Marston Moor
2nd July 1644

Original Game by 3W, 1978 (The Wargamer #7) 
ADC2 version by Joe Oliver (Jaydeeo@aol.com), 2000
Created with ADC2 version 2.11; P200/64mb


INTRODUCTION

Marston Moor is the first of 3W's versions of the famous battle of the English Civil War, and it was published originally in The Wargamer #7.  It is NOT related to 3W's much later game of the same title published as part of the Royalists and Roundheads (I)
"quad" set (1991).

Indeed, this earliest version has a significantly larger countermix, although much of the difference is due to its many more markers.

Interestingly, there are considerable differences between the maps in the above games, and additional discrepancies can be seen in that in the TSR Cromwell's Victory (Strategy & Tactics #101; 1985), although all three are reasonably close in scale.

I believe that given its age, it holds up quite well, and it seems to play at least as quickly and as cleanly as either of the other two much newer 


CHANGES FROM ORIGINAL

The following are the changes found in this ADC2 set.

The map has been done entirely by hand bitmapping, with no scans, but I have attempted to reflect the spirit and flavor of the original.  Some color and minor amounts of additional detail have been added.  Additionally, a turn record track and holding spots for morale level indicator counters have been added to the right hand off map area.

The counters are essentially unchanged, and are greatly cleaned up scan reductions of the originals, with slightly brighter fields.  For any who may prefer to use them, new "Disrupted" units have been created, with "flips" working both directions defined, so that one can avoid juggling units and markers between force pools to indicate disrupted or rallied status.  Two new "Morale" counters have been created, so as to eliminate the need for separate paper recording of loss points.  


HOW TO USE THIS SET

First, make certain that your current ADC2 version is 2.11.  Next, after unzipping the files into an appropriately named folder and opening the ADC2 "play game" module, the following four different OPS files are available:

Marston_Moor.OPS = the game, with all units deployed on map, and with markers in clearly named force pools

Marston_Moor_Master.OPS = map empty, with entire countermix sorted into pools

Marston_Moor_Sample.OPS = an artwork display file

The class/piece data fields are simple and obvious:

1 - Combat strength; numerical
2 - Movement allowance; numerical
3 - Disrupted?; Yes/No ("No" initial setting)
4 - Out-of-Control?; Yes/No ("No" initial setting)
5 - Morale Level; numerical (117 for Parliamentarians & 102 for Royalists)

Notes:  As mentioned previously, separate "Disrupted" markers have been created and can be used simply by "flipping" the unit.  Likewise, a disrupted unit that has been rallied may be "flipped" back to its initial side.

Markers for each side indicating "Charge Bonus," "Out-of-Control," and infantry "Ring of Pikes" are available in the appropriately named marker force pools.

As mentioned previously, the two new morale level counters may have their #5 data fields edited directly, so as to keep totals visible to both players, immediately above the turn record on the right side of the off map area.

There is one minor bug in this set.  The compulsory movement rule states that the enemy player moves disrupted units and out-of-control cavalry, but only with certain constraints (die rolling to determine which of two equally possible paths is taken, out-of-control cavalry sometimes stopping to fight).  Rather than making all units owned by both players, players should decide before beginning play either to trust each other in retreating their own units, or they may simply login as "gamemaster" in order make such moves.

Have fun.
