"Winter of 79 Alternate History Rules Available Now From Caliver Books" Topic

I like the sound of this.

I'm guessing one to one skirmish, 28mm? Platoon sized?

Make it a PDF and take my money!

Poor old Jim Callaghan…

controversial?

Ditto…lay that PDF on me guys.

This could be very interesting….East German advisors. American mercenaries,large scale city fighting, British nukes hijacked by the IRA…

More 20mm 1/72 from what I remember.
Is it any more controversial than alternate ending WW2 or ACW?
I remember finding their blog a few years ago and being very interested, then loosing the link and not being able to find it again. Bookmarked again now. Dystopia future past and Power In The Darkness. Happy Days.

20mm has a good amount of suitable stuff, Elhiem in particular off the top of my head and of course all the HO scale model railway kit.

Completely coincidentally (sort of), I'm going to be steadily releasing 28mm figures for this period (Brit Army/paramilitaries initially, general civvies in due course). link

For 28mm you need to be more creative with scenery and fudge the scales a bit with diecasts and O Gauge railway stuff, but there's quite a bit out there.

I've got a load of 20mm rebel/civilian types with British equipment -they look like Liberation Miniatures.

I've followed the blog for quite a while. Bravo for getting a rule-set out. Best of luck to you Mark and Maff.

Ordered it today. SO looking forward to this – my favorite music is the whole Post Punk/Industrial scene, I grew up in Belfast during the Troubles, and I was a teenage anarchist, CRASS style.

This is SO right up my street

I'd also like to add my best wishes to Mark and Maff – always a great read at their blog.

For those of you that weren't around in '79 in the UK it was bloody grim. My dad was the TGWU bloke at Fords in Dagenham – weird time, we had our phone tapped and Dad got arrested at home by plain clothes Police for something spurious he had done when he was a copper years before.

Also a cracking song off a fantastic album, as Bridget would agree?!

At least if this had happened it would have a great soundtrack to go with it.

My favorite period of music in Britain.

Well as I was a part time, ahem,"Army Tactical Questioner"; in 1979 I know which side I would be on… Just need a few 28mm figures in DPM jacket, puttees, lightweights and beret (Cyprus Green) equipped with Small Metal Gun and a Browning!

Ordered and will finally give a rule set for something I have been working on for ages

Quite a bit available in 28mm figures now. MoFo from Gripping Beast for Brits in Falklands era kit. East German "advisors" from Under Fire. Russian "advisors" from Eureka. Rioters from Ainsty. Cops and troops from 7TV. Saracen armoured cars from Grubby tanks ex-Britannia range. Other British military from Sloppy Jalopy. Plus all the VBCW civilians for farmers with guns. Looks like fun. 79- I'd just left university and was going through RAF officer training, I know who I would have been fighting!

the glorious baby born from this parent ; winterof79.blogspot.co.uk

Sounds like fun – Could be subtitled – Revenge of the useful idiots.

Don't forget police, gangsters and civilians from Killer Bee.

Thanks for the interest- and the purchases- chaps. It's going down rather well

There are indeed plenty of 20mm out there- we are adding a few ourselves- and an increasing number of 28s. Watch this space.

First supplement well under way

Good listing of figures etc on the blog spot

Dave

Caliver Books

'Sounds like fun – Could be subtitled – Revenge of the useful idiots.'

I'm guessing some of our American friends are unaware quite how dicey things got back then in the UK, regarding a particularly toxic brand of far-right extremism, with the rise of the National Front etc, and Loyalist terrorists in Northern Ireland, to possible military coups etc. It's a pretty dark period in history really.

As pointed out too, it was a backdrop to a particularly fertile period in British music though.

You can play this however you want, a loud TV pulp thing of punks with sten guns vs the Flying Squad or the hard routine of foot patrols in the Marxist Republic of Free Ambridge. That's without opening the box marked "Scots & Welsh Nationalists vs the Eton Rifles."

Weirdly, before I was aware of these rules, I was planning to write a scenario based on the Claude Chabrol film NADA!

Features a group of anarchists/BM types who kidnap a wealthy politico (but have no real idea what to do with him) – the film climaxes in a long siege of their cottage hideout by security forces etc. Sounds like a fit.

This American is well aware that is was high tide for British/Irish communists AKA useful idiots.

Makes for a colorful game much like the 1930's.

You're fine with the neo-nazi's then ;-)

I wish a miniature designer would make truly authentic minis for this period though – for the anarchists/reds/whatever – they should look at shots of bands like Public Image Ltd, Gang of Four, Wire, Throbbing Gristle, Crisis, CRASS etc etc – there weren't quite the caricature of 'punks' you often see.

This should be one of many inspirational tracks (wow, this is the most excited I've been about a new ruleset/background/period for ages)

YouTube link

When nazis and communist fight as long as there are high casualties, we all win.

Same methods – same police state – different uniforms.

Not really though – the leftist groups I belonged to in the past (the period we are discussing) also fought for worker's rights, the NHS, against hardcore racists etc. The UK Left did have issues, of course ('What's Left' by Nick Cohen is an incredible sourcebook for this period), but it was pretty full on back then, and the various Left groups did stand up to a violent far right explosion.

I was a Left Wing activist – I don't think I was a 'useful idiot' – maybe a really annoying, self-righteous teenager, but that term ignores that many did actually want to live in a Socialist state, and weren't some mere Stalinist puppets.

This, obviously, was a long time ago, and I have changed my opinions since, but it's still a little insulting being referred to as a 'useful idiot' – by someone quoting Stalin

Sorry you took it personal.

Oh,no worries! It's something I'm still a little passionate about, but – as I said, was a younger me. Bit more pragmatic these days, etc!

MH Dee – mind if I pick your brains ref 4.46 post?

I'm looking at 'civvies' at the moment to go with our Brit Army.

mikebravominiatures.blogspot.co.uk
mikebravominiatures 'at' gmail .com

No probs Mike Bravo- I'll sort that out. Would be happy to do that

It was basically my teenage past!

I don't think this was a simple as Nazi's vs Communists; I'd describe it as a kaleidoscope. I remember some of my much older male relatives, union members and absolutely non nazis, muttering about immigration and how "they" should "send the tanks in".

Meanwhile you have – allegedly – establishment elements at the very least, considering a coup against the Wilson Government to "save the country" ie restore the status quo and the natural state of affairs as they saw it.

Move up a few years and you have the stark left right divide of the Thatcher Years.

So, unless you were a convinced, card carrying member of a specific grouping, you probably "belonged" to any number of groupings depending on what issue was in play and what The Sun's headline was that morning.

I'm exaggerating but I don't think it was simply Nazi vs Communist

Martin,

We have more in common than you would guess.

Good gaming to you.

Vince

Hello people,

The main concept behind the rules comes from Matt and Maff but the actual rules themselves are written by Mike Bradford. They are suitable for the setting and Cold War skirmish level actions all over the shop. I've just finished the first supplement which was inspired by the playtest games we played but the open ended nature of the Winter of '79 concept and the rules means that there is more that could be done.

For example – I've talked about Ireland in the first supplement background but left it open for someone else to write – imagine the battle to unite Ireland with US support for the Republic…

The different factions in the UK – you get an overview but what about some detail work?

Overseas – the Loyalist Royal Navy and Marines are doing their best to support British Overseas Interests but they are pretty thin on the ground

The BAOR – the changed situation in Europe means the BAOR are trapped…

Oh and…

The Soviets are coming…

It does sound like near unlimited options. If it get more figures produced for this period that would be great.

Rules just arrived!Cheers Dave!

Looking good – will settle down with a glass of wine and wallow in them soon.

Good stuff, Mike the author was just in discussing the next bits. the first weapons for the 28mm armed civilians are in the mold

Just ordered some Yardies and Skins from Foundry!

And I'll have a think about some Northern Irish source material!

Rules arrived next day.

Great service from Caliver

Look very nice and looking forward to the suppliment

MH Dee, I think this is probably the inspirational track for this YouTube link , to be honest the whole album (Power In The Darkness)

Oh yes! Nice one

controversial?

Sure: I remember a few years ago saying I had two games I'd like to see at Salute: the Battle for Orgreve Pit using – effectively – any ancients rules that would allow roman style massed shields and (polics) cavalry charges against celtic style catapults and big sticks in a free form group OR a game centred around getting activists out of trees with cherry pickers.

The Salute coordinator (a man who I love dearly) said he thought it would be controversial and might offend some people.

That's kind of the point, I said…

John T

Blindfolds, stress positions and white noise; ah the memories…