no further than ten hexes/squares from any other objective. Therefore a given set of objectives can lead to a string of objective markers or a ring pattern or even a combination of both. Each objective should be within 5 hexes/sectors of any other. These locations should then be given an objective type and value. Each sector should also be given a total disposition value - for example, one hex may only be able to hold 1000 points of troops total before excess troops 'spill' out to other sectors.
The type of the objective can be just about anything - precious metals, alien power generation cubes, Nuclear weapons, etc. The value of the objective will be determined randomly by a D10 roll for each. The value of the objective will relate to the relative quanitity of items/material advantage that it may bring to it's owner. The owner of the objective(s) will retain the total of all objectives they hold and any enemy home sectors which they have managed to capture as their campaign point standing total.
Once the objectives are defined, each player will roll randomly to determine where their 'HQ' or home sector is on the map. This home sector will also carry a value of 5 campaign points. If this home sector is lost by the controlling player, then that player looses 5 campaign points and none of his units may move in the aggression phase as they work to reorganize for one turn. The home sector or HQ represents the forces' supply depots or breeding cave, or whatever. It is a seperate objective for the opposing player to 'shoot' for. This sector can move throughout the campaign, as long is it remains marked on the campaign map.
This home sector is the first deployment zone for their forces. No two players can occupy the same sector/hex at the same time. If two players roll the same location as their HQ territory, then one must be 'bumped' to an adjacent hex - rolling randomly to determine who is bumped. High roll keeps the disputed territory while the low roll will select an adjacent sector.
This 'HQ' or home sector will require at least one unit from the campaign pool to maintain control of that sector. Each player can then spread out into adjacent sectors, assigning units to each sector as they go. Each sector under the players control will allow the player to assign units to further adjacent sectors. (ex. A player can assign units as they see fit, as long as all sectors claimed are not already claimed by an opponent and are adjacent to other sectors that they already controled - leading back to their 'HQ' or home sector.) No units can be placed immediately within an objective sector - i.e. - you cannot deploy your forces within any objectives - but you can deploy them adjacent. This restriction includes the home sector of your forces.
B2 - Campaign Phases
Each game is a part of a series of phases within the campaign turn. The campaign turn is defined by a set of phases intended to progress the campaign further and keep records accurate and up to date.
The campaign turn is broken down into the following phases:
1 - Initiative Phase - Each player rolls a D10 to determine who has initiative for the turn. The person who rolls the highest will have initiative and will be allowed to take the first action within the turn. The person who rolled the next highest would then be second and so on. Play continues until each player has been able to take their actions within the turn. If players are not immediately effected by actions or events from other players, they should be able to perform their actions simultaneously with any other player. The players can use their best judgement to determine when it is appropriate to carry on while other players are activating.
2 - Agression Phase - The Aggression Phase is used to deploy forces to reinforce or invade a sector. Each unit is considered to be able to move to one adjacent hex/sector per campaign turn. You will move one aggressive unit at a time (i.e. a unit attacking into a open or an opposing player's controlled sector). Any units moving into an open sector may do so but end their turn after 'capturing' the new territory. Not all units from the originating sector have to move into an opposing sector.
Moving units into a uncontrolled sector will not cause a contest of territory, but it will cause that unit to spend it's turn consolidating it hold on that new sector. If a player moves all of his units to an other sector, then the originating sector then becomes uncontrolled once again.
Moving units into non-friendly sectors will cause an engagement. If the non-friendly player already controls a sector being attacked, then a game phase will then be played out. The game phase will forgoe the maximum unit per sector size limit while the game phase is being played out.
2A - Game Phase - A game phase occurs when two opposing forces fight for control of a sector. The normal game rules should be followed for a standard game. Special scenarios may be played out as long as they may seem appropriate. The game should be limited to the hex size limit for each side taking part in the game. If the player defending the territory has less than the strength of the attacking force available within the contested hex, then that sector will have the ability to draw on reinforcements from adjacent sectors. These reinforcements would leave their current sector - being reassined to the new sector - and being marked as such on the roster sheet - and rush to the front in support of their comrades. The total value of reinforcements may not exceed the value of the attacking player's force and all friendly forces cannot exceed the sector's point capacity limit.
The reinforcements would follow the rules governing reinforcements in the main rules (if applicable). If the game does not cover reinforcements, each unit moved in to support the defenders will arrive on a 1D10 roll of 6+ each turn. Each unit is rolled for seperately and would 'enter' the board from the defender's deployment edge - meaning they will need to measure movement from the edge of the board. Reinforcement units can move and fight normally during the turn in which they enter the game.
2B - Post Game Phase - Once the results of the game have been determined, then the 'victor' of the game will retain control of the contested sector with all of the units involved in the game remaining in the sector. The defeated units would either have been destroyed (and thus removed from the campaign roster) or moved off the board by which ever means they could manage. The defeated units would move into an adjacent friendly or uncontested sector. If no friendly sectors or uncontested sectors remain, then the units in question have been captured and are removed from the campaign roster perminantly.
All casualties and eliminations are to be recorded perminantly on the roster sheets. These losses are considered perminant and will often times weaken the overall strength of the campaign force while dead are burried and injured are cared for elsewhere.
3 - Reinforcement Phase - All units which had not moved during the Aggression or Game Phases can then move to adjacent friendly sectors. These moves will allow the units to redeploy as you see fit as long as they only move into one adjacent friendly hex and the units moved do not overflow the total capacity of the sector they are moving into. Any weakened units may be merged into other units (weakened or otherwise) of the same type if they reside in the same sector.
C - End Turn Sequence:
The end turn sequence is used to total objective and campaign points and awarding experience advancements (if applicable) to units involved in any Game Phases. Players who have earned advancements will need to apply them with the opposing player's observance.
Updating the campaign map with the current disposition of forces is crutial in the advancement of the campaign. Mark each controlled sector with the appropriate colored push pin, chit, flag or whatever - to indicate who controls what sector. Keeping track of which units are in which sector is left up to the players, but I would recommend using flags with the unit's number and some other values (such as current point value) written on it being struck into the sector. That way every player will have some idea of the dispositions of troops in the area based on gathered intelligence.
Appendix A - Added elements
A campaign such as this may seem tedious to follow and keep up the records, but it will definately show the progression of the game and what the standing is for every game. It will also allow you to perform much like a 'real' commander would have to in terms of being assigned assets and then you having to utilize them as best you could.
Adding further elements into the campaign may be heavy lift transports/starships/sailing ships, etc. to allow your forces to move over ground which is hard to cross or move further distances - thus allowing them to deploy in a sector which is non-adjacent or even deep strike into enemy held territory. Or even high speed rail lines can help to wisk troops from one part of a map to an other, barring that an enemy unit does not interfere...
Other additions such as the control of a stargate type of device being the driving force of the campaign. One player can be nominated or rolled randomly to determine who controls the device. There may even be more devices on the map - thus allowing the transport of units from one sector to an other (one hex at a time of course). Different deployment and objective assignments, smaller or larger maps, or even smaller or larger games based on the sector point capacity, could all be employed to add flavor to the campaign game.
The campaign map may even indicate the type of terrain being fought over and special rules governing movement and combat conditions could easily be added or defined based on the map alone.
Appendix B - Campaign Map Resources
Miniature gaming is diverse and would allow for all sorts of different maps, terrain, and places to fight. Having a good map to begin with would be imparative. While I am sure many resources can be found on the internet, some excellent map resources can be found here:
Wargame maps such as OGRE by Steve Jackson Games, Enemy At the Gates (Gamers games), Squad Leader (Avalon Hill) are all good sources of maps as well as a miriad of others games.
Free Generic Wargame Maps (by Stephen Beal)
Map Bashing Article
Generic Universal Boardgame (GUB)
Graphpaper Maker
A4 sized blank Hex map with numbers
A4 Hex Map without numbers
Post Script Hex Mapper
Each map may have a different scale in terms of hex size, and so limiting the size of the campaign to the scale of the map would be appropriate. For example, A squad leader map is scaled for squad level games, so keeping the size of the campaign to a couple of thousand points and assining a unit size limit to each hex would be appropriate. Where as Enemy at the gates is 7 large maps with the scale of a regiment or more to a single hex. It would be terribly long to play on even one map, so limiting the size of the map in this case would be most appropriate.
Have fun:
Scott Spieker
|
Voidgamers Home :: Sci-Fi Miniature Games :: VOID 1.1
