Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: sunspear on March 08, 2017, 08:42:26 PM
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Well maybe more like guidance; can anyone suggests a good rules set? I've never played ACW or 15mm. So I'm open to try about anything.
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Without a doubt Pickett's Charge rules released by the Fat Lardies. One of those sets that are hard to find in that they are realistic to the period yet play very smoothly.
Couldn't recommend them enough.
https://toofatlardies.co.uk/product/picketts-charge-hard-copy/ (https://toofatlardies.co.uk/product/picketts-charge-hard-copy/)
I wrote up a run through of the rules here it will give you a good insite into how they play:
http://thenorthumbrianwargamer.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Pickett%27s%20Charge%20rules (http://thenorthumbrianwargamer.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Pickett%27s%20Charge%20rules)
Dave.
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Thanks sheepman I will check it out!
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Completely agree. Superb set of rules. Fantastic fun and feel very plausible. Play like a Shelby Foote or Peter Cozzens book reads, which has to be a good thing.
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And of course, there is no reason why any rule set that works with 28mm, or 6mm, or anything else, won't work for 15mm - you might want to shorten the ranges, but it's usually not necessary.
I use Sharp Practice 2 for my ACW games, it's aimed at large skirmishes and is a marvellous set of rules (tbh, it's my favourite set of rules by far). I've reduced the distances by one third, but only because my gaming space is smallish; there are quite a few people playing SP2 in 15mm using the distances as written in the rule set. Actually, with 15mm, ground scale matches figure scale.
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Fire and Fury easy to learn and give a good game, for a bit more detail look at Fire and Fury Regimental. I also play Honor and Glory off the free wargames rules site, or at least the link to the Yahoo group. There is more to go through but worth it and once picked up play quite easy. they are based on the effect on a units morale instead of casualties.
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Neil Shuck had Pickett's Charge author Dave Brown on Meeples and Miniatures to discuss the rules. Very interesting listen.
http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/5/5/1/551a6f76b0a27885/meeplesandminiatures_ep184a.mp3?c_id=13390939&expiration=1489313686&hwt=bcf3e345dfc19cc982517ede08699134
Kev
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I prefer to play full battles so use Volley and Bayonet. What scale of command are you interested in?
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I'd also recommend Fire and Fury (F&F).
Basing and figures are the same for both Brigade F&F and Regimental F&F allowing you to fight different levels of battle with the same figures (although the regimental version will require a few different 'markers'). The different rule sets are standalone purchases, so I'd recommend that you purchase the regimental one first as a new edition of the brigade-level rules is due to be published soon.
F&F is also a very good ruleset if you intend to play any games solo.
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Here's another vote for Fire and Fury. I've only played the brigade version, but it's the best ACW rules I've played. I just purchased Pickett's Charge but have not played yet.
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Another vote for Fire and Fury, I've had more fun with these over the years than any other set of rules. At Brigade or Regimental level I don't think they can be beaten for historical feel and simplicity.
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Well I'll have to cast a vote for Fire and Fury as well. It was not always my go to set of rules as I started with John Hills "Johnny Reb" because at the time they were the best most widely played set out there. They were great fun, fairly easy, historical, and I still think the best for Regimental. (the charge system tho a bit involved by today's rules was the best)
Now I play "Fire and Fury", It plays faster, its simpler, and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL is what most people in my neck of the woods play! There are many great rules systems out there and we can argue about their merits all day but in the end you need someone else who likes those rules to play a game. Find out what your possible opponents like or want to play.
One other point I'll bring up is that some rules writers will write rules for several periods using the same "core system" with different charts and rules "tweeks" to tailor the basic core system to the period. I like this because it makes playing several different "periods" where the "core system is the same" is much much easier to learn and remember than very different systems used in different periods. Fire and Fury is like that, Bill Grey Used the core system of Fire and Fury to base his Napoleonic version "Age of Eagles" on. We play both in 15mm and its great.
I have a few battle reports on my site for ACW and Fire and Fury Napoleonics www.Historicalhobbies.com (http://www.Historicalhobbies.com)
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I would second the recommendation for Volley & Bayonet for the famous big battles (If you want to fight the entire thing rather than just a small bit of a battle) or Fire & Fury if you want a bit more detail in the units, tactics and organisations. Both are great sets of rules.
Going to come down to how big an encounter you want to game.