Category Archives: Reviews & Feedback

More Thoughts & Musings

Continuing the discussion...

Back in Journal 51 Mark Bevis responded to my previous article on MSH (Modern Spearhead) and my replies to some of his ideas and thoughts… As it has now been some time (2 years or more) since that article I thought I’d write some more on the subject, outline some of what I have been up to, and reply to Mark’s recent comments as well.

As I write this I am in the process of building a completely new Soviet 1982-86 era Motor Rifle Division from scratch, along with an additional Tank Regiment as well as a British Mechanised Brigade and am intending to build a German or Belgian Brigade and a small US ‘Task Force’ to accompany them.

…

Read More

More thoughts on Modern Spearhead

A right to reply?

Following John Moher’s article in Journal 48, I feel inclined to write back, and expand upon my points of view with aspects of the rules. John seems to like some of the ideas I have presented, but has not yet commented on the strategic bombers and Special Forces rules I suggested more recently. The latter could quite rightly be seen as tinkering unnecessarily, but I do like to cover all the options available in the real world.

John’s most important point is in his conclusion, and applies to other well-written rules sets, such as Fire and Fury. If the basic structure is right, the rules can be tinkered with and added to without destroying the original intent or adding too much complexity.

…

Read More

Thoughts & Responses

Having signed up to the SOTCW Journal sometime ago, and being a co-author of Modern Spearhead, I had taken an interest in Mark Bevis’ review of MSH (Modern Spearhead) in Journal 38, and his on going series of articles since then. Mark has raised some good points, proposed some very sound “house-rules”, and otherwise raised some issues for topical discussion!

In the following article I have made a general response to Mark’s thoughts in his review, some specific responses to his proposed rules changes and house-rules, and in conclusion some links to useful MSH related websites (the latter not reproduced here as they are now obsolete – Ed).

…

Read More

More Suggestions

Following a battle c1984 Soviets against British between me and Phil Shaw, the following further thoughts came up:

Close Assaults

The rules are not all that clear who can do overrun attacks and who can’t, and we are not sure about the results of a failed attack. Particular example: 2 x FV438 Stands, 1 x Scorpion Stand and 1 x Spartan OP Stand all dug-in in hull down emplacements behind a hedgeline along a road, and facing across the road.

…

Read More

Amendments & Suggestions

The following rules additions/amendments are things we have considered:

2.0.2 Training

In the modem period the differing levels of professionalism and training throughout the world has a significant impact on combat ability. Whilst the existing rules reflect this in the order system and artillery response table – it is not reflected where it counts most – in combat! The morale ratings reflect it in close assaults only, but as it stands an Ethiopian with a 1950s bazooka shoots as well as an SAS man with a laser guided Hellfire. Thus for any scenario one force (of part of a force) should be designated as Better Trained which improves their direct fire response.

…

Read More

News and Views

More of a wargamer’s notebook than anything else this issue. As many of you will know my personal economic circumstances have forced me to sell a large part of my 1/300th collection for which there has been a great response – many thanks for all the support in these trying times.

I do intend to keep my Modern Spearhead collection and use unsold models as a core to rebuild armies in the future, with purchases more linked to organisations. I did manage to pick up a modem Dutch army at Ceasefire for £35 which at a stroke has given me almost two Mechanised Brigades in Spearhead; I finally have some YPR-765’s, as made by Skytrex.

…

Read More

More MSH Thoughts

Our thoughts have now turned to the north German plain in 1984, for which I have been building the West German 3rd Panzer Division and elements of the 1st Corps. Opponent Phil has been enthused by a recent visit to Seelowe Heights where he obtained much information on East German TOE and kit, walked through a submarine and touched a SA-5 no less amongst several museum visits. He now has the 9th East German Panzer Division building up alongside about 6 million Soviets it seems. Talk is of a mini-campaign based on a computer game he has, which pits the Soviet 2nd Guards Tank Army against 1st Panzer Corps.

…

Read More

Modern Spearhead: A Further Review

Sometime before Christmas 2000 I played a square Armoured Brigade c1986 dug-in against a Soviet Category-1 Tank Division commanded by Phil Shaw, the full description of which will have to wait a later issue. Suffice to say they pretty much destroyed each other although it was a major flank march, and air support, that swung it in the Soviets favour, that and the minefields I blocked all the bridges with which prevented me (the British) launching a counter-attack.

The game confirmed the weakness in the British air defence and artillery at the time, and shows how much we would have been reliant on American airpower to hold the line. Conversely the combination of Soviet layered air defence types made RAF support ineffective given the numbers I had available.

…

Read More

Modern Spearhead Review

Well, they are finally here, Modern Spearhead rules, written by Alex Macris and John Moher. Published in America, it costs £14.50 here (UK) from various outlets. Published in US Letter format, unbound, but pre-punched for use in ring binders, you get 39 pages of rules, 3 pages of scenarios, 4 pages of designer notes, and 41 pages of TOE. More on the latter later. A bit expensive considering the lack of binding. Obviously designed to accept amendments and updates.

I had hoped that these were the set that St Helens Wargames Club had developed, which uses a D10 system rather than D6 to cope with the greater variety of kit and training qualities evident post-WW2. This is not the case, and these are straight development of the WW2 Spearhead rules, with all its strengths and weaknesses.

…

Read More