I happened to be in the Bluewater branch of WHSmith when I saw this month's issue of WARGAMES ILLUSTRATED. I had a flick through it and several articles caught my eye, so I bought a copy.
The articles that caught my eye were:
- Loose Files and American Scramble by Andy Callan
- Returning To Old Favourites: One Person's Passion - Collecting Old School Armies by Rick Priestley
- Fashoda Showdown by Nick Buxey
- Citadel to Perry Minis, via Foundry, and interview with the Perry twins
- Making an Acacia Tree by Matt Parkes
- Thane Tostig by Daniel Mersey
I've known Andy Callan for forty-three years, and I know that any rules that he has written will be worth reading, even if they relate to a period of wargaming that I don't wargame.
As a bit of an 'old school' wargamer, Rick Priestley's article - and especially many of the photographs of good old Minifigs figures - really struck a chord ... and it was interesting to see that in an age of super-detailed figure sculptures and shaded figures, how good they looked!
The Fashoda Showdown article looked at what might have happened if the British and French had come to blows on the banks of the Upper Nile. It's a 'what if?' I've thought about refighting myself, and this article certainly made me think about actually doing so at some time.
The interview with Alan and Michael Perry was interesting and informative, and showed how their careers and their sculpting has developed over the years.
The acacia tree has a special place in the hearts of all Freemasons, so this article was a 'must read' ...
Thane Tostig was the brainchild of my old friend, the late Eric Knowles, ...
... and his son William ... although we always called him Bill! It was a fantasy game that featured figures by the legendary Barry Minot, and although I never played any of the games Eric staged, I can well remember seeing the figures being cast in the basement of his shop - the New Model Army - in Manor Park, east London. Daniel Mersey's article does contain a few errors (for example, Eric and Bill were father and son and not brothers!) but it was great to see that Thane Tostig has not been forgotten!
(I devoted a whole appendix to ‘The Quest of Thane Tostig’ or ‘The Quest of Thane Tostig for the Magic Sword Blooddrinker’ in the book I compiled about the Madasahatta Campaign. It included a list of all the figures that Eric planned to release.)
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Ooh! I might have to look at that. I'm a big fan of Loose Files & American Scramble. They're my go to set for the AWI. I got the original magazine article back in the 80s. I wonder if there's been any tweaks to them.
ReplyDeleteNundanket,
DeleteIf you liked the original rules, I’m sure that you’ll enjoy reading its latest iteration.
All the best,
Bob
I too really enjoyed this issue, and the 'old school' gaming articles. I remember playing loose files as well. A good set for small actions.
ReplyDeleteMark Cordone,
DeleteIt reminded me of the sort of magazines I used to buy every month. Perhaps ‘old school’ has become the new wargaming black!
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob, I was wondering if anything has developed regarding the publication of the rules for Thane Tostig.
ReplyDeleteStephen,
DeleteI had hoped that they would be republished by the ‘History of Wargaming’ Project, but as far as I know, they are not likely to be in the near future,
All the best,
Bob
Well, that's unfortunate. Were you unable to obtain permission from the estate?
DeleteStephen,
DeleteI don’t think that copyright is the problem. I think that it’s more a matter of priorities. I’m sure that they’ll be republished eventually.
All the best,
Bob
Bob, thanks for getting back to me so quickly!
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad it couldn't just be published in a facsimile version of the original booklet.
That article was a real teaser! I enjoy playing the older rules, experiencing their quirks and learning about how they influenced later game designers.
Stephen,
DeleteI must admit, that might be a good idea rather than it being available as a bigger compendium of rules from the period.
All the best,
Bob