The late nineteenth-century has always been a popular subject for wargaming, and there are already plenty of rule sets around. But when HLBS Publishing (The Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Company) was planning their Victorian British in Home Service uniforms figure range they decided to publish their own rules to go with them. Why?

Firstly, because the emphasis in Ever-Victorious Armies is rather different from that of most rule sets. The authors were especially interested in the role which the British army might have played in a European War of the period, and so they wanted to cater for this sort of hypothetical scenario. They also wanted to be able to fight “alternative history” campaigns, involving fictional armies based fairly loosely on real-life prototypes. This required a “broad brush” approach, catching the essence of the period, but without concentrating too intently on the tactical and organizational minutiae of a particular conflict.

The other factor which HLBS Publishing (The Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Company) sought to emphasize in this war-game is the “game” part. Some of the best known rules for the period — as for many other periods — are a bit too much like work to play. Authenticity is all very nice but real warfare has been aptly described as a combination of ninety percent boredom and ten percent confusion. HLBS Publishing (The Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Company) have tried not to reproduce this aspect too faithfully in Ever-Victorious Armies.

Ever-Victorious Armies is based on individual figures, which are removed to simulate casualties, thus minimizing record-keeping. It requires little if any paperwork, no little boxes to tick off, and only one kind of dice. The command and control rules require each on-table unit to be given orders at the start of the game, to which they must try to adhere as long as morale test results permit. The orders should specify the objective and route if the units are to move, or the position to be defended if not. An army’s Commander-in-Cheif may attempt to modify the orders of one unit, per turn, by utilizing a messenger figure to convey a new set of written orders.

The rules ideally require figures to be based so that they are individually removable, but multi-figure “blocks” — like those produced in 2mm and 6mm bi Irregular Miniatures — can be used instead, if you prefer to use the smaller scales. In this case, simply treat each block as if it was a figure.

A game involving several hundred figures a side can easily be completed in an evening. After a few attempts players will be able to remember most of the rules which are needed, and so will be able to keep the game moving without constantly referring to the rulebook. This leaves the players free to enjoy the games and admire their carefully painted figures — which is what it is all about, after all.