"Fast play rules for SYW" Topic

Looking for a simple set of Rules for convention play. What are folks using these days?
Play tested All the King's Men this past weekend. And it's easy to pick up, but the card tossing and multiple activations is a bit awkward to rationalize results.
Any thoughts?

"Honours of War" from Osprey.
link

Konig Krieg (Outland Games) were good fast rules but are a little old for today.

Volley and Bayonet. I usually run Lobositz with all new players in less than three hours.

A simple set of rules for convention play? Gentlemen of France Fire First. An 81/2 x 11 sheet folded in half for 4 pages.

Der Alte Fritz has a set of one page rules that he uses for convention games and he gives them away for free. You can download a PDF from the Fife & Drum web page.

link

I've played in a few of his games at the SYW Association convention, using these rules, and they are easy to learn and fun to play.

I'll second Honours of War a simple but subtle game that lasts a couple of hours.

would anyone know where to find a copy of gentlemen of France, Fire? I played that at a convention years ago and had a wonderful game. Please PM me.

I've got a copy of Gentlemen of France Fire First somewhere. I'll see if I can dig it up.

Honours of War. It's the shiny new Osprey title. It is a quick play game in the best sense. Old Fritz's one page rules would also fit the bill nicely. Disclaimer: I have not played either yet.

Gentlemen of France: Google the RAFM catalogue for 1986 or 89, they're in that.

For convention and large group club play Volley & Bayonet is the best I have encountered.

For club and 2-player games I would highly recommend Phil Barker's new Horse, Foot, & Guns.

Both will give you excellent games. I have SYW in both 6mm and 25mm.

Joe Collins

I've played a couple solo games of Honours of War. Start off simple with a small brigade per player and you should have a cracking game.

Yep. GOFFF: RAFM catalogue 1989. Units organisation is described as 'company/squadron'.

Can anyone amplify on the melee and morale rules?

GOFFF works off the variable die principle. Elites use a d12, veterans, d10', etc. Roll a 6+ to hit. Start checking morale when unit (8-10 figures) loses 25% of its strength.

I will be in and out all day, but if someone needs a copy of Gentlemen of France Fire First leave me your email address.

Yet another thumbs up for Honours of War from Osprey. I've played it about six times so far, against opponents, and we've quite enjoyed it.

Amazon has some reviews…

link

I've been meaning to get the Osprey Rules. We'll give it a go and see how it turns out.
Kon "TheGaffer"

Why do they call you TheGaffer?
I bring the lights to the conventions…

BTW,
What's the basing for the Osprey rules?

Hi Cyrus I would love a copy of GOFFF

Email is sgt.steiner @ btinternet.com

Cheers

Cyrus,
I would like a copy as well. Thank you very much
caubeen@aol.com

What's the basing for the Osprey rules?

Whatever you already have!

The author suggests that a unit's frontage is roughly the same as maximum musket fire range. Our group uses 15mm figures, based on 40x30 bases, four stands per battalion. So, 120mm frontage but then just to confuse the issue we then use the 20mm measurements. We tend to like larger ranges and movement on larger tables, although there has been some rumbling to try changing the movement scale to 15mm, and only use three stands per battalion.

@Sgt Steiner,
I get the error address not recognized.

Yeah, I figured out what you did!

Played my first game of Honours of War with a buddy last night. It was a lot of fun, so I ordered a copy for myself.

What's the basing for the Osprey rules?

As stated above, anything goes if both sides are the same. I have a load of 15mm figures where battalions are 4 inches wide so I use the 15mm QRS. If I had it to do over again I'd use 10mm figures, 80 per battalion on an 8 inch front and use the 25/28MM QRS.

But I won't go there…

I'm wondering if anyone who has played Honours of War can comment on the artillery rules? There were several games played at the recent SYW Assn. convention and one of the things mentioned by the participants was that the artillery was too powerful in the game.

If you have played HoW, did you have a similar experience with artillery and if so, did you make any modifications?

I have a copy of the rules and the production values are very good and the rules as written seem to be easy to understand. I'm planning on playing a small encounter battle to give the rules a test drive.

I have only played 2 small games with a brigade and a battery per side. Perhaps combined artillery can be rather strong but I can't say from experience.

If so, then give artillery -1 across the board. Otherwise everything else seems right.

I would note that the artillery are position batteries and most infantry is assumed to have battalion guns.

I've only played one game so far, and all the artillery on the table (what little there was) was light artillery. It didn't seem terribly deadly, especially compared to musketry. Having said that, I imagine that medium or heavy guns would inflict more hits on average.

Are "Honours of War" rules brigade or battalion scale?

Battalion scale. In the couple of games I have played I didn't find the artillery too overpowered. I really like HoW and won't plan on playing with any modifications.

Thanks to Sgt Steiner, I've put a copy of GOFFF online.
Two files totalling 4 pages at:
goo.gl/UvCS7w

Just tried to access it. It's on a google where you need permission.
Thanks,
Phil

Ask and you shall receive

I thought Warfare in the Age of Reason was a fast play set? Surprised no one mentioned it. Admittedly I never tried them but was interested in the new generation rules.

No one has mentioned Might and Reason. We did Torgau last Saturday with four players in less than three hours.

King of the Battlefield gets my vote every time.

There is an old Yahoo group. Have a look in the photo sections for large multi player games. It has to be easy to play if a dozen or more are involved. Looks great too.

Have fun.

Finally tried this rule set. Played Lobositz out of the book. Artillery does seem too powerful. Also, it moves too easy for SYW. Several players used Napoleonic like tactics of pushing artillery forward. I picture SYW artillery as more static.

Also, fire out of BUAs appears too powerful. I think you should only be allowed short range Fire out of buildings.

Thoughts? Did I miss something?

Meant Honours of War…..

I was looking for a set of the those GOFF Rules myself.

Need to pick other sets of rules that give 18th century "Flavor" rather than mechanics.

@bobblanchett

Thank you for allowing me to D/L the rules!

Another vote for DAF'a Rules.

We have played ATKM without the card draw by allowing the player who has the initiative (1st Player) to activate one unit followed by the 2nd Player. Beginners seem to pick it up faster

So…I read these GOFF rules. Do I read correctly, that if your opponent picks a three card, he gets to perform three functions for all of his units while you get to perform one for each; and even then only after he does does all his actions?

That sounds like the Kings prerogative during the chess game from the film "History of the World Part 1".