Direct from the Rapid Fire website and costing the princely sum of £5 each, the basic rules and some extras - paratroops, gliders, amphibious landings etc. The website is really useful with plenty of free downloadable stuff as well as the various scenario or campaign guides available to purchase.
Eric was incredibly well organised in respect of his WW2 collection. All of the completed units are described in their storage boxes and the unpainted figures are bagged by sub unit with a small card inside telling exactly what they are and where they fit in at a higher level. This has proven to be really helpful as I sort through the collection. As Eric used the popular Rapid Fire rules (no doubt with some of his own ideas incorporated!) in a moment of whimsy I figures it would be useful to pick up a copy of the latest version which duly arrived this morning.
I have seen and used these rules in the past but not for some time. They give a good fun game and are a sensible way to model WW2 formations on the tabletop without going over the top - quite how Eric coped with using divisions is frankly beyond me but it would have been fascinating to see his armies in action under his command. Sadly I know of no pictures or reports of this phase of his wargaming career but of one thing I am certain - his scenarios would have been carefully thought out and with a great background story to support them.
For my own part I would only fight at battalion or possibly brigade level at a push as this would give a good game with all the usual WW2 ‘bells and whistles’. For a more detailed experience there are plenty of other rules that cater for this axle of operations - ‘O’ Group being a popular set.
It would be a simple matter to organise battalion sized formations to use with Rapid Fire from Eric’s collection and such is the size of it that the missing figures would barely be missed!
Something else to think about then.
14 comments:
You really can't go wrong at £5.00 for a set of rules! I agree that a Battalion with assets is about as big a game as I would normally play solo these days. anything larger and the time increases exponentially (or so it seems) and I find it much harder to keep track of what is going on.
Hi Steve J,
The two booklets are purely the rules although is a sample couple of units for 1944. The scenarios and orbats are available as printed publications or freebie PDFs. Looking through them in the current format is a lot easier and I can see just why they are such a popular set of rules.
All the best,
DC
Nice!
Hello there Raymondo,
Welcome back from the wilds of Eastern Mediterranean! I was in Turkey a few years back when it hit the late 40s and yes, there was an archaeological ruin to navigate! At the time the family stayed in the shade with a cool drink or two whilst I climbed to the top of the amphitheatre in Side - I must have been mad!
The collection is huge! I think I have a handle on what is there now that I have sorted bits of it out and yes, I am conscious that I still have a pile of stuff for you as well!
All the best,
DC
Hi David,
I've ordered 'RAPID FIRE- RELOAD' from the UK upon the strength that you previously had mentioned Eric's choice of Rapid Fire for his games. I'm thinking that the Rules may help me with the writing of my own Rules - which I've basically completed- though I wouldn't mind seeing how Rapid Fire tackles WW2. Best Wishes. KEV.
Hi KEV,
In my opinion I would say that Rapid Fire are quite an old school style set in many ways - I can certainly see why Eric would have liked them, especially the ‘Ambush’ rule! I like the scale they work at and I am sure you will enjoy them. Be sure to check out the Rapid Fire website as there are many freebie downloads you can hoover up - especially nationality equipment tables and a QRS.
All the best,
DC
Look at you… Just one whiff of temptation under your nose and off your butterfly flutters…
You wouldn’t catch me acting like that 🤣😂🤣.
All the best. Aly
Hello there Aly,
There is a substation amount of ‘kit’ in terms of painted stuff within this collection and organising representational forces on a battalion level would be very easy to do. The problem would be deciding exactly what to do though - 1940 or 1944? At this stage it is merely a whimsical notion so the butterfly is kind of ‘circling the airfield’…. :-)
As you know I am a man of iron resolve about these things - much like yourself really…. ;-)
All the best,
DC
Thanks David,
I've looked up the RAPID FIRE Site and found it interesting- it will all make more sense when I receive the RELOAD Book in a few weeks time. Regards. KEV.
David,
I think you need to speak to Dan Mersey.....and put him in touch with the family?
He wonders what happened to Eric and William Knowles in this month's Wargames Illustrated:
https://www.wargamesillustrated.net/product/wi428-august-2023/
Apparently, Eric co-authored a fantasy RPG in the 1970s...
http://wiki.oldhammer.org.uk/v/The_Quest_of_Thane_Tostig
I wonder if any material survives.....
Neil
Hi Kev,
There is some very good material there for sure - organisations and scenarios aplenty!
All the best,
DC
Thane Tosting was amongst first, if not the first, wargames rules I played. My friend had them and the figures, which then led on to D&D, Chainmail, Sword & Sorcery etc. Happy Days!
Hello there Neil,
I have not seen the article yet but certainly Bill Knowles is still with us! Funnily enough we were talking about Thane Tostig when I collected Eric’s WW2 collection. There are some details about the rules in Appendix 2 of Bob Cordery’s excellent book: The Madasahatta Campaign which includes the full listing of the figures supporting the rules, designed by Barry Minot.
I am unsure if Bill has anything on etched with the rules but I will ask and in the meantime will try and get a hold of Dan Mersey.
All the best,
DC
Hi Steve J,
The figures were designed by Barry Minot although where the moulds are now lord alone knows! It was good fun in an Eric kind of way!
All the best,
DC
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