All posts by Dana

I was born in East Orange, raised in Bloomfield, and went to school somewhere around Newark until my parents launched an exodus across NJ. I have been lucky enough to travel abroad. I read, play a couple of musical instruments, like movies, and do what I can to improve a rapidly aging body and mind. I currently work in Texas and live in Florida. I have moved over two dozen times in my life. My tiny armies and navies have followed me on my march across the US. Eventually we hope to end our nomadic existence and settle in one place.
Rules

Samurai wargame rules

Leave a comment

Written by Sid Smith and Ken Smith published in 1974 by London Wargames Section and one of those ubiquitous little spiral bound volumes that seemed to dominate back in the mid 70s. An earlier staples version of the rules exist as well.

The rules cover skirmishes in Japan from 1100- 1500AD. Figure scale is 1 to 1, ground scale 1” = 2 1/2 ‘. One turn equals one minute. The game is designed for 25mm figures.

The game sequence is order writing, fire, move, melee, and morale tests. Hidden movement is simulated using real and dummy makers. There are limits on organization. Each player is represented by a figure on the board. Figures permitted are samurai, ashigaru, chugen, some of the latter two can be designated as missile troops. There are also rules for muskets. Terrain includes roads, houses, walls, marshes, and ‘vegetation’.

Easy to guess that Japanese warfare has a fascination but in 1974 figures would have been scarce. The actions presented here fall midway between chambara films of the time and larger battles but offers limited soldier types. The rules are very much in the style of early English rules. What orders can be given is decidedly ambiguous.

Rules

Red badge of courage

Leave a comment

A playtest copy of a set of rules for skirmish level encounters in the American Civil War. The rules cover infantry only. There is no ground scale I can find though figure scale is 1 to 1. Rules are for 54mm figures but usable for 25mm.

Individual figures are provided action points which are used to determine the number of actions up to 4 available to a figure per turn with an asymmetrical sequence of play broken out according to actions. Number of action points is determined by morale level, which also determines actions available, and experience. Wounds impact action points and morale. There are additional rules for morale checks, fire combat, and melee.

The rules seem never to have been published. Though the author Greg Novak is listed in both Boardgamegeek and Wikipedia, these rules do not show up under his list of publications. An interesting old set.

Rules

Wargame rules for fifteenth through seventeenth century

Leave a comment
Wargames Rules for Fifteenth through Seventeenth Century

Wargames Research Group dips into a period for gamers with a zeal for the esoteric. Phil Barker is nowhere in evidence. The author is George Gush founder of the Tunbridge Wells Wargaming Society and former head of history at West Kent College.

The rules follow the format of the old WRG Ancients Rules with of course more emphasis on the tactics peculiar to the period. Personnel range from infantry to elephants with everything from javelins to rockets with of course muskets and pikes. One figure represents 20 except for field pieces and elephants which represent 5. For 20-25mm, 1” equals 10 paces, 20 paces for 15mm, and 40 paces for 1:300.

I recall an interesting game set in Eastern Europe complete with winged hussars and other odd troop types. I do not recall the war being represented but was fascinated by the constant consultation of charts. Yes, it was a long time ago.

And of course there is a set of army lists available for use with the rules. The years do not match those of the rules and appear to cut off at the introduction of the plug bayonet.

General

Littlemenatwar back on the air

1 Comment
15mm SF left to right, Laserburn scout, Martian Metals EVA suit, RAFM/Citadel Tech 3 military, Laserburn spacesuit with rifle

There is a nasty bit of fault finding in me. When browsing that dark pool of overpriced miniatures known as E-Bay, I sometimes come upon something obviously mislabeled (a figure from the Ral Partha’s Condottieri line labeled as an AD&D figure, for example) or something equally misguided. Oftentimes, a dealer has something rare but receiving no bids because of a poor guess at the product line (almost everything is Warhammer or Ral Partha) or overpricing something that is still in production and can be purchased for a reasonable price elsewhere (RAFM Traveller figures are a good example).

It may be worth knowing to anyone interested in following my self-righteous need to correct sellers with little interest or knowledge in the figures they sell that most of the time my e-mails are ignored or perhaps given half-hearted attention. The seller who insists that a Ral Partha Battletech Flea is actually a 15mm Traveller Walker for Striker rules from GDW will not be dissuaded.

But, on a happier note, the largest collection of Heritage Napoleonettes I have got a hold of was listed on E-Bay under Revolutionary War Militaria. So, if you are patient and have the time, a bargain is still to be found though probably not as often as in the past. At least you can have the joy of finding 25mm Space Aphids listed as 15mm frog people for whatever pleasure that may bring.

Administrative, General

In and Out of It

Leave a comment

I suppose it is no surprise that someone with a sedentary hobby and a job that compels him to sit in a chair all day and who commutes several hundred miles each week and cannot recall where he is when he wakes up in the morning should find themselves held in a hospital for a few days. Now, I am hearing about my terrible lifestyle that has driven me to this awful fate. It is a twin difficulty with being found to have a physical ailment that it is also seen as a personal failing. I finally reached a limit when a doctor told me that my days of ‘hiding from doctors’ were through. I pointed out to him that I had been to a doctor as recently as the summer and had a test for the exact same condition they are treating me for just a year ago with no results. He in turn listened to my concerns that I cannot jump into his office at a moment’s notice by summoning me to his office one business day after our meeting about my lab results to discuss further details about the results. I declined.

OK, that is irrelevant. Circumstances have limited my additions to the site though I feel I am reaching a point where I can return to it. I dug out an old Jack Scruby catalog I knew I had but had been unable to find. The catalog shows that unlike his contemporaries, Scruby was quite happy to match his figures to existing scales including model railroad scales. I am hopeful that I will also ferret out a group of his American Civil War figures I purchased at that time. I felt they did not stand up to the attractive 25mm figures from Custom Cast so placed no additional orders but sometimes wish I did.

I also found some old Task Force Games figures for their game Musketeer. I will post the photos when I have the opportunity.

Figures

Laserburn

Leave a comment

Hard to believe but there was a range of SF miniatures in 15mm that were not designed for use with Traveller. Instead, they were designed for use with with a set of rules called Laserburn written by Bryan Ansell. There was also a 25mm range which I have not seen.

The 15mm figures are interesting and well detailed with a nice unique quality. They provide an effective range that works well with the RAFM Traveller range. The set includes a variety of figure types and vehicles. The entire range is still available either through the Alternative Armies website in England or the Noble Knights E-bay store in the US. Another instance where an attractive set of 15mm figures has remained available years after their initial release. If only all miniatures were handled in this manner.

Figures

Traveller EVA Troops

Leave a comment

Martian Metals for a time had the license for Traveller miniatures which, in contrast to most RPGs, required 15mm figures. Martian metals are well detailed with a flat appearance likely due to the two-piece molds used. The range offered was fairly comprehensive and interesting but the license for 15mm Traveller ultimately went to Citadel. The figures shown above closely mirror illustrations used in GDW Traveller literature.

The figures above show the standard EVA set plus a few spacesuited figures from other sets in the background. All figures were painted with a primer coat of white enamel. EVA figures were then brushed with a wash of black enamel followed by cleanup with white enamel.

General

Where Am I?

Leave a comment

Some days I wake up and have no idea where I am. Sometimes it is an interesting sense of disorientation, sometimes disturbing. You cannot get used to anything when nothing is in its proper place long enough to allow it.

My life has a certain inevitability about it. Part of that seems to involve being constantly on the move. In the last few months, I have moved from one campus to another campus and now to a building midway between both as a result of work. My tiny apartment remains the same though the people around it keep changing and more often than not disappearing.

Tonight, I will be back home but only until tomorrow morning when I drive the 120 miles back here again.

On the plus side, the 6mm Roman figures seem to be moving closer and closer to completion with a significant number of cavalry painted and a bunch more in process. Additionally, I finally decided on a look for the RAFM 15mm Traveller figures and they are looking pretty good. I have put a moratorium on figure purchases though I do not know how long it will last. The huge array of miniatures remains an island of tranquility in a steadily deteriorating world.

Board Games

Panzer Leader

Leave a comment

Following the success of Panzerblitz, Avalon Hill produced Panzer Leader, a similar design for tactical combat in Western Europe. The game included 4 modular boards, one showing a beach, and counters showing tanks, infantry, artillery, and aircraft counters for British, American, and German forces.

Scenarios start with a paratroopers holding a vital intersection on D-day and follows with beach landings, attempted breakouts, etc. in chronological progression. The game seemed a bit smoother in design than Panzerblitz but Panzerblitz had the benefit of being there first.

SPI in the meantime was taking the design in a different direction and introduced a similar magazine game, Combat Command with significant changes in scale and a promise of a continually evolving system.