I have been digesting a few different rule sets trying to find one that will enable me to skirmish a few dozen minis, add in a few heroes and special characters, enable me to fight small Royalist vs Parliamentarian actions, or pit one of those forces against a baying pack of Wolves, a coven of witches, a group of revenants or indeed a collection of all manner of horrors…..and I have to say, I haven’t found one that will quite give me what I want 🤔
I really like the concept of Devilry Afoot, and I intent to try and get in a few games….but it’s really a tad too small for me and doesn’t cater for the straight forward skirmish element.
Same with silver bayonet, I feel. I tried it with the Fistful rules, but it didn’t feel right to me, a touch unwieldy with the numbers involved, and not a big fan of the activation sequencing.
I looked at pikeman’s Lament, but it doesn’t work for me and I have ordered Once upon a time in the West Country but I suspect they probably won’t work for me either….
However…..most of these DO have lots going for them that I do like. I like some of the random creature behaviour aspects found in some of them, I like some of the traits and skills found across a few of them, and many contain great lore, ideas for scenarios and story telling.
All is not lost. I have being playing a bit of Test of Honour of late, and I do enjoy the card based unit selection aspects, including the use of 3 figure multibases to simulate getting more minis on the table ( usually grunts) without having to activate each individual model and I do like the overall unit activation system.
I’m beginning to see a way forward here. Convert the basics of ToH…initially simply to represent the unit selections of the ECW. This could easily allow me to field 12 - 16 minis per side, especially if say you HAVE to ensure your force has a minimum of say three multi bases, a commander, a second, a “Character” etc. Sprinkle it all in period specific dust….this could then be played as a straight forward period game pitting brave Parliamentary troops against the papist malignants.
Then, i can start adding in the horrors…….to be continued