"BAUEDA is looking for more playtesters for Dark Age Rules" Topic

Hello,

we are in advanced beta testing phase of our new rules which have the ambition to be easy to learn and play, and fast and fun to run.

The rules will be initially published as a PDF download by Baueda Wargames at a very reasonable price, and are meant to become the support rules for our growing range of 15mm Dark Age figures, buildings and scenic models. They are designed for compatibility with standard basing, and also support single-based figures from 15mm up to 28mm or even larger.

While the rules are still not ready for publication, the core engine is already fairly stable and we are now completing work on the advanced and siege rules sections. You will be required to sign a standard NDA and you will be given access to a private development group dedicated to this end. There is no cash to be made I'm afraid but if you make it till the end, your name will appear in the credits of the final publication – and for your contribution, you will of course receive a copy of the finished rules as well as a pretty decent discount coupon valid on any order from Baueda Wargames.

If you would like to participate to the beta testing program, you can apply now by dropping me a mail at claudio (at) baueda d.o.t. com and giving me some background about you and any relevant or similar work you may have done in the past…
Looking forward to start playing together!

Cheers,

Claudio

Is there any further information on basing? Interest and ability to playtest might heavily depend on that…

Hi hwarang,
good point!

Some more details:
the Dark Age rules are based on Baueda Wargames' GEneric MINIatures game System (GEMINIS for short, not yet published either) and has been written specifically to enjoy Viking age warfare simulations.
The game is WYSIWYG and the figure ratio is therefore 1 to 1, but don't mistake it for the usual warhammer type of skirmish rules with a dozen stats for each figure because it
is not! The rules are designed for compatibility with industry standard basing but also supports single-based figures from 15mm up to 28mm.
The game use an innovative command and control system which produce an involving and emotional quick pace, regardless of the size of the armies involved.
These rules are not about reproducing the smallest technical details nor rewarding geometrical wizardry, instead they focus on your choice of what to do and when: giving the right order at the right moment is the key to
success.
These rules are being developed specifically for playing with all the new 15mm and 28mm buildings, fortifications, ships, siege engines and figures in development by Baueda Wargames, they therefore include seamless support for siege and naval landing operations.
The emphasis is on fast, straightforward and enjoyable basic mechanics, suitable also for games with many players, but which produce accurate results in harmony with actual historical tactics.

Sounds like your thing?

Cheers,

Claudio

Creative Director
BAUEDA WARGAMES LTD
baueda.com

To be informed when a new model is released please subscribe to our mailist:
groups.yahoo.com/group/baueda

Thanks for the details!

Does not quite sound like my thing (The focus on "involving and emotional pace" is all fine, but 1:1 scale, WYSIWYG, sieges and ships is not my cup of tea. Could be interesting, but its out of my scope).

One thing I noticed: Industry standard, if there is such a thing, for 15mm would be DBx basing. For 28mm its warhammer, quite obviously.

Yup, all basing is compatible really, this is by design of the actual game mechanics, we want people to be able to play with any figure they already have. Without giving away too much it's the individual figures which are taken in account most of the time, the basing only matters in so far figures that are based together move, fight and are removed together. It is often convenient to have them based in groups, for example if you have 4 archers based together you'll get four shots with a single action, where if they would be based separately they would require four actions (this BTW simulates bowmen trained to shoot in volleys and unsurprisingly you'll find that those archers who historically did that are often already based accordingly…) On the other hand there are other advantages in basing figures separately and anyway the rules include army profiles with all the basing option available to each army, for instance if massed archery shooting was not a tactic used historically by an army they would not have the option to base four archers together in the first place.
This as far as DBx basing is concerned, of course if one is using individually based 28mm he would generally find convenient to arrange at least a few figures in groups by temporarily stick them to a cardboard base… conversely Impetus basing is also supported to a certain extent, but would be better to integrate an army that is all based for Impetus with at least a few smaller bases or individuals to add some flexibility… that said all figures regardless of actual basing can be combined into formations which do move and fight as a whole anyway (again depending by what their historical counterpart was used to do) and that is generally convenient especially at deployment time, so again basing won't necessarily be an issue… back to our four archers individually based, assuming their army profile allows it they can be deployed together in formation and all four will then shoot for a single action anyway… I guess I better I stop here otherwise I'm going to confuse the matter even more… :)

Cheers!

Claudio

Any more news on this?