A 25 Year Old Plays a War Game from 1967

[@AndyM_323YYY]

Back in 1969 the 30mm figures used for most of the units shown in Charge! cost three shillings and nine pence for a single foot soldier. They are still available from Tradition of London. We could not afford them back then: we fought battles using Charge! rules but with Airfix plastic soldiers.

[@DBNwargaming]

Thanks guys, very interesting. The original author, Brigadier Young was also a very accomplished and highly decorated WW2 British Commando.

[@hangarflying]

I lean towards playing older games, in spite of the fact they are usually older than me by decades. While they may not always be the best for convention games, there is something about the crunchiness of the older games that just “feels right”.

[@GreyhawkGrognard]

I half expected to see you playing Tactics II

[@brionl4741]

I had a copy of that in the mid-70's.

[@bigsarge2085]

Shoot, me and my best friend were still casting some of our figurines using molds at home in the late 1980's!

[@paulwalker5221]

This is the book that got me into wargaming in the 70s when I found it in the school library. Thanks guys.

[@PoulPedersen-p2o]

I think this is such a wonderful and unique video and idea. We often hear titles of older games or names of the grandaddies in a very throwaway manner that doesn’t really tell us anything - but this video really shows before and now meet and greet. Helped by insightful comments. Great! Btw, sweet nod to Charles Grant at 11:20😀

[@ericturner7173]

Mark, it was great to see you at Barrage. That was a fun game, but it was a sure thing if you notice that all the HAWKS were on one side, and we were on the other...

[@michaelmanning5379]

We still play WRG 1685-1840 on occasion. But that set is only 40 years old.

[@batesmt25]

In "THE WAR GAME" (1971), by the late Charles Grant, "CHARGE" is mentioned in the Foreword by Brigadier Peter Young

[@danielweitz6632]

I have Jutland, and 're-made' the bases my mounting the cardboard on 5mm bases printed on my 3D printer. Game now feels almost like miniatures!

[@justMikec]

The first wargame I ever played was in 1970, using Brigadier Young's rules. Since that time I've created an imagiNation called the Kingdom of St Maurice with an army (in 30mm) numbering some 1000 infantry, 250 cavalry and 8 guns. WELL WORTH THE EFFORT!

[@rexhurley4380]

Charge some of the best and most fun rules ever

[@robertdean52]

Oh, and I forgot to add, nice Time Tunnel callback! (I’m old enough to have watched it when it was broadcast…)

[@j.b.macadam6516]

Yeah, I caught the Time Tunnel reference as well. Watched it as a kid, and loved it! I was already a history nerd!

[@moblinmajorgeneral]

Glad you seem to be doing better, Mark. It's been a while.

[@MarksGameRoom]

Thanks so much! I am happy to be back at it. More coming!

[@j.b.macadam6516]

Outstanding video! One of my favorite classics was Chainmail, the supplement included in the original D&D box set. Played the hell out of that back in the day, using 25mm minis! Today, our club plays a modified version of Spearhead by Arty Conliffe, at least once a month. Sometimes, the old school rules can stand up, especially if house rules are implemented. Lots of fun!

[@RHampton]

This is great. Love seeing these old rules getting a workout.

[@stevenwynn819]

I'm glad you are doing better and are back to gaming!

[@DeePsix501]

Glad to hear you're out and doing better Mark!

[@josephwalukonis9934]

I am building armies in 28mm for another older set of rules - the War Games Rules 😊by C.S. Grant. These are derived from his father's rules the War Game by Charles Grant. My plans are to build about ten units per side - six infantry @43 figures and four cavalry @14 figures each. Unit sizes are scaled down a little from the original rules.

[@cetx]

This is so cool. What a great history lesson.

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

There’s something cool about playing old rules with simple figs and terrain

[@timbuktu8069]

A good set of game rules doesn't age. The only reason new versions come out is because companies want to sell more stuff.

[@traccas01]

Good to see you back ark.

[@jmmpwordgo849]

Great video! Maybe you can do one on Battle! by Charles Grant, too. Oldies but goldies!

[@danitenotes]

Love this video. The history of the hobby is always very interesting to me so more videos like this would be very interesting!

[@plkangus]

I'll be as old as the rule set in about 19 days. (I've played this set!)

[@89volvowithlazers]

this is so idk the word lol i am 67 and I know the revised 80's rules just good to know the game is being infused by younger players someplace good stuff

[@lloydeaker3757]

Started with Tony Bath's ancients in 1969. I think you may have missed that there was a command & control mechanism in the game. The writing orders is an attempt at this. One that is to this day disliked by players.

[@robertdean52]

There’s command and control in the form of the written orders, as you note, but Austin is also correct that the general figures we had on the table have no direct effect on play.

[@lloydeaker7029]

@@robertdean52 No I understood that. But the general figure is not necessarily the only way to have command & control. They were experimenting with a system that is not seen now. Austin may never have seen that before.

[@manofaction1807]

I played it with the Alamo, and another one with a pitched civil war battle.

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

I would be interested if there are any good (read simpler) wwii older miniature rules.

[@h.s.lafever3277]

magnificent

[@michaelclark3261]

i still have a first edition of the 1967 book.

[@tonyrocc]

How about the Napoleonic game of the late 60s through the 1970s, Column Line Square

[@timbuktu8069]

Gamer: "It's just like real war." Veteran: "Do you want to play it again?" Gamer: "Yes!" Veteran: "Then it's not like real war."

[@manofaction1807]

Get off my lawn, you damn kids!!! I played this game system, back in the day. We used chits and some 25mm figures. It gets you prepped for Avalon Hill game systems, and 1980s GDW strategic level games. The minis were open ended. I've seen it played with Briton figures, home made figures, and those MARX figures. Your minis on that table look like someone's home cast stuff.

[@GenghisVern]

I'm so old lol

[@MarksGameRoom]

Not old...vintage!

[@bobd3697]

Are those Prince August castings?

[@robertdean52]

Yes, mostly (but not entirely) from the “Irish Wild Geese” range of molds. I have a few of the newer Seven Years War molds, but no units have been deployed from them yet.

[@YOUPIMatin123]

Hope you are ok and hospital stay wasnt serious

[@reddsaxxmike2865]

I have 3 copies of this

[@davidschneider5462]

Did Austin enjoy the game? I can't tell from his comments. I have an original Jutland game that I bought new and played it aboard a US Navy ship in the '70s. So, yes I'm old.

[@BillsWargameWorld]

Donald Featherstone rules

[@StormofSteelWargaming]

Peter Young...

[@BillsWargameWorld]

@ all the old fellas were awesome !

[@robertdean52]

I figured Bill meant that it would be interesting to play some Featherstone rules, from, say, War Games (1962) as one of the other foundational books of modern wargaming.

[@BillsWargameWorld]

@ I use his rules and books a lot

[@davidmooney1253]

As do I Bill. I sort of caught the end of the 40mm Prince August figures and, to be honest, I used my spare Lead to mould their fantasy Orcs and Dwarves for Warhammer, or Warhammer Fantasy as it became pre Rouge Trader.