"SETTING THE EAST ABLAZE: WARFARE IN THE BACK OF BEYOND" Rules questions.

[Irishrover13]

Hey,
Been looking into getting this rule set it will be a little heafty in price about $35-40 Canadian with S&H. Now many people on the forums speak highly of it and I know that the writer is on here so I was hoping he could give me a layout of the rules or direct me to a website that details the information of this rule set. I have looked all over and have not found a stright up report on the book. I did find many good reviews hence why I am will to buy it in all likelyhood  but I would like to know a bit more.
I am looking for stuff like:
Does it have set armies or is it a point system that allows you to build your own?
How hard is it to make new armies based on historical account, does it flow well with history or do you have to work to make historical models fit into the framework of the game?
How big/small can the battles be? I know it is regemental level but could you play it smaller well people build up their lead?
How easy are the rules to pick for someone coming over from a Warmachine background or people with no wargaming background?
Any other questions I did not ask but should would be welcomed as well.

[Ignatieff]

Hey,
Been looking into getting this rule set it will be a little heafty in price about $35-40 Canadian with S&H. Now many people on the forums speak highly of it and I know that the writer is on here so I was hoping he could give me a layout of the rules or direct me to a website that details the information of this rule set. I have looked all over and have not found a stright up report on the book. I did find many good reviews hence why I am will to buy it in all likelyhood  but I would like to know a bit more.
I am looking for stuff like:
Does it have set armies or is it a point system that allows you to build your own?
How hard is it to make new armies based on historical account, does it flow well with history or do you have to work to make historical models fit into the framework of the game?
How big/small can the battles be? I know it is regemental level but could you play it smaller well people build up their lead?
How easy are the rules to pick for someone coming over from a Warmachine background or people with no wargaming background?
Any other questions I did not ask but should would be welcomed as well.

Morning Herr Rover.  Author here.

1. Point system to build your own.  There are lots of good army lists already available, particularly Mark Plant's work (historical) Chris Peers (more fictional), so we didnt include army lists.

2. Works perfectly well for historical and non-historical battles.  The team who worte these have over 200 years of historical gaming experience between them (there are lots of us, and yes we are old...), and therefore all weapons dynamics are based in histrocial experience.  Where we intitonally didnt want to go was org structures, and too much realistic command and control, as we wanted fast flowing games.

3. Very easy.  Play them through once and you'll grasp them.

Happy to keep answering

All the best

Steve

[Irishrover13]

Thanks Steve,
I will likely have a copy in my hand in a couple of weeks.
What are the titles of those army books?
I also must say that historical gamers are so much more friendly then the comunity I was a member of before.
Cheers,
Daniel

[Ignatieff]

Thanks Steve,
I will likely have a copy in my hand in a couple of weeks.
What are the titles of those army books?
I also must say that historical gamers are so much more friendly then the comunity I was a member of before.
Cheers,
Daniel

Hi Daniel

I'm away at the moment, but I'll get back to you over the weekend.  From memory, mark plants site is called 'Pygmy wars'. And has a ton of top notch research and army lists.  Chris Peers army list is called 'back of beyond', army lists and campaign system, Central Asia 1919-26.  I think a US based manufacturer has bought the rights to his tuff, so they shouldn't be too expensive.  Marks is free.

All the best

Steve

P.s. LAF is always very friendly

[H.M.Stanley]

"Mark's is free" I hadn't realised ...

[goes off a hunting for it]

[Irishrover13]

So I broke down and ordered it.
Cheers,
Irish

[Ignatieff]

So I broke down and ordered it.
Cheers,
Irish

The only cure is more Back of Beyond I am afraid, limited only by your imagination...

[coggon]

The only cure is more Back of Beyond I am afraid, limited only by your imagination...

He's lying.  There is no cure.   

[H.M.Stanley]

I downloaded the Army Lists for the Pygmy Wars (while i'm still sorting Chris Peers' Army Lists for the Back of Beyond). I'm very impressed