VBCW Sourcebooks - how useful?

[frontal assault]

I'm looking to start up a VBCW army or two, centred around some action in my home town of Wigan.  However before I start how useful in a general sense are the sourcebooks?

[Adam]

Alreet , frontal assault

I don't have the books but from what I gather, they try to leave a lot of it open at the local level to let players decide want they want to be happening. On the GWP3 forum it says there that Wigan is an enclave of "a group of Socialist and Communists working in an uneasy truce against BUF forces to the South". I don't know whether this is from the books but it is marked on the VBCW living map:



Out of interest, whereabouts are you based in Wigan? I'm in Tyldesley, and go to MAWS on most Tuesday nights. I've got a couple of dozen ww1 British to use as Territorials in the VBCW (but haven't got round to painting them yet) and was planning to get some of Musketeer's IRA to use as Socialist militia/partisans for small skirmish games once they are done. I was thinking that the Territorials would be part of an overstretched detachment stationed behind the main BUF lines, initially to cover the supply arteries for Royalist forces attacking Liverpool (the newly built East Lancs and the two rail lines from Manchester to Wigan), but also finding itself covering the area around Astley, Tyldesley and Leigh which the BUF scarcely bothered to secure before being lured away by the glory of taking Wigan. I reckin this would provide scope for skirmish games (blow up the railway line, capture the lorries etc.). That said they could find themselves fighting anywhere in the local area if you have any ideas on fleshing out other parts of Wigan. I also impulse bought some 15mm figures to see if they were quick to paint up (to have a couple of large forces to play with whilst I paint up 28mm stuff at my usual slow pace).

Anyhow, I'm local and thinking along similar lines to you so if you fancy meeting up for some games please don't hesitate to send me a PM. Lord knows, I need a kick up the backside to start getting stuff painted and some games at the end of it should give me the motivation. Sorry for pretty muchy ignoring your original question about the books, though.

[frontal assault]

Wow, great idea mate, definitely going to try and take you up on the idea of a game.  Anyway I live pretty much on the border between Wigan and West Lancashire, the border itself is only a few hundred metres from my house.  This got me thinking that while Wigan would be somewhat left-leaning, what about the surrounding countryside?

I can easily imagine lots of the small villages in West Lancashire (Mawdesley, Parbold, Hesketh etc) being supporters of the Anglican league and somewhat anti-communist/socialist.  My idea therefore is a sort of guerilla war between Wiganers and these villages, think Douglas Valley Bushwackers, and I wanted to build up a couple of small armies for skirmish games.

While I've got some minis in mind for the Anglican league army, I'll have to look around for some models good enough to be genuine pie-eaters.

[Christian]

It certainly provides a lot of fundamental information on why this conflict is even happening. I found that to be important, particularly for someone who knew nothing about the period before buying the sourcebook: you might be entering in a totally different level. It tells you exactly what the factions are about, and who they might be fighting against.

I would also recommend downloading the free rules from Empress found here:
http://www.empressminiatures.com/BCWRULES.pdf

There are a lot of very good ideas for rules that really capture trhe spirit of the genre. Well worth a read!

I know I certainly put a lot of work and research into the "Australia" section of the Fall of the Empire book So I hope it has been useful for someone!

[Arlequín]

We tried to avoid commandments and stone tablets etc when we did the source books, so yes you could live without them. You'll find nothing in the way of rules modifications nor army lists and no specification of the right rules to use. There is however, as Christian says, quite a bit of background information in the books and outlines of who, what, when, where and why. At the very least you'll avoid some of the pitfalls and dead ends contributors came across when they did their bits. 

I am of course biased, but try one and I think you'll be happy with your purchase.   

[Adam]

Thanks for the heads up on the books, Jim and Christian. I've lurked a lot over at GWP3 so I think I've got the general gist of it, but i will probably get the books on the VBCW in general and the one that focusses on the North. Although the Empire is something I hadn't really considered, and I do have 40 or so Kings African Rifles in the lead pile. What parts of the Empire does it cover?

@frontal assault
That sounds a good idea for the villages of West Lancashire. I don't know how much you want to flesh the area out, or whether you want to leave it quite open, but I found that just thinking about what things might be fought over in your area helps you to think up ideas pretty quickly. I was thinking that the main focus of fighting in your area would be control of the agricultural land, with the isolated urban enclave at Wigan desperate to increase their food supply by any means they can. Because the Royalist Government is so focussed towards the Scots and Liverpool, the only political body with the power to organise resistance would be the local parishes. Support could be divided between those who identify with the Anglican cause and those who simply want to defend their farms from Wigan Red collectivisation, with division within the force between those who favour offensive or defensive action. Then you could throw in some characters like, hmmm, a fanatically anti-communist, exiled vicar from St Luke's in Orrell who has put down the Bible and picked up the Tommy Gun:



Those were things that just popped into my head but, to be honest, I don't know anything about Parbold other than to slam shut the train windows before you pass through it (though maybe the sewage works could be an objective itself, if it existed then). I don't know if you know about the miniature ranges out there but Musketeer Miniatures have a load of packs specially aimed at VBCW though I'll be using their IRA because all the flat caps and coats seem to fit with the people in photographs from Wigan, Leigh etc. at that time. EDIT: just noticed that most of the workers militia packs are in flat caps too.

Also, unrelated, I just found out that a new wargames shop opened in Bolton last month, Portcullis Games. Not been there yet, but its good to have a shop nearby and they apparently have a gaming room with a few tables.

I've PMd you my email address in case you want to get in touch about a game and I'll make sure I keep you posted on how I'm getting on with painting my forces so we can hopefully get a game in sooner.

Adam

[6milPhil]

I'd say the first two or three are essential for getting a solid taste of the flavour of the whole thing.

That chap features in my AL forces... He's Choir Master Strokes of St John's (Margate).

[Christian]

The Empire book had Australia, Belgium, New Zealand.. uh... Jim help me out here!

[Adam]

I said it on TMP but I'll say it again here. That pulpitmobile is fantastic!


Edit: Cheers for the info, Christian. Seem like most of the dominions are covered.

[Arlequín]

The Empire book had Australia, Belgium, New Zealand.. uh... Jim help me out here!

East Africa, The Middle East, The Caribbean, India... even the Falklands got a look in. The only place that didn't get covered was South Africa.

[Christian]

Ha ha that's right... "Something is brewing in Assam"

[6milPhil]

I said it on TMP but I'll say it again here. That pulpitmobile is fantastic!

Edit: Cheers for the info, Christian. Seem like most of the dominions are covered.

Glad you like it... watch out for the VBCW game at Salute 2011 - there'll be something special on the table by me... but mums the word!

[paul c]

I think it is essential to buy at least one copy of every source book that is published on VBCW, in order to increase my income from the ones to which I have contributed. Or even to get ideas about units, weapons and kit, tanks and AFVs, uniforms, colours and standards, potential scenarios etc.  They ae not canons of the faith, but sources of ideas and I hope you enjoy them.

In some cases, and in some people's games,  the Anglican League and the left forces are allies, while in others ( I think someone is fighting wars between the left and the CofE in Cambriidge) they are enemies. Do what makes sense to you, is the general idea.

As you say, GWP3 has lots on it about VBCW, and plenty of other wargaming "periods" too.

[Luddite]

I'm looking to start up a VBCW army or two, centred around some action in my home town of Wigan.  However before I start how useful in a general sense are the sourcebooks?

Exceptionally useful...in a general and a specific sense.

They give you a clear overview of the background, soem ideas for local areas, and more importantly a sense of the 'tone' that AVBCW should be conducted under.

Are they vital?  No; but they are very useful.

However, the essence of the game is 'take your local area and run with it'.  Bring in your local knowledge, your own sense of fun, and have a jolly good time.

In our area of County Durham we've got three main protagonists; Communists and a loose alliance of the BUF, elements of the Regular army, and a fractious and independent local landowner, Lord Lambton and his private army.  Around these are a variety of smaller factions too...

The main fighting seems to be around control of the coal fields and pits...

[vlad-the-impala]

I've bought about five sourcebooks and find them very useful. Probably the only time I've seen a scenario involving the Isle of Man.   I'm just down the Douglas Valley from frontal assault and would be interested in developing some locally based games if you're interested    There are lots of canal side defences still along the edge of the Leeds Liverpool canal - i've always struggled to combine my narrow boating and wargaming interests .... Up till now.