Rules list for Pike and Shot era games

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

I’ve discovered another defunct set, Husaria, for Eastern Europe, published by the Pike and Shot Society in 2003, but not currently listed among their publications for sale. The BGG entry includes a fairly detailed first impression based on a reading of the rules.

[SteveBurt]

Great list.
one set I didn’t see on it was ‘Warfare in the Age of Discovery’”
There are also a couple of more obscure sets:
“Discovering English Civil War wargaming” (Shire)
And the Shire diceless wargame rules which cover ECW.
Piquet: Field Of Battle also goes back as far as ECW (and is a very good set for solo game)

[Friends of General Haig]

I may be somewhat pushing the envelope of what ought to be included in a directory of rules for the period by bringing up two sets of which I know almost nothing (though I own, or did own, one of them) but they share an interesting characteristic in their titles being taken from poems by the Marquess of Montrose. One is by Neil Danskin, author of the Lion of the North set of 30 YW rules that appears to be untraceable. (It dates from the early 90’s and I have a copy somewhere). His other set is aimed specifically at Montrose’s campaigns and goes by the delightful name Then Place My Parboiled Head Upon a Stake, from the poem he wrote the night before his execution. It is listed on BGG but with no other information.

Bizarrely, I can give even less information on the other set, as I’ve forgotten the title, which seems strong grounds for disqualification. I remember only that it also had a striking - though clearly not memorable - name, which also came from a poem by Montrose. I’m reasonably sure that the author was based in Scotland but beyond that, and that it was most likely also published in the early 1990’s, I’m drawing a blank. In spite of the name, I don’t think it was focused on Montrose’s campaigns. I’ll try to do a bit of research on his poetry and something may jar my memory.

Edit: There seem to be only 13 surviving poems by Montrose and, while I am yet to read them all, I have located the one which from which the title of the mysterious ECW rules was taken. The poem, To His Mistress, or at any rate one verse of it, is in fact quite famous, having been quoted by Montgomery on the eve of D-Day, but the concluding line is the one with which we are concerned here: “To win or lose it all”. This, I am reasonably sure, is the title of the rules, though whether this is sufficient to qualify  them for inclusion in the directory is another matter.

Thanks for more fabulous information!  Fascinating that Neil Danskin wrote two sets of rules about Montrose, both titled after his poetry.  Do you remember if there were any key differences between the two sets?  I will certainly look out for them on the second hand market, and add them to the list in the next update.  (Mike Siggins has also mentioned 'Parboiled Head' and added a reference on the BGG site.)

[Friends of General Haig]

I would suggest different thing. Change (or better yet make supporting list)  of grouping, or categorization to present those In print, and popular in the beginning, and those with only historical interest (or  of sentimental value) later in the list somehow

To make it more useful for someone looking at options.

That is an excellent suggestion AWu.  It would be nice to be able to tag each rule set to allow all sorts of filtering, as you suggest.  I will look into it but it require a level of web design beyond the time I have to invest in the list.

[Friends of General Haig]

Great list.
one set I didn’t see on it was ‘Warfare in the Age of Discovery’”
There are also a couple of more obscure sets:
“Discovering English Civil War wargaming” (Shire)
And the Shire diceless wargame rules which cover ECW.
Piquet: Field Of Battle also goes back as far as ECW (and is a very good set for solo game)

Many thanks, Steve!  I will add those to the list on the next update.

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

Thanks for more fabulous information!  Fascinating that Neil Danskin wrote two sets of rules about Montrose, both titled after his poetry.  Do you remember if there were any key differences between the two sets?  I will certainly look out for them on the second hand market, and add them to the list in the next update.  (Mike Siggins has also mentioned 'Parboiled Head' and added a reference on the BGG site.)

I’m glad that the info is of interest but I may have caused some confusion regarding the rules I’ve mentioned, not helped by the gaps in my memory. The two sets that take their names from lines of Montrose’s poetry are not by the same author, and only one is designed around Montrose’s campaigns. (This is Parboiled Head, by Neil Danskin, which unfortunately I have not seen. I read about it on a blog a few years ago, but don’t remember whose. It may have been Mike Siggins’ but I can’t say for sure). The set that I tentatively suggest is called To Win or Lose It All - the verse from which that line is taken definitely appears as an epigraph within the rule book - is a general ECW set. I haven’t seen my copy in a long time, though I believe I still have it,  and don’t remember the author’s name, though I bought it from him directly. (He asked me for feedback, which, sadly, I didn’t provide as I never played a game).

The other set by Neil Danskin, which I do own - but, again, have not seen recently - is Lion of the North, for the Thirty Years War. Having read it long ago, all I remember is that it is element-based, and contains some interesting notes about the commanders. (One which stuck in my mind is that Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar, in the author’s opinion, was superior to Gustav Adolf).

Unfortunately I have no idea whether I will ever locate my copies of Lion of the North or the ECW set, though I live in hope and, should I do so, will read them again and post any information that may be of interest. Similarly if I am lucky enough to acquire or even view a copy of Parboiled Head.

[Friends of General Haig]

I’m glad that the info is of interest but I may have caused some confusion regarding the rules I’ve mentioned, not helped by the gaps in my memory. The two sets that take their names from lines of Montrose’s poetry are not by the same author, and only one is designed around Montrose’s campaigns. (This is Parboiled Head, by Neil Danskin, which unfortunately I have not seen. I read about it on a blog a few years ago, but don’t remember whose. It may have been Mike Siggins’ but I can’t say for sure). The set that I tentatively suggest is called To Win or Lose It All - the verse from which that line is taken definitely appears as an epigraph within the rule book - is a general ECW set. I haven’t seen my copy in a long time, though I believe I still have it,  and don’t remember the author’s name, though I bought it from him directly. (He asked me for feedback, which, sadly, I didn’t provide as I never played a game).

The other set by Neil Danskin, which I do own - but, again, have not seen recently - is Lion of the North, for the Thirty Years War. Having read it long ago, all I remember is that it is element-based, and contains some interesting notes about the commanders. (One which stuck in my mind is that Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar, in the author’s opinion, was superior to Gustav Adolf).

Unfortunately I have no idea whether I will ever locate my copies of Lion of the North or the ECW set, though I live in hope and, should I do so, will read them again and post any information that may be of interest. Similarly if I am lucky enough to acquire or even view a copy of Parboiled Head.

Thanks for the clarification - duly noted 

[Khusru2]

Out of print now, unlikely to be reprinted.

You can still buy them on eBay from the author's widow. I bought a copy a few months ago

[vodkafan]

My pal gave me a set to look at before Christmas:
With Musket, Pike and Drum by Chris Swan (Partizan Press) They look pretty good to me although have not played them as yet.

[Friends of General Haig]

You can still buy them on eBay from the author's widow. I bought a copy a few months ago

Thanks for the info - I will include in the next update.  Very sad to hear about Tom or John.

[Friends of General Haig]

My pal gave me a set to look at before Christmas:
With Musket, Pike and Drum by Chris Swan (Partizan Press) They look pretty good to me although have not played them as yet.

Thanks, VodkaFan.  I have that set in the list  .

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

For anyone who doesn’t suffer from it,  people with OCD can be useful and / or annoying to different degrees. Anyone who falls in the latter camp may be well advised to avoid reading the remainder of this post, which is the result of a not untypical episode following another scan of the list on the blog.

Firstly, two of the links to downloadable rules are dead, these being for Michael Peters’ Lion of the North and Clarence Harrison’s Victory Without Quarter. In the case of the former, while a search at the Free Warfare Rules wiki brings up the rules and two supplements, these are impossible to download, as comments by frustrated users make clear.

More positively, having just scanned Caliver Books’s catalogue of rules and games for the Pike and Shot period, I have discovered six currently available sets that have not yet been mentioned, and may well have missed others. These are:

A Crowning Mercy by David Bickley, confusingly listed twice at different prices;

About Cromwell by Dirk Donvil, said to be aimed at games with 40 mm - 54 mm (or larger) figures;

Anchor of Faith (Piquet supplement, author not named);

Pike Hack: The Road to Dunbar (author not named), a mass battle set;

Play the Thirty Years War by Luca Stefano Cristini & Gianpaolo Bistulfi, part of a series of books called Paper Battles & Dioramas);

To the Banners: Rules for Renaissance Warfare by Stephen Danes.

There are, in addition, a number of sets for swashbuckling and pirate-themed games, and at least one supernatural skirmish set (Witchin’ Hour, no author named).

I hope this is of some interest and that anyone who has experience of reading or playing any of these rules will comment on them.

[Radar]

Victory Without Quarter can be downloaded via the Facebook group of the same name.

Don't forget Witchfinder General rules (if you are casting the net further into supernatural C17th)

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

Could you provide a link to the download please, Radar? I downloaded VWQ years ago but can’t find the file now. I’m not on FB and there seem to be quite a few people called Clarence Harrison so it could be a lengthy search.

[nicknorthstar]

Thanks for the info - I will include in the next update.  Very sad to hear about Tom or John.

This is weird. The authors are not dead, both are well, and the EBay posts say 'Wife of Author' today. What is going on 
The Principles of War authors have a Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4535715483123620