Siege of Haengju - Ready for Play-Testing Tomorrow!

Well, we're finally getting to get in a play-test tomorrow for the Siege of Haengju game I've committed to hosting next month at our local annual convention, Enfilade! Out of the initial six or seven players, only about half will be able to make it tomorrow. That said, it should be fine as the ones making it are very experienced gamers, and in systems that I've based the rules upon. The rules for this game are a modified version of Hail Caesar with doses of WAB and DBA mixed in! Here are a few shots of the table set up - pretty close to what I had set up back last December (for a game that never materialized), but with the addition of more command stands and another Korean artillery piece.

View of the Korean defenders - an outer palisade of stakes and inner stone wall from the older, original fortress of an earlier era.

A view from the side of the assaulting Japanese. The area directly in front of the Japanese are wooded, but passable for the cost of an entire move. To their right are rice fields which will also cost an entire move for small fields and two for larger ones. The walls also cost an entire move to overcome. Quite simplified rules, but geared for convention players with little or no experience with Hail Caesar.

A view from the heights of the Korean defense system. Their artillery are all able to fire overhead their own troops from the higher elevation. As may be surmised by the photos (blurred as they are), units are mostly two stand apiece so relatively "small", but since they are structured this way can be considered "Standard" sized per Hail Caesar.

The right of the Japanese attack. The woods provide cover (+1 Save), but only hinder movement by costing one move as none of the wooded areas are greater in depth than the 6" normal movement of infantry. The Japanese cavalry can still use their full 9" move for wooded terrain also - all units in the game are considered Open Order troops except for the Chinese Heavy Cavalry. The Korean and Chinese cavalry will be able to come on in Turn 2 of the game - contingent upon them having successful Command Rolls.

A view from the Japanese left - there are three divisions for the Japanese; each with a mixture of arquebusiers, archers, spearmen and Samurai. The center division also has cavalry and the one cannon for the Japanese. Both the Japanese and Koreans have three divisional commanders and an overall army general who can choose to lead units/divisions at will.

Some of the modifications to the basic Hail Caesar rules are the removal of Disorder, the simplification of Combat resolution, Break Test and Blunder rolls. All will have only three outcomes - the Combat resolution and Break Test will be both based loosely upon DBA: D6 roll of 1-2 results in the offending unit being destroyed and removed from game; 3-4 results in fleeing a basic move distance away from combat/enemy, and needing to a leadership test to rally their next turn (as in WAB but also requiring the use of a successful Command roll from an appropriate commander to take the test) - failure will have the unit to move yet another basic move away; 5-6 resulting in a "Recoil" back of a basic move distance (similar to DBA). Blunder test results (from rolling 12 in the Command roll as normal) are 1-2 having the unit take one casualty; 2-3 Flee one basic move distance away from the enemy - automatic/free rally at top of their next turn; 5-6 Uncontrolled basic move (surge) toward enemy, but not counted as a Charge. All foot units will have a maximum Endurance (max casualties) of 3, except for Samurai units which will be 4 as all cavalry. Charge responses are similar to WAB also: Stand, Fire (if bow armed, and -1 to Hit); Evade - based upon Hail Caesar - requiring a Command roll for up to 3 moves away, but still have one free move if roll failed; and if overtaken by the Charging unit will be destroyed. There are a few Special Rules and various Saves for certain troops, but still pretty simplified rules and they all fit on a 8.5 X 11 inch page, one-sided.