I had two of my gaming mates over for another AVBCW game the other day. Colin defended with the Socialist Workers, whilst Henry and I attacked with the BUF/Royalist (aided by a German contingent). A lot of fun was had by all.
A write-up and pictures on the blog https://grahamsgaming.blogspot.com/2019/02/10mm-avbcw-scenario-with-bkc.html
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7873/33298712458_1d237ddaf1.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SJuB73) (https://flic.kr/p/SJuB73)
:-bd =D> :-bd
Great report, looks like a fun game.
Great to see some more 10mm AVBCW action :).
good stuff - between yours and Steve J's AARs this is getting quite tempting
Looks excellent. I've seen this done many times with 28mm figures and thought the
background was fascinating but, if I'm going to have a bash, would much prefer doing
it with 10mm or 6mm figures.
The hook for me really being the way that you can focus on a local setting. Raise cadet
forces from your old school (assuming it was around at the time) or socialist militia from
the local factories etc. Hmmm. Another project for the future methinks.
Really good to see how this looks with a smaller scale.
Phil
Lovely stuff.
Cheers - Phil
Thank you all for the kind words chaps.
Glorfindel, be careful AVBCW can be get to be a bit of an obsession. Here is how far I got dragged in a few years bac, when we first got into this at the Tring Wargames Club!
https://sites.google.com/site/grahamswargames/a-very-british-civil-war-campaign?pli=1
It can be great fun creating your own background fluff, as can be seen from our mini-campaign that we set up a good few years ago:
https://sites.google.com/site/avbcwstormcloudsgather/battle-reports/the-battle-of-hanging-hill (https://sites.google.com/site/avbcwstormcloudsgather/battle-reports/the-battle-of-hanging-hill)
I'm currently being pushed to join in a 3mm scale AVBCW campaign using BKC2 or 4 rules.
Something I am resisting as I don't need a further addition to the lead mountain.
THIS. THREAD. IS. NOT. HELPING! :)
Interesting and lovely looking stuff all round. Well done folks.
Great report
Take care
Andy
I still have loads of 10mm figures for this, played many games using BKC2. Tempted to get them out again
cheers
Ian
Ian, you really should! ;)
Inspired by this I've been investigating/planning/making up what this would look like for my own local area (Belfast/Northern Ireland). As Glorfindel mentioned, being able to build it up around your own local history adds a lot of interest to it.
From what I can tell the "official" line on most AVBCW threads regarding Northern Ireland is a dismissive "Irish Free State annexes it", but given the myriad political and religious complexities, not to mention insane division and factionalism, refactionalism, new factionalism, provisional factionalism, free factionalism, anti factionalism, reformed factionalism, new reformed free factionalism...and so on, there's a lot of scope for different... factions in Northern Ireland to make for some interesting games.
Regardless, may prove a good project to get me into 20th century warfare. Now to raid some family bookshelves for various histories of the local area. Because what I need now is another potential project to add to my already lengthy list of potential projects...
Go for it mmcv!
To be honest, other than placing Prince Albert at the head of a more democratic opposition, I haven't really looked at the "official" resources at all myself, except as an initial inspiration. It's a fantastic opportunity to take interesting local history and give it a mighty spin! :D
The AVBCW is a wargame orphan. Its a bit like African Bush Wars. 99.9% of the kit and figures are proxy from other ranges. (Yes, I know some dedicated figures exist in 25/28 mm (Irregular and others). Pendraken have a few figures in British WW2 range made with a wink and nod to AVBCW.
But it is fun ! You escape Army Lists and have a resonable degree of licence with regard to weapons and kit. You have an unfair advantage as a time traveller in how armour should be used. You have to resist this and be 1930s minded.
The local scenarios, familiar town names etc add to the enjoyment. And you get to play those ECW buildings as quaint villages.
It all adds up to a memorable war game experience on a budget. Way to go.
Quote from: Sunray on 25 February 2019, 11:23:23 AM
The AVBCW is a wargame orphan. Its a bit like African Bush Wars. 99.9% of the kit and figures are proxy from other ranges. (Yes, I know some dedicated figures exist in 25/28 mm (Irregular and others). Pendraken have a few figures in British WW2 range made with a wink and nod to AVBCW.
But it is fun ! You escape Army Lists and have a resonable degree of licence with regard to weapons and kit. You have an unfair advantage as a time traveller in how armour should be used. You have to resist this and be 1930s minded.
The local scenarios, familiar town names etc add to the enjoyment. And you get to play those ECW buildings as quaint villages.
It all adds up to a memorable war game experience on a budget. Way to go.
Agreed, there's something quite fun about that hodgepodge aspect of it and being able proxy in bits from all over. Flicking through Pendraken the Spanish Civil war range looks like it would have some good proxies too as well as the world wars.
Could British 8th army figures be used for Roderick Spode's brown shorts?
I reckon most of the SCW vehicle stuff could be used in VBCW
Black shorts surely... :)
Quote from: Ben Waterhouse on 25 February 2019, 01:25:17 PM
Black shorts surely... :)
Yes my mistake I was thinking of their name after they had been in combat for the first time . That's my excuse anyway
While sort of still on topic has anyone played the Brigade 38 rules?
Quote from: Fenton on 25 February 2019, 01:27:20 PM
Yes my mistake I was thinking of their name after they had been in combat for the first time . That's my excuse anyway
;D + 1
Quote from: Fenton on 25 February 2019, 01:27:20 PM
Yes my mistake I was thinking of their name after they had been in combat for the first time . That's my excuse anyway
;D
AVBCW seems to work as a setting because no one seems to take it too seriously.
It's all very Dad's Army crossed with Wodehouse, Just William and the Famous Five, and probably a bit of Python thrown in ("What happened to Popular Front?" "He's sitting over there!"). There's a ready made pantomime villain - the BUF - as the comedy bad guys. It's all terribly "English", for want of a better word.
I've seen discussions on other forums about doing something similar in an American setting - they never end well.
A really enjoyable report, and great looking game. Very interested to know what brand and color green you used ot paint the Vickers MkIIs? I've got one to paint for my "Things to Come" army and am having trouble deciding on the right shade of green, and yours look very nice.
Terry
Sorry Terry, I painted those about 6/7 years ago and, as far as I remember, I just browsed my paint pots until I found one that looked right!
Quote from: mmcv on 25 February 2019, 12:52:28 PM
Agreed, there's something quite fun about that hodgepodge aspect of it and being able proxy in bits from all over. Flicking through Pendraken the Spanish Civil war range looks like it would have some good proxies too as well as the world wars.
That's right, most of my AVBCW are a mix of Pendraken's SCW, WW1 and WW2 Home Guard/Civilians (the upper class civilian pack is great). Part of the fun is coming up woth uniforms and finding figure to fit in. One of the guys at Tring has painted up a bunch of WW1 British in caps as a unit of RAF apprentices from Halton for his Tring-based force.
Quote from: Raider4 on 25 February 2019, 04:48:44 PM
AVBCW seems to work as a setting because no one seems to take it too seriously.
Perhaps that's the secret to a good war game experience. No silly gamesmanship of exploiting grey areas in rules. Just a couple of mates indulging in a fictional scenario and enjoying the chance of the dice. I have to confess I never really liked "serious" wargames".
Its a hobby. A pastime. A few hours of escape from a miserable winter, depressing news.....and Brexit blues. :)