Wessex Games

Two Steps Back...

2011-12-06T22:31:00.002Z

After an initial splurge of PDF releases earlier in the year I'm afraid the real world has restricted WG activity rather more than I hoped. This has led to another log jam of new releases which is very dispiriting at Wessex Towers, especially as a couple of projects are 90% finished, Given that I also seem to have the mantle of Ragnarok editor thrust back on my shoulders I am in danger of being buried under piles of material and achieving nothing.

Recognising this I am approaching 2012 with a new plan (and a calendar - which I do successfully in real world work!) and will attempt to dedicate one month at a time on one specific project putting all others to one side until that one is finished, first off in January will be the Belgian Land Ironclads supplement, not the biggest project to be sure but small pebbles rolling down hill and all that...

So if by 31st January if Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté has not been released you can all give me a cyber-kicking... ;-)

Ps. I'm keeping the calendar secret for now...

C21 Max 'Nam Games At Horisont III

2011-12-03T23:48:00.000Z

Mark Jensen has uploaded some AAR of a series of exciting 'Nam games using AirWar: C21 max at the Horisont III convention. Click here to visit his site.

Aeronef Charity Supplement Raises $185

2011-04-30T10:15:00.000+01:00

Since we launched our Aeronef Over The Aegean mini-campaign last June we have donated $185 USD to three charities.

We would really like to top $200 in the twelve month period, so if you haven't bought Aeronef Over The Aegean which costs just $1 USD (GBP £0.60) and would like to, you can do by clicking here.

The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Dick Garrison

2011-03-25T22:42:00.003Z

As many of you will know we have been working on a set of Golden Age SF rules to support the WSD Dick Garrison miniatures range. I say we but really mean Mike Baumann who has been toiling away producing a rather epic game that beautifully captures the cinematic feel of the black & white SF serials of the 1930's to 50's.

He has just turned in the final draft and I'm pleased to let you all know that The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Dick Garrison will be released this summer. Initially we'd planned to just release this as a PDF but as Wargame Vault are now doing Print On Demand we will be looking to make it available in this format too...

Additionally, as we have done with some of historical rules, we will be releasing a cut down version of the game (currently entitled Dick Garrison Rapid Launch!) for you to try the core systems for free. I'm hoping we'll get this out a few weeks before the main rulebook.

Mike has really immersed himself in the DG universe and has a number of supplements planned and is in negotiations with other "studios" to see whether their "stars" would like "special guest star" billings in future Dick Garrison adventures...

We all appreciate your patience regarding the rules but like us all Mike has a real life with real life work and family commitments, but I am sure you will be bowled over when you see the final product.

In the meantime you will need to get painting miniatures and you can buy them from WSD here.

On Les Aura! Élan PDF Released

2011-01-28T14:26:00.001Z

Élan has ben released in PDF format and is available from Wargame Vault.

Originally published by Gauntlet Publications in the early '90's and OOP for a long while, we are really pleased to bring these excellent brigade to divisional level wargames rules back to the wargaming public.

Aeronef Bundle

2011-01-28T10:24:00.000Z

Whilst our Les Guerres Extraordinaires bundle at Wargame Vault offers the best value with a 25% discount, we now have a VSF-air war only bundle of Aeronef and the Captain's Handbook with a 10% discount.

Rolling Hot!

2011-01-27T10:35:00.001Z

Iron Cow 2103AD is currently the "hottest" item at Wargame Vault with Firewall in third place.

Thanks to everyone who has bought any of our new PDF's over the last week.

We are working on getting some more of the back catalogue PDF'd
as soon as possible.

Modern Rules Bundled

2011-01-26T18:55:00.000Z

We have "bundled" ColdWar: 1983 and Scudbusters II: Return To Iraq PDF's at Wargame Vault with a 25% discount on buying the rules separately.

Voyages Extraordinaires reviewed

2011-01-26T18:30:00.001Z

Nathan Russell has posted a review of Voyages Extraordinaires at Wargame Vault that interested gamers can read here.

Iron Cow and Firewall Get "Vanilla" PDF Release

2011-01-24T23:19:00.003Z

Iron Cow 2103AD and Firewall 2136AD are the latest rules to receive the vanilla treatment. To celebrate the release we've bundled both PDF's together, along with the freebie Iron Cow 2103AD: Phase Line Bravo supplement and are selling them with a 25% discount at Wargame Vault.

Both sets won SFSFW Awards for Best New SF Rules in 2003 and 2004 respectively...

Voyages Extraordinaires "Vanilla" PDF Released

2011-01-23T18:25:00.000Z

Voyages Extraordinaires our Victrorian Adventure Gaming rules are the latest to receive the vanilla treatment and are now available from Wargame Vault

Gangland "Vanilla" PDF Released

2011-01-23T13:46:00.000Z

Gangland our nineteenth century gang warfare rules are the latest to receive the vanilla treatment and are now available from Wargame Vault. I have taken the opportunity to add two scenarios previously hosted on our website to the PDF, one set in the Reform riots in Bristol 1831, the other a straight forward gang battle set in Glasgow 1924.

ColdWar: 1983 "Vanilla" PDF Released

2011-01-23T11:47:00.001Z

ColdWar: 1983 our modern warfare skirmish wargames rules are the latest to receive the vanilla treatment and are now available from Wargame Vault.

Strange Grogge and Tydes "Vanilla" PDF's Released

2011-01-22T17:05:00.003Z

Given the time it takes to DTP and process PDF's for Wargame Vault and the number of existing paper books we still have to convert we have decided to adopt a two-step process to anything that hasn't been PDF'd.

First off we tidying up and converting existing word processing files into vanilla (picture free) printer friendly (black and white) PDF's and uploading these for sale at Wargame Vault.

Subsequently, although there will be no timescale to this, we will produce the normal colour PDF's with photos etc (as well as files in alternative electronic formats like azw and epub) which we will add to the product and customers who bough the original vanilla free PDF can download at no extra charge.

We have been asked for printer friendly versions and have had requests for pretty much all the back catalogue to be available at Wargame Vault so hopefully this will prove popular.

The first two sets to receive this treatment are our fantasy naval/pirate games Strange Tydes and Strange Grogge, which are now on Wargame Vault and also available as a specially priced 25% off bundle.

Feel The Need For Speed?

2011-01-09T18:03:00.001Z

We're running a £2.50 discount off both AirWar: C21 and AirWar: C21 Max PDFs at Wargame Vault for a limited time.

So if you fancy being Tom Cruise for an afternoon this is your chance to do so at a discounted rate (unfortunately Kelly McGillis is not included in the offer...).

Voyages Diabolique

2011-01-05T20:19:00.002Z

Soon after the release of Voyages Extraordinaires our Victorian Adventure Gaming rules in 2000, we planned to release an accompanying set for horror games set in the slums and rookeries of London called Victorian Gothic.

As with many ideas, this did not progress due to other commitments and projects, however we have always liked the idea and so have created a blog called Voyages Diabolique to develop characters and new rules to use in Voyages Extraordinaires games set in a Victorian horror environment.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2010-12-24T09:24:00.002Z

Hoping everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy, Prosperous and Safe New Year (and that Father Christmas fills your stocking full of wargaming goodies...)

Wargame Vault Winter Offensive

2010-12-17T17:36:00.003Z

Wessex Games are taking part in the Wargame Vault Winter Offensive, so 20% off out PDF's.

But hurry it only lasts four days and we're three hours in already!

New Worlde

2010-11-22T12:42:00.003Z

Back in 1997, Mike Owen and I batted around ideas for a new fantasy wargame set in a 12th century America, populated with Algonquin Indians, Norse settlers and Welsh. Nothing much came of the idea as Mike went to work for Foundry and I concentrated on VSF and historo-fantasy projects, but the idea has always sat at the back of my mind as I think it is quite good.

To see how much mileage the concept has I've set up a new blog where I'll post background, look at useful miniatures etc, work on rules development and we'll see where that gets us. If you are interested, the New Worlde blog is here.

25% Off

2010-11-11T15:38:00.003Z

For a limited period we're selling Geheimkrieg and Scudbusters II: Return To Iraq with a 25% discount at Wargame Vault.

New VSF Supplement Competition

2010-10-28T10:10:00.002+01:00

We're running a "identify the forthcoming PDF supplement" competition on our Facebook page, so if you want to be in with a chance of winning a copy heard over now and see if you can guess from the clues so far...

Wessex Games Join Summer Offensive

2010-07-16T08:58:00.002+01:00

I forgot to mention that all Wessex Games PDF's at Wargame Vault are included in the 20% off Summer Offensive sale (although for some reason it isn't listing us on the SO page so click on the link here to grab that bargain). The sale only runs for three more days so you'll need to get in quick.

On a different note I also forgot to mention that our royalties from sales of Aeronef Over The Aegean mean that we've been able to donate $50 to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund. So far we've donated $150 to charity through sales of this product.

Wessex Games on Facebook

2010-05-05T11:53:00.001+01:00

As we try to get out head around the world of social networking we've set up a Facebook page for Wessex Games where we can be all social! Click the link on the right to visit and hopefully 'like' it!

Geheimkrieg PDF Released At Wargame Vault

2010-04-12T03:16:00.004+01:00

Geheimkrieg has been issued in a PDF edition and is available via Wargame Vault.

Geheimkrieg is a set of dark science WW2 wargames rules that will allow you to recreate the hidden battles between the Nazi's Abteilung 848 and the highly secret organisations the Allies created to defeat them.

Geheimkrieg also contains, revealed for the first time, the shocking true suppressed history of the Second World War, kept secret from the public by the victors themselves.

Aeronef Over The Aegean PDF at Wargame Vault

2010-01-26T09:46:00.002Z

Aeronef Over The Aegean has been released in PDF format and is now available at Wargame Vault.

We had previously indicated that this product would be free, however the scenes of devestation following the earthquake in Haiti have made us reconsider this and we are charging a nominal $1 for the supplement with all Wessex Games' royalties will be donated to charity. The first charity will be the Doctors Without Borders Haiti Emergency Fund.

Aeronef Over The Aegean Photoshoot Completed

2010-01-25T15:48:00.005Z

The photos for Aeronef Over The Aegean were taken today and look pretty good (here's one not being used in the scenario booklet). Final typsetting now underway and it should be out in the next day or so...

Aeronef Over The Aegean

2009-11-30T10:27:00.004Z

Apparently there is a rumour on TMP that Wessex Games are "intending to go out of business", not true, we've just been over taken by real life pressures that occasionally impact us.

As proof that we are still around we are going to release a nice little Christmas present for Aeronef gamers in the form of Aeronef Over The Aegean (Wrath of the Syren) - and the really good news is that it'll be free!

Written by Paul O'Grady, this is a three scenario mini-campaign centred around the actions of Hungarian noble Baron Lantoz in 1890's Eastern Europe against the might of the Ottoman Empire.

Typesetting is underway and we should have Aeronef Over The Aegean available as a few PDF download at Wargame Vault in time for some festive 'neffiness...

Tusk PDF at Wargames Vault

2009-09-24T20:38:00.002+01:00

The PDF edition of Tusk is now available at Wargame Vault, price just £3.00.

Tusk Photoshoot Finished!

2009-09-21T19:51:00.005+01:00

Well that was a long week... :-) However I can report that the photos for the Tusk PDF have now all been taken and the final typesetting should be done this week.

Here's one smuggled out of Wessex Towers...

Tusk PDF being finalised...

2009-07-24T18:29:00.007+01:00

I can now reveal that the mysterious new PDF project is actually the legendary mammoth hunting rules Tusk and it should be out in the next week or so...

Steve has long been a fan of these excellent beer 'n' pretzel beastie hunting rules and is really chuffed that Matthew and Ian have allowed Wessex to publish a PDF edition of the rules. The miniatures (and paper copies of the rules) will still be available from Irregular Miniatures.

The PDF edition will only differ in the style of the layout and that the internal illustrations will be replaced with full colour photographs of miniatures from Irregular's 15mm Tusk range (they also do a 6mm one for those with less space, or money, or both...).

For those unfamiliar with the rules they are a multi or solo player game were players take the side of cavemen in hunting mammoths. The rules also include rules for prehistoric beasts for those who feel cavemen hunting dinosaurs is their bag and even rules for Victorian adventurers for gamers to find mammoths (or dinosaurs) in lost worlds across (or in) the globe.

We will also be releasing Tusk II: The Wrath of Kong and Steel Tusk III: Apocalypse Soon as PDF's in the fullness of time (ie. when Steve has painted the miniatures).

Obviously painting the mammoths has delayed the PDF of Iron Cow, but it was an opportunity we could not miss, rest assured though I'll be cracking the las-whip to make sure that Iron Cow is next and then AirWar: 1918!

Mystery New PDF Project!

2009-07-05T15:12:00.003+01:00

Whilst Steve is busy painting 6mm SF armour and doing his best to chop his finger off, I've sneaked some top secret news smuggled out of Wessex Towers about a new mystery PDF project that has just been given the green light.

I can't say too much at present but hopefully the photo will give you a clue! :-)

OGL Historical Supplements

2009-05-29T17:59:00.005+01:00

The trouble with being a (very) small cottage industry is that it is hard to find time to do all the ideas that come along, especially when looking at supplements for rules that prove more popular than anticipated (AirWar: C21 for example). Our historical rules are a case in point, taking C21 for example, there is an obvious market for supplements based around historical wars or even hypothetical ones but if we're honest we just do not have the time or resources to devote to projects like that.

So, after a bit of pondering, we've decided to take a leaf out of Mongoose's book and let anyone who fancies a crack at it produce PDF supplements for our historical rules. There will be some restrictions (eg. these are supplements and therefore don't duplicate chunks of the rules) but nothing onerous and every penny (or cent) you make is yours, we're not looking for royalties or wotnot. The good thing is that we know there are gamers who have done a lot of research on particular wars to play their games (Iran-Iraq and Indo-Pakistan are two that come to mind for airheads) so hopefully it won't take too much effort to collate this into a supplement and hopefully generate enough sales to buy some more new shiny toys.

We'll be putting the final rules up on our website soon but anyone interested in getting ahead start can drop us a line at the usual address.

Iron Cow Redux

2009-05-12T21:49:00.006+01:00

Steve has just finished re-typing Iron Cow 2103AD for the forthcoming PDF edition. In one of those WTF moments we found we did not have an electronic copy so he had to re-type the rulebook from scratch (not good news) which allowed the opportunity to correct a few errors and clarify unclear bits (good news).

Realising that some of the background events in the paper rule book where only a couple of years away, Steve has changed the way the background is laid out (timeline out, general overview in) and tweaked it slightly so it falls in line with other WG SF games (like Firewall 2136AD) meaning everything takes place in the Solar System not some distant mud ball orbiting some oddly named star (not that this really makes any major difference to the game or the Iron Cow universe).

The last work that needs doing is painting up miniatures for the photo shoot and Steve is beavering away painting Brigade 6mm armour by the bucketload. He's just started the CDSU and you can see his efforts on Bleaseworld!

Oriental Tydes

2009-05-08T10:16:00.005+01:00

Sneaking a peek into 'Development Hell' here at Wessex Games, a sighting was made of a draft Strange Tydes supplement written by David Manley entitled Oriental Tydes.

Oriental Tydes deals with fantasy naval warfare in the 'Mystic East' of The Land and the navies of the Tchin, Neehon, Ko-Ri Yan and KhmerNam equipped with turtle ships, war kites and the like. Looks like it could be good stuff though the availability of suitable miniatures might be a problem.

DG 'Blind' Play Testing

2009-05-03T20:12:00.010+01:00

The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Dick Garrison is currently undergoing "blind" play testing (ie. play testing where the rules writer isn't stood there to answer questions!). Mike Baumann has sent through the play testing copy which, without any internal illustrations, is weighing in at a highly impressive 72 pages!

Of course not all of this is actually rules (don't panic the system is quite elegant and recreates the feel of the old time Pulp SF serials), with the background to the Dick Garrison universe included and a campaign (known as a serial in the rules) entitled Dick Garrison and The Magnotronic Death Ray, comprising of (at current count) 15 linked episodes (scenarios).

The Pulp SF bug has really got hold of Mike with a number of new serials (supplements) planned including Dick Garrison and The Retrovian Menace and another with a guest star from another Pulp SF universe!

(photo: Dick Garrison by W.S.D. painted by Roger Webb)

Highland Orc Command

2009-05-02T12:39:00.009+01:00

As can be seen from the above photo, Steve has (at last!) managed to finish the Panzerfäuste Highland Orc command pack to go with the infantry (below) that have been finished for some time. The pack contains an officer with claymore, NCO with tommy gun, orc playing bagpipes and an orc with a Boyz anti-tank rifle and are modelled in an approximation of the uniform worn by the Highland Division in France 1940. We hope to get the models off to our contract caster in the next few days...

Astronef Core Concept Testing

2009-05-01T13:33:00.003+01:00

Matthew Hartley is currently working on Astronef, the fourth of our VSF Les Guerres Extraordinaires rules quartet (which includes Aeronef, Land Ironclads, and the soon-to-be-published Aquanef).

When finished, players will be able, if they wish, to fight VSF battles in the ether, the sky, on the sea, under the sea, on the seabed, underground, and on land simultaneously on the same board, using common (and relatively simple) rules mechanisms!

Astronef, is now entering the “first run” of in-house playtesting, where the core rules concepts are tested to see if they work and how the basic game plays. Chrome will then be added at the next playtest stage, assuming no huge problems are not found at the first run.

Concept wise the basic structure of the game can be described as a “bomber stream” game, although the “bombers” are transports shot from a planet in the direction of another and carry land ironclads, contraptions and troops not bombs.

The aim of the attacker will be to get their transports and escort craft across the length of the table, entering at one end and exiting at the other, whilst the defender has to prevent them or at least inflict sufficient damage to make a planetary landing difficult (something you can do if you are playing the game in conjunction with Land Ironclads and Aeronef).

The defender can have various different craft types at their dispoasal including astronef, fighters fired from the planet, iron moons (“space stations”), solar-sailers and Cavourite-powered astronef – each with their own movement and firing abilities (and restrictions).

The basic concept appears sound but, as ever, the devil is in the detail, particularly in the relative strengths of the different craft types.