Author Topic: What mass battle games do people play, and why? (Read 9480 times)

monkeylite · « **Reply #15 on:** February 22, 2018, 11:12:27 AM »

I'd highly recommend Sword and Spear Fantasy. And it seems to tick all your boxes.

I have review/AARed it here (with at least a couple of errors, alas).

https://tewblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/sword-and-spear-goblins.html
https://tewblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/sword-and-spear-brets.html

https://tewblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/sword-and-spear-fantasy-test-1.html
https://tewblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/sword-and-spear-fantasy-test-2.html
https://tewblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/spear-and-sword-fantasy-test-3.html

redzed · « **Reply #16 on:** February 22, 2018, 12:03:24 PM »

a very, very bastardized version of Commands & Colors Ancients

Ethelred the Almost Ready · « **Reply #17 on:** February 22, 2018, 06:14:14 PM »

I seemed to remember that War and Conquest struck me as agame that could be used for fantasy games, but couldn't remember why - I only ever played half a game a few years ago.
I had a read over the rules again and it was the leaders and personalities rules that struck me. The rest of the game wasn't to my liking - individual figure removal, so-so command and control. It is a multi-stage buckets of dice combat mechanism, this suits some people. For me, I get rapidly bored with this mechanism.
Still, you may find something useful in these rules, even if just ideas for the personalities.

Irregular Wars Nic · « **Reply #18 on:** February 22, 2018, 08:24:50 PM »

Wow, thanks for all the great responses so far. I haven't been on for a day or two and last to I checked, there were none!

Warmaster was looked at as an option but it suffers from being GW specific in terms of army lists, and the 3x bases to a unit doesn't suit our armies.

I admit I haven't considered Sword and Spear Fantasy, because the ancients version elicited a rather strong reaction when we tried it, and I didn't want to relive the experience. I have been told by a couple of people that the Fantasy version is better though.

I'm currently looking at Lord and Lands. Anyone have any experience there?

nic-e · « **Reply #19 on:** February 22, 2018, 09:12:53 PM »

There's also War of the ring to consider, which i am told works very well in most scales and from what I've read of it seems a nice system.

MattW · « **Reply #20 on:** February 22, 2018, 09:19:22 PM »

Warmaster Revolution is a fantastic rule-set, and freely available. It’s my current favourite.

Timbo Slice · « **Reply #21 on:** February 23, 2018, 12:42:50 PM »

Hi all,
I second Warmaster / warmaster revolution. The system plays fast and allows you to put a lot of lead on the table. Command rolls give you the friction you are looking for with the addition of failing a command roll ends your turn. There are also not tooo many dice (compared to KOW).

I also like KOW ed2 - because it plays fast and 25mm is easier to paint. As mentioned the system does not have command friction and uses buckets of dice (brock riders in a rear attack for example)

A big battle game i love is Fantasy Rules! 3rd edition. It does not have too many troop types but enough to give you flavor and tactical options. The system is super flexible and has good rules to build units and characters. Combat is opposed dice rolls so only a few dice at a time. FR!3 scales easily and you can play any size figure or battle. I regularly use 25mm warhammer / KOW armies on 60mm sabots. Also has some command friction in a morale clock. As the battle progresses and a player loses combats their clock winds down. Each point on the clock basically allows you a move so as your lines get fragmented command is an issue. Last off the time to table is pretty low. I live in a fantasy wargaming desert so I can get a game on the table in about a half an hour and play to completion in about 2 hrs.

I also play Overlord's Tower from time to time. Stand based game with characters, lots of flexibility, one die combat resolution and command pips similar to DBx. This one has been out of print for a while but you may find an old copy on the web somewhere.

I have tried fantasy impetus and legions of battle 1x each. I could not get into the Impetus rule mechanics and LOB felt like warhammer with multibased figures. Your mileage may vary but they are both still commercially available.

Best of luck and let us know where you end up rules wise

Irregular Wars Nic · « **Reply #22 on:** February 27, 2018, 08:53:06 PM »

Lord and Lands has just arrived, so that'll be the next game to try.

Ethelred the Almost Ready · « **Reply #23 on:** February 27, 2018, 09:47:35 PM »

I remember someone had some modified rules to allow units to stay closer together than 3cm and had rules for flanks. This may help convert it to a mass battle system. Try the Dux Rampant Forum

boywundyrx · « **Reply #24 on:** February 27, 2018, 10:04:27 PM »

Hi Nic,

One ruleset I don't think I've seen in this thread is Mighty Armies, now by Rebel Minis. It probably has most similarity with HoTT, with a die roll determining your action points (in my case I've switched to 2d3 rather than d6 for that though), and elements of figures rather than individual ones. It may not be interactive enough, but it is pretty flexible that you could impose other turn sequences on it, or interrupts (e.g. counter-charges).

I use sort of a bastardized version of it though, the version 2.0 rules, except the 1.0 rules I liked that got dropped, and a points system by a guy who cracked the 1.0 code (I think they were Mongoose rules then). The 2.0 rules have a points system, but it starts with a basic unit plus special traits, rather than the ground-up approach the house rules take.

Chris

Irregular Wars Nic · « **Reply #25 on:** March 02, 2018, 09:49:43 PM »

I've just posted a review of Lord and Lands on the blog. Haven't played it yet, but they read really well.

http://irregularwars.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/lord-and-lands.html

Simlasa · « **Reply #26 on:** March 04, 2018, 01:50:02 AM »

I'm another for Fantasy Rules!
Of late I've mostly used 6mm figures, which allows me to use some (comparatively) huge monsters.

Fantasy Sword & Spear is something I've been wanting to get into, primarily for use with my existing Oldhammer figures. I've heard great things about it and watched some batrep videos. It's different, but looks interesting.

SotF · « **Reply #27 on:** March 04, 2018, 03:28:45 AM »

I've been having fun with Of Gods and Mortals.

Argonor · « **Reply #28 on:** March 04, 2018, 04:32:15 AM »

I play God of Battles as my preferred mass system (albeit with both 'pure' and proxied armies, and only the combat and magic rules, not the rules for interacive terrain and weather).
I intend to play some A Fantastic SAGA (more 'grand skirmish' than actual 'mass') at some point.

Ethelred the Almost Ready · « **Reply #29 on:** March 04, 2018, 06:55:34 AM »

Quote from: Argonor on March 04, 2018, 04:32:15 AM

I play God of Battles as my preferred mass system (albeit with both 'pure' anf proxied armies, and only the combat and magic rules, not the rules for interacive terrain and weather).
I intend to play some A Fantastic SAGA (more 'grand skirmish' than actual 'mass') at some point.

I just read the few reviews I can find for God of Battles. Can you tell us more about it?

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Author Topic: What mass battle games do people play, and why? (Read 9480 times)

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