Wizards Dons Chainmail

It looks like Wizards of the Coast is dusting off a legendary name in gaming for another go ’round this October. The upcoming skirmish-level miniatures game we’ve been hearing about since last year’s Origins convention will assume the mantle of the Chainmail name. From the press release, it looks like WotC is hoping to grab gamers interested in a Warhammer-style wargame without investing as much time:

Chainmail is … designed with versatile and easy-to-learn rules allowing players to play a game in 30 minutes or less … Players will be able to create armies of two to 20 figures representing one of six factions fighting for survival in the region of The Sundered Empire.

The original Chainmail miniatures game served to inspire the creation of Dungeons & Dragons. Who knows what this version will inspire?

Zorro Rides Again
Gold Rush Games has just announced their multi-year licensing deal with Zorro Productions, Inc. to produce the Zorro RPG. The first game to come out of this arrangement will be The Legacy of Zorro Introductory Adventure Game in June, which will use the “Instant Fuzion” game system. The full RPG, The World of Zorro Adventure Game and Resource Book, will follow in the fall, and will include a detailed guide to Spanish California of the 1820s. As long as Catherine Zeta-Jones makes an appearance, I’ll be running a few sessions.

Cheap Wars
Following the release of their Budget Battlefield miniatures rules, MicroTactix Games has made the first two Army Packs available for download. For a mere $6 each, you can get the two fantasy armies, the Orcs and the Dwarves, as PDF files and print as many as you need.