Seeing last issue’s editorial note, and since I have not sent in an update about what is happening thus far, I realized that I needed to let my fellow colonial gamers know what was going on. Therefore, this article will be about the current state of the new revised rules (2nd edition), the reprint of the original rules (1st edition), and just what the bloody hell is going on with getting the revised ones to press.

Suffice to say that the following will tell you everything up to this point, and contains information that I have already stated on the ColonialWars group at www.yahoogroup.com (a great group to join; plug, plug!).

First, I think a bit of background history on how the revised (2nd edition) of the rules came about, why Frank Chadwick allowed me to write them, etc., is in order. This allows everyone to glean some knowledge of what led us to where we are, and possibly entertain (or bore) as well. Therefore, pour yourself a brandy, light up your cigar, and sit back in your easy chair. [I refuse to begin with once upon a time!]

Background

This all started with one of my friends, Keith Frye. A lot of the original changes that appear in the 2nd edition were created by his game group almost after they started playing the rules, and them further developed, play tested, expanded, play tested, etc., by me and my Colonial Boys Club.

Once Keith introduced me to the rules (he gave me a copy of the 1st edition as a present when I got married in fall 1990 - now there's a gaming buddy!!!), I loved them and was hooked, and started tinkering with the revised mechanics myself, seeing ways to improve on them.

Shortly thereafter, Keith and I started running large games at GenCon in the early 90's using my terrain, etc. (Some may remember the first game I did there, a huge 40-player Golden Age of Pirates game of the sacking of a town and attack on a star-fort, complete with large 25mm scale scratch built ships, with 10 GMs to herd the fun… Ah, watching the pirates make a die roll to resist chasing the scantly-clad whores that the Spanish Pimp was trying to leave town with was priceless, as well as when Bruce the Shark surfaced whenever a figure fell into the water…players really cheered for Bruce!). GenCon had contracted with me to bring in a large historical game each year for a while (e.g., Isandlwana, Inyezane River, Young Winston and the Malakand Field Force, etc.), all of which I ran at HMGS-East conventions as well. Each time we ran the games, Frank Chadwick (and Greg Novak) would wander by and saw gamers really involved, and having fun. Gamers would turn to them and say, “Wow these are nice rules, can I get a copy?” [Keith and I also told those interested to go to the GDW booth and bug Frank about reprinting the rules...sneaky huh?]

Just before GDW closed its doors in 1996, Frank relented and said ok. He also gave us some boxes of the 25mm British, Civilians and Martians from RAFM made for the rules, as well as few pristine copies of the rules from m the GDW vault. I thought that was very nice of him.

The rules sat for a while as Keith was going to do the first edit, but eventually due to his time constraints (and I bugged him so much), I ended up with the job. While I had the energy (and still do), once I got into it, it kept ever expanding. Believe me, its hard work.

Eventually Frank spent a weekend at my house a couple years ago, and play tested the rules with The Colonial Boys Club. As a result, he gave his blessing to the 2nd edition changes. He even added the Actions to help clarify the revised movement. We then talked about the direction to take with getting published (at that time with Old Glory, Corp.) with supplements as scenario packs and details for each era of the colonial period (Zulu, NWF, Indian Mutiny, China, Sudan, Boer, etc., even VSF).

As a side note… At the game with Frank - a Boxer Rebellion game: The Missionary Position, that I ran at Historicon last year - his face really lit up as he enjoyed it when his Japanese cavalry went frenzy and charged any Chinese along the road to the mission. Of course, we always made comments that playing with the author/designer of the original rules was a problem. Since (as we reminded Frank) that if he did not like something during the game he might quickly write a rule, and tell us it was a new addendum just to help out his side! It was fun ribbing, even though Frank denied he would ever do that.

Well, that’s how the rules came to Keith Frye and I. While I did the entire rewrite on them, etc., when they eventually do see the published light of day, Keith and his group will have Additional Design credit, as we agreed upon previously. But believe me, this was not easy, and I am still a bit burned-out over the damn NWF tribes (I have got to finish that Army List...my favorite colonial theatre!).

The Here and Now

The reason for allowing the reprint of the original (1st edition) Soldier’s Companion rules by The Heliograph (not the same people that print this publication!), was that Frank Chadwick wanted to get the rules back into circulation as:

There was now (more then previously) a demand for them;
The 2nd Edition will not see print for at least a year.

For everyone that has been wondering about the 2nd edition of the Soldier's Companion rules, what follows below is what Frank Chadwick sent to the Volley & Bayonet group on 9/7/01:

“Foundry and V&B publication: This morning I had a nice long talk by phone with Matt Keefe of Foundry Design Studio. He's the in-house writer/editor Foundry has been trying to get on line for some time and now has. In a nutshell, the wheels are at last turning. Their first publication will be the medieval rules by (unless my memory fails me) Terry Gore, and the V&B Napoleonics rules will be second. He's done several read-throughs and has started the main editing, and is very happy with the tightness and completeness of the manuscript (thanks in large measure to many of you on this list). He doesn't have a publication date yet, and is unwilling to venture a guess until they actually have the machinery running smoothly, which strikes me as a pretty responsible position to take. Hope everyone finds this news as good as do I.”

At FALL IN! 2001, I talked to Frank Chadwick about the latest developments, and he said we are still a go with The Foundry. However, no manuscript has been sent to them, and in fact Frank has not edited the basic rules; I gave him two years ago! Therefore, that leaves me plenty of time to keep fiddling with the rules a bit, and most importantly to put everything and the kitchen sink into the greatly expanded/revised Army Lists. Thus, no word, or even hint, of what decade the second (revised) edition of the rules will be published (yet).

Now, if anyone wants a reprint of the 1st edition (original) rules, by all means, indeed, buy one! In my opinion (call it biased if you will), the reasons are:

• You may not have had the rules in the first place (but granted the 2nd edition plays better, and that is the major comment of play testers)
• The 1st edition (original rules) contains elements for miniature gaming Victorian Science Fiction (VSF) that the 2nd edition (revised rules) will not have. That said, hopefully Frank and I can make sure a supplement with all VSF additions sees the light of day (eventually).
• That there is really no telling when the 2nd edition (revised rules) sees publication (I estimate that it will not be until 2003 or later at this rate!).

Again, I am not telling anyone not to buy the reprint of the 1st edition of the (original) rules. By all means, buy them and have fun with them as I have over the years. Heck, the Army Lists in the back (which I have greatly expanded for the 2nd edition) are just one reason alone for getting the 1st edition (original rules).

The many groups that have volunteered to play test the 2nd edition of the rules have all given very favorable feedback, and cannot wait for the rules to be published. Well, either can I.

The initial working title of the rules (under Old Glory) was COLONIAL GLORY, then changed (under The Foundry) to COLONIAL BATTLES, and now COLONIAL WARFARE (personally, I like the name COLONIAL CONQUEST). However, for now the working title is COLONIAL WARFARE.

If anyone has any more questions with regard to the Soldier’s Companion rules, feel free to contact me:

Bob Giglio, 5732 Goldfinch Ct., Ellicott City, MD 21043; E-mail: ECWCaptain@AOL.com