"Best rules for 28mm Italian Wars?" Topic

I'm looking to get into some italian wars and was wondering what set of rules are most people using, preferably a large combat one like say +40 models or so each side.

I'd really like to see some recommendations as well. However, my pike blocks are 69 figures each, so I need something a little bigger. ;-)

40 models per side is only one or two units each in most renaissance rule sets that I'm familiar with. You're really looking for a skirmish set not a big-battle set.

Impetus.

I said Plus 40! Which means 40 is the minimum I would like. I can go much higher

FoG-R has produced many good battles for my group. In fact we are doing one on July 8.

Pike & Shotte has some really fun period appropriate rules for this period. It tequires lots of minis though. 24 figs usually being a standard unit size.

Impetus for games with friends, and FOG-R for tournament style – not that the latter cannot be played with friends, but Impetus is imho not geared up for tournaments while offering a bit more flavour. Get their first Appendix, too – it contains all the Italian wars armies and a Pavia battle mini-campaign.

I have, however, not yet tested Pike & Shotte and have some hopes for it.

WAB, Condottiere or 1644 feel to Warhammer style for me and lack the 15xx feeling, but that is personal taste. I do have Medieval Warfare, Bad War, Maximilian and DBR but never found an opponent to test them out (or the will to do it solo-stlye).

Pusher, you made me feel better, I have a similar collection of Renaissance rules.
I'm pinning my hopes on Pike And Shotte, having played Black Powder, I can handle a set of principles to tinker with.
I like the simplicity of the rules and it's handling of troops in rear and side support. Giving the battle lines more depth.

If your looking at 40+ figures as a starting point, then start with Maximillian! They are a good set of rules and the basing system will let you try FoG-R, DBR and Impetus as your forces grow.

I have played Gush, DBR, Impetus, Principles of War and Maximillian. They all have their good points, but it is a difficult period to "please all of the people all of the time" in.

If you get a copy of Maximillian! from Black Hat Games(??) you will have simple rules and easy to follow army lists to guide you. Once you have two small armies together you can try Basic Impetus (free from the web) before moving on to the others.

Yes, Maximillian is a very nice set of rules.

Supposedly, Impetus is as well, so worth checking out too.

If you are willing to give up some control of your troops, Band of Brothers by Piquet is excellent too, but some don't giving up control to random event occurrences.

Impetus for sure.

Dominance, long out of print, but if they were good enough for Peter Gilder then they're good enough.

Anyone has played the Italian Wars with Warlords' Pike & Shotte already?
And with what conclusions?

Smooth and Rifled, skirmish level, same company who created Impetus. ECW supplement just released and 30YW in the works, the supplements are free. No problem with 40+ figs aside.

smooth-and-rifled.blogspot.ca