Leon Tucker & Mike Reese’s Fast Rules has been reprinted. A key feature is right in the name: Fast, just ten small pages for the core rules and seven pages of notes to help set up games and deal with special aspects.
The ruleset comes in three identical editions: 2 printed (perfect binding from Amazon, or saddle-stitched from Lulu) or 1 Kindle edition from Amazon:
This was my first miniatures ruleset. A small booklet with not very many pages, it was designed as a much simpler version than Tractics and indeed it served as a gateway for me. I think that it would still serve as a great introduction to World War II miniature gaming. I know some who have played it as their main ruleset for years.
Details: 24 pages, 6.14×9.21″ in size and with an updated, colorful look. Being about 10% bigger than than the original 5.5×8.5″, the type can be more legible for old guys’ eyes—26.9% bigger to be exact.
Compared to many voluminous rulesets that are common now, Fast Rules covers a lot of features nicely without padding. While importing the text I was amazed at how well-written the game was finding only one typo.
For questions and ideas about the game, there may eventually be a Facebook group started but for now, one is invited to join the FB Tractics group will serve.
If like me, one has other contemporary rulesets that are less accessible, Fast Rules can get you into a game quickly. Don’t throw those other rulesets away though. They may provide worthy add-on features that can be utilized with Fast Rules to sort of kit bash concepts that you want to combine and playtest. For example, missions, force selection, game-ending guidelines (like Battlegroup’s battle ratings) campaigns, specific theatres etc.
If you produce add-on concepts or play aids, keep me posted by clicking this contact form or advise the Facebook group.
New features
- An Observation chart to summarize detection distances for varying levels of concealment. The rules presented this in pure text which was not as accessible. It also corrects a discrepancy for crew served weapons’ concealment.
- A GRC, Games Reference Chart, in the centerfold pages so you can see all charts at once.
- Some clarifications and suggestions not in the initial printings. Like optional “opportunity fire” and simplified IGOUGO movement system versus the alternating A moves Infantry, then D moves all & A moves vehicles (could be abbreviated AMIDMAAMV!)
January 13, 2020, here is an embarrassing note about #1 above. I accidentally allowed the proof version of the ruleset to go “live” for sale on January 1 and sold several copies with an Observation Chart error. So we have asked Wargame Vault to send a corrected copy to those customers who bought during the first week of January. This reprinting & mailing is at my cost. Early adopters can keep the old copy. So Fast Rules’ listing is currently not available at Wargame Vault. It will be “live” once their graphic process approves the new version in a few days.
– Bill Owen, Combat Rules/Game Design*
To see the change, the corrected version of the chart is below.
Play Aids To Come
Click below for free Fast Rules play aids:
I already heard of someone dreaming up a modern version of Fast Rules. I just knew gamers would start the “rules bashing” process!
Copyrighted until 2065
When I got interested in this project, I wondered if the game was still in copyright. If not renewed the copyright term would have ended in 28 years. Indeed no renewal could be found on copyright.gov. However, on contacting a intellectual property attorney, I found that its copyright was automatically renewed for 67 years by the copyright law of 1976.
So I got in touch with the original authors and got an agreement to print a new edition with contemporary graphics and so now with the efficiency of “Print On Demand”, it will never be out of print again.
*Please note my company’s name evolution:
January 13, 2020, I am changing my company name from Game Design to Combat Rules since I could get that URL. I’d let Game Design’s URL get away from me long ago. For the time being, Wargame Vault and Amazon will still show Game Design, so you can find us by searching for that name. (Note that we are a completely different company from Game Designers Workshop, GDW, which also started in the 70s in Central Illinois.) The website for CombatRules.com is not yet live.
– Bill Owen, Combat Rules/Game Design
Stay tuned for other out-of-print rulesets to gain a new lease on life! (like Tractics)
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