Startline v.7 Downloads

Some recent playtesting has resulted in changes to the rules and some improved explanation and formatting. The main examples are:

The playing rules have been re-arranged to make the presentation more logical.

The close combat rules are slightly expanded with revised rules and better explanation.

Explanation of the 'wait' activation is improved, and a wait activation can now be carried over into the next turn automatically.

The morale section has been amended to better represent the consequences of a unit having elements out of command.

Smoke can be laid 'across the wind' as well as the previous 'with the wind'.

A contents page has been added.

STARTLINE v.7

STARTLINE QRS v.7

Enjoy! The next post will be about my continuing Airfix nostalgia kit-building.

'Til then!

Churn and Burn

My thoughts on the sometimes questionable effects of commercialised wargaming have surfaced from time to time on this blog. Most recently, in a post disagreeing with Richard Clarke, I was keen to emphasise that at the heart of our hobby was the concept of a bunch of amateur individuals, essentially creating the hobby for themselves, with or without the help of the bigger commercial companies.

Richard's article was inspired by his despairing reaction to gamers' accusations of 'commercialism' when new editions of rules (and their various supplements) are produced, a process judged by some to have more to do with wringing more money out of punters than enhancing anyone's gaming experience. Certainly, relatively small (and well-intentioned) companies like the Two Fat Lardies are hardly the ones to blame here. But the issue is real when one considers a company the size of Games Workshop.

WW2 gaming has been much on my mind recently, and I have been taking an interest in Flames of War and Battlefront Miniatures - FoW is, after all, the biggest WW2 miniatures game out there. And, as most of you will know, the process of churn and burn (as it is sometimes called) is often prominent with that company and set of rules. New editions of the rules, new editions of the various army and campaign books, new points systems, the sudden dropping of models and periods which aren't profitable for new ones that are - most of you will be familiar with this process. 

Although Battlefront and Warlord Games are not (unlike GW) publicly-owned companies quoted on any stock exchange, they do have shareholders - for example, I understand Hornby have a 25% stake in Warlord Games. This seems to be a crucial factor. At that point, profit really does become the bottom line. Shareholder dividends are the top priority. As I understand it, this is a legal requirement.

I have serious doubts about the relationship of such companies to the amateur hobby I joined back in the early 70s. I think they are best regarded with suspicion. That may seem a bit harsh, as there are certainly many likeable hobby enthusiasts working in prominent positions in such companies. But churn and burn is a fact - how long before the next edition of Bolt Action?

This post was inspired by the video linked below. It comes from the Sci/Fi-Fantasy end of miniature gaming, but it seems very relevant to me. Eloquent, fun to watch and informative.

That's about it for now. Let's all look forward to being re-monetised in the very near future. 

'Til next time!

Startline version 6 - PDF downloads

Something new for the blog. A number of people have indicated recently that they're not on Facebook (and don't want to be), but would like to get the latest version of Startline. So, as updated versions occur, I'll put links on the blog so that files can be accessed via Google Drive. I'll make them PDFs, and with luck that will avoid any formatting issues.

Here's the link for version 6, November 2025:

STARTLINE v.6

STARTLINE QRS v.6

Let me know of any issues. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions about the rules, just put them in the comments section. Happy Reading!

'Til next time!

'Closing The Pocket' - The Ruhr 1945 Using Startline

I have recently been passing many enjoyable hours tinkering with Startline, my WW2 rules. But there comes a time when the tinkering has to stop and the playtesting has to continue. I was lucky enough to find 5 wargaming friends who were actualy free at the same time on a mid-week day (ah, the joys of retirement/semi-retirement!), and so a serious playtest could take place. Space in my dining room is limited, and with 6 of us and a 6' x 6' table planned, the Big Battles facility in Cirencester seemed to be the solution (thanks for the suggestion Steve). And so, about a week ago, we gathered together and got stuck in. 

L to R, Glenn, Steve, Adam, Paul and Jon.
Thanks for coming over and helping me out guys.

I am not a man who has extensive WW2 collections at my fingertips, but I know a man who has. My friend and gaming buddy Roy chipped in with toys suitable for a 1945 game between the Americans and the Germans, even though he couldn't attend in person. Fabulous. So all I needed now was a scenario.

Well, I couldn't resist. Time to get some German big cats and U.S. Pershings on the table. I chose a 6' x 6' table to give more room for manoeuvre, particularly in depth, and came up with a scenario called 'Closing the Pocket - Beringhausen 28th March 1945'. The narrative was as follows:

"This fictional scenario is based on the actions of the 3rd Armoured Division during the encirclement of the Ruhr pocket in March/April 1945. The 3rd Armoured was part of the southern pincer of the encirclement, which was completed on 1st April near Lippstadt when elements of 3rd Armoured met up with units of the 2nd Armoured Division, who were advancing as part of the northern pincer.

Beringhausen is a real village, but this battle is totally fictional. The Germans are attempting to stop the advance of 3rd Armoured Division in the days just before the final link-up. A small battle group ('Kampfgruppe Trippenhof') has been scraped together, based on a company of panzergrenadiers and a company of tanks. Indirect fire support is weak, anti-tank guns are lacking and the Luftwaffe is absent, but the Germans still have some poweerful tanks available. The American Task Force ('TF Boss') must overcome the German opposition and keep their advance going."

Closing the Ruhr Pocket

We had our table at Big Battles from 09.30 until 17.00, so forces and game length were designed for a battle that might well last all day. The forces involved were:

Task Force Boss (CCA, 3rd Armoured Division)

HQ: Command base in 1 x M3 halftrack

Tank Company: HQ 2 x Sherman 75mm

3 x platoons each 2 x Sherman 75mm, 2 x Sherman 76mm. Heavy tank platoon of 3 x Pershing

Infantry Company: HQ command base, bazooka base

3 x platoons each 6 x infantry base, 1 x bazooka base

Recon Platoon: 2 x M5 light tanks, 2 x M3 halftrack, 2 x infantry base, 2 x bazooka base

Anti-tank Section: 2 x M18 Hellcat

Anti-tank Section: 2 x M1 57mm gun, 2 x M3 halftrack

MMG Section: 2 x Browning 0.30 MMG bases, 2 light trucks

Artillery (off-table)

Battery: 4 x 105mm howitzer, AFO with radio and jeep, 4 turns pre-planned fire

Mortars (off table)

Battery: 3 x 80mm mortars, MFO with jeep and radio, 4 turns pre-planned fire

Pre-Game Barrage: 2 zones available

Random Air Attacks: 1 x P47D section available on a roll of 9+

Kampfgruppe Trippenhof (personally responsible to FM Walther Model, Army Group B)

HQ: Command base in 1 x Sdkfz 250

Panzer Company: HQ 2 x Tiger II

3 x platoons, one of 3 x Panther, one of 3 x StugIIIG, one of 3 x PzIVH

Panzergrenadier Company: HQ command base, panzerschreck base, 1 x Sdkfz 250

3 x platoons each 6 x infantry base, each base has 1 x panzerfaust available

One platoon is carried in 2 x Sdkfz 251/1, 1 x Sdkfz 251/10

Flak Section: 2 x Sdkfz 10 with 2cm AA

Mortars (off-table)

6 x 8cm mortars, MFO with schwimwagen and telephone

No air  attacks available

Deployment

The Germans can deploy anywhere up to 4' from their baseline. All non-vehicles can be dug-in. The Panthers, Tiger IIs and the SPW-mounted infantry are off-table at game start as reserves. They can arrive from the start of turn 4. Each unit dices seperately for arrival needing 4+ to arrive. Those failing to arrive dice again at the start of subsequent turns, adding 1 to their roll each turn. Arrival points are diced for: 1 is a right flank arrival, 2-5 are arrivals along the German baseline, and 6 is a left flank arrival.

The Americans can deploy up to 8" from their baseline. 

Winning and Losing

5 objectives are placed by the umpire in the German deployment zone. If by the end of move 6 the Americans are in possession of 3 objectives they have won a brilliant victory. If not, continue the game to a maximum of 9 moves. If, at the end of moves 7, 8 or 9, the Americans are in possession of 3 objectives they have won. If at the end of move 9 the Americans still aren't in possession of 3 objectives the Germans have won.

The Game in Pictures

A picture taken as the game started which gives a good idea of the terrain.
Beringhausen centre right, with 4 of the objectives visible.
The other was off-picture to the left, on top of a hill.

My cardboard barrier (see previous post) in use during set-up.
This is the American baseline.

The view from the other side of the hill. 
The Germans set up.

The American attack gets under way with a strong left flank tank attack.
The Panzer IVs in Beringhausen are quickly turned into scrap by the Pershings.

A Sherman platoon leap-frogs the heavy tanks and moves into the outskirts of Beringhausen.
German infantry refuse to be intimidated and hunker down in their entrenchments,
as the tanks drive past and sometimes over them!

Meanwhile another U.S. tank platoon sets off on a wide left hook.

The American right flank advance is more of a feint than a serious attack.
German mortars claim an M18.

A smoke screen hampers the defending Stugs.

Eventually, American infantry and anti-tank guns reach the
road junction objective.

They push forward, but any further advance would be suicide...

... as German reinforcements have begun to arrive.
The guns of the Tiger IIs now dominate the centre of the battle.

And the Panthers aren't far behind.

Back on the left flank, the main street of Beringhausen is full of
Pershings attempting to get forward.

The lead Pershing engages the advancing Panthers...

... but is knocked out. The German SPWs and their infantry
now make a lunge forward to dispute the objective marker.

Meanwhile, the Shermans are desperately trying to clear out the buildings and foxholes 
in and around Beringhausen. However, the village's objective marker is still disputed
by the fanatical German defence as the game comes to an end.

Finally, an unflattering but candid shot of myself as umpire,
wondering how I could forget my own rules. C'est la guerre!

Wash Up

We called it at 16.30 as we needed to pack up by 17.00. We had managed 7 moves, and the Americans only had 1 objective under their control. They were very near at another 2, but the Germans had managed to hang on by their fingernails to dispute the ownership of the markers. So I called it a German victory.

The scenario had worked well - the Germans were despairing at first, with an entire Mk.IV platoon destroyed almost straight away and hordes of American tanks surging forward, especially the new Pershings. But the arrival of strong reserves gave them the chance to fight back. A traditional final-move charge by the German heavy cavalry (oops, I mean the SPW platoon) disputed the objective north of Beringhausen to give them the victory.

A point of interest was that the American infantry didn't get into the fight as much as they should have. Always an issue in WW2 rules, I reckon, but I think tactics were as much of an issue as any fault with the rules. The infantry should have been pushed forward with, or even ahead of, the tanks, accepting a slightly slower overall movement rate but ensuring the German infantry had a harder time.

A good deal of time was naturally spent in explaining and discussing the rules (and consuming lunch), so just 7 moves in about 5.5 hours didn't bother me. Only two of the players had any experience of the rules, and that was limited to one or two games a while back. The rule discussions were polite and very useful, resulting in some worthwhile rule alterations. The 76mm Shermans and the Hellcats were allowed 2 turns of HVAP each, which they used sparingly. This minor bit of rules granularity seemed well worth it to me.

Overall, we had a very enjoyable time. I'm glad to say that I left the guys to themselves on a couple of occasions (as the quest for bacon sandwiches at a local bakery took place), and they were quite happy to play the game without me in attendance. In addition, it was pleasing to see that as the moves went by, the progress of the game itself was holding people's attention as fortunes swung back and forth - the rules themselves had slowly faded into the background. This is always a good thing to see.

A fun day. More of this kind of thing is needed to give the rules their final polish, and happily the guys seemed willing to play more games. With rule testers like these, I am hopeful that Startline will mature into a solid set of rules over the next few months.

P.S. See also Steve's lovely blog for another take on the game.

'Til next time!

EDIT: 25th November 2025

Just got sent some nice photos of the game by Glenn. Find five of the best below. Still no shots of the P-47s! They attacked twice but encountered accurate flak and didn't achieve much.

Thanks for those Glenn!

The Fog of War - In Cardboard

If you go back a couple of posts you'll see a report on a Crimean War wargame I played in October. This was in my good friend Roy's lovely wargaming room, and when deploying we had the pleasure of using the pre-installed roller blinds which one can wind down from the ceiling, so that each side can deploy simultaneously without knowing what the other side are doing.

The idea, of course, is as old as recreational wargaming itself, dating back at least to the 1960s - Donald Featherstone describes the use of curtains in chapter 5 of War Games. Setting up a curtain or erecting some sort of barrier across the centre of the table so that both sides deploy in ignorance of what their opponent is doing is an elegantly simple way to recreate the fog of war, and is also a way to save time by avoiding the need for alternate deployment of units or the setting up of 'hidden' units with counters or 'blinds'.

I had a go at this some years ago using a curtain, as you can see in this post from 2016. But the bamboo tripods I had to use were rather fiddly and prone to toppling over, and whole contraption rarely got used. 

But after that Crimea game I decided to think again. Maybe not a curtain, but a solid barrier laid across the table between the opposing sides. I remembered those TSS Terrain 2' x 2' tiles I used to use before the days of terrain mats. Standing those on edge would probably work - but I had only kept one of my old tiles (in case I ever wanted to try DBA again!).

Eventually I settled on using plain old cardboard. I could get some good-sized sheets, then construct some sort of concertina-style barrier that would fold up for storage but would also stand up fairly solidly across the table. Getting card in large sizes is pretty easy on the internet, and eventually I went for some corrugated cardboard in A0 size, which is 1189mm x 841mm, or about 47" x 33". I used these guys on eBay. Cost me less than £14 for 5 sheets, including delivery. Bargain. 

Then it was just a case of cutting up the pieces into a more suitable size, and using duct tape to put them together in a way that allowed the whole thing to fold up nicely. Only a moderate amount of swearing was required. I would say that 24" high is plenty high enough in most cases, but you might want to go for 30" to cover all eventualities, such as very tall gaming friends! Your line of sight to the far side of the table is now completely blocked.

Each panel in my finished barrier is 24" x 16". The dining table here is nearly 6' long, so for a 6' x 4' gaming table five panels was plenty. I have extra card left over if I want extend the barrier for an 8' table. And storage is a doddle, as you can see below.

It's time this kind of device had a rennaisance. It's handy and simple, and creates a better game in a very straightforward way, especially for ancients and the horse and musket period. Let me know if you're already using something like this in your gaming.

'Til next time!

Honours of War - A New Scenario Book

Anyone who has been part of Honours of War's online presence these last 10 years will be familiar with Dinos Antoniadis. He has been a prolific presence both on the original website and now on Facebook, particularly with battle reports and scenarios. He also provides maps for the prestigious Kronoskaf SYW website. Now, those maps and scenarios have come together in this co-operation with Partizan Press.

Above is the edition currently on sale from Caliver Books for £24.95. Below you can see the version sent to me just before the book went on sale. The cover colour was changed at the request of Osprey to avoid any confusion with the original Osprey 'Blue Book', although this new book is a larger, A4 size production. Naturally, the small number of blue coloured books produced have become instant collector's items and are changing hands at over £100. Or maybe not.

Anyway, regardless of the cover colour, you get a softback of 103 pages in full colour, with 9 historical scenarios and 6 fictional ones. I've written a preface, and none other than Charles Grant has written the foreword. Some sample pages can be seen below.

To introduce the book more fully, I include my preface here. As you will read, I am extremely pleased to see this book in print. Dinos deserves to be congratulated on a good product, and with luck more people will end up playing HoW. However, whatever rules you use for this period, I feel the book will be equally valuable.

If you're buying the book, I recommend you go straight to Caliver at the address below. Happy reading!

Honours of War Scenarios

'Til next time!

Photo Report - Cotswold Wargaming Day 2025

So, CWD7 has come and gone. Once again, the venue was Big Battles Ltd in Cirencester, and once again I reckon a good time was had by all.

8 games in full swing.

Numbers were down a bit this year, mainly due to some regular groups of gamers being unable to attend. But the upside was that a few gamers new to the event turned up, and it was nice to welcome them in. My thanks to everyone who came along, it is you who make the event and your support is much appreciated. To make the hire fee of £300 I had to raise the attendance cost to £15 per person, but there was not a murmur of dissent, and in the end £26 was spare and was promptly sent to support the local Air Ambulance - thanks to Andy and Derek of Big Battles for arranging that.

Eight games were presented. Unfortunately a couple of games had to be played solo due to lack of opponents. Next time I think I will forego bringing a game myself, and therefore be available to support gamers without an opponent. I will also be able to circulate and socialise, which is such a pleasure and such a part of this event. Anyway, brief details of the games follow.

Matt and Paul - Relief of Tobruk (10mm, BKCII)

Willz Harley - Invasion of Cuba 1762 (28mm, own rules)

Steve Johnson - 'Blue vs Red' Napoleonic (10mm, Black Powder II)

Ian and Paul - N.W. Frontier/Afghanistan 1920s (28mm)

Julian and Shaun - WW2 Russia (6mm, Battlegroup Kursk)

Keith and Roy - WW2 Rhineland 1945 (Startline, 15mm)

Jon Billington - WW2 1944 (own rules, 15mm)

Cirencester Wargames Club - Napoleonic 1809 (28mm, Lasalle II)

This year I decided to present just the Stuart Asquith Trophy for best game. Chris Gregg and Pendraken Miniatures both offered prizes to support the show, but for this year I decided to keep it simple. I got together with Andy and Derek of Big Battles to choose the winner, and we were unanimous that Willz Harley's game deserved the prize. An original period, rules developed independently to give a result in a big game after about 2-3 hours, and classic Spencer Smith 28mm figures. Mr Asquith would have loved it.

Andy, Willz, me and Derek.

It's only fair for me to point you in the direction of some supporters of the day. So check out what Pendraken and Chris Gregg have to offer at their websites:

Chris Gregg Art 

Pendraken

'By Wargamers for Wargamers' is a well-worn phrase, but one that applies strongly to Big Battles Ltd in Cirencester. If you're a Cotswolds or Gloucestershire wargamer, you should check out what they have to offer. Once again they couldn't have been more helpful in supporting the day.

Big Battles Cirencester 

I've been thinking maybe next year I might give the show a year off, or perhaps move it to November. I'll make a decision soon. Stay tuned.

'Til next time!

EDIT - 4th November 2025

CWD 2026 is on, and will take place on Sunday 8th November 2026 at Big Battles in Cirencester. Maybe I'll see you there!