BATTLE COMMAND VOLUME I Interview: Rick Young

Building on the innovative gameplay of his Fast Action Battle (FAB) Series, designer Rick Young has reimagined the best parts of FAB to introduce a new game system: Battle Command. The goal of the Battle Command system is to provide a fresh and engaging way for various conflicts across different eras to be fought with minimal time wasted on setup and complex rules, making this both a great introductory system for new and veteran players alike.

Each Battle Command volume includes TWO different games in one box. Volume I brings players to the forests of the Battle of the Bulge, and the sun, heat, and sand of North Africa during Operation Crusader. The design emphasis has been placed on making the game very player-friendly and manageable in its level of scope, difficulty, and time of play. With a low total counter count and density, these quick playing (though still realistic) simulations present players with deep strategy meriting contemplation. A system of map areas has been adopted, and movement has been streamlined.

The rules and images shown here are not final

You can find it in P500

 
1-Who am I? My favorite Wargames?

I am Rick Young, I have been wargaming for 50 years, and have always loved the hobby. Some of my favorite games that I have not designed are: Ceasar at Alesia (AH), The Legend Begins (Rhino Games), Down in Flames (GMT), Ardennes ‘44 (GMT), Caucusus ‘42 (GMT), Twilight Struggle (GMT) and Hammer of the Scots (Columbia)

2-Why did I decide to create Battle Command?

I really liked the scope of the FAB series, with the different higher echelons and assets that had to be realistically managed, but while the series had its fans (Thanks - I appreciate all of you), it also had detractors. The complaint that the games were too process-heavy, causing them to take too much time was a concern that was starting to hit home for me, as my own wargame time has diminished over the years.

I wanted to keep the same scope, but streamline the rules and processes to speed up play significantly, while keeping the higher echelons and asset allocation aspects which made the original FAB series so much fun to play.

I’m happy to say I was successful, and play-time for Battle Command Bulge is less than half of what it was for FAB Bulge, while still being immersive and fun.

3-What are the differences from FAB?

The primary difference is the combat system, one roll of two dice completely resolves each combat, instead of having to roll for attacking artillery, then defending artillery, then defending ground units one at a time, then attacking ground units one at a time, and applying results for each of those four processes before moving to the next process.

Michael Gustavsson has stated that he loves the new combat system and the effect it has had on his Operation Crusader design, which along with Bulge are the two battles included in volume 1.

The rules currently are only six pages for the entire game, no seperate exclusive rules. Exception rules are mostly printed on the cards rather than in the rule book. This is a very easy set of games to get into. The rules will of course be longer once graphics and examples get added in, but they are much easier to digest than the FAB rules were.

Derek Harris, our developer, played his first game with his brother, who is a euro-gamer, and they played to completion in less than two hours, with his brother asking at the end when he could buy the game, which is a result I am very pleased with.

4-How do the different factions work?

There is not really many exceptions in how the different factions work, rules-wise. Mostly the differences are baked into the event cards. In Operation Crusader, the British don’t have a Rommel card, whereas the Germans certainly do, and can play it to devestating effect, if they time it right. In Bulge, the Americans have airpower cards, and the Germans don’t, but the Germans do have SNAFU (Situation Normal All F’d Up) cards they can play on the Americans to good effect.

5-Scenarios / length of the game?

In Bulge there is a fast 5 turn tournament scenario for use at wargame conventions that represents the German offensive portion before the weather cleared, and an 8 turn scenario that includes the beginning of the US counterattack. The game plays so fast though that most times people will opt for the full game.

6-Future volumes?

Volume 2 will either be Dubno ‘41 paired with Kharkov ‘42 or Golan ‘73 paired with Sinai ‘73, which ever one is most ready to go once volume 1 gets published. Either way I’m excited to be playing those next two volumes, they are all battles that will be exciting to play in this new system.