"SYW rules 1 to 20 " Topic

I am looking for a set of SYW rules at 1 to 20 scale for 25mm figs..brigade sized forces We used a modified version of old Fredrick the Great rules years ago but am getting back into it,,suggestions ?

I could be wrong, but Z&M Enterprises' old "Tricorne" rules, from the 1970s, might have had a 1:20 figure scale. And if not 1:20, it was something close, like 1:25. (I sold my copy ages ago.)

It might not be easy tracking down a copy these rules. But since you mentioned "Frederick the Great", I figured it couldn't hurt to make another old school recommendation.

Jeff

Pulled my old copy of Tricorne – "recommends" 1:20 (not required) with 1:50 for larger battles.

Edit I have so many "never will use again rules" like Tricorne and Pas de Charge that I will probably have to have shredded when I die… Sigh, I love old rules for inspiration but many of them are not playable anymore given Real Life (patent pending) in my Elder Days.

Mitre, Mustache and Musket is nominally 1:50, but the guy who ran all of the games years ago doubled the size of the stands and the number of figures per stand, making it 1:25. I played many a game and always had a good time. They are fairly simple rules as well.

Isn't BAR roughly 1:20, and thoroughly adaptable to other ratios?

Hi Don,

Looking at my copy of Tricorne now… by Ken Bunger, Z&M Enterprises, 1977…

Scales, pg.3 paragraph A: one figure represents 25 real men, except in the case of artillery, where one figure represents 6 men.

The organization and mounting calls for platoons of 6 figures for infantry, and 2 figures for cavalry (half platoon).

If you want it, make me an offer and it's yours. PM me

Isn't BAR roughly 1:20, and thoroughly adaptable to other ratios?

Ive played BAR quite a bit with the author and it is playable at other figure ratios.

I highly recommend it.

link

Thanks

Chuck

As Chuck says, we have used Batailles dans l'Ancien Regime ("BAR") at a variety of casting to figure ratios and all of them work just fine. Our standard ratio is 1:10, but lately, we have used the rules for 1:20 and no adjustments are necessary.

I used to use Rusty's Rules for 18th Century Warfare for 1:20 and enjoyed them for 10+ years before I switched to my own, less chart heavy, rules for 1:20 and BAR for my 1:10 armies.

"Rank & File" by Mark Sims of Crusader Miniatures operates at or around 1:20, and gives a good game.

My caveat with BAR is they are not great for a newbie. (It sounds like you have experience though, since you mention playing years ago). They seem to be widely enjoyed and respected by experienced gamers, but as a newcomer, they are not what one typically expects from a ruleset. Non-linear in their presentation and kind of mostly a collection of notes about the period and basing units. The rules themselves are a fine printed 4 page insert. A fine read all in all, but I was not able to start playing a game and set them aside for Might and Reason and AoR.

Der Alte Fritz mentioned it already:
'Rusty's Rules' by RSM (now DPC, but don't know if these are available -Woodland Wars was an FIW skirmish by them that was fun too) uses 1:20 and is a percentage based game -so five stands of figures.

Try these meant to be entertaining BAR tutorials:
----
link
----
link
----
link
----
Bonne Chance,
Bill P.

I helped write Rusty's Rules and lost all my copies in a fire a few years ago..we used inspiration from several different rules sets Fredrick the Great being one..anyone having an old set who wants to give it a good new home pm me Don

I largely find figure to man scale irrelevant. The same goes for ground scale in most instances. I prefer games that feel right and play well and, IMHO, if that's right everything else you want slots in just fine.

It's funny, I think, that you are not asking for the BEST rules for SYW.

Still, horses for courses, whatever floats your boat.

My stuff is currently in boxes so don't know if have a copy. Hold your breath and sit down heavyhorse – available from Noble Knight in Janesville for 7 times the cost it was in 1988 – so about $35 USD USD -also have Woodland Wars for $25. USD
I got an old Steve Jackson mini game (Sticks and Stones) from them for a rather hefty price – lost my old copy.

link

WOW to rich for my tired old blood..I know how much they cost to make back in the day and what we sold the for..

I largely find figure to man scale irrelevant. The same goes for ground scale in most instances. I prefer games that feel right and play well and, IMHO, if that's right everything else you want slots in just fine.

Most of us are seeking games that look right and play well. What it takes to get there though is going to vary from person to person. Just as some want to play wargames with realistic scenery rather than just scenic markers, so also some want to play wargames where the figures indicate the actual unit strength and the frontage occupied. Figure ratios do this nicely. Where they have problems is with unit depth. That can be dealt with or ignored depending on the gamer's preferences.

My suggestion heavyhorse is not to get hung up on a rule set having a specific figure to men ratio. Rules can frequently be adjusted to reflect different ratios, just as they can be adjusted to reflect different figure scales.

I agree we once did empire 2 using 1 to 20 scale and it can be done…just been out of the game for a while and have no point of reference aside from the old rules I played in the 80's

I have used a altered set of British Grenadier AWI rules with success

Der Kriegkunst (same stable as British Grenadier but actually for SYW) can be 1:20 or 1:40.