I had not realised that I had not done a quick review of what other people were doing with the PORTABLE WARGAME since the middle of October ... so this blog post is an attempt to catch-up with recent developments.
Over on the PORTLAND LITTLE WARS blog, Spencer CF has fought a number of wargames using the rules, some set during La Belle Époque ...
... and some during the Ancient period.
Furthermore, they have come up with a very interesting Belle Époque Battle Maker, which I recommend to anyone looking for a means of generating forces and scenarios.
Barry Carter pitched some Late 15th century Swiss against a number of French Ecourcheurs in a sort of Big Battle version of the PORTABLE WARGAME with 3 or 6 base units fighting over a 4-inch grid on a 3 foot table. The figures are made by WoFun and en mass the results are stunning.
He has also fought a number of battles twice, one using DBA and one using the PORTABLE WARGAME rules and comparing the result.
Stephen Smith has been painting up a large number of 1/72nd Napoleonic figures ...
... and has so far created the French 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Corps as they were in 1813.
Paul David Leeson has been running an English Civil War campaign set in Spring 1645.
Nick Nascati has been preparing forces for an Anglo-Zulu War clash.
Lee Gramson has been working on some terrain to go with his 6mm Crimean War figures. He has attempted to try to 'hide' the grid as mush as possible, and looking at what he has so far produced, he seems to have been very successful!
The rules got a lot of exposure when Mike Lewis and company ran a game at SALUTE2021 using 54mm figures.
The scenario was 'Relief of Fort Pippin' ... a place that some of you might well know from a famous BBC children's TV series!
Martin Smith has been fighting a number of battles in the Sudan ...
... and Mark Cordone has been preparing for a campaign set in an imagi-world version of North America.
Please note that the photographs featured above are © Spencer CF, Barry Carter, Stephen Smith, Paul David Leeson, Nick Nascati, Lee Gramson, Mike Lewis, Martin Smith, and Mark Cordone.
Some great images, thanks for sharing these. I do like Mark's map very much.
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteIt was my pleasure both to re-read all this contributions to theFacebook page and to share this selection with regular blog readers.
Mark’s map and the backstory that goes with it looks as if it will give him lots of enjoyment in the future.
All the best,
Bob
And I hope other readers in the group will find some inspiration and enjoyment as well.
DeleteMark Cordone,
DeleteFrom the reactions I have seen so far, you have inspired quite a few people!
All the best,
Bob
And I am indebted to Ion's current campaign for getting me thinking along these lines in the first place. I highly recommend it.
DeleteMark Cordone,
DeleteOne of the things I love about blogging and the internet is how easily we can draw on other people’s ideas etc., for our inspiration.
All the best,
Bob
Good to see the rules being so wide spread and being used with such imagination to suit each person's tastes and needs.
ReplyDeleteRoss Mac,
DeleteIt is quite humbling to see some of the imaginative ways in which other wargamers have used my rules.
All the best,
Bob
There are some more pics of Mike's Salute game here...
ReplyDeletehttps://wargaminggallimaufry.blogspot.com/2021/11/post-viral-salute.html
It went down very well with all the players that had a go.
Alastair,
DeleteThanks for the link to the photos, it’s great to read that the game went down so well, and that word about the rules has been spread.
All the best,
Bob
Wow -
ReplyDeleteI must have been looking the other way when some of these turned up! I hadn't seen some of these. I do like Mark Cordone's 'Imaginamerica' - whole new world replete with possibility.
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteThat was pretty well my reaction as well. I sort of lost touch with things whilst dealing with my sister’s death and then the cruise … and then discovered how much progress had been made by so many users and how dynamic the situation was. There is lots to look forward to over the coming months.
All the best,
Bob
Bob.. You should catch up on Ion's blog. He has an amazing campaign going on, very exciting stuff. Regards.
DeleteTony Adams,
DeleteI just have … and you are right, it is exciting stuff!
All the best,
Bob
I have been taken with the idea of an alternative America since reading about (and then reading) the "Alvin Maker" series by Orson Scott Card(?). This has England under a Protectorate, the Restoration never having happened with colonies in New England, an exiled Stuart southern provinces, Virginia, Carolina etc, a small United States, France and Spain and Native American nations. If you can get past the magic and introduction of historical characters they are an OK read. It was the idea of the various European colonies that grabbed me, a review mentioning the Swedish and Dutch colonies still existing (in the novels these are part of the US).
ReplyDeleteSo I rather like the map.
I'm still not sure about the Wofun figures; I understand the attraction but for some reason the actual paper figures look better.
Neil
Neil Patterson (Neil),
DeleteMark’s alternative imagi-merica and the version of America you outline in your comment show the possibilities that fictional imagi-nations have for wargamers to exploit. Both feel historically viable, and I can see them generating all sorts of interesting scenarios.
The Wofun figures are very much like Marmite. You either love them or hate them. I think that they have possibilities, but I doubt that I would ever junk my existing figure collections and replace them wholesale with Wofuns. I might, however, buy some for a specific new project.
All the best,
Bob