"28mm Steppe Rule Set?" Topic

Hello,

My primary focus on wargamming has been with Fantasy 28mm since they were something I first started with and I find that they are, to me at least, something to paint and show off so I plan to stick around with this scale.

I've shifted my focus and started off with a small force of Perry's Seljuk Turks as my first army and I was wondering if you good people know of any rules, apart from WAB, that would be perfect for 28mm but also have a good handle to steppe warfare. I know WAB isn't perfect but that is what house rules are for in any case.

Are you looking for a skirmish or large battle ruleset? I thought DBMM handles steppe armies pretty well.

Well I am looking for both actually. I would have to rebase my army for DBMM right?

For skirmish you could look into Saga, it seems like a simple and fun ruleset and they are starting to move into the middle east during the Crusades, so they should be st least somewhat compatible.

If you have individually based minis you don't need to rebase for a system with multiple minis per base. Just make/buy movement trays, and put the based minis on them. If the measurements are not exactly spot on it should still be ok, especially if you use the same bases on both sides. No need to restrict yourself with rebasing and such unless you want to and you are adamantly decided to stick with a ruleset. Just flow with it.

I would have to rebase my army for DBMM right?

Probably, unless they're based to WRG standards already: DBMM is fairly strict about how stuff has to be based. The critical thing is that everything is on the same frontage, nonstandard depths can be accommodated within limits.

Saga has a Steppe Tribes Battle Board.

It is on the back of the September issue of Wargames Illustrated.

I am sure it has been re-released in a expansion for Saga though.

One of the best things about Hail Caesar is the way it handles light cavalry. We were using it for Eastern Renaissance a lot before By Fire and Sword came out.

I'd recommend you at least try it. It really makes Steppe cavalry armies function in the way they were intended to.

Seljuk Turks are also covered by the Saracen board from the new Crescent and Cross rules in Saga.

The general consensus is that the Steppe Tribes board does not model steppe warfare very well, so I would look to the Saracen board.

Thank you all. I'll check out your recommendations

Sorry just to clarify what exactly is a Battle board?

Howdy,

Might of Arms has extremely good and fun rules when dealing with cavalry.

Ponder on,

JAS

For what it's worth, The Perfect Captain's "Ironbow" (link) is a set of rules for the Crusades and differentiates between "Western", "Oriental", and "Steppe" tactics. And it's a free download, which doesn't hurt. There's even a Turkish horseman on the cover.

Each army/faction/whatever you want to call it has a battleboard which has all the special abilities and special tactics that the force can use a long which what dice symbol you need to activate it. You roll a number of dice each turn and then assign them to the abilities based on what you want to do that turn. The battle boards are essentially what makes the different factions fight differently, since they have different things they can do.

The problem with the Steppe Tribe board is that arguably the two best abilities on the board are the ones dedicated to the foot levy. So the horse archers are tending to be used as a support to the infantry, rather than vice versa.

Empire of the Steppes is a Chris Peers set of rules carried by Brigade Games. I haven't gotten it but have a bunch of his other sets and would pick this up when I get ready for Mongols and the Steppe armies.

AcrylicNick is very right about the Perfect Captain's "Ironbow" rules. The rules produce some very realistic results, IMO. Here is the link to the description of the rules. The download button is on the left side of the page:

link

Don't overlook them because they're free. The Perfect Captain's rules have a very professional look and feel. There is also a supplement for Western Europe, called "Strongbow," which can be found here:

link

Impetus, that's what I use

The 2 rule sets i would recommend;
Hail Ceasar by warlord games with the medieval supplement, as i think it would include steppe nations. though the supplement is not strictly necessary.

or War and Conquest by scarab minitures. army books are free on line and rules are well done.