What to do with box of Rohan, box of orcs, box of barbs & bag of Victrix vikings

[Ozreth]

I am currently in a different country for at least another year and am not able to easily order figures. However, shops here do carry Games Workshop stuff and on occasion I can find Osprey and Hail Ceasar stuff.

I started dabbling in MESBG while here just because there was a friendly group playing it and I had more interest in that than the Old World. In the end, I gave up. I'm just not into the Games Workshop scene or the new figures they are coming out with for both games. I do enjoy older WHFB and MESGB rules though, as well as Battle Companies.

Anyways, I have a big box of mordor orcs and a big box of Rohan figures, as well as a bag of Vixtrix vikings that I brought here with me thinking I would paint them for some reason or another. Oh and I have a box of Frostgrave Female Barbarians (II) I also have a 4x4 and 4x6 mat and a handful of trees and a partner willing to play games with me.

Some thoughts are:

Paint up the vikings for Oathmark? Then see if I can source warhammer fantasy or Osprey figures locally for the opposing force.
Convert the middle earth figures to square bases for Oathmark?
Middle-Earth Dragon Rampart?
Middle-Earth Midgard? I would need to source quite a few more figures for this I think. Unsure I could find more Perry Rohan locally.
Viking vs barbarian warband for Sellswords and Spellslingers?
I don't know anything about ASoBaH but maybe that's an option.

Anyways, just looking for some inspiration. I don't have much to work with an want to get the most out of what I have and can find. Of the skirmish games listed, which work well with square bases? I have a preference for square but it seems that unless I do Oathmark I would be better off leaving the Middle-Earth figures on round bases.

EDIT: I also have a LOT of monsters with me, as I packed a big tackle box of pre-painted D&D figures I collected in the early 00's for RPGs.

[Pattus Magnus]

Regarding the circular bases, you can keep the figures on them and still play Oathmark, just make movement trays that have take 5 circle bases with their edges touching - a 25mm circle is the same width as a 25mm square. A simple rectangular tray will work fine, no need to cut circles out. That’s what I have done, and found no problems playing against square based armies.

[Rossco2]

Dragon Rampant doesn't matter if the bases are squares or rounds, so use what you already have with no rebasing needed! The 4x4 mat plus trees will be fine for the game.

From your figures you probably have playable Dragon Rampant Viking/Barbarian, Rohan/Saxon/Goth and Orc forces. Maybe add a monster or two for variety if you find something available: a local trinket or knick-knack store may be of help with that.

[mikedemana]

The Rampant series of games is great for multiplayer games with more than one command on a side. Sellswords is awesome for solo play. You won't need many player characters for Sellswords, but it doesn't hurt to have a lot of the foes they'll be fighting. Your heroes will wade through the enemy and cut them down quickly. I guess it depends on what type of games you'll be doing.

Mike Demana

[Ozreth]

Oh I should have mentioned, I ALSO brought with me a big box of pre-painted D&D figures from the early 00's that I use for RPGs, so I have a LOT of monsters.

[fred]

I don't think that for any skirmish games square vs round bases really matters. Even base size probably isn't hugely significant.

Dragon Rampant feels a better fit for the number and mix of figures you have. If you build up bigger forces then Oathmark or Midguard may be options - both work with sabot bases.

Going smaller SoBH is a good shout for skirmish games with 5-10 figures a side.

Fistful of Lead (FFoL) despite the name has a good fantasy variant available - but it is much the same side as SoBH - it tends to be a bit more chaotic and Hollywood is style. FFoL is great for multiplayer games.

I think you have some good options to get in some small scale battles and lots of variety for skirmishes.

[Mikai]

If you feel for skirmish you could also try with the Ravenfeast ruleset. My brothers and I gave it a Middle-earth setting with some houserules:
http://www.ravenfeast.com/
Number of figures should be fine for that. Although you have already plenty of other various skirmish rules at hand. We started all at MESBG but went away from their rulesets (even if not all of us from their miniature line).

Do you have the old Rohirrim set or a new one? The newer ones are slightly bigger iirc and should go well alongside the Victrix sets. So also a few more kitbashing options

For the Middle-earth feeling you can go with various setups. Classic Rohan-Orc confrontation (Orcs have been present in the White Mountains until the Rohirrim hunted them all down, one king of Rohan got killed by them), Rohan-Dunlending clash (with Vikings filling the latter spot), Rhovanion-Orc meetup at the Anduin region between Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains (with Rohan and Vikings filling the spot for Rhovanion) or a set up at the First Age with the people of Haleth and their stand against the Orcs, giving you the chance to bring the female barbarians into game at the good side (if you proxy them for Haleth and her female Guard).

[ced1106]

Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes. Warbuilder lets you design your own units. Very good if you have miniatures from different game lines.

Only thing I don't recommend is its "meh" spells system. However, it doesn't look like your mini's involve spellcasters.

Warbuilder : https://www.ganeshagames.net/army_builders/ASOBHbuilder.html
Solo Rules : https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/73730/sbh-solo
Deep Dark Dungeons (more solo) : https://deepdarkdungeons.blogspot.com/2014/03/deep-dark-dungeons-dungeon-crawl-rules.html

[Kikuchiyo]

If you are planning solo I'd recommend trying one of these

 sellswords and spellslingers, Rangers of Shadow deep or League of dungeoneers

[Sunjester]

I go for ME Midgard, you do not have to cram 8 minis onto a base, you could spread out 5 or 6. My Midgard armies are or sabot bases, or just blue-tacked onto the base, then I can still use the minis for skirmish games like Lion/Dragon Rampant and Sellswords and Spellslingers.

[Ozreth]

I go for ME Midgard, you do not have to cram 8 minis onto a base, you could spread out 5 or 6. My Midgard armies are or sabot bases, or just blue-tacked onto the base, then I can still use the minis for skirmish games like Lion/Dragon Rampant and Sellswords and Spellslingers.

Can Midgard handle the tried and true square based rank and flank setup with movement trays a la WHFB? I've not seen anyone running it this way yet.

[LazyStudent]

Hej,
I'd highly recommend getting hold of a set of the SAGA rules and age of magic era book. It's agnostic for basing and gives great games. If you don't mind using figure proxies, you could also get the latest Age of Chivalry book. It gives a massive number of options and lots of variety for games.

[Mikai]

Hej,
I'd highly recommend getting old of a set of the SAGA rules and age of magic era book. It's agnostic for basing and gives great games. If you don't mind using figure proxies, you could also get the latest Age of Chivalry book. It gives a massive number of options and lots of variety for games.

I wondered if I always need a wizard at the Age of Magic era or not? Would I have a disadvantage by having none?

[LazyStudent]

Tbh, I have not played a HUGE number of AoM, and every game we have had magic users on both sides. But I can see there might be ways to play without one. If it is a friendly game, I would say why not trying it out. Also, to be clear, the magic user doesn't have to be a special wizard figure. I have used a few different figures to play the part, as long as both sides know who is who that is all that matters.

[Mikai]

I am more asking because I play with a Middle-earth setting and magic is rare there. In my opinion it ruins a bit the atmosphere if there is too much. That's why I wondered if a game is unbalanced if one side has a wizard (say Saruman or Gandalf or the Witchking) and the other doesn't.