Range Testing for Little Wars

Over at Toy Soldiers Forever, Mannie is preparing to play one of the original miniatures rules wargames.

Last winter I acquired a reprint of H.G. Wells' Little Wars, that most original and elegant of wargaming tretises. First published in 1913, this very slim volume set an early standard for wargaming in which the obvious agenda is fun and the not-so-hidden agenda is the futility of war and the advantages of peace.

The clever prose and the droll attention to simplicity and pragmatism make this a delight to read.

Mannie clearly takes delight in testing his new toy cannon too. He's even done a very scientific study of projectile performance. I like it!

 I'm looking forward to the report on the full scale battle too, coming later this month.
[Image From Mannie Gentile: Toy Soldiers Forever]

Robosaurus

Just for fun, I give you ...

Robosaurus.

This isn't a Battlemech. Not quite. It is, however, well over 10 meters tall and masses about 30 tons, so it's on the order size for a light Battlemech ... and it transforms ... and it mounts a flamethrower.






Also of note is a bit of FASA history you can read about.






Robosauruses live at public events such as drag races and monster truck rallies. The typical diet of a Robosaurus consists of old cars and airplanes, flame broiled to a crispy perfection.




The Robosaurus site is an interesting read. In addition to pictures and promotional information, there are considerable details about the construction, engineering, and operation of this machine.



Also worth a visit is www.CanoSOARus.com the home of
Doug Malewicki's patented inventions and other engineering involvements. You might see some other of his famous inventions there too.

Brick Commander

Brick Commander: I'm not completely sure what this is, but it's LEGO, it's Battletech, and it's cool.









On Further inspection, there seems to be a program to download (Brick Commander) that helps you design LEGO creations.






[All Images from the Brick Commander Gallery]







[Hat Tip Naturelich Games]

UPDATE: Another relevant link