"Recommendations for Fast & Easy Fantasy Miniatures Rules" Topic

Like the title says, I'm looking for some fantasy rules that allow all sorts of critters & beings, mix in some magic, plays fast & easy.

No Warhammer, please… way too pricey for my blood.

I already have –

Hordes of the Things – like it.
Armies of Arcana 4th edition – like it too.

Any other recommendations out there?

Fantsy Rules 2nd ed. by Chipco might work for you.

Are you looking for massed combat?

Armies of Arcana is my choice here. Note thet the 5th edition book is already for sale, but actually no major changes from 4th. you already own.

Or skirmish?

Try Song of Blades and Heros from Ganesha Games.

It accomodates pretty much anything from your collection, and you can buy the book or a PDF for download.

Hope that helps.

song of blades if you want small warband combat,

regards

jim

Might check out ARES or For The Masses from MJXII Games…

Fast and easy?

For skirmish, try GW's Lord of the Rings system. You should be able to pick up a rulebook cheap. And the plastic minis are a terrific bargain.

For grand tactical games, try Warmaster. It's for 10mm, but will work for 6mm to 15mm. It's a great game, and the rules are free. Go to GW's web site and find the Specialist Games site. You can get figs from several manufacturers.

There are also fans of Mighty Armies, which is also supposed to be fast and easy for 15mm. I haven't played it.

I've also heard good things about Splintered Light, an advertiser here.

Budget Battlefield
link

Steel and Glory, Set 1, Mini-Game
link

If you are not already familiar with Free Wargames Rules, you might want to give some of these a look:

Skirmish:
ARES
Battlechain
Orc's Drift

Mass Combat:
No Quarter
Battlecry

They can be found on this page: link

Free Wargames Rules is an excellent site, and the rulesets are all free of charge-these are my favorites, but look around-you might find something else you like!

Cheers,
Jason

Rules according to Ral were fun. You might still find them about.

Extra Crisoy has Supreme Warlord: Battle lust which are rules for mass combat of large Fantasy armies. They are Free for download.

Massed Combat:
Age of Might and Steel
Chipco Fantasy Rules the Tournement Campaign Edition
Both available in PDF from Dabers Edge Hobbies.

Skirmish:
Song of Blades and Heroes
LotR Fantasy Combat Game

vdal1812 said – "Fantsy Rules 2nd ed. by Chipco"

I forgot to mention… I've got the 3rd edition Fantasy Rules. What's the difference between the two?

At acarhj – Tournament Campaign Edition? Once again what are the differences?

Hrothgar the Smelly & RudyNelson, I've downloaded the free stuff and am going to check them over.

Song of Blades and Heroes… I've got their "Mutants and Death Ray Guns". While I like the rule I want to have massive army wars.

Fantasy Rules TCE is the tournament edition of FR!3. FR!3 was not to my liking because of the huge amount of detail. I think in a lot of ways, it was broken. It got away from Chipco's mantra of making easy and approachable games.

TCE, on the other hand, has the right amount of detail. It gets back to the original first edition of FR! but tightens things up a bit. So think of it as a watered down version of FR!3.

The biggest difference is in the army list designer. You no longer have army lists per se. Instead, you take army list and character focuses to open up certain types of units to your army. For instance, any army can have cavalry. If you take "chivaric", you can also take kinghts. Stuff like that. If you like HoTT, and want something with a little more Oomph, FR!TCE might be for you.

John

Warrior Heroes and Adventures from Two Hour Wargames is my fantasy game of choice – however we have been playing a LOT of Songs of Blades and Heroes lately and it is an excellent fun and quick (standard point games in less than an hour)with a good warband campaign system etc.

Perhaps "Hordes of the Things'…

Some comments/write-ups on my blog:

wargamingnz.blogspot.com

The armies are small/easy to collect (and not at all addictive.. honestly, i can stop collecting HotT armies any time I choose.. no really, i can, honestly, no worries.. just any old time I choose…dribble dribble).

Cheers
Robin

He already has HoTT.

I recomend ARES from Majestic XII games. Fast, fun, and you can create anything you want with them. The best rules out there IMO.

LOTR for skirmish and mass combat.

My preference

Skirmish: Song of Blades & Heroes, Battlesystem Skirmish

Mass: AD&D Battlesystem, Mighty Armies by RebelMinis

Mass combat, I like Warmaster, though it takes some getting used to. I definitely think if you abstract what the rules are telling you to do in a way that makes sense in your head, then it becomes really good.

For example, the oft-lamented fact that it is indeed possible for a single unit to take 3 or more activations by itself and hit you in the flank to begin the game – think of it as fog of war combined with the issues with command and control in a medieval-esque setting and it becomes a lot more palatable.

another vote for Warrior Heroes and Adventures

Someone up there suggested GW's Lord of the Rings Rules, and they get another recommendation from me for skirmish-style gaming: To me, fantasy games are all about heroes doing heroic things, and LOTR actually lets them do heroic stuff like lead charges, inspire panicky troops, and so on…what's more, the rules are simple enought that I've seen them 'remixed' to simulate everything from westerns to Monty Python and the Holy Grail…

For me the best is Warrior Heroes Armies & Adventurers from THW. You can see some AARs with pics in my blog: javieratwar.blogspot.com
Other than that, LOTR and SOBH in that order.