VSF on Mars - An explanation

Whenever we have played a Victorian Science Fiction game at the club it has always had a good response. Even players on the receiving end of poor dice rolls and other vagaries of war have enjoyed the game. So I thought I’d take a post to explain why I like these games myself and something of the ideas behind aspects of this “period”.

Way back when the dinosaurs ruled the wargames world & the likes of Donald Featherstone, Terry Wise and Charles Grant held sway over the domain, a young teenager was still playing with toy soldiers and collecting Airfix figures even though he was “too old for all that”. He was simultaneously reading Science Fiction and Fantasy novels (who says males can’t multi-task, eh?). After reading the Tarzan novels (don’t forget the TV series and films) he sought out more of Edgar Rice Burrough’s works and came upon the John Carter of Mars books and some of the Venusian ones as well. This resulted in a few Airfix figures being carved up and extra arms added to men and extra legs to their steeds. This was short lived as the conversions were time consuming and used up two or three figures to make up just one Green Martian. The glue never lasted and they fell apart after very few battles. But the germ of an idea was sown and was left to await a future which would surely come, of well sculpted figures and suitable rules.

Along side this was more literary images of the possible worlds of HG Wells, Jules Verne and others, most notably Michael Moorcock’s Oswald Bastable books. These all had a late Victorian setting one step away from the reality of history. Another idea left germinating.

Let us step into Mr Herbert George Well’s time machine and move forward thirty years. Remember, before we leave, to have our copy of Little Wars autographed by the great wargamer himself.

So we travel into the future (or the recent past & the present day really). A number of impulse purchases were made with the help of the wargamer’s greatest discovery – the Internet. In no particular order I bought; British Colonial infantry from Black Tree Design (the discounts were good), the G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. rules sets, a second hand copy of Frank Chadwick’s Space 1999 rules and a selection of Eureka’s Pax Limpopo figures. Added to this I was reading Gibson & Sterling’s The Difference Engine and other Steampunk tales and the graphic novels; The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen I & II and Scarlet Traces. I was back with the VSF universe I had left behind but this time the resources I needed were all around and the one thing wargamers can always rely on - others had shared my dream. I sought out the web sites these gamers had made, which gave me ideas for scratch-built machines and more sources for figures and vehicles.

So all that remained was to fill in the gaps of the forces and develop a story line. I decided on a Prussian invasion of northern England. This has sound strategic logic as the ship building centres of Newcastle and Sunderland would be obvious targets in such an invasion as would a strike towards the industrial centres of Yorkshire. I also realised that the Ether-shipyards in Middlesborough would be another target but I may have just imagined that. It was an area of Britain I new well and so I could link the progress of the campaign without the need for topographic research. Now what I needed was to build up suitable orders of battle.

This was achieved in a somewhat haphazard way. (My usual method of chaotic wargaming as any of my fellow club members will verify - I feel the need for another post.) I tried to balance the figures and vehicles which I imagined as British with any that had a Prussian feel. Then I looked around at what was available to bolster each side. The results looked liked this:
(in brackets are the manufacturers or ranges that each troop type comes from)

BRITISH:
Various characters – mainly colonial officers (Foundry & Black Tree)
British Infantry (Black Tree & Wessex)
Police (Eureka & various others)
Field Guns & Gatling Gun (Black Tree)
Mechanical Walker (Games Workshop conversion)
Steam Tanks (GZG)
Steam Coach & Steam Tractors (Brumm Diecast Models from E-bay)
Tricycle Field Gun & Gatling Gun (Eureka)

PRUSSIAN:
Various characters – officers & personalities (Westwind & Eureka)
Prussian Infantry (Westwind & Renegade WW1 Germans)
Armoured Penny Farthing Bicycles (Eureka)
Mechanical Walkers (Wild Wild West toy conversion)
Bohemoth Tank (Mageknight)
Turtle Tanks (Lego conversion)
Mechanical Men (Scratch built from Games Workshop figures with Brigade & Eureka mechanics)

There are also some Old Glory naval figures and some of their WW1 pilots milling about on both sides when needed. Also in use are seated figures from Redoubt Enterprises for some of the vehicle drivers.

I intend to add some cavalry to both sides – possibly Eureka’s unicycling lancers for the British and Prussian lancers from Helion. Ironclad Miniatures make some wonderful steam tanks and British infantry in home service uniform including some guards. Finally Ramshackle makes a great and menacing steam spider which I must have before I die.

Remember John Carter on Mars and the Space 1889 books mentioned earlier? Well once again I’m not the only one. The London War Room produces a comprehensive range for Martian adventures (currently available from Brigade Games) and they have been joined by Bronze Age Miniatures’ truly enticing range. There are also ether flyers available as card model downloads as well as resin versions from TLWR. A number of gamers use Game Workshop’s Kroots as Martian or Venusian natives and I rather like the look of their Dark Eldar Raider as a small flyer. So, guess what the next VSF adventure might be? Ready the supplies of liftwood and Cavorite -Mike’s heading off-world.