Tag Archives: Land

Future, Vehicles

Ogre

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The Steve Jackson game, Ogre, always seemed to lend itself to miniatures wargaming.  The rules were simple, clean, and precise and the number of miniatures needed was minimal.  The original game offered pretty simple terrain.  The follow-up, GEV, improved on that.

The license for manufacture has been held by Martian Metals and Ral Partha.  Currently, the license appears to be held by Steve Jackson Games and can be purchased from Warehouse 23.

The original miniatures were based on the counter silhouettes created by Winchell Chung.  Over the years, other vehicles have been added but the original designs still remain relatively consistent.

The Martian Metals pieces had thin barrels for tank guns.  Howitzers were little more than a rod attached to a base and had a tendency to break.  Ral Partha strengthened the gun barrels and added more detail to the howitzers.  The incarnation of the Ogre miniatures now features plastic Ogres to replace the earlier pewter pieces.  Below, an example of the plastic Mk III Ogre alongside an earlier Ral Partha version of the same piece.  The main differences I noticed were less detail in the treads with no detail on the interior side and the rear and forward portions of the Ogre attached.

Other smaller pieces are still cast in metal.  They are attractively sculpted.  The pieces are a little too small to work well with the massive Battletech pieces even though the scale is supposed to be the same.  I have found that the infantry figures for Battletech appear to me to be a little bit larger.

Older metal Ogres alongside the plastic Ogres. The plastic Ogres are in red. The tan Mk V Ogre has not yet had its armament added. On the left, are two Battletech pieces, an unpainted Demolisher II and a Big Demolisher.

For fans of Ogre miniatures, these are the natural choice.  The Mega Force toys by Kenner also mix well with these.  With dedicated miniatures support, Ogre provides a nice alternative to Battletech.

Rules

The Sword and the Flame

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Likely the standard rules for colonial skirmish games at least in the US originally released by the Yaquinto game company but in print for years and still available at the Sergeants 3 website.

The rules are straightforward and simple to learn.  Chance plays a significant role even in movement as well as firing and close combat.  Additionally, a deck of cards is used to determine the order in which units move and fire.

The section of the rules on organizing a force offer some distinctions based on nationality.   Though all have units of 20 figures for infantry, the number of officers varies as does the weaponry and use of horse.  The firing chart makes further distinction between the different groups when firing.  For example, it takes 5 Egyptians to score a hit, 4 British.  Nationality also defines the formations available with the British and Egyptians being the only groups able to enter close order while native spearmen are relegated to a mass formation.  The rules offer explicit figure proportions for balanced games.

The simplicity of the rules and the heavy element of chance probably make the rules of more interest for people interested in a game rather than a meticulous simulation.  Games involve relatively limited number of figures and move quickly.  The only unusual requirement is a deck of cards.  Cards that introduce national distinctions are available through The Virtual Armchair General.

 

Rules

Volley and Bayonet

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GDW even more than SPI and Avalon Hill could be all things to all gamers, from RPGs to board games to miniatures rules. Volley and Bayonet presents a shift away from the more fiddly and detailed tactical rules of the time towards something which in some sense is closer to a board game than one with miniatures.

The rules cover land warfare in the 18th and 19th century between massive armies.  As such, the ultimate unit is the figure base representing roughly a brigade.  The number of figures mounted on the base is meaningless though for 25mm, the recommended number is 10 through 12 with an appropriate label naming the unit.  A person could if they wished mount as few or as many figures as they wish.  The base size and label are really the most critical pieces of information.

Scale is also along the same lines with an inch = 100 yards.  Each turn equals an hour of time.  The goal is to allow players to game very large battles in a space around the size of a ping pong table.

The rules do not present the kind of competitive format as in WRG games.  They are intended to simulate engagements rather than promote a contest of equals.

The rules are still in print.  The quality of the rules shows an understanding of miniatures play that the authors achieved through experience.  Of course, supplements abound.

An interesting and unusual supplement for the American Civil War, this slender book provides scenarios for battles in the eastern and western theaters.  It includes a few smaller battles requiring a few bases of figures.  A scenario will include a map of the terrain as well as a breakdown of the units available and the strength points assigned to them.

Additionally, there is a section in the back of the book which utilizes the GDW game A House Divided as the basis for a campaign game.  Instructions are provided for transferring a battle from the game board to the table top using generic units from both North and South.  The actual game board is included in a rather dull black and white so owning A House Divided is not a requirement to playing a campaign though the actual board game will look a lot nicer.

 

Rules

London Wargames Section: Rules for American Civil War 1863c

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Another of the charming, often vague little booklets from England presenting a variety of rules for popular historical periods.  This particular set is written by John Tunstill and covers the American Civil War. They are old rules, first seeing light in 1970. The rules use a ground scale of 1mm to 1 yard, one bound (the popular English equivalent of a round) to 2 1/2 minutes, one figure to 33 men, and one gun to 6. There is no recommendation on figure scale so I assume that any of the larger figure sizes would be used keeping in mind the rules make no mention of mounting on bases nor provide a base size for a single figure.

As with so many English rules, orders must be written down at the start of a turn. Units are moved simultaneously followed first by artillery fire, then infantry fire. Following this, charging units check for morale and melees are resolved. The turn ends with any necessary morale checks.

The rules seem vague on the tactical units involved though the figure scale suggests regiment sized units. It would seem, too, that the rules assume figures are not mounted on bases. Formations include line, column, and road column. Units may be in open order or extended order. They may as a result of combat or movement through difficult terrain become disordered or unformed which will impact their ability to survive melee and morale checks.

Terrain used is hills, steep hills, woods, individual buildings, and towns. These impact line of sight and can effect movement. Curiously, I could not find a reference to fording a river though there are quite a few references to bridges. Casualties play a role with one casualty left on the field for every 3 figures removed to indicate broken ground which prevents a charge. There are also prepared positions and linear obstacles like walls and hedges.

I have not yet tried these rules. The organization of the rules is a bit challenging since information is scattered through the brief booklet.

Rules

Rally Round the Flag

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From the Battleline game company also responsible for Ship o’ the Line, precursor to the popular boardgame Wooden Ships and Iron Men. Battleline rules tended to be slender and easy to follow. S. Craig Taylor who wrote these clearly played them as well so there is reasonable clarity in the presentation.

The rules use a 1 to 20 figure ratio with 4 infantry figures on a base 2″ x 1″ for 25mm figures. A standard infantry regiment is composed of 5 bases. There is provision for a commanding general but none for command at lower levels.

The rules use a standard Move-Fire-Melee sequence with an additional charge sequence at the very beginning of the turn. Everything is assumed to happen simultaneously though with movement, it is a matter of moving figures before a 5 minute timer sounds. Formations are column, road column, open order, skirmish order, and line.

Rules

Command Decision

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GDW created its be all-end all set of rules loosely patterned after a series of articles in Wargamer’s Digest. Each army’s organization is carefully worked out on a reduced scale even down to the musical bands. Scale seems intended for 1/72 figures but would work with 1/300th.

The emphasis on organization.  The first edition could atomize the organizational structure of a division-sized unit in meticulous detail but later editions dialed this back a bit.  Military bands are great but there are really no rules to accommodate them.

The rules are written for 20mm/15mm though can be adapted to smaller scales.  Ground scale is 1” = 50 yards.   Turns represent 15 minutes.  Vehicles and towed weapons represent 4 – 6 of the same.  Standard stands 3/4” x 3/4”  represent 40 – 60 men  represented by 2 figures while half stands represent 10 – 30 men represented by a single figure.

The rules offer a rich variety of terrain,  command and control rules requiring order writing, command and staff stands,  phases are, in order, command, movement, fire, close fire, morale, and close assault.  Fire is simultaneous as is movement.  Movement can be interrupted by opportunity fire.  There are also advanced rules containing such minutia as engineers, weather, and airborne assault.

Appendix I covers painting (like we need more on the subject) while Appendix II covers campaigns including an example complete with a hex map and 6 individual scenarios for those wishing to leap right in.  The action covers American and German forces in the area around Aachen. There are also ever helpful and interesting designer notes and an equally helpful index.

Two scenario books have also been published, Bastogne for western front enthusiasts and Barbarossa for the eastern front.  The game is still played with current editions my own first and second GDW editions. http://testofbattle.com/drupal-4.7.4/

Rules

Down Styphon!

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Pretty obscure musket and pike rules designed to recreate the battles in the novel Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen by H. Beam Piper. The rule book is pretty slender and even so, contains additional material on uniforms and the like.

For those unfamiliar with the novel, a Pennsylvania state trooper is accidentally transported to a parallel universe where he finds himself leading a pike and shot army in a world where supplies of gunpowder are controlled by a religious order.

The author H. Beam Piper was likely involved in wargaming himself. The battles in the novel are carefully drawn, one based on the Battle of Barnet from the War of the Roses.

The rules use a 1:20 ratio, the sequence of play is fairly standard move-fire-melee with written orders to allow simultaneous movement. Figures are based 3 per base for infantry, 3 to 4 for cavalry. Artillerymen are mounted individually. Troop types are varied especially cavalry. The ratio of musketeers to pikemen is 1 to 2.

The rulebook is slender but the rules are reasonably detailed. Point values for troops are provided as well as some notes on organization. Morale is included and has a WRG feel to it. The rules first published in 1977 make no reference to figure scale so was likely written for 25mm. Two insert pages are included that encapsulate rules and charts. The rules were written by Mike Gilbert, appear to be a labor of love, and were published by Fantasy Games Unlimited, Inc. for whom Mike Gilbert worked as illustrator.

Rules

Warhammer 40,000

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Warhammer 40,000

This is not the first Warhammer 40K rulebook nor the last but it is handy. I had played the much older Rogue Trader rulebook at some point. I do have some Orks and a handful of Necron skulking about so this seems a likely candidate for play. Then, I also have some Space Squats and some compatible Russian figures.

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Teleport back to the 1980s when Games Workshop was refining its vision of Warhammer and that is when Rogue Trader made its appearance. With a heavy emphasis on background detail, the rules seem more like Warhammer with an SF veneer, psionics replace magic, squats replace dwarves, and orks are still orcs. There are extensive rules for such familiar things as robots, tyranids and genestealers but there are also oddities like Slann and Jokaero, bouncers and Psychneuin. An interesting book especially compared to what the whole thing has become.

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From the days of Rogue Trader, this pleasant little book was apparently just the first of a million such books providing army lists and scenarios for the futuristic Warhammer world.

Rules

Striker II

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Striker II
Striker II

A replacement for the original Traveller Striker rules, these rules are a kind of SF version of GDW’s Command Decision. I have heard there are many flaws in the rules but have yet to try them. The basing is different than original Striker and it is just difficult to work up the enthusiasm to rebase figures.

Rules

Battletech Compendium

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Battletech Compendium
Battletech Compendium

Battletech is one of those big games that spawned millions of rule variants, supplements, accessories, miniatures, even novels. This is an old book bringing together various Battletech miniatures rules. For those unfamiliar, the central focus of the rules is giant piloted robots battling each other with all manner of weaponry while trying to avoid shutting down from excess heat.

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The original Battletech was designed by FASA as a boardgame and with a series of modular boards, took on aspects of a kind of SF Squad Leader.   With Ral Partha picking up a license to manufacture miniatures under the Battletech logo it became possible to replace the cardboard counters found in the game with something more visually appealing.  The compendium was designed to do away with the game boards as well not only  compiling the rules from several different games under one cover but also providing rules for conversion to a pure miniatures game.