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Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Back to Biblicals!

The dust had yet to settle over the plains of Ilipa when I received an email from the Society of Ancients.  This email contained an announcement for the upcoming annual convention in October.  Since I am unlikely to attend this year's convention at Madingley Hall near Cambridge, I was only generally curious of the content.  What really caught my eye was the inclusion of Ian Russell-Lowell in the program.  I have gamed with Ian for nearly three years now often seeing him in a weekly remote game.  Ah, the fun of shooting down Snoopy and his long line of succession in aerial dogfights over the fields of Flanders.  Phil Steele will be presenting at the convention as well.  Another of my weekly remote gaming buddies out and on tour.  Joining them this year sure would be fun. 

Back to the email.  My gaze was especially focused onto the content on offer.  First, Ian would be discussing the Late Bronze Age.  One of his specialties.  Second, Ian would be running a workshop on the latest incarnation of his Work-in-Progress Late Bronze Age rules, Rein-Bow Warriors (RBW).

Now, RBW is a ruleset that Ian and I have discussed much in the past and even got in a handful of playtests.  I have not seen rules' development since our last work more than a year ago.  Remembering that the rules still had some conundrums left to solve and streamlining to consider from the last playings, I wondered what had changed in the passing year and a half.

A quick email to Ian answered my question.  

Not much!  

Given that presenting a workshop for developmental rules having not seeing action in more than a year might be a challenge, I offered my services to help in refreshing both of our collective memories.  Ian cheerfully accepted!

In what will be the first of (I hope) several playtests, Ian and I will meet this week to discuss the current state of the rules, consult notes made during previous sessions, and push a few troops around my remote table.  Well, remote for Ian.  I will be broadcasting live from my game room.  Ian will be Zooming in from Cornwall.
Hittites ready for action.
While Biblical armies may be roaming around the table for a while, I figured why not get these armies in a game or two outside of these playtest sessions with Ian.  Why not indeed?  To that end, the plan is to pull Egyptian and Hittite armies from storage boxes and set out a pitched battle or two using Basic Impetvs.  One game is formulating for Monday.

Reject Big Lee recently recounted an occasion where serendipity struck, guiding him gently into a new project (see When Serendipity Strikes).

While I have no pull from a new project, the stars may have aligned to give me a nudge toward fielding my Biblical armies and trumping my move toward a War of Austrian Succession battle.

Why?
  1. Five-inch arid hex system used for 28mm Basic Impetvs is already laid out onto the gaming table from Ilipa.
  2. I started creating more five-inch hexes including hills last week.
  3. I undercoated a handful of 28mm Babylonian archers even though most of my painting activity has been focused on 15/18mm figures.
  4. Receipt of Society of Ancients convention email.
  5. Correspondence and acceptance with Ian for more playtesting. 
Convinced?

Tomorrow I begin setting out the armies.  He will be watching...

44 comments:

  1. I think we are both convinced :-)

    A very nice / interesting switch in immediate focus, clearly the prospect of this has excited your wargaming senses, of itself a nice thing, as part of your overall wargaming year and of course an interesting thing for us to spectate.

    Looking forward to all that falls from this. Perhaps we will see the Rein-Bow Warriors rules in actual print at a near future wargame show, on the SoA demo table.

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    1. Good that I can be persuasive. Usually, I only convince myself.

      The future of Ian's work as a published set is anyone's guess. I gather that these have been in work for decades.

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  2. We have been playing a lot of Biblical DBMM games this year and it certainly has its own charm. I'll look forward to reading more AARs from this latest round. I remember the chariot rules from your previous games and they just felt right to me.

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    1. You have a good memory, Lawrence, if you recall those last playtests. Do you have Biblical armies for DBMM?

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    2. Only Early Carthaginians myself, but the rest of the group has quite a variety. We have been playing a campaign where we each pick on another civilisation and play for victory points which can be converted into mercenaries, roads, allies etc. Very abstract but it is giving us the perfect excuse to work our way through Army List Book 1.

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    3. Great excuse to work your way through the Army Lists!

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  3. Well it will be nice to see these forces back in action after quite a break. It would be good to attend if only to hear his take on how chariots were used in action and the evidence he has been able to draw upon. As you know this is one area I really struggle with, as I like to read as much 'good history' on a period to make sure I feel happy with my games and that they 'feel right'. Maybe time to finally read the Iliad?

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    1. Yeah, getting the Egyptians and Hittites back onto the gaming table will be fun. The Sumerians saw action this year. Time to give the Biblicals an outing.

      The Iliad is always worth tackling.

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  4. Looking forward to this

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  5. Welcome to the world of game design with Ian. We love him.

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  6. Awaiting the report with interest, Jon…love the ‘Biblical’ era, though I only play small (DBA size) battles, not as epic as your own will no doubt be!!

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    1. Thank you, Martin! Hopefully, the results of these exercises will be entertaining.

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  7. This should be interesting. Haven't seen your rather splendid Biblicals for a while.

    Anthony Clipsom (whose Google sign in is playing up again)

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    1. I hope so too! While I have not confirmed, Seems the Biblicals have been boxed-up for a long time.

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  8. When someone lists reasons to start or go back to a period you know they're already sold. You have castings that will work and a new set of rules to play ; you have people interested in playing. Don't think of it as a switch as much as a delightful diversion.

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    1. You're right, Joe! Putting it down in print helps justify the diversion to myself.

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  9. Looking forward to mucking in on a remote game of this if possible. The painted eyes on that 28mm sculpt are probably the most realistically convincing I’ve ever seen. Awesome.

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    1. Possible? Without question! You fellas did a great job adjusting to Punic Wars combat; it will be fun seeing you come to grips with chariots.

      On the slinger, sometimes I can get it right.

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  10. It's a fascinating period, and I would enjoy getting in on some of the games too! - Scott

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    1. Well, there are ways to resolve getting into a game!

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  11. It will be nice to see some more Biblical bashing with your splendid collection on the blog again.

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    1. A little Biblical Bashing will be good for me as well.

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  12. Serendipitous indeed - looking forward to more.

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    1. Continuing the Serendipity idea, do you use standard BI base sizes? Asking for a friend that has a good quantity of Achaians and Trojans waiting for paint...

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    2. I do! 120mm frontage for 28mm figures.

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  13. Looking forward to seeing the outcome of your playtest games. Reminds me I have a few Bronze age chaps that need completing

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    1. We will have a combination of games: play tests for RBW and learning sessions for BI.

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  14. Sounding like this was all meant to be Jon. How fortuitous for you to be on the receiving end. Looking forward to seeing what you get going here.

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    1. It may be in the cards, no doubt. One period using two, very different rules. What could possibly go awry?

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  15. Excellent change of pace, I look forward to your Biblical bash!
    Best Iain

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  16. You obviously lack the same dedicated focus the Steve J has on his HEIC project Jon, but then, your 28mm ancient armies are a joy to behold, so easy to tempted off course....plus, you are helping Ian out too!

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    1. Lacking in self-discipline? Moi?

      Yes, I am performing a Public Service. Session #1 with Ian is in the books and it was useful, fun, and progress was made.

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  17. Very nice venture, Jonathan. My last Ancients gaming was an out of period Saga game.

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    1. Yes, a very pleasant diversion. I am not getting much painting done, though.

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  18. I would probably end up just playing BI and forget all about discussing and playtesting RBW. But I’m sure you're not like me.

    Looking forward to this exercise.

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    1. I agree with you, Mike! I am trying to help out a friend.

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  19. I'll look forward to this report Jonathan

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