Starting today, TVAG now offers the latest accessory to Padre Paul Wright's Funny Little Wars family of games for 54mm/1:32 toy soldiers on the lawn or tabletop.
Virtually, all wargames say, "A stand of trees, is a stand of trees," with strictly standardized and completely predictable, never mysterious, effects on movement rates, concealment, and cover. Similarly, the only difference between a trickling creek and the Rhine is its width, never its depth or the steepness of its banks. And in what world do all hillsides/slopes prove to be passable with equal ease? To the equestrians among us, do you just gallop down every hillside without the slightest concern that you and Bucephelus won't become the least successful Ferris Wheel in history?
FLW already offers the option of letting Games Masters "rate" the effects of a given patch of terrain, but why bother working to determine all this before a game, when the charms of uncertainty can now be introduced as easily as turning a card?
With this new game card deck, the use of Scouts to recce the ground ahead takes on new importance, not merely to spot the enemy, but to discover the nature of the ground you might meet him on, not to mention surprises entirely of Nature's own.
And life for the Game Masters who host games on the lawn or tabletop games definitely gets easier. Now, they can layout such trees, hills, and other miniature terrain features as they have, without any pressure to suggest visually just how "thick" the forest, how "deep" the stream, or "rough" the ground.
Use of the Terrain Deck is simplicity itself: When first entering a feature, the Player will draw an appropriate card type, woods/forest, one of three widths of water hazards, moors/swamps, sand/beach, rough ground, or secondary road, and read its effects, from a walk in the park to practically impassable. A simple printed marker (provided for all card types) with the number of the card drawn, and the terrain type is placed at the entry point for future reference, and it's as easy as that!
Only the Player who first enters a feature will know the results, and with the marker turned down, the Enemy cannot know for himself until he enters at the same point. If he enters the same feature elsewhere, he draws a card of his own, etc.
There are 54 individual Terrain Effects Cards, six each of the nine types, plus 13 cards on which are printed six numbered markers with the names of the terrain types on the opposite sides, plus one card with instructions for use. The markers are cut out for use in play, and may be stored in the same plastic re-closeable bag the deck arrives in.
When released, the Deck will retail for $12.00 USD, plus postage, but during this Subscription, they are available for only $9.00 USD each, plus $6.00 USD for U.S. Domestic Priority Mail. For Overseas, Canada and Mexico, customers have the choice of Priority Mail ($26.00 USD), or a much lower (but much slower and somewhat riskier) First Class rate of $9.00 USD.
To reserve your own copies, simply email TVAG@att.net and ask that your name be added to the list of Subscribers. No payment is necessary until called for. This sub will not itself be listed at TVAG, but only here and elsewhere.
The Subscription ends at Midnight (CST), Sunday, 7th October 2014. After that, payment will be requested, and may be made via PayPal or personal check/money order made payable to Patrick R. Wilson (and none other, please). Delivery should be within approximately three weeks from the closing date.
If anyone should order $50.00 USD worth or more of any Funny Little Wars-related accessories available as PDFs (Funny Little Flags, Houses, Wagons, and/or "Stuff"), including the printed Event or Night Movement Decks during the Subscription period, the new Terrain Deck will be sent gratis, save for the inevitable postage upon request.
Please note that a minimum of 20 Decks must be Subscribed to bring them out, and the Sub may close early if the goal is reached quickly, so don't miss your chance to reserve your copy right away!
