The Sword And The Flame based games at the upcoming HMGS-South's Recon-2023 convention

                                                                              

Here is the list of The Sword And The Flame based games at the upcoming HMGS-South's Recon-2023 convention at the end of this month in Kissimmee / Orlando Florida.

Thursday (4/27/23) 20:00 hours: Game: Zanzibari Slaver Raid. 

Description: The Zanzibari slavers are at it again. Can they be stopped? Rules: TSIA - The Sword In Africa, 4 hours, location: TSTAF table, Main Ballroom far left corner.

Friday (4/28/23) 09:00 hrs: Game: Zanzibari stronghold. 

Description: The Zanzibari have set up a base camp and are causing havoc in the area. Can they be stopped? Rules: TSIA - The Sword In Africa, 4 hours, location: TSTAF table, Main Ballroom far left corner.

Friday (4/28/23) 14:00 hrs: Game: Moonshine Redistribution. 

Description: American Civil War skirmish game. Rules: 

Fistful of Lead, 4 hours, location: TSTAF table, Main Ballroom far left corner.

Friday (4/28/23) 20:00 hrs: Game: One more Taku Fort to take ! 

Description: Boxer Rebellion 1900 - Take or defend the last Taku Fort on the Pei Ho river , save the Christian Converts and Father Archie , make contact with the mysterious Mr.Chin, protect the Austrian Lieutenant for he has a song to sing and will the Chinese Imperial troops fight the Boxers or the Allies ?

Rules: TSATF - The Sword And The Flame, 4 hours, location: TSTAF table, Main Ballroom far left corner.

Saturday (4/28/23) 09:00 hrs:  TBD ...

Saturday (4/29/23) 14:00 hrs: Game: The Sword And The Flame 1 hour demo's. Description: 

Come learn to play The Sword And The Flame colonial miniatures game. There will be 2-3 short games for

1-4 players max per game. These will be very small scenarios with only a few units for those wanting to try

out this amazing rules set. Russians in Afghanistan and French in North Africa.

Rules: TSATF - The Sword And The Flame, 4 hours, location: TSTAF table, Main Ballroom far left corner.

Saturday (4/29/23) 20:00 hrs: Game: The Prisoner – Rescue Colonel Flashman - Sudan 1885. 

Description: Friendly Sudanese tribesmen have notified the Anglo-Egyptian HQ that a gathering of Dervishes encamped some miles distant appear to have a white captive with them. It is suspected that said prisoner to be none other than Colonel Sir Harry Flashman who was reported missing last week from a survey party. London has stated that Col. Flashman will be rescued at all costs – dead or alive!

Rules: TSATF - The Sword And The Flame, 4 hours, location: TSTAF table, Main Ballroom far left corner.

Tabletop Convention Link:   https://tabletop.events/conventions/hmgs-south-recon-2023

Link to HMGS-South and the PEL games list: HMGS-South website link

                                                                                   

The Sword And The Flame Demo Games at Recon-23

 

SMG - South Florida Miniatures Gamers are hosting a few small come and learn to play TSATF - The Sword And The Flame demo games at the upcoming HMGS-South ReCon-23 convention (https://tabletop.events/conventions/hmgs-south-recon-2023) These will be 1-1.5 hour mini games with 1-2 players per side and only 1-4 units per side with scenarios set in Afghanistan and North Africa. The Afghanistan games and will see the Russians moving south into Chitral Territory and the French vs  Berber natives in North Africa. 

                                                                                                    

                                                                                                   

                                                                        Russians  in Afghanistan.  

                                                                                                

                                  

              Moroccans attacking a French held train station. 

                                                                                                      

                                                                    Pathans advancing. 

                                                                                               

Pathans attacking

Bedouin  riflemen advancing. 

French Foreign Legionnaires  marching towards the sounds of small arms fire.  

French Sailor, with a Baumal’s Flags and Brewery flag.  

SMG Club - South Florida Miniatures Gamers

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_and_The_Flame

The Prisoner – Rescue Colonel Flashman - Sudan 1885

 

The Prisoner - Rescue Colonel Flashman - Sudan 1885

Friendly Sudanese tribesmen have notified the Anglo-Egyptian HQ that a gathering of Dervishes encamped some miles distant appear to have a white captive with them. It is suspected that said prisoner to be none other than Colonel Sir Harry Flashman who was reported missing last week from a survey party. London has stated that Colonel Flashman will be rescued at all costs – dead or alive!

Imperial Forces:

Senior Officer:  Colonel Rick Welch, DSC

Has a full Sudanese Infantry Battalion.

• (4) Infantry Companies (20) men each. 

Subordinate Officer: Captain Chip Coffey, DSO

Has a mixed force of:

• (1) Cavalry Troop of (12) men
• (1) Disembarked Naval MG with (3) crew.
• (1) Armed Steamer with:

(1) 3LB Medium gun and (3) gunners,

(1) MG with (3) gunners,

(1) Naval Infantry Platoon (20) men.

 

Setup:

Imperial units will enter the table on the short side of the river end and will move as their card colors are pulled. The Cavalry may enter on any board edge save the entry point after turn #3. The Steamer may start docked or enter any turn.

 

Terrain considerations:

These small houses may conceal 5 men. The houses will provide class III cover. The roof tops class II.

 

The wadi will be treated as Rough Terrain and is Class III cover for troops lining the banks. The dense scrub-growth is Rough Terrain and concealment for prone figures but provides no cover from fire. The palm groves are Rough Terrain and Class II cover. The low ridges are Rough Terrain and offer Class II cover.

 

Goals:

The Anglo-Egyptian force must free the prisoner at all costs.

 

Special Rules:

In order to enter or exit a structure, ascend or descend stairs, cross undefended low walls, climb a sand dune, embark or disembark a conveyance, you must drop the high die. 

 

To break into a defended building a 5-6 on a D6 must be rolled to break down the door. Then the Melee will take place. The first 2 defenders get the benefit of cover the remainder do not unless actually behind a barricade.

 

Scenario Options:

At the beginning of every movement turn the GM will roll a D20. On a 20 a freak flash flood will rage through the wadi filling it for 1 turn making it impassible. 50% of any troops inside will drown. Place half of the survivors on one side of the bank and half on the other.

 

Use the limited ammo rules for the MG.

Die Roll – D6	Ammo
1-2	5 Rounds
3-4	6 Rounds
5-6	7 Rounds

 

Game Length:

The game length is 10 turns, then it becomes nightfall and the Dervish will be breaking camp and execute the prisoner or turn him over to the Mahdi.

 

Victory Conditions:

It will be deemed a major Imperial Victory if Lt. Flashman is rescued alive and is safe in the care of the Imperial Forces at the end of 10 turns. The Officer commanding the rescue force will be eligible for the Victoria Cross. A Major Defeat will be declared if Colonel Flashman cannot be recovered Alive and the commanding Officer may be cashiered. 

This is going to be run at ReCon in Kissimmee Florida (4/27/23) by David Welch as a memorial game for his father who recently passed away.

Rick and I were discussing several projects and scenarios he wanted to run now that he finally retired and would have the time. Very unfortunately he had lost his battle with cancer a short time later.  

Rick is far right, huge smile as always  he loved playing TSATF - The Sword And The Flame ! Here he is at one of my game tables at an HMGS-South con.

http://hmgs-south.com/

40th Anniversary of The Sword And The Flame!

This year will be the 40th Anniversary of the iconic colonial skirmish rules set "The Sword And The Flame" written by the venerable late Larry V. Brom, USMC. In my humble opinion these are by far the best colonial wars rules set ever written! The fact that I consider Larry and his daughters Lori & Christy my friends has nothing at all to do with my thoughts about these rules. I'd first found these rules at an old Historicon convention at the Penn Harris Inn about the mid 1980's. Larry was running an Egyptian vs Brits game and I instantly fell in love with the flow, game speed, period specific nuances, exciting melee phase, and the user friendly game mechanics.

I've been playing these rules ever since. I've tried many others, but none came close to the fun, excitement, and adventure of these rules, for me personally at least. The fact that the mechanics are set up for skirmish type actions and not competition has led the faithful followers of these rules to have one very common awesome trait among them, that all games must be FUN! The fun aspect has always kept me locked into these rules and I have made some of my best and life long friends while rolling dice around a rip roaring fun TSATF games table.

Larry's inspiration for writing these rules came from movies like Gunga Din. Here is a photo of a Gunga Din TSATF game run by Devon Start and played at our SMG clubhouse Das Krieg Haus in Fort Lauderdale Fla.

The epitome of colonial gaming, pictured are The Sergeants 3 and Gunga Din by Bob Murch of Pulp Figures (Code: PBT-5) https://pulpfigures.com/products/view/149, and painted by Devon.


Now with the 40th Anniversary Edition of this masterpiece rules set on the horizon I can't wait to see what Larry's daughters have done to celebrate the rules and Larry. Lori had told me that the 40th will contain updates, corrections from the official addendum, scenarios, and some surprises. Count me in!

Check out the official The Sword And The Flame Website: http://www.sergeants3.com/

Setting up my Sudan game table for HMGS-South's Recon-2019 convention in Orlando, Fl.

Devon Start's Gunga Din TSATF game table at HMGS-South's Recon-2019 convention, Orlando, Fl. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/hmgs_south/info

I hope to see you around a TSATF table soon! Carry on, and have fun rolling them bones.....
Cheers,
Sgt. G.

Larry Brom - 1958

Recon-2007, Orlando Fl. Kay Bar & Bayonet play test crew.

From Left to right:

 Mark Stevens, Larry Brom, Jeff Baumal (Sgt G), George Carr Sr., Big Red, Mike Lucas, Marc.

PBT 26 - A  1930's version of The Sgt's 3, by Pulp Figures painted by the very talented Stan Johansen, https://www.stanjohansenminiatures.com/

https://pulpfigures.com/products/view/186