*
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 11:11:01 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Donate

We Appreciate Your Support

Recent

Author Topic: A Right Bloody Mess (aka ARBM) is here!!  (Read 1696 times)

Offline Matthewc451

  • Student
  • Posts: 12
A Right Bloody Mess (aka ARBM) is here!!
« on: December 14, 2017, 05:29:47 AM »
A Right Bloody Mess has Arrived!!!

After two years of hard graft, A Right Blood Mess aka ARBM is finally here. Yesterday the printer delivered the first two cartons my door and I am pleased to say it is everything I could of hope for.

 

So what’s got me all hot all bothered? ARBM provides the wargamer everything they need to understand the Australian (Civil) War, the events leading up to it and the first year of the conflict.

The Australian War starts on the 9th April 1933 with the secession of Western Australia, the Northern Territory (which together form the Dominion of Westralia) and Victoria. Detail is provided about the kidnapping of New South Wales Premier, Jack Lang, on the 13th May 1932 by the New Guard, allowing players to include this earlier confrontation.

ARBM is a sourcebook, with detailed information about the leadup to civil war, the factions involved and their capabilities and resources. Limited information is provided about the first year of the conflict so that gamers may take the setting where they will. It is rules and scale agnostic for the same reason.

The setting is plausible and much of the book is historically accurate, including the content and distribution of the armed forces, various factions, armaments factories, etc. I gave called out major historical variance. This will hopefully allow players to explore the gamut from “plausible” to “whimsical.” A good example of the latter is the 1930s cars produced by Eureka miniatures and the complementing Maximillian 1934 rules published by Mana Press.

The book is a 6” x 9”, full colour, cloth bound hardcover running to 282 pages, plus dust jacket. Price is A$80 or £45. Copies will be on sale at Eureka Miniatures or by contacting me at arbm1933@iinet.net.au. Being POD I can get a copy sent to most locations for a reasonable postage cost.

Below is the Table of Contents to give you a better idea of the book’s scope. The structure of each faction’s information is at the bottom.

Happy gaming,

Matt

Table of Contents:
Preface:

Section 1:
An Overview of the Australian Civil War.  (Pg. 3)

Federation:
The Depression:
New South Wales Crisis:
The Gathering Storm:
Descent into Civil War:
The Australian War:
Alternate Versions of Alternate-history:

Section 2:
Australian Armed Forces Pre-Secession. (Pg. 19)

Australian Army:
Royal Australian Navy:
Royal Australian Air Force:
Civilian Weapons:

Section 3:
Descent into Chaos. (Pg. 35)

Standardisation:
-   Uniforms:
-   Organisation:
-   Small Arms and Equipment:
-   Artillery:

Wargaming Figures:

Section 4:
Faction Guide. (Pg. 51)

A New Australia:
Known Factions 1933:
Dominion of Westralia:
Victoria:
New South Wales & the FCT:
Queensland:
South Australia:
Tasmania:
Australian Red Centre:
The Riverina Movement:
Australian’s Labour Unions:
Communist Party of Australian:
Other Left-Wing Organisations:
-   United Front Against Fascism:
-   Australian Labor Party:

The New Guard:
Fascists within the New Guard:
The Italian Fascist Movement:
The Old Guard:
League of National Security:
Other Right-Wing Organisations:
-   The Australian Fascist Party:
-   The Centre Party:
-   Blue Shirts:
-   Silent Knights:
-   Australia First Movement:
-   Black Shirts:
-   Citizens' League of South Australia:

The Establishment:
-   United Australia Party:
-   Attorney-General’s Department: Investigation Branch:
-   State Police Forces:

Societies Underbelly – Gangs and Criminals:
Australian Immigrants and Other Groups:
-   New Zealand:
-   Italian Immigrants:
-   Irish Immigrants:
-   German Immigrants:
-   Chinese and Asian Immigrants:
-   Religions Groups:
-   Smaller and Ad-hoc Groups:


Section 5:
Wargaming ARBM. (Pg. 249)

Repurposing Miniatures:
Potential Rule Sets:
Campaigns and Scenarios:
-   Campaigns:
-   Company to Regimental Sized Engagements:
-   Skirmish Games:
-   RPG-Lite:

Examples of Faction Creation:
-   Geelong Workers Union:
-   The Murray River Growers Association:


Section 6:
Additional Information. (Pg. 265)

Australian Spirit:
Technology and History:
Militia Units:
The Setting:
-   Going Beyond 1933:
Designers Notes:
Useful Links:


Faction Information:
The information present for each faction listed in Section 4 is
structured in the following manner:

Introduction and Overview:
Military Organisational Structure:
Army:
Air Force:
Navy:
Key Infrastructure:
-   Mining and Agriculture:
-   Military Production:
-   Transportation:
-   Other Key Infrastructure:

Wargaming the Faction:
-   Training and Support:
-   Uniforms and Equipment:
-   Heavy Equipment:
-   Primary Allies and Opponents:
-   Wargaming Figures:


(Note: Not all factions have every section listed above, the
minor factions only have those parts that are applicable to
them.)

Offline Matthewc451

  • Student
  • Posts: 12
Re: A Right Bloody Mess (aka ARBM) is here!!
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2018, 02:47:27 AM »
For those of you lucky enough to be going to CanCon on the 26-29 January 2018, Nic from Eureka Miniatures will have copies of the book. Alternatively, I can have a copy sent direct from the printer to most countries for a relatively modest postage cost. I can be contacted at arbm1933@iinet.net.au

Don't forget to check out the Mad Maximillian cars and characters, and rules from Mana Press. Colloquially known as Max34, they are based in the ARBM setting and reflect my desire for the gamers to take ARBM where they will.


This beautiful example is by Pappa Midnight.

Matt
ARBM1933.blogspot.com.au


Offline von Lucky

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 8796
  • Melbourne, Australia
    • Donner und Blitzen Wargaming
Re: A Right Bloody Mess (aka ARBM) is here!!
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2018, 10:53:35 AM »
Excellent - plan to get a copy when I'm up there.
- Karsten

"Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Blog: Donner und Blitzen

 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
1 Replies
1023 Views
Last post May 18, 2014, 06:37:57 AM
by Dewbakuk
87 Replies
39884 Views
Last post January 26, 2018, 12:44:49 PM
by wharfedalehome
5 Replies
3020 Views
Last post July 05, 2016, 04:59:18 AM
by Colonel Grubb
0 Replies
1034 Views
Last post January 30, 2018, 04:33:36 AM
by Matthewc451
3 Replies
995 Views
Last post November 08, 2020, 03:01:54 AM
by Luigi