The Virtual Armchair General
Exclusive Provider of Unique War Games and Collectible Miniatures & Accessories

EXPLORE
THE SITE
Products by
LINE
The (Virtual) Armchair General's "Virtual" Cafe Press Shop!

Alphacast
(Kept in Memory of Spyros Koumousis)

B'hoys!
B'hoys' Towne
Funny Little Wars!
Houston's 25mm Naval Guns & Fittings
We Only Kill Each Other
Mean Streets
Mean Sets
Rum Runners!
Bootlegger Wars At Sea
The Preziosi OB's Collection
"Send A Gunboat!"
Game Card Decks
for TSATF/800FE
& Other Rules
Studio 33--Game Accessories
Authorized Play Aids For TSATF & 800FE
TVAG Publishing
War Game Rules & Books

TVAG's Bargain Bunker--
New STUFF Added As We Find It!

Products by
TYPE

FLAGS
Mexican War Collection

Sikh Wars Collection

Maratha Wars

Mahdist Wars Collection

Little Flags Collection for Funny Little Wars

19th Century Chinese

Boxers

Chinese Pirates

Tai-P'ing

"Imitation Foreign Devils"

FIGURES
54mm/1:32
Little Warriors

25mm B'hoys!
from Bobby Jackson's
"Thrilling Combat Miniatures"

"Splendid Little Warriors"
(TRUE 25mm & 15mm War Game Figures)

25mm Abyssinians

25mm Asante

25mm Maori

25mm "Viva Juarez!"

15mm "Rough Riders!"

15mm "Perdicaris Alive, Or Raisuli Dead!"

15mm Special Mexican War Range for GTSTE

25mm Houston's Naval Guns
& Fittings

BOATS & SHIPS

Send A Gunboat!

Rum Runners!

BUILDINGS & OTHER CARD MODEL PDF's
28mm B'hoys Towne

25/15mm Native Huts & Longhouses

25mm Maori Buildings

25mm/15mm East Indian Buildings

25/15mm Field Earth Works

25/15mm
"Rough Riders" Buildings
& Block Houses
(Cuba, 1898)

28mm Mean Streets!

28mm Mean Sets!

54mm/1:32 Card Models/Accessories
"Little Houses"
"Little Wheels"
"Little... Stuff"

54mm Tudor Towne

54mm "On The Border"

FEATURES

US Mexican War Uniforms & Weapons Page for GTSTE

B'hoys! Tournament at Fall In!, 2004

Links
"In The Pipe"--
Titles & Products In Development
TVAG Interviewed by "Warning Order" E-zine
Sergeants 3

E-mail
the General

The Amazing Whizzo Card Deck! (OR, "The Astounding Tales, 2nd Ed. Action Deck")
Rough Riders! Action Deck
The Dynamite Deck


TSATF "Generic" Action Deck
TSATF/800FE Terrain Effects Deck
TSATF Zulu War Action Deck
TSATF Northwest Frontier Action Deck
TSATF Mahdist Wars Action Deck
TSATF First Boer War Action Deck
TSATF Egyptian War Action Deck
TSATF Boxer Rebellion Action Deck


800 Fighting Englishmen Sudan Action Deck
800 Fighting Englishmen Northwest Frontier Action Deck
800 Fighting Englishmen Zulu War Action Deck
800 Fighting Englishmen First Boer War Action Deck
800 Fighting Englishmen Egyptian War Action Deck
800 Fighting Englishmen Boxer Rebellion Action Deck


The North West Frontier Event Deck
The Sword And The Flame Event Deck
The Sword In North Africa Event Deck


The Sword In Africa Safari Event Deck

The Sword In Africa River Event Deck
The Sword In Africa Action Deck
The Sword In Africa Battle Event Deck


The Amazing Whizzo Card Deck!
Full color Action Cards to complement Howard Whitehouse's pioneering Pulp Fiction Gaming Rules, Astounding Tales, 2nd Edition . Originally, Howard suggested the use of a Standard Card Deck (as many games do), but it seemed like the time to offer a dedicated Deck requiring no special instructions or need to consult the rule book to know how to "read" a drawn card. Everything needed to play appears on each, and there are enough cards in the AT2 Deck for six players--or teams--to know "when they can do what!"

Astounding Tales 2 Action Deck - $10.00, plus postage


Rough Riders! Full Color Action Deck
Professionally printed, full color Action Cards for every Unit on both sides which fought at San Juan Heights and El Caney in the Cuban Campaign of 1898, with names and full game information of each Officer in Command. These can provide a permanent game accessory that lends color and great time saving convenience to play with the rules Rough Riders!

Printed in full color, double-sided on heavy card stock, the set of 63 pre-cut, ready-to-play cards includes "blanks" for making additional Action Cards of any kind for Spanish, Moro, and US game units. Card Decks come shrink wrapped in a reusable plastic bag and includes a sheet of full color Game Counters (which requires cutting).

Rough Riders! - $10.00, plus postage


The Dynamite Deck!
Gives any Role Playing or War Game Rules More "Bang for the Buck."

Be they Wild West, Colonial, or even WW II rules, if hurled dynamite sticks or planted charges (TNT or black powder) can appear in a game scenario, the Dynamite Deck will add a new dimension of fun, suspense, and decision making. The special mix of 24 newly redesigned, full-color cards indicate possibilities of burning out, being a dud, hang-fire, or going off in the faces of the untrained!

By adding or subtracting cards, players can give advantages to characters trained in using explosives to blow bridges, railroad tracks, gates, etc. The Dynamite Deck adds a realistic--and exciting!--element of suspense to play.

Full instructions included, 24 full color, professionally printed card stock deck, sold pre-cut, comes in a plastic storage bag, and ready for immediate play!

The Dynamite Deck - $8.00, plus postage.



Action And Event Decks for the Colonial Rules of Larry Brom & Sergeants 3
The Classic Colonial War Game Rules, The Sword And The Flame: 20th Anniversary Edition, has relied upon the use of Standard Card Decks since its inception--and with complete success--but now the opportunity has finally come for professionally produced Action Decks to add new spice and utility to your games.

The full collection of TSATF Action Decks already provides a dedicated Deck for each of the "Classic Five" Native Powers associated with those rules: Pathans/Afghans, Zulus, Boers, Egyptians, and Dervish/Ansar. Plus, there is the "Generic" Deck which may be used with any/all Native Armies in lieu of a Standard Card Deck.
"Action Decks?" "Event Decks?" What's The Difference?

Okay. An "Action Deck" is a set of Cards that serves the role previously played by the Standard Card Decks of 800FE and TSATF, determining the order of Movement and Fire, and for TSATF, casualties.

An "Event Deck" is a Card set that introduces random occurrences and developments into battles being played with either game system.

The Action Decks for 800FE and TSATF, even while ostensibly covering the same Theater/Native Power, are different from one another, both by physical size and the functions each performs. The 2" x 2.5" 800FE Action Decks cue order of movement and of fire, as well as include the specified "bonus" Command & Control Cards and optional "Reshuffle" Card.

The 2.5" x 3" TSATF Action Decks cue movement and fire order, but also specify casualties, identifying which Leader, "Key," and Other Ranks have been hit. Wound severities ("Serious" and "Light") have been added, but are entirely optional.

Unless stated otherwise, most TSATF Action Decks consist of 63 Cards: 52 for Movement/Fire/Casualties with the full degree of detail required by the rules. There are also 10 Optional Cards, 8 of which provide specific Events equally affecting both sides, and 2 "Halt!" Cards which can end the Movement and/or Fire Phases early. For the more sadistic among you, there are 2 "blanks" for creating your own Events. Finally, there is a Card providing some instruction on use of the Deck.

Using contemporary full color illustrations and terminology specific to the foe facing the British/Imperialist players, each Action Deck not only speeds the steps of play, but heightens the "atmosphere" to make every exciting game even more so!

More Action and Event Decks are in the works. If interest exists, Decks for Chinese, Abyssinian, Ashanti, and other foes (particularly those who feature in the Campaign Game, The Sun Never Sets) will be offered.

If you have a particular Deck you'd like to see next, drop me a line! Your input and ideas are positively invited!



Sample Cards
The Terrain Effects Deck
for TSATF/800FE

This latest Game Deck adds a new layer of challenge—and opportunity!— to your table top actions with either of these classic rules sets.

Instead of one rule to describe the effects of all terrain on movement, cover, and visibility, now with the flip of a card even more excitement and suspense enters the game.

Since when in foreign lands, often tropical, is every stretch of jungle, or hill side, desert, swamp, track, etc, identical in difficulty to cross, or see into, or through, or provide the same cover from fire? And why does every creek, stream, or even river have the same conveniently firm bottom that makes crossing speed predictable?

The Variable Terrain Effects Deck now gives players the hope that a given area of terrain might be easier to march through—but also the risk that it’s tougher than it looks!

More than ever, the use of Scouts to recon the ground ahead takes on new importance--not merely to spot the enemy, but to make sure of the ground you might meet him on.

And life for the Games Masters who host tabletop games definitely gets easier. Now they can layout such trees, hills, and other miniature terrain features as they have without having to suggest just how “thick” the forest is, or any other hints suggesting the degree of difficulty.

When first entering a terrain feature, the British/Imperial Player will draw an appropriate terrain card type--forest/jungle, one of three types of water hazards, swamps, sand/beach, rough ground, or track—and read its effects, from a walk in the park to practically impassable. A simple printed marker (provided for all types) with the number of the card drawn and the terrain type is placed at the entry point for future reference, and it’s as easy as that!

There are 48 individual Terrain Effects Cards, six each of the 8 types, plus 14 cards on which are printed 6 numbered markers with the names of the terrain types on the opposite sides, plus 1 card with instructions for use. The markers are cut out for use in play and may be stored in the same plastic re-closable bag the deck arrives in.

TSATF/800FE Terrain Effects Deck
- $10.00, plus postage




The Sword And The Flame
ACTION DECKS


Sample Cards TSATF "Generic" Action Deck

For the Gamer who wants all the advantages of a dedicated Card Deck, but wishes to use just one for all his TSATF battles, this is the economical solution!

TSATF "Generic" Action Deck -
$10.00, plus postage




Sample Cards TSATF Zulu War Action Deck

A dedicated Action Deck for the Zulu War collector and gamer, with special Event Cards representing aspects of the War of 1879, and graphics evoking Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, and other famous battles.

TSATF Zulu War Action Deck -
$10.00, plus postage




Sample Cards TSATF Northwest Frontier Action Deck

The Action Deck for fans of the 2nd Afghan War and/or "punitive expeditions" with those unique factors adding up to make this theater "The Grim" of legend and history. Period graphics suggest the period of the 2nd Afghan War, and the cards allow for the presence of Afghan Regulars, as well as Afghan and Pathan Tribesmen.

TSATF Northwest Frontier Action Deck
- $10.00, plus postage



Sample Cards
TSATF Mahdist Wars Action Deck

If a day with Fuzzy on the rush is your idea of table top action, and if you like to form squares against hordes of Ansar racing in for the kill, this is your Deck! Representing British and Egyptian forces, as well as "Fuzzy Wuzzy's" and Ansar, these Cards will heat up your battles faster than your Gatling's barrels!

TSATF Mahdist Wars Action Deck--
$10.00, plus postage




Sample Cards TSATF First Boer War Action Deck

Now you have another reason to be afraid to go back into the bush-veldt! Contemporary art and atmospheric graphics will add to your proper inclination to keep your head down in Johnny Boer's neighborhood!

TSATF First Boer War Action Deck--
$10.00, plus postage




Sample Cards TSATF Egyptian War Action Deck

One of the slickest, yet riskiest, campaigns of the entire period, Egypt was a "gateway" that pitted the best of Victoria's Battalions/ Regiments against the Egyptian Army of Arabi Pasha, only to lead on to involvement in the Sudan. The often under rated Egyptian Army had brave soldiers and excellent Engineers, and made for the most nearly equal foe that Tommy met until Johnny Boer came along!

TSATF Egyptian War Action Deck--
$10.00, plus postage




Sample Cards TSATF Boxer Rebellion Action Deck

The Boxer Rebellion is easily the most colorful and exotic of all the late Imperialist adventures, the only time a military coalition of the US, Britain, France, Germany, Austro-Hungary, Italy, Russia and Japan took the field together against a common enemy.

The Boxer Rebellion Action Deck is itself unique in that for the first time in this series "dedicated" cards are provided to cue the Movement and Fire of units of the individual members of that coalition. Thus, there are cards specifying Imperial German, Japanese, Russian, and British units, as well as those of the other participants. These are apportioned roughly to match the troops committed by each member, so that British, Russian, and Japanese, and US cards abound, while Italy, Austria, and France are proportionally fewer.

Their Chinese opponents, however, had their own divisions and factions, and these are represented by cards specifying Boxer units (the largest group), as well as others for Imperial Bannermen, the Kansu Braves, and those units from the various "Westernized" units with more modern weapons and training.

In effect, using the cards as played guarantees that both sides will find it harder to stick to any joint plan and end up going their own way, as was exactly the case so often.

Using authentic Boxer and Manchu flags for the period, as well as the Colors of the Coalition members and other period illustrations, the cards are especially atmospheric and will help to put your games notches higher for drama, excitement, and speed of play.

TSATF Boxer Rebellion Action Deck--
$10.00, plus postage



800 Fighting Englishmen
ACTION DECKS

Larry Brom's Battalion Level Variant for (TSATF) is the widely played 800 Fighting Englishmen. Like TSATF, it calls for the use of a modified Standard Card Deck to determine order of movement, and sequence of fire in their respective steps of play. But now, TVAG has designed and released specific, full color Action Decks to serve this purpose.

Besides Cards indicating which Army may Move or Fire, each Deck includes the eight "special" cards which give both sides chances for extra moves or fire. There is even an optional "End of Turn" card which may be used to stop the movement and/or fire sequence early, keeping the suspense high all the time. Each Deck consists of 26 "Native" Cards, and 13 British/Imperialist so that players may use only as many cards in a given game as they have total units on the table, but with the Redcoats properly outnumbered in your games.

800FE is a Dependent Variant of TSATF, and requires those rules to be played. They and many other original rules sets and play aids are available exclusively through their Website, Sergeant's 3.

Go there and tell them "TVAG sent me!"




Sample Cards 800 Fighting Englishmen
Sudan Action Deck

Specifically designed for fighting the Mahdi, his Ansar, and the fanatical "Fuzzy Wuzzy" against British and Egyptian Units, the 800FE Sudan Action Deck consists of 48 full color, pre-cut cards delivered in a heavy duty zip-lock bag for storage/transport, ready for immediate game use.

800FE Sudan Action Deck
$8.00, plus postage




Sample Cards 800 Fighting Englishmen
Northwest Frontier Action Deck

Perfect for use in your games on "The Grim," this Deck is illustrated with images of the 2nd Afghan War battles and famous--and infamous!--personalities.

48 full color, pre-cut cards delivered in a heavy duty zip-lock bag for storage/transport, ready for immediate game use.

800FE NWF Action Deck -
$8.00, plus postage




Sample Cards 800 Fighting Englishmen
Zulu War Action Deck

Illustrated with authentic images of the Zulu War of 1879, including samples of Zulu Regimental Shield Designs, as well as famous characters from this dramatic conflict, this Game Deck will even make Isandlwana seem like an "Arts Thing!"

48 full color, pre-cut cards delivered in a heavy duty zip-lock bag for storage/transport, ready for immediate game use.

800FE Zulu War Action Deck--
$8.00, plus postage



Sample Cards 800 Fighting Englishmen
First Boer War Action Deck

Using many contemporary illustrations from the 1st War (not the 2nd!), this Deck provides views of key personnel, Majuba, Boer Weapons, and more.

48 full color, pre-cut cards delivered in a heavy duty zip-lock bag for storage/transport, ready for immediate game use.

800FE 1st Boer War Action Deck -
$8.00, plus postage



Sample Cards 800 Fighting Englishmen
Egyptian War Action Deck

Loaded with fine illustrations from the period, including the bizarre as well as the standard contemporary press views of key personalities and events of this short but sharp campaign.

The Egyptians were the only standing, National Army the British fought in the Era of TSATF, and while their higher leadership failed to stand up against Woolsley, many junior officers and units fought cleverly, professionally, and with unquestioned bravery. The Egyptians were not a "walk over" opponent in fact--nor on the table top, either!

48 full color, pre-cut cards delivered in a heavy duty zip-lock bag for storage/transport, ready for immediate game use.

800FE Egyptian War Action Deck
$8.00, plus postage




Sample Cards 800 Fighting Englishmen
Boxer Rebellion Action Deck

Unlike previous Action Decks for 800FE, the Boxer Rebellion Deck is "weighted" to represent the mix of Allied and Chinese units/factions which characterized the conflict. Including the usual Command Bonus cards, the 800FE Boxer Rebellion Action Deck totals 56 Cards, 8 more than in the other 800FE Decks.

The Chinese are represented by 12 cards cuing Boxer units to Move/Fire, plus cards for units of the four Chinese Armies engaged between Peking and Tientsin. There are five cards each for units of General Nieh's "Tenacious Army," General Sung-Ching's "Resolute Army," General Tung-Fu-Hsiang's "Kansu Braves," and General in Chief Yung-Lo's Manchu Bannermen.

For the eight combatant Allies, the Action Cards are provided in the same proportions as each nationality comprised the total forces engaged (prior to the arrival of the German East Asia Brigade). Consequently, there is one card each for the Italians, Austrians, French, and Germans, two each for the British, American, and Russians, and five for the Japanese.

If any of these contingents are not represented on your table top, the otherwise unnecessary cards may be used to cue Movement/Fire of other, more numerous units in your collection. Similarly, European and Chinese Army units not present may have their cards removed from the Deck prior to play.

By this arrangement, the Players on both sides will not only have to deal with the usual uncertainty of order of Movement and Fire of their own and the enemy's units, but must allow for each "faction" of his forces having their own say when they feel like, rather than as the C-in-C might-- exactly as in the real conflict!

56 full color, pre-cut cards delivered in a heavy duty zip-lock bag for storage/transport, ready for immediate game use.

800FE Boxer Rebellion Action Deck
$8.00, plus postage




Event Decks

By their long standing--and very generous--permission, TVAG has been able to offer the original Event Decks for TSATF and The Sword In North Africa (TSINA) for years, but only the latter could be said to be "dedicated" not merely to a specific game title, but to a theater, a region unique to itself for circumstances and character. Obviously, this is true of all TSATF's "Classic Five" Campaigns (The Zulu, 1st Boer, 2nd Afghan, Egypt '82, and early phases of the Mahdist Wars), and no less for the many others that the game and its variants lend itself to.

While some risks and chance events are universal (water, food, ammunition, command and control issues, etc) and in one form or another may recur for both Imperial and Native forces, many possibilities will be unique to each specific theater, be they related to weather, terrain, local culture, history, or even the fiction/poetry/film characters and events associated with the land and peoples. Illustrations, art, uniform plates, odd facts, and more can provide information and even resources, alongside the specifics of the event described on each card.

So, TVAG has finally gotten off the farthing and has begun to produce the first of these new Theater Specific Event Decks, designed to be used equally with both The Sword And The Flame (TSATF), and 800 Fighting Englishmen. The second such Deck should be the "Zulu War Event Deck," with the "Mahdist Wars" to follow. If any of you who already use the TSATF/800FE Game Decks have any better suggestions for order of release, or others to follow, please do not hesitate to let this Old Duffer know!



Sample Cards The North West Frontier Event Deck
For TSATF/800FE

The first of the new and expanded series of Event Decks for specific Colonial Theaters/Campaigns, it is also the most requested Deck since the very first were offered.

This is the best of the Game Decks from TVAG to date, if we may say so, and we think you'll agree! Graphically, it has the best and sharpest images to date, including many guaranteed not to have been seen in a gaming context before. You'll see the atmosphere as well as feel it, and have no doubt where you are just by looking through it.

But the heart of the Deck is content of each Card. The challenges to the players on both sides of the Crags are sharper than ever, but are still "even" for both sides. As with all TVAG Event Decks, these are not your Monopoly "Chance Cards," nor are the effects of each the same from game to game--severities and benefits vary across a wide spectrum.

And the whimsy is still there... and the fun and a hint of Hollywood, too, but never so much as to spoil the game.

If playing in Afghanistan, Native Reinforcements can include Regular Foot, Horse, or Guns--but not so if elsewhere on The Grim. If the battle is in Winter, Blizzards and Frostbite can affect both sides, but the Imperials worst of all. British troops can even be introduced to the charms of the Camel Spider, the Pathan Rock Fall, and Jezail armed Snipers, while Afghan/Pathan Tribesmen can find their Black Powder is soot and ash sold them by an Infidel Dog, or that their Mullah's have one battle plan and their Hill Chieftain another, or that the Gurkha's facing them are going to blood their Kukri's today, no matter the cost!

And besides these and so many more jolly moments that could never appear in a standard war games scenario, there is a new feature in the NWF Event Deck added as a tribute to the late author of The Sword And The Flame, the man without whom all this Divine Madness would not exist, Larry Brom: The "Sergeant Brom Reporting, Sir!" Cards.

These six Cards, randomly distributed throughout the Deck among the others, bear the likenesses of some characters all Colonial War Gamers will know from beloved films, characters whom Sgt. Brom has encountered on the edges of the battlefield who carry special Intelligence for the British C-in-C concerning Reinforcements for the Imperial or Native Forces. Their numbers, type, the time of their Arrival and Entry Points will be reported some number of Turns in advance. For the first time with these Event Cards, the British Players can attempt to coordinate the time and place of new Units with their current forces to defeat the Hill Tribes, or, if it's the Afghans/Pathans who are about to be reinforced, move to prevent their arrival causing a disaster!

Each Deck contains 76 full color 2.5" x 3.5" Cards, pre-cut, with complete instructions provided on 2 special cards, along with a blank card for each side, and comes in a heavy-duty zip-lock plastic bag for storage and transport.

TSATF/800FE Northwest Frontier Event Deck
$12.00 plus postage



Sample Cards The Sword And The Flame "Generic" Event Deck
Third Edition

Of all the TSATF/800FE Game Decks, the two most commonly sold are the "Generic" Action Deck, and this Event Deck--and no wonder! This Deck includes Events for British and Native units of all types as might be encountered from Afghanistan to Zululand, and more "Universal Misery" Cards to keep life interesting. The Event Deck provides your Colonial War Game scenarios with a wide range of unpredictable opportunities and challenges no rules set can hope to allow for in a practical or balanced way.

Event types include "Reinforcements" of a wide variety for both sides at randomly located entry points, Ammunition or Water running out, the effects of bad water or food, Units of both sides acting independently, Command and Control problems, and more. A range of "Universal Misery" cards can bring troubles to all parties impartially--Flash Floods, Sandstorms, Blizzards, Heatstroke--all the things that make you love hiking in full field pack! Overall, the Deck has been weighted to "equal" out effects of all cards for both sides. With a variety of ways to use the Event Deck in play, it is truly a new tool to make your games as exciting and unpredictable as you want them to be!

Each Deck contains 63 full color Cards, pre-cut, with complete instructions provided, and comes in a heavy-duty zip-lock plastic bag for storage and transport.

TSATF "Generic" Event Deck -
$10.00 plus postage.



Sample Cards
The Sword In North Africa
Event Deck

Just as with the TSATF Event Deck, this dedicated play aid provides new excitement and challenges, but this time for your French Foreign Legion games.

Event types include many of the same "class" as the TSATF Deck, but with a tight focus on conditions and circumstances of Morocco, Algeria, and the Western Sahara. Never forgetting for a moment the romance and legend of the Legion, there are some results that could only happen there--or in Hollywood!

Still weighted to "equal" out for both sides, the TSINA Event Deck has been greatly expanded with many new Events, with more romance and many more combinations to guarantee no two games will ever play the same.

63 full color, pre-cut cards delivered in a heavy duty zip-lock bag for storage/transport, ready for immediate game use with complete instructions.

TSINA Event Deck--
$10.00, plus postage



Sample Cards The Sword In Africa
Safari Event Deck

First appearing in the 20th Anniversary Edition of TSATF, The Sword In Africa (TSIA) helped establish "Darkest Africa" as one of the most popular new theaters of Colonial War Games allowing for exciting and exotic skirmish gaming on the Dark Continent.

A total of four (4) Game Decks are provided for TSIA, the first two ideally suited for Campaign and Map Movement Games.

The "Safari Event Deck" provides random occurrences that happen while trekking toward whatever goal the Party may have. Besides animal encounters, there are Native Tribes--hostile and friendly--unmapped terrain, rain forests, trackless veldt, good hunting and bad, food, water, and issues with your Bearers, and the inevitable calls for Hongo (tribute) from the people whose lands you cross.

It's never a dull moment when you know that most anything can happen at any time when on Safari!

This Event Deck consists of 30 unique cards, as ever in full color with period art and graphics for even more "atmosphere", pre-cut and provided in a reusable plastic bag. An extra card lists ideas for use so players may find their own comfort zone before letting the cards determine their fate!

TSIA Safari Event Deck -
$8.00, plus postage




Sample Cards The Sword In Africa
River Event Deck

As the title suggests, this is the Riverine partner to the TSIA Safari Deck.

Whenever a party of Explorers, Hunters, Soldiers sets out to travel up or down any of Africa's many rivers and waterways--whether by raft, canoe, or steamer--there are special risks and opportunities. Sudden rapids, waterfalls, swamps, Native ambushes from the banks, attacks by fleets of war canoes, encounters with hippopotamus, crocodile, elephant, and the ever present risks of submerged obstacles, engine troubles, damages to the vessel and its parts, risks of capsizing, loss of stores--and people!--are only some of the things that make for games the likes of which you've never played before. This 20 Card Deck has its own special "ambiance" with particularly appropriate contemporary art and other graphics, as well as the obligatory "extra card" with ideas for use.

TSIA River Event Deck -
$6.00, plus postage




Sample Cards The Sword In Africa
Action Deck

As with those for other TSATF games, this 52 card Action Deck prompts the order of movement and fire, as well as severity of casualties, from “Lightly Wounded” to “Dead.”

But, TSIA’s rules call for use of a standard deck of playing cards to be read in ways different from the traditional TSATF game model. However, this dedicated Action Deck eliminates all need to consult the rules on how to read the cards, and includes special rules frequently overlooked in the heat of play (such as hits on previously wounded figures, and the risk of death from poisoned weapons). There are also six special cards to cue rolling in the basic game for "Random Episodes."

More unique period graphics and an extra card with simple instructions and options for use of the Action Deck round out the set.

TSIA Action Deck -
$10.00, plus postage




Sample Cards The Sword In Africa
Battle Event Deck

In TSIA, the rules call for using a standard card deck, of which six cards cue the players to check for “Random Episodes” by rolling dice on one of 5 different tables. But the new Battle Event Deck eliminates all that, and includes almost half again as many “episodes” as appear in the original rules. Now there are fifty Event Cards, most of which have variables practically guaranteeing no two games can ever be alike.

Some of the original “Episodes” have been retained; others modified in a variety of ways, and still more are entirely new. From army ants and African killer bees, to encounters with Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Rhinoceros, and more, to up close confrontations with snakes, Pygmies, flash floods, mysterious strangers, traitors, mutineers, The “King” and “Queen” of the Jungle, and more to make your wild fights in the forest/bush/veldt even wilder!

An advantage of the Battle Event Deck over the original tables is that once a card has been drawn, it cannot be repeated. But for those who still like that possibility, there is an optional “Reshuffle” card requiring all previously used cards to be returned to the deck!

Still more unique and unrepeated period graphics and photos decorate the cards, and there is that indispensable card with printed suggestions for more uses of the Battle Event Deck.

TSIA Battle Event Deck --
$10.00, plus postage


THE SPECIAL MULTI-DECK "DEAL!"
Buy 4 or more Card Decks and receive a 5th Deck of your choice (same price or less as the most expensive) for free! But--and here's the kicker!-- YOU GOTTA ASK! 'cause if you think Methuselah here will remember all this by his fossilized self, I'd REALLY like to play cards with you!

THE REALLY SPECIAL "HAUL THE DECKS" DEAL!
Buy 1 Each of the TSATF Action Decks, the TSATF/800FE Terrain Effects Deck, 1 Each of the 800FE Action Decks, any Two (2) Event Decks, AND all Four (4) of "The Sword In Africa" Game Decks--A TOTAL OF 19 DECKS, WORTH $180.00 --for $120.00 (plus postage), a savings of $60.00!

This Deal will evolve as more TSATF/800FE Game Decks are added to the catalog.


FAVORITE LINKS
to war game and history sites on the web

Fall Back To The Virtual Armchair General's HOMEPAGE

All text, photos, and artwork are COPYRIGHT©2003 by Patrick Wilson.
They may not be used without written permission.
Contact The Virtual Armchair General

Names of individual product lines are trademarks (TM) of the manufacturers.