"Is anyone playing PBI anymore?" Topic

well, I m FINALLY getting down to reading the dog gone thing and I kinda like the concepts, I always did want WW2 at this level, I also enjoyed crossfire but multiplayer and vehicles were a little weird.

PBI….

Painted Burping Indians
Pink Busted Italians
Pork Bacon Icecream
Petite Barfly Impersonators
Portly Beach Isometrics

Interestingly enough, I have not played with any of those in years………. Its a shame really.

Hmmm … No smilies in that silliness from The Tin Dictator so it looks like he does not know of RFCM/Peter Pig's PBI … Poor Bl**dy Infantry – PBI Explained – (I'll probably have to asterisk the middle word for the benefit of TMP's thin-skinned readership lest bleepomatic kicks in and leaves us in the dark) … despite it's worldwide popularity, regular (UK) club and tournament days and it's many apearances at shows including at Historicon …

I'm assuming that … then again, I had to look up BA, CoC, BC etc, (but I didn't mock the acronyms just because I didn't get them – lest offence might be given .. ) ..

Yes, Clays Russians, we play regularly … a mix between PBI II and PBI 2006 although as you may know, there is a new version which has been in playtest for most of this year and is now apparently finished.

PBI – Vichy North Africa

PBI – Manchuria

We like the grid system and it is our go to WWII game at this level (NQM – that's Not Quite Mechanised for The Tin Dictator – or Megablitz being our preferences for Operational Level games and, no, we don't do 1:1 skirmish) … PBI's activation/motivation system nucleates the action into localised surges that we think gives a good feel for low level action … at least in western theatres …

There's quite a lot of PBI on my blog, of course … and enthusiasts are advised to watch out for the new version and books …

Great game

Phil

PBI still gets regularly played at our club, although it didn't appeal to my particular group.

Wasn't there supposed to be a new edition just waiting to be released?

I run PBI at our gaming group once or twice a year. Everyone seems to enjoy it. Simple enought after 2-3 turns, games give a lot of variety even with same basic forces, and we manage to get two games completed in a 5-hr period.

The new PBI has been a bit delayed but is finished and ready to go to the printers. The latest iteration has been made more elegant and intuitive. Games now last about 2 hours. I have personally put it on at 3 Historicons, as well as several LA shows. Good chaps from TMP are amongst those whom have also put PBI on at US shows (thank you).
"PBI" is a very British term, along with "square bashing" and "recce". US equivalents would be grunt, drill and manoeuvre and recon. The US players I met were all conversant with both versions, but maybe W2 was their thing?

Anyway I am attempting to do a set of short videos to go with the new PBI in an effort to get the rules out there and popular.
PBI will not be claiming to be "just like being there", but will hopefully find a market amongst WW2 gamers. It uses a grid. "People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like"(AL).

thanks

martin

Martin, will you please tell me if you ever will release new PBI in pdf format?
TIA

We are looking at that , but it is about 120 pages long. Is that too long??

martin

Mantic's KoW in PDF is 147 pages in PDF.
Too Fat Lardies's IABSM in PDF is 105 pages.
Gruntz 15mm sci-fi rules in PDF is 135 pages.

All work perfectly and I can even use them on a Kindle Fire (since I don't have an i-Pad.).

Thank much, rules question Martin, I model one man in the forward rifle team of a squad with a Thompson, schmeisser, ppsh41, sten, whatever, does THAT 3 man team get the benefit of the single SMG in firing, I see references of rifle/ SMG teams. I am assuming it is either three Joes with rifles OR three Joes with SMG. Not a mix, the forward squad leader with an SMG being cosmetic only.

I will let Martin answer for the rules proper, of course … locally we assume that you get what you pay for (if it is bought as SMG it counts as SMG) although it is best if it is clear what weapons are being carried.

Unless there is evidence otherwise (say Russian SMG platoons) I like a plausible mix of weapons. This means e.g. some of my Russian platoon commanders have the man himself waving a pistol with the other chaps armed with a PPSH and a SVT40. A smattering of automatic fire, I class them as SMG armed …

The new rules project is generating a Company Builder book, however (so we will see what Piggie Towers thinks is appropriate in due course) …
Phil

I introduced PBI to my club about a year ago – it has been popular in general, then I bought Hammerin Iron and that took over a bit.

Since Im the only one with rules and so an easy way of putting together forces but if we organise in advance I can get people to bring forces in. Most of our player shave their units based in FoW format so we all just use that. Since its Area/Square based and a unit of troops is defined by the base that basing works perfectly well.

We find so long as the unit is armed with a reasonable facsimile of the purchased item it works – so LMG units will not be 3 figures with MG42s, but an MG42 or two with a few riflemen – the MGs separate them from the rifle groups easily enough. Command units are easy enough to have listed either way – with units clearly marked one command unit being SMG isn't hard to remember in the scale of forces used.

Im awaiting the new rulebook and we'll see if that gets people interested enough to buy and push more PBI out the door on a Monday night