Baccus - Polemos: English Civil War
| Name of Product | Polemos: English Civil War (Second Edition) |
| Product Number | - |
| Manufacturer | Baccus 6mm |
| Genre | Historical - English Civil War |
| Scale | Any (6mm) |
| Price | £15.00 |
What do you get?
From the product description: "Polemos English Civil War
rules are designed for those who wish to recreate the epic
battles of the period. You are placed firmly in the position
of the General. Can you repear the famous exploits of Cromwell,
Rupert or Montrose? Now is your chance!"
These rules, from one of the premier 6mm manufacturers, are
nicely printed in black and white on good quality glossy paper,
with full colour cover; there is a double-sided card playsheet
supplied. Production values are high with lots of good photographs
[all of the excellent 6mm Baccus ranges unsurprisingly, and
several in colour] and examples of play which include clear
diagrams. There are also a number of good drawings included.
The rules are broken down into:
· Setting up the Game
· Playing the Game
· Terrain and Optional Rules
· Army Generators [these are very comprehesive]
· Appendices [including scenarios with excellent maps for Naseby
& Shieldfield; a brief guide to ECW armies; and Designers' Notes]
How does it compare?
The rules themselves are clearly written and the examples of play are really useful in explaining core mechanics, some of which are innovative. A clear feature is the use of Base Width and Base Depth as units of measurement rather than prescriptive sizing - this is really useful for anyone who has already got ECW armies that they'd rather note rebase; and it also allows for any figure scale to be used. The use of Tempo Points for gaining the initiative is an interesting feature of the rules, and brings an element of uncertainty to the turn sequence - but it does mean that these rules aren't particularly suited for solo play. Ranged and close combat are relatively straightforward, using a variety of modifiers as well as a dice roll to determine the outcomes which seem to be historically correct. The rules also give a good representation of troop types and tae account of the different styles and proportionality of ECW units.
The Army Generators are interesting - they are not 'lists' based on point values [the designers explain that this is consciously avoided to prevent these rules being used for competition play] but allow for random army generation. Each listing also provides an historical basis [with good clarity where conjecture is employed] as well as some background and uniform colours. The scenarios included are really well-presented: a clear historical context and description of both circumstances and terrain [as well as its effects], force objectives, army listings and an indication of the historical outcome - and excellent accompanying maps showing army deployment. The rules are supported by a Yahoo group as well as a dedicated forum on the Baccus website.
The final word.
I love historical gaming and the English Civil War has always been one of my favourite periods. These rules are clear in their stated intent of gaming big battles and the mechanics reflect that well. They are nicely presented, clearly laid-out and illustrated superbly throughout. I think they represent good value for money - my only thoughts [maybe for the Third Edition?!] would be a plea for full-colour throughout and 'heavier' covers - although this would necessarily increase production costs. I'd also like to see whether these rules, with an adaptation of the Tempo system, could be used for solo play. Overall, if you've wanted to game as an ECW General and enjoy the spectacle of armies [not units] in action - and have access to a friendly opponent - I think these rules are worth a serious look at.
