Rules

[charla51]

Malamute,

Many thanks. I do like BaB and the way it plays. Can I presume the fate cards for vehicles play like the Morale Cards in BaB?... And any chance at heroic play is always welcome.

George

[Malamute]

Morale tests are done using die rolls and checking against Pluck ratings(I think..!)Then referring to chart for effects.

The fate cards are a coventional card deck draw cross referenced against a chart. Slightly different to BAB in that there are no specific morale cards.

You can play a game with no technology or add as much, or as little VSF stuff as you like. Form my limited experience of Gaslight they are very similar rules sets.

The fluff and background is also very good as it gives stats for all the great powers, martian empires, new terrain types, flying machines, water bourne vessels including submarines, diving suits, dinosaurs, mechanical animals, automatons, tanks, impervious suits, walkers,  etc, etc.

[Torben]

Bit late to the party, but I would like to recommend the old VOID 1.1 rules made by i-Kore. I'm myself in the process of starting to gear up for VSF gaming, but easing into it with a healthy dosis of straight colonial gaming.

The only problem about using VOID as it stands right now is the difference in scope; VOID being a sci-fi game it lacks the rules for weird and magnificent pieces of steamtechnology and other oddities. The core of the game, however, stands as one of my most preferred rules. Oh, and it's still free to download!

So, if you don't mind making up your own stuff, then you should give VOID a spin or two

[Gluteus Maximus]

For VSFi I would choose Gaslight.

I also have Soldiers Companion in my Collection but never played the game.

Cheers
Björn

Yes, GASLIGHT is great, both the original and "Battles By GASLIGHT" give fast play, easy to learn and FUN games  .

I also have Soldier's companion, but like Bjoern have never played it 

The Sword and the Flame, whilst being "proper" colonial rules, also have ammendments available free on the web which cater for landships, airships etc.

Rob Beattie's "The Steam and the Flame" page :

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~beattie/steam.html

I had a copy of the rules ammendments, but appear to have lost them 


Malamute,  did you buy your copy of "Valour and Flesh and Steel" in the UK and if so, could you tell me where from?

Cheers,
Ian

[Gluteus Maximus]

There's a Martian ammendment to TSATF on this YahooGroup:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/swordflame/

If anyone who isn't a member that wants a PDF sent to them, PM me and I'll send it.

Cheers,
Ian

[Malamute]

Malamute,  did you buy your copy of "Valour and Flesh and Steel" in the UK and if so, could you tell me where from?

Cheers,
Ian

Yes I bought them in the UK at Colours in Reading/Newbury a couple of years ago. The only slight problem is I cannot remember who from >
I know Pappa Midnight has just picked up a set as he asked me the same question a week or so ago. He might have got them here somewhere.

[commissarmoody]

Well I have just orderd my self a copy of "valour and flesh and steel" Hope it dosnt take to long to get here

[Gluteus Maximus]

Malamute,  did you buy your copy of "Valour and Flesh and Steel" in the UK and if so, could you tell me where from?

Cheers,
Ian

Yes I bought them in the UK at Colours in Reading/Newbury a couple of years ago. The only slight problem is I cannot remember who from >
I know Pappa Midnight has just picked up a set as he asked me the same question a week or so ago. He might have got them here somewhere.

  That's just the sort of thing I keep doing! Never mind, I'm sure I'll find a seller somewhere. Probabaly Caliver.

[charla51]

Caliver have 'Valor, Steel and Flesh' listed in their Wargames Rules section. Of course, sometimes they don't have the stuff in stock. Too late for myself, though; I ordered them from The London Warroom just the other day.

[Gluteus Maximus]

Caliver have 'Valor, Steel and Flesh' listed in their Wargames Rules section. Of course, sometimes they don't have the stuff in stock. Too late for myself, though; I ordered them from The London Warroom just the other day.

Thanks!

I'll have to work out if it's cheaper to buy from them or London War Room, now the dollar appears to be gaining strength. It's been great buying from the US in the last few months, when it's been two dollars to the pound 

Cheers,
Ian

[charla51]

Hi All,

Just received (in UK) my copy of Valor & Steel & Flesh from London War Room (USA) in just under two weeks. Will report back when I've read and tried them.

[commissarmoody]

I also just received my copy in the mail today from the London war room 
Back ground seems good so far, now to get into the rules.

[theoldschool]

Others have already covered most of it, but I would add my tuppence worth for VSF, which work just as well for 'straight' colonial games.

[Lupus]

So i've got the GASLIGHT rules what about mini's then??

I was thinking of my first game would be two opposing side's meeting in the Jungle and then add Dino's with maybe cavemen as a GM lead force..

[Bullshott]

I was thinking of my first game would be two opposing side's meeting in the Jungle and then add Dino's with maybe cavemen as a GM lead force..

Jungle games are good for a start, as you will not need any heavy armour. Remember to have plenty of clearings so that the European troops have a chance to fire before being bounced by dinos or natives with melee weapons.

For European forces I would go for:

regulars - exceptionally tough troops like French Foreign Legion get 1 point better SCUFFLE and are Crack troops

askaris - normally 1 point worse SCUFFLE than regulars (unless particularly fierce like the Belgian askaris) - treat SHOOT the same (or 1 point worse if inferior training)

independant main characters (the guys around who the story will be based) - can include big game hunters armed with elephant guns to give your force some light anti-armour capability (as rifles but with better SRM - perhaps SRM 0?)

Steam technology - for my first jungle games we gave each side 1 piece of small steam tech - something that could feasibly be found in the jungle - something like a Euerka iimpervious suit ot GW Catachan sentinal or Killer Kan with close combat weapon and gun or flamethrower works very wekk in the jungle.


For natives stick to spears, etc for your first games to give the Europeans a chance to try their firepower - then add more powerful weapons in later games. GW skinks make a nice alternative to humans.

Drop me a PM on this forum and I can dig out play sheets/stats I used for my jungle games.