Ancient Petain Games 2. March 1990 and 7th Edition WRG

Early in 1990 the Committee of the Marshal Petain Gentlemen's Club met to dispute Gaul with its long-term ruler and Celt fan Lardgetorix.  The Roman war machine would be captained by Quintus Whitmorus, the noblest Roman, and by Hasdribble Parka our resident Carthaginian.

I recorded the games despite the consumption of a quantity of "Hungarian Bulls Blood" a drink that purported to be a wine, but was in fact some type of poison.

The record shows a few games, rare for WRG 7th, our rules of choice at that time.  By 1990 we had been fighting Roman vs Carthaginian vs Gaul since the 1970s, and this was one of our last great WRG form not function games before moving on to the devil's work of DBA and it's heresies.

One of my enemies was to yak the role of cotta, one Sabienus.  Several rhymes were constructed in the form of authentic Roman poetry, and at least one of these began "There once was s man called Sabienus."  Thankfully these did not survive history.

The games here are the record of Saturday.  On Sunday, hungover, we used Phil Barker's full setup rules, which included an attempt ata  pre battle phase.  On their home ground, with a huge cavalry advantage the Celts were "ambushed on the march" by the Romans, deploying in Column and marching into a suicidal position.  It was so pointless, so infuriatingly Barkerese, and such a non game, that I switched to Colonials for future gaming and abandoned WRG in a fit of "teddy out of the pram."

That was a pity since I now consider WRG 7th a failed masterpiece.  The use of elements, and fatigue points, march moves and tactical was a pointer to how things would eventually develop.  Just a pity it was written as a legal contract in legal terms to combat competition gamers rules stretch.

The wood cutting party.  A historical game based on the Gallic revolt in 54 BC  A warm up and reminder of the rules game as I recall.

Cotta's wood cutting party.

The detailed game report.

WRG 7th had to be recorded as it was played and fatigue marked off in five bar gates.  At 15 a unit is exhausted and removed.

And More

The second game.  Written up from a Celtic point of view. 

Win for the Gauls

The last game.  A loss for the Gaul's on the toothpick walls of the Roman fort.  Honours were pretty even up to this point and by attacking a fort I probably deserved this one as a loss. 

And in disgust at the unrecorded) ambush of my Celts my next page in the journal goes on to detail a Colonial solo campaign.  Looks like it was fun.

A warning against Hungarian Bulls Blood.   Couldn't even get it in focus.

The Roman and Celtic commanders, both the worse for the drink and wrestling with Phil Barker's legalese.