In Her Majesty`s Name: Wargaming Victorian Science Fiction & Steampunk
Without doubt the most inspirational and best written set of conditions and guidelines for Victorian
Steampunk gaming I have ever come across.
So, what is it about In Her Majesty`s Name that I reckon so highly?
I guess I should first start by explaining exactly what this little gem by Osprey is all about. Written by
Craig Cartmell and Charles Murton, In Her Majesty`s Name is a set of slightly unusual Steampunk
Skirmish Wargame Rules for 28mm table top gaming.
I say unusual, and I mean it, because of several reasons. They have a slightly different slant on the
whole Victorian skirmish theme... somehow they just feel right. I`ve now read over two dozen sets of
rules for Steampunk and/or for Victorian & Colonial gaming (and I`ve written reviews for more than
a few of them), and while I can find merit in many of the sets I`ve read over the past few years, I
have never yet found the ideal. Maybe it is because I am English, and have a deep love of the period,
and because I spent much of my life walking down Victorian cobbled streets, looked up and seen
original Victorian houses; have visited Victorian museums (and also looked inside an old Victorian
prison), and have been saturated with good Victorian literature and historical tomes all my life.
Maybe my lack of faith in most of the Victorian rules I have looked at, also stems from the fact that
they all mostly seem to be written in America, by writers who have probably never even been to
England, walked down Whitechapel in London, or taken a tour through the old workhouses in the
river dock areas of the East End.
I know Steampunk is meant to be fantasy.... a Victorian era that never was... but could have been;
but to get the right feel for that premise, there has to be a basic groundwork of understanding of the
Victorian period as a whole. Sadly, most the rules written for this genre have fallen very flat in that
regard, and resemble little more than Dungeons and Dragons - with firearms and steam contrivances
added in for good measure.
In Her Majesty`s Name not only captures the tone, the feel, and the romanticism of the Victorian
times, but is also a dash darn good set of rules as well. They don`t take themselves too seriously, and
yet they portray just the right mood, and without being cluttered with any unnecessary and
redundant rules. In fact, I was very surprised to find that just one read through of the 64 pages
manual, gave me pretty much a 95% grasp of how to play the game. The rules are thorough, yet not
by any stretch of the imagination complicated. Players who like long and in depth rule mechanics on
the calibre of and rate of fire of a Maxfield rifle, or who delight in detail that slows a game down to
about a move every half an hour, may be disappointed with In Her Majesty`s Name; but those who
like to `get on with` a good jolly decent game... plus old school style gamers like me (who prefer
smooth playability over rules headaches) will find Craig and Charles work most enthusiastically
entertaining... enthralling even.
Sure, there are a few first edition print errors (though no typos at all that I have found) but meh! I
can still vividly remember the very first classic edition Dungeons and Dragons rules from 1973/74
and they were riddled with mistakes. Yet they have endured as the iconic ideal of that game in its
most pure form state.
I believe In Her Majesty`s Name to be the most energetic and well written set of Steampunk rules I
have ever seen to date; and you don’t even have to use them to play Steampunk; they would
function just as well if used to conduct a good old standard Victorian or Colonial romp. But taking
the premise that they are indeed for playing Victorian Steampunk, then we have the best of both
worlds... a great set of rules with perfect period flavour attached.
The rules are also supported by a nice range of miniatures specifically created for the game by North
Star Military Figures; but nowhere do the authors try to force you to buy these: leaving it up to
individuals to pursue their own tastes, or even to use card tokens facsimiles if on a tight budget
(which is most refreshing to see in such a commercially modern world).
Another nicely unusual thing about the rules is the great rapport the authors have with their
audience on their own web/blog site: http://inhermajestysname.wordpress.com/about/ which
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In Her Majesty`s Name: Wargaming Victorian Science Fiction & Steampunk
means you can actually talk to the guys on line via the forums, and have things answered in person,
maybe even contribute to the material in sequel books?
For me, the main attraction of In Her Majesty`s Name is that (a) the rules do not try to narrow you
into a Victorian sand box world of their own devising. It becomes very obvious from the moment you
start reading, that you can take this game in any direction you like. (b) there is a wealth of almost
unrecognized potential to make this into a semi or full on role playing game, with very little extra
work involved. The intense thematic approach throughout the entire rules makes this game highly
usable for whatever you want it to be... even solitaire play, which is a deep personal love of mine.
So please, keep an eye open on this page over the coming months to see a few in depth battle
reports using In Her Majesty`s Name.
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