NMtB Ruckus? Where can I find it?

[Legiox217]

These are the issues of Wargames Illustrated that carry the Ruckus main rules and the various supplements.The game was originally published in May 2024 and given away with Issue 437

Wi437 - Main rules
Wi438 - Campaign rules
Wi441 - Mounted rules
Wi443 - Mercenaries and Specailist Retainers
Wi446- Peasants
Wi 450- Robin Hood

 There are a few more supplements such as the Irish Retinue and several scenarios available as Files inthe Ruckus FB group.

Very interesting how much is missing from the rules that are sold, such as the glaringly absent campaign. I understand these were post-release naturally, but I wonder if it will get the "Deluxe" Treatment when the dust settles...? Its a very neat looking game, having only flipped through it, but as a fan of smaller sized games, any ruleset that requires 50 or less figures per side piques my interest This one hovering around the single digit figure count makes it seem a no-brainer to try out for anyone with the time and a handful of figs Oh, and a copy of the rules... Although with how scattered they are, I'd bank on a compilation at some point (unless the interest or production slot just isn't there)

[Wilgut Spleens]

Actually, nothing is missing from the “rules as sold”, it is a complete game set in the Wars of the Roses and can be played as it is with no extras required. The challenge with producing the rules as free give away with Wargames Illustrated was that they had to be restricted to 32 pages as that is the largest document that can be attached to the magazine. This resulted in some creative editing and use of space and even then some details have to be accessed from the website. There was always going to have to be a compromise, and I think we made the best of it.

The idea behind publishing in this way was that folk who subscribe to the magazine would get a free set of rules that new supplements would be added to with subsequent issues, which is exactly what has happened. Regular players who subscribe to the magazine are delighted with the format.

The future will see the publication of the BIG book of Ruckus which should weigh in at 180-200 pp and may well be a compilation of the present material with revised Campaign rules as this is the easiest and cheapest option. However, all the printed material will only come to 70 or so pp and there is an awful lot of Ruckus that has not yet made it into print, the HYW supplement, the many various Retinues- the Irish, Spanish, German, Swiss, Hussites, the movie style Retinues, the Reivers, the Pirates, the Crusades. So, what will actually be produced is still very much up for debate.

One things for sure, Ruckus is not going away…

[Legiox217]

Hey Wilgut - Wow! Amazing clarification and summary to get me up to speed. Apologies if my post had come off as rude due to ignorance on the entire subject, and my wishful thinking towards Ruckus evolving into some sort of "Big Book" so to speak, like Billhooks Deluxe! I am glad my suspicions were correct Great news all around. I have my copy from Northstar along with NMtBD and tokens etc, so know the game is worth keeping an eye on.

The WI trickling out model is very neat indeed, even brilliant, it seems quite an engaging system to keep folks looking forward to more content for a game that they received for free. I imagine in the UK, where most serious wargamers have a subscription, this is quite a treat and something that keeps the community and small groups of friends going with the system, keeping the period interest and providing more excuses to get the figures out! I must be subconsciously jealous of this setup and blocked it from entering my mind   

Just knowing it is sticking around and only going to get better, with more content, is definitely a motivator to take a more serious look at the more fun and personal-sized painting batches I will continue to keep LARPing as a wargamer across the pond here with my magazine scraps  I may even be able to convince a non-period buddy to have a go at it.

Guess I need to grab a couple dozen Front Rank HYW now, just when I thought their entire WotR range had covered the bases

[Wilgut Spleens]

Yes, the Front Rank figures are perfect for skirmish games, characterful sculpts with animated poses!

Don’t worry I didn’t think you were being rude, and my intention is just to clarify the situation.  There is actually a new Ruckus project that we are working on now that I am not a liberty to say too much about, but I can tell you that it will be out before the end of this year and will be another 32 page stand alone game of Ruckus set in a different theatre. This is essentially a rewrite /release of the original game.

One of the challenges with working with Wi is that they are a surprisingly small company with limited resources and they always have to prioritise the magazine. This makes it difficult to set out a timetable and projects like Ruckus and Billhooks get worked on after the next issue is ready for press, so for a few frantic days at the end of each month we are all busy editing taking pics and discussing lay outs etc. My role is the easiest, I just have to write it!

[Legiox217]

I appreciate all the challenges involved in keeping the game going in such a manner, and its certainly an especially exciting on-going treat for all those involved! I'm sure a bunch of groups have rallied around these rules for some small personal encounters. It seems like this will likely be one of the few games I look to in the future for small scale skirmish - and I seriously hope to see a "Deluxe" edition compiled in however many years time. I can't find anything else that comes too close for my purposes. The size of the battles and scope of the overall game is something I take interest in. If the game can be scaled up just a bit, maybe to 20-30 figures, I think it would cover almost all my needs, as NMtBH and Lion Rampant for example are both great looking games, but a bit outside my painting limits for a both-sides collector. Of course this a specific personal requirement I have set on myself  and the long-term goal would be to achieve the figure counts required I've got my eye on Écorcheurs as well which seems like it may fit neatly into the gap (figure count wise) between those two games and this one.
Exciting stuff, keep up the great writing

[Wilgut Spleens]

Thank you , if you go to the FB group you will see that the latest "freebie" is the Robin Hood Supplement which features Retinues of 30 or so Characters. This lends a different aspect to the game but it works perfectly well