I followed a link on TMP to this set of big battle colonial rules this morning and liked what I found a lot. This is a ruleset designed specifically for colonial wargaming and includes just about everything you would need for the period. I have a 15mm Mahdist army that I set up for Patrols in the Sudan, which is a great set of rules but very much a company level skirmish style game, so this set of rules would be a good way to scale up to brigade sized games. It also ticks the wargame campaigns box!
The rules are designed around square stands of 2 to 6 figures, each of which represents a company, with eight of so companies forming a brigade. I have enough 15mm dervish to put together several brigades, although I do need to finish off the highlighting and detailing, which I could add to the list of things to do over the summer. I don't have any Anglo-Egyptian forces yet but there's plenty of 15mm figures in the leadpile that will double up for PITS.
You can read more about the rules here:
One of the nice things about the rules is that a proportion of the cover price goes to the Combat Stress appeal, so it's a bit of a no-brainer all round. The rules also include two 28mm flag sheets, although what they are isn't specified, but I guess they are probably for the Sudan. I don't have plans to do anything in 28mm for this but I do have some 28mm plastic Zulus that would be a great way to branch out into larger scales.
I think I'll order a set of the rules instead of the Frostgrave option, as it would make more sense to make use of my existng 15mm armies rather than starting something completely new. If they arrive before the end of term I can work out what I need to do to either finish off the 15mm Mahdist or to assemble the 28mm Zulus. I've always had a soft spot for colonial gaming so this looks like a really exciting ruleset and a very effective way to get an existing project finished off.
Thank you will look them up.
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to have a look at those myself, thank you for the timely reminder.
ReplyDeleteLooks very interesting - I recently read Saul David's 'Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire', which was a fascinating account of the politics & military strategy of the era. Very colourful portrait & accounts of British colonial misadventures & conquests. I haven't gamed this era or scale before, but I am very tempted by Victorian Steel!
ReplyDeleteYep, I think these look really good, especially as they are scaleable from eight stands a side to multiple brigades,although the native forces need to be larger than the colonial ones.
ReplyDeleteI'll write up a review when they arrive.
:O)
Jim