Category Archives: Hobby News

Around the Web

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Today, I’d like to direct your attention to a post on Bob Cordery’s WARGAMING MISCELLANY site. On Sunday 16 February Bob posted a play test report: Attack on MacDonald’s Farm. The topic initially caught my attention for two reasons: 1) a gridded war game and 2) the rules were by Ross Macfarlane; his 20th Century Square Brigadier rules. A rules set that caught my eye just a little while back.

Wargame Miscellany

 

Bob’s blog is one that I read on a fairly regular basis. He often has many interesting ideas and stories to tell. If you have never visited his blog site, be sure to do so as I do believe that you too will find it to of interest.

 

While out visiting you should also be sure to visit Ross Macfarlane’s Battle Game of the Month blog site.

Battle Game of the Month

I always finds the site to be informative and entertaining. I find much war game inspiration in the photos and write-ups on this site, and I think many of you will too. And besides, how can one resist a blog with such a cool header image?

Be sure to pay Bob and Ross a visit, you won’t be sorry.

 

Dodd vs. La Duc

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May has been a busy month, my backlog of figures to photograph continues to grow. As soon as I can clear the photo area I’ll grab the camera and start shooting pictures…

In the little bit of spare time I’ve been able to find I’ve been revisiting my Napoleonic Skirmish Game project. As you may know from previous posts my Napoleonic skirmish game uses our Scruby 45mm Napoleonic Skirmish figures and for rules I’ve been using my Napoleonic TSATF variant – The Sword and the Eagle. While I really like TSATF, I’ve never been really happy with my Napoleonic version. I’ve tried several other rules sets including Sharp Practice (Too Fat Lardies), but until recently I have not found a set I really like. Some number of months ago I decided to try out one more set of rules: Song of Drums and Shakos (Ganesha Games). So far I’m really liking this game system (In coming weeks I’ll be writing more about our exploits using various rules sets from Ganesha Games)…

Song of Drums and Shakos is a fast playing Napoleonic skirmish games based on the popular Song of Blades and Heroes system. One of the really nice things about this system is that one can play with as few as 5 or 6 figures per player; a points system is used to balance player forces. The game mechanics are far from complex. Each figure has a quality rating and players role for activation for each figure. Depending upon activation roll results figures can perform up to three actions per turn.

The game design is such that it can be used with nearly any figure scale you desire. The rules include measurements for 15mm to 40mm (all measuring is done using measurement sticks – Short, Medium and Long). When playing with 15mm figures one can play on a surface as small as 2 feet by 2 feet (with 28mm figures – 3 feet by 3 feet). For my 45mm figures I’ve adjusted measurements and play in a 4 foot by 6 foot space. When I first wrote/posted this I did not have my notes with me; thus didn’t get ‘it’ right. My adjusted measurements for 45mm to 54mm figures are as follows: Short 115mm, Medium 180mm and Long 270mm. The rules actually provide measurements for 40mm figures. However, most modern 40mm sculpts seem to fit into the same space as 28mm figures, so I recommend using the 25/28mm measurements as presented in the rules. If your 40mm figures have a larger footprint using the 40mm measurements or even my alternate 45/54mm measurements will work just fine. I’ll stick with my recommend playing space of 4 feet square for 40mm figures, unless you are using my alternate distance measurements; in which case I recommend my 4 foot by 6 foot space.

Now that I have a nice , simple set of rules I expect that Lance Corporal Dodd and Carabinier Sergeant La Duc will see much more table top action! Perhaps when I find time to remold, cast and paint some more of the Scruby 54mm Napoleonic miniatures I’ll bring  Sergeant Vladamir of the 37th Russian Jagers out of retirement (I did finally manage to locate the Sergeant Vladamir figure as well as four of his fellow Jagers).

Song of Drums and Shakos is expanded by More Drums and Shakos; which includes additional rules, special rules, weapons, four (4) scenarios as well as army lists for most Nations involved in the Napoleonic wars…

I’ll close out with a N-gauge teaser…

Look for NEW N-gauge Tricorne Era figures in the very near future -Last night I cast patterns for Officers (foot and mounted) as well as the first of the New Highlanders…

Toe-to-Toe Nu’klr Combat with the Rooskies

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The other night I had a chance sit down and try out this, fun, new game from Victory Point Games…

Toe-to-Toe Nu'klr Combat with the Rooskies

Ok, so your first question is: “What is this Toe-to-Toe Nu’klr Combat with the Rooskies business all about?

Well, I’m gonna cheat here and borrow from the VPG website; “Toe-to-Toe Nu’klr Combat with the Rooskies is a fast-playing solitaire game. You decide the payload, pick your targets and must then challenge the Soviet Union’s defenses.”

This simple statement really sums things up nicely. Sure there is more to it than that, but this description was enough to make me want to try this one – in short the game fully lives up to this description. It is a fast-playing game. Pick a target, determine the payload and go for it! easy as pie (really).

The game uses a card & chit (marker) system. Markers are placed face down in each space along your selected flight path. Entry into a space reveals the marker, (a SAM site, MIG aircraft, increased awareness of your ingress, or a random event). Encounters are frequent, and must be dealt with…

Choices, and you do have choices to make, increase altitude to reduce the chance of a SAM hit? Or perhaps go in under the radar? Watch your fule consumption – you do want to make it home don’t you? Perhaps a target of opportunity (a newly discovered missile silo) will appear? Do you hit it or push on to your primary and secondary objectives? Dont forget to use flares (handy when dealing with MIGs) and chaff (if dealing with SAMs)…

All this and more awaits you in Toe-to-Toe Nu’klr Combat with the Rooskies. Wait, we forgot about the fat playng part – an average game can be completed in under 15minutes (including setup) and with a campaign game length of 4 missions you wil have an enjoyable hour!

Yee-Haw!

Victory Point Games (my new favorite board game publisher) hits another home run!

 

Crisis 2020

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In keeping up with the ‘hobby news’ aspect of Table Top Talk we bring you a short news item covering a new release from my (current) favorite board game publisher…

Crisis 2020: America Divided New from Victory Point Games Crisis 2020: America Divided. This is an updated version of Joe Miranda’s Crisis 2000 game originally published in the old Game Fix magazine. Today’s edition is a semi-professional desktop published game of low-to-moderate complexity which explores an America divided between Government, Rebels, and Interventionists. The game includes full-color components, 120 mounted die-cut 1/2″ square counters, 80 Crisis cards, plus player aids, various scenarios, and designers notes.

I have yet to pick up a copy of this one, but it is is on my list, as soon as I can find a few local players to give it a whirl.

Price: $24.95

And now for something completely different…

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This past weekend was my birthday weekend, and while I slaved away in the mold making shop I still didn’t get everything done that I had on my planned list of projects. I made progress, but just not as much as I should have. It shouldn’t be too bad, as I think I can make up most of the time this week…

It being my birthday, the timing of a new game release from Victory Point Games couldn’t have been better. A friend of mine remembered that I am intrigued by all things related to the Arab-Israeli Wars, as such he gave me a copy of the new game Israeli Independence. In a nutshell this is an introductory level solitaire wargame that tells the saga of the First Arab-Israeli War; Israel’s War for Independence. The game comes with 2 pages of rules, an 8 1/2″ x 11″ map sheet, 8 x 5/8″ counters and a deck of 24 cards (player supplies a single d6).

Israeli Independence

Game play is pretty straight forward: Draw a card (cards show which Arab armies move as well as how many offensives (and any die roll modifiers) the Israeli player may make.. Move the Arab armies (if any Arab armies have reached West Jerusalem the game is over), The player (you play the part of the Israelis) launches any offensives (pushing back Arab armies if successful). These steps are repeated until the card deck has been exhausted or until an Arab army reaches West Jerusalem.

It is hard to win this game – not impossible, but hard. My first game was an Israeli (marginal) victory, then next 3 were Arab victories. I’ve lost count of how many games I’ve played, but there are for sure more Arab victories. I’ve hard one or two crushing victories as well as a few crushing defeats. Most games have been marginal victories fr the Arabs – overall I’m thinking this is actually quit balanced.

I really like this game – it is simple, yet I do not think anyone will ever master the game. There is just enough randomness in the die rolling and cards to keep you on your toes. Sure at some point you will know what all of the cards are, but you will have no way of knowing when each will be turned up – so, while you may know what types of things to expect, you will never know when to expect them, and then we mix in the die rolls and I believe that there will be no perfect strategy for this one. I know that I’ll be playing this one for quite some time, I even have a few ideas for additional variant rules (just in case I need to shake things up a bit). For more information on this and other Victory Point Games offerings be sure to visit the Victory Point Games website.