Fantasy Skirmish Rules

[blackstone]

Yeah songs works well solo and is cheap so maybe give it a go.

Yeah there seems to be missing some good fantasy rules somewhere between SBH on the one hand, which is great for quick exciting games and AD&D which can get overly complex

yeah agreed. I'd argue that songs can only handle low lvl creatures/humans. It just doesn't have the range of d&d but for a skirmish game do you need that range?

[dijit]

I wonder if there is a technical term for a dice fetishist? 

Polyhephiliac?

[thebinmann]

Might be a ruleset that requires different dice here:

http://www.freewargamesrules.co.uk/index.php?page=fantasy

I wonder if there is a technical term for a dice fetishist? 

Probably but I like loser or geek, or if it's late an I'm drunk leeker

[thebinmann]

Yeah songs works well solo and is cheap so maybe give it a go.
yeah agreed. I'd argue that songs can only handle low lvl creatures/humans. It just doesn't have the range of d&d but for a skirmish game do you need that range?

I remember asking the guy from blackhat and he suggested Songs, perhaps an expansion would do the trick?

[thebinmann]

Even time I go to a link I find great stuff, figures or rules and my life gets shorter, my wife is going to kill me...

[rob_alderman]

Same, I just bought loads of old ALternative Armies fantasy models, my GF was fine with that but when I said I wanted to buy the rules to play with them... Oooooh no. No no no no no. 

[blacksmith]

Nobody has named yet Warrior Heroes Armies & Adventures from Two Hour Wargames, which for me are the best in skirmish fantasy so far.
You can see many BATREPs in my blog:
http://javieratwar.blogspot.com/search/label/Campaign.%20Warrior%20Heroes%20Armies%20and%20Adventurers
http://javieratwar.blogspot.com/search/label/Battle%20Reports.%20Warrior%20Heroes%20Armies%20and%20Adventurers
Cheers,

[rob_alderman]

That system looks very interesting, I love your 10mm models. Very well done.

[thebinmann]

That system looks very interesting, I love your 10mm models. Very well done.

Me too, it inspired me to redo my orcs drfit, followed by McDeath and Lichmmaster in 10mm but not with WFB which I dislike, I was thinking of battlesystem (the dice the dice!)

[ogryn]

Take a look at Reapers Warlord 2nd. It is far better the the first edition and it is streamlined.
Well worth the look. Many armies and monsters. It does not have a stat maker but there are enough monsters and troopers with heros that should cover almost anything.
There is an expansion coming that adds more races and a campaign system i think.

I am also fond of the old Bladestorm rules from ICE if you can find them floating around.(more of a pet project)
But for something more  modern i would go with Warlord.
It is about the best fantasy skirmish i have found, and i look around a lot.
I have Ares(its ok), Broadsword, not fond on THW rules at all, Mordheim is great but to heavy campaign dependent, Bladestorm, AD&D skirmishes (several versions over the years), have been looking into Fantasy goalsystem(to lazy to download), War Engine is ok(not really fantasy but works), Song of something something is to basic, simple & abstract, Lotr is good for mid sized skirmishes also(it is really easy to modify and GW players understand it well), Confrontation is also mid level(new rules are not bad), Straight up Warhammer Fantasy used as skirmsish works ok also for GW players. This is about all i can think of.
I would still fall back on Warlord for skirmish games though, it flows nicely.

I am also working on converting Iron Ivans rules to Fantasy, but not really a skirmish. Will end up as small battles with lots of troops.

Hope that helps

[YPU]

Hm hm, if you like using all sorts of dice you should look at savage worlds showdown! Its free from their website, has a integral troop builder, and different type of dice is at the foundation of the system, in fact it’s how abilities are statted. 

[Wolf 359]

I wonder if there is a technical term for a dice fetishist? 

"Polyhedralaholic"?

[rob_alderman]

I picked up SOBAH, Wind and Water and Gold and Darkness.
They are all great publications. Bits of it, oddly, remind me of HOTT! 

But yeah, I can't wait to give it a go. I'm going to paint up some of my old GW stuff with my girlfriend and the AA stuff I bought to give it a go. I also bought some 3d dungeons at a show recently which I am going to repaint and try them out! 

[Alfrik]

Some thoughts in general;

First there is the defenition of SKIRMISH. Are you wanting 20 or less figures per side for your actions? Much larger and you end up organizing them into units and such, which then leads to battle plans and such, moving right out of Skirmish I my humble opinion. Skirmish level games should have some stats on most all the principle characters and Monsters. Why else get down to a low number of figures per side. Let Olaf have that + to missile fire etc. I still occasionally play Chainmail rules from TSR. Options of size of dice, I have to agree that using only a d6 for results rolls is way limiting to a game, but makes each roll very decisive. Might I suggest that should you find a good set that meets your criteria in general but lacks the dice assortment, simply take the bull by the horns and expand the results table to the size dice you want?  House rules as it were. Possibly with the exception of Tournament Games held by some group, and even then they have their Question and Answer Clarifications sheets, everyone eventually adds their own rules interpetations or changes along the way anyways, so simply sit down and after reading thru, add what you want and away you go!

Just my 2 cents worth.

[pauld]

I have just purchased the Reaper Warlord Rules (1st edition) cheaply on eBay and they should be half way across the Atlantic by now.

Scouting the Reaper site got me the updates necessary to the 2nd edition.

They look interesting but only use D10's.  In HtH both sides attack at the same time (which always makes sense to me) and Magic looks simple but not overpowering as spells are limited by casting ability and a finite amount of casting power.

Also stats diminish as your chaps take wounds - and quite right too.

So I am looking forward to this

The Reaper site has a quick rules download if you want to have a look at the mechanics.