Publications, Figures, and Other Products of Interest

1. Soldiers of the Queen , issue 117. Four articles this issue that are of some interest. Also there was a 20 page booklet from Stephen J. Hopkins, Court Farm, Kington, Flyford Flavell, Worcs, WR7 4DQ UK, tokyngton@aol.com with 280 colonial book listings, plus prints, photos uniform books, unit histories and a list of books wanted. As is usual now the Soldiers Small Book (#62) is included as a centerfold, of some interest “The military Campaigns of Harry Flashman” was a lunch lecture at the National Army Museum in London.

As to the articles “Anti-piracy operations in the Straits of Malacca, 1835-1840” by NC Hayes contains some great information for using the Kris and the Flame. There are at least four great scenario ideas for ship-to-ship actions. There is also a good set of references to find further ideas.

For those of us (well maybe only me) who have no idea when khaki was first used in India there is “Dust-coloured/mud-colour: first introduction of khaki (drab) 1848-1849” by Selwyn Hodson-Pressinger. Khaki uniforms were introduced to the Guides by Hodson in 1848 and first in battle in 11 December 1849.

“An Ally in the Press: Archibald Forbes” by David Buttery is an interesting read with some nice illustrations. Forbes reported the Franco-Prussian War, Carlist War, Serbia, 2nd Afghan War, and the Zulu War. Get your correspondents off the shelf for a great sideshow in any scenario.

Finally, “The Anglo-Zulu War: The Intelligence War” by Keith Smith contains some great ideas for creating an intelligence section for your own forces. I know this will help me, as I have created my own intelligence section using Redoubt’s Burnaby as its’ CO. With several detached officers to fill in the ranks (there are no enlisted in the group as yet) as well as a few civilians and natives.

2. Ral Partha, 2382 Gibson Dr., Lawrenceburg, IN 47025, from Great Endeavours in England is again available, with new figures soon to be added (see the ad). Figures available include Zulu War, Sudan and the Northwest Frontier. These are true 25s and probably the best in the scale there are available. See the ad.

3. Courier, #91, $19 for 4 issues, PO Box 1878, Brockton, MA 02303. Two interesting ads, Baueda Wargames, 21 Corona Road, Cambridge, CB4 3EB, UK, www.dreamstudio.com/baueda They have 15mm camp tents, what caught my attention is that they have some very nice looking Tuareg/Bedouin tents. Now if they just did 25/28mm. Also Courier is having a back issue sale 4 for $15. The list includes available issues as well as the articles contained, all sorts of colonial stuff to read. The one Colonial era article this issue “Last Train from Gun Hill, March 1877, The Sharp Edge Gang in Some Fancy Company – and Some Fancy Footwork” by Mike Blake and Ian Chard. The Earp’s and Masterson’s with the Sharp Edge Gang versus Indians, on a train riding away from a bank robbery they are attacked by Indians and loose their money. Nice scenario with stats to the Old West Rules used by the Skirmish Wargames Club in the UK.

4. Wargames Illustrated, issue 202, no real colonial articles but three of interest. “Take Care, Sah-Men Aiming: a 1920s China Siege” by Phil Robinson. One-armed Frank Sutton with 400 men defend the Chunking Mint against 15,000 attackers under Ma Jui. There are some notes for using either Contemptible Little Armies, A Good Day to Die, or Astounding Tales rules set.

“Some Ideas on Choosing and Gaming with 1914 Armies” by Chris Peers, an interesting read with Chris’s comments on various armies.

“Character Cards for Back of Beyond, Part One, The Chinese” by Chris Thompson. This might be useful if you’re playing the game, also checkout pulpfigures.com for their downloadable character descriptions for their version to be used with Pulp Figures Rugged Adventurers.

Issue 203 had three interesting articles: “Sidi Brahim – The French Chasseurs a’ Pied in Algeria” by Ralph Weaver is a nicely written historic piece with sufficient information for a great tabletop scenario. The second article b Chris Peers is “Back to the Dark Continent, two more scenarios for “Darkest Africa.” (Darkest Africa is still one of the top sell lines of figures from the Foundry). Both scenarios are taken from history “The Fight at Mouaou, 1866” pits one European explorer with 8 askari against hundreds of natives in a dash for freedom. Interestingly, the explorer budgeted for 20,000 rounds of ammo for his askari’s to practice fire before leaving the coast, kinda gave them an edge. “The Battle of Bua River, 1887” in German East Africa with 400 Arab slavers verses the Ngoni. A very nicely handled retreat by Ngoni youth to draw the Arabs into a fatal trap.

Both articles are well written and interesting for “In the Heart of Africa” rules but with sufficient info to make tabletop scenarios for any rules.

“Directing Table Top Pulp Adventure” by Bob Murch is a good read with some interesting ideas. The article endorses the genre for gaming, it is not a rules set.

Finally, “Character Cards for Back of Beyond, Part Two, The Chinese” by Chris Thompson.

5. Osprey has several new titles of interest. One title I must have missed a while back is Tribes of the Sioux Nation, MAA344. Buffalo Soldiers 1866-1891 by Ron Field, Elite 107. Russo-Japanese War 1904-05 by Alexei Ivanov and Philip Jewett, MAA414. Zulu War by Ian Knight and Ian Castle, General Military History series.

6. Black Tree Design, has added ZW1041 British Field Command ($8.75) to their Zulu War figure line. The set includes, based on the scans on their web site, an officer drawing his sword, one firing his pistol, both in field kit, with boots; an officer? Pointing to the right, no kit, no boots, and what appears to be a SGT, in field kit, holding bayoneted rifle with right hand out to side, bearded. The two officers in field kit look the best.

7. Cotton Jim Flags, 2113 Walpole St., Virginia Beach, VA 23456. Has 15 and 25mm colonial flag sets available, see the review!

8. MWAN, #130 $35.00 for 6 issues from Legio X, inc. PO Box 241, Williams Bay, WI 53191 www.mwan-magazine.com One colonial article this issue – “55 Days in Peking, The Making of a Mega Colonial Game” by Michael S Cosentino. This uses TSATF rules, includes victory conditions for each legation, random events, OB, modifications for TSATF, also includes map, photos, scenario write up. Very nice, some great ideas. Hal is into a Thirty Years War project. OK, Hal, now you need to read 1632 by Eric Flint.

9. Pulp Figures, PO Box 28037, Preston Postal Outlet, Cambridge, Ont. Canada N3H 5M2. Have new Zepplin crew and Japanese Naval Troops available, very nice!

10. Battle Honors, 300 Watson St., Coopersville, MI 49404 www.oldglory15s.com Battle Honors carries the old Old Glory 15mm range, which includes: Franco-Prussian War, Zulu War, Sudan, Boxer Rebellion, Russo-Japanese War, Russo-Turkish War, as well as many other European Armies ca 1860-1880. $25 bag or 100 inf, or 30 cav, or 12 guns and 48 crew.

11. www.magweb.com now has 120 magazines (current issues and most past issues), in the 2nd ¼ of 2004 there were over 500,000 hits on magweb, The Heliograph had 9.6k not bad, not great, 50k less than #1 The Courier and 20k less than #3 MWAN.

12. Military Illustrated, has a very nice article by Ian Knight entitled “Sudden Death in the Sudan” the Battle of Tofrek. The article includes a two-page color “The Battle of Tofrek” painting by CE Fripp plus 6 other illustrations. This is a great write up with more than enough information for a great tabletop scenario.

13. Falcon US, Keith M. Astrofsky c/o Falcon Miniatures, 5 Hampshire Rd., Peabody MA 01960-2137 www.falconminiatures.net

Falcon US has available (a very nice line of) 25mm figures which includes: Brit inf, Highlanders, art. cav.; Egyptian Inf, irreg, art, cav; Boer inf, cav, art; Dervish/Fuzzt Wuzzy inf, cav, art; FFL Zouave, Turco, art, mounted, Spahi, mule team; Arab inf, cav; Germ. SW Africa field force inf, mounted, askaris, sailor, marine; Herero inf, mounted; plus art and wagons; Boxer Rebellion US, It, Rus, Jap, Chinese).

14. Pirates of the Spanish Main by Wizkids $3.89 per pack (includes a die, 2 ships, island treasure, rules and special figures). OK, so we’re slightly off target here. Ben bought three packs (2 pirates, 3 Brits, 1 Spanish) and we played a couple of games, maybe a half hour each. Loads of fun you can play this with 7-8 year olds, the rules are simple – even I understood them. Then I bought 3 packs (all pirates), maybe more soon. The ships are styrene plastic that slot together. While 2D printed they turn into 3D ships very nicely. I’m very impressed with this game; it has great potential.

15. Lone Warrior, 147. No colonial articles but one of interest “Unit Actions” by J F Baldwin. This article concerns the deployment of your favorite units that you hate to see get put in a tight spot so you cheat just a little to avoid that happening. The article contains a table to determine your favorite units actions in battle after they receive general battle orders and includes 3 examples. Using a d10 this could be used with any rules set, it is ingenious and simple. Of course, your favorite unit might actually start taking casualties.

16. And That’s The Way It Was, the latest offer from this publishing house of great rules systems is John Company and the Conquest of India, a miniatures game system for warfare on the sub-continent 1750-1850 by Chris Ferree and Patrick Wilson with contributions by Andrew Preziosi and Matt Kelland, $40. Very briefly, as I received this too close to press time and it will take time to go through the 160-page book. There are 107 pages of rules, but there is a considerable amount of history included; army profiles—Brits, Sepoys (for the Mutiny), Afghan, Maratha, and Sikh; scenarios for the 2nd Mahratta War, 1st Afghan War, 1st Sikh War, and Indian Mutiny (scenarios include map and detailed OBs). Also references (lot of books I don’t have—hmmm) Chronology of battles, figures sources, uniform guide (6 pages with drawings for 34 uniforms. Loads of tables for movement firing, ranges etc etc. There is a section with maps and charts for determining weather that is to die for (as the cliché goes), as well as the consequences of the weather (mostly heat related).

Besides the book there are page size cards with the rules (4), pages to cut out for order cards (6), order deck (4), event deck (5), action deck (3), and two other pages I’m not sure of yet. This does not seem to be a set of skirmish rules, rather for large unit actions. Well, we’ll see soon, next issue, as I finish reading it and give it a try. A further detailed review next issue, but so far I’d give it a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Also from And That’s The Way It Was is The Sword in the Caribbean by Larry Brom. This is NOT a ship-to-ship set but close combat for pirates, Spanish, British, French, Civilians, Jesuit Priests, and natives. Booklet includes scenarios and more for $12.

17. Black Hat Miniatures, Nyetimber, Norfolk Farm Road, Pyrford, Surrey, GU22 8LF UK, www.blackhat.co.uk

Coming in November from these folks is a set of rules entitled “Martian Empires” and figures. The Miniatures Page had two of their figures for viewing and they were quite nice. The figures will be 18mm, strange size but hopefully will match available 20mm plastic figs from many manufacturers. Figures to include British Home Service, British Expeditionary Forces, Martian Askaris, Imperial Martians, Martian Invaders and Giant Tribal Martians. The rules set is apparently available for play testing from a Yahoo group; check their web site and click rules.