Gaming

By Paolo Paglianti

Ops, they did it again! After having explored “classic” WW2 and D-Day/Bulge scenarios, Spanish 3D Breed creators have launched a new themed Kickstarter about the North Africa theatre. And it’s so cheap, successful, and full of models every wargamer interested in World War 2 with a 3D printer should give it a look.

We already know the quality of 3D Breeds STL files, not only for WW2 models but also for “Ancient” (here is our feature about the Greeks and Persians) and “Western” ages (read about it here) so we already knew North Africa would be good. We received a small “press pack” with some miniatures and we promptly printed them (in 15mm).

Today we catch up the Glenn, Tyler, and Guest podcaster Joe Forster of Blood and Pigment to get the lowdown on the summer of plunder, as well as the September Tournament at the Calvert Marine Museum. Join us for this supersized recap of all that went down over the past few months as The Talesmen discuss Firelock Games and their premiere pirate game.

By Jim Naughton

Part one of this story here

Introduction

The 4^th Edition was published seven years ago.  You may ask why I’m reviewing it now.  There are a couple of reasons.  First, there are new offerings in the figures market in 12mm/15mm scale. Although theoretically aimed at other rulesets, they can be easily applied to Napoleon’s Battles.

And because Napoleon’s Battles (hereafter NB) uses small bases, a ‘sabot base’ or piece of plastic card, a movement tray or similar device can take figures based for NB and apply them to other systems.

In effect, figures are a fungible asset and can be used for multiple rules.  So I recommend those entering Napoleonics for the first time, to have a look at various systems, and base your figures in a way they can be multifunctional.

By Philip S. Bolger-Cortez

Last year, I talked with Kevin Verssen at Dan Verssen Games about making a game about the late Cold War, and when he accepted, the foundations were laid for Eagle Leader.

From the beginning, it was designed as a NATO companion to Fulcrum Leader, a game already under design by Benjamin Chee and Doug Glover.  Benjamin Chee likes to start every game with the same question: “What is the story you are trying to tell?” For Eagle Leader, it’s simple enough: the struggle of USAF and allied NATO Air Forces fighting the Warsaw Pact in the skies and ground of Europe, the aerial companion to the many “What if” campaigns about the Fulda Gap. Initial plans were ambitious– a core game featuring USAF, and a series of expansions to allow players who wanted to play NATO aircraft to allow for a wide variety. I knew I had to recruit a reliable team of developers, so I gathered Mitch Reed, Chris DiNote, and Phil “Doc” Wohlrab to help me, along with James L Young as a team historian.

By Kreighton Long

Last Saturday, 8 October, I had the opportunity to attend the Call to Arms convention in Williamsburg, VA and compete in the Bolt Action tournament. The tournament was organized by seven-year TO veteran Kalissa Skibicki. Twenty competitors checked in Saturday morning for a day of competitive gaming. The tournament progressed smoothly and after three different scenarios with three different opponents, the tournament came to a successful conclusion.

By Jim Naughton

Introduction

The Wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars are sometimes regarded as the ‘Second’ World War, with the Seven Years War regarded as the ‘First.’  Battles raged on all continents save Antarctica and Australia as small forces of the primary contestants sought to seize colonies or disrupt colonial empires.

America’s War of 1812 was triggered by Britain’s high-handed naval policies – in turn a response to Napoleon’s Continental System.  A Corsican general brought the war to Egypt, handily defeating the Sultan’s armies, but failing in face of unavailing British seapower.  A little-known British General’s career took off in the Indian Subcontinent fight

ing native armies with some connection to French mercantile influence.  That career reached its zenith when the Corsican adventurer and the British General clashed at Waterloo, bringing Europe six years of fragile peace.  Clausewitz’s On War and B.H. Liddel Hart’s Strategy have their roots in the Napoleonic Wars.

By David Garvin

In a previous post, I interviewed Dr. Andrew Hershey, designer of many Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) scenarios and Historical ASL campaign games, colloquially known as HASLs. It was quite evident after reading that interview, that there is quite a bit of research behind many ASL Scenarios and especially HASLs.

As such, by playing any well-designed HASL, one can gain a better understanding of the nature of the conflict at large and the feel of certain battles. For me, one of the best examples is found in the HASL Kampfgruppe Scherer: The Shield of Cholm (KGS). It was produced by le franc tireur in 2011 and designed by the aforementioned Dr. Andrew Hershey.

By David Garvin

Order of Battle: World War II is a computer game that harkens back to the old Panzer General series of games. The similarities are superficial but close enough that any seasoned grognard who played the old game will feel at home.

At least I know I did.

This is available now via Steam from Slitherine and if someone is looking for a quick and fun game to play this is it.

By Glenn VanMeter

On 17 September our Tales of the Sail podcast was fortunate enough to partner with the Calvert Marine Museum to put on a Blood & Plunder tournament at their Talk Like a Pirate Day family event. This was an unusual gaming event for us as it was not held at a game store or a convention, but at an attraction open to the general public.

The tournament was also quite a distance away from most of the participating gamers, which is why we gave it the label of a “Destination Tournament”.

Due to the planning this event required, we needed participants to sign up ahead of time. Fourteen brave souls decided to make the trip to the museum, located in Solomons Island, Maryland. Tom Mullane came down from Connecticut to run the event with me. Most players were from the Maryland and Virginia area, but one or two came from Pennsylvania. We even had a four-player group come from as far as North Carolina complete with team shirts.

By Kreighton Long

With my Bolt Action Romanian army built and bloodied on the table, it’s time, once again, to look forward to a new project. Scrolling through my mental list of armies I aspire to paint and field I felt temporarily at a loss. While discussing my dilemma with a friend over a mid-war game of Bolt Action, he suggested I try something in the early-war period, so as to pair against his own early-war armies.

The suggestion was well received and we spent a good portion of the remainder of the game discussing my options. A combination of desiring to get the most mileage out of my next project and to build a less common army brought me to the stoop of the Italian Army.

The recent releases of Warlord’s Bolt Action: Campaign Italy: Soft Underbelly and plastic Italian Army opened the door and ushered me inside. As all my terrain is themed around European battlefields I decided to focus my research on the Italian participation in European campaigns and battles. Some quick online research into the campaigns fought by the Italian Army in Europe gave me some quality gaming options to consider including campaigns in Southern France, Greece, and Russia.