Command Zone VIRTUAL online live

A weekend of tabletop escape.

COMMAND ZONE VIRTUAL 17-18-19 April 2020

Online LIVE games that you may join in or just watch on:
https://www.twitch.tv/murdocksmarauders/



Starting on 17 April: Victory Without Quarter: Alpian Wars, 7 pm Pacific Time (same as LA, USA)
  - another of the many meeting engagements between Alpia and Stagonia

Continuing on 18 April: Ripple Field, English Civil War, 11 am start, with a potential to run the game twice with different players (depending on time and performance)

Ending on 19 April: Napoleonic battle, SHAKO II rules set: 11 am start with a gentle paced battle between Austro-Russians and Italian-French forces.

If you are keen to join in, as an active player, contact Murdock via blogger mail and get the connection code.  Otherwise feel free to drop by on
https://www.twitch.tv/murdocksmarauders/

Villanous stirrings ...

Count Boyarisov starts his move ...

Dark rumblings from the darkness of a Moscou night.

The Boyarisov clan has a young, vibrant leader seeking to be more than just another Russian Prince.

Follow developments at The Duchy of Mieczyslaw.

No time for crying

Almost simultaneously to the dramatical military setback experienced at Montblanc battle --whose two parallel scenarios were proxy gamed and thoroughly reported at MurdocK's MarauderS blogsite--, the authorities of our what-if Principality have already started the process of raising a new regiment. This will eventually fill the void left by one of the two veteran units destroyed at Montblanc --albeit partially, for there's no real replacement for a lost tough, battle-hardened regiment through conscription...

More details on the new unit in this posting. Comments and suggestions welcome!

3rd Montblanc AAR

General Bellver of Catalonia

The proxy battle for Defiant Principality has been played out and the AAR will soon be posted to MurdocK's MarauderS.

Montblanc AAR - Proxy Report

Spanish Guard (seen here - looking exceeding Russian) brush aside Catalonian Horse north of Montblanc.

For full report see MurdocK's MarauderS

Battles Complete

With the Russians taking a split.  One win in the Baltic, one stand off at the Bug and Narew Rivers in Mieczyslaw.

Now the focus will shift to the seas as Gran Bretan will be most active...

Proxy Battle Search - Naval Raid - Tipplebruder Partisans

To continue the 'Seben Year Warz" that I started last year, now another move across the board.

The Russians have broken out across the rivers into Mieczyslaw and have sent a raid into the Duchy of the North. The raid is at odds of 2:1, with the intent and orders to destroy or damage military naval vessels in the port of Stockholm. The Russians want to have local naval supremacy in the Baltic before winter sets in.

Further to the south in central Uropa Saxe-Bearstein has been overrun by the Altmoranian forces. Now Wein comes within the grasp of King Billiam of Brandenburg. The Austrians have massed forces to cover the capitol and maintain a flank force to press across the Danube should the Altmoranians take action against the fortifications. More forces are being pulled back from the Dobrudshiva borders across the Hungarian plains. Will the Brandenburgers be able to take Wein before winter proper sets in?

Stagonia, having torn off their mask and fully supported Prussian aggression into Saxe-Bearstein, is now facing a pressure force from Gallia, these Frenchies mean business and the Stagoians only have some hastily raised militia and 4th drill battalions to defend the royal holdings. While the army has settled into the mountains including Tipplebruder in their supply lines. While not the center of operations the town of Tipplebruder is facing a stripping of local supplies to feed the Stagonian forces preparing to support Prussian advances on Wein. In the Atlantic, Spanish and French fleets have re-deployed, to support a Spanish blockade of Gran Bretan fleet in Gibraltar. This has pulled many Britannia ships from patrols and released pirate activity in the Mediterranean. All communications with Alexandria and Cairo in Egypt have been cut off. I have no naval game assets, so if there are EvE active members that would like to do the 2:1 odds Naval Raid at Stockholm - again this is a raid and the aim of the Russians is to sink, burn or damage as many Swedish ships as possible. Not a landing of troops. For those with skirmish forces, or an interest in doing a mountain raiding party sort of game (or games) then Tipplebruder militia could be active in messing with the Stagonian supply lines during autumn and early winter in the mountains around Tipplebruder. (Maybe a new storyline?)

Proxy naval battle AAR

Thanks to the selfless collaboration of Jeroen72, another proxy fighting played for the Defiant Principality can be now read at our weblog. Despite the lack of game pictures, I honestly believe that Jeroen72's thrilling account allows us to vividly imagine the scene. On my side, I've done my best to illustrate the narration with images the most appropriate I've been able to find.

If curious, you can read the whole AAR at this blog posting.

PROXY BATTLE AAR

The After Action Report for the Proxy Battle will be up shortly on MurdockS MarauderS.

We has some fun setting up for the game, it was blazing fast! With only two small cavalry forces being in action this should come as no surprise.

Battle by Proxy

A proxy battle is going to be played out by the team of gamers with MurdockS MarauderS.

We shall see what comes of this cavalry skirmish ...

Read all about it this coming weekend!

Proxy games available

Due to a thankfully happy event (my gaming mate's wife is about to have their second child), we're in the dilemma of either halting our Imagi-Nation's campaign for several weeks, or seeking a temporary gaming adversary, or seeking EvE's community help by proxy gaming some of our most recent military encounters.

It also happens that our 13^th campaign turn, corresponding to the 2^nd week of October 1713, has produced up to three different confrontations. All of them involving a small amount of troops, all different to each other: a field battle between two balanced Horse forces, a street fighting between a town's garrison and its revolted population, and the naval interception of a small convoy by a privateer.

If necessary, I could gather the figures due for gaming the second battle, although most scenario items should be improvised somehow. But I have neither Horse forces or ships enough for the other two. Is anyone needing a scenario for training his generals/admirals skills?

Some more info at this blog posting. Detailed scenario data would be worked out for eventual volunteers, of course.

New Campaign system for Cyberboard

Game Opening Position

I have started a sample of the Seven Years War system for Cyberboard that I have been working on the parts for over the last few years.

Going to game it out using many different systems.

Check out the parts in action on my Duchy of Mieczyslaw blog.

Carniola Results

The proxy skirmish battle of Carniola results have been posted as an AAR on MurdocK's MaruaderS.



Learn there whether it was the Lady Elisenda or Miss Fiona that got caught in the close quarter battle seen here!

Carniola Proxy Battle

Battle season is upon us and I have jumped in to run a little skirmish action at Carniola.

The scenario can be seen here.

Expect the After Action Report first on Murdock'S MarauderS.

Seen here is the core of the Catalan Retinue, with the Marquis of Rubi, the Count of Erill, Lady Elisenda and her traveling companion Miss McGregor.

Proxy skirmish available soon

Thanks to the advice and collaboration of Jiminho of Syldavia, I'm about to finish up a skirmish scenario (more properly, a quite 'pulp' one) involving several of our respective Imagi-Nations' characters. This will be available for anyone willing to fight and enjoy it -with the sole condition of a complete adventure review!

The plot is something like this: By mid 1713, an entourage of Catalan/Galatan dignataries are travelling toward Vienna, where they have been summoned to by His Imperial Majesty Charles VI (III to them as King of Aragon). Among them, the beautiful Lady Elisenda Countess of Prades. After some weeks spent along north Italian roads, they've finally arrived in Imperial lands -we've chosen a layout inspired on Bled area, in contemporary Slovenia, but as a matter of fact the location would better correspond to some village closer to the Venetian-Austrian border.

During their trip, a group of riders with a suspicious air has been sometimes spotted by our characters, so that they feared for a while to be under pursuit by Philip d'Anjou's agents or mercenaries... but now, with the border customs at sight, the Catalan/Galatan dignataries have started feeling safe, because they are finally in their Lord dominions... but perhaps it was too soon for them to relax! Coincidentally, another diplomatic entourage is about to converge with our dignataries -completely unaware from each other, of course: Herr General Ritter Kotrimanic and his Syldavian hussars retinue are on their way to Vienna too.

Scenario should be umpired, for neither side knows the whole; and we belive it might be run either with 2 or 3 players. It might require up to 10-12 dragoons, a similar number of hussars, about 3 dozens of "bad guys", a couple of stage coaches, a cart and the following characters: 2 ladies, 2-3 diplomats, 1 general/hero, 1 "bad guys" leader, 1 "bad guys" hero and a handful of servants, peasants and so.

It is not completely finished yet, because Jim and I are still discussing some minor details -but it will at a very short term; so that anyone willing to give it a try can prepare his tabletop room and order the necessary beer cans to his local store right now!

Hot news: The scenario is already complete and available for download, from this just posted introductory scene: Under fire!

Proxy battle available

Our 1713-1714 Catalonia campaign's fifth turn (what-if-catalonia.blogspot.com/) has produced two battle situations, only one of which can be fought by us, so that we've thought that maybe someone of you would like to proxy game the other one.

Although each one of these battles might be considered as relatively small, they are crucial to the campaign development -so much, that they could become themselves a real turning point with respect to the campaign's historical aftermath.

We've selected for us the most odd and uneven of both scenarios. Forces are quite unbalanced in favour of the Two Crowns, but the labyrinthic terrain might be favourable to the Catalans, who will be enjoying prepared positions and might even try an ambush operation -although the scouting forces balance is favourable to the Two Crowns, too. We've given it the name of Battle of Ponts in behalf of the town lying east to the map, and is supposed to start on 17 August 1713. Respective OOBs and map can be found here: www.wargames.cat/Galatea/Ponts_17_Aug_1713.pdf.

The encounter we'd like to be fought by someone else is the one to be called Battle of El Bruc, and is supposed to happen the day next to the above. In their route from Igualada town towards Barcelona following the Lleida-Barcelona Road, the Two Crowns army must compulsory pass through a narrow pass amidst an abrupt, densely wooden landscape of steepy rocky hills, known as Coll d'El Bruc (Heather Col). There is no other path, because the road is running very close to the imposing solitary range of Montserrat, so that the Catalan army is of course calmly awaiting them on top of the col, having chosen the best positions to ensure a warm welcome to their adversaries. The battle opening is to be quite unbalanced, favourable in number of troops to the Spaniards, but during its first third the Catalans are to receive the reinforcement of 2 Infantry battalions, as well as 1 Line Cavalry regiment before end of the second third.

Early in the morning, an Imperial column was encamped alongside with the Catalans, but they've started withdrawing after the Two Crowns' army has been spotted, so that they play no role in the game, except for the fact that the Two Crowns scouting reports have lead the Spanish Commander-in-Chief to believe they are Catalans too, so that he might be really doubtful whether they are leaving the field due to internal disagreements, or if it's some kind of cunning tactics instead -maybe to perform some outflanking manoeuvre?

OOBs of al three sides and map of the area can be found here: www.wargames.cat/Galatea/El_Bruc_18_Aug_1713.pdf. Please is there anyone willing to give this scenario a try?

Proxy Battle AAR

A new Proxy Battle AAR is available at Murdock'S MarauderS.

The fight at the Dog House ....

After first leaving my nitrostats instead of the film ... then being snowed in for three weeks ... Frankszonia finally has visuals again!!!
Hottatrot appears suddenly to take command of the southern army and prepares to meet the rampaging forces of the Colon Coalition ... from another blog entirely ...
:)

Congested Colon

A small skirmish, designed by Gen. Hottatrot to send the Coalition of Colon around further north. Blasted card draws enabled the Coalition to advance steadily until the end of the third turn!
Nonetheless, the Frankszonian position held, and now a much bigger battle is brewing.
Pictures next week!
:)
Gen Hottatrot for the Hurtshog ...

Proxy Battle Search

Gentlemen,

I am seeking a battle to perform on the Sunday 18 October.

Something that may be of some value or whimsy to your 'imagi'Nation.

Please contact me soonest so that we may hammer out the Order of Battle.