Pax Bochemannica

Anyone who knows my wargaming pedigree will know of my love of historo-fantasy games. This goes back many decades when I read an excellent article in (IIRC) Games Review Monthly entitled Warhammer in the Age of Reason. This hypothesised an extension of the Warhammer Fantasy Battle timeline into the time of Marlborough. The idea of Goblins sporting muskets and tricorns seemed wonderful. Since then I have been involved with Flintloque (fantasy Napoleonic) and Panzerfäuste (fantasy WW2) and have been seduced by Akula's fantasy WW1.

Now we have Pax Bochemannica, fantasy Ancients...

Pax Bochemannica is a new skirmish game from Maveryc, which will be released late 2012/early 2013. Figure scupltor and rules writer Dave Toone (who also runs the excellent Miniature Design Studio - ancients gamers check them out) sent me some master castings and a playtest copy of the rules.

The miniatures are Orc Roman infantry (in Lorica segmentata) and Halfling Germanic tribesman. Unfortunately Dave didn't have any of the separate weapons or (Orc) shields so I have pinched some plastic axes and shields from the spares box for the Halflings. I wasn't too sure why some of the Halflings had braces so I decide to cover these with Green Stuff fur and tunics...

As you can see the sculpting is very good and characterful, very reminiscent of old Flintloque figures scuplted by Mike Owen. Whilst the figures are said to be 28mm, they are noticeable larger than existing 28mm fantasy or historical ancients which means that accessories and scenery compatibility may be an issue (no more than it was with Flintloque, the Roman Orcs being near enough the same height as Flintloque's Napoleonic Orcs). To my mind this is a shame as the Halflings cannot readily also be used in say Warhammer as they are larger than GW's Dwarves, let alone their Halflings.

Maveryc Halfling next to Greandier Orc...

The playtest rules are a really good ancients skirmish set and a lot of fun, my only gripe (which I have fed back to Dave) is the lack of magic. Historo-fantasy games are a strange beast that need to remember they are a mix of both genres not just funny creatures in historical uniforms playing historical battles (what is the point of that?).

Overall this looks like an interesting fun project, I'm not sure how engaged I will be with it (after all I have said I am not starting anything new!) but it should appeal to the Flintloque crowd and gamers with a (slightly twisted) sense of humour.