Red Sash Games

Here's a copy of the latest newsletter:

This is just a quick update on the 'Dreams of Empire' Carnatic War game, to let you know it is still a thing. According to my records it’s been about a year since the project started. There has been a good deal of progress; I’m not quite sure we're on track for a fall release, but I think so. There are no major delays in the project, just a lot of little issues. I have had to go back and redraw both maps and counters a couple of times after obtaining better data, and I still have a few more sources to reference which may tweak the scenario OOBs. The rules are in 3rd draft so there should be no major revisions now, just a lot of crosschecking. This is why I’m a little uncertain about the time remaining to completion. I remain hopeful.

The game has expanded slightly to include 4 scenarios and a sandbox campaign. Scenarios will be the 1st Carnatic War and the Dutch-Travancore War taking place in the 1740s, plus the escapades of Chanda Sahib among the remnants of the Madurai empire and the Canarese incursion into Kolathunadu, both of which took place in the 1730s. The campaign involves 20 different 'state actors’, from the Marathas and Hyderabad to Calicut and the VOC. This means 6x 22x34 map sheets, but table presence is still moderate since only 2 sheets are needed for the campaign and 1 each for the scenarios. Only 7 counter sheets (in the vain hope of lowering the final price).

(On the subject of expensive counter sheets, I understand the manufacturer has been looking into options, but they have to consider their other clients’ needs, so it’s a slow process.)

In the last update I mentioned some of the scaling challenges for this particular game. Testing seems to show the system can handle matters simply by giving a battalion of sepoys the same punch as a brigade’s-worth of medieval host. For example, simulating the Battle of San Thomé where 1,000 French defeated 10,000 of Arcot’s cavalry can generate the historical outcome, but the Nawab’s men also have a 30% chance of winning. Having the players control randomly activating states in the campaign scenario also seems to work, but I want to run more tests.

SOUTH BEND SYW CONVENTION attendees.

For anyone who is planning to attend the SYW convention in South Bend this April, Blue Panther LLC is offering a 25% discount on all RSG titles . But, you will have to pay in advance and pick up at the convention (the on-demand model we use means he won’t be bringing excess stock). Probably best to order early so Steve has time to make them.

Here's a copy of the latest company newsletter, mainly discussing the latest project, Dreams of Empire.

Hello everyone,

I see the last company newsletter went out in October. Guess it’s time for another one.

Nothing to report re mundane company business. RSG is still chugging along.

The Carnatic War project is proving both interesting and challenging. Fortunately it can be made to fit the Lace Wars game system without much hammering, but it's certainly taking up all the design time. The game should be ready for publication this year, but probably late in the year, although I may have a prototype to bring to Consimworld Expo in July. If the prototype is ready I’ll be happy to guide anyone who wants to try it out.

The working title for the game is Dreams of Empire. It will cover the period from 1739 to 1748, in Southern India. I decided on that time frame so the game would line up with the Austrian Succession quad, but the dates are not entirely arbitrary. 1748 ended one phase of the political churn in India, which resumed in 1749 with a paradigm shift. 1739 saw the start of the Travancore-Dutch War in Malabar and the sack of Delhi by Nadr Shah, which sent Mughal power into a nosedive. So, the dates bookending the game do have meaning.

There will be two 22x34” maps at the old scale of 4 leagues (16 Km) per hex and probably two enlarged maps (1 league hexes), one each for the Carnatic and Malabar, which is where most of the fighting took place. The enlarged maps will be used for mini campaigns - the Carnatic War between Britain and France and the Travancore-Dutch War. The main map will serve for the Grand Campaign and any other scenarios. Warfare was endemic in Malabar throughout the 1730s so there may also be a prequel scenario involving the 20-odd statelets there. The rules will also allow a tie-in to the Sea Lords Carnatic War game in Four Corners.

Unit scale will be both brigade and battalion. European-style battalions and ‘native’ brigades. I’m using those terms loosely. A more accurate description would be detachments of company soldiers versus extremely large war-bands. But, there will also be a lot of fighting of European v. European and Raja v. Raja (or Nawab). It will require some experimentation but the hope is for combat power to be balanced no matter who is fighting whom, without the need for a lot of extra rules. Giving tiny European units the same ‘punch’ as a large but loosely organized ‘Medieval host’ seems the simplest option. (The native armies employed lots of fi****ms and cannon, often of better quality, and their melee fighting skills were superior, so the difference is not so much technology as it is doctrine and cultural mindset.)

The other game mechanic that requires significant testing is player control of the various factions. Unlike every other game in the series so far, it is not possible for the players to control a fixed coalition of political powers. The situation is that chaotic. It will be a two-player game, but each player will gain and lose control of individual state actors as those actors activate and deactivate to fulfill somewhat randomly determined objectives. His opponent will control the target power. While a power is active, the controlling player has the chance to earn Prestige (per the regular game system). It sounds good in principle, but we’ll see if it holds together in practice.

That’s all for now. Remember, if you have questions about anything related to the design process, rules, or any issues with the print and play versions of the games, please contact Red Sash Games. Anything related to production, placing orders, shipping, etc. can only be answered by Blue Panther LLC.

Best Regards, Ian Weir

As part of their 20-year celebration, Limey Yank Games (https://www.limeyyankgames.co.uk/) will be running a special promotion for Red Sash between 4 November and 2 December 2023. 15% off any physical purchase from Blue Panther LLC. You'll need to visit LYG for the discount code/links, once they're made available. Alas, the offer is not open to UK or EU customers, thanks to the VAT restrictions.

Pics of the Fronde game courtesy of Blue Panther. (Wood cubes not shown; they come in yellow, red, blue, and black.)

Here's the link to Blue Panther's 'patchwork games' sale: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/collections/red-sash-sale-collection

Red Sash SALE Collection 30% OFF SELECT RS GAMES - LIMITED QUANTITIES SALE - "PATCHWORK" VERSIONS Red Sash sent us a bunch of mint components from their old printer but not complete games, so these games are a "patchwork" of components from old printer and new. All components necessary for play are included and the games co...

Cut & paste from the latest RSG newsletter:

New Product Release

RSG is pleased to announce the release of our latest title: Frondeurs et Frondeuses. The game covers the political intrigue side of the Fronde, a ‘time of troubles’ in France at the end of the Thirty Years War, before Louis XIV attained his majority. It uses the same engine as Parcel o Rogues - that is, placing influence cubes on a board that represents the people and places that were important during the Fronde. 2-4 players, but easiest to manage with 4, since you always use all the factions. The leaders of those factions are, in no particular order, the wily Cardinal Mazarin, the arrogant Grande Condé, the seductive Madame de Longueville, and the populist Coadjutor Retz.

The game should be available to order from Blue Panther LLC in just a few days.

Price: $150 USD

Early Bird Discount. Blue Panther is offering $20 off the regular price for the first 10 (TEN) customers (only). If the game's webpage is not yet posted when you read this, feel free to email them with your order. I suspect this offer will only be valid for customers outside Europe, since they cannot do direct sales there. (Hint: if you want to buy direct from the States again vote in some pro-trade MEPs.)

Print and Play copies will be available at RSG’s site as soon as I have uploaded the webpages. The game requires a deck of cards. A PDF for them is included in the kit. DriveThru Cards will have both the PDF and the physical deck available for order in a few weeks (we are still in the proofing process, which involves them mailing a copy to me for approval (3-7 weeks)).

A reminder: Blue Panther is willing to supply physical counter sets for the PnP copies, at a cost of $7 USD per sheet.

Old Product [Re]Release

Kabinettskrieg, the massive expansion for the Lace Wars Austrian Succession Trilogy, has been overhauled and is ready to be relisted. As soon as Blue Panther provides a price it will be available in boxed format. The PnP version (also updated) is available now, but at the original price for the time being.

The main change to the original is the removal of all the maps. Those maps have been included with the individual games for nearly ten years now, so including them in KK is redundant. This will reduce the price somewhat (or rather, will hopefully ensure the price does not jump).

Also, all counter errata has been integrated into the counter sheets. Previously the errata was sold on a separate sheet, no longer available.

Old Stock Sale

After I supplied Blue Panther with several boxes of old material they have decided to put together some 'patchwork' games. These will be fully complete, fully functional copies of a variety of titles in the RSG line, but the components will be somewhat mixed. Books, for example, may be stitched (stapled down the centerline), perfect bound (like paperbacks), or spiral bound (BP's specialty). Counters may be laser cut by BP or die cut. Because some of the materials are made to metric instead of imperial dimensions, the games will not be boxed, but stored in canvas bags. The advantage to you? Prices will be discounted by 30%.

BP can only make a handful of these games. 13 titles are represented but in most cases there is only enough material to make a single patchwork copy. So, first come, first served. Visit the Blue Panther website for details.

Hi everyone, couple of things to post. First a belated thanks to those who kindly sent birthday wishes. I've been too busy with projects to check in with FB for some time, but they're much appreciated.

Second is a pre-announcement about one of those projects, a new game about to be released from RSG. Subject is La Fronde & the title is Frondeurs et Frondeuses: Political Mayhem in France 1648-1652. The game uses the same engine as Parcel o Rogues - so it's a political influence game, playing cards and placing cubes on a board that represents various personalities and institutions.

No pics and nothing on the website yet. This is just a heads-up. I've sent the files to Blue Panther for publication. No final price yet but they ball-parked it around $170 USD. We discussed offering an early-bird discount, possibly on the first 30-40 copies. I hope to send more detailed information to our subscribers in a week or two.

FYI if the Fronde interests you there's a Vae Victis issue from a few years ago that has the battles of Blénau and Fabourg Saint-Antoine, plus it looks like the June 2023 issue (or maybe a boxed game?) will have Rethel and the Dunes.

Blue Panther LLC has asked me to boost a game they will be releasing in early February, called Land and Freedom. The subject is the Spanish Civil War '36-'39. The designer is Alex Knight. Publisher is BPLLC. 1-3 players and semi co-op. For solo play there are 3 bots, so it sounds like you can play any side you like. Looks like it might be good for an afternoon at the coffee shop.

BP says they are doing an early release on 1 February 2023 at a discounted price. They say shipping will start around 8 Feb.

Just to be clear, Red Sash Games is not involved in this project in any way. Just doing BP a favour.

Here's the link:

https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/land-and-freedom

Land and Freedom (COMING EARLY FEB 2023) Land and Freedom: The Spanish Revolution and Civil War is a 1-3 player war game. Created by Alex Knight, this game is set during 1936-39. Published exclusively by Blue Panther LLC. 1936: Right-wing Army Generals have rebelled against the Spanish Republic, aided by Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's It...

As some of you know I was forced to switch manufacturers this year. Under the old arrangement I printed the game maps in-house. Including what I clawed back from the printers this has left me with a few spare parts. Blue Panther LLC will be getting the spare rulebooks but I also have several map sets. They won't fit in BP's boxes because of the way they're folded, but if anyone would like a set printed on heavy paper, please let me know. Only worth it if you want spares or did not buy your games before 2022.

(If you want a rule book of some kind let me know ASAP as I will be shipping them out in January.)

Cost will be 'cost' plus shipping. 'Cost' works out to $1.50 USD per sheet and shipping should be only $5.00 in North America and $10 elsewhere, unless you want a bunch of the maps. Email Red Sash Games ([email protected]) to finalize things.

Counters? I think I may have a (very) few complete sets and some that are nearly complete. Email RSG if you're interested. They'll be more expensive.

I think the list of maps is short enough to put here:

Parcel o Rogues x1
Charlie's Year x4 & will throw in a 1715/1719 overlay
(There is also a set of the original CY maps from way back)
Remember Limerick! (small version) x2
Pro Libertate et Religione x1
Cockpit of Europe x4
Queen's Gambit x3
Army of Roussillon x2
Army of Italy x3
Army of the Rhine x2
Army of Flanders x2
Yellow Jack x1 (will include the 2015 overlay, just in case)

Special notice for customers who bought the Four Corners expansion or who are thinking of picking up a copy from a retailer in the near future. A couple of map files from the very first batch needed emergency revision (it's a long story). Please be aware you can order the revised maps from Blue Panther LLC at no charge. The maps in question are the pair for the Carnatic War module. As of 17 October 2022 BP will only be printing the corrected maps, so replacement only applies to copies bought direct from them prior to this date, or to retailer copies that might have been sitting on the shelf for a while.

Pics for the Four Corners expansion set - used with the Sea Lords series. Photos courtesy of Trey Jones.

The LLH card decks are now available for purchase at DriveThru Cards, both as PDFs (free) and physical decks. These are only for customers buying the PnP version.

First pics of Last Labour of Hercules from Blue Panther LCC, courtesy of Trey Jones. Due to supply chain issues, for this printing the bulk of the game cubes had to be replaced with numerical counters.

Here's a copy of the latest newsletter, announcing the publication of 2 new titles, available as of today (sorry, no pictures):

Hello everyone,

RSG is pleased to announce the release of two new titles: The Last Labour of Hercules, and Four Corners. Both games are now available to order from Blue Panther LLC.

There are a couple of caveats.

Product webpages already exist at Red Sash Games but it will take a few days for Blue Panther to activate theirs, so you will have to email them with your requests. You can find the prices at RSG.

Please be aware that Blue Panther has only had a couple of weeks notice about these titles, so production may take longer than expected, especially since they will need to source wooden cubes and card decks for one of the titles. Personally, I would base my expectations on them beginning work at the start of October. If they turn out to be faster, that’s a plus.

We regret that Red Sash Games will not be offering the traditional preorder discounts. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, there is no longer any need to present the manufacturer with a ‘batch order’ to reduce the set up fees. But, more importantly, the Europeans can no longer take advantage of the discount; it would not be fair to offer it to only some of you.

Print and Play copies are now available at RSG. As I mentioned before, one of the titles requires cards. As usual these will be available at the DriveThru Cards website. But, because I need to receive proofs and submit approval before physical decks are made public - a process which will apparently take a few weeks, you cannot buy the physical decks just yet. The card PDFs are available as a free download at DriveThru.

A reminder: Blue Panther is willing to supply physical counter sets for the PnP copies, at a cost of $7 USD per sheet.

The Games

The Last Labour of Hercules is a two-player ‘light’ wargame about the English occupation of Tangier from 1662 to 1684. It combines two different styles of play. Periods of preparation and lulls in the action are resolved through card play, while siege actions (there will be more than one) use a map of Tangier, with point-to-point movement and forces represented by wooden cubes. The game is a race to see who can accomplish their objectives first.

Four Corners is a collection of four expansions in the Sea Lords series (one is actually a companion for Heirs of the Golden Horde) . The expansions are:

King George’s War, supplementing Yellow Jack and featuring the siege of Louisbourg.

Eastern Med, supplementing Mistral by adding the rest of the Mediterranean. This expansion includes the 2.0 Upgrade kit (especially the counters) which was previously only available as a PnP.

Black Sea (the actual name is in Turkish), which can link to the Med but which is to be used with the Lace Wars game Türkenkrieg and its expansion, Heirs of the Golden Horde.

Carnatic War, which covers naval action off the Coromandel Coast (the section of India opposite Sri Lanka). This map does not physically join with any others but you will need Cold Waves for the counter mix.

These expansions will NOT be sold separately as folios (ziplock). However, if you are only interested in one or two topics , and are willing to accept a PnP copy, we should be able to come to some arrangement.

New Projects

There is still no shortage of subject matter for new games. Some of you have asked about SYW, the French and Indian War, Napoleon’s campaigns, and even WWII. None of those are off the table, but I do think there are many fine titles out there on those subjects, making them less of a priority. So, the immediate project is going to be a game about the Fronde.

If you buy our games you probably know what the Fronde was (not that any source I have read has really been able to define it). Very superficially, toward the end of the Thirty Years War, and with the death of Louis XIII, France went into a period of turmoil. It was because of the Fronde that Louis XIV established an absolute monarchy. As conceived at present the game will be a four-way power play between various elite factions: Mazarin, Retz, Condé, and the Cabal des Importants (a coven of idle rich women and their husbands/lovers). Two- and three- player options will be available. Unless it proves unworkable the game system will probably be very similar to the one developed for Parcel o' Rogues.

After the Fronde, which hopefully will be released late in 2023, our projects will probably return to conventional wargaming.

That’s all for now.

Remember, if you have any questions or suggestions about rules, upcoming designs, etc. please feel free to write to me at the above email address. I do respond on FaceBook, BGG, and Consimworld, but not regularly.

Questions about production, shipping, pricing, etc. must be directed to Blue Panther LLC. They handle all of that.

Best Regards, Ian Weir

Blue Panther LLC has agreed to manufacture 'aftermarket' counter sheets for customers who prefer to buy the Print and Play versions of our games. Cost will be $7 USD per sheet, plus shipping.

If you live in Europe, the same stupid VAT rules apply to parts, but you may be able to persuade our distributors to order them - they mostly place orders based on customer requests. Prices will be more that $7 per sheet though, since that is pretty near cost and the distributors will want some profit.

For those of you who don't get the newsletter, here are the salient points:

1) Blue Panther LLC now makes all our titles under licence, on demand. I had to terminate a very long and cordial partnership with the local guys after it became clear they could no longer fulfil requirements. This does mean changes to the physical nature of the product, such as chipboard counter instead of cardboard, and spiral bound books. There are also changes to the pricing, but that is almost exclusively a function of the economy. Our margins are exactly the same. (The older titles jump more in price but that is because a) the prices remained fixed from when the games were first published, and b) it turns out the local guys were undercharging me significantly, to the point they were losing money. If I had been able to continue with them this year it would have made no difference to the amount the prices had to change - they would have been comparable to BP's prices.)

2) The RSG website has been reworked to reflect the new arrangement. Now, when you visit you can see all the games organised by series and subject, with the option to buy PnP copies right there, or to order a boxed copy. If you order a boxed copy, the button takes you to the matching page at BP, where you can actually buy it. BP has all the titles but doesn't have all the pages up at their end yet, so not all the buttons are live. But, you can still place an order by email. You can also skip all that and go directly to BP's website to place an order. The RSG site allows you get the PnPs, read more about the games, and access support materials. I also reiterated that European customers will have to buy through select distributors, but I believe all of them are willing to place orders on request.

3) Re orders placed this year, anything through the end of June (including the big 15 January preorder) has shipped. July orders will ship in August.

4) Re Customer Support, there is now a clear division of responsibility. If it's about new game designs, rules questions, or similar, contact me at RSG. If it's something serious, like 'where is my game' or 'counter sheet #3 is misprinted and I want my money back', talk to BP. I no longer have any input or control over any aspect of manufacturing or shipping, nor am I the one involved in taking payments. BP has made a few mistakes in this transition period (there are always some goof-ups in any production run, AND they have been swamped with work) but they're very good about replacements. The exception is PnP. If you have a PnP issue I am the one to contact.

5) I plan to release 2 new titles this year, probably in early fall, but maybe sooner. The first is The Last Labour of Hercules, a Euro-style game about the English occupation of Tangier in the 1660s-70s. A mix of card play and cube-pushing, pretty simple and quick. The other is Four Corners (working title), a quad pack of 4 expansions for Sea Lords: King George's War tacks on to Yellow Jack, Eastern Med tacks onto Mistral (it also includes the entire 2.0 Upgrade, including all the errata counters), Black Sea which can be used with Heirs of the Golden Horde and also connects to the East Med, and Carnatic War, which deals with the original fight between Britain and France over Madras and Pondicherry. FYI, KGW and CW are only the naval component of those campaigns; the land fighting is abstracted with the usual Military Campaign rondel.

Copy of the latest newsletter:

Blue Panther finished and shipped their portion of the current print run a couple of weeks ago. By now, most of you should have your games. Feedback so far has been positive.

I also handed them the files for Cockpit of Europe, Sport of Kings, and Queens’ Gambit, so those are now available any time you like. A couple of you had ordered from that mix; your games are on their way.

The remaining games in the run will (very tentatively) be ready to ship by the end of June. The local shop has been having major personnel issues, but they have committed to finishing the job.

For the future, by the end of the year Blue Panther will have all the titles, which you will be able to order on demand. I expect the local shop will come into play any time there is a new release, but not otherwise.

For the present, if you want to order a game from Blue Panther, please continue to use the Red Sash Games website.

Pricing

Please be aware prices are changing (and not for the better). Both here in Canada and in the US the cost of materials has jumped significantly - the local guys have had their costs go up three times over the last year and it’s not much better in the States.

On the other hand, I can reduce shipping costs, at least for the USA. What you will probably see is a fixed rate of $12 USD on shipping in the US and the same in Canada for games that are made in Canada. For overseas there will probably also be a flat rate, and for airmail only - shipping by sea at the present time is not viable, though that may change.

I need to warn you that the Red Sash website still shows some of the old prices, and the shipping rates have yet to be adjusted. So, if you want to order a game within the next couple of weeks, please check with me by email before making a payment.

The price on PnP copies remains fixed.

Pics of the Cold Waves game, courtesy of Blue Panther LLC.

Just got some good news. Blue Panther has completed their portion of our current print run and should start shipping in a day or two if they haven't already. Shipping in most cases will be significantly less; I should have refunds available once BP bills me at the end of the month. The games in question will be any of the Sea Lords titles, including the new Cold Waves, plus Sisu (a handful of Cold Waves are being made in Canada, and they are not ready, unfortunately). I will be posting pictures of Cold Waves on the RSG page. Also, I plan to give Blue Panther the Austrian Succession Lace Wars titles before the end of the month, so those ought to be ready for on-demand orders this spring.

Here's a copy of the latest newsletter (no pictures yet of the new game release):

NEW GAME

Our latest game, Cold Waves, is gearing up for production. Cold Waves is the final instalment (full game, at least) of the naval aspects of the War of the Austrian Succession, focusing on the European Atlantic and North Sea zones. The game includes 5 maps (34x22) - Norway to the Canary Islands - and 10 counter sheets (960 square counters and 53 wooden disks). With all those components the game is pricey. List is $335 USD but the usual discount applies so preorders are $235.00.

As always, you can order earlier titles, too.

Games are available for preorder from now until 15 January 2022, inclusive. Production will start then.

For those of you wanting the Print and Play copy, it should be available on the website now.

NEW USA PARTNER

We are excited to announce a partnership with Blue Panther Games (http://www.bluepantherllc.com/), who will be manufacturing titles for us in the USA.

Most of what follows will not apply in the future, but unfortunately this is a transitional period. Therefore, as of this moment:

1) BPG is not yet set up to take orders for our games directly. I am stuck taking ALL orders and payments, regardless of where your game actually gets produced. So, please go ahead and order normally on the Red Sash Games website, or write to me directly for bulk orders.

2) For this current print run, BPG is gearing up to manufacture all of the Sea Lord titles - including the new game - plus the WWII game, Sisu. Eventually they will have the other games, too, but it will take some time to organise things.

3) Although we and BPG are doing a bulk order this time, in future you will be able to order games from them whenever you like and expect rapid fulfilment.

4) Games are still going to be produced at our Canadian shop, using the old business model. This will be the case even after BPG is fully on line with us. Pricing will be the same at both sites, but of course shipping will vary. Also, our Canadian shop will still have to produce games in bulk, once or twice a year, rather than on a weekly basis.

5) If you live in the USA I highly recommend you start ordering direct from BPG as soon as it becomes possible to do so. They make a quality product. I will let everyone know when we become available on their website.

6) With respect to the new game, Cold Waves, and any of the Sea Lords titles (plus Sisu) that you may wish to order right now, I am going to make the assumption that our USA customers will want the BPG version, which of course will cost less to ship. Unfortunately I do not currently have exact data on the internal costs for US shipping, although I think the numbers assigned to Cold Waves are pretty close. In the event that you are overcharged for shipping when you place your order, we will reimburse you once BPG supplies us with the actual charges. Hope that all makes sense!

7) If you live elsewhere in the world and also want to buy from BPG, please send me an email to that effect when you place your order. Otherwise I will assume you want the game shipped from Canada as in the past. And remember, currently BPG is only handling the Sea Lords line plus Sisu, although I intend to push more titles on them as fast as they are willing to accept them. I suggest you write to them asking why your favourite game is not yet available ;)

UK & EU CUSTOMERS

Regretfully, it appears we can no longer sell direct to individuals in the UK or EU, thanks to the new VAT policy, which requires us to buy a license and collect the duty at this end.

I will avoid commenting on the salaries being drawn by excise agents in comparison with their work load, but I will mention an American phrase: ’no taxation without representation’. Unless they grant me Roman Citizenship I see no reason why I should become a publicanus.

In all seriousness, though, it is simply not practical for small companies to go this route.

However, the games ought to remain available through various distributors. In the past we have supplied Philibert and Agorajeux. Blue Panther has a deal with Second Chance Games.

Also, the downloadable Print and Play files will remain available for everyone.

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