AK people's edition breaks cover

[martin goddard]

This is secret

Go to the AK modern Africa page on the PP website.
At the bottom are  ANABASIS, Xenephon and Persia.   Rule book, playsheet and battle sheet respectively.

Have a look.

If you are willing and able to be  a play tester please send an e mail to me,
peterpig@btinternet.com
with the heading

ANABASIS
Email  text = We the people

This makes sure I do not delete with the usual death threats.

I know who most play testers will be, but this is more exiting?
Please do not print it off yet as it will change a lot over the next week.
Also, it is a collection of mechanisms not a completed tome.

thanks

martin

[Hman]

Hi Martin,

Very interesting

I think there is an error in the Points list - the extra third infantry unit should cost 2 points and not 3? The example is correct the list isn't?

I am going to have to order some more infantry...

[Colonel Kilgore]

Unit commanders are a new one - I'll need to get myself some of these, I see!

I must say that it's a tad controversial to have to pay for one's bodyguard base now...

Simon

[Colonel Kilgore]

At the risk of being picky already, the unit limits don't work in the People's Popular Front (if you can have up 3 Regular, minimum Militia must be 0) or Colonial Settlers (if you can only have a maximum of 1 Regular and 1 Militia, there must be a minimum of 1 Professional).

Simon

[martin goddard]

Good to see the work has started.
Armies can have a 4th unit.
Colonial settlers. I will sort that.

Howard, good spot.

martin

[Colonel Kilgore]

Armies can have a 4th unit.

Ah - so does that mean that certain armies have an obligatory spend of 11 of their 17 points on the 4th unit then, Martin?

Simon

[Sean Clark]

Well, I'm enjoying having a read through amd may get some figures on the table later.

For the moment, I'm wondering what the incentive is to use militia over and above the compulsory. I can see that militia units can have very large units so quantity over quality is a thing.

But until I've playtested and the rules have started to bed in, I'll keep my curiosity to myself for now 🙃

[Smoking gun]

On my first read through there are a couple examples of the "copy and paste" of bits from B&I (SCW) in the terrain rules which need editing to remove references to Spain.

A couple of questions:

1) Armoured cars with tank guns (AML90's) should these have their own category or are they "heavy armour"?

2) Tank guns appear to be weak against infantry, a factor of 1 when towed guns have a factor of 3? Given that the "standard" african tank is the T55, I think it's factor should be improved.

I hope to get some troops on the table soon and try out a few things.

Best wishes,
Martin from Grimsby.

[martin goddard]

I will give all that a think Martin.


martin

[Sean Clark]

Conscious that this is very early days and things will evolve as testing gets truly underway...

Top of page 59 the first bullet point says 'Foot bases have no effect on any vehicles. The exception is that MMGs have a factor of 1D6 vs vehicles.'

This may be a cut and paste from SCW. The table at the top of page 61 shows that foot bases have 1D6 against vehicles when in proximity which makes sense as RPG shots.

Just one to be aware of as we progress.

Also, do we think that ALL bases in proximity can have this 1D6, or ought there to be a limit on the basis that not every man will be carrying a RPG?

[Sean Clark]

Looking at the example army, which is the largest one can achieve in the current version I think, is it a bit TOO big?

Accepting that if it's the attacker it will start with a least 1 unit off table, but when that unit does arrive, it's over 50 foot bases us technicals and armour. If the player abides by square capacity of 3 bases that's nearly 2 full rows of troops with no room for maneuver, just the option to charge forward! 😁

This is an extreme which I appreciate, and of course the player may decide to over load a few squares. I have done this in SCW where I have upto 10 bases of anarchists in a square.

As I'm yet to put figures on the table, this is just theoretical thinking at the moment.

Maybe start each unit at 6 bases and additions could be 7/5/3 for militia, regular, professional?

Any consideration for a 4x4 table like PBI? It might mean it looks less of a set piece battle of two lines of men fighting and would give us a bit more room for manouvre and look a bit more chaotic.

All up in the air and blue sky thinking at the moment. I anticipate this will be a fun journey wherever we end up!

[Colonel Kilgore]

Also, do we think that ALL bases in proximity can have this 1D6, or ought there to be a limit on the basis that not every man will be carrying a RPG?

My men all carry RPGs, Sean 

I think a lot of us will be using figures we already have: the previous version encouraged lots of RPG bases.

Can we rationalise this one like the WW2 German Panzerfaust in PBI? The weapons are sprinkled around the unit but any base may have one?

Alternatively, go back to the previous rules' approach of specific RPG-armed bases?

Simon

[martin goddard]

Here is the clever(?) solution.
Foot AT only shoot as opportunity or return .
This means that each base of normal foot gets  a single D6. Also militia are limited to 3 bases etc. by the return/opp shooting limits.

The overall effect is less effective AT. This is  due to needed 6 scores and limits on return shooter numbers . The foot AT will need to end their turn in face contact with the vehicle.

martin

[martin goddard]

Unit commanders. I would like a better/simpler term. "Leader" does not seem  right?

I have labelled my unit commanders as M, R or P to show their unit quality.

The armies might be too big. Not sure yet.

It is intentional for players to have big units with squares being full of bases.
The SCW shooting system can be quite bloody, hence the inclusion of "taking cover".

Militia are encouraged in order to form big units that can mass and assault others.

RPG bases are gone from AK for game simplicity. Otherwise too much time is used shuffling them into and out of position.

martin

[Sean Clark]

All sounds fair and proper. In PBI you buy a certain number of PzFausts. I use matchsticks to represent them. Once fired I discard one or give it to my opponent to look after. So you might 'buy' 6 RPGS to use in the game, but any base can use them.

They could be an addition or simply give every army type a certain number.