Monday 24 November 2014

For Queen and Planet!

-- Simple Victorian Sci-Fi/Colonials mass combat rules!

I spied this set of rules on the inter web the other day, which like an interesting blend of a Colonial game with VSF options.  Haven't gotten a copy (yet) but will write some thought when I do.  Here is the spiel from Wargames Vault:



For Queen and Planet – Core Rules


The sweep of the red Sudanese desert, scattered with thorny trees and pierced by black basalt outcrops is the setting for this cinematic rule set. The whirling dervish, the fanatical Ansar and the lonely British foot soldier far from home are the combatants.

With these rules, you can take the role of the British commander tasked by the Queen with maintaining crown rule in distant, inhospitable lands or the local emir, committed to exercising his own free will over the natives who will fight with all their blood, sweat and tears.

Q&P is designed to balance the mass and ferocity of the local peoples against the technology and training of the Colonial powers and to provide a fair and reasonable struggle for both imperial General and local Emir.

This rule set includes:
  • All rules necessary to play either a colonial or VSF version of the game.
  • An alternative timeline for VSF genre play.
  • Unit lists detailing British, British-colonial, Ansar, Beja and Cephalopod forces.
  • A nine-scenario campaign that will allow you to play your way through the Mahdi’s initial rebellion against Egyptian garrison forces all the way through to the siege of Khartoum.
  • A blank unit command sheet.
CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS
Each of the scenarios in this rulebook is written to be fought as a pure colonial battle, but it is very easy to add a VSF flare to any scenario or battle you fight with this rule system. I have included an addendum (in italics) to each ‘colonial’ battle to allow you to make it a VSF battle. Play balance will not be affected by converting colonial battles to VSF battles.

 The Rise of the Mahdi Scenarios:
1) First Battle of El Obeid - Dec 1881 Egyptian vs. Ansar
2) Second Battle of El Obeid (or Hick's Folly) - Nov 1883 - British lead Egyptians vs. Ansar
3) First Battle of El Teb (or Baker's Teb) - Feb 4, 1884 - British lead Egyptians vs. Beja
4) Second Battle of El Teb - Feb 29, 1884 - British vs. Beja
5) Battle of Tamai - March 13, 1884 - British vs. Beja
6) Siege of Khartoum - ~May 1884 - Ansar sieging British lead Egyptians
7) The Battle of Abu Klea - Jan 17, 1885 - British vs. Ansar
8) The Battle of Kirbekan - Feb 10, 1885 - British vs. Ansar
9) The Battle of Tofrek - March 22, 1885 - British vs. Beja/Ansar

http://www.firstcommandwargames.com/home.html

Friday 21 November 2014

French Nefs re-released

Those chaps at Brigade Models have remastered their French Charlemane class Battlecruiser Aeronef and recast them with different variants of beautiful tumblehome hulls and period style hull guns.

I think they look just fantastic but now my exiting French fleet (here) can never compare and needs to be upgraded.  The naval arms race continues...

Sunday 9 November 2014

"Sky Galleons of Mars" to Return!


Exciting news indeed, from the guys who are doing the reboot of the Space 1889 RPG!  Early days thus far but expect a Kickstarter in the future to get this moving.  Details so far are:

  • Classic rules to be used, though updated
  • Classic Hex maps to be utilised
  • All new range of miniatures- plastic in the starter with metal ones available individually
  • English, German and likely other language versions

Watching with great interest!
http://raum1889.de/?p=602



An exploration of debauchery, vice and other reasons to be a man!

An exploration of debauchery, vice and other reasons to be a man!