Sunday 31 January 2016

Winter of '79 Goes Loud in Wargames Illustrated!

This month Winter of '79 comes of age, appearing in February's issue of Wargames Illustrated WI340


Photo: 28mm Winter of '79 action
courtesy of Wargames Illustrated

Over the course of our gaming project Maff and I have had many great games. My favourite remains Mae pont yn rhybyell from Feb 2014. A cluth of Free Taff militia, a reduced platoon of around 16 Welsh Territorials with a small cadre of Royal Marines and a 120mm Wombat from the Welsh Guards, hold a river crossing against the Emergency Government's strike force, '5 Para' supported by armoured recce elements.


It was one of those games which becomes a legend and is laid down in your wargaming psyche.  The engagement should have been a cakewalk for the Paras, but instead they got a bloody nose and the Free Taffs fought a grudging withdrawal. They may have lost the battle but won our respect. The game itself  swung back and forth, and looked like it was all over when the Paras put in a helicopter coup de main, but a plucky 'Charlie G gunner' in the post office scored a direct hit as the Wessex disgorged it's troops.


But of course the action takes place in the streets as well.  Streets created from card buildings by Metcalfe, Scalescenes, Kingsway and others. I like the any street, anywhere, aspect of Winter of '79. Is this a scene outside your mum's or grans house? The Corporal calling up a Saracen to help support the close quarter gun fight.

With a lot of new 28mm figures suitable for Winter of '79 appearing just now we will be upscaling in 2016 to 28mm adding Gripping Beast, Mike Bravo, Copplestone and Crooked Dice amongst others, though 20mm will remain our main focus.

Right, those Airfix Scorpions wont build themselves and the rear brakes on my 1:1 scale Lannie need looking at.....

Cheers
Mark


7 comments:

  1. Congratulations. Looking forward to picking up my copy very soon.

    Cheers, Andy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hah! Yes, that and the fact that one section of paras decided to move about once every three turns. I always look back on Pennypinch Farm and Closing the Net with great affection for the sheer mayhem and having to plan and then make it up on the hoof when it all kicked off.

    Cheers

    Maff

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the battles for Abergavenny - especially the attack on the town hall are a classic all on their own.

      Cheers
      Mark

      Delete
  3. Will hopefully find a copy this coming week, am looking forward to it.

    Cheers,

    Pete.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks to Mark and Maff for the whole concept, I've not been this inspired by an idea in a long while and I've not only play tested a set of rules (out soon) but even written a supplement, plus we're showcasing the rules tomorrow as people seem so interested!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Abergavenny was an exercise in gaming that went beyond the norm; you and your helicopter assaults. He was only a sniper in the clock tower, two westlands with SAS hanging of the skids was a bit OTT if you ask me.

    Indeed, Wayne good to see you foaming at the mouth, hope you're not the only one!

    ReplyDelete