Hellwig's Conquest: A Tactical Game based on Chess Rulebook now Available.

 

This book now available on Etsy and ebay. Or direct from me.

Letter-sized, perfect bound, w/ color plates, 144 pages, $25 + shipping.

ISBN: 978-0-9822892-5-9

Hellwig's Conquest rulebook on ebay

Hellwig's Conquest rulebook on Etsy

Originally released in Germany in 1780 under the title Versuch eines aufs Schachspiel gebaueten taktischen Spiels von zwei und mehrern Personen zu spielen, this is probaby the oldest published set of modern wargame rules.

This book is a new English language translation of this classic set of groundbreaking game rules.

 

"Wurkung des Geschußes"

 

Von der Artillerie

These are the beginning stages of ordnance pieces for the game made according to design instructions for an 18th century idea of cool-looking game pieces to represent cannon, mortars or howitzers. The tactics and ideas used in the game were state-of-the-art at the time of initial publication.

'Versuch' Project Progress

"...Auftritte des kriegs sinnlich zu machen."

A phrase that's difficult to render in contemporary English because it's neither contemporary nor English.
We're making progress, though. The text is being cleaned up, the tables and charts are coming along and the demonstration game setup is slowly but surely taking shape. 

"Die Kavallerie und Infanterietruppen von Spieler A."

 "Die Kavallerie und Infanterietruppen von Spieler A."

 Shown here are all the cavalry and infantry troop figures for one side of a two player game. Not pictured are the artillery and other equipment pieces each player also needs. Eventually, all of one side's pieces will be red and the other player's pieces will be ivory or whitish.

Knights.

 Knights or Springers from Chess for a new secret project I'm working on.

 Knights! There are about 70 here but I only need 60. This probably looks like some strange fetish collection or OCD dark hoarding, but I don't think it is. I hope not. In truth, I need these for my current WIP and I acquired most of them in one haul. More on this to come as it develops and it is shaping up pretty well so far.

 "Aliena Rerum"

 What do Alien Abductions and Conquistadors Have in Common? 

 

No, not (just) the ancient aliens guy with the hair from History Channel...

 

 

 

  While reading the rules to the old SPI game 'Conquistador,' from S&T magazine no.58 Sept/Oct 1976, and looking at the credits, was surprised to see Whitley Strieber's name under acknowledgements.

                                                                          What? How? Why?

All I can gather from google is that Strieber was working in advertising in NYC during SPI days. Must be a study in nerdiness here we're missing out on. Who knew whom, I wonder. 

 

 

 

* - In case the name doesn't immediately ring a bell, Strieber wrote, among others, the book "Communion" about his experiences with alien abduction at the hands of the now-famous big-eyed gray aliens. This book along with X-files, media coverage of the Roswell incident and JFK conspiracy theories all made for an exciting period for nerdery in the 1990s.