Sunday, 2 September 2012

Battle - Expanded Edition

My friends and I made a short and pleasant trip south of the border this weekend to a neighbourly wargame show in Gateshead, just across the river from Newcastle. Just over two hours in the car saw us arrive at the shows new location, a good change from the previous Metro Arena.

I took no pictures at the show but the local clubs own website carries a report.

http://blog.belisarius.org.uk/2012/09/border-reiver-2012-show-report.html

I hadn't planned any particular purchases (unlike me) but my eye did get caught by the following publication which I snapped up (thanks to my chum who spotted it for me).




I had been looking, in the interests of my playing group, for a World War Two set of rules in the Old School style even if it meant writing my own. I have both Featherstones and Grants offerings stashed away somewhere but the shiny new, expanded edition on offer was too good too resist. Caliver Books had it on their stand for £29.50

I am in the process now of reading (actually re-reading) the book to determine if I should use (potentially rebase) my existing 1/72 collection which is set up for Rapid Fire or make a new collection perhaps even change scale or size. 15mm, 20mm, 25mm and 28mm all spring to mind. I also have my friends collections to keep in mind although I expect I would collect British, Commonwealth, American, German and Russian forces regardless.

Comments and advice would be appreciated by my readers, go on I dare you!
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6 comments:

  1. Kaptain Kobold2 September 2012 at 12:09

    Expanded Edition? I never realised there was one!

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  2. Jim Duncan Wargamer2 September 2012 at 13:50

    Kaptain Kobold

    I'm still reading through the book and so far the 'expanded' edition seems to be the inclusion of six 'missing' chapters; The Effect of Terrain, More About Terrain, The Effect of Terrain on the Rules, A Beginning with Maps, More About Maps, and Something Different.

    I've not managed to establish whether any of the original chapters include additional explanations. I can't locate my original copy of Battle so I can't do a comparison.

    Keep following!

    Jim

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  3. tradgardmastare2 September 2012 at 17:05

    Are the six chapters the same as the Meccano magazine articles or has new material been added?

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  4. Jim Duncan Wargamer2 September 2012 at 19:43

    Hi Alan

    I understand that the six chapters were published in the Meccano Magazine after the original Battle book was released so they are not 'new' material, just not in the old book!

    So far I can no evidence of 'new' material in any of the chapters.

    On the plus side I have been raking through my 'lead' and 'plastic' mountain and I've discovered sufficient figures for several platoons for both American and German forces. I've also discovered some second hand Germans already painted and based.

    I now think I can leave my Rapid Fire units untouched!

    Jim


    Jim

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  5. Red_Cardinal5 September 2012 at 10:26

    £29.50! I appreciate that it's not going to be in the top ten best seller paperback lists and therefore has to be priced accordingly. But, £29.50!

    One can get the original for £17/£16 (Amazon/Abebooks respectively)...

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    Replies
    1. Jim Duncan Wargamer5 September 2012 at 10:57

      Hi there

      You are correct, you can pick up original copies of many old School books and if you are lucky you can get one which is in good condition without cigarette or pet odour.

      I have many old books and some of them are starting to show their age.

      £29.50 isn't going to break my bank and it isn't going to make the Grant family an awful lot better off. I'll ask Charles Grant next time I see him what his motives are for re-releasing this book, I imagine it will be for completeness sake.

      Jim

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