Star Spangled Swastika: 1st Game

First off, apologies for no pics, pc troubles et al, but truth is that as I was using a mishmash of newly constructed but unpainted buildings and shacks created from colourful cat food boxes, I wouldn't be taking photos and sharing them with the world anyway!

The game was a simple affair with a mix of 20mm French Resistance and SCW International Brigade types as revolting workers having taken over a cannery (Steinbeck influence there) and the local National Guard (Sgt Majors Mins), the Cannery boss (ex-Hotspur Modern) and 2 'heavies' (Elheim) going in to restore order.

I used Viva El Christo Rey by Pat Condray as the basis of the game rules, changing units to individuals. Counted the workers and 'heavies' as Minimal Training with D Class Morale and the Govt bods as Poorly Trained with E Class Morale. The Commissar, National Guard Sgt and BAR man were all Moderately Trained with C Class Morale.

Why Viva El Christo Rey? 'Cause the rules have a 30's feel about them, are simple and deserved an outing. The game was fun - the 'story' being more important than the rule restrictions and outcomes.

The workers held onto the Cannery, with the National Guard retiring to lick their wounds - honour saved by the Sgt. The Cannery boss cut his losses and flew to Panama. I have to admit a little bias in my solo game, given industrial relations in my workplace at the moment.

It's left me buzzing with ideas and a desire to play more in this genre. I've subsequently been collecting free downloads of American buildings and looking at two new sets of miniatures to join the fray as different factions.

This project has to remain on the back burner as a slow cooker due to limited resources but it's definitely got potential and more importantly, the 'fun' element.

Cheers
Mark

The Star Spangled Swastika

I've been interested in playing out a late 20's/early 30's alternative timeline America for some time. Inspired in part or should that be parts by WW1 Americans, Hemingway, American literarture from the Spanish Civil War, Depression era b/w movies plus the juxtaposition between the US Cavalry and early mechanisation of the US Army.

A straightforward refight of the American Civil War never crossed my mind. There's plenty of potential in early C20th America for a convincing background set in any one of several potential timelines. But there you have it. Which one? Each background was a compromise.

All this has prevented me from doing something and I was itching to just 'do something'. Made worse when Maff, my regular gaming companion sent me some 20mm Sgt Majors Miniatures Wake Island Marines together with a Lledo diecast vehicle Pearl Harbour 50th Anniversary Commemoration set.

So, I decided, absolutely No set background. I need no rationale other than the conflict happens. With no background, I don't have to worry about factions, alliegences or back story. Leaving me to concentrate on just getting on and wargaming. I can simply mix and match forces as required by each game. America is large and diverse enough that different things could easily have happened in different states/seaboards.

For once, and hopefully this is the start of a new trend, I'm not going to sweat the detail. This is meant to be a fun mini project where the overall look and feel is far more important!

And of course there will be volunteers, advisors and military missions from other countries, just to add spice to the pot

Cheers
Mark