"Death in the Dark Continent" Topic

Anybody receive their rules yet and could give me an idea of the workings? I'd be interested in a first hand account other than their news blurb.

No, but I'm interested as well.

I ordered my set with the WF figure offer on Thursday last week and my copy arrived yesterday. The book comprises of approximately 24 pages of rules and 19 pages of armies containing 32 lists with numerical values per base.
I have not digested it all yet but I would summarise as follows. Figures are multi based , normally 3 figs per base. A quantity of bases make up a unit(2-8) and a minimum of 3 units is required plus baggage and chief.
I would estimate that my Carl peters expedition versus masai for a average size force would require about 100 figures per side.
D6 and D20 (for firing) dice are used in the game and require a achievement against a number after modifiers. Movement is by alternate unit.The rules cover types of weapon , effects of different terrain,deployment,movement, shooting,close combat, moral,fortifications and boats etc to a degree which allows for a reasonabaly quick uptake and reasonable length time game, probably 2 – 3 hours.
the author quite clearly states they are not really suitable for major engagements like Isandhlwana or Adowa but significantly bigger battles than 'In the Heart of Darkest Africa' caters for.
The army lists are my favourite part, a brief summary of which tribes , kingdoms and european forces can be used by the relevant list is followed by a small list itself ,allowable terrain types, allies etc. Although there are 32 lists available , mention is made of over 70 native tribes/kingdoms amongst them. There will be another 30 lists posted over a period of time on the North Star website (somalis please!).
I would recomend the rules to anyone interested in playing Darkest Africa, particularly if you are a fan of the authors 'In the Heart of Darkest Africa' rules.
I hope this helps and apolagise in advance if I have made any mistakes!

Thanks for the elaboration. I like In the Heart of Africa. It can handle a lot of figures. Not real sure about basing all my 25mm figs on stands for Africa though.

Thanks,

John

Thanks very much!

CaptMors, thanks much for the good summary.

I am confused. The ad says "This is the set of rules to use for refighting Isandhlwana and Khartoum."

But CaptMos says
"the author quite clearly states they are not really suitable for major engagements like Isandhlwana or Adowa"

So is the ad misleading us? I wanted big battle rules, not big skirmish. I have TSATF for that.

Well, I ordered it already so make the most of it,

OOps , thats one of the mistakes I apolagised in advance about :) What he says in the intoduction is 'it is feasable to extend our scope to cover an engagemnet like Isandhlwana , where the regulars comprised approximately a battalion, but Adowa and Omdurman might still be considered somewhat beyond it.' I put the wrong battle in …..soz

Anyway, no problem, Omdurman is not in Sub Sahara africa, and there are not Italians in the book to fight at Adowa. If not the big battle there, small fights between Italians and Ethopians would be nice.

Here is a battle report of my first game. It felt like company to batallion level to me.

link