"Colonial Rules recommendations?" Topic

I'm at my wits end, I've had Colonial figures for years in various scales – 6mm, 15mm, 28mm and have yet to find a decent set of rules. I would welcome any recommendations, but my requirements are perhaps a bit picky:

a) the ability to refight historical decent sized battles – minimum one battalion, ideally anything up to and over Omdurman size but generally brigade/division sized (for the Imperials).

b) historical unit organisations, not made up ones, along with historically accurate ground scales, unit footprints, weapon ranges etc.

c) element based, no individual figs or figure removal please. No rosters either.

d) classic C19th Africa/NWF.

e) captures the spirit of the period, without being OTT.

f) relatively simple but allows for e.g. movement in brigade squares, bothers with the difference between magazine fed rifles and breechloaders, differences in the formation dispersion and their effect on movemnt and combat, gives the baggage train and engineer detatchments a role etc.

I suppose essentially what I'm after is a simplified two sided version of Science vs Pluck.

Rules tried and rejected so far:

Horse, Foot & Guns

Volley & Bayonet

The Great Game

Patrols in the Sudan

Soldiers of the Queen

Principles of War

The Sword and Flame and all its offspring, similarly Darkest Africa et al.

Any of the free sets from freewargamerules.co.uk including the DBA based variants.

Afriboria

Science vs Pluck – apart from RPG type mini campaigns.

Any suggestions welcome!

Battles For Empire may be what you are looking for. Each unit is a company or clan with four stands that can take a number of hits, then the unit is gone. I use the 25mm basing with 15mm figs and it looks great, giving 24 figs for most units. The game uses a Fire and Fury movement chart, so the Native onslaught has a "lava-like" look to it, with some units outpacing others and you never know when or how many units will hit you. We've done huge battles in the Sudan with 8-10 players and everyone has always had a pretty good time. There are scenarios in the book for the Sudan, Boer War, Zulu War, and Northwest Frontier. A little more complex than most rules, but the system works well and plays faster than you would expect. There is a Yahoo group with quick support from the author.

Yup, looks like BFE is the only one you missed out (no, I don't mean that literally).

Except for point b) it's got pretty much what you are looking for.

Here's a review I posted earlier:

TMP link

That sounds really interesting, thanks – I like F&F and Shako!

Sounds as though you must create your own rules in order to satisfy that level of pickyness. T'would require some work, but then you could sell the rules to everyone desiring exactly that sort of game.

I hate to recommend something OOP, but our group had a good time with Shane Hensley's Fields of Honor. It covers most mid-19th century conflicts, but we used it for the Sudan and Boer War. Its sliding scale, in that a unit can be a company, battalion, etc. depending on the conflict. Ranges were maybe too realistic (i.e. at company scale rifle range is larger than most tables), but with enough terrain that doesn't matter. Worth picking up if you can find a copy.

Rich

"you must create your own rules"

I've written lots and lots of rules, but nothing seems to quite gel for Colonials – I suppose I know less about it than early twentieth century stuff so it is less familiar ground.

Anyway, good suggestions so far, although BFE seems to be unobtainable in the UK. boo.

Watch out when ordering BFE – there is a Napoleonic set (long OOP) of the same name.

I'll second the recommendation for "Fields of Honor" and although it does use single-figure basing, I'll also recommend Frank Chadwick's Space:1889 Soldiers Companion rules.

If you can't find it in the UK try this place in New Jersey:
onmilitarymatters.com
Look under wargame rules – it's $25. USD
With current exchange rates that shouldn't set you back too much.

I have been reading the "John Company" rules which look very interesting. Here is a review from a few years back:

TMP link

You'd have to adapt it for your armies and weapons but I wouldn't think that too hard.

Currently available in an updated edition:

link

Martin does himself several injustices when he refers to his rules 'not gelling', as I have played in several games with his rules and they have all been very good. He has even played games with my colonial rules … and that shows dedication to the search for a 'perfect' set of colonial wargames rules.

Good luck with your search Martin … and make sure that you bring the results to the next COW!

Have you tried Science vs Pluck, as that seems like what you have described.

I have a copy of Shane Hensley's Fields of Honor I am willing to part with. Contact me off list at
jam55126 AT yahoo DOT com

My vote is for "Battles for Empire" Although I game with the author so I'm prejudiced. He was actually working on a WW1 supplement.
Actually I rather enjoy them BFE, I didn't like Sword and Flame.
We've had many battles using BFE and they do give you that Colonial feel.

Indunas, Colonels and Emirs? Think Rudy Nelson might have more info on this set…

I do believe that Battles for Empire would easily suit your requirements. Take a look at this link:

PDF link

The link is to the online newsletter for the Wasatch Front Historical Gaming Society -- a fantastic and professional online mag….the issue I provided the link to has a main artical (first page) on the growth of colonial wargaming, and page 10 has an excellent battle report using BFE…read the report; it will give you an excellent feel for the rules.

I find myself in the same dilemna. Fields of Honour isn't the solution to my mind, the mechanics are relatively simple but never felt they quite worked. The army lists are not only abstract but in some instances inacurate and it doesn't make adequate distinction between breech and magazine rifles. I have a copy too if anyone really wants it. Going cheap too.

BFE does take some liberties with strict ground scales, such that although a 'unit' represents a company or its equivalent, the ranges are about what they should be if a unit represented a battalion. This at least has the advantage of making conversion to a battalion level game relatively easy.

There are also a couple of character touches that at first glance seem more at home in a skirmish game, such as the 'fix bayonets' phase, and the ability of officers to perform 'heroics' (albeit abstracted), but Chris Leach has offered entirely sensible explanations for the inclusion of these mechanisms.

Firearms are simply stratified into three classes, rather than rated according to specific mechanical differences.

I discussed these points with the author when the rules first appeared. He explained that his primary goals were to capture the flavour of the period and create a successful and fun game. The author's objectives notwithstanding, I believe that BFE is presently the most historically authentic colonial rule-set on the market.

You should try Field of Battle by Piquet Inc, it has most of what you are looking for, but does use rosters (to excellent effect IMO).

Thanks for all the suggestions – I have Science vs Pluck already, as indicated in the original post, fine for what it does but no good for two sided games. Piquet is a no-no, rosters and an activation system which is not to my regular gaming groups taste (I won't repeat the actual comments) – should have listed that on the 'tried and rejected' list.

I'll see about getting hold of BFE – I have no problem at all with characters in battalion/regiment/division level colonial games.

I had a look at US suppliers, fairly cheap to buy but the shipping charges some of them wanted!! Command Decision IV was just sent airmail and cost a couple of bucks.

Anyway, Lesiure Games in Finchley claim to have it in stock, so we shall see.

Indunas, Colonel and Emirs 2000 edition uses two or three 6-8 man elements per unit. Troop ratio is (Europe) 1:10 or (native) 1:15.

Weapon types are rated and classified into effectiveness classes. The First edition was nominated for the HG Wells award in 1984 but lost to TSATF.

Interesting dicussion- I too am in search for Colonial rules OTHER than TSATF. Personally, I would like to see something like what Martin is searching for. Personally, I'd like to see something on a company scale (i.e. the basic unit of manuever is the company). Naturally, things might have to be adjusted on the native side.

The one problem I've always had with TSATF is that it seems to trying to be both a skirmish-level and tactical-level game at the same time and not really giving the flavor of either. Also, the whole knocking over the figures as casualties on the table just seems messy and hard on figures.

Finally, in all the games I've played or witnessed, it seems that the natives win almost 2/3rds of the time. With these rules, it's amazing that the Europeans ever made it out of Europe.

Anyway, that's my take and maybe I'll give Indunas, Colonel and Emirs 2000 edition. Unfortunately, trying to get my gaming to play it will probably be an uphill battle.

"Personally, I'd like to see something on a company scale "

Have a look at The Great Game (www.freewargamesrules.co.uk), it uses companies as the lowest level of manouvre. Free.

I didn't like it as:

a) it was a bit low level for me (really I like brigade+ actions)

b) although it is element based the figure counts on the bases are significant, and I'm not rebasing unless I have to.

It is a pretty decent set though, quite simple.

The main problem with many rules which have the Natives winning all the time is that they underestimate the sheer difficulty of approaching rifle armed troops in mass formations in a stand up fight. This of course makes it a bit depressing to play the natives unless they are very cunning or catch the Imperials at some disadvantage or you design scenarios which aren't simply 'Natives charge the Imperials'. It is often easier from a game design POV to make it easier to close to contact than it actually was.

Science vs Pluck works very well in recreating the one sided nature of the conflicts as well as the longer term campaign type issues, the players may occasionally have a sticky time, but there often isn't a huge amount of doubt about the overall outcome.

The rules that I wrote for our Zulu War campaign might have some ideas in them of interest for larger scale games. They are based on the British company being the basic maneuver element, and I tried to portray the "tipping point" between when the irresistible frontal fire of the British formations was caught out on the move and impacted by the mass of the natives. Very bloody for the Zulus as they close, and futile unless they can upset the British line, but IF they do, and manage to close, then tables are turned.

You can download them from 10mmWorld.com under the Articles section. There are also several battle reports, so you can see the rules in action as it were.

Cheers,

Christopher

Out of curiosity, what was missing from Volley and Bayonet, in your opinion? It's what I use for my colonials now, after much disatisfaction with other rules sets.

While a few hard copies are still available, you can send me an email at the location listed for Time Portal Hobbies on the manufacturers Page. I will send you an PDF email copy.

Interesting discussion. I have just got a set of Battles for Empire from Warweb. I'm in New Zealand and had no problem ordering it. I can only agree with earlier comments, and although I haven't played a large game yet (finishing painting and basing a Pathan army to go with my NMR force. Not many Colonial gamers in this part of the Empire so need to have two armies) from my reading it looks very promising and may meet most of your objectives. There is a yahoo discussion group on Battles for Empire and Chris Leach the author of the rules is always happy to respond to posts.
I'd say give it a go, I like the element nature of it.