INTERVIEW: BLACK POWDER RED EARTH - Playing a wargame in a failed state

Last year, Gerry McCabe of BEASTS OF WAR came across a skirmish wargame called BLACK POWDER RED EARTH (BPRE). It was based on the comic that we all know well, as well as the video game of the same name. Both revolve around clandestine small-scale operations of ultra-modern operators in an alternate near-future Middle East.

Killer commandos from Special Forces fight for control in two failed states. While ideology seems to be the key, it is actually used to wage a proxy war for control of natural resources by powerful corporations and governments. Gerry had the opportunity to chat with some of the people behind the game, and on the occasion of the release of the second Force for BPRE, Gerry asked Jon Chang - the man behind the BLACK POWDER RED EARTH universe - to tell him a little more about the 28mm tabletop game and how the story evolved from pixels to resin.

Gerry McCabe: What is your background in gaming? What kind of games have interested you?

Jon Chang: Virtually all of our staff are lifelong gamers. Chess, Poker, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, Amiga, Advanced Squad Leader, Recon, and finally Space Hulk! These classics and newer games like X-Wing (Tabletop), Shadow War Armageddon, and fast combat strategy games like Battlezone (1998) have informed us in developing our title.

Gerry: How did BLACK POWDER RED EARTH come about?

Jon: After 9/11, I ended my career as an interactive art director and transitioned into the realm of national defense.

I cut my teeth supporting Special Operations Forces [ SOF ] conducting sensitive operations globally during the global "War on Terror." Teams operating without uniform, living on the outside of the green zone, fighting battles often shrouded in secrecy have shaped both the look and missions depicted in our title.

Later, I was employed at one of the first modern firearms training companies, Magpul Dynamics, and then co-founded Haley Strategic Partners, where I was in charge of media and special equipment development. I also had the fortune of contributing to the company's "Disruptive Environments" training program. That was the first time I was able to participate in the development of a real war game.

I believe it was my career and the relationships that accompanied it that allowed us to develop a uniquely authentic near-future war story with BLACK POWDER RED EARTH [BPRE].

Gerry: Is there an intention to have the various media strands running simultaneously? How will one influence the other? And will additional comic storylines introduce other units into the tabletop game?

Jon: "Awbari" was conceived as a cohesive work from the outset, with the narrative in the graphic novels occurring concurrently with events in the tabletop game. Both the upcoming expansion and the campaign books are timed to the parallel events in the comics, with the events in one work directly influencing the other.

This is definitely influenced by my lifelong love of anime and Japanese video games. When I became interested in a movie, game, or series, I would dive into the world guides, model kits, art books, and anything else the creators produced to expand the world and affect the events within it. BLACK POWDER RED EARTH as a whole is definitely geared towards this type of introduction to fiction.

Gerry: Can you tell us a bit about the background of BPRE and the different factions?

Jon: The decision to create the fictional nation of Awbari was made early on, allowing us to leverage our years of experience to create factions that embody both characteristics and motives of the most committed adversaries as well as those who seek to destroy them, all within a single setting.

The crumbling state of Awbari is currently ruled by a military dictatorship embroiled in a stalemate civil war with extremist zealots. The dictatorship is supported by the petro-monarchs of the Gulf States. On the other side is a Chinese proxy state. Both sides support their cause with mercenary armies from America, Iraq, Syria, and Europe. Both sides seek the same thing: exclusive access to Awbari's natural resources.

Gerry: What prompted you to produce a tabletop game with miniatures after working on digital games for so long?

Jon: It was a very organic decision. With each iteration and refinement of the tabletop prototype of our video game, we fell more in love with this format.

Ultimately, we are all somehow craftsmen and artists in our design house. The budgets required to deliver the quality expected by players of a modern video game are basically unaffordable for a small shop like ours.

With Tabletop, we were able to use our skills to produce something that has AAA quality without having to hand over our visions to a publisher/corporation. Additionally, we can take control of every aspect of the work ourselves and guarantee that we can deliver a title that offers the best possible in terms of production and materials as well as creativity.

Gerry: Can you tell us briefly about the style of play that BPRE represents on the tabletop?

Jon: BPRE28mm is a melee miniature game in "skirmish-scale." It is fast-paced, as each game essentially summarizes a few minutes in 7 rounds. The game focuses on urban and rural areas because these types of battles realistically take place there.

Players act as team leaders who have the flexibility to assemble symmetric or asymmetric mission teams to best achieve their goals and put the opponent in a dilemma. Direct control over each unit with alternating activations means the opponent always has a say when trying to do something. Accordingly, the game is ruthless. Mistakes are immediately apparent, and your people will be killed as quickly as you can move them into the line of fire.

The tactics are remarkably simple. Fire and movement. Fix and finish. The only difference between an inexperienced recruit and a top fighter is the ability to coordinate and combine these two actions decisively. BPRE28mm is an experience that is really quick to learn, but mastering it takes a lifetime.

Gerry: Was it intended to mirror the digital game?

Jon: BPRE28mm is a completely different experience from the turn-based tactical video game. In the digital game, our main goal was to show covert action with the enemy populace unaware of the player's troops.

On the tabletop, it makes little sense to artificially simulate the fog of war. As players, we can see everything happening on the "battlefield" in real-time. Whatever happens, this knowledge will influence our decisions.

Accordingly, our focus is on fast-paced combat with a lot at stake. Something that would keep players on their toes and in the fight. In this regard, the two games could not be more different.

Gerry: Did you develop the gameplay mechanics to correspond with these intentions?

Jon: Definitely. The gameplay mechanics of BPRE28mm are not based on a Min/Max meta but on the basics and hard-earned lessons described in FM 3-21, the US Army's Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad Field Manual.

To quote the book: "Characterized by extreme violence and physiological shock, close combat is unforgiving and ruthless. Its dimensions are measured in minutes and meters, and its consequences are final... Leaders creatively combine weapons, units, and tactics by applying the principles of complementary and reinforcing effects to put the enemy in trouble."

It is worth noting that FM 3-21 was mandatory reading for everyone involved in the development of the game to incorporate our "class system" based on the potential unit composition as described in the Army manual.

Gerry: Can you tell us about the design of the miniatures and their creators? Do you work with a team or is the line produced by a single designer?

Jon: Our miniature design is a two-stage process. We document the exact combat gear with detailed photos and pose references. We then pass this information on to our modeler, who initially had minimal knowledge of this subject at the beginning of the project.

To maintain our quality and investments in developers, we plan to continue working with this selected team in the foreseeable future.

Gerry: What are the plans for the game in the near future?

Jon: We have completed work on our first expansion, set to release in November 2022. The expansion includes a completely new game mode, 7 new types of units expanding on our existing class structures, three new structure tiles with the ability to incorporate multi-story buildings, and finally a range of additional intervention cards that players can use during gameplay.

Gerry: Where should people go if they want to stay up to date on the game?

Jon: We have a number of social media channels for that:

• Instagram - Daily updates with images and news.
• The BPRE28mm Facebook Group - For detailed discussions about our 28mm Tabletop Wargame.
• YouTube Channel - Including painting tutorials by Sam Lenz and K03rnl (Christof Keil).
• Our Patreon - Where our audience can directly support the development of our books and games and gain access to exclusive merchandise items and our private Discord.

Thanks to Gerry McCabe for the interview. Translation used with kind permission of BEASTS OF WAR.

BLACK POWDER RED EARTH on the Internet

BEASTS OF WAR on the Internet

More BLACK POWDER RED EARTH on SPARTANAT

– BLACK POWDER RED EARTH AS A GAME

– FRESHLY PRINTED: BLACK POWDER RED EARTH HYPERNOTES

– ECHELON SOFTWARE: BLACK POWDER RED EARTH AS A GAME

– IT CONTINUES: BLACK POWDER RED EARTH® [ AWBARI ]