Extra reading for Space 1889

I thought that I might spend a post discussing some of my recent reads that might be useful and entertaining for people interested in Space 1889.

First up, I have How to Make Friends and Oppress People by Vic Darkwood. A satirical look at nineteenth-century travel guidebooks. It covers topics such as;
Fireplaces in boats.
The practical theory of tea-making.
Insects, vermin and other troublesome creatures.
Modes of salutation.
How to treat banditti.
Engaging in gun battles.
Ballooning as a sport.
Pig sticking.
Revolting food that may save the lives of starving men.
Learning to ride a camel.
Employing a burly henchman.

If that doesn't sell you on it, I give up. A hilarious read and the advise is almost all authentic.

For more everyday advice, there's, Barkham Burrough's Encycolopedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information, 1889. This immensely useful tome contains 20,000 things worth knowing. What's more, it's an interesting look into the life of the American middle class during the late nineteenth-century. Lots of recipes too. I have a print copy but you can always read it here, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14091/14091-h/14091-h.htm .

Mostly of interest for you wargaming types is, L'Armée Française; An Illustrated History of the French Army, 1790-1885 by Edouard Detaille. Published in 1885, this is the best book of its type I've read. The detail is exhaustive and the illustrations are great. If you're playing a member of the French military, this ought to give you everything you need to fake the part.

Not to neglect the science fiction/alternate history aspect there's, The Tale of the Next Great War, 1871-1914 edited by I.F. Clarke. This is a collection of fiction written as a response to the Franco Prussian War. There's a lot of anxiety shown over the rise of German power not only by the British or French but by Germans themselves. Inside you find short works and excerpts such as The Battle of Dorking and La Guerre au Vingtième Siècle (War in the Twentieth-century) by Albert Robida. Other authors include George Griffith, Jack London and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Plus a video in memory of Andyman;

My time with the Barbarians of Lemuria

I ran this great little game a couple of weeks ago;
http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/barbarians-of-lemuria

I'm running at least two sessions of this game for my group as a stop gap until Space 1889: Red Sands is released. I might possibly run a third.

I used the print version (Legendary Edition) and I think it went rather well. The rules were easy for me (the GM) to remember. Always a plus. Six players generated their characters in under an hour. Also good. Fun characters too.

I ignored most of the setting stuff. The setting didn't really catch me and I've never read any Thongor stuff (I did find the first novel yesterday and am now reading it). So, I just made stuff up. Didn't really matter. None of the players were familiar either.

The adventure I ran was a bit railroady (I think), what with a sea monster causing our characters to wreck on a remote island. The players told me that they really liked it anyhow. The scenario was a bit simple too. All that is kind of necessary since this was intended as a semi one shot. I had to tone a few things down because Lee's son, Will, was playing (I'm not good with ages, somewhere around 9 or 10 years old?). Which was fun. The last time I ran something for kids, I was in high school. I thought he really added to the group.

It ran very smoothly with six players though I don't think I gave the system a thorough run through. Next session I hope to red line it a bit. I look forward to it. I had a lot of fun running it.

Jägers and Boxes

Finished my Jägers! Here they are;





I've also been considering boxes for transporting my miniatures. It's been a improvised affair for me since the beginning. A box that a keyboard came in, a wine bottle box, tackle box, all kinds of boxes that just happened to come in handy at the time. I kind of want to change that.

Look at what I found at a garage sale;





Just guess what I'm going to use these great little boxes for! I plan on placing magnetized trays inside each one. At least a stack of two. It should be more than enough to store my French VSF force in.

Then there's this;


Also got this mortar shell box at a garage sale. I'm going to put my Germans in it. It's a bit on the heavy side. Kind of large too, but man, it'll keep my minis safe. At first, I intended on sanding off the stencils and Germanifying it. Slap a big "Nicht Werfen" warning on the top. Then I got lazy and sentimental. So, I decided to give it a quick sanding to get rid of the rough spots and gave it a stain coat. I also glued magnetic sheets inside to hold my minis. The glue is setting as I type.

Now I need to find something for my British, Martians and Zanzibaris.

Viktoria's Valkyries

Here I present to you my first German VSF unit. The 1st Weib Hussaren or "Viktoria's Valkyries."





And a video;