Darkest Africa - Advice Request

[warrenpeace]

I am surprised no-one has mentioned 'In Her Majesty's Name' as a suitable set of rules for Darkest Africa games - any reason why?

I've played a couple of games using "In Her Majesty's Name" and owned a copy for about a year. The skirmish wargame system is fine. Plus and minus modifier's on a d10 roll, just basic miniature wargaming. I gave away my rulebook because there was more Steampunk to it than I wanted to look at every time I consulted the rulebook. As a Pulp player I can handle a bit of weirdness or anachronistic sci-fi technology, but IHMN had so much VSF and Steampunk that it was beyond my tastes. Didn't want to have to cut out so much of that to write my own tables that were for a more realistic/historical oriented game.

I think people on the colonial part of the forum are looking for a bit more realistic/historical atmosphere when they pick up a rulebook. Photos of figures and terrain for Darkest Africa, the Sudan, the NW Frontier, etc., help put the GM and players in the right mood.

[axabrax]

Although it's a bit beer and pretzels, I personally think the Chris Peers, In the Heart of Africa set is your best bet if you want to use different African tribes. Otherwise you might end up with a lot of colorful tribes on the table with no real personality of their own, basically all the same troops with different "skins." If you're looking for something more like WW1 in Africa or the Zulu Wars then a more conventional system might be in order.

[Leigh Metford]

Strictly speaking, despite employing individually based figurers, ItHoA isn't a skirmish game. Figures function as units with no individual characteristics.

Although the figure to man ratio works on a flexible sliding scale and is never precisely articulated, the average can be inferred from the lists: about 1:10, with less powerful types representing many more and the most powerful types (white men) representing perhaps only one man.

I've found that, despite appearing ludically simple, ItHoA is more than the sum of its parts. Its heavy stylisation and finely tuned historical focus work in combination with the terrain system and scenarios to produce a surprising degree of tactical challenge, but most importantly... fun!

The group I game with has had many an exciting and/or amusing ItHoA session over the years, in large because it's one of those rule sets that effortlessly generates a strong narrative flow and memorable incidents.             

[Codsticker]

I am surprised no-one has mentioned 'In Her Majesty's Name' as a suitable set of rules for Darkest Africa games - any reason why?

I think maybe it falls short of that 30-60  model range that seems to be the sweet-spot for wargames right now.

[robjohn]

I have read the topic with great interest and am now the proud owner of the early IDA rules as printed in Wargames Illustrated - thanks for the link!

I have just ordered ITHOA from North Star and listed my IHMN books on Ebay - see what you have all done!

ITHOA seems exactly what I have been looking for...........

many thanks

[Dr Mathias]

I have used Gaslight, The Sword and the Flame (Africa Variant) and In the Heart of Africa for gaming purposes. I also have used the Zombiesmith 'Quar' ruleset 'This Quar's War' which was actually really fun.

The army lists in The Heart of Africa do a very good job emulating the sometimes quirky force compositions of various tribal groups and invaders. Very well researched, but as Juan says the colonial powers seem to have the advantage (which makes sense but isn't always 'fun' in game). It really is a fun game overall.

For starter books I'd say read the obligatory accounts by Livingstone, Stanley, Johnston, etc. I really enjoyed Into Africa by Dugard and The African Adventure by Severin. The Severin book gives a good overview from the earliest attempts to get into into continent. King Leopold's Ghost is a great read which I'd recommend to anyone really, but it is also depressing as it is all about the Free State.

The Africa Armies books by Foundry (Central Africa and East Africa by Chris Peers) are indispensable to me, because I'm working on the entire Foundry DA range, as well as trying to accurately portray some of the lesser known tribes like the Lango. They are great books.

[robjohn]

Thank you - just ordered Dugan and Severin

[Leigh Metford]

Nice work on those shields, Dr Mathias. In this period it's often shields that visually establish a tribe's identity. How did you make them?

[Dr Mathias]

Nice work on those shields, Dr Mathias. In this period it's often shields that visually establish a tribe's identity. How did you make them?

Thanks, the shields were sculpted in greenstuff (or rather ProCreate) and cast in resin. I'll make a thread about that force in the future- still have some to paint!

I mainly just wanted to visually show my recommendation for Foundry miniatures

I can't speak for the Northstar tribal figures but the Ila look pretty cool (and are pretty unique visually) and they're on my 'want' list.

[War In 15MM]

Dr. Mathias, that is great looking stuff!  Richard

[FifteensAway]

Great clashing of spears against shields on behalf of Dr. Mathias's photo - nice cattle and a lion!  Whoo-hoo.  (Yeah, I'm a sucker for such things.)

Advice?  Go with 15 mm!  (I would say that, wouldn't I?)

[robjohn]

I say FifteensAway - could you satisfy my curiosity and advise which are the best 15mm ranges for Colonial Adventures? - There's a good chap.

[FifteensAway]

Well, robjohn, that is a bit of a subjective question, isn't it?  One man's best might be another man's worst and all.

However, I'm game to at least list several viable options:  Blue Moon and Irregular are both on the larger size but have a variety of options with more expected from Blue Moon though when is not known, ACW and Nappies taking precedent for that company at this time.  Essex have a few ranges that paint easy but are a bit static but workable, Peter Pig has a limited range of periods but the period covered, Sudan, is covered pretty well.  Stone Mountain in the states has a venerable range of colonials, Sudan, Zulu, and French and Foreign Legion with packages designed to match to Sword and the Flame rules (original version).  QRF-Freikorps has a variety of options.  Stone Mountain and Peter Pig should match well, size-wise with Essex in a middle ground that will reach up or down.  Minifigs has quite an extensive range of even more venerable colonial options.    I have figures from all of these sources though not all for colonials and would have no trouble ordering from any of them again if I needed more figures (which I decidedly do not!  but when does that ever stop us?!  )

My personal complaint about the colonial period is that it is too often limited to a few principle conflicts: Sudan, Zulu, North West Frontier of India, and - maybe - French Foreign Legion, and Boxer rebellion.  If you are interested in African Exploration era gaming, then you really need to focus on Irregular and Blue Moon - and look at all of their ranges, there are options in the Horror range and, of course, their Africa range.  

A couple of other manufactures to look at - though I'm not sure they all have colonials - would be Khurasan, Splintered Light, and Rebel Miniatures.  Especially Rebel if you fancy pulpish gaming.  Oh, and the original Old Glory range, Old Glory15s - with most of the usual suspects covered (again, on the larger end of the spectrum of 15/18mm figures).

Hope that helps.  Fun period to play, almost never taken seriously by participants so there is just more fun.

[robjohn]

Much obliged FifteensAway................I had discovered Blue Moon but no others and your reply is detailed and gives more ranges to explore.  Having said that the ranges of figures available simply don't do the wargames period justice when compared to Massa Copplestone's efforts residing at various companies.

Thanks again.