VBCW What Rules?

[Rob_bresnen]

I am planning to start painting my first VBCW army- a small group of Liverpool based communistist, dock workers and radicals. I have some IRA figures to paint, and have been spying some other suitable minis, from copplestone, Pulp figures and Artizan Designs.

The big question I have is what rules should I use, and where do I get it? Where can I read the 'fluff' of the game period so that I can make informed choises about my force? I know that the setting is quite free-form, being based on fictional historic events, but I want to try to be as authentic as I can.

I would welcome any advice. 

Rob

[Rich J]

It is of course all fictional ... The Leader by Guy Walters is quite a good book to get into the feel of the goings on, as are the biographies of the Mitford and Curzon sisters as it has a lot of fact about Mosley and the period, it all could have easily happened one feels ... the 'source books' from Solway are good background stuff although obviously you are then buying into 'their' background (which is a good culmination of stuff from people all) ... I have nearly finished an alternative 'alternative' background book but it is geared towards 'Flying Lead' from Ganesha Games (obviously as I wrote them it would be!). Should be available fairly soon.

Rules wise depends on the scale you want to do ... any WWI - WWII + rules should work OK depending ... again we do mainly skirmish (10-15 figs a side) and use Flying Lead and then the new 'big battle' rules for platoon stuff. But lots of people use the LOTOW variation which appeared in a mag a month or two ago, Rate of Fire, Rules of Engagement etc ... My favourite (apart from mine of course) have been 'Triumph and Tragedy' which are a 1930s Pulp type set of rules which work real well for platoon + action. I know the Lardies have a supplement covering the genre for their company level WWI set which is good if you like their mechanics ... basically the world is your oyster really ...

It is such a fun period to get into as the quasi historical feel is good and you can have weird and wonderful forces which probably are closer to history than many would seem!

Rich J

[AKULA]

Best advice is write your own - trust me, it will be more satisfying (and cheaper) than buying a set - VBCW is all about the character of the forces involved, so you can really make it a feature of the rule sthemselves - such a sby the use of random chance/event cards.

If you don't fancy writing a set yourself, i'd suggest having a look on GWP, as there are loads of threads about rules, particuallry given that the GWPers have staged loads of VBCW games, with anything from half a dozen figure skirmishes up to multi-day, multi-table campaigns.

 

[twrchtrwyth]

I'm assuming you have the various books from Solway Crafts, if not that's what you need.

I second the suggestions of Triumph and Tragedy and the GWP.

http://gwargamesp.18.forumer.com/index.php?showforum=4

[Rob_bresnen]

I will have to try to pick up the solway books at salute. Is anyone running any VBCW games at Salute?

[mendoza]

We have Where Heroes Dare from Iron Ivan...very good rules for this games...

[Red Orc]

Empress have some free downloads of rules specifically for VBCW called 'And Was Jerusalem Builded Here?', available here: http://www.empressminiatures.com/page15.htm

What you will have to do is prepare your own event cards to use with these.

As for background, personally I favour an eclectic mix of Jeeves and Wooster, Miss Marple (and 'country house' thriller/drama/capers), 'When the Boat Comes In', 'Dad's Army' and a dash of Weird World War Two/Call of Cthulhu, with stuff I've just made up for no reason other than whimsy.

For example, in my version/backstory, Roderick Spode AKA Lord Sidcup takes the place of Oswald Mosely; but in Northern England (especially Lancashire and Yorkshire) there is a rival Fascist organisation called the British League of Fascists, as the 'Union' is considered too southern and poncey.

[Luddite]

Akula has it right - writing your own is probably best.

However, the best published rules for the level of game AVBCW is pitched at (platoon vs platoon) is Great Escape Games Rules of Engagement.  Quick, simple, fun.

However, i'd add some method (such as cards) for random wierd stuff happening...

[Arlequín]

British League of Fascists, as the 'Union' is considered too southern and poncey.

[Christian]

Empress have some free downloads of rules specifically for VBCW called 'And Was Jerusalem Builded Here?', available here: http://www.empressminiatures.com/page15.htm

This is a great set of rules. There are some really great ideas in there, really fire up the imagination!

[joroas]

Look on the GWP site, there are a few sets of event cards there that are ready made.

[Arlequín]

This is a great set of rules. There are some really great ideas in there, really fire up the imagination!

That's quite ironic considering they were based on the rules contained in 'Charge!' by Brig. Peter Young & Lt.Col James Lawford, first published in 1970 iirc. PDE chose them for their antiquity and amateur-like attitude to gaming as he thought it would gel well with the 'style' of VBCW.

Don't get me wrong, PDE's additions and changes were well thought through and definitely added to the games played. He just showed that the original rules still had legs after forty years. He could only have topped this by basing them on 'Little Wars'.

Other folks have used Warhammer Great War, Legends of the Old West, the Lardies' Through The Mud and the Blood (which has VBCW lists in a free supplement) and of course 'Triumph and Tragedy', to name but a few. There's also the 'Brigadier 38' rules designed specifically for VBCW. All depends what sort of game you want to play and how you want to play it.

   

[joroas]

Don't get me wrong, PDE's additions and changes were well thought through and definitely added to the games played. He just showed that the original rules still had legs after forty years. He could only have topped this by basing them on 'Little Wars'.

So, maybe the  future is 54mm lead men with matchstick firing Britain's cannons.............. 

Full circle achieved! 

[Blackwolf]

I agree,write your own; I have just finished my own rule for a game this Sunday,what are they called? Well I wanted a British,whimsical name.....'Hostilitys Amongst the Hollyhocks'

[Arlequín]

So, maybe the  future is 54mm lead men with matchstick firing Britain's cannons.............. 

What do you mean future? Am I doing it wrong if that's what I've been doing all this time?