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Author Topic: Rules recommendations please  (Read 3658 times)

Offline FifteensAway

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4602
Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #15 on: August 15, 2018, 04:10:04 PM »
Black Powder once was ten times more than I needed - I thought the rules defeated the purpose: a game of movement and action with a reasonable chance for either side to win.  As pointed out, the way the rules work can lead to some truly wonky results.  Never again!  But, clearly, there are devotees here.  To each there own.

Offline Warboss Nick

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Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #16 on: August 15, 2018, 04:21:25 PM »
For simple, fun games I highly recommend Black Powder, and would take the soon to be released 2.0. We have excellencent games with them in the Peninsular and realistic results, even in larger multi player games.

General de Brigade is excellent but more detailed and needs more playing practice than our goup is able to put out on a regular basis.

Offline Malamute

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Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #17 on: August 15, 2018, 05:23:35 PM »
Roll a D6, highest roll wins.  ;)
"These creatures do not die like the bee after the first sting, but go on age after age, feeding on the blood of the living"  - Abraham Van Helsing

Offline OSHIROmodels

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Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #18 on: August 15, 2018, 05:34:16 PM »
Roll a D6, highest roll wins.  ;)

Sorted!

 ::)

 lol
cheers

James

https://www.oshiromodels.co.uk/

Twitter account -     @OSHIROmodels
Instagram account - oshiromodels

http://redplanetminiatures.blogspot.co.uk/
http://jimbibblyblog.blogspot.com/

Offline vtsaogames

  • Mastermind
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    • Corlears Hook Fencibles
Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #19 on: August 15, 2018, 05:59:55 PM »
Roll a D6, highest roll wins.  ;)

+1 for the French and British, of course.

Reminds me, back in the day I game tested at SPI. One guy designed a matchbox game, literally fit in a small box of wooden matches. It was called Strong-point W5, after the fortified place of that name on Utah Beach. The map had 4 hexes in a row, the southernmost the strong-point, the northernmost the beach. The US unit was a 4-2 (strength 4, movement 2) deployed on the beach. The German unit in the strong-point was a 2-0. It doubled on defense. The US unit marched across the beach, made contact and attacked at 1-1 odds. 1-3 it was eliminated. 4-6 it eliminated the Germans. There was a tiny set of rules and a small die.
And the glorious general led the advance
With a glorious swish of his sword and his lance
And a glorious clank of his tin-plated pants. - Dr. Seuss


My blog: http://corlearshookfencibles.blogspot.com/

Offline NurgleHH

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Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #20 on: August 15, 2018, 07:47:47 PM »
Chosen men from Osprey. Made by Mark Latham, the guy who wrote Waterloo for Warhammer historical. It is very easy and good playable.

Victory Decision Vietnam here: leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=43264.0

Victory Decision Spacelords here: leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=68939.0

My pictures: http://pictures.dirknet.de/

Offline duc de limbourg

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Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #21 on: August 15, 2018, 08:33:30 PM »
We have played now several games with Over the hills and like them

Offline FifteensAway

  • Galactic Brain
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Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #22 on: August 16, 2018, 01:05:04 AM »
Two 3x5 cards, right down move rates, form rates, fire distance, 123 miss, 456 hit, skip morale, skip command.  Bang.  Off and running.

Rules way too often forget we want to Play With Our Miniatures rather than have our noses in rulebooks or shuffle around playing cards.  The less that gets between moving the figures - and sometimes 'knocking them over' - the better.  Personally, only 'good' reason for rules is to avoid friends getting bloody noses from other friends (better your friends aren't so disposed, of course).   

I credit the ease of access to technology for creating a veritable armaggedon of rules that restrict us when all we really want is to have some fun with our mates and enjoy our 'toys'.  Well, that's my take on it. 

Pretty rules make nice eye candy but I've yet to see any of them make a game more fun.

To those who think the first paragraph off base, I did exactly that - with one less card - and had one of the most fun games I've every played in.  We focused entirely on the table because we all had the rules down with a glance.  And zero room for the rules nuts (aka lawyers) to maneuver. 

*** "That FifteensAway character is a bit daft, don't you think?" ***

It's okay, we visionaries are often thought of that way until others see we are right.   lol

Offline lethallee61

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 274
Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #23 on: August 16, 2018, 03:46:26 AM »
FifteensAway - there is so much logic to your post I think you deserve our undying praise and lifelong fealty. Not daft at all.  ;D

Mind you - Kickstarter is going to hate you. Where would our hobby be without a new set of rules being released every week?  ;)
Enjoying the game is ALWAYS more important than winning the game.

Offline redzed

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Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #24 on: August 16, 2018, 06:06:00 AM »
Black Powder is a lot of fun, not perfect etc but it's enjoyable pushing units of lead around a table.
There's a new version coming out later this year, they did give free pdf versions away of the old set, message me and I can send you them to see if you like the premise.
You do need at minimum an 8' by 5' table.
Commission Painting undertaken, PM or email me.

Offline OSHIROmodels

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Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #25 on: August 16, 2018, 07:47:23 AM »
Cheers Shaun, there’s a copy in our ‘group’ that I forgot about and we’ll be using 15mm so the table size isn’t too much of a problem  :)

Pretty rules make nice eye candy but I've yet to see any of them make a game more fun

You’re obviously not playing it right then  ::)
« Last Edit: August 16, 2018, 11:47:24 AM by OSHIROmodels »

Offline CATenWolde

  • Assistant
  • Posts: 20
Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #26 on: August 16, 2018, 09:01:08 AM »
Much depends on what your opinion of "simple" is ... especially in Napoleonics. ;)

The simplest set I know of that also gives a good feel for the period is Rank & File by Crusader Games. Surprisingly straightforward mix of familiar rules mechanisms that comes together in the right way. Far more streamlined, fast, and representative of the period than Black Powder.

Next up the ladder in terms of complexity are probably the old favorite Shako, and the lesser known but still solid Lasalle. Both use fairly abstracted systems that play pretty quickly, although they are different from one another. Again, both more solid bets for historical realism than Black Powder.

The new set Over the Hills is probably a bit (but not much more) complex, but it uses an interesting system of managing disorganization points that has very good potential.

One set that uses battalions as its basic element, but aims at larger battles, is March Attack. Because it is aimed at larger battles with multiple divisions and corps on the table, both movement and combat are streamlined, perhaps more than any of the above, however in the end it works very well indeed.

Anything above this (admittedly blurry) line I would start to rate as "complex" - which of course includes some very good rules.

Essentially - and this is coming from an ex-player of extremely complex rules - there are now many good options for playing Napoleonics with simple, fast rules that also have a very good historical basis.

Cheers,

Christopher

Offline SteveBurt

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Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #27 on: August 16, 2018, 10:54:58 AM »
Black Powder always gives a good game. My problem with it is is that afterwards I always feel I've played a game of Black Powder, rather than a Napoleonic, or ACW or Zulu War battle; all periods we've tried the rules for.
I don't have a problem with the activation system or the blunders and such like. I just feel that the game system is dominating and I'm not seeing enough history (and this is true of all the Warmaster-derived rulesets including Warmaster Ancients).
Good games, bad history. But maybe that's just me.

Another set you might want to look at if you want a bit more meat is 'General d'Armee' by David Brown. Faster and cleaner than General de Brigade, and has an excellent orders system.

Offline Eric the Shed

  • Galactic Brain
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    • The Shed Wars Experience
Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #28 on: August 16, 2018, 12:25:47 PM »
If you want to try out black powder in the shed with the usual crew just shout....I think they make for a great game

Can do 28mm or 10mm

Offline levied troop

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Re: Rules recommendations please
« Reply #29 on: August 16, 2018, 12:57:58 PM »
If you’ve had any experience of Fire And Fury, then Age of Eagles might be useful:
https://ageofeagles.com

It’s aimed at Brigade level, but heathern that I am, I don’t see any problem using it at Battalion level and F&F always have a good, straight-forward game.
The League of Gentlemen Anti Alchemists
(We Turn Gold into Lead)