Thread by @WorldofWeirth

@saundby @AlchemicRaker @jpmccarthyjr @ShirePropaganda @NotJonMollison I just picked up Wesencraft recently, I haven't had time to dig into it yet.

What are your thoughts on the book?

@AlchemicRaker @jpmccarthyjr @ShirePropaganda @NotJonMollison All the godfathers of the Wargaming hobby, Bath, Featherstone, Tunstill, Quarrie, etc were military veterans.
They were very much experienced with the concepts of the Kriegsspiel, especially WRT movement & casualty ratios.
Totten *says* he didn't plagiarize von Reisswitz, but...

@AlchemicRaker @jpmccarthyjr @ShirePropaganda @NotJonMollison I recommend this book to literally everyone in our hobby who wants to understand the wargaming principles that led to Blackmoor, Chainmail, and beyond.

a.co/d/1tqKPcO

@AlchemicRaker @jpmccarthyjr @ShirePropaganda @NotJonMollison Technically speaking a 1:20 figure base should be 1 inch wide by 1/5 of an inch deep.
20 of these (400 men), 10 wide x 2 deep, w/100 men roll attack dice, gives a very predictable set of results.
i.e. 16 sixes, 16 fives, etc.
This is where the Chainmail archery chart comes from.

@AlchemicRaker @jpmccarthyjr @ShirePropaganda @NotJonMollison Bath uses this procedure for missile fire AND melee, each figure gets a d6 save.

Gygax includes the save ratio in the missile casualty chart results.
He then reversed the process for melee, giving a "to hit" roll rather than a save, presumably because it's more exciting.