nnascati | 05 Nov 2014 2:44 p.m. PST |
I keep hearing a lot about these rules. I have a good deal of respect for Daniel Mersey as a historian, but connect him mostly with the Dark Ages. Is this a D6 system? Sell me on these rules. Simple is good. |
Unrepentant Werewolf 2 | 05 Nov 2014 3:13 p.m. PST |
I think so, some of us got ready to start Crescent and Cross and then as we didn't all have stuff ready, decided to have a go at LR. My usual gaming partner who has been playing historicals for over thirty years reckons that LR is better at the crusade era, and after three games I'm happy with it. |
Micman | 05 Nov 2014 3:36 p.m. PST |
They have made a big splash in the greater Seattle area. Many of the SAGA players are doing both. One player loves them and is having a great time getting all of his HYW figures out of the box. It does have some drawbacks, but overall a fun and fast game. |
Maddaz111 | 05 Nov 2014 3:40 p.m. PST |
It seems to be another excellent rule book. I'm having lots of fun with the new osprey style of rules. They are good value, colourful, and seem to be enjoyable. The books are not just pretty pictures with the latest revision of charge added on. |
nnascati | 05 Nov 2014 4:51 p.m. PST |
A fellow on Lead Adventure asked me for more information as to what I considered good. Here is my response - Okay, so a bit more info? Well I like a game that does not require hours of reading to understand. I love The Sword and the Flame, and I've heard the rules compared to that, as well as the old Rules According to Ral. My regular gaming partner is my son in law, who enjoys gaming, but is not a history buff. So, something that will grab his interest as well as mine. |
Who asked this joker | 05 Nov 2014 5:00 p.m. PST |
nnascati, Based on your description of what you like, you will probably like the rules. I had a grasp of the game mechanics after 1 pass through the rules. We have similar tastes so there you go. Hope that helps, John |
nazrat | 05 Nov 2014 6:18 p.m. PST |
It's a really good game, I think, and far better than SAGA for me. I like the way units are activated by a 2D6 roll-- beat the unit's Leadership (generally between 5 and 7, depending on how good they are) and you can activate them, and you can keep going with more units until you fail a roll or run out of units. Then your opponent gets to try to get his guys going. Casualties count against the activation rolls, too. Combat involves a fair number of dice (NOT a "bucketfull", though) rolled by each side. Attacker uses his Attack stat and the defender his Defense stat which is generally a higher number. Once you find out how many hits each side has then casualties are figured by what the armor stat of each unit is. If it is a 3, for example, then every three hits kills a model. Fairly simple and direct, and not too bloody. But once combat is over then both sides take a Morale test if any casualties have been taken. I will state that I have only watched one game so I may have a few details off and there is far more to the rules, although they are far from complicated. I hope that helps, Nick! |
The Beast Rampant | 05 Nov 2014 6:56 p.m. PST |
I just received my copy this evening. I hope to join the masses who speak highly of it. As stated at least once here before, there is lots of very useful input/ alt rules/ army lists on Board Game Geek. |
nnascati | 05 Nov 2014 7:26 p.m. PST |
So I ordered the rules. I'll have time to read them through fully, while I save up money for figures. Too many projects, too little budget. |
vtsaogames | 05 Nov 2014 7:39 p.m. PST |
I just got DBA 3.0 and L'Art de la Guerre in the mail, so I'll have to hold off for a while on Lion Rampant. |
FABET01 | 05 Nov 2014 7:51 p.m. PST |
Rule of thumb is you can't go wrong with anything written Daniel Mersey. Always very playable, well written with a good common sense and fun attitude. |
Shagnasty | 05 Nov 2014 8:29 p.m. PST |
We've played some test games at GHG in Austin and rather like it. Very suitable for a feudal bash or large battle with each man his retinue. I've bought them and am evaluating my FoG troops for use. |
oldbob | 05 Nov 2014 8:49 p.m. PST |
Only real investment is the rule book, 16.00 to 18.00 dollars. thirty to fifty figures for a 24 point army. Rulers and twelve dice. |
MajorB | 06 Nov 2014 8:03 a.m. PST |
nits are activated by a 2D6 roll-- beat the unit's Leadership (generally between 5 and 7, depending on how good they are) and you can activate them So a good Leadership value is a low number? |
oldbob | 06 Nov 2014 8:12 a.m. PST |
MajorB; The lower the activation number for movement and attack the better the chances they will perform well for you. My mounted men at arms, just mostly sat and watched the battle last game, they needed a 7! |
Pattus Magnus | 06 Nov 2014 8:47 a.m. PST |
nnascati – I don't know what scales you've already committed to, but if you're starting the period from scratch there's nothing in the Lion Rampant rules to prevent you from using single based (or even multi-based and show casualties with plastic rings or caps) 1/72 plastics or 15mm figs to keep the costs down. The combat and such is unit-to-unit rather than figure to figure, so there is not much advantage to larger or small base 'footprints'. IMO, 15mm would actually bring the game-scale (which isn't specified exactly anyway) and figure scale closer together and would look good. |
KSmyth | 06 Nov 2014 11:55 a.m. PST |
I really like them. They are clearly written and mechanically simple. The 3" zone of control and activation rolls make for some interesting game challenges. That it is relatively inexpensive is also nice. I've played or run six games of LR. I think it offers more opportunities for scenario design than other ancient/medieval rules do. However, I do feel that the game requires some room to allow for the ZOC. A 6 player game, with each running a 24 point retinue could require an easy 10 foot board. Very fun Nick. Worth your time. |
mashrewba | 06 Nov 2014 12:30 p.m. PST |
All units are 6 or 12 figs -but it will work with units of 3 and 6 etc throwing less dice. Multi based figs will work as well as singles. |
DeltaBravo | 06 Nov 2014 3:06 p.m. PST |
Do they have the potential to work solo reasonably well? |
uglyfatbloke | 07 Nov 2014 3:26 a.m. PST |
The 'retinue' approach sounds a bit questionable. Medieval armies deployed for battle in troop-types – spears, bows, cavalry – rather than as several personal forces. |
KSmyth | 07 Nov 2014 6:46 a.m. PST |
I think the author intends "retinue" to be a simplistic label everyone understands. It's more in-period than say "clot of guys," which I might prefer. But first and foremost this is not a "battle" set of rules. They are skirmishes representing raids, chevauchees, and the kind of "to the knife" encountered in Brittany during the long civil war there in the middle 14th century, the endless fighting in Gascony during the Hundred Years War. Scale-wise it's just right. Not an Agincourt set of rules, or Crecy, or Bannockburn or any of the other large battles. |
boy wundyr x | 07 Nov 2014 8:35 a.m. PST |
From the comments above it sounds like the Crusades work for it, how about say Mongols vs. Russians? I'm sort of thinking I could do this in 6mm as a Tier II sort of project; I have a ton of 6mm terrain for other projects and it'd be a small figure investment. |
Wombling Free | 07 Nov 2014 10:37 a.m. PST |
There are lists for Mongols and Russians in the rules, boy wundyr x. Does that help? I am half tempted to dip into Lion Rampant in 6mm as a travel set. It would be very easy to make a game set that would fit into a small tin. uglyfatbloke, it's a skirmish game, as KSmyth notes, and the retinue you command in the game would be the personal following of someone with 40 -60 followers or so. You certainly would not be fielding enough troops to have to deploy like an army, although your figures will be deployed in units with the same weapons and armour as an army would be. |
Pan Marek | 07 Nov 2014 10:57 a.m. PST |
How do you think they would work with forces from the Viking Age? The notion of "boasts" seems appropriate, as does the "large skirmish" scale. Does one need to invent new troop types? |
boy wundyr x | 07 Nov 2014 11:12 a.m. PST |
Thanks Dr. Berserker, that does help – I didn't see a list of the lists, the game seemed more Crusader-ish and France/Britain-ish in the reviews. @Pan Marek – there's also TooFatLardies Dux Britannarium (sp?) with the Raiders supplement for the Viking Age. |
Logain | 07 Nov 2014 12:58 p.m. PST |
@ Pan Marek – the author has posted examples of Viking Age Norse, Saxons, Normans etc on the game's Board Game Geek page. Seems like it should work well for that period. |
uglyfatbloke | 09 Nov 2014 4:40 a.m. PST |
I wonder if they would work well for the kind of men-at-arms clash that typifies Anglo-Scottish war in the 14thC. ? Any thoughts? |
Massei | 19 Nov 2014 7:11 a.m. PST |
The rules were a quick and enjoyable read with great sense of humor mixed in with the content. They were clearly presented, and I feel like I could play after single pass through the rules. Thus the game complexity is minimal. The orders based activation sequence adds a certain amount of fog of war without sacrificing any of the playability which is refreshingly on the "beer and pretzels" side of things instead of tedious worrying about details of armament or armor. Limited unit sizes along with the points system limits "escalation" although you can play with larger overall forces while still keeping the individual unit sizes down to 6 or 12 which in my opinion is great. It's given some old figures of mine in storage new lease on life! |
Bagpiper | 02 May 2015 4:42 a.m. PST |
I like LR a lot , they suit what I,m looking for in medieval Low level warfare ! There is also an ECW Unoficial supplement 😊 |
janner | 02 May 2015 1:03 p.m. PST |
I wonder if they would work well for the kind of men-at-arms clash that typifies Anglo-Scottish war in the 14thC. ? Any thoughts?
I'd say a strong, yes. They sit as the fun, pseudo skirmish end of the spectrum |
uglyfatbloke | 02 May 2015 10:39 p.m. PST |
We've had a shot at it since I posted and it's not bad. I did n't like them at all at first sight (and fiorst game too) since the forces (for England and Scotland anyway) make no historical sense, but as the writer says, LR is not intended to be a history lesson; it's a game with toy soldiers. With a bit of tweaking I think it will work well for small actions in the 14thC as long as we have no infantry involved, just men-at-arms. We intend to use them for a 'game of Thrones' campaign, for which I think they will be well-suited. |
janner | 02 May 2015 11:48 p.m. PST |
If you go to their forum, you'll see all sorts of lists knocking around and the author is on hand to comment. I'd sure all would appreciate your input duxrampant.yuku.com |