Rules list for Pike and Shot era games

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

That seems wise. I joined the ReG forum earlier and asked about this. To date there have been six views and no replies, which is not encouraging.

I have discovered that packs of cards are available from the Plastic Soldier Company for £6.99. (One is required per player). It says that they are equally suitable for MeG and ReG. No dice are shown, though you can get a nice purple draw-string bag with the MeG logo. They no longer seem to sell the MeG rules as the compendium edition is apparently sold out. I think - based on a blog post from 2022 - that the rules may now be available in PDF and / or POD form but I don’t know where from, as someone appears to have thought it a good idea to make finding key information difficult.

[SJWi]

Thanks. I too looked at the PSC site and found the cards, but don't know if they are for ReG v1 or v2 or both? I guess PSC won't mention V2 as they are nothing to do with it.  Caliver also sell ReG v2 but their website makes no mention of needing either additional dice or cards which is either ignorant of the situation of a bit naughty. Helion are on the traders list for the Hammerhead show in Newark on March 2nd so I might wait until (a) I can see them in the flesh and (b) talk to someone face-to-face.  Also, they quite often have "show special" discounts.   

[Friends of General Haig]

A very useful list of rules, I have tried quite a few of them.
A quick question about the Warlord Pike and Shotte rules. I have a copy of the 28mm rules and am wondering if the new Epic scale rules vary from them at all. I am particularly interested to know if a Pike and Shotte unit is treated differently. In the 28mm rules, if I am remembering this correctly, the main body of Pike and the two sleeves of shotte accumulate stamina separately, in Epic are they treated as one unit. I am hoping so as this should speed play up allowing for more units on the table?

Hi Bodvoc, to confirm what Radar has already said, the Epic version of the P&S rules are essentially the same as the regular set.  The Epic set assumes you will fight foot units of pike and shot as single game units.  The main rules allow you to do this as well, it is just different sets of factors, but it covers both approaches.   Also, in the Epic version, the army lists and scenarios are focused on TYW and ECW rather than on the whole 1500-1700 period.  Otherwise no difference in the actual rules. The Epic version of the rules are in a handy A5 softback edition.

[Friends of General Haig]

@SJWi and @Cholmondely Percival IV

I am sort of relieved that you both had the same confusion I did.   I have gone ahead and ordered the rules and army lists, but it was quite difficult to track down if the cards and special dice were prerequisites to being able to play, and it seems they are.  Special dice etc. can be a concern, especially when I would be introducing the rules in a club environment in which I would need to bring all of the ‘game bits’ and it can make multiplayer games more awkward. 

I imagine it is a similar headache to get cards printed and dice made, so perhaps there will be a restock in the near future.

I would be interested if anyone comes across a vendor selling both cards and dice  .

[SJWi]

General Haig, I think what I find disappointing is that nowhere does it actually say up front that you need these. I would almost say it is being "economical with the truth" .  Other vendors such as Two Fat Lardies, some of whose games need cards and chits, are totally transparent about what you need to play the game and the "all-up"price.  The fact that you can't seem to buy the damn things adds insult to injury! 

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

I have just seen this reply to my query on the ReG forum:

>>>

Re: Dice, cards & tokens
« Reply #1 on: Today at 10:56:04 AM »
Quote
Hi , the dice & cards etc are available from CCC games too.

dice

We are just waiting for the stock to arrive at the new premises (which should be soon) , and then they will go up for sale

I will make the link on the REG website clearer!

thanks
Simon

<<<

The above link to CCC does not work though it did in Simon’s reply:

https://ccc-games.co.uk/product-category/ccc-games/

This is the site from which the obscure army lists can be bought. I did not see the game accessories when I visited it yesterday, which isn’t to say they weren’t there…

At any rate, all appears finally to be clear, at least with regard to ReG. I’ve asked for a clarification on the current availability of MeG.

[SJWi]

Thanks for running this to ground. I still find it a tad disingenous that Helion, the publishers of v2, don't make the fact that you need to buy dice and cards from someone else to have a workable set of rules 100% obvious on the part of the website actually selling the rules. Scrabbling round trying to find links to a forum just doesn't hack it for me. I would almost say a case of "Sharp Practice"!     

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

I agree. Sub-optimal marketing, without question. I suppose they might argue that the official dice and cards aren’t essential, which is technically true as one can make one’s own, at least in the case of the cards / tokens, and make mental conversions when using ordinary dice but that’s hardly ideal as it adds a barrier to the quick and intuitive game play that is one of the system’s selling points.

FWIW I also think that the book, given its size, ought to be in hard cover, as MeG was, but that would bring it to £40 + which they no doubt think people would balk at. I imagine there was a fair amount of debate over these issues but the handling certainly leaves something to be desired.

[SJWi]

I've dropped Helion an e-mail on the matter so will see what they say. As regards the matter of hardback vs paperback I think most Helions are paperback including all the other titles in this series.

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

Yes, I understand their wargame rules are all in paperback, which wouldn’t normally be a concern. ReG is 238 pages long, however, and in my view this really calls for hard covers. In play or simply reading it’s going to get a lot of wear and flimsy covers aren’t going to withstand this.

[Friends of General Haig]

Thanks @CPIV for the update - good to know that the ‘do-hickeys’ are in process.

My copies arrived via postie drop this morning.  They are big tomes - size of the Warlord rule books / lists, but in soft covers.  From a quick flip through they are excellent looking books with some nice Helion illustrations throughout.  Lots of diagrams.  Every para is numbered which makes me nervous, but could be useful. 

Lists look very thorough with lots of nice ideas on troops types (don’t think I’ll be playing any point based games - but good to get ideas on troop types etc.)

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

A final word to point out that I’ve had a further reply from Simon and posted his information re MeG on the ancients forum.

Also it may be worth a reminder that, pace the bulk of recent posts, this particular thread isn’t specifically about ReG and, as the saying goes, other pike and shot rules are available. There are certainly some I still want.

[SJWi]

Good point. My initial interest in Helion was for their othe17th centuty set. I seem to have been hijacked by ReG.

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

Me too. New Kid on the Block Syndrome, exacerbated by the mystery of how to acquire the accessories, now thankfully resolved. Perhaps there will be a similar frenzy over TFL’s In the Buff when it is eventually released, under whatever name.

Incidentally, might I suggest that this topic warrants sticky status?

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

Back again, and not about ReG this time. As no-one else has, I’ve taken it upon myself to announce that Furioso English Civil War is now available in print and PDF form from Alternative Armies, with bundles of rules and armies for those who want them.