"Looking for a simple reactive rules for skirmish game" Topic

Forgive the double post – LAN switch at home on the way out and I lost connection.

I'm on the hunt for a simple set of rules for a SciFi skirmish (up to 10 figures per side) that does not have the IGOUGO mentality.

They need to be simple (like FUBAR)
Easy to use (like USE ME)
Give a reasonably short game (Like Songs Of)

I do have a copy of the SJG Battlesuit ( and one pristine copy grin ) that lets the other side react to movement when counted out and a copy of Force on Force but neiterh seem to hit the spot for me.

Looking at 5150 I am put off by the number of dice you need to throw.

I am almost tempted to take the USE ME rules and move each figure individually based on their ELAN level but have modifiers for the sequence depending on situation (e.g. pinned / open target etc)

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance
Andrew
Mini site: 2mmwars.blogspot.com

Check out Gut Check! (free) here: link
it's designed primarily for solo play and is from one of the guys who worked on FUBAR. It look looks a lot of fun, is very simple, and utilizes reactions heavily.

Also, check out the simplified version of Infinty currenly available for download on the Beasts of War sci fi page. Very easy to get into and built around a reaction system (the ASOs)-without the learning curve of the full ruleset.
beastsofwar.com/infinity

Well personally I'm a huge fan of the THW system and have never felt I'm throwing too many dice. Have you tried Chain Reaction 3.0 to see how the game pans out on the table?

Tomorrow's War by Osprey and Ambush Alley Games.

Since Force on Force didn't do the trick, I doubt Tomorrow's War would.

Give WarEngine a shot, just make each individual a charachter. It meets all your criteria of being easy, fast, simple and not IGOUGO.
link
Not only is it alternating activation, there's a reserve action mechanic so you can react to an opponents action with either a CC or ranged atttack. Also it has a nice mechanic for making your own units.

Did I mention it's free?

Give Chain Reaction 3.0 a try, it's reactive rules work really well and it's completely free. 5150 is based off of the system, and as a avid Nuts! player (another THW game), I've never felt I've been throwing too many dice.

Yup the THW system is entirely based on activations and reactions to activities. Chain Reaction is free on their website, and they have 5150 if you want something specific to sci fi.

My 10c:

Starship Troopers/Battlefield Evolution by Mongoose Games

Now OOP you should be able to ebay one for $10 USD

Alternate movement, plus the ability to react when fired upon or when moves within a set distance. A bit simpler than FoF/TW.

EDIT: And now I see you said rules for 'under 10 figures a side.'

Now I feel like an idiot, and can only echo the CR.3/5150 advice.

Actually – I take that back. The best reaction skirmish game (free on the Corvus Belli website) is Infinity. It is a bit unintuitive at first, but arguably no less so than any 2HW offering. They have great demo Utube videos to show gamplay.
YouTube link

Rezolution is a cool skirmish game but seems tied to its own fluff a bit. Since you have mentioned Song Of series I presume you know of Flying Lead which can be modded for sci fi (and their Mutants/Death rays post apoc rules).

I've downloaded the small Infinity set and Gut Check! 1.7 to have a read.

Thanks for the ideas.
Andrew

Andrew, I hope you post the verdict. It's always good to hear how these searches work out.

Cheers!

I think FUBAR could be modified to support individual figures as units. I was debating this myself, just to see how it plays. I would add rules for full auto fire (AOE, split fire dice between any targets in AOE and LOS), and blast weapons (AOE, roll to hit or scatter, any models touched by AOE recieve full fire dice), and modify the close combat rules only in that close combat would occur at the end of each full turn. Of course FUBAR is not really 'reactive', but 'alternating units'… Infinity is probably the best rules set for this (but more complex, and bound to official models/proxies…)