Somebody once said “It’s not what you know it’s who you know” and when that somebody you know is a very good and pro-active Game Designer they are certainly worth knowing! Andy Callan has been writing wargames rules since I was in short trousers. His 'Loose Files and American Scramble' rules were published in the very first issue of Wargames Illustrated back in 1987, then again by popular demand in Wi74 - the only article to be printed in Wargames Illustrated twice (search for them in The Vault). When Andy came to me in 2019 and said he had a new set of rules he would like to print in the magazine, we decided we wanted to make quite a ‘splash’ of it; Never Mind the Billhooks was published as a 32-page supplement and given away gratis with Wi393* The cover of the new edition …. … A new layout … … Featuring big bold photos! If you don’t already know it Never Mind the Billhooks is a set of rules for gaming large skirmishes or small battles in the Wars of the Roses. At least it was … Figures under the spotlight being photographed for Billhooks Deluxe. Over the last year and a bit I have been working with Andy, Asun (Wi’s Graphic Designer), and the ‘International Brigade’ (various contributors) on the second edition of ‘Billhooks’ to take it beyond its WotR core and into other ‘theatres and conflicts’. These include the Hundred Years' War, Burgundian Wars, and Hussite Wars. All this new material will form Andy and Wi’s first independently published full rulebook: Never Mind the Billhooks: Deluxe. Albion – one of several ‘theatres and conflicts’. New cards … … Asun at work on the new cards! Over the last few weeks, things have really been coming together. It’s taken up loads of my time; editing the text and taking the photos has very much been my recent ‘exploits’. When the new rules are published (late Spring 2022) WiPrime members will be the first to hear about it and will receive a significant discount off the RRP, so I thought I would whet your appetite with a few work in progress images. * WiPrime Member can download a copy of those early rules whenever they like from The Vault.
