"Series 78 or McCoy Standard Units" Topic

I was looking through my old Wargamer's Digest magazines this weekend, and I was wondering if anyone has used (or better yet, still uses) the Series 78 concepts in their games? I know that these ideas are over 30 years old now(Yikes!), but I can't help but be a bit nostalgic about them. Somehow, a game with Roco Mini-tanks and Airfix figures riding in their own transport sounds kinda fun.

Series 78 was basically a 1:5 scale down.
There are quite a few rule sets out there that use approximately sized forces.

I never understood the uniqueness of system 78. There's been a number of other scaled down systems. Why the fuel truck in all the scenarios?

Whatever happened to Gene McCoy and Wargamer's Digest?

Yup, I still use them (the organizations at least). They make for good 'bathtub' style TOs.

Why the fuel truck in all the scenarios?

Each truck carries 4 units of supply. You use one unit per turn for the unit it is assigned to, you can drop them off in dumps and go to the rear for resupply. The idea is that that way the supply line matters, it solves some problems (Tigers that never run out of gas and ammo) and adds others, It plays good with some systems just depends on what you like, IMHO the supply was to much on the game.

That's a blast from the past.

I think the influence of the series 78 organisations can be seen in a lot of rules where the basic game element is the platoon. As for McCoy publishing, when I was 13 I was addicted to Wargamer's Digest and also some of his other, errr, niche magazines.

Weren't many of the articles when MCCoy owned the WD reprints of earlier articles?

Indeed many games have used an almost identical OB set up to that Gene McCoy used but to be honest it wasnt original to him either. Have the complete run and just found out, for those interested, there is even a Yahoo group dedicated to the magazine.

And yes Mobius, many of us who were original or long time subscribers became annoyed when older articles and especially battle problems were reprinted in the latest issue. In addition, especially with the change in name, many of us noticed articles from other professional journals being reprinted (with permission) making the magazine less and less valuable as time went on.

In its prime however it was probably one of the best publications on the topic and remember eagerly looking forward to each issue and devouring them when they arrived.

Join the Wargamers Digest Yahoo Group to get all the info you need. Also, the BATTLEGAME yahoo group is very detailed on Series 78 units!

I think its fair to say that Command Decision and our Combat Command take at least some insperation from Gene McCoy's work.

The tactical problems were interesting and we still use them in some of our Combat Command games, since the OBs come across quite easily.

The platoon/company level game remains one of the most vibrant parts of WWII gaming. Presenting both tactical and operational challenges without the need to spend so much gaming time on minutia.

TomT

There was one tactical problem that as a friend pointed out was solved by cheating. Yes, they show the map of the problem and positions then the solution involves a larger overlay of the map where one side swings around outside the map boundary and enters on the flank of the enemy position.

Alot of the tactical problems used good sound military principles the only problem was in having nearly equal numbers of say Panthers and Shermans with the Panthers in defensive positions! The reality is they rarely took into consideration things like equipment differences or even tactical training/capabilities/esperience of the combatants. We would look at some of the problems and say "no way" when looking at the solution.
:)

I checked out the Wargamer's Digest Yahoo group – looks interesting. I couldn't find the BATTLEGAME yahoo group, however.

"I think its fair to say that Command Decision and our Combat Command take at least some insperation from Gene McCoy's work."

An oft-overlooked and even earlier example of "platoon scale" was Arnold Hendricks' "1944"; Arnold also (to my mind) pioneered the concept of "bathtubbing" a campaign. I was certainly using both WD and "1944" side by side in the mid-to-late '70s to build micro-armor organizations.

Allen

I don't know about later editions, but in the 1st edition of Command Decision, Frank Chadwick specifically acknowledged being influenced by both Arnold Hendricks AND Gene McCoy.

Marc, as usual, I agree with you: once WD became MD, it went rapidly downhill. Sigh…

Anyone know if all the old WD issues are available digitally somewhere now?

I am forever in debt Gene McCoy. I was 14 and going through a hobby store to buy a 1/72 scale model when I saw a cool picture of some Shermans on the cover of Wargames Digest issue.

I bought the magazine because of the photo, having no idea what wargames were about. In the back was a listing of clubs nation wide. One was in the next town over and I called up. They told me to come over the next weekend for a W.W. II game. I was the youngest member, next oldest was 18. After that I was hooked.

Because I found that copy of Wargames Digest and discovered wargaming I have met the best friends in the world, some I have known since I was 15 (29 years ago).

Thanks Gene McCoy.

link

BATTLEGAME

Guys -

Thanks for bringing up an old favorite of mine – "Wargamer's Digest" (WD). I have almost every issue and while overseas and here at home really looked forward to receiving the next issue.

I would specifically like to thank Mr. Gene McCoy for all the great articles and inspiration that he started with his magazine. If you look thru the back issues you will see in the Letters to the Editor guys asking questions of Gene that are writing rules today.

Kevin, I still have my Series 78 units and continue to add to them as I go along. I was using an old set of rules called "Angrief" that Gene used to recommend. I recently have started using "Rapid Fire". The units are close. Check out RF and see what you think.

I didn't know of the Yahoo Grps on the magazine. Thanks for that info.

Of all the pioneers in our hobby that have never received recognition for their efforts, I think Gene McCoy ranks up there as number 1. In the 70s, he influenced a lot of us thru his unique ideas and showed them to us thru Wargamer's Digest.

I have often wondered why he has never been honored by the HMGS at HISTORICON for his contributions to the hobby. Anyone have any ideas?

Kimball

Ditto what oddball said – I found my first mini game group a town over from an ad in the back. 28 years of playing off and on with that same bunch of guys! What happened to him? I assume he passed away a while ago.

WD was what really got me started. I ordered the wargamers handbook out of the back, and set on the road to doom with multiple periods.

I even listed my own group in the back, and picked up a player or two that way.

Myself, I'm a 'old-timer' and was introduced to wargaming through a cousin – and Wargamer's Digest. It made a big turning point in my life and a hobby that I have held onto longer than a husband.
All my units are organized around much of the Series 78 with supplemental info and changes from Command Decision and authentic TO&Es
I believe Mr. Gene McCoy passed away a while back and it's too bad because I would have loved to have met him and thanked him, too.

Yes Frank Chadwick DID mention the inspiration he derived from both Hendriks '1944' and McCoys Series 78.

It is interesting to note the first time I saw anything the likes of '1944' and 'Series 78' was in Featerstone's 'The Wargame' book. It featured a friend of his using a similar system for his re-fight of the invasion of Russia. This would be well before '1944' and 'Series 78'

Talk about going way back, my age is showing here LOL