"French-Indian war books, rules too" Topic

What are the best books on the French-Indian war in America for wargaming purposes. I'm looking for background info (politics & leaders) and battle descriptions and some info on the weapons, uniforms and tactics used.

I understand that Muskets & Tomahawks is a good ruleset to use for this period skirmishing. What other sets are available for the period?

"Last of the Mohicans" by James Fenimore Cooper.

The other two rulesets you might consider are:

This Very Ground link
and
Long Rifle link

For non-fiction I think these two are very good:

Empires at War: The French and Indian War and the Struggle for North America, 1754-1763 link
and
The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War link

And for fiction of course Last of the Mohicans and I just finished this one which is good as well:

Shadowbrook: A Novel of Love, War, and the Birth of America link

Steve

I wasn't aware that THW had a ruleset for this. I like the idea of an immersion game very much. I hope it works in practice as well.

Redcoats by Steve Brumwell

Thee rule set has to be, This Very Ground" by Iron Ivan…

P.

"Crucible of War" is another good book:

link

THW Muskets and Mohawks allows play vs the game system itself. We have played 3 guys on the same side vs. the system and had good games. Several times we beat up the game side and other times were chased off the field in a mad rush.

Ganesha Games just came out with Song of Drums and Tomahawks, which is the Song of Drums and Shakos engine converted to conflicts with First Nations in North America in the 1600s to 1830s.

Toofatlardies's Sharp Practice using their Longue Carabine supplement has been my choice for the last few years. Seems to have a good combination of character actions, playability and accurate casualty and morale effects. Its not a your dead-or-okay set of rules but allows for more natural reactions. You can play it as a straight skirmish wargame or tart it up as much as you want with player characters, goals and victory conditions.
Mark

Forgot about that one Mark, thanks for the reminder.

I'm interested in the campaign aspects for this era. Can I use Sharp Practice and the Longue Carbine 2011 summer special rules to run campaigns for a set of "heroes"? The play would be traditional head-to-head competition then with durable hero characters?

I'm familiar with THW rules and how they're put together so I'm quite excited about Long Rifle for skirmish gaming. The co-operative aspect of THW rules is pretty appealing. It's a decision between these two sets I think. Or both. :|

I'm ordering a couple of books tomorrow, probably Crucible of War (good reviews), maybe something from Osprey. And of course rules to study.

I do not see why SP would not work for a campaign. I have played several games that are connected with the same characters in F&I and AWI. Actions still depends on me making a dice roll though so I always have a moment of silence before committing any act of derring-do with the lead men. I'm always amazed that they can survive to the next game.

I bought Sharp Practice today, and the La Longue Carabine supplement. Crucible of War is incoming too. Unfortunately the Osprey book I was planning to buy was out of stock.

Next up, the miniatures.

I like the look of Conquest miniatures. What manufacturers are compatible with those? Will they work with Warlord games' plastic miniatures?

Will they work with Warlord games' plastic miniatures?

I think all the Warlord Games FIW figures are metal, not plastic.

I'm actually running a game of la Longue Carabine tomorrow at Gigabites Café in Marietta GA. Fall foliage always puts me in the mood for a F&I game.

Redoubt has a very nice range of FIW figures. They are quite big 28s but very compatible with the equally good Galloping Major Range. Between those two ranges you have everything you'll ever need and more.
Both companies are stll adding to their ranges which is always a good thing.

WillieB: Yeah I ordered Rangers from Galloping Major, and some French Regulars from Redoubt. Both have extensive ranges and will fit my needs perfectly.

The negative is the price of 28 mm. But between them, the Rangers are pretty much a complete unit now, with 34 figures and the French can be reinforced by militia or Indian warriors later on. I think I could play a game between the Regulars and Rangers sooner.

The other challenge is getting the paint jobs right. Finding sources for this era is not a given.

I am reading the book Crucible of War right now and just put it down since opening the first page. Quite fascinating how the situation evolved from the beginning. I could run scenarios based only on the first skirmishes in the book.