Black Cavalier | 10 May 2013 12:23 p.m. PST |
1) A game with X or less figures per side? (You define what X is) 2) A game at a certain organizational level or less? (You define what the level is: e.g. fire team, squad, platoon,
) 3) Gaming with forces of any size or organizational level as long as it's 1:1 figure ratio? 4)
..? |
138SquadronRAF | 10 May 2013 12:36 p.m. PST |
2) If you're playing at a company level it's a skirmish.If your basic unit is a battalion it's not |
FredNoris | 10 May 2013 12:37 p.m. PST |
2. with a platoon or less |
Yesthatphil | 10 May 2013 12:44 p.m. PST |
4. Individual basing, and figure-to-figure combat mechanisms |
Pictors Studio | 10 May 2013 12:50 p.m. PST |
4. One man is represented by one figure with individual combat mechanisms. |
Florida Tory | 10 May 2013 1:04 p.m. PST |
4, as Yesthatphil stated it Rick |
MGen Franklin | 10 May 2013 1:16 p.m. PST |
The 1:1 figure ratio. My group (6 to 8) each runs 2 or 3, 8 to 12 man squads. usually 100 to 150 figures on the (6x9) table. |
Maxamillion2758 | 10 May 2013 1:24 p.m. PST |
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richarDISNEY | 10 May 2013 1:26 p.m. PST |
1. Less than 15 a person.
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Herkybird | 10 May 2013 1:38 p.m. PST |
3, though 2 is also true for me |
MajorB | 10 May 2013 1:43 p.m. PST |
4. Individual basing, and figure-to-figure combat mechanisms |
Mako11 | 10 May 2013 1:44 p.m. PST |
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michaelsbagley | 10 May 2013 1:58 p.m. PST |
Not an easy question
. since i break "Skirmish rules" down to 2 sub-categories
.although 3) 1:1 figure ratio suits both my answers A) a handful of figures per player = small skirmish game B) a hanful of units (each unit being a handul or so of figues) = large skirmish game |
Broadsword | 10 May 2013 2:01 p.m. PST |
4. Each figure representing a single combatant and is mounted on its own base, with each figure individually resolving its own combat or other action. |
Flashman14 | 10 May 2013 2:42 p.m. PST |
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John D Salt | 10 May 2013 3:46 p.m. PST |
4. With individual figures, and individual characteristics that mean that no two riflemen are alike. All the best, John. |
shelldrake | 10 May 2013 3:47 p.m. PST |
4 – what broadsword said. |
Ron W DuBray | 10 May 2013 3:54 p.m. PST |
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John the OFM | 10 May 2013 4:26 p.m. PST |
I agree with all the 4s above. Well, most of them. |
Dentatus | 10 May 2013 7:02 p.m. PST |
4. Generally in 28mm scale too. |
Shagnasty | 10 May 2013 8:05 p.m. PST |
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Toshach | 10 May 2013 9:08 p.m. PST |
A scenario really has two parameters, scale/level, and size, i.e. how many units (size of the battle), and the orgnization level, or scale of each unit. The "level" or "scale" of a game is the basic unit of play, i.e. the number of men a stand represents. For example: Skirmish level: 1 figure = 1 man Team level: 1 stand = 3-5 men Squad level: 1 stand = a Squad Platoon level: 1 stand = a Platoon If you are fielding a company, then that is the size of the game, not the level or scale. So if you are playing a skirmish level game and each side is fielding a Company, then each side would field between 90 to 120 or so individually mounted men. If you are playing a squad level company sized engagement, then each side would field nine stands of infantry (each representing a squad). That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. |
dsfrank | 10 May 2013 10:51 p.m. PST |
4. – for me true skirmish gaming requires a 1:1 figure ratio and the ability for the average figure to be able to be wounded or potentially take more than one hit from a weapon – so Warhammer, 40K and Lord of the Rings for example are not skirmish as the average trooper is either at full ability/strength/wounds or dead with no middle ground |
Remgain | 11 May 2013 2:15 a.m. PST |
4) and maybe some personal characteristic to differentiate some of the figures (marksman, leader, fast, lucky, etc), slightly on the boundary of role playing
Marco |
sillypoint | 11 May 2013 5:22 a.m. PST |
1-4 (first six responses) for me. In movie terms, "Saving Private Ryan" the end bit, although I did stage the "Dog Green is open" as a skirmish, "Kelly's Heroes". At this scale, artillery support covers the table, air support has a significant "friendly fire" component, tanks are often treated as npc's, often they are "fluff" for the anti-tank weapons. Medics have a role at skirmish level. A figure with a rope and hook/grapple can have a significant impact on a game. |
etotheipi | 11 May 2013 1:26 p.m. PST |
4) Player decisions correlate 1:1 with actions by individuals in the area of operations. Usually this goes along with some of the above things, like 1 figure represents 1 person and individual combat mechanisms. But not always. |
Angel Barracks | 11 May 2013 2:34 p.m. PST |
1 and or 2. I play 6mm sci-fi with individually based figures and have 4 squads of 5 men per side. I class this as skirmish. I used to play Napoleonic style games with about 1000 figures per side where 1 figures = 1 man. I also class this as skirmish, as a Napoleonic game with 1000 men per side really is not a battle at all.
Michael.
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vojvoda | 12 May 2013 12:14 p.m. PST |
I think anything up to fire teams and squads as one base would fit as a skirmish encounters, I have played skirmish games with 100s of figures on the table (Alamo for example). Almost any encounter where the highest level of organization is a company or even a small task force would fall well within the parameters. Skirmish games with limited objectives such as control of terrain features, denial of objectives or even survival of a base camp are what I would consider well within the definition of a "skirmish". Almost anything that is not a major encounter or operation fits. VR James Mattes |
MajorB | 12 May 2013 2:21 p.m. PST |
I have played skirmish games with 100s of figures on the table I wouldn't call a game with 100s of figures on the table a skirmish! |
Grand Duke Natokina | 12 May 2013 5:04 p.m. PST |
We do 1:1 TO&E games at the Company to BN level. |
John Secker | 14 May 2013 3:01 p.m. PST |
For me the key point is that the basic combat unit on which combat mechanisms operate is the individual soldier. A lot of rule sets look as though you can manoeuvre individuals, but when it comes down to it, combat is squads shooting at squads (WH40K and FoW as obvious examples). |
Oberlindes Sol LIC | 20 Aug 2018 10:27 p.m. PST |
The current poll contains usage errors that render it somewhat annoying to answer. Specifically, "less" is used where "fewer" is required. |
Rudysnelson | 22 Aug 2018 6:51 p.m. PST |
One casting equals one combatant. |
UshCha | 23 Aug 2018 11:35 a.m. PST |
RudyNelson, Does that mean if I base my 3D printed plastic figures 1 to a base its skirmish but If I print 2 on one base its not a skirmish game, even if I use the same rules ;-). PS in both cases its 1:1 but my troops often work in teams. Except for Marksmen who sometimes work alone. :-). Definition can be a bit of a bummer sir! |
Rudysnelson | 24 Aug 2018 4:39 p.m. PST |
One casting = one combatant has nothing to do with basing. If you have a problem with vocabulary and definitions, you will have difficulty in game design. A casting representing 5,10 or more soldiers is not skirmish. The number of castings to a stand does not change troop ratio representation. |
etotheipi | 27 Aug 2018 6:34 a.m. PST |
Going to the in-laws for holiday. |