What set of rules has really blown your mind?

[Vermis]

It certainly didn't stop me playing anything else, but Epic: Armageddon showed me the world didn't have to be 40K.

[redzed]

Not wishing to appear like a miserable old moaner but it would be nice if people could refrain from using acronyms & abbreviations when discussing rules. I'm still looking for that 'mind blowing' set but it's a bit of a pain trying to work out what the heck 'IABSM' etc. is in the first place 

  I Aint Been Shot Mum by The Too Fat Lardies.

[Conquistador]

Just a thought tonight: is there a set of rules that has thoroughly blown your mind? Something so innovative and unique, you just stopped playing anything else?

Could be any period, any scale - any set of rules.

What did it and why?

Permanently?  No.

Games that have dominated my playing for periods of time?

Yes:

Air War C21 - Love aircraft, got the feel of 3D without all the crappy fiddly bits.

Dirtside II - the interaction of the weapons systems and designing battle forces to philosophy/theme

OD&D - FRPG back in the the days of innocence over libraries of books

Currently the THW (Two Hour Wargames, see it is easy to introduce acronyms) suite of games, especially the latest ones.

Gracias,

Glenn

[Conquistador]

<snip>
I have come to the conclusion that its not what you game its who you play with ...

Ultimately it always comes down to this...

Gracias,

Glenn

[Mr. Peabody]

Chain of Command and Savage Worlds; two games that have really impressed me with their design, mechanics and playability.

I was tempted to start listing my favourite games... But reason prevails.

[YPU]

RPG wise, FATE really has my heart and its one of those systems that transfers so well to all genres and settings. Actually the current edition has a few pages on using the system for wargamming quick loosely with the rules and it looks pretty interesting.

[grant]

A few common themes!

For me it is Wings of War/Glory.

Nothing has been that exciting for me before or after. Still looking for a game that does it simply and with flair for WW2 especially. Bolt Action is good, Flames of War was just OK. Warhammer ... great when I started, hated it at the end.

It's also so true that who you game with is just as important. !!

[Diakon]

I have come to the conclusion that its not what you game its who you play with ...

This is the most important point by a long way. For example, I am fed up with WH40k (due to bad/lazy design, boring IGOUGO etc. etc.) but I still play it because some friends do. If I didn't play it I wouldn't have many people to play against. Despite this, there are a couple of my opponents who I always have a blast playing with. Even 40k.  (As a compromise I got them to play a game of IHMN and they really enjoyed it and want to play it again)

[H.M.Stanley]

I keep hearing good things about Chain of Command.

I'll have to give them a look as my crowd have gone right off you-know-what

[shadowking1957]

FOW works but id say IHMN is one game i really do enjoy alot and its fun

[Mad Doc Morris]

Having never played wargames before, Warhammer Fantasy (6th installment) "blew my mind". Colourful high-fantasy background, nicely detailed rules for massed battles. Would still love to play it but lost opponents to the several updates since then.

Next were the Rattrap systems (Gloire in particular) which enabled us to play all those cinematic actions from our favourite books, movies or TV series. The hyper-detailed RPG elements were new to me and have never failed to deliver an exciting narrative. Still playing, still enjoying.

Too Fat Lardies were the last to "blow my mind". Never fully got to grips with their rules - until I played my first game. It's a bit of an exercise (for me) but that's mainly due to TFL's different approach to wargaming. Chain of Command is said to be their best game yet - tried it but, to be honest, Sharp Practice still got to be my favourite.

[discok3]

As has been said the IGOUGO system is on the wane and I for one can and do rejoice in beautiful skirmish gems like Freebooters Fate and Dead Mans Hand,both of which allow plenty of variety in alternation and a ton of laughs thrown in.

[robh]

Impetvs; best thing to have happened for Anc/Med/Ren and Fantasy big battle wargaming. Great game mechanics, is fun and with the diorama basing looks superb.

[pauld]

Pulp Alley for me

... it's small scale and wraps a lot of things up into a small package and made painting enjoyable again rather than a chore ( no "What, only 130 more men to finish before I can play the game" or "I will play this game one day when I get everything painted")

and I have only played 3 games so far but Chain of Command has enthused me too

both have what I consider to be fresh mechanics - simple but challenging and more importantly fun

[FramFramson]

Pulp Alley here too. Simple, low requirements (as few as 3 figures!), extremely easy to learn, fast placed, plenty of depth and looks to be loads of fun.