"The Devil is Here WW1 Rules" Topic

Hello, I was just wondering if anybody has any experience or reviews of the The Devil is Here rules published by Irregular Miniatures?

The only thing I can glean from any searches are that they are "Company Level" (each base a section maybe?) and similar to "Que?" which isn't a huge amount of use either…

Any shedding of light would be much appreciated!

I have Que which are based on DBA combat mechanic

ask to Irregular, they are always helpful…

Mmm, I have them but its a while since I looked at them.

IIRC, each unit is made up of a number of figures who use the weapons thay are modelled with, I think you can consider them to be a section/platoon or whatever you want. Activation is by drawing cards from a regular deck. Black for Axis, Red for allies. Picture cards mean you can move a vehicle. they are only 4 pages or so, vevry basic (that is not a condemnation by the way)and I suspect full of holes for the player to fill themselves.

The SCW version meant that the unit activation had diferent suites for differing factions of each side. With the Great war being fought with real armies this is missing from TDIH.

I have them. They are very brief – 8 pages total. An infantry platoon is represented by 4 to 6 figures. Guns and AFVs are represented by individual models. Movement order is determined by random card draw. Are these out of print now?

coopman, have you played them? If so, your take on them?

Thanks for the replies guys. I would be interested on your take on them as well coopman and bruntonboy if you have played it?

I don't think they are out of print. Irregular still say they sell them on the website.

So I was updating my CV (of all things) and seeing The Devil is Here! among the publications list jogged my memory that there was a relatively recent thread about those rules I wrote so long ago…

Yes, I based them on Irregular Miniatures' fine one-sheet SCw system "Que?!" as "Que?!" plays so very well IMHO, and gives a very good feel for the challenges of a battalion or demibrigade commander trying to coordinate his constituent units without the benefit of two-way voice radio technology in the face of repeating rifles, machine guns, mortars, and other nastiness…

Further, the figure scale is 1 miniature = 2 men, spa group of four to six figures is meant to represent a squad of 8 to 12. A machine gun is a case of what you see is what you get (i.e.., 1 gun and the crew to serve it). Same for a mortar, same for an artillery piece or AFV.

The summary of the use of a deck of cards for movement is essentially correct: I had started a supplement ("C'mon you apes!") some years back, but that fell by the wayside as professional distractions, etc. forced the hobby side of writing off the tracks until quite recently. I was working up a slightly more, er, refined version of the playing card activation (i.e., broken down by suit, value and what type of unit could activate).

I've use TDIH! for convention demo games over the years, especially when the participants were going to be members of the public who might not have much experience with wargaming (if any). I've used them for the Nivelle Offensive, Patton's tank attack during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, and the Russian Civil War. Each time the rules were very quickly mastered by the participants, and the randomized activation system caused quite a bit of mayhem, consternation, and some considerable amusement amongst the players as they struggled to carryon this or that "cunning plan of attack" as you can well imagine.

The supplement was going to add a more detailed morale listing and rules for bits and bobs, plus scenarios.

To be perfectly honest, if the gang at Irregular are up for it this year, I'd love to do an updated and expanded version of "The Devil is Here!" including rules for inter-war conflicts like the CCW, Chaco War, and SCW, as well as the Early War portion of WW2 (1939-41).

Hope you all enjoy the rules!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net