We are setup with two parts to the Club. We have the club side (the armies, awards, ranks, points et al) and the game side where you play with other members. We currently support & play Wargame Design Studio (WDS) [Formerly John Tiller Software (JTS)] Early American Wars Series (EAW) of Campaign 1776 (1776), French & Indian War (FIW), War of 1812 (1812) & Mexican-American War (MAW), Seven Years War (SYW) from the Musket and Pike Series (M&P), also AGEOD/Matrix/Slitherine Games Birth of America (BoA), Birth of America 2: Wars in America (BoA2: WIA) & Rise of Prussia (RoP).

We have a Club discussion board/forum located here: http://wargame.ch/board/cc/index.php It is the central place for discussion with other members & finding opponents. Most everything happens in the main part, "The Colonial Tavern". There are also separate forums available to the specific armies of the Club for discussion about strategy and other topics on the forums too.

The Club side is separate from the games side. What unit you command in the army you are a part of on the Club side has no impact on what side/forces you command in a game. The Club side is just to add an extra "historical" aspect & fun and to build a sense of camaraderie with the other members. Something for those who enjoy having a bit more than just a ladder or a forum.

All levels of experience from novice to experts are welcome! When you join you will be sent a welcome email and then we will discuss your experience level with the games & Play-by-Email (PBEM), which is how most members play. You can decide whether or not you wish to play a "Training Game" which is designed for players who are new to the different games, want to better their skills, who need help learning PBEM & basic file exchange or who wish to just play one anyways. It is highly recommended for newer gamers. Experienced members can skip the training, as it is optional. The only thing is that training will give you 20 points to start with and a higher rank. Skipping it, you will start with 0 points and the lowest rank. We leave the decision completely up to you, but would be glad to discuss it with you if you are unsure. Our trainers are very skilled players who can offer a lot of insight into the games.

After the initial emails & any training you then get to pick what Army you wish to join & what unit you want to command. There are four sides to the Club. The British, French, Americans & Indian Alliance. You can play any side of a game against any member of the Club. There are no restrictions. If you happen to play someone from the same army as you, the game will be scored as a maneuver. Only a small amount are not included, but they are not much in the long run. It is anywhere from 1-5 points depending on the victory outcome. Also, folks aren't often stuck in the traditional mindset that I am in the British Army, so I must always play the British. The members here are pretty flexible & laid back and often don't care what side they play in a game. A hidden advantage of the French & Indian forces is they often have even more flexibility as they are not major forces in every single game and they are the smaller armies of the Club, so sometimes finding opponents from another army can be easier. Plus, it allows you to enjoy the possibility to play whatever side you want. But like it was just mentioned, people are pretty flexible about what side they play.

The actual armies a member can join are:

The Continental American Army: http://www.wargame.ch/1776/Americans/index.html - which is made up of units from the American Revolution, War of 1812 & Mexican-American War, including Continental Regulars from various States, State Militia Units (including Lexington & Concord units), Continental Cavalry & Artillery, Foreign Regiments and also US Regular Infantry & Cavalry, as well as State Volunteer units & United States Marines from the War of 1812 & Mexican-American War.

The British Armies in America: http://www.wargame.ch/1776/British/index.html - which has British Regulars from the various counties of Britain, Highland (Scottish) units, Irish units, German (Hessians et al), Loyalists (Provincial), Canadians, Royal Marines & Artillery, West Indies units, Cavalry & a few other types. They are mainly from the American Revolution & War of 1812 and some from the French & Indian War.

The French Army (l'Armée de Terre Royale): http://www.wargame.ch/1776/French/FrenchMain.html - which has various units from the French & Indian Wars and American Revolution, including French Regulars to French Canada units.

The Indian Alliance: http://www.wargame.ch/1776/Indian_Alliance/index.html - which is made up of many Native Tribes & Federations from all the Wars, including the Iroquois Confederacy, Tecumseh's Confederacy, Algonquin Tribes & Western Tribes.

We are a really laid back Club and are focused on gaming, making sure the members have fun & have folks to play games with. We do some Tournaments too as time allows. There are mailings that go out to members once a month or once every couple months depending on what we have going on. There will also be unique things like a Club Newsletter, that members can contribute to, artists & author interviews, historical discussions on the forums. The Club Staff always has new ideas they are working on and we invite input & questions from the members. You can explore our site and see for yourself. The Club Staff likes to keep it fun & simple.

Most wargamers are casual gamers and we get that! Members play games as they have time, but if real life gets in the way for a while, that is ok too. We understand that, our lives are busy too. We strive to ensure the members have a good experience. So, members are welcome to game when they have time, just be sure to keep your opponents and commanders informed of any long absences from the Club.

Simple & easy is our philosophy. It sets us apart, experience wise, from the others.

We really hope that this is a place that interests you and that you'd want to be a part of. We look forward to hearing from you & hope you will join us!

Feel free to email the Club Staff with any questions or comments, anytime.