Battles and Brews 2025 (Backyard Edition)

 Battles and Brews is usually held yearly at our local brewery. This year I decided I wanted to change things up and design a wargame that could be played outside (more on that later). Thus Yardfighters! was created. St Louis based Basement General McMurray got onboard and designed a naval to play outside too. Wiley Games HQ became the venue.

I had some criteria for the outside game: no rulers, minimal record or status keeping, no dice because I didn't want the action to stop while players moved somewhere to roll the dice.

I decided on airplanes, but I wanted rockets and missiles involved so I moved it up to the early jet age. And because I wanted a mix of different jets I had it take place in a mythical Africa Imagi-Nation where all types of surplus aircraft were dumped.

Rather than build 8 different kits I designed and laser cut out all the planes out. Some quick spray paint with details from paint pens and those were done. I decided paper airplane size was good. For bases I use octagonal  bases. Why? face changes of 45 degrees would be easy as each face is 45 degrees. It also makes for a handy fire arc. I attached the planes to the stand with magnets for easy storage and facing changes.

Turns are divided into two phases: Movement Pahse and Shoot Phase. Players receive two cards each turn. One is for movement order, one is for shooting order (player's choice). Highest player goes first in each phase. Suit is only used to decide ties and aces are wild.

Maneuvers and movement are decided by strides and steps with facing turns made. Extra facing changes could be made at the expense of gaining G-shock.

When it comes to shooting we use Washers (a US backyard game similar to Horse Shoes or Cornhole). Distance was imply from jet to jet so players could chance it from a distance or get in close (where they still missed regularly). The box was divided into 9 squares which determined the damage location on the jet. Getting it in the center meant the attacker could choose. Every player had washers equal to their munitions load out. Whe they ran out, they were out of ammo. The washers were divided into missiles and machine guns each with a colored side and a white side. If you pilot is in G-shock, washers that come up white don't count. Simple!

Despite the heat and incredible humidity, we had a dozen folks come out to give it a try. It turned out really well. Many players said they couldn't wait to play again. That's why I'm leaving details of the game hazy so I can sell it!

We moved inside to the blessed A/C to cool off, have some pizza and run some more games. Steve ran a Terror Island game (using Fistful of Lead of course) while CluckAmok ran an Armored Storm game. 

I played in the Terror Island game and had two members of my elite team, the Howling Aces, taken out by enemy dogs first turn. I was down to my team leader by turn 3 and left with a sad amount of treasure. 

Then as the sun went mercifully down the backyard turn into the Pacific for a duel between British destroyers and Japanese ships. The Japanese had to run a guanlet and almost made it. It was brutal

Once again, hits were decided by tossing washers. 4 hits started a ship sinking. Torpedoes hits were decided by tossing a large foam die. If it landed touching the ship base, the face showing determined the number of hits. Great game. The only change that decided needed to happen was the addition of a bunch more ships! 

The whole thing has me excited to run another Yardfighters! game in the cooler Fall. This time with WW1 biplanes. I'm thinking I'll cut them out and send them out to players to paint their own plane designs like a real ace.

Golden Age Supers: the Revenge!

 Years ago, I ran superhero game set during World War 2 in the Pacific. The Japanese Empire vs Allied supers. It was one of the shortest games ever played with the Japanese supers wiped out in two turns.

 

I thought I'd give the Empire another chance. Armed with a super weapon (code named Death Blossom) hidden on a small Pacific island, their revenge was at hand! The missile would launch in 6 turns.

Turn one was filled with long range shooting. The Japanese soldiers fired 3 volleys at the US soldiers downing quite a few, while overhead the flying supers of both sides took to the skies.

 

 

Liberty Belle approaches through the jungle 

Hachiman sprung into action the next turn to attack the Scarlet Speedster. The lightning quick hero managed to dodge most of the attacks. 

Uberman guarded the launch tower but was soon attacked by the Druid, who seemed to know the villain's every move before he made it.

Warhawk, after seeing his other flying heroes shot from the sky by the accurate fire of the Exo Bushi tried to sneak through the jungle only to be attacked by Ninja!

The Battle for the compound began in earnest Turn 3.

Japenes infantry faced Klank in close combat and suffered greatly.

The Scarlet Speedster was caught up in the Kamikaze Bots explosions but managed to zip away unscathed.

The Liberty Legion was able to attack the missile tower and disarm the missile by turn 4. It wasn't the grand revenge the Imperial forces wanted but they had done better than last time.

May the Fourth Star Wars gaming

 

In honor of one of my favorite holidays, I hosted a series of Star Wars games last Saturday. The first was a Fistful of Lead: Galactic Heroes game, and the second Fistful of Lead Starfighters! game.

The first game had Rebel leaders having a clandestine meeting on Covid Prime. Which of course was detected by the Empire which dispatched forces to capture them.

 All was looking good for the Imperial Forces (me) until those Rebel scum slowly got the upper hand, mostly due to poor shooting from the Stormtroopers (who'd have guessed that). 

First one, then in a contested hand to hand battle, the other leader were secured by the rebel forces. Rebel victory.

After lunch we had a game of Starfighters! A squadron of rebels led by Han Solo were sent to blow up an Imperial asteroid base. Again, Darth and the boys looked like they were going to wipe the floor with the rebel scum, but the last turn saw TIE blowing up like popcorn kernels.

Even though I lost both games it was a lot of fun. You can watch game one here.

March to Victory 2025!

 I had a great time this past weekend at March to Victory. Less of a convention, and more of a get together of wargamers for a couple days of fun.

Friday night I ran my Glorious Adventures in the Age of Steam game. An Anglo French force was trying to stop German rampage. The Thin Red Line managed to hold. The same was repeated Saturday.

We also had 54mm French and Indian game using Fistful of Lead Bigger Battles. Cluck Amok's games always look so nice.

Finally Friday was a game of Blood and Plunder.

Saturday had lots of games. A search for Pirate gold, What a Tanker, Underhive gangs playing a deadly game of Shootz em and Ladders, A sink the Bismark game, a WW2 Pacific bombing game, and early jets game and two games of March Hares to Victory. Right out of medieval manuscripts, rabbits attacking monks! 

Plenty of board games and wargamer talk too.

 

What I found very satisfying was how many of the games were Fistful of Lead that people had made their own. The pirate gold game was done using Horse and Musket. Necroplunda using Galactic Heroes, March Hares using Might and Melee, and the 54mm French and  Indian war game used Bigger Battles.

Talking with McMurray, the GM of Medieval March Hares game, he had used Arena Blood to run a 3 Musketeers game. Now I'm thinking...