Flames Of War 4th Edition Boot Camp: Day Three
The Sands of El Alamein Campaign – Making Your Own Campaigns
Mar 5 2017 @ 10:29
112 Comments
We stop in with Jim (oriskany) for the final day of the Flames Of War 4th Edition Boot Camp and talk with him about how you make your own campaigns.
There can be a LOT of work involved with these but they are a lot of fun as you've been seeing here throughout the weekend as part of the Boot Camp.
If you have any tips and tricks for your own campaigns on the tabletop don't hesitate to drop them into the comments below!
Hurrah, it’s starting. 🙂
Day 3 here we come
Can’t wait for the big battle
I love this campaign it puts some weight behind each battle keep up the good work beasts of war
I like the narrative behind this as well , like he said it could be straight from a Hollywood movie 🙂
Thanks, @eddie117 . 🙂
While you have @oriskany over you should film a load more videos with him, his knowledge is impressive and I’ve enjoyed listening to him. I’ve been really impressed with his articles, and Historial video series with him would be great.
I agree that would be good
Thanks, @warhammergrimace . 🙂 Indeed we shot a few more pieces of video content in the can I’m sure BoW will roll out on their schedule.
Good luck to the DAK players you can do it
Thanks very much, guys! I’ve always liked to put small battles into some sort of context. This is a simple way of doing that. Simple is good. That’s one of the reasons this game in this theater is appealing to me.
@oriskany does this work well with fewer players or should you go to a different kind of campaign system?
@caledor2 – I would say at least 5 players just so the same people don’t wind up playing each other time and time again, you always have at least 2 pairs and usually can’t have a tie for a given campaign round. With more players (the least we had here was 12 players = 6 games) the possibilities for a tied campaign round are much smaller, even with an evens number of players.
In the campaigns I run I ensure that the tabletop casualties are reflected in the troops available. I’ve played too many club campaigns where players throw everything in, Pyrrhic Style, win the game, then get all of their troops/points back for the next game. That doesn’t teach anyone how to play in a campaign, it teaches them that life has no value and losses mean nothing. In my campaigns if you win with an army but suffer 50% losses you aren’t going to be going on the offensive very quickly with that army again. It allows for a strategic withdrawal… Read more »
I like your thinking sir!
@graysghost – This is very true, and agree that aggregate losses, fixed reinforcement of replacement schedules (or perhaps NOT so fixed of lines of transport and communication can come under attack — all add a vital aspect to a campaign.
Here’s what else they add – a ton of work and “wargame by spreadsheet.” Don’t get me wrong, I actually love that kind of stuff. But for this boot camp we’re just sticking to introductory basics. 🙂
Good hints and advice
Great explanation. How do you campaign map pieces work? Are they magnets, sticky back plastic…something else entirely?
Small tabs of blue tack or gray kneaded eraser.
It would have been great to have been able to take part and play in this. Individual battle reports are fun but the campaign adds a whole new level to all of it.
Yep campaigns need to have some form of logistics to reflect the casualties lost and the ground gained/lost
Looks like a great weekend. Hope to get one soon
This might actually be a way to get me to play historicals
So simple but so very effective.
Jim what software did you use to make the map?
Photoshop 14, part of Adobe CS 5.5
This has now got me thinking about a Saga campaign mmmmmmmm
That sounds cool, a viking invasion of England would be awesome 🙂
Great narrative. It definitely adds to a game to have that background. It is something I need to add to mine.
Great way of adding narrative depth to you games!
It’s always more fun if you string your games together with a bit of a narrative, historical or otherwise.
Really interesting. Love the campaign map.
As a guide to story narrative, theme and score I think it’s a great idea. While it’s not the full end strategic campaign, neither is it supposed to be.
i think i need to set up a campaign now with a great map