Muskets & Tomahawks for pre-contact (North American) Indigenous warfare?

[WuZhuiQiu]

I already have a copy of Flint & Feather, which seems ideal for very small skirmishes, but am wondering how useable Muskets & Tomahawks might be for larger pre-contact (North American) Indigenous battles? What are some other options? Thanks!

[zippyfusenet]

I've played M&T, but never thought of it for pre-contact warfare between Indian tribes. Do you have a particular setting in mind? Mississippians? Puebloans? Iroquois vs. Iroquois?

One major element of M&T is the different troop types, and the mechanic that different troop types activate by card draw. In pre-contact tribal warfare, wouldn't all the troops be Indians? That would dull the game down a lot. Would you differentiate Indians into different troop types?

One option for bigger battles between Indian tribes would be Paymaster Games Going Native: Warpath rules. I've played a few games of it, and the rules work. You may or may not like the way the rules focus on the war chief as a personality:

https://www.paymastergames.com/product-page/going-native-warpath-rule-book

[v_lazy_dragon]

Tribal might work for precontact? It's larger numbers than F&F, but not by much :-/

[Bogdanwaz]

Flint and Feather from Crucible Crush Games is designed for pre-contact conflict in the Eastern Woodlands:

https://www.cruciblecrush.com/flint-feather/

[frank xerox]

I would second the vote for Tribal

[Szary]

Adding to what others said:

1. Song of Drums and Tomahawks series, including main book and two companion books - Pequot War and Beaver Wars have plenty of material for smaller skirmishes between Indian tribes. They are all based on Songs of Blades and Heroes, so cutting out settlers should not be an issue that makes game bland or forces too uniform. In fact, such a premise is a basis for Beaver Wars expansion, albeit based on post-contact impact of firearms trade on Native tribes.

Pequot War scenario book, if I recall correctly, gives some special rules and equipment choices to turn the dial back to early warfare, with wooden armour and such other things that were done away with in latter centuries.

Still, it's a small skirmish system and may become cumbersome with more than a dozen miniatures a side, so not really what you are looking for. The answer may be jurry-rigging one of the large battle companions to SOBAH engine, like Forged in Blood, used for company level battles of late renaissance.


2. 1676 with Mad Dogs and Englishmen expansion are a worthwhile read, and PWYW at that, so you may read them before committing a penny towards them. They allow you to field larger forces and allow for some leeway in Indian army list compositions. It's 50 - 100 miniatures a side if I recall correctly. Still, after cutting out firearms, it may be hard to make it all that interesting.