"Tell me about...Science Versus Pluck." Topic

Hullo! I've been re-reading Byron Farwell and contemplating the Flashman series of novels, and I thought I might pick up a Victorian-themed game for perusal; it's unlikely that I'll ever get to play it, as I know of few Colonial enthusiasts in the Chicago area, but I thought I'd ask about Science Versus Pluck anyway, just to see what it's like, and how it works. Any one have any information for me?

Hello HMS:

I know of a club in the Chicago area that occasionally plays Colonials. PM me if you're interested in learning more.

EC

I do, indeed, but it's almost midnight here on the Upper Nile, so I'll finish my whisky and soda and tell you about it tomorrow.

Watch out for the dice-directed dervishes.

It's as much a role-playin game as a set of miniatures rules. It's alos one of the best written rules I've ever owned. It requires a clever Gamemaster to really work, but when it does, it's pure genius. By the way, where in Chicago do you play? I'm out in the Northwestern 'burbs and have a fairly large colonial collection.

"Pure genius". That is what I was aiming for! very kind, very kind.

Let me quote myself from the rules:

"‘Science Vs Pluck' is a game of the Sudan wars set at a ‘generalship' level; in which players portray officers in the service of Queen or Khedive, and seek to solve a variety of problems posed by the enemy, the harsh terrain and climate and, indeed, their own orders. All the participants serve together in, one would hope, some degree of cooperation, while one or more umpires, control the wild Sudanese foe-men, other Imperial officers and their, troops, and the universe in general. A distinct degree of role-playing is required; players are expected to devote themselves to behaving in a properly ‘Victorian' manner, while the umpire will ensure that his own dramatic performances of fellow Britons, Arab merchants, Syrian interpreters and suitably obsequious ‘other ranks' are appropriately Kiplingesque. Tea and buttered scones should be available at all times, stronger spirits only after noon."

Quick overview:

It's an RPG structure, but based on whole tactical units rather than single characters.

All the players are on the Imperial side, as British officers and others. They command battalions and regiments.

The umpire runs the enemy, partly by his own malign wishes, partly by a set of reaction tables that make them hide, skulk and charge fiercely. Most of the table appears empty at the start of the game, but probably isn't.

Turns are based on the variable length bound principle, depending on what the players are doing – anything from a minute to several hours.

The rules mechanics are pretty simple, to keep it fast.

Don't lose a melee, or death will be upon you.

The other players will sacrifice you in a minute.

You can play it in any scale or basing – it's very flexible.

The system works in many periods where limited intelligence and a cunning enemy are the keynotes; I've done Romans versus Britons, US cavalry versus Apaches, Napoleonic French verusus guerillas.

I've said this elsewhere, but when you and your ragged band of soldiers, officers, characters and allies, of questionable nature (or what's left of them), finally emerge from the jungle swamps after having battled incompetence, malaria, Nile crocs, greasy local officials and water shortages….you'll actually be glad as hell that there, across the desert sands, are 10,000 Dervish & Ansar warriors ready to do battle to the death…you can now breath a sigh of relief…the hard part is over…now you just get to die to death.

Sounds pretty good, and the sort of thing that would make for a cracking good time, if one could find the players.

Extra Crispy---I would PM you, but alas, I have not yet upgraded to a paid membership and the feature is not available to me.

Rich Bliss---I currently live in Lake Forest, with intermittant forays down to Games Plus of Mount Prospect for much of my impedimenta.

How does the system of the game work? Is it complex, or very simple? How is hand-to-hand or bayonet-to-sword managed?

Heck!!! forget "Science vs Pluck"….. You need the Arab Camel Trading Game! If you start with this one… you'll never likely get to the Science vs Pluck game!

Joe Collins

ACTG rings a bell…I remember something about it.

Ah yes, Joe mentions the Arab camel trading game – I wonder if I still have a copy of that? (essentially used car dealing in Cairo)

The combat systems are simple; shooting is lots of dice, one per stand per shot looking for '6's at long range, down to '3+' at really, really close. Melee is matching stand for stand and rolling, with a victory of 2 points pushing back the opponent and 3+ killing him. This means that the Imperials have to worry about individual companies being eliminated and the Ansar running through the gap created, attacking the baggage camels and headquarters staff, and breaking all the medicinal champagne.

Not the champagne!

I am getting very tempted to order SvP…How many stands per unit? Perhaps I will finally get to use my beloved 54mm colonials…

Mike

The stands are a company, so a British battalion will have 8. That being said, I wrote the basing section so that people could use their TSATF single figures in groups of 2-3 grouped as a stand, or use a bigger stand as a double company if that made it easier.

The SvP Yahoo group is at link

Knock twice and I'll let you in.

Excellent, 8 sound sperfect. I am planning on using 1 54mm per stand…

I'm already a member of the SvP group, and you are a member of some of my groups! (this is the Mike of the zine that never was…hmm…that sounds like the name of a good pulp scenario…)

Let's see – I've got 20 Senegalese Tirailleurs, 30 French Foreign Legionaires and 60 Arabs, half with rifles and half without.
Is that enough figures for a game of SvP?

I could leave off some of the regulars and recyle Arab casualties…

Dear All (Or At Least Some of You!)

I'd like to repeat that for REGISTERED members of Howard's SvP group, a %5.00 is offered for purchasers of those rules (soon to be available in their second printing).

Similarly, a $5.00 USD discount is offered on copies of the "Mahdist Wars Source Book" when both volumes are bought at once (also soo to be available), and on the entire "Mahdist Wars Flags Collection" upon its release later this month.

TVAG

Thanks TVAG, that's a great deal. So what exactly will be in the Source Book?

Mike

I sent an e-mail to TVAG, not sure if you got it. How does it work with shipping to Canada…do i select the Non-US version AND the additional 6 dollar shipping charge, or is it just one of those two?

Mike

Nevermind, I just got your reply. Thanks for clearing that up.

As to the Arabs and French --- I think you can certainly group the French into company stands, and the Arab riflemen into skirmishing stands to fight them. Probably need more close quarter Arabs, since they tend to charge and die easily. I recycle casualties, but even so --

Still, enoigh to get started with, no doubt!

"Is that enough figures for a game of SvP?"

It is a scenario based game so it is entirely up to you – there is no reason why you can't have 5,000 French legionaries against a handful of Arabs. Recycle the casualties as above and/or come with a scenario where you don't need hordes of natives.

I ran one NWF game where the British never saw more than half a dozen Pathans at a time, but spent most of their time trudging up river valleys being sniped and negotiating with dodgy local chieftans. They got to blow up a fortress at the end with their artillery which made them feel much better.

Oh, Martin, how did they like trudging up and down without finding a helpful Pathan warband ready to hurl itself upon the British bayonets?

I've found that players, in the absence of a n obvious enemy force, tend to A) squabble among themselves, and B) abandon sensible security measures in favour of, er, taking absurd risks for no apparent reason. My Apache games have almost all involved the American forces doing the most idiotic things, and usually losing most of their horses.

It sounds like a great game!

Well, I've gone and ordered the game. Thanks everyone for the information, and I only hope I'm fortunate enough to play it at some point.

I realize that this is unlikely, but is anyone going to be doing anything with the game at Gencon this year?