The Dougram Boardgames. (Part 1)

For those of us who grew up in the robot boom of the mid 80s we might barely remember ROBOTECH.  Except Robotech was two different things.  A cartoon show made up of three vaguely similar Japanese animated shows that all involved alien invasions, transforming piloted robots, and musicians is what most people who do remember Robotech remember.

Except it wasn't the first Robotech thing, and not where the name was invented.

(As always click images for more bigger ones.)

No, it was imported model kits from Revell that first came out and who came up with the name.  And since one of the shows Robotech was made up of was already IN the model kit line Revell was releasing well.. synchronicity!

The two part Robotech Defenders comic that has nothing at all to do with the cartoon.  But the mecha involved are all pretty much Dougram ones from the Revell line.  I am apparently one of the few people on the planet who enjoyed this comic.

The primary models in the Robotech line were originally from an early 80s anime called Fang of the Sun Dougram.  Though much like an import company whose import we will be talking about, other lines were used.  

And in some cases the Japanese toymakers even brought out limited releases of some of these products over here like the two big and chunky die cast toys in this image:

Top left and right are the Takara toys in question.  Top middle are Revoltech toys of the same designs (albeit made 20 odd years later) and below are "Capsule Toy" versions.  And a card for where said import company sublet the designs to that maybe they were not so allowed to have done..

(Want to go back and just go on a memory trip of Robotech/Battletech?  http://wargamedork.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-stuff-techmacrossrelated-stuff.html here is the start.)

But some of those models from various shows were repackaged then, and rereleased semi recently as our star Dougram model shows:

Some Macross rerelease kits along with the Dougram rerelease.  The Robotech kit is from Orguss.

The other Dougram rerelease kit I got and did assemble painted in my own style.  A Robotech Destroid toy that was rereleased in the 90s, and another Destroid from Robotech/Macross but a model kit I also painted my own way.  Also all three are designs used in Battletech.  Its.. complicated!

But this import company itself would in fact release a couple Japanese board games over here (although not all of the Dougram wargames, and not the Votoms board games most similar in design to our friends below: )

The Dougram Simulation Games!  The Battles of Stanrey and its sequel/advanced mode version Kalnock.  I had been searching for these things for YEARS once I found out about them.  I have since gotten both games and an extra Stanrey box which was more a mix of a variety of components from both of these sets giving me more models.

The back of the boxes.  Still in Japanese so I dunno why anyone would buy them outside of COOL TOY FACTOR.

The sides showing what minis were included.  One of my sets had helpful writing by someone to tell you what robot was what.

And the included goodies!  One set was super cherry (Stanrey) with not even the STICKERS applied to the little line of sight checking periscopes.  The Kalnock set was not only base painted in factional arrays, but labeled!  The little beads are my own inclusion just to keep track of what model has activated.  See the metal models have ultra tiny numbers on them but.. it is really too small to tell in gameplay so unless I want to paint numbers on each mech or get a bunch of counters made up, this is the cheap way to do things.

The original manual and quick reference cards along with the VERY light and hastily made translation.

The back of the instructions.  The Japanese one showing most of the main characters, and the translation having the card translated.  Mostly.

Stanrey has 6 mapsheets you are intended to put together a certain way but there is a little bit of flexibility to made different battlefields with them.  The + symbols are where you put the happy little trees.

The Stanrey manual is so rad looking and cute as heck!  I mean seeing some of the show characters PLAYING THE ACTUAL GAME is fun and cheery, plus for Dougram/Battletech fans it is a treat to see some nice art of the mechs from that time.

Sadly the translation is vastly truncated and lacks all of the charm of the original manual.  And they seem to be very protective of their translation.

Join me next time where I show a bit more from this game and Kalnock plus perhaps begin a new project I have had in mind for a couple YEARS now.  Much like my kitchen faucet I do eventually get things done.  Sometimes.