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Miniatures Adventure => Back of Beyond => Topic started by: SJWi on May 24, 2021, 06:17:07 PM

Title: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: SJWi on May 24, 2021, 06:17:07 PM
My mates and I are planning to dust -off our "Back of Beyond" collections and so are looking for the best rules available. We already have "Triumph and Tragedy", "A World Aflame" and the venerable "Contemptible Little Armies" but have heard good things about more recent offerings namely "Setting the East Ablaze V2", Fistful of Lead (FFoL) and "FFoL Bigger Battles", and also "Battlefield Evolution World War" plus its "Back of Beyond Supplement.

Can anyone out there recommend one of them plus explain why?

I know the "Perfect General" had a set of RCW rules but I guess they have disappeared.

Thanks in anticipation.....       
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: has.been on May 24, 2021, 06:31:45 PM
My vote would be for Fistful of Lead.
The Reloaded rules if you want a few figures & a skirmish.
The Big battles if you want lots of troops on the table.

Why?
Simple, open to your own interpretation as to what best represents
            your troop types.
Adaptable, if you want to stick in a few of your own rules.
Fun, well who doesn't want some of that in their games.
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: Mark Plant on May 24, 2021, 08:52:30 PM
The Perfect Captain rules haven't disappeared. I have all the files and will put them up on Pygmy Wars when I re-do it.

I'm a massive fan of them, but I don't see them as what most people want from Back of Beyond. They play like ordinary games, not like adventures.
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: trev on May 24, 2021, 09:07:12 PM
The best rules to play are the ones you like and you have opponents to play against.  Not very helpful but worth remembering.

I’ve not played CLA or T&T so can’t comment but if you have them I guess you know if you like them and they will work. 

I believe I have read that StEA are a bit CLA-like so might be an updated better option if you liked CLA.  The rule book and especially the supplements are great for ideas and pictures even if you don’t end up playing the rules.  We played them a few times in the mid covid break and had fun.  They are unit card based for activation so games with lots of units will slow down a bit. 

Here’s my AAR but search for some of Ignatief’s fantastic AARs here to see more.
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=126510.0 (https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=126510.0)

Fistful of lead bigger Battles are lots of fun and very flexible.  I like the playing card mechanic especially.  Again it’s single unit activation, so keep unit numbers lower for faster games.  The PDF rules are cheap for a taster.  I’d get Bigger Battles for BoB level actions.  The Core Rules or Reloaded would be for single figure unit skirmish games.  Perfect for Osterns or the adventures of the Elusive Avengers.

We tried a small Men Who Would Be Kings game the other day and they worked pretty well.  You’ll need to tag on some vehicle rules but that will be easy enough.  These are IGOUGO with friction so should be faster for very big games. We’ve played some monster Sudan games with them okay. If you like these for Colonial actions or like Dan Mersey’s other rules they may be a good option. 

Red Actions and Triumph of the Will are two more I haven’t played but looked okay from a read through.  See Marks RA army lists and orbat data for inspiration and reasonable force compositions. 
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: NurgleHH on May 31, 2021, 01:01:53 PM
I agree with Triumph & Tragedy and Fistful of Lead:Big Battles. Great rulesets, simple.
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: AzSteven on June 01, 2021, 04:27:50 PM
My group has used Necromunda, Triumph & Tragedy, Bolt Action, 7TV and a home-brew Frostgrave for Back of Beyond gaming.  All of them have their strengths and weaknesses.  For the most part we have settled on Bolt Action for more unit-oriented actions and 7TV for more character-based sessions.
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: Lord Raglan on June 01, 2021, 05:58:39 PM
I would strongly recommend Setting the East Ablaze
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: Golgotha on January 26, 2022, 08:34:16 PM
I would second that - definitely Setting the East Ablaze.
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: ColCampbell on January 28, 2022, 08:53:03 PM
Our group (Jackson Gamers) helped develop "The Sword to Adventure" variant to "The Sword and the Flame."  It has worked well for us and includes rules for armored cars and tanks.

Here's an old battle report from a 2012 convention that shows the action:  http://colcampbellbarracks.blogspot.com/2012/06/bayou-wars-report-part-2.html

But I've also started collecting forces for "The Men Who Would Be Kings" and have played a couple of small games.  They can also work well.  Just see Neil's blog "Toy Soldiers and Dining Room Battles" -- https://toysoldiersanddiningroombattles.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Men%20Who%20Would%20be%20Kings

Jim
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: Leapsnbounds on January 29, 2022, 12:00:00 AM
The Sword and the Flame the Sword to Adventure is the one I go with.
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: JBaumal on February 02, 2022, 11:25:10 PM
I’m with Leapsnbounds on this one, TSATF - The Sword to Adventure!
Great minds, eh???
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: leadfool on February 07, 2022, 07:19:35 PM
We started with "The men who would be King"  Relabeled it The men who would be Warlord and have been playing a campaign, posting in the interwar forum.  The rules are ideal for BoB.  see attached.  hopefully you can read them.  feel free to play, modify, or ignore. 

leadfool
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: Caliver Books on February 10, 2022, 02:02:43 PM
Setting the East Ablaze is surely a must for the larger battles but for those with a few units wanting to try out the period before jumping in then these will do nicely

www.caliverbooks.com
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: trev on February 11, 2022, 05:14:07 PM
Are those new? Any details or reviews out yet?
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: Ignatieff on February 13, 2022, 02:57:44 PM
Setting the East Ablaze is surely a must for the larger battles but for those with a few units wanting to try out the period before jumping in then these will do nicely

www.caliverbooks.com

I would argue that StEA are perfectly good for small (30-40 figures) as side too.
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: has.been on February 22, 2022, 01:36:00 PM
I now have a set, & I quite like them.
The basics are simple, e.g. always D10s,
1= disaster  2-4= failure 5-9= success 10=outstanding success.
Most of the tests involve just one or at most two dice.
Sometimes (eg good quality troops) take the higher of the two,
other times just one dice, or if two, then the lower is taken.

My main gripe is one that seems to apply to many rule sets today.
No separate QRS! :'( :'( :'(
The book is unwieldy for game play, but as the reference sheets
are in the back of the book choices are limited:-
most options seem to involve destroying the expensive book
 & create my own QRS.

Any suggestions anyone? ??? ??? ???
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: Mark Plant on February 23, 2022, 04:47:34 AM
It would be quite quick to fix one up using tables in a word processor. Output as pdf.

I've done it before. https://pygmywars.com/rcw/gaming/rules/pygmywars_red_actions_qrs.pdf (https://pygmywars.com/rcw/gaming/rules/pygmywars_red_actions_qrs.pdf)
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: has.been on February 23, 2022, 09:27:42 AM
Good news from Caliver. about 'Beyond the Empire'

Quote
Hi chaps

we are putting together a pack with the card sheets, QRF sheet with the essentials, the Solo play rules and some extras

watch this space

 :D
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: Caliver Books on February 27, 2022, 10:55:17 AM
QRS; Cards sheets  ;Solo Rules and Mini Campaign pack now available for BEYOND THE EMPIRE

Also More that suitable for SETTING THE EAST ABLAZE
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: VonAkers on March 08, 2022, 12:18:01 AM
SJWi
Mate I may have said this before , and its an easy one ...Bolt Action
We make each unit a Company and have 12 to 15 figures in each one .
It works so very well, and is even suited to large Multiplayer games with tons of Figs , .
In addition it is a new and well known set of rules , a lot of people have played them ,so it may be a bit easier  to entice /  convert/ existing players to play BOB, rather then ask them to Learn a new rather "Niche " set of rules .
Imho Bolt Action Actually work far better for WW1 /BOB ,then for WW2 !!
You will need a few minor tweeks , ie we give Cav the ability to Countercharge ..( if charged) , and better riflemen may shoot as veterans , but not melee as them .
Hope this Helps
Cheers
Ps we changed a rule around for the Tachanka to
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: has.been on March 08, 2022, 10:21:37 AM
Quote
QRS; Cards sheets  ;Solo Rules and Mini Campaign pack now available for BEYOND THE EMPIRE

Mine arrived, & I am happy with them. Don't
have to vandalise my pretty rule book, plus
they are bigger than the pages in the rule book.
Easier for my old eyes to read.  :D
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: SJWi on March 08, 2022, 03:52:54 PM
has.been, I will be interested to see what you make of the rules. I planned to check them out at Hammerhead last Saturday COVID finally caught up with me after 2 years and I couldn't go. Bummer!
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: has.been on March 08, 2022, 06:10:33 PM
See this link for the game using Beyond the Empire.

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=131435.msg1724590#msg1724590

I liked the rules, not sure the others did.
It was great fun, but certainly random.
Part of that would have been me as umpire.
I'm darn sure I missed out things that would
have greatly reduced the randomness of it all.
I would play it again. As I've said I have already
ordered (& received) the 'support' pack. :)
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: SJWi on April 08, 2022, 05:16:07 AM
Morning all. We tried "Beyond the Empire" last Sunday.  A simple game set in early 1930s China loosely based on the insurrection of General Ma and the Russian Intervention.  A good excuse to get my Warlord Chinese and Civil War Red Army onto the table. We have invested in several sets of rules plus the separate card pack for ease of obtaining the QRS.

The game played well, but is obviously a beer and pretzels game, as so  many "pulp" sets of rules are. No obvious "defects" in the rules, but we found the QRS badly laid out and were constantly searching the rules for odd little bits and pieces. The units have "character traits", some are listed in a table and some buried in paragraphs of the rule set. A tad annoying.

We played with only six units per side and think this is about enough. I wondered if you could go much further in expanding numbers but my colleagues thought not. Maybe that's where "Setting the East Ablaze" takes over.

Overall we thought they were a worthwhile purchase but could have done with more editing!

If you want to see some photos and a game write up check out our "Black Wolf Wargames" blog!

Cheers.         

 
Title: Re: Best Back of Beyond Rules?
Post by: Johnno on April 09, 2022, 01:26:40 AM
A nice beer and pretzels game is October Hammer. It is a variant of Trench Hammer.