Ok a little dramatic I grant you but the thing that is wasted in solo wargaming is a points system.

Whilst two players have 1,000 points and can pit two unlikely balanced forces against each other, solo games work best with imbalance, luck and unpredictability.

Let’s take the Anglo-Zulu War as an example;

To make this game interesting for the solo player the beauty is that you can be both forces! However it’s key that you don’t know what you’re working with or fighting against.

For me the fog of war works wonderfully well here. We can start a game without any troops on the board. Deployment becomes intriguing. Why not try the following;

Split both armies into 10 “lots”. Number each lot 3 to 11.

Pick the objective/s on the board.

Select 6 entry points

Roll a D6 – 1 to 3 / 4 to 6 either side can enter the board with D2 units.

Roll 2D6 to select which units. A double 1 roll and the advantage is reversed to the other side, a double 6 and an extra unit can be chosen to add.

If the unit is rolled more than once in the process (such as a double 3) the player misses out for that turn.

Roll a D6 for which entry point.

Once a side enters this point it is not available to the other.

CONTINUE UNTIL ALL ENTRY POINTS ARE EXHAUSTED

In a recent 1940 Bolt Action game in France 1940 the French ended with 1,2,4 and 6. The Germans 2 and 5.

Despite the Germans having superior forces in total they just couldn’t get them deployed.

You can extend this to reinforcements too.

You can have 1D3 of reinforcements per turn. However they must be rolled from the remaining units off board. Remember only the remaining allocated numbers count. For example;

A British 1914 force has deployed 7 units (2,4,5,7,9,10 and 11) and therefore only had units 3,6 and 8 to bring in. In addition they must roll a D6 to enter at the correct point.

The result of the process, and I accept that there is plenty of dice rolling, is a very unpredictable game. For me I think it makes things just like the real thing.

What are your thoughts here, please come back to me via the contact box or wargamingworlduk@gmail.com