Lancers and Lewis Guns

Rules 1754-1900 A.D.

review by Jim Birdseye

E.C. Page: $8.00 from Modeler's Mart, 2071 Range Rd., Clearwater, FL 34625. 10 pages plus Ill., tables and table of contents. This ambitious work attempts to be all things to all gamers, at least as far as the period 1754-1900 A.D. This set of rules is the result of years of play testing by the author who attempts to address every eventuality in the rules. There are over 100 pages of rules in fine print. This makes the Table of Contents a critical item to anyone playing the rules. The rules appear to be quite flexible in scale, scope and range.

The scales included in the rules are 1/100, 1/50, 1/20 and 1/10. Although the author states that the large number of weapons systems quantified in the tables makes this set of rules an asset to any wargamer, the weapons systems detailed are ethnocentrically made up of primarily British and American weapons. The rules include a nice system forstrategic campaigns and the use of BAM (Basic Army Morale) to determine victory levels and to encourage the losing player to break off the battle before his last battalion is lost. Both sides need to keep unit rosters and there are a large number of computations for every activity on the table. Turns are based on initiative and are move, fire and morale, with each side getting a turn.

This is not a set of rules for beginners and certainly not a set of rules that you could buy in the morning and play in the afternoon. My personal taste goes to simple systems and less quantification, but there are those of you who like to know the mechanics of every situation and who want to include as many variables as possible. If you're one of these people, this set of rules is for you. But even if you are like me, these rules are interesting reading and offer many new innovations. Lancers and Lewis-Guns is well written and well worth the price of $8.00.

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