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Saturday 2 March 2019

Update

Due to domestic and work pressures I haven't managed to post much recently. There has however been a little hobby activity which I thought I'd share with anyone who was passing.

1. Skirmish Games

I have written, though not yet posted, an update to Heroic Encounters. This has benefitted greatly by some ideas sent to me by Arthur Harman (thanks Arthur). Hope to get this posted soon(ish). The play test games were influenced by the many posts I've seen on other peoples' blogs that feature "Hunting" games using the Paleo Diet game. I do have a few cavemen and dinosaurs somewhere, however I tried a game with some Minifigs Gnomes hunting old Britains' animals.

Chief Thistledown and members of Gnomeland Security 

Staring down a Boar
Exit pursued by a Bear
Having a butterfly mind I have also been working on another set of skirmish rules, a gridded version of Eric Knowles' "Quest of Thane Tostig". This venerable ruleset from the mid-1970s was accompanied by figures sculpted by Barry Minot ; though I remember seeing them at the time I never bought any, though I did have some of Minot's Olympians range. 

2. Reading material

With regard to Eric Knowles, I have just (today) received a copy of The Madashatta Campaign (compiled and edited by Bob Cordery) which looks like a great read, and have been reading Charge! by Brig. P. Young and Lt. Col. J.P. Lawford, which has been reprinted by The History of Wargaming Project.


3. RPGs

Being short of time for tabletop gaming I'm probably going to be doing some more solo RPGing using the Four Against Darkness (4AD) rules by Ganesha Games. To that end I have invested a whole $3.00 (US) and purchased The Crucible of Classic Critters, the 4AD expansion that features woodland encounters.


4. One Hour Wargames Mini Campaign

Last weekend I managed to squeeze in a few OHW scenarios (using a gridded version of Neil Thomas's rules), featuring Horse & Musket 2mm units; these were put together to form a mini campaign. I may post these later though I wasn't too enthused by the action so may consign them to the archives instead. Here's a couple of pics from three of the games that give an idea of play:



  Happy gaming everyone.

16 comments:

  1. Excellent.
    I'm still peeing myself laughing at 'Gnomeland Security' ;)

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  2. I really like the gnome paleo game. I have the rules but have done little with them. I know this is a silly question but is it simple to use them in a gridded manner?
    I have some Olympians which I have mounted on cotton reels to make garden statues for my 28mm games. I look forward to the forthcoming new improved Heroic Quest rules. I had forgotten about the Thane Tostig rules. I had a copy once and thought the cover was super. A mos5 effective looking 2mm game,very inspiring.
    Alan

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  3. Alan
    Thanks for your comments.
    Firstly I seem to have misled you, apologies - I don't have the Paleo Diet rules but have been inspired by the games that have been posted featuring these rules. With regard to converting standard wargames to grids, my rule of thumb is 3 inches (movement or range) in the rules equates to one grid square so a 6" Infantry move is 2 squares. As per PW Game, all measurements are made orthogonally. Otherwise I pick and choose and bend rules to fit my world view!
    The Thane Tostig rules are great fun. I don't know if you remember but Barry Minot's figures caused a bit of a stir at the time, with "real" wargamers writing letters of disgust to the hobby magazines about "Sadistic" Fantasy Gamers and their perverted torture figures!

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    1. I didn't have any Minot figures,they weren't my cup of tea. I do recall something of the stir caused in the wargaming press. Thanks for the helpful grid comments.

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    2. I was collecting Minifigs with my pocket-money at the time!

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    3. I guess I probably was too. I had an opponent at school . I brought the ME figures and he Napoleonic Naval. We took turns hosting the games at each other's houses. The different periods and games complimented each other well.

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    4. Mythical Earth! My favourite range of all Fantasy figures. Mine are still in my parents' loft and will have to be unearthed one day - they're probably classified as antiques now! At school we started with something we called "Ancients", which probably covered figures from a couple of millennia on each side, using the WRG rules of the time (version 3 or 4?) - I just remember the need for some men with double-handed axes was paramount.

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  4. Great ideas Jack. Looking forward to seeing where you take them. I still have to get hold of four against darkness!.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Mr Sprinks. 4AD is basic but quick and fun, and inexpensive of course!

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  5. I’ve long been mulling over the idea of hunting as a basis for gaming—your post on the topic sparks it anew. Love the 2mm minis on a grid. I have done 6mm on a grid so appreciate the style.

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  6. Thanks Ed and hopefully I'll post some more

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  7. Your game featuring gnomes, bears and boars looks like lots of fun! Cheers, Karl

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  8. Very nice, I do like the impressive and beautiful bear...

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Phil - I call her Ursula Major. There's a lovely article about W H Britain's Zoo animals here
      https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/an-ode-to-britains-toy-animals/

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