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Sunday, January 19, 2020

First Impressions: IGaBC

Hot on the heals of Graham Evans’ To Ur is Human, a second set of rules emerges from his rules’ backlog.  Sticking to the road less traveled, Graham turns his attention to the New World and the 1879-1884 South American conflict know as the War in the Pacific.

The author has a penchant for tackling obscure conflicts and the War in the Pacific is no different.  How does one develop an interest in such an obscure theater of warfare?  Well, like me, travel can be the catalyst for a new project.  For Evans, a trip to Peru was that igniter for inspiration.  I came away from my Peruvian adventure with thoughts of modeling various conflicts too but, for me, those thoughts passed.  Not for Graham.  The result of that spark of motivation led to his It’s Getting a Bit Chile (IGaBC).

While IGaBC states that it is a set of Tabletop Wargame Rules for the Land Conflict in the War of the Pacific 1879-1884, it really is much more than that.  IGaBC is almost a complete package in the tradition of a wargamer’s guide.  At 76 pages in length, this represents an impressive work.  Rules comprise the bulk of the book but typeface is large and easy to read.  In addition to the core rules, topics include, a brief history and chronology of the conflict, figure availability, painting guide, and a useful bibliography. Really, IGaBC provides enough information to get going on a new project straight away.

On to the rules.  IGaBC is an Igo-Ugo system played on a grid.  Options are available and described for non-grid play.  Basic Maneuver Unit (BMU) is the infantry battalion, cavalry squadron, and artillery battery.  Ground scale is 250 yards per square.  An infantry BMU consists of four bases with cavalry and artillery BMUs comprising two stands.  There is no figure/base removal for casualties except in unusual circumstances.  Entire units are either on table or removed from play when ineffective.  This is how I like it.  I prefer figures and units to remain on table as long as possible.  It takes effort to build a collection.  No reason to have the figures put out on the table and then put back into storage boxes almost immediately upon receiving the first casualties.

The Turn Sequence is typical of many Igo-Ugo wargame rules.  The sequence is,

  • Charge Declaration
  • Movement
  • Rally
  • Firing
  • Hand-to-Hand Combat
What is interesting in the sequence here is that Rally follows the Movement Phase.  Units attempting to remove Disorder markers do so during the Rally Phase.  Rally attempts count as movement so units later firing do so with the Firers Moved penalty.  Units may attempt to rally off each Disorder a unit has accrued having a one in six chance to do so.  Leaders may aid in recovering disorder as well as offering customizable traits.  A unit must choose which method to rally (self-rally or leader-aided).  Troop quality does not affect the ability to rally.  Poor units rally with the same probability as good troops.  More about disorder later.

What is the essence of the gaming engine for IGaBC? If I strip away all but the essential elements, the rules can be distilled down to three important concepts.  Those are Formation, Support, and Disorder (FSD for short).  Since only infantry may have support, I will focus on the infantry aspects of FSD.

Infantry can be in one of seven formation stances within a square.  Well diagrammed within the rules, each has its own attributes for deployment, density, support, advantages and disadvantages.  Each unique, diagrammed stance shows, at a glance, the attributes of the BMU.  This is a clever visual concept and reminds me somewhat of Weigle’s 1870 series of rules.  What can be gleaned from a BMU’s stance are facing, the number of firing stands, the number of support stands, unit density, and target type.

Besides unit formation, the two key components of a BMU’s attributes are Support and Disorder. Disorder represents a unit’s loss of combat effectiveness as it sustains punishment from fire or close combat.  Disorder is incremental.  As a unit takes punishment, disorder may accrue if not rallied off.  With no Disorder markers, a unit fights with 1D8.  With one Disorder marker, a unit fights using 1D6.  With two Disorder markers, a unit fights using 1D4.  When a unit accrues three Disorders, it may not fire but fights with 1D4 in hand-to-hand.  Any more and the unit either retires, retreats, or routs. This method of disorder accrual reminds me of Santa Anna Rules and its method of modeling the effects of straggling.  Perhaps, rather than having absorbed Disorder markers placed under the support base, IGaBC could take a page out of Santa Anna Rules and rotate a support base to the rear to denote an absorbed Disorder Marker thus eliminating a need to place Disorder markers under a support base? Once rallied off, the support base would return to its normal attitude.

Supporting bases may mitigate disorder.  Some infantry formations offer support; others do not.  Support represents a unit’s ability to absorb friction from combat.  Absorption of disorder by a supporting base is temporary.  Changing formation from a more dense to less dense stance allows a unit to ignore disorder too. That is another interesting twist.

What about combat in IGaBC?  Depending upon the number of participating stands, level of disorder (remember throwing either 1D8, 1D6, or 1D4 per stand), Target Type, and a handful of column shift modifiers, an attacker sums all of the attack dice and scores one disorder for each multiple of the target’s To Hit Multiple.  If a target’s To Hit Multiple is ‘8’ and the attacker’s attack dice total is ‘10’ then the defenders receives one Disorder Marker.  Fractions are ignored.

While the Chilean Army fielded the better quality troops carrying better weapons than her adversaries, Evans’ warns against playing the ratings too literally.  Top Quality troops with New rifles will likely easily overwhelm Poor Quality troops with Old rifles.  As he says, “It may be realistic but it might not be much of a game...

Does this combat engine model the situation on the ground?  I cannot say but it offers a number of interesting twists to a typical combat engine.  Having multiple, different sided dice (D8,D6,D4) are not something I enjoy.  I understand the rationale for its inclusion but it seems too fiddly to me and ripe for error.  All in all, it looks like it would work despite my personal reservations.

Production quality is good.  While a few typos and errors crept into the final copy, these did not distract from the work.  The rules are well diagrammed to illustrate a number of the key concepts.  Examples of play are numerous too.  One of the inclusions that I appreciated in To Ur is Human and continued here is a comprehensive QRS printed onto the back cover.  This should be a standard practice unless QRS’ are printed separately, detachable, and included in the rules.

Alan Curtis’ painting guide to the war is a very useful addition to IGaBC.  My only complaint is that while the Chileans are listed as having adopted French style uniforms, no mention of the uniform cut for either Bolivia or Peru.  When I ordered IGaBC, I also ordered Esposito and Pinto’s The War of the Pacific.  While not listed in the bibliography, this is an excellent book covering the war, the armies, and uniforms.  Filled with a number of color uniform plates, I wonder how this 170 page work compares with Esposito’s Osprey?

Has this tempted me into a new period?  The jury is still out on that one.  Armies tend to be small and colorful.  Graham has mentioned that FPW French and ACW figures could be pressed into service to field most of the combatants.  This could be an interesting research project to find alternative figures outside of the figures produced by Outpost Wargames Services in 15mm.  That might be worth the effort in and of itself. This work has piqued my interest.

In conclusion, IGaBC is comprehensive piece of work for a little gamed period.  Keep in mind, my First Impressions are just that; first impressions of the rules, themselves. I have yet to try the game in practice.

Well done and thank you, Graham, for opening my eyes to a new frontier!

52 comments:

  1. We heard about it on the Baccus forum and this unknown war seems to be very interesting for the colouredfull uniform !
    We order the Graham rules friday and can wait to got it!

    Thanks for this very good revue jonathan.

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    1. You are welcome! Hopefully, my review will be helpful when you receive your copy of the rules. The uniforms are colorful, indeed!

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  2. A very obscure conflict indeed Jonathn....so obscure in fact that I have never heard of it, although my knowledge of S American military history is very limited ...Simon Bolivar, the British Invasion of Argentina during the Napoleonic era, the Falklands war...that's about it really!

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    1. @rross: South America is the coming period. The Perry Brothers have decreed it with a Triple Alliance range. Pleased to see I got in first. Several people have already confused the twpo ears, but I suppose if they buy the rules....

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    2. This conflict was not on my radar as well. Perhaps Graham’s work will begin a new wargamng revolution?

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    3. Graham, I have only a rudimentary knowledge of the Triple Alliance War provided mainly by an Osprey. Before now, I had no knowledge of this conflict.

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    4. JF, - I know very little about the Triple alliance. Just enough to work out it wasn't the same war I'd been working on!

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  3. JF, -Thanks for a comprehensive look at the rules. One thing you may want to correct, - you roll one dice per eligible base in a unit and the numbers eligible change by formation. In terms of the issues with multi sided dice I ended up there reluctantly for similar reasons, but it works. My advice in the book, and I repeat it here, is to get a set of d4s etc, and buy them by colour. All my d4s are blue, d8s yellow and d6s red or black.

    And the reason for "absorbing" the Disorder markers is because they don't go away. Other ideas failed due to on table discipline issues.

    And fair comment on the uniform guide. I rather assumed people would be buying figures from suitable ranges most of the time, so wouldn't need to know the jacket cut. Never assume, I guess, it just makes an ass out of u and me.

    If you do spot typos and want to let me know email me at the address in the rules. As they are print on demand I can correct the file and reload it. I spotted on yesterday. Apparently Krupps produced gubs, according to page 19.

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    1. Thanks for your reply and congratulations on your rules. On your first clarifying point, I think I have that addressed by stating “participating” stands. The number of participating stands changes by formation.

      Disorder markers don’t go away? Seems they can be either ignored if the unit changes to a less dense formation or rallied off. My suggestion of rotating the support base(s) as a visual mnemonic was only that, a suggestion.

      As for using available figures, I examined photos of the Outpost range on its website. The figures did not look so good to me. Some of the sculpting looked crude and some anatomy suspect. Besides, part of the fun of an unusual project is constructing armies from unusual sources. That way, your project is unique.

      Yeah, “gubs” was one of the typos I spotted.

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    2. To clarify what I meant for the Disorder markers. You have to put them on IF you haven't changed formation to ignore them when first received (this is the action that loses you tour next turns movement, simulating units going to ground when coming under fire). In other circumstances if you have a Disorder marker still on the unit in your turn and change formation it can be absorbed and you are back to being effective. On the other hand you can switch from a formation where they are fully absorbed to one with no support stands and they re-appear. I keep then on the table so that they don't get forgotten. And then, yes, you can rally them off.

      The Outpost figures are a bit mixed. They're not downsized 28mm figures, for sure, but I think they have a certain charm. The Pendraken 10mm are really nice, if you seek out the threads on them (no pictures in the catalogue) and look at them painted up.

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    3. Ignoring disorder by changing to a less dense formation and then becoming static for one turn, I thought an elegant solution in modeling going to ground.

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    4. My main hope for sales is that people will buy them to pinch the new and elegant mechanisms.

      Well, it worked for "To Ur is Human".

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    5. Difficult to tell. There's been a slight tick up over the last 2 days, which could be due to you. I've put a link to the review over on TMP.

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    6. Since Monday. I have experienced a large number of referring URL hits from your TMP posting and Baccus forum.

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    7. Also, there is likely a lag between review publication and purchase for all but the most impulsive buyers.

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  4. A very good review Jonathan of a book I've only flicked through so far. I love the background info, uniform guides etc and especially the commander traits that can help or hinder units etc. Whether I get to try the rules I'm not sure, due to the usual other projects on the go, but they look good.

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    1. Thanks much, Steve! I may not get to a project for this conflict but Graham’s work is useful nonetheless. As a bonus, I found another 19th Century period with colorful uniforms!

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  5. Glad to see this is getting some traction. It's not a period I'm likely to game, but I generally applaud seeing other people's projects of this type. Nice to know there's room to do this stuff in the hobby.

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    1. I agree, Markus! I applaud Graham’s effort on what must be a labor of love for him. With today’s access to on demand publishing, no project is too small or too obscure for publication.

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    2. I was going to call my imprint "Wargaming Off the Beaten Track" at one point.

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  6. Interesting stuff and thanks for the review Jonathan. I'm determined not to open a new front this year so I've resisted purchasing. I do have To Ur is Human and agree that Graham's rules are very well produced.

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    1. You’re welcome!

      You know, you could pick up the rules and use your Risk pieces on your gridded board. You have almost everything you need now. Hardly a new front! I bet Graham would suggest picking up the rules if only for his clever ideas and riveting prose.

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    2. JF you got there before me. I'd say these rules are a better use for Risk pieces than playing Risk.

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    3. Sounds like my arm will be twisted!

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  7. In depth review, good to read but not biting :)

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    1. Ha ha. I understand. Never say never.

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    2. Someone else passing up on the chance to be at the beginning of the next big thing. As JF says above, worth the buy for the new mechanisms involved.

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    3. George may yet weaken. Play the long game, Graham.

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    4. George is going top be so annoyed when all his friends are talking about this and he missed the opportunity to be an early adopter.

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  8. Thank you, I enjoyed that. I like the sequence of play that allows Rally is treated as movement and also thought that ‘support’ worked in an interesting way.

    A Period new to me, but very intriguing to see that Perry’s see it as a commercially viable space.

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    1. The Perrys have such a fan base that I'd guess they'd see anything as commercially viable to them. They also have guaranteed access to free advertising through articles in the wargaming press. I can't guarantee that IGaBC is suitable for the Triple Alliance war, but they'd make a decent starting point.

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    2. Norm! Glad you enjoyed my review of the rules. Hopefully, my overview of some of the rules' mechanisms provide a flavor for the game.

      As Graham posits, it is likely almost all of the figure ranges the Perry's embark upon are commercially viable just from them stepping into the market. I wonder how the Travel Battle in a Box fared? I have not seen much continuation on blogs since your early work. Was that a flash in the pan?

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    3. Okay, so the Travel Battle stuff seems to have fallen very flat but that's because it was outside the "Perry Zone". It wasn't 28mm. I wonder how they would fare if they tried to go into 15mm.

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  9. That is definitely something different, and I would possibly feel tempted if I had travelled to that part of the world as you have done Jonathan. The problem I have is there are already too many projects already awaiting my attention. Hopefully Graham will sell a decent amount of copies to others with some clear air though!

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    1. Something different, for sure, Lawrence. I am in a similar situation as you. I have so many ongoing projects, justifying another is difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. And when do we REALLY need justification to start something new?

      So many interesting periods, so little time!

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  10. Interesting post, I think the Perry's are covering a war with Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil, they look very nice, it's an exciting period but as I'm starting two new periods and trying to restart a stalled one another one would be too much!
    Best Iain

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    1. Yes, I received the JAN 2020 Wargames Illustrated from a gaming buddy as Get Well gift and featured within are the new Perry Figures for the Great Paraguayan War. The figures look very nice, indeed! While not the same conflict as the War in the Pacific covered by IGaBC, the Perry entry may open up these 19th Century South American conflicts to more gamers.

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  11. Nice review. Some uniqu bits in there and a nice period.
    Hope your leg is getting better...

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    1. Thank you, Darren! The leg is still attached and it looks like surgery will be not be required. Recovery is a long way off.

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  12. A very nice review Jonathan...
    I already have To Ur is Human and found it quite interesting... I will have pick this up as well...

    It’s a very interesting and colourful war with lots of interesting uniforms... there are even men in pickelhaubes.
    I have a big book on uniforms by Patricio Greve Moller and Claudio Fernandez Creda... I think it is available from Partizan Press... I also have a very good booklet on the war from El Dorado Books by Terry Hooker...
    I am not sure how easy that would be to get hold of... but I would recommend it...
    It’s very tempting and it think it would work well with 15mm miniatures.

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thank you Aly for your encouragement! I wonder how many sales Graham will make as a result of this review. I hope many!

      The Moller and Creda book still shows as in stock at Caliver books. I may look for the Hooker book and see if it is still available. The book I mention by Esposito and Pinto is an excellent resource too.

      If I was to tackle this conflict, I think 15mm would be the route to take.

      Thanks again.

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    2. I think if you are doing games representing anything like an army then once you are in the post Napoleonic, rifle using age it becomes very difficult to do games using 28mm figures in anyway that looks convincing on any space smaller than a sports hall. 15mm works for me, but I would always look at Pendraken's 10mm offerings for this type of conflict.

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  13. I must confess I had never heard of this conflict and I’m pretty sure there are others, especially in South America, of which I have no inkling. Many thanks to you and especially Graham for shedding light on these obscure wars.

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    1. You are welcome, Mike! Graham did the heavy lifting; I am only a messenger...

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    2. Mike, - now go and tell all your friends. And if you want updates on more out of the way conflicts and wargames then check out the Wargaming for Grownups blog: https://wargaming4grownups.blogspot.com/

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  14. Nicely written and complete review/ impressions of a new set of rules. New conflicts await those with interest. 😀

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    1. I appreciate your encouragement on the content of the review, Stew. New conflicts do, indeed, await those with an interest in this conflict. I am mightily tempted.

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  15. To prepare this new project, we bought the rules of Trebian IGaBC and TUiH, as well as some books on the period, especially on beautiful uniforms.

    We write about it on Our Blog here : https://lempereurzoom13.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-pacific-war.html

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