Table Top Talk

It looks like we have finally finished making new molds for the Scruby 25mm SYW Infantry figures. We started this project a while back, and have finally completed the last of the molds for the SYW Infantry figures - Cavalry to follow.

To give you a better idea of the figures included in this re-molding project see the list presented below.

More updates soon…

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Just a quick note this time around…

The first printing of the MAFRICA map is now officially sold out!

We will order in a second print run, so if you did not get your copy from the first printing please let us know that you are still interested in obtaining a copy. This will help us decide how many more we need to print…

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MAFRICA

Originally crafted by Jack Scruby, HistoriFigs is honored to reintroduce his classic war game map, Mafrica. Mafrica can not be found in any atlas. This is because it is a mythical island continent where YOU create indigenous nations and imperial colonies. You pick up where Scruby left off, draw or redraw borders and roads. You name or rename terrain features and build habitations. Add and change things too. Afterwards, add war game forces of your choice to do battle.

Within Mafrica you can war game historical or fictional campaigns of any sort. For Jack, Mafrica was a fictional venue for his numerous late 19th Century European Colonial and Native Forces to war game. Any combination worked for him. Today a traditionalist may want to set up New Zululand and New Natal. That’s fine. Others might want to run pre-WWI imaginary campaigns involving combinations of indigenous and imperial alliances bearing little resemblance to history. Others may even want Mafrica for imaginary campaigns from antiquity to well, now. For example, would you like a new campaign theater for Rommel and Montgomery? Mafrica is your ticket to that kind of imagineering and excitement.

Owning Mafrica is your opportunity for a new kind of fun and to own a piece of hobby history and lore even if all you do is frame it as a wall decoration. Your friends will need copies too…

The 18” x 24” maps are printed on heavy coated (not glossy) poster stock and are priced at $16.50 each (plus postage) and are shipped rolled in a sturdy mailing tube. Shipping to addresses in the United States is $2.50 - International shipping is $7.00 (for international customers, we can ship the map folded rather than rolled, shipping for folded maps is $3.50).

UPDATE (11/11/28) The first print run has sold out!

Special thanks go out to Gary Zaharek and Bil Protz for their individual efforts with this project.

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So far 2008 has been a year of real world intrusions. OK, maybe not the entire year, but at least since late May early June Starting with the damaging rains (flooding and such), continuing with a [painful] neck problem and continuing with other real world issues consuming time and energy…

So, while we were able to restart casting operation in September, we have been pretty much at a dead run trying to catch up with a huge back log of work. Alison has been working nearly full-time in the casting shop, while I’ve been less than half-time (casting & mold making). The good news is that we are close to being caught up with the backlog of work. We should be back to ‘normal’ around the 1^st of November.

Come November we will try out a new website feature – We will attempt to post our casting schedule. The schedule will not cover specific orders, but the types of figures scheduled for casting during a given time period. For example we might see an entry such as this: “Week of 10 November: 25mm SYW, 28mm AWI & 40mm ACW”. Anyhow, look for a new page “Casting Schedule” page here on Table Top Talk.

Over the next few days or so I’ll be posting a rundown of our stealth releases from the past month or so. These are mostly releases for the Bloodaxe brand (We’ve had a backlog here and are finally getting this done and out).

Also, we have our first publication ready (printed pieces are in hand) and we will make an announcement shortly. Two more publications are basically ‘done’ and should be released by the end of the year.

Well, that about wraps things up for now – The casting shop is open, and orders are rolling out the door daily – thanks for you patience with us this past summer, we do appreciate it.

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Recently I decided it was time to introduce Liam (age 7) to commercial war games. Sure, we have played a few home designed miniature rules systems and some of the more kiddie type war-like games, but we’ve never played a commercially published game…

I wanted a simple game - no complicated rules mechanisms or the like. I started by pulling out some of the older Avalon Hill games I have in my collection, but all were more than I wanted for a beginners game. Then I remembered Nieuchess…

NIEUCHESS: AN ADULT STRATEGY GAME - published by Avalon Hill, 1961

A quick review of the rules and I knew that this was the game to start with, a traditional Avalon Hill game, hexes and a combat results table revolving around a 3:1 CRT table. The game board is 25 x 36 hexes and each player commands 20 pawns (pieces). Movement is simple as pie - each pawn can move 5 spaces, we have invasions and a red line (the line is like a railroad, unlimited movement along the line). Combat results are pretty straight forward too - figure odds, role die and apply result (not complicated, and a quick review of the CRT will inform when and how to attack - Liam figured out very quickly). The game ultimately boils down to a battle of attrition - what war game isn’t about attrition at some level.

All in all, a really good introductory game - even after 47 years…

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