"Looking for a new system..." Topic

Good afternoon everyone! I am a long time miniature wargamer, I am thinking of getting into historical miniatures gaming, but I dont really know where to start.

A bit a of preamble about why I am looking for something new: I have always wanted to play with a Samurai/Asian army – but, (I'm from a warhammer/40K background) warhammer has never had an official Nippon army list.

I started thinking over the last week, though, is that I have alot of issues with the GW games. Gorgeous miniatures, easy to find opponents, but, I've always been dismayed about how each individual army book seems to be filled with exceptions to the rules and special rules for just that army… also, I am not a big fan of magic use in games, and lastly, coming close to my 4th decade in existence, I feel a bit awkward gaming with people less than half my age. Which started me thinking about just switching to historical gaming

I recently discovered Clan War from AEG – but, as my luck would have it, the game is long since discontinued… I always seem to get interested in dead games. *sigh*

Here is what I am looking for in a new system:

1) availability of people to game with
2) easy to learn – I'm a big fan of simple an elegant
3) speed of play
4) fluid play: I find the 'I go. You go.' very static… I prefer simultaneous play – at the very least, 'I move, you move; I attack, you attack.'
5) 28mm, preferably single-model per base… I dont get alot of time to actually play, so painting/modelling/coneerting figures appeals to me quite a bit

Is there any system which fits the above criteria and has Feudal Japanese army lists?

Thank you all!
Chris

How about "Crusader" from Crusader Miniatures?

link

or "Impetus" from Dadi & Piombo?
dadiepiombo.com/impetus.html

warhammer has never had an official Nippon army list.

Presuming we are talking about Warhammer Fantasy Battles, 3rd edition actually contained a Nippon ally contingent list, though that was pretty sparse.

1) availability of people to game with

This might depend somewhat on your area – different games can be popular in different areas.

5) 28mm, preferably single-model per base…

Technically, most games can be played with models of pretty much any scale. Whether the players in your area happen to game with 28mm models is another issue.

Griefbringer

Move to SLC and you can play with "us".

1066.us

I would say your biggest challenge/freedom is going to be #1. There probably is not a significant group of people in your area playing Asian themed miniatures games. So, you might have to put on a game to get people interested.

You might find people playing historical games like DBA, Impetus, Field of Glory, or Warhammer Ancient Battles. those vary in their appropriateness for #2-5.

Free Wargames Rules has several japan specific rule sets in their renaissance section. link

Some generic fantasy games like Song of Blades and Heroes, Warrior Heroes or Broadsword adventures would work well for #2-5.

You might look into Anima Tactics, an anime themed game. You might like it or think it has some of the same problems as Warhammer, I'm not sure.

I prefer simultaneous play

Ah, a man of refinement and good taste. Unfortunately the wargaming world is not as enlightened as we. That being said, look at Killer Katana II. I have a copy (but don't read anything into that. I'm a rule collector.) It looks interesting but it is not simultaneous . They probably have a yahoo group supporting the rules. You can ask if there are any players in your area.

If you do go to SLC beware. I heard a rumor that there are a lot of Mormons there. Nice people but a bit strange. As proof of that I give you exhibit #1: Doug Larson.

Rich

There's "Into the Dark" dark age and medieval rules. It uses igougo but otherwise may be what you're looking for.

hwcn.org/~ao421/darkage.html

You would need to create your own army lists, but the rules allow you to design the troops that you would need.

well Impetus (but you can download for free the simplified version Basic Impetus dadiepiombo.com/basic2.html ) is a very interactive game. No igougo here, above all in Impetus where Commands are activated differently every turn and were you can react by opportunity.
It is a generic ancient/medieval/renaissance set so not specific only for Samurai (but Samurai lists, both for Basic Impetus and Impetus are free at Impetus website), but if you are looking for a popular set you have to search for a generic set, suitable for more periods.

One important aspect is that Impetus is a Unit based set not a single miniature based like Warhammer. So more miniatures on a base.

I'd say "Field of Glory" which has a wide fan base and is easy enough to learn. It is designed for 25/28mm minis and has an Asian-themed army book due out in November of this year.

Good luck.

mighty armies from rebel minis is pretty fast playing.

charonproductions.com

Impetus works well for bigger battles and is easy and quick to learn and play. In 28mm you could do some really nice 'diorama' bases – I use 15mm and the bases gives one a lot of creative scope.

For 1:1 skirmish in 28mm Songs of Blades and Heroes is really easy to pick up and I did a 'Samurai' supplement for them which is in the yahoo group files.

Two Hour Wargames free Sword Play works well and I am doing a supplement for them slowly but surely but this will be an official 'for sale' supplement and not sure when it will be out – not too long I hope.

Both THW and Songs BH are interactive turn wise as are Impetus

Thank you for all the responses! Alot of good information here :)

To Mike: Impetus looks *very* interesting – thanks for the links

To Doug: thank you for the offer, but I think I am going to stay in Toronto – I'll look you up with my samurai in tow if I am ever out that way though :)

To Rich: Thank you for the compliment :D… and for the warning ;)

To Uesugi and everyone else: it looks like Field of Glory is the game for now – I have reconnected with some old friends in my area I havent spoken to in years. I used to play Blood Bowl and GW games with them; since I stopped playing those games it looks like they have moved onto historicals as well.

I just got a good deal on a pile of Clan War blisters from a local vendor – I am going to use these as the basis for my 28mm Samurai army :)

Now that I have a system, and know what army I want to play, how does one get started in historicals? With GW games everything is basically handed to the player in a neat box – with historicals it seems that there is more onus on the individual…

Should I pick a 'period' to set my army in? With regards to painting/etc. should I pick a clan and make my figures as accurate as possible to that style? Or, could I create my own colour scheme/etc?

This is all new to me :)

Should I pick a 'period' to set my army in?

If you want your resulting army to look somehow historical, then it is probably a good idea to try to pick a specific timespan and then select your models so that they fit into that timespan. Of course not everybody might be wearing the latest fashions, so a small portion of models in a bit outdated equipment might be entirely passable. But in the end it is up to you on how large anacronisms you want to tolerate.

Since you already have some figures, you might want to do a bit of reading on the Japanese armour styles to see which century they would fit best.

With regards to painting/etc. should I pick a clan and make my figures as accurate as possible to that style? Or, could I create my own colour scheme/etc?

Usually, on settings where there are well documented and country-wide used uniforms (eg. western Europe from late 17th century onwards) people try to stick to the documented uniform schemes, unless gaming with fictional "imagi-nations" settings.

On settings where less uniformity existed, and where available documentation is limited, people much more often take liberties with their paint schemes. With Samurai, I guess you are pretty free to try to either adopt historical symbols of some clan, or develop your own fictional minor clan.

Griefbringer

You've already had the links, but as someone who got fed up with WH for what sounds like the same reasons as you, I'd add another nudge towards Impetus.

D'oh – didn't read your whole post so missed that you'd settled on Field of Glory.

As to your period/painting question, I'd strongly encourage you do pick a time/style and stick to it as closely as is practical. I find it adds a great deal of satisfaction to know that an army similar to the one you have painted could have existed. Having said that, I don't understand the mentality that leads to players sneering at others who chose the 'wrong' shade of blue for the sleeve turnbacks on a miniature. A happy balance between striving for authenticity and actually getting an army painted and played with.

However you choose to do it, I hope you enjoy your new venture.

cbag,

Check out the Samurai Wars Eye Candy topic. There's several links to websites that will help you on your way.

You can really do what you want. I have had an early Samurai army for years because I wanted a pre-gunpowder army. There were also not much in the way of back banners. Now, my friends are painting up Senguko period armies, and I'm upgrading mine. I was gonna be lazy and picked a white flag with a red dot on it for my flags (Sakai Tadatsugu). Then I discovered that I would actually need about 4 different contingents within one clan to properly represent the scale and look historical.

Some clans to consider from the Sengoku period. Hojo, Uesugi, Takeda, Oda, Tokugawa, Imagawa, Toyotomi. There's plenty more. Have fun.

Don

May I suggest, "Chess".

:-)