I'm still not entirely sure just why I've plunged whole-heartedly into Pulp Era gaming, but I've always been interested in a way to combine my enjoyment of hard-boiled detective novels with miniature wargaming. My initial qualms about turning the activities of murdering gangsters into a game were set aside when I realized that my miniature feudal barons probably weren't very different in attitude from the crime lords, plus the suits and fedoras are a refreshing change from military uniforms. Pulp Era gaming seems to be taking off right now, with new lines of figures being sculpted by `Pulp Figures' and `Copplestone.' `Pulp Figures' has recently launched a new line of Gangland Justice figures featuring assorted thugs, wise guys and tough detectives. 'Copplestone' is rumored to be not far behind. For research I'm avoiding serious history and instead looking for inspiration from the stories of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Mickey Spillane and movies like The Untouchables, L.A.. Confidential, Miller's Crossing and Road to Perdition.
With a lot of help from friends with connections, I've been able to quickly put together an impressive selection of figures from RAFM, Pulp Figures, Steve Barber and Ral Partha. The Ral Partha figures are now being produced by Ironwind Metals, and although they aren't listed on their website, you can get them if you ask. They produce several nice figures including a police officer with a tommy gun. The RAFM line is the largest, but since it is aimed at the "Call of Cthulhu" RPG you have to do some conversions some times and the choice of gunmen is limited. The `student investigator' with a flashlight is particularly useful; the flashlight can be turned into a pipe bomb or stick of dynamite, or it can be replaced with a pistol. I've even given a couple sawn-off shotguns.
RAFM also produces several useful bystanders such as businessmen with brief cases, who could also be valuable objectives for the G-men. The young woman pushing the baby carriage has a tentacle coming out from the pram, but it is easily filed off. I hope to make the civilians a part of the game though; with players losing VPs for gunning down bystanders. There would obviously be political fall-out for the police, but gangsters would also get increased pressure from the federal agents if the nun or the young mother with pram become victims. The Steve Barber line is the most extensive, with several different gunsels armed with shotguns, tommy guns and pistols. Additionally the line includes historical figures such as John Dillinger, Al Capone and Elliot Ness. The figure of `Mad Dog' Cohn wielding two tommy guns is sure to intimidate players when he puts in an appearance. The SB figures are smaller though, closer to a true 25mm, but I've added a card board shim underneath them to make them a bit taller in relation to the other figures.
I haven't added too many Pulp figures yet, just a couple of characters and a pack of Tong Gangsters. I'm sure I'll be adding some more at the up coming Hotlead convention though!
Vehicles take some digging to find. Gangsters shooting from the windows of Model T sedans is such a stereotyped image, but cars for the era are hard to find. RAFM makes a stripped down 20's era car and a roadster. I've looked at Sloppy Jalopy, but the kits look rather complex to assemble and they're expensive. For half the price I can get already assembled die-cast models. I traded some extra figures with Howard Whitehouse for some of his extra Liedo trucks. Lledo makes a nice Model A Ford truck with various company promotions on the sides. Mine celebrated a Welsh telecommunications company and the 100th anniversary for a bottled spring water company. But after a coat of primer they've now been turned into black Police vans to transport my flat foots around. The gangsters still need some hootch trucks to defend or high-jack.
Buildings have proven the biggest obstacle. Architectural details for pre-war buildings in 25mm are pretty scarce. Scratch building takes time, but it is a lot cheaper than the resin buildings available for 25mm skirmish gaming. I have also been able to find a few HO (1/87th scale) buildings with oversize doors and windows that don't look too bad beside the figures. I may have to make do with over-turned shoeboxes until I can get enough brownstone tenements, warehouses and factories put together.
FORCES AVAILABLE
Thus far my police force consists of a motorcycle detachment of 2 motorcycles, 2 motorcycles with side-cars and 6 officers (mounted and dismounted). Two of them have shotguns. These are all RAFM figures and I've left the riders unglued so I can dismount them from their bikes. Then riding in the two Paddy Wagons are two 6-man sections of patrolmen armed with pistols, some shotguns and one tommy gun. These are a mix of Steve Barber, RAFM and Ral Partha figures. Leading them is Lt. Cruller, who is a very funny sculpt from RAFM; he's a plain clothes detective, a bit over weight, and has a donut in one hand and a coffee cup in the other! The uniformed units are supported by a black Chev sedan carrying plain clothes G-men with shotguns, a tommy gun and .45s, of course.
Opposing them I have painted about 2 dozen gangsters, with 10 tommy guns, two sawn off shotguns, one bomber and the rest with pistols. These are mostly RAFM figures, with a few Steve Barber figures. The rest of the Steve Barber and Ral Partha gunsels are primed and waiting to be painted. I fear my boys in blue are out gunned, and I can only hope that Pulp Figures will release a police tommy gunner and a G-man with a BAR soon! The gangsters can be easily divided into 2, 3 or even 4 small gangs for multi-sided games with hidden objectives, deal-making and betrayals! The less flashily dressed could also be more plainclothesmen as well.
I've also amassed about a dozen thugs in shirtsleeves and suspenders to man rum boats, unload hootch trucks or get arrested in speakeasies. Some have saps and a few have knives added to their fists.
Caught in the middle are a Steve Barber photographer and a couple of reporters whose objective will be to not get killed while they get as many stories and pictures as possible during the table top mayhem. Finally I have my tough-guy PI wielding two .45s and his female secretary who is from the Pulp Figures "Dangerous Dames" pack.
To add a fourth side to the game (or is it a fifth?) I'm working on some of Pulp Figures "Tong Gangsters" to dispute the opium smuggling racket in China Town.
RULES
Since bootlegging was such a major enterprise during the era, it seems appropriate to homebrew my own rules. I'm liberally borrowing ideas from other games I've encountered, but I want to add the element of `unfriendly fire'. Shotguns and tommy guns will have an area of effect and there will be a chance to hit bystanders within the beaten zone. Eventually I intend to build up the campaign aspect in which my friends can each manage their own gang and try to knock each other off without attracting too much attention from the cops. I'm aiming at a skirmish game rather than an RPG. Any role-playing will be the result of hidden objectives among the players.
I've had a lot of success in my Medieval battles giving players on the same side different and sometimes contradictory objectives. One of the police sections may be susceptible to bribery, or one of the gangs may have a political alliance with the Chief of Police. Lt. Cruller may want an excuse to throw the PI in jail. The rival gangs may want to shoot each other more than the police.
A Mickey Spillane short story I just read has given me a scenario idea that will utilize my existing traditional wargames terrain of hills and trees. The mob have sent a couple of car loads of men into the hills to burn out a competing gang of moonshiners, portrayed by some of my friend's Wild West figures or ACW rebs. The local sheriff will want to keep the peace and a bunch of G-men will be on-hand to try and arrest anyone they can. This should keep us happy until I get a chance to build some more urban terrain. When I get the rules a bit more polished I hope to submit them to MWAN Magazine for publication.
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© Copyright 2004 Hal Thinglum
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