All,
I am nearly out of the swamp. :D :D Without detailing too much, the last 18 months have been a living hell where I have had to protect two vulnerable ASD children from trauma and harm :(, while at the same time recovering from being electrocuted and nearly killed :-[, finishing a house build with nightmare builders :-X and rescuing Total War Rome from chaos. :'(
I am now very close to mission accomplished and almost divorced and free from what has been a very difficult 15 years of my life. And feeling much better for it. ;D ;D ;D
So I am back and will be playing Mortem et Gloriam again at Footsloggers, Skulls and Warfare later this year. I've missed it and the camarederie of you all.
Alas these last few years have not allowed me to provide the leadership and communication I used to, but it starts again now. So here is a bit of an update on several things:
CCC Wargame RulesAs mentioned before on here, Mortem et Gloriam is staying as it is for some time - rules and list - so we have stability and can focus on growth of the player base from 2025 for a few years. Unfortunately the deal with PSC did not deliver to promise. It was supposed to give us worldwide stockists of the rules and CCC playing materials and some strong marketing. But we did not end up there for various reason. In fact we ended up little marketing and a stock crisis where we actually had no dice at all!
The short term fix has been done. We now have printed books in stock and dice, cards and tokens in stock in 1000s (by shipping some air freight from China). So we can package up starter packs ready to go for Pacto and Maximus/Magna. These will go up on the website next week. I have sent some stock to the USA on a "pay when sold" basis and am happy to do so to any enthusiasts who want to cover the short term. The game will be available to buy at Historicon. [See below on TOTAL WAR for what happens next on logistics].
Cannons & RiflesThe next set of CCC rules to come out will be the
ACW rules Cannons & Rifles which RJC has developed. He is now connected to the lay out artists and soon we will start creating he final version. It will go onto PDF and Lulu as other rules. Likely to be out in the autumn. It plays really well. RJC and I played it here with WoFun minis.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53858112914_f85ee81564_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q4fUzG)Cannons & Rifles (https://flic.kr/p/2q4fUzG) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
Battalions of SteelThe next after that is the WW2 rules renamed
Battalions of Steel which Lance and Mark have been working on. It is a battalion level game where a base is a vehicles or a squad. So it uses existing FoW stuff well and works for any sauce from 6 - 15mm. Over the summer we will have a playing weekend here and finalise them. Then it's adjusting the original draft and it should be out around Xmas. This is a full infantry battalion for the game ..
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50506056008_7ebcc4b728_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2jX3JR7)IMG_6608 (https://flic.kr/p/2jX3JR7) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53857746016_46fcc6c006_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q4e2vS)Battalions of Steel THUMB (https://flic.kr/p/2q4e2vS) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
Gloire de GuerreThen it's the Horse & Musket set
Gloire de Guerre and I will be working with Olivier to finalise that set in Q4. This is a Corps level game that can play Quattre Bras on a 6x4, but be easily expanded to army level. here is Qatar Bras in action.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53857742266_fe941c736f_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q4e1pd)GDG Quattre BRas (https://flic.kr/p/2q4e1pd) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
Renatio et Gloriam (https://renatio-et-gloriam.co.uk/reg/)The release scheduled for Renatio et Gloriam at Helion continues.
- Great Kings, Grand Alliances covering the Great Northern War and War of the Spanish Succession is released in August. Hopefully in time for Britcon.
- In the Autumn will be Many enemies, Much honour (covering the Great Italian Wars and French Wars of Religion)
- Next year the final two releases - Liberty of Europe (European Armies of the late 17th Century) & Warring Dragons (China, India, Southeast Asia and Japan) are scheduled for release at Salute (April 2025)
(https://i.postimg.cc/NfYWfV8v/Screenshot-2024-07-09-at-14-29-51.png)
TOTAL WARThis could be the big break through. Hopefully it will succeed and allow me to cross-subsidise my beloved figure gaming as well. The early signs are encouraging (as several people on here can attest). People who have played it like it a lot and we now have such testers from a wide range of backgrounds - not just wargames. 13 year old Esme likes it and is rather good at it too!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53854756232_69ede89f2a_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q3XGKS)Rome Total War (https://flic.kr/p/2q3XGKS) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53855640831_b041221c40_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q43eHz)Close up TWR game (https://flic.kr/p/2q43eHz) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
The game is being formally launched as Spiel 2024 in Essen Germany in early October. Anybody over, please look us up and come and pay is a visit. Around 5000 copies are going out to backers in Sept - Nov adepending on where you are in the world. It's a four player game. So probably 10-15,000 new people will be rolling Skull dice in Q4. Let's hope they like them.
In addition to the main game the BattlePlay supplement is out at the same time. This moves players from a. our card play for battles into deploying their cards on a battlefield and playing a multiphase wargame with them.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53855900303_c29bf2d228_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q44yRe)BattlePlay Expansion (https://flic.kr/p/2q44yRe) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53855894973_cc91299edf_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q44xgk)BattlePlay in action (https://flic.kr/p/2q44xgk) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
It is one notch away from playing our type fo tabletop wargames. I hope therefore we will more a proposition of the 5,000 and others who play across to some from of tabletop wargaming.
TW also sorts out CCC wargames logistics.
From October we will have 7 fulfilment centres around the world. So any order taken at the CCC website shop will be sent to the relevant fulfilment centre and shipped out locally from there. At that point we will have rulebooks, cards, dice, tokens etc in stock all around the world so the game is finally as accessible globally as we had hoped from the PSC deal.
Clearly marketing. is needed but it's not worth spending until that is in place. Once it is I will kick into action backing the game with marketing and editorials and hope you will join in encouraging new people to get a set and try it - in whatever form.
WoFunI am very excited by the collaboration with WoFun and believe they are a vital asset to growing the game. We need to welcome player using them into our community. However I also feel the need to be cautious and allow it evolve and "come out inthe wash". I have now had two Collaboration with PSC and TLC and the truth is both have
failed in a costly manner (not a penny from TLC has put Lurkios future at risk and lack of global presence for Mortem et Gloriam and no marketing). It is early days and I have high hopes for this one.
The reality is Mortem et Gloriam was designed originally for us "grognards' - with loads of figures and liking a fast moving and realistic big battle. The growth market is the newbies who will come to us through 28mm Pacto more than anything else. I want us to be a bard church and a happy home for both.
My apologies for not communicating my thoughts more thoroughly earlier but the swamp issues are bigger than anything wargaming. So my intent on WoFun is this:
a) It is up to organisers whether to allow them or not - there is no rule.
b) The primary place they will be needed for now is for Pacto and Magna events
c) We need WoFun Pacto events next year - I plan to run one. I encourage hoers to do so.
d) SkullRollers I see as out pinnacle event with the mega prize of that amazing trophy. I have kept that pure figures this year and in some ways I like that idea as it gives a reason for a flats player to move into 3d figures if they want to do that. I the same way I wouldn't allow unpainted figures. So in short I get and agree with both sides of the argument.
I am sorry my lack of leadership comms allowed some heated debate - but it is healthy if kept polite. It's quite an amusing that having just created a board game where we get riots in Rome often I seem to have riots in my capital as well!! I trust they settle down. There is no morale high ground here IMO. I hope that people who currently feel upset will return to a sense of calm now. As I am returning anyway I will take charge of Skullrollers this year.
Returning to WoFun ... a package of Mortem et Gloriam books, dice, cards et.c left for WoFun on Monday. As a result they will be able to supply all Mortem et Gloriam items within the EU. Give them your orders and support and they will end up very pleased to be doing so. Their website is here ...
https://wofungames.com/collections/packs-for-games?sort_by=manual&filter.p.m.custom.product_type=MeG+PACTO+Packs (https://wofungames.com/collections/packs-for-games?sort_by=manual&filter.p.m.custom.product_type=MeG+PACTO+Packs)
I have purchased 20 box sets for us to sell in the UK - the 28mm versions for beginners which have 40mm bases so it plays on a 3x2 (WoFun will do us 60mm base sets BTW). There are four sets as bellow and they stock them in 15/8mm as well. So you can buy WoFun box sets
in the UK only from CCC games with local P&P and no customs issues.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53856008934_08cb610476_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q4589b)CARHHAE: Rome vs. Parthian (https://flic.kr/p/2q4589b) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53856008944_6be1d8a646_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q4589m)MARATHON: Greece vs.Persia (https://flic.kr/p/2q4589m) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53854750772_6d8db9355c_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q3XF8J)ZAMA: Rome vs. Carthage (https://flic.kr/p/2q3XF8J) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53856008924_a4bcec7450_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q45891)ISSUS: Macedon vs. Persia (https://flic.kr/p/2q45891) by Simon Hall (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185117026@N02/), on Flickr
A final neat thing is that each box set actually does a Magna army as well if you use each rank to be a base. I posted a video of myself and Mark Bevis playing with them this way. Take a look here ...
https://youtu.be/u3wgUTH6Nyk (https://youtu.be/u3wgUTH6Nyk)
MR GRUMPYFinally I appreciate that while in the swamp I have been a bit grumpy at times. It has been a living nightmare and I have never felt such threat or stress ib my entire life. So humble apologies where my usual calmness under pressure has let me down (notably Ray and Jacques to whom I humbly apologise for being so harsh). If you all knew quite what I have been through - and I would rather forget it - you would understand.
To 2025We have a great year ahead.
We can market Mortem et Gloriam with global availability, a stable game, and the full power of Total War Rome in support, and with WoFun as an easy access vehicle for new players. It is actually a great platform to have built.
So let us all focus on growing the game and not any fickleness within our ranks. Form wedge and attack ... I will be back at the front marketing it actively from Q4.
Si