When looking through my clipping's library, I discovered that I didn’t seem to have a copy of the rules that I wrote to accompany my Balkan Wars Matrix Game. However, my mother used to buy copies of everything that I wrote, and in the pile of stuff that I inherited after her death was a copy of the issue of WARGAMES ILLUSTRATED that contained the rules and army lists … and I have included scans of the relevant pages below.
These scans can be enlarged by clicking on them.
I hope that my regular blog readers will find the above of interest … and it has been suggested that I ought to publish them in book form, possibly with a set of army-level PORTABLE WARGAME rules as an appendix.
How odd. Perhaps you are the J.R.Hartley of wargaming? (B.T advert)
ReplyDeleteKhusru,
DeleteI hope so … because in response to the success of the campaign they actually published the book featured in the advert … and it made quite a lot of money!
All the best,
Bob
That sounds like a an excellent idea! Be careful not to whet our appetites too much or we shall force you to stay in the house writing day and night until these things are done!
ReplyDeleteJon S,
DeleteMy list of books to write seems to be getting longer and longer … but I’d rather have that than have no writing projects to work on.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob, it's nice to see that article back in circulation. As it happens I both enjoyed reading it in the original and kept it. Not only that but recently scanned it myself. My reason for mentioning that is not simply to be smug (yeah, right) but because I think I also scanned in the original map, which you appear to be missing. If that's the case and you'd like me to see if I did and send you a copy, I'd be happy to do that. Regards, Chris
ReplyDeleteChris Helm (Chris),
DeleteI’m amazed that anyone else remembers the original articles.
I still have the original maps, but my copies are A1 in size, and the only scanned versions are from the magazine articles. I would appreciate a better electronic copies if you could send them to me.
All the best,
Bob
I'll dig around in the electronic archive sometime in the next day or so and see if I can find it. Regards, Chris
DeleteChris Helm (Chris),
DeleteCheers! Let me know if you find a copy.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob,
DeleteRight, I've found the article and maps that I was talking about but they may not be what you were thinking about.
The scanned images in your original post are, of course, for your Balkan Wars wargames rules article but though I have the article still, I don't have any map to go with it. I think that's mainly because that article didn't have a map
The maps that I was actually thinking of and do have are actually part of your article entitled "The Balkan League - rules for a matrix game campaign set at the time of the first and second Balkan wars". It happens that they're still on the "waiting to be scanned" pile but I can easily do that if those are actually the maps you wanted. Let me know.
Regards,
Chris
Chris Helm (Chris),
DeleteThanks for looking for the maps. I have found A4-size versions of the original maps, and hope to scan them in early next week. I’ll see how they turn out, and if they are not as good as I hope they will be, I’ll ask for copies of your scans.
All the best,
Bob
Hello there Bob,
ReplyDeleteGood to see these once again - I have a copy cut from the magazine and believe or or not mentioned on my blog rather a long time ago....
https://awargamingodyssey.blogspot.com/2009/07/find-of-historical-importance.html
Time to revisit them methinks!
All the best,
DC
David Crook,
DeleteI had forgotten that you had mentioned these rules in one of your blog posts back in 2009! I think that the Balkan Wars would be an ideal project for you to pursue using your wooden block armies.
All the best,
Bob
Wargaming aside, thank goodness for good mothers.
ReplyDeleteSteve8,
DeleteAmen to that! I never knew that she had done this, and only found out after she died.
All the best,
Bob
Read these and some of your others the other day - I have the online "Vault" subscription and have already gotten a lot of use out of it! Not much play yet, but a lot of interesting rulesets, historical articles and food for thought.
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
DeleteIt sounds like you are getting plenty of use out of your subscription.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed my articles. There was a lot of good stuff written and published in the early days of MW and. WI.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob -
ReplyDeleteFor the First Balkans War I found these lists very useful, and I divided them up according to the 'army size' of the original Matrix Game. The size rations didn't really match up, but the effect on the game was about right.
For the Second Blacklands War, I did wonder how I was going to explain the shrinkage of the Turcowaz Army, given the ongoing malice of its neighbours after its successful defence in the First War. But then it occurred to me: there have been 'manifestations' in the distant Medifluvia region, with a Ruberian Army bidding to capture Sakhdad. Some of this has found itself in the Archduke Piccolo archives... Reinforcements for that remote region have had to be gathered from somewhere!
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteThe army lists that went with the rules were written quite some time after the Matrix Game, hence the disparity between the two. If I do rewrite the whole thing as a new book, I’ll try to make them compatible.
I like your idea for explaining why the Turcowaz Army isn’t able to deploy all its forces during the Second Blacklands War. It makes perfect sense … and has a sort of reverse parallel with the Italo-Turkish War of 1912, which drew some Turkish attention away from developing events in the Balkans.
All the best,
Bob