Pulp Alley & The Leopard

I recently finished my Tomb of the Serpent campaign. My next project is the Spectacular Adventures of the Leopard, a swashbuckling skirmish game set during the English Civil War. I have already played a test game, The Wayward Messenger, using the 7TV system. However, before setting out on this project, I decided to review what rules were available and which best suited my needs. Finally, I decided to use Pulp Alley. So why am I using a set of rules designed for the first half of the twentieth century for a historical skirmish game? As the Pulp Alley authors made clear, the Pulp genre included a wide range of environments, including gangsters, superheroes, fantasy, horror, and pirates, to name a few. So, in this first missive on my Leopard project, I will examine the rules I have looked at and why I went for Pulp Alley. As you will see, this is a very personal choice that fits my circumstances.

The Leopard, Aurelia St Simon and Aaron Bell (The Preacher)

Seventeenth Century Skirmish Rules. 

There are several good rule sets dedicated to the swashbuckling period, such as Flashing Steel, Glorie, and En Garde, to name just a few. All these games provide an excellent narrative for my campaign, but none are designed for the solo wargamer. Also, why I love collecting and reading rules; for my day-to-day gaming, I try to keep to a handful of core rules. Therefore, I decided to have a set of skirmish rules that  I could use for Indiana Jones-type adventures, gangsters in the 1930s and classic sci-fi settings. This led me back to the Pulp genre.

Pulp Rules - Cost 

In recent years, the pulp genre has become rather crowded with rules. Compared to other periods, all these rules can be obtained cheaply. Most have a free version or can be downloaded cheaply from Wargames Vault. 

Also, the figure count is usually less than a dozen, and most figure rules are agnostic in what figures can be used. Pulp Alley and 7TV have figure ranges, but they are unnecessary for playing the games.

Various supplements, scenarios, and cards add additional costs. Pulp Alley and 7TV have the most support for their games, so more supplements and cards to add to the core game. If you decide to go 'all in' with cards and supplements, this makes them the more expensive end of the spectrum.

The most significant cost is the need for nice-looking terrain. However, card buildings are available, and with careful planning, MDF and resin buildings can be used for other games.

Pulp - The Rules

Here is a brief summary of the rules I have examined. Click on the rules picture for link to the rules.

7TV (Crooked Dice)

7TV was designed to pay tribute to 1960s and 1970s television, focusing on campy adventures from fantasy to science fiction. Initially, each genre had its own supplement, but in 2023, Crooked Dice produced a core rulebook and now concentrates on producing serials (scenarios) that reflect the TV shows of the era.

The gameplay emphasises thematic missions and cinematic effects. Players build “casts” of characters using customisable archetypes. These are played on a set where the game recreates a TV episode. This can lead to odd play; for example, the set can move due to continuity errors.

Fistful of Lead (Wiley Games)

These rules are simple and quick to learn, perfect for fast-paced pulp action. They focus on minor skirmishes with individual character actions. The action deck (standard playing cards) mechanic introduces randomness and variety. The game offers flexible genre support, including Westerns, noir, and pulp sci-fi. Experimental solo rules, which are free to download, have been produced. Although their strength lies in multi-player games where they can handle numerous players (c. 10) without the game getting bogged down.

However, Fistful of Lead does not produce a deep storytelling experience, and the characters are underdeveloped for my tastes. I also found them challenging to customise for my Leopard adventures, although several genre/period supplements are available.

Perilous Tales 

This cooperative skirmish wargame centres around horror and exploration, perfect for Lovecraftian or supernatural pulp settings. The procedural scenario generation and simple yet thematic rules create cinematic challenges and a story-rich encounter, and they are specifically designed to support solo and cooperative gameplay.

Character design is limited because it is driven by predefined templates, which limits the customisation of games outside the horror genre. While all the games in this list are designed to create cinematic cliffhangers, in this instance, the mechanism that produces the excitement seems random, making tactics less critical than other pulp games. However, as a free game that introduces someone to pulp or for solo play, these rules are a winner.

Pulp (Osprey)

Pulp is one of the latest entries in the pulp stable and part of the Osprey Blue Book of wargames. Like all Osprey publications, the rules are cheap and well-produced. The rules offer a fast, streamlined game that is easy to learn, making it a good entry-level game. However, in terms of simplicity, the rules have lost depth in customising the characters, who are limited to archetypes.

Therefore, they miss the full storytelling potential of the genre with limited narrative depth and minimal customisation of characters.

Pulp Alley

Pulp Alley provides deep narrative gameplay, using dice and card mechanisms to represent plot points and random events. Together, these components produce an easy-to-learn game that is difficult to master. As I mentioned, the rules are designed to be highly customisable and fit with the variety of pulp genres. Character creation is good, although I would like more depth added to the character's background.
The game has solo rules and a unique card deck that produces engaging and exciting games, and it has one of the best dedicated communities of any game. The authors produce weakly, at least, videos to support their creation. While the cost is moderate if you want to purchase the cards (downloads are available), it provides an immersive experience into the world of pulp.

  

Comparing Pulp Rules

The rules choice is personal and designed to meet your or the club's needs. Therefore, the list below is designed to meet my gaming needs. I have considered the following factors: Narrative, Complexity ( I like simple to moderate rules), Flexibility, Solo play, Costs, and game/community support.

Narrative

My games must produce a good narrative that could make a good short story. In this category, Pulp Alley, 7TV and Perilous Tales edge this for me. The card mechanics in the first two add much narrative depth to the game.

Complexity

None of these games is particularly hard to learn; most are moderate to low in complexity. Boardgame Geek rates them in the mid-2s out of a total of 5. Fist Full is Lead, and Perilous Tales may have simpler systems.

Flexibility

Pulp Alley and 7TV can support any pulp genre. Pulp Alley nudges this category because 7TV's scenarios are more scripted.

Solo Mechanism

Only Pulp Alley and Perilous Tales have dedicated solo mechanisms. The other games' systems focus primarily on competitive skirmishes, so solo players must develop their own systems.

Cost of Entry

As I mentioned at the opening of this blog, the cost of entry is relatively low for this genre. 7TV is the most expensive, although they have merged most of the genre into one core book, reducing costs. Pulp Alley offers a lot of free stuff, but it will increase if you want to buy the cards and other add-on costs. For those on a tight budget, Perilous Tales and Fist Full of Lead, with downloadable rules and a few add-ons, have the edge on costs.

Support

One of the oddities of solo Wargaming is that you still want to feel part of a wider community. Therefore, online support is an essential aspect of the game for me. Support includes activity communities, forums, and online engagement. In this respect, Pulp Alley is the winner with its Facebook community, weekly videos, and games.

Conclusion

Pulp Alley was the final choice for playing my Leopard campaign because of its flexibility. I only had to write minimal changes to reflect seventeenth-century technology, its solo play capabilities, and the production of a strong narrative. In my Tomb of the Serpent campaign, the characters became more 3-dimensional as the story progressed. However, here, I had to design my own adventurers, so I wanted a clearer picture of the background of my main characters. How the Leopard, his friends and foes came to life will be the subject of the second blog in this project. 

Workbench 2025

Well, it is time for my self-indulgent post, where I quickly review my activities this year and look forward to the forthcoming year with its usual bucket full of projects.

2024 Review

Overall, I have been much better at getting games to the table this year, playing fourteen games. This meant more blog activity, which has started to attract a form of following. As usual, I became distracted by some new rules and periods. Midgard, Rangers of the Shadow Deep and the Dystopian Wars are the most notable. Whilst I try to stop myself from launching into new rules and projects, I just cannot help myself. A common affliction for most wargamers and something I will have to live with and the storage problem this involves. 

I have also been ruthless in trying to reduce my games; this includes Saga, Dystopian Wars, and Spaceship Gothic. These are not bad games, but they are the ones that appealed to me the least. A gull that I hope will become part of my gaming. 

Looking Ahead

In 2025, the idea is to concentrate on 4 projects.

1. Pulp Alley and the Adventures of the Leopard. My Tomb of the Serpent campaign ended in December, and the Mace Institute will take a break for a while. The next campaign will follow the adventurers of the Royalist spy, the Leopard. The events will follow on from my test game, the Wayward Messenger. 

The Leopard takes on Parliament’s troopers in the ruins of Wythboune Abbey.

1. Midgard. These rules came out late in 2024, but I had played them at Britcon and liked their versatility, so after playing a few test games, I will put some campaigns together as part of James's campaign test environment. At the top of the list are Mystic Britain (Arthur versus some Dwarf invaders) and the Great Army of the 870s. Later development will be in my Shadow Wars setting, the Anarchy 1138-53, and when gods clash before the walls of Troy. However, these are painting projects for 2025.
2. Super Mission Force. My superhero campaign against the master of the gene, DNA, will end early next year. This will be replaced by a superhero adventure in a Stempunk London of the 1880s. This is an attempt to get some use of figures that have been set on the self for a couple of years. An objective that pervades my Leopard and Midgard projects as well. 
3. Simulations. These are epic historical clashes played on the tabletop. The following are planned for next year.
1. Mark Backhouse has produced and supplemented his Strength & Honour rules, which handle ancient warfare between Alexander and Hannibal. I have had some old 6mm miniatures for some time, so I will rebase and redeploy them. The Battle of Pynda is the first on the list.

The Macedonian Phalanx prepares to receive the advancing Roman Legions.

1. I will continue to work through the War of the Roses battle with a refight of Tewksbury.
2. My Peninsula battles project moves slowly forward, and Vimeiro is the first conflict to be played.
3. I am planning a semi-historical rematch of the Lucknow campaign during the Indian Mutiny. Here, the Sharp Practice rules will be used to fight the engagements. Therefore, I am not looking at big battles but large skirmishes and trying to capture the strategic and tactical decisions.

Ad Hoc Adventures

Kiss Me Hardy, one of my favourite games, will take a break this year. I am awaiting the second edition, and in the meantime, I have decided to use a 1:700 scale, so there is a bit of modelling to do. Several single or small squadron actions will be attempted as the new fleet grows.

Rangers of the Shadowdeep, with its low cost and quick setup time, will be one of the main short games for 2025 as I continue with the adventures of Thalia Songweaver. In addition, a new fantasy city game, Traitors of Troll Gate, is due for release, which will serve a similar purpose. 

Big Projects.

Crusader battle is my attempt to adapt Strength & Honour to the first century of the crusading enterprise using some old 6mm figures. The other big project is researching the Italian Wars from 1494-1559. This is mainly a research project for 2025, but the ultimate aim is to refight some of these battles with some old 6mm I inherited from somewhere.

The Blog.

This blog has mainly focused on battle reports, which will remain because I like to write a narrative about my wargame adventures. However, I want to add more depth by reporting on my various projects in development and some of the campaign mechanisms I plan to use. In addition, I hope to do a few more rules reviews and, if I can get the download function to work, offer some download scenarios, etc.

Tomb of the Serpent God - The Final Chapter

The blazing sun of the desert had barely faded from memory when our band of adventurers emerged from a portal in the heart of a desolate land. In the shadow of a cursed tomb, their hopes of finding Sir Francis, Thwaites, and Marjib had crumbled into the dust. Alfie, clinging to life, was carried to a nearby village, where he made another miraculous recovery. His pale, haunted expression betrayed that fate had not finished with him.

Ever the leader, Slade secured the aid of a local guide, Menrit, to navigate the foreboding temple that loomed over their mission like a viper coiled to strike. With each step closer to the Snake God’s lair, an oppressive dread hung heavier. 

The Antechamber

Their journey brought them to the temple’s antechamber, smothered in shadow and silence. Slade’s torch sputtered to life, casting flickering light across the crumbling masonry. A great stone door barred their way, its surface carved with strange glyphs that seemed to slither under the torchlight. As Slade heaved it open, the brittle structure groaned in protest, sending a jagged chunk of stone hurtling toward Honey. She narrowly sidestepped it, her breath catching in her throat.

The Entrance to the Snale god's Prison/Tomb

 

The Writhing Wall

The corridor beyond was long and narrow, its walls crawling with a sickly green luminescence. Daphne leaned closer, her eyes narrowing at the source of the eerie light. “Beetles,” she whispered, her voice tinged with disgust. “And not the friendly kind.” She reached out, brushing her fingers against the writhing insects. The cold struck her like a dagger, and she jerked her hand back, trembling as a pallor overtook her face.

Maat - The Despoiled Goddess of Balance

Further in, they came upon a plinth crowned by a statue of Maat, the goddess of balance, her scales shattered in a cruel mockery of justice. At her feet gleamed a massive ruby, a beacon in the darkness. Slade, ever daring, stepped onto the slippery surface, his muscles taut as he pried the gemstone free. Relief flooded the group as he retreated unscathed—until a harsh scraping noise echoed deeper within the corridor.

Scorpions 

Before anyone could react, a monstrous scorpion burst from the shadows, its claws snapping and its tail poised to strike. Honey’s pistol barked in defiance, the shots briefly staggering the beast before it lunged, swatting her to the ground. Slade and Alfie rushed to her aid, their weapons hammering the creature until it collapsed in a heap of chitin and ichor.

The group pressed on, but their trials had only begun.

The Defenders of the Tomb

Slade was the first to enter the inner chamber, and the stench of decay hit him like a wave. From the gloom emerged the risen priest, his rotted form shrouded in malevolent power. Slade fired, but the bullets ricocheted harmlessly off the creature’s ancient armour. As the priest loomed closer, rubble stirred at the room's edges, disgorging skeletal warriors with rusted blades.

Slade fights the Risen Priest in the Outer Chamber. A Combat that would last to the end of the scenario

Daphne and Alfie fought valiantly as Honey and Menrit struggled to regain their footing. Each step forward was met with fierce resistance as more undead clawed their way from the temple walls. Just as hope began to waver, the Ankh Amulet around Slade’s neck flared to life, its golden light coursing through him. Empowered by its energy, he fought with a ferocity that turned the tide, forcing the priest back. Yet the creature refused to fall, its unholy vitality mocking their every effort.

Then came the final test.

Burial Chamber

Alfie stumbled into the burial chamber first, but an unseen force struck him down, flinging him back like a ragdoll. His limp body sprawled across the chamber floor, another cruel twist of fate in his harrowing journey. The burden now fell to Daphne and Honey. With Menrit holding the line against the horde of undead guardians, the two women edged closer to the sarcophagus of Apophis himself. 

A Tomb Guardian awaits in the Inner Chamber, soon joined by several undead warriors.

The air was heavy, thick with ancient malice. Each step was a battle against the slippery floor and the oppressive force radiating from the tomb. At last, they reached the god’s prison, their voices trembling as they recited the ancient ritual: The Rite of Ra.

As the final words echoed through the chamber, a golden light burst forth from the tomb, its brilliance piercing the darkness. The black, writhing mass within shrieked and writhed as it dissolved into nothingness, its malevolent presence banished at last.

But as the dust settled and silence reclaimed the temple, one question lingered: had the Snake God truly been defeated, or had they merely opened the door to something worse.

Postscript

Three weeks later, the team sat in the shaded gardens of the British Archaeological Society, sipping ice-cold drinks. Alfie had once again recovered from his injuries. Mr Indestructable was Daphne's nickname for him now. Sir Francis, Thwaites, and Majib were reunited with their friends when they crossed the portal in the temple. After sealing the portal, the group returned to Cairo. As they relaxed, the society's director expressed the British government's thanks but added that the breach caused by Aphosis and his disciples had set off some unexplained incidents, including those in the Nile and Sudan. 

Whilst Sir Francis had to return to London accompanied by the ever-faithful Thwites, the others decided that their work in Egypt needed further study.

 

Final Remarks 

The final game lived up to its build-up. Daphne and Honey managed to complete the final plot. As the campaign progressed, the characters began to take on life and became more three-dimensional. The ever unluck Alfie with his soft spot for Daphne, the daredevil amongst the gang. Slade became a solid if a bit of a brooding presence, and Honey became the girl who was never flustered.

We will hear more about the Mace Institute soon, but next, we will move our Pulp experience to turbulent seventeenth-century England.