Well, Wargamer Bert is Back... Thanks to a couple posts by Rev. Oakes. Thanks! (by the way, Citizen Mueller laughs a hearty laugh as the zombies close in...)

Sorry about the short / long hiatus, but here we go again...

You all should have received BertBatCon2008 in your mail recently. Hopefully nobody threw it away, thinking it was Synodical Convention News... Ha ha... :) I've gotta wade through all that stuff myself, or else I'll look pretty silly voting for people I have never read about. Anyway, this is NOT a blog about the SYNODICAL convention.

I decided that I would spend some time this evening talking about a couple of the wargames I hope to play at BertBatCon2008. Hopefully you will find this a little interesting, and just so you know, I've got pictures!

The Word War Two Tankwar Game...

Maybe you've seen this, and maybe you haven't, but Wal-Mart is carrying 1:144 scale tanks for $1.97 per. (I've heard on other wargaming blogs that they are actually selling for less in other places...) Anyway, I just thought this was screaming for a nice quick wargame. They're cheap, and I've got the terrain... so... this is my attempt. Let me know what you think...

Tankwar has a simple system of rolling buckets of six sided dice (d6's) for successes. Normally, successes are 5's and 6's, or just 6's.

Each tank type has a quick reference card like this. I decided to put some of the historical details I found on the web for each of the tanks, just to generate a little "flavor." Anyway, I have abstracted some of those details in three categories.

First, movement. Generally, tanks of the period had a top speed around 40 kph. Therefore, most tanks move about the same speed. I decided to keep this relatively simple, so I said, "12 inches, that's simple enough..." There are modifiers for going through rough terrain, however.

Second, Armor. I sorta guessed here, and with the firepower. But when you put armor and firepower into a matrix, you get the dice you roll in combat. Then you count 5's and 6's as successes, and figure out the results. Here's an example...

Let's say the Panzer above fired on the Sherman at a range of 40 inches. The Panzer's firepower is 2, and the Sherman's armor is 3. Therefore, the Panzer rolls three dice. However, since this is long range, the Panzer loses one of his dice. Therefore, the Panzer rolls 2 dice. He rolls a 5 and a 3. The shot missed/the Panzer didn't even see the target.

Next turn, another Sherman fires on the Panzer at a range of 20 inches. The Sherman's firepower is 3, oweing to it's 75mm gun, and the Panzer's armor is only 2. Therefore, the Sherman rolls 5d6. He scores one success, and therefore the Panzer is "damaged." If next turn, the Panzer is damaged again, it is taken off the board.

The rule mechanics are simple, but also provide for "overwatch." This means that if you move a tank toward an enemy that can see you, that enemy tank may fire at your tank during your movement phase, but with a couple penalties. First of all, because he is trying to hit a moving target, it is at -1 dice that the overwatching unit rolls. Secondly, firing while in overwatch means that you forego firing that vehicle in your next turn. If you're confused, don't worry, I plan on publishing a full blown rule book. Advanced rules could include "indirect fire" and "morale."

Here are some pretty tank pictures...

Four Panthers and a Kingtiger move off toward a town somewhere in France. Little do they know, but a group of Shermans, re-enforced by some self-propelled artillery, is waiting...

Here's the US side. The US tanks are "hull down" which means they are defending the back of the hill and receive a +2 armor bonus. It'll stink to be the Jerrys when they get through that little town...

Hopefully this'll give you a flavor for World War Two Tankwargame... :) If you've got any questions, just put them in a post. I'll answer anything you ask... :)