Federation Commander

[Jean]

Battlewagon is now available on Wargame Vault: http://www.wargamevault.com/product/121549/Battlewagon-Second-Edition

It is also on DriveThru RPG: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/121549/Battlewagon-Second-Edition

It is still available on e23: http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=ADB2011

COMMENCE FIRE!

The enemy's battleline is pinpointed by the bright orange blast as his guns return fire. Salvo after salvo is exchanged as your ships battle for victory at sea.

Battlewagon allows players to recreate naval battles in the era of the dreadnought. Scenarios reenacting 10 of the most famous engagements during World War I and II are included. With the wealth of information provided on ships and naval combat, players may also recreate almost any naval battle ever fought, or create their own hypothetical engagements.

Battlewagon captures the excitement and suspense of surface naval combat in a fast and playable game. Each ship is represented by a playing piece on the map as well as by a "Ship System Display" which contains the information needed to move and engage the ship in combat. Each turn of the game is subdivided into impulses to allow for simultaneous movement and firing.

Back in 1980, someone around the Task Force Games office saw a really great photograph of an Iowa-class battleship firing its guns and said: "That would make a great game cover!" Then someone else said "Since Star Fleet Battles [which we had published a year before] is based loosely on [the Avalon Hill game] Jutland, why don't we just re-reverse engineer it into a World War II battleship game?"

The result was Battlewagon, first published in 1981 as a pocket game, then republished in a larger 8.5"x11" format in 1984. This is the second (1984) edition, which corrected and expanded the rules of the original pocket game. (The scan includes 48 pages plus the counters and the hex map.)

The game is hex/counter-based and was not really intended for use with naval miniatures. It covers everything from the smallest destroyer to the largest super battleship, and covers World Wars I and II. Data includes Austrian, British, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Russia, and US battleships. Scenarios include (among others): Falklands 1914, Dogger Bank 1915, Jutland 1916, River Platte 1939, Denmark Strait 1941, and Guadalcanal 1942. There are rules to create your own scenarios.

Rules cover movement, maneuver, gun combat, ammunition quality, gunner skill, ranging, shifting targets, shell types, torpedoes, observation, visibility, star shells, coastlines, ship systems (bridge, radar, engine, floatation, rudder), damage, repair, fire, crippled ships, and sinkings.

Originally published by Task Force Games, ownership of this game transferred to Amarillo Design Bureau Inc. as part of the 1999 "divorce" between the two companies.
_________________
Business Manager/RPG Line Editor
Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc.

[storeylf]

I remember that, had the original bag version. Might even still have it in the garage, though probably not, most of my old bagged games have gone missing and only the boxed ones seem to remain.

My first naval wargame I think, or did I have AH's trireme first? Battlewagon wasn't bad from what I remember, though I wasn't really into naval wargaming, and preferred trireme, at least in part as I was more into ancients rather than just slugging it out with big gun salvos.

[ingkent]

Fun game. Played it quite a bit back then. If I recall, was pretty fast playing. I still have the pocket edition and recently picked up the folio version unpunched.

[brucesim2003]

I just bought Article 1 (nexus magazine) from E23. Can we have more please?

[Steve Cole]

Jean has all of the articles and is planning to upload them all over the next few days or weeks. She's in charge of that and has some theory about how fast to upload stuff. I don't have to understand her theory.
_________________
The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

[Jean]

You asked for it, you got it. We are putting the articles from Nexus about Battlewagon, 2nd edition (including scenarios) up on e23, DriveThru RPG, and Wargame Vault. The first one is Rulers of the High Seas from Nexus, no. 1.

I've re-typeset it, correcting obvious typos. Tell us what you think.

e23: http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=ADB2011-01

DriveThru RPG: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/121645/Battlewagon-Article-%231-Rulers-of-the-High-Seas

Wargame Vault: http://www.wargamevault.com/product/121645/Battlewagon-Article-%231-Rulers-of-the-High-Seas?src=FrontPage
_________________
Business Manager/RPG Line Editor
Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc.

[brucesim2003]

Article 1 was interesting. I've read is somewhere before, and it wasn't in nexus. In any case, MORE! MORE!, MORE!

Maybe, if you are redoing the layout, you could sell it as a compendium? (please, pretty please)

20 odd years ago a couple of friends and I re-fought the battle of Jutland using Battlewagon. Now that took a lot of preparing, but it was fun.

Cheers


Bruce

[Jean]

The second Battlewagon article from Nexus is now available on e23, DriveThru RPG, and Wargame Vault. "The Battle of San Bernardino Straits - A Battlewagon Scenario" was published in May 1983, this scenario was written for the first edition of Battlewagon, but can be easily adapted for the second edition of Battlewagon.

HISTORICAL NOTES: In 1944, McArthur returned to the Philippines. His return precipitated the greatest sea battle in history: the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The battle consisted of four separate but interrelated sea battles, one of which was the Battle off Samar.

e23: http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=ADB2011-02

DTRPG: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/122012/Battlewagon-Article-%232-The-Battle-of-San-Bernardino-Straits---A-Battlewagon-Scenario

Wargame Vault: http://www.wargamevault.com/product/122012/Battlewagon-Article-%232-The-Battle-of-San-Bernardino-Straits---A-Battlewagon-Scenario
_________________
Business Manager/RPG Line Editor
Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc.

[brucesim2003]

Keep them coming please.

[brucesim2003]

Seeing as it seems the nexus articles have come to a halt, I was wondering if it is possible to get the formula for the ships point values?

I'm thinking that it has probably disappeared into the sands of time, but I figured if I don't ask I'll never know.

Cheers


Bruce

[Bolo_MK_XL]

If memory recall is good,
you will need to purchase the company for
twice it's value to see the
"Secret Formula".

Values are more than the sum of all it's parts.

[brucesim2003]

HeHe, I vaguely remember that to. But it was 20-ish years ago. No real reason for that to be a state secret any more.

Probably very little chance, but as I said, if I don't ask, the chance drops to no chance.

An alternative (but a significantly inferior option) would be a straight scan of the nexus articles that had extra ship specs. The formula would allow the addition of ships that, for whatever reason, were left out. The Drake's come to mind....playing coronel would then be a possibility.

Cheers


Bruce

[Steve Cole]

I still have the forumula, but still see exactly the same reason to never release it. (Bootleg ships could then have official BPVs.) If anybody buys the company (which will cost you about a million dollars) I'll show them the formula.
_________________
The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

[Jean]

Bruce, they came to a halt because they didn't cover my time, let alone turn a profit.
_________________
Business Manager/RPG Line Editor
Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc.

[brucesim2003]