I have a number of rules sets that I have received in the last few months and would like to mention them below. I have not played any of them so I can not comment first-hand on their playability.
LeGrand Tactique: A Grand Tactical Simulation of Napoleonic Warfare by Mark Mackin, James Jackin and Randy Strom. They are available for $15.00 from The Last Reserve, PO Box 4596, Helena, Montana, 59601. I will let Mark Mackin describe these rules:
"LGT is a Tactical/Grand Tactical Napoleonic miniatures rule book and playing charts. We think it is the best printed fro a three-ring binder. This allows revisions to be incorporated as pages instead of having players buy the Nth edition to stay up to date. I'd like to point out some salient features. Firstly, LGT can be used for any figure scale or System 7 paper counters. It was designed for the level of play where miniatures still add to the pageantry and color of the game but where Grand Tactiques would decide it overall. Secondly, it is complete. The system is quite simple and can easily be learned by play. At the same time the rules are as comprehensive as we could make them. Players will not often need to interrupt play to have a round table dialogue on some mechanical detail. The Basic format is quite a complete game, but the optional rules allow for more depth, flexibility where desired, and historical realism when players require that. We incorporated semi-simultaneous turn sequencing for two reasons; to get rid of argument about who went where when and still allow for expedited play with coordination at the tactical level. The basic elements of fire, movement, morale and command control are integrated into a system with few exceptions to the rules. There are a number of tactical innovations: concentrated artillery fire, ability to over-run units, gun weight of artillery negating cover effect, initiative, town fighting rules, and the most up-to-date and extensive skirmisher rules available."
LGT appears to be very well organized along the lines of Column, Line, and Square are regard the organization of the rules book. In addition to the rules, it provides a section on the organization of the various countries as well as examples of play, an important factor when playing a new rules set. I don't see why it should not be an enjoyable set of rules.
Indunas, Colonels and Emirs by Rudy Scott Nelson (Cost unknown) should be available at your local hobby store or any of the advertisers in MWAN. IT is designed to simulate tactical warfare for the period 1850-1914. The figure scale is 1-10, one turn equals one minute and ground scale is different for 20-30mm (1"=10 yards), 15mm (1"=20 yards), and 5-9mm (1"=20 yards). There are perhaps 25 pages of rules with a large section on organization of many armies from the period concerned with. I would think the rules would be worth getting just for the organizational information. The rules seem fairly straight-forward and I did not pick out any new innovative ideas which doesn't mean they are not a good set of rules. They seem quite complete.
Imperial Wars: Colonial Warfare Rules 1860-1900 by Mod Games, 19 Chiltern Road, Sheffield, England (No price information). Ground scale is 2cm = 10 yards for 25mm and 1cm for 10 yards for 15mm. I did not see a time scale listed in the rules. These rules, to me, seem to be very "British" written with competition games in mind. They do possess an army list which I think is always helpful to gamers. I did not note any innovative features in this set of rules, everything seems to be fairly standard.
The Colonial Wars by T.J. Halsall, 48 Gloucester Road, Newbury, Berks, England. They are published by Newbury Rules and should be available from most hobby stores and those advertisers in MWAN. It should be mentioned that they are the second edition. They seem well organized as with LGT mentioned above, and, again, seem as though they were written for competitive tournament games. There is a good section on detection of the enemy and on ambush. They contain a listing of troops and troop values.
Long Knives: Basic Rules, for Skirmish Warfare in The Old West by Jim Birdseye ($5.95) and available through GAMES, CRAFTS, HOBBIES, AND STUFF who were kind enough to send me this set. Jim Birdseye is gaining a reputation as an "up-and-coming" rules writer. Theses rules are for skirmish games in the American West from 2830-1898 but concentrate on 1865-98. The game is tactical in view, each figure represents one man and one inch equals four yards with each turn equaling twenty seconds. Jim has borrowed from Wally Simon and utilizes a card sequence of play with figures being allowed different numbers of cards during which a figure can do what he pleases. The rules seem quite simple and playable and those who enjoy THE SWORD AND THE FLAME would probably enjoy this set as there are many things they share in common.
The Sword and The Flame: Supplement 1 is, assume, written by Larry Brom, along with John Thull, and available for $6.00 form GAMES, CRAFTS, HOBBIES AND STUFF who supplied it for me. It consists of a 24 page booklet with (1) answers to the most asked questions about TSATF rules, (2) optional rules for cavalry phased movement, alternative firing chart (requested by many gamers) and unit factors, (3) modifications for the French-Indian War, and (4) rules for The Boxer Rebellion and for French Foreign Legion games. A welcome addition for those who enjoy TSATF rules.
Verorene Haufe: Rules for the Renaissance 1453-1688 designed by William Chin and Developed by Barry Gray (Cost unknown). These rules should be available through any advertiser in MWAN. First of all, I know nothing about the renaissance period, so I am certainly not the person to pass any degree of judgment on these rules. However, Barry Gray was involved in putting them together and I have a great deal of respect for him, thus, they deserve to be looked at by someone who knows something of the period. One figure equals 20 men, one turn equals 15 minutes and one inch equals 20 yards for 15mm. If 25mm figures are used, distances, ground scale, and weapon ranges are multiplied by 1.75. The rules are well organized and take up 30 pages while the rest of the booklet contains scenarios. A point system is also provided. The game uses whole figure casualty removal and an alternate turn system which the author feels increases playability.
Back to MWAN #17 Table of Contents
Back to MWAN List of Issues
Back to Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1985 Hal Thinglum
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com