The Lardy Xmas Special......Breaching atmosphere.

ETA for the Too Fat Lardies 2009 Xmas Special is just hours away and this year it includes a Sci Fi supplement for their innovative and fun IABSM (I Ain't Been Shot Mum) company sized WW2 rules called Get Your Flipping Tentacle Out Of My Face, or GYFTOOMF .

If you are not already a Lardy convert then take a look at the excellent review of IABSM by Leif Eriksson click here, and catch some inspirational IASBM games in action at Kev's webpage www.Fat-Wally.com.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Course, you do. To play GYFTOOMF you are going to need a copy of IABSM. The rules themselves are light on both tech and the type of Sci Fi weapons a hard nosed Sci Fi gamer like myself and the Master Chef would demand, but they are deliberately designed to be a vehicle into which you can easily incorporate your own Sci Fi ideas into IABSM.

If you are into IABSM already or it's a regular down the club, GYFTOOMF provides a good crossover to introduce Sci Fi gaming with familiar systems.

Tthe best part of this supplement has to be the Example Force Lists and Scenario. Here you will find coherent army organisations for Zombiesmith Aphids, Khurasan Garn, Karkarines, plus Spriggan Miniatures' Spugs. Rob has managed to breathe life into these alien forces and create not just believeable forces but races you want to become your primary Sci Fi armies on the tabletop.

Finally, the scenario called Squash The Spugs pits Aphids vs Spugs on planet K’Ash Meer 6. Am looking forward to playing this one!

Once published on 11th December, the 2009 Xmas Special is available from:

WWW.TOOFATLARDIES.CO.UK

Cheers
Mark
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Too Fat Lardies - Xmas Special 2009

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Twice a year since 2004 something special happens in the world of wargaming - Rich and Rob over at TooFatLardies produce their Summer and Christmas Specials!

Published in June and December each 'Special' is packed to the gunnels with fun articles and scenarios to support the range of Lardy rules. These 'Specials' also generally include at least one complete rule supplement for a specific period covered by Lardy rules, or even complete new rule sets.

Whether you use TFL rules or not, these 'Specials' are the best reads in wargaming! If you've not come across the Lardies before......all I can say is, you are missing out. Rob and Rich describe themselves as a "vibrant wargames development partnership", byt they are more than that. They embue enthusiasm, fun and pure goodblokeiness into everything they do! If ever there was a ghost of wargaming past, present and futuie it would be the Lardies!

Lardy HQ announce that the 2009 Xmas Special is imminent and this year includes a Sci Fi supplement for their innovative and fun IABSM (I Ain't Been Shot Mum) company sized WW2 rules.

For an excellent review of IABSM by Leif Eriksson click here, and to see some inspirational IASBM games in action visit my mate Kev's dedicated webpage www.Fat-Wally.com.

Due to be published on 11th December, the 2009 Xmas Special will be available from:

WWW.TOOFATLARDIES.CO.UK

Cheers
Mark
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'O' GROUP....... Mars 1889

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When Space 1889 first hit the shelves at the tail end of the 80's, I was living in New Jersey where I shared an apartment with a theatre director and sometime actress. We met in London over Vodka shots at Break For The Border. She was a typically theatrical type, so you can imagine the dramas and emotional rollercoaster ride. Made more 'interesting' that she was somewhat pissed at having been in the same drama class as Rebecca DeMornay, but not done quite so well on the big screen, and not been quite so blonde!

I remember buying Sky Galleons of Mars from The Compleat Strategist in New York, on East 33rd. I had a strong affinity with the shop through The Courier, which was THE BEST wargames' magazine for many, many years in my humble opinion.....

Sky Galleons was a blast to play! Lot's of fun! There's just that something about Peter Pig's 15mm Sudan range naval crew figures (packs 60 & 61) that make me want to scratchbuild my own 15mm aerial Gunboats.


As if I don't have enough projects on the go......tempting though, definitely one for the back-burner. Where this rambling trip down memory lane going, is to say that I picked up a couple of 'Specials' from the Too Fat Lardies this week. You can't fail to love these 'Specials', with their self-effacing humour and eclectic mix of down to earth wargaming articles.

Of particular note to Sci Fi gamers is the 2008 Summer Special which contains Bag the Jedi - a fun variant for the Lardies superb WW2 aerial combat game Bag the Hun!

Best read for me, was the 2008 Christmas Special. What piqued my interest here was twofold - They Don’t Like it Up ‘Em! Sudan rules in the Gilder manner. Expect more regarding VSF games on the blog as a result. Also, A Damnably Close Run Thing - Scott Dallimore's Indian Mutiny variant for the Lardies' acclaimed Sharp Practice Napoleonic/Black Powder skirmish game. There's something about the Mutiny that makes me think of Victorian Mars more so than the late Victorian 'Gunboats down the Nile' period. It occured to me that this could be a good, racuously fun 'skirmish' game option with only a few tweaks.

Before I hare off at a tangent with other rule systems, I'm going to make sure my VSF armies are ready to take the field first and foremost with ALIEN SQUAD LEADER (ASQL)2.0. Which, when all is said and done, is a fun set of rules that's tactically challenging without being demanding to learn, memorise or play. The 'Victorian Imperial' army template in edition 2.0 opens up ASQL to VSF.

Definitely more VSF and traditional Space Opera games with ASQL in the coming months.

Cheers
Mark
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