using alternative rules with Horde-machine (Privateer Press) figures

[Bloggard]

I've not played warmachine hordes before but am familiar with the eclectic looking miniature ranges. I see no reason why you can't take the traits you like from the relevant FfoL books to cover the particular aspect of a troop type or unit?

quite so Elk, hence my posting here - was just hoping that someone might have done the leg-work for me and bestow the benefits of their wisdom accordingly 

[Hobgoblin]

thanks HG - I know of that set of rules but never picked up a copy.

sounds interesting - not clear how it would deal with the steam-punky / sci-fi elements of warmahordes ?

I think that you'd be able to create effects fairly easily with various powers and disabilities - and you could always tack some on from Andrea's other rulesets if need be.

BTW - in perusing threads tangentially connected to this topic, I know you're a fan (?) of Rogue Planet.
That's a set of rules which has been suggested as suitable for use with the figures in question - and I consequently bought the pdf package from WV.

I have to admit to finding it a bit double-dutch as things stand!
Certainly find the 'no measuring' thing a bit of culture-shock ... old frt that I am... tbh, I'm similarly ill-disposed towards (playing) card activation etc (FFoL), in terms of a knee-jerk reaction!

Now, here I'm on firmer ground! Yes, Rogue Planet might be the very thing for this, given its emphasis on picking up things and people and chucking them about - and on huge machines and monsters ramming into each other.

I'd say that all of Brent's rules have a certain culture-shock factor at first. But all of them play very smoothly once you get them on the table. We've been playing The Battlefield quite a bit, and it's one of the smoothest and most intuitive games going - you just have to jump in. Rogue Planet's much the same.

You do need to make sure that your table is broken up with lots of barriers and distinct areas of terrain, but that can be done easily enough. And then the limitless movement works just fine.

The collective hit points ("energy"?) are another head-scratcher on the page but really intuitive once the game gets going.

Also, the pawn system for heroes is brilliant. It's a really good excuse for getting all sorts of interesting miniatures on the table, and it allows damage to the heroes to work in interesting ways.

So yes! I'd go for that - it's the best science-fantasy game out there.

[Bloggard]

I think that you'd be able to create effects fairly easily with various powers and disabilities - and you could always tack some on from Andrea's other rulesets if need be.

Now, here I'm on firmer ground! Yes, Rogue Planet might be the very thing for this, given its emphasis on picking up things and people and chucking them about - and on huge machines and monsters ramming into each other.

I'd say that all of Brent's rules have a certain culture-shock factor at first. But all of them play very smoothly once you get them on the table. We've been playing The Battlefield quite a bit, and it's one of the smoothest and most intuitive games going - you just have to jump in. Rogue Planet's much the same.

So yes! I'd go for that - it's the best science-fantasy game out there.

interesting re: OGAM then ... hmm

and understood re: Rogue Planet: and as I've bought them, it would be daft not to try and puzzle them out I suppose.

[mellis1644]

I have looked into this myself - for skirmish games ( 2 to 15 figs per side). Interested in what you find.

I hope the new fantasy FFOL rules (I have them on pre-order) will allow for the creation of mixed and match level troops as one of the challenges I find with FFOL is that there is not a great way of balancing sides with different numbers of figs. It's a bit of an art to decide are say 'a caster and warjack pair' (so 2 very powerful figs) roughly the same level of power as what number of less powerful goons (bile thralls for example). No balancing system is perfect but I find the FFOL system works better when there are roughly the same number of figs per side.

I have started to look at the Pulp Ally system for skirmishing fantasy games. I still have to try it but it seems like that may work better for what I am looking for in using the Warmahorde (and Shadespire) figs. i.e. a narrative but still competitive skirmish game.

[Bloggard]

sounds interesting Mellis - thanks for the post.

Pulp Alley is one system I know nothing about - never had any of the figures either, which is unusual ... !

Are you going to post a thread here going into greater detail?

I would say that I'm after something that will work with more than the 15 figures you mention.

the more I think about it, the more it seems a bit daft not to give Brawlmachine (or a similar low-ish points approach) a go; I'm dismissing the offcial rules without really given them a decent run as things stand

[Hobgoblin]

Pulp Alley is another truly brilliant game, and it's very flexible. It does tend towards the small side (typically six to ten figures a player, from memory), but there's a mooks/goons rule that allows you to bulk out forces - and it works really well.

I had another look at Of Gods and Mortals. It could work well, although the games's symbioses are between the gods and mortals whereas, presumably, you'd want it to be between the 'god' (jack) and 'legend' (caster). Most of the powers could be reskinned as something steam-punky or technological with a name change.

I do think Rogue Planet is the perfect fit, though: it's an explicitly science-fantasy game, it's full of collisions and throws, and it's just so much fun!

[BaronVonJ]

I’d make the Warjacks Huge (6 hits, +2 on wounds), Soulless (no shock), Heavy Armor (6+ reduce damage), and Godlike (ignore modifiers for damage and ignores Out if Action to be a Wound instead). That’s about equal to 3 enemies.

[Bloggard]

great stuff HG and BaronVJ.

really appreciate your continuing to think through this and offer advice and even stats.

A lot for me to look at here and consider.

Have had a look at the Pulp Alley free rules - and probably not for me, one way and another. Don't doubt they're brilliant on their own terms.

I think I need to look a the official rules, and contrast them with Rogue Planet / FFol / and Saga AoM.
* I think OGaM is a bit too much in the free-styling dept. for me, from the sounds of it, and would mean another purchase too.
Some much needed brain exercise ahead!

[mellis1644]

sounds interesting Mellis - thanks for the post.

Pulp Alley is one system I know nothing about - never had any of the figures either, which is unusual ... !

Are you going to post a thread here going into greater detail?

I'm looking to do small scale pulp style games with the Warmahordes figs - so different than you. To me that fits more with the named characters/figs and the fantasy serial style games. For larger games Saga Age of Magic is what I thought to use.

I have got distracted with other projects though so have not made a huge amount of progress. Here is an example of a 'crew' based around the Cryx ‘The Witch Coven of Garlghast’ caster with a few extra supporting models.

https://mellis1644.wordpress.com/2016/10/31/witch-coven-of-garlghast-and-pulp-alley-stats/

[sir_shvantselot]

I’ve got a big Khador army and have really wondered what rules I could use as WM3 was too much brain burn and the resin figures
Became stupidly expensive. Have been waiting for some kind of Osprey agnostic rules set for steam punk where big walking machines have a central role like maybe Gamma Wolves. What about that Blaster game Sludge?

[fred]

Sludge is an interesting call - I think it would fit the aesthetic and general approach - but the current version is very much traditional renaissance to horse and musket units, so human infantry and cavalry. That is not to say you couldn’t add the walkers but there is nothing specific in the core rules to support them.

It is interesting to hear that Saga AoM is a good option - as that certainly has nothing specifically for walkers or war machines, but it does have large fantasy monsters, which are probably a reasonable template. The 6 factions in Saga AoM are pretty generic and allow you to fit your figures to the factions - but it does need some effort to understand the differences between the factions (units, battle boards and spells) to do that mapping.

The second edition of In Her Majesties Name has considerably expanded rules for walkers - and certainly has the steam punk background - but it is firmly a skirmish game with forces of 5-10 figures.

[Bloggard]

Mellis - good stuff. I can see how some of the figures could work very well with a 'Pulp' approach.
And I agree re: AoM. As memory serves; it probably is the easiest to use with larger number of figures / units, although not necessarily retaining the Warmahordes 'thing' (caster / jack / beast interaction).

Fred - I thought AoM did have a faction or two which allowed for large mechanical constructs? Again, by no means getting close to the relationship underpinning WmH, tho' - a lot of house rules necessary in that respect, I guess.

SirSh and Fred - don't know 'Sludge' at all - not clear that you're both talking about the same game, as 'blaster' doesn't sound horse and musket?

[fred]

Blaster is a magazine - sludge is a set of rules in the most recent issue - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/359671/BLASTER-Volume-3

[Bloggard]

ah, right. Thanks for clarifying Fred.

gosh - it's got a lot of good stuff in it.
Hadn't realised that was where 'Shadowgrave' was coming from 'officially' - thought it was just a coinage!

[mellis1644]

Another option would be OPR https://onepagerules.com/ - I know someone was looking at doing some warmahordes stats and it would be reasonability easy to go some generic stats but they would not be warcaster/jack thing again.