The Hereford VBCW Spring Big Game 2022 will take place at:Burley Gate Village Hall, Herefordshire, on:
Saturday 26th March 2022, 10am - 5pm
It's the TENTH Anniversary of the very first HerefordVBCW game, so
stand by for further exciting announcements!
The Umpires have long been discussing "a masses of Red cavalry game"...vast quantities of Communist horsemen, "Lara's Theme" blaring in the background, bloodied sabres rising and falling, HM Government rear areas being targeted and supply columns being chopped up, swirling movement and desperate defenders, you get the general idea. Well, to be honest, we exchange a couple of emails about it annually, and then we move on to more realistically achievable ideas for the next "Big Game". The problem is always the amount of the figures. And then there's the rules. But at least the last issue has been solved, for:
That classic convention game and rule set, "Pony Wars", has been republished !
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| Republished Pony Wars ruleset (Baccus) |
For those unfamiliar with this classic convention game of the 1980s, an excerpt from the introduction (by the late Ian S. Beck) will provide a flavour:
"...If your idea of a wargame is to spend time choosing a suitably 'rigged' army and playing with a set of rules which you can corrupt, by pointing out the intricacies of the grammar, with the intention of winning at all costs then, please, put this volume back where you found it and go and find a nice National Convention somewhere. This game is intended for 'FUN'. We used it quite a lot before wargaming became serious......The basic concept behind the game is to allow an unspecified number of wargamers (from one upwards) to fight a battle WITH ALL THE WARGAMERS BEING ON THE SAME SIDE (as officers of the US army). Your opponent, the Sioux nation, will look after themselves...."
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| The original (Tabletop Games) ruleset |
"Pony Wars" seems to have been unique for its time, in that it introduced the concept of the opponents in the wargame (in this case, the Sioux) being generated and managed by a "Babbage Engine" (as later rule sets would have it) i.e. pre-generated reaction tables and chance cards. Such matters were of concern only to the Umpires, leaving the players (in this case, the cowboys, 7th Cavalry and general Western types) to concentrate on their game (and the inevitable surprises, together with masses of Indians, thrown up by the "Babbage Engine").
"Pony Wars" was set in the American West (as interpreted by golden-age 'Hollywood') but proved easily adaptable to other genres. Peter Gilder adapted a version of the rules for his classic "Pony Wars" games at the Wargames Holiday Centre (itself a compliment to the quality of the rules - See his set-up HERE) and then, when that was done, used the Pony Wars reaction tables for his famous Sudan games:
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| Peter Gilder's plucky Brits march out (under player control) |
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| Maaa-hdists! Fahsends of 'em! And all of 'em 'Babbage generated'! |
“[It was]…a game devised to allow public
participation with basically a very simple, but clever, format. The players
controlled the cavalry and settlers and the Indians were controlled by dice
throws and a reaction table, so they became somewhat unpredictable. Everyone
seemed to enjoy the game and went away having had some fun…”
and:
“…[for the Sudan] I use the reaction table for the Madhists almost straight
from [the Pony Wars rules] I’ve gone into a quicker and simpler combat system
using factors and the fire table from Newbury Rules. The result is a
fascinating and totally gripping game…..”
and of greatest relevance to the VBCW:
“…Having successfully adapted
this for the Sudan, there is no reason why the system cannot be adapted for any
game in any period where you have a regular army confronted by a barbarian one:
a Roman column marching to relieve a fort being attacked by Ancient Britons;
Huns attacking a later Roman supply column. How you actually fight the game
mechanics is not important. It’s the way the barbarian moves that’s the
important factor…”
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| Whaddyamean, barbarians? |
Quite what the Comrade Professor Winter's Communists would think of being labelled "barbarians" is anybody's guess (although it is a point of strong agreement amongst HM Government, the BUF, the Anglicans, the Bromyard Republicans, Sir Gilbert Hill and pretty much everyone else) - perhaps it might be better to say "regulars vs irregulars" - and, of course, there are many of the latter type in the HerefordVBCW!
Nevertheless, with Peter G's distinguished encouragement, "Pony Wars" certainly suggested a set of rules for the long - mooted "Red Cavalry" game, which rules seemed (or could be stretched) to fit the Umpires' "design parameters", i.e. (1). individually based 28mm figures (2). no extensive "re-learning of rules" (new rules would be dealt with solely by the Umpires, not the players) (3). adaptable to the VBCW and Herefordshire and, of course, (4). the indispensable element of Fun (otherwise known as "the spirit of the VBCW").
After some head scratching and a perhaps excitable exchange of emails, we even came up with a name for a HerefordVBCW variant of "Pony Wars" - with a nod to Herefordshire's agricultural/horticultural tradition - "Peony Wars, Guerilla Warfare in the Wye Valley" (thank you to Alan and Roo):
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| Peony Wars. Not quite the Wars of the Roses. Very VBCW. |
So we had the rules ready for adaption, a game title, enthusiasm, one or two verbal gags...and then we checked the number of figures required for "Pony Wars" - gulp!
"Pony Wars" requires the following troops:
US Troops
5 full troops of US Cavalry (5 x 20 figs)
1 half troop of US Cavalry (10 figs)
2 sections of US Cavalry (2 x 5 figs)
80 (approx) dismounted US Cavalry horseholders with horses (80 figs)
2 full batteries (4 guns) of 12 pdrs and crews
1 full battery (2 guns) of Gatling guns and crews
4 limbers for the above
4 sections of Indian Scouts (4 x 5 figs)
4 sections of Volunteer Scouts (4 x 5 figs)
2 regiments of US Infantry (2 x 20 figs)
3 Ammunition wagons
2 gun crews and 10 infantry "for the Fort"
1 'Dando' figure (Wild West hero)
Civilian Troops
3 full wagon trains (each of 3 wagons drawn by 4 mules, oxen or horses)
5 homesteaders wagons (each drawn by 2 mules, oxen or horses)
70 (approx) dismounted civilians (both sexes, all ages)
20 (approx) mounted civilians (may double as scouts)
1 Gun-Runners Wagon
1 Stagecoach
1 War Wagon
1 x Lone Ranger, 1 x Tonto
30 Longhorn Cattle
Indians
600 mounted braves
100 dismounted braves
50 assorted squaws, old men, children etc.
2 model smoke signals
30 Buffalo
After the Umpires recovered from totting up the total number of figures required (this took a week or two, and at least the same number of bottles of vodka liberated from Comrade Colonel Winter's stores), it was time to look on the bright side:
(1). we did have cows. In fact, we already had lots of agricultural animals to replace the required "longhorns" and "buffalo". The Communists could, of course, be defending their herd of world famous Hereford cattle - perhaps HMG had a plan to replace them with sheep?
(2). the "wagon trains", "gun-runners wagon", "stagecoach" and "homesteaders wagons" could all be replaced by Lledo and Matchbox Yesteryear "corporate vehicles" and the like, of which we already had plenty (Cadbury's, Fyffes, Oxo, etc.). Possibly, for a bit of variety, the "homesteaders wagons" could be replaced by "refugee wagons" available from Colonel Bills;
(3). the "war wagon" could be replaced by an Armoured Car. We already had a suitable police version;
(4). the US artillery guns, machine guns and ammunition wagons could be replaced with our VBCW "Big Guns", machine guns and suitable vehicles, and would be manageable, with a bit of planning, by combining existing VBCW collections;
(5). the "US horse holders" could be replaced by simply bases of the right size - because nobody, but nobody, was going to build and paint 80 horse holders;
(6). the required number of "civilians", BUF and Royalist infantry (standing in for the US, obviously) could again be found by combining existing VBCW collections;
(7). we had plentiful character figures to replace "Dando", the "Lone Ranger" and "Tonto" with something VBCW appropriate.
So - that left only the problem of replacing the US cavalry (120 figures) - and especially replacing the Indians with "Red Cavalry" (600 figures!?!). This might be "A Project Too Far"....
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| Channelling Lord Dowding/Laurence Olivier's famous line in"The Battle of Britain", Comrade I.V. Knockisblokov's Command Staff assess the problem.... |
Notes:
(1). There's now an open Facebook group for the republished Pony Wars. There's also a dedicated website HERE
(2). Some years ago, Carlo Pagano undertook in-depth research on Peter Gilder's Sudan rules and republished them under the title "Sands of the Sudan". His notes on the rules' requirements are HERE, together with his extensively illustrated blog.
Out with the Old Year and in with the New - what better time to record the results of last year's Modelling Challenge? The origins of this fourth modelling challenge were recorded HERE, and the awards, in no particular order (although the winner, ramping up the suspense, is....drumroll.....obviously at the end) were:
The "Fell at the First" Certificate and Umpires Free Pass:
goes to Umpire Roo, who kicked off the Challenge in the first place (see HERE) - and then failed to produce his much vaunted Tea Van on the day! The dreaded "Fell at the First" Certificate was, however, accompanied by an "Umpires Free Pass", as Terrain Tsar Roo had been super-busy making hedges and painting streams etc. etc. up until (really up until) the start of the Autumn Big Game 2021 itself. In the absence of any entry, we shall just have to make do with what might have been:
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| First Corps splendid "Naafi Van and Crew" - not an entrant to the 2021 Modelling Challenge |
The "Vaguely Competent but Somewhat Conventional" Scroll:
goes to Umpire Clive, for his "Presteigne Soviet Propaganda Van (and Commissar Moody)":
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| Megaphones at the ready, Commissar Moody's Propaganda Vehicle.. |
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| ..and the obverse side, with obligatory portrait of Comrade Colonel Professor Winters (who looks eerily familiar) |
The "Surprise! Surprise! Omigod I've only got 12 hours" Diploma:
goes to Rob B., who unaccountably only found out about the Modelling Challenge on the night before the Big Day itself (should have read the Blog more carefully, or at least a lot sooner!) and produced the characterful "Spodemobile" to carry his new "General" into action (or provide a much needed oratorical platform for him, at least):
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| Spode (beautifully converted) speaks to the Nation.... |
The Winner's Cup!
along with the much coveted "Would you forgive us if we say we might have slight qualms about your psychological state?" Diploma (in swords and diamonds), which goes to Alan, for his unprecedented and enthusiastically received "Bordel Militaire de Campagne (Wheeled)" with full crew:
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| "The unprecedented bus" |
Alan explained "the crew" as follows:
which simply demonstrates the level of deep thought required to win a Modelling Challenge.....
Campaign Note: the "Bordel" achieved instant notoriety, being sniffed at by the Communists as "just another example of capitalist degradation", fiercely and continuously denounced from the pulpit by the Bishops of Ludlow and Lichfield, but proving seriously morale raising for Staff Captain Maynard's Royalist troops:
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| An orderly queue of Royalists forms for their "morale raising experience" |
One suspects that this is not the last that the Hereford1938 VBCW campaign has seen of the "Bordel Militaire de Campagne".......................
On to the 2022 Modelling Challenge.....
Whether by serendipity or synchronicity or otherwise (or at least something beginning with 's'), this photograph popped up from the archive:
Taken from almost exactly the same vantage point as our New Year 1939 photograph (see last blogpost), this one shows a military parade passing through Hereford's High Town some twenty years before, in 1918. Comparison shows the vast social change brought about the advent of the motor car, and the seeming permanence on the High Street of "Greenlands", locally known as "the Harrods of Hereford".
VBCW Note : VBCW historians (and other conspiracy theorists) deny that the above photograph is from 1918, pointing to a number of factors (rank badges, angles of stirrups, the shadows etc.) that clearly demonstrate this photograph evidences the entrance of Royalist troops into Hereford in 1938, following the opening defeats of local Anglicanism and the capture of the Bishop of Hereford himself.
To start the New Year, a photograph from the "Hereford Times" as published on Saturday, 7th January 1939 (the closest we could get to 1938 VBCW Hereford):
The caption to the photograph reads:
"Hereford Lit Up - The January sales, which cause the ladies to take interest in the brightly lit shops of Hereford in the evenings, taken this week, timely as well as pictorially interesting. It takes in that side of the High Town from A.C.Edwards & Sons, opposite the Old House, to Greenlands, at the beginning of High Street."
The original page, advertising amongst other things, teas and coffee from Gurneys ("the Leading Grocers in the High Town"), Burton's "Challenge Sale" at 9 - 11a, High Street ("the Tailor of Taste"), and Raleigh Cycles from E.B.Howell ("Quality at the Right Price") at 14/15 Commercial Road:
