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Author Topic: Skirmish rules for Italian Wars/Anything 1500ish?  (Read 2433 times)

Offline Akbar

  • Student
  • Posts: 10
Skirmish rules for Italian Wars/Anything 1500ish?
« on: 19 February 2016, 07:56:48 AM »
Greetings fellow wargamers.

My gaming group is about to embark on a massive 28mm Italian Wars campaign, using FoG Renaissance. While preparing for this, we have felt the urge to run a fast-played skirmish campaign on the side, so as not to get bogged down running nothing but massive scale battles in 6-10h sessions. Ideally, a game should take 3h max.

It would be nice if such a system could add depth to the greater campaign, like skirmishing for positions in the run-up to the battle of Pavia or raids on the French baggage train by Italian light cavalry, but it could also be streetfighting by small groups of Condottieri or Conquistadors with swords, daggers and handguns.

I'm not thinking Mordheim (but the campaign tracking system is nice), and not SAGA (wrong period), but something along those lines...suitable rules to run warbands of 10-50 models, mostly infantry but with some cavalry and possibly light cannons. Maybe with some fantasy twists (I like Orcs) and rules for magic users, but that is a stretch. Suggestions?

Offline Harrower

  • Student
  • Posts: 16
Re: Skirmish rules for Italian Wars/Anything 1500ish?
« Reply #1 on: 19 February 2016, 12:53:16 PM »
Flashing Steel by Ganesha Games?

The focus is swashbuckling/pirates, but it's got rules for pikes, crossbows, handguns, cavalry etc, and we have used it to great success for Wars of the Roses for example.

The problem for you would be model count. There won't be 10-50 models a side on the table, but rather 5-15. There are no rules for cannons, but due to the nature of the system (Song of Blades and Heroes-based) it's easy enough to house rule.


Offline Curst Eckie

  • Student
  • Posts: 14
Re: Skirmish rules for Italian Wars/Anything 1500ish?
« Reply #2 on: 19 February 2016, 01:14:04 PM »
Hi Akbar,

What about Lion Rampant?. This would be 50ish figures/side.

Offline M.P.

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 933
    • Barbaric Frontier
Re: Skirmish rules for Italian Wars/Anything 1500ish?
« Reply #3 on: 19 February 2016, 01:16:24 PM »
Try Sharp Practice with amendments from Summer Special 2012 for WotR.
My roleplaying/wargaming blog: barbaricfrontier.blogspot.com

Offline Mick_in_Switzerland

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • *
  • Posts: 2623
Re: Skirmish rules for Italian Wars/Anything 1500ish?
« Reply #4 on: 19 February 2016, 01:18:30 PM »
I would also suggest Lion Rampant.  

Dragon Rampant is another option, which is basically the same core rules adapted for fantasy.

Offline jon_1066

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1175
Re: Skirmish rules for Italian Wars/Anything 1500ish?
« Reply #5 on: 19 February 2016, 01:21:35 PM »
...suitable rules to run warbands of 10-50 models, mostly infantry but with some cavalry and possibly light cannons. Maybe with some fantasy twists (I like Orcs) and rules for magic users...

I think you just described Dragon Rampant

Offline Arlequín

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 6218
  • Culpame de la Bossa Nova...
Re: Skirmish rules for Italian Wars/Anything 1500ish?
« Reply #6 on: 19 February 2016, 01:44:20 PM »
I think you just described Dragon Rampant

Me too... I only know Lion Rampant but I presume the game mechanics are the same.

Failing that, as also suggested, Sharp Practice with the WotR 'mod'... although the second edition is apparently due out in April I believe. Lion/Dragon Rampant is the no-effort required option. 

Offline Akbar

  • Student
  • Posts: 10
Re: Skirmish rules for Italian Wars/Anything 1500ish?
« Reply #7 on: 19 February 2016, 01:58:10 PM »
Thanks all, I will look into these suggestions.

Offline Brewis

  • Student
  • Posts: 13
Re: Skirmish rules for Italian Wars/Anything 1500ish?
« Reply #8 on: 19 February 2016, 06:20:49 PM »
Lion Rampant is not a pure skirmish rules system, nor pure historically accurated, but is very funny and easy to learn, furthermore is fast & furious.
It works with 5-7 units 6-12 models each (typically 6 for Cavalry-12 for Infantry), thus about 60-70 models for a side.
The rules explained on Osprey Book are targeted on Medieval period (1100-1300) but Wargames Illustrated no.330 april 2015 published an interesting variation for Italian Condotta Period (1500).
Cheers
Giuseppe

Offline charla51

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 154
Re: Skirmish rules for Italian Wars/Anything 1500ish?
« Reply #9 on: 20 February 2016, 01:11:28 PM »
Here are some old, probably OOP rules:

Have Pike will Travel

Sword & Pistol

Blood and Snot

...you get the picture... And who remembers these rules?

 

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