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West Wind Gothic Horror
Vampire Wars-Rules for gaming the struggle against the undead
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My Dad is a wargamer and has been for years, but he does not like playing Warhammer or the whole fantasy genre. But when West Wind brought out their Gothic Horror range he was the first to buy some of the figures, as he said it reminded him of all the Hammer Horror films he used to watch. Now we have a large collection of these models which are really good if somewhat expensive.
Having bought the models it was only a matter of time before we decided to use them for gaming, and we bought the rules published to supplement the range of figures. The rules were not cheap to buy and I must have read them once or twice standing at the stall until I decided to buy them, but I am glad I did.
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The book is split into a number of sections, the first is the rules. All measurement is in inches which seems a bit old fashioned, but Dad likes it. Different characters use various types of dice depending on their special ability or powers, so a Vampire Master may use a 20 sided die, while a villager will use a 6 sided die. Who has the initiative in each move is decided by the use of playing cards, so you never know just who will move next, and this adds to the excitement of the game.
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There are a variety of weapons available to players, including repeating rifles, shotguns, revolvers, crossbows, swords, and of course wooden stakes. There is also a full range of monster characters, each with special powers, strengths and weaknesses. For example vampires are of various types including acolytes, Nosferatu and the Master. There is also a whole range of characters who are fighting the undead, each with their own aims, which they are quite ruthless in pursuing.
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Full details of all these character types is given in The Tomes of the Unholy, section 2, and these also include details of magical items such as Holy Water, and special weapons and their effects. The third part of the rules gives a whole range of scenarios for players, these include terrain maps, objectives, victory conditions, and details of the West Wind figures needed to play the game.
I have been playing with these rules now for over six months, and I have found every game to be really enjoyable. Dad enjoys playing them too, and has used them at the wargames club a few times. They have proved to be very good value for money and I recommend them to you.
Daniel Gent (aged 14)
Thanks for the review Daniel, I found it very interesting, especially as I have been thinking of buying some of the Vampire War figures myself to play with my own kids. The format of the rules for those who have not seen them is an A4, glossy softback, of 112 pages and retails for £15.00. For more information about the rules of the figures pictured above, please visit the West Wind website at www.westwindproductions.co.uk
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