Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Pikes, Muskets and Flouncy Shirts => Topic started by: Irregular Wars Nic on April 03, 2020, 05:14:58 PM
-
Considering getting a pirate skirmish game for a handful of figures per player. Not sure which to get. Leaning towards Flashing Steel (Ganesha) or En Garde (Osprey).
Anyone have any experience with either set they'd like to share?
-
http://pijlieblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/en-garde-review-touche.html?m=0 (http://pijlieblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/en-garde-review-touche.html?m=0)
-
If you are open to other suggestions then I’d recommend Fistful of Lead.
Ideal for swashbuckling games with five-seven figures per player.
If you’re not familiar with its mechanics it’s card activated with each figure having a few specific traits to make them individual, better at certain things etc.
Originally it was written as an Old West shoot em set but has been expanded to include the horse and musket period and lately Gothic Horror, Sci Fi and Post Apoc.
It’s widely popular here on LAF, it’s the only skirmish set I play now and we have used it for pirates and will do for musketeers in due course.
-
I'm a big fan of Flashing Steel for my pirate stuff, but then again I really like the Ganesha basic mechanics. In my experience Flashing Steel has made for exciting, cinematic and fast playing games. Here's an example game report: https://dawnofthelead.com/2016/11/03/halloween-in-the-caribbean/
-
I have both and they both have their strengths and weaknesses. I also own and have played Freebooter‘s Fate and Legends of the High Seas (GW), and the Solomon Kane version of Savage Worlds, which even though it is an RPG has an engine that is suited very well for skirmish sized games.
From all these I like Flashing Steel most. It’s easy to pick up and usually makes for very fun games.
-
They're both very cool games but will give very different feels. En Garde gives more interesting combat decisions and feels more like guys fighting. Flashing Blades and the Ganesha engine will give you an overall deeper game, and will be potentially more cinematic depending on how you decide to play.
That being said, they'll both play better with fewer people and are going to be cleanest with two distinct sides. If you're looking for a free-for-all game, the suggestion of FFoL is an excellent one. It will play seamlessly with a bunch of people.
-
+1 for Fistful of Lead. Fun game.
-
Wow, loads of replies already. Thanks folks.
I'm rather familiar with Ganesha mechanics, so I'm comforatble with that side of things for Flashing Steel. I has found osprey games a bit hit and miss, some are brilliant - Dux Bellorum comes to mind - some are less so. It sounds like En Garde is quite decent though?
Unfortunately, my gaming pals aren't keen on FFoL - I already have their sci-fi game.
-
Buy them both, my precious, *gollum*, *gollum*, *gollum*!
-
Buy them both, my precious, *gollum*, *gollum*, *gollum*!
lol lol lol lol
-
I've used both, and I much prefer 'En Garde' - the combat mechanics are really good and make for interesting decisions.
Flashing Steel is OK, but we didn't really like the initiative system that much, and the combat system seemed very crude.
I guess 'En Garde' just felt more like swashbucklers and more piratey :)
Both of them only work for half a dozen figures per player - more than that and it bogs down, so only for small skirmishes, not bigger ones with 50+ figures a side (Blood & Plunder or Legends of the High Seas are better for that size)
-
Hi
I second Steve a hundred per cent.
Philippe
-
As do I.
-
http://pijlieblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/en-garde-review-touche.html?m=0 (http://pijlieblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/en-garde-review-touche.html?m=0)
Nice review, great blog, whose make are the figures? ???
-
I settled on En Garde! to start with. I have my first two crews (each only of 5 figures) preped and ready for painting, and a couple of wee boats en route. :D
-
Nice review, great blog, whose make are the figures? ???
Most figures in that blog are Redoubt Three Musketeers figures. Indeed very nice figures. There is the odd Warlord musketeer as well.