I’ve tried Megablitz a few times but I wondered what other wargaming rules there are to use for Operational Warfare in WW2. I quickly found there are a lot of game systems that claim to be large scale rules. But you have to careful in this space as many rules that claim to be Operational are actually Tactical. Others are Operational-Tactical and a fourth group are what I call Operational-Map-And-Tactical. These groupings are from my categorisation scheme using my criteria for what makes a set of wargaming rules operational level – both found later in this post.
Megablitz
Megablitz! is a operational level set of rules by Tim Gow for World War II. A game turn represents two hours. Stands generally represent battalions (or Soviet regiments).
A Dot in Russia – A Megablitz Battle Report
Chris Harrod wanted to play an Operational Wargame so we played my Megablitz scenario called A Dot in Russia. This was only Chris’s second game and only my third – all spread over many years – so we made a few mistakes. None-the-less an enjoyable game and could have gone either way.
How to use Crossfire Armies for Megablitz
It must be age but sometimes I find a solution to a problem and then, after a couple of years, I completely forget and look for a solution again. That is what happened recently with ground scale in Megablitz. The rules recommend two ground scales and suggests some base sizes to match. All my WW2 kit is based for Crossfire so does not match the Megablitz recommendations. In this post I outline what I’ve done so that I can use my Crossfire armies for Megablitz.
Wargaming Rules for WW2
There are lots of wargaming rules for World War 2. These are the ones I play: Crossfire, Megablitz, Rapier Offensive and Engle Matrix Games. One day I might write up my thoughts on the competitors, of which there are many.
You can never have too many trucks
“You can never have too many trucks” is a catch phrase of Megablitz players, and, in fact, of players of other operational games such as Not Quite Mechanised. You see Megablitz includes rules for logistics and transport for those supplies is very important. Megablitz forces also need headquarters and signals units; signals units in particular are something that rarely appear on a wargaming table.
Position Four – A Megablitz Battle Report
Chris Harrod and I played my Position Four Scenario for Megablitz. The game featured a few firsts:
- The first outing of my of my four horse artillery limbers.
- The first time I’ve fielded my Russian and German supply carts.
- The first time I’ve used one of my newly painted MDF base boards.
- The first time I’ve used by 45x45mm sabots for Russian Rifle Regiments.
- The first time we’ve played a game on a ridiculously skinny table.
- The first Megablitz game in a long time
Chris took some snaps on his phone.
Setting: Eastern Front, Central Sector; Sometime 1 Feb – 22 Nov 1943
Converting from Panzer Korps to Megablitz
Panzer Korps HQ Yahoo Group has quite a few free scenarios. I’m not interested in trying a different rule set but the scenarios did seem suitable for transferring to Megablitz. These are my rough notes for doing a conversion.
Spanish Blue Division in Megablitz
A Megablitz order of battle Blue Division. Officially the 250th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht and comprising Spanish Volunteers, this unit was also know as the Spanish Volunteer Division, Division Azul, or the Blue Division.
Position Four – A Megablitz Scenario
A Megablitz scenario for WW2 featuring the Infiltration of Position Four.
2 New Zealand (NZ) Division in Megablitz
A Megablitz order of battle based on the Historical Order of Battle of 2 NZ Division for Italy 1943.
Why Megablitz Appeals
All my WW2 (and similar) for the last few years has been Crossfire in which you have a company to battalion a side. I like Crossfire but I was also interested in something pitched at a higher level. Megablitz! is a operational level set of rules by Tim Gow for World War II. A game turn represents two hours. Stands generally represent battalions (or Soviet regiments).
Rule Clarifications and House Rules for Megablitz
I’ve put together some notes below on rules that I found a bit puzzling. They result from asking the Megablitz Yahoo Forum for clarifications. Thanks to in particular to Martin Rapier and Bob Cordery for sharing their wisdom.
Wargaming Maps with Campaign Cartographer
The Crossfire supplement Hit the Dirt contains maps made using Campaign Cartographer 2 (CC2 Pro) (available from www.profantasy.com). Bill Rutherford, one of the authors of Hit the Dirt, kindly gave me some advice on using CC2 and the notes below are based on Bill’s advice and my own fumbling experiences.