"FIW Skirmish level rules comparison request" Topic

I'm thinking of taking the plunge into FIW gaming. My interest is in small skirmish level battles (25mm, individually based miniatures, a dozen to maybe 50 models per side). After poking around, it seems like two solid rules choices are Muskets and Tomahawks and Song of Drums and Tomahawks. I've found lots of reviews for M&T, but none for SoD&T. Can anyone give an opinion on the differences/similarities of the systems and which one (if any) is preferred? Thanks (Also, if I've missed another high quality skirmish system feel free to tell me).

Don't forget Sharp Practice 2.

Take a look here for an alternative and some Bat Reps explaining how they work.

link

FYI – Muskets and Mohawks pre-dates the other two rule sets. You can't go wrong with any of the three. Make that four!

Sharp Practice has FIW lists in the main rules.

TSATF has an FIW variant.

You could also use "The Sword in the Forest" variant of "The Sword and the Flame" rules ( sergeants3.com/18.html bottom of page 2). You can go as small or as large as you need and have players.

Some battle reports and associated "unit" pictures can be found on here:

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Jim

I have and have played both "Song of Drums and Tomahawks" and "Muskets and Tomahawks".

Song of… is ideal and better suited to a warrant size play (5-12 minis per side). I've tried it with "platoon" size play, and it bogged down a fair bit. It's a really fast playing easy game system, and I highly recommend it

Musket and Tomahawks plays out better at the platoon level. A few dozen minis per side or more is the sweet spot for that game. It plays fairly fast, uses card based activation, and pretty simple mechanics. It also has really interesting rules for "additional" plot lines (goals in the game).

I've read but not played both the 2 HR Warfare rules for F&IW (Long Rifle for warband style play, and Muskets and Mohawks for platoon level play). Both read well, and have really interesting mechanics that I like, it's just finding other players that can be hard with those sets.

Can't speak much to Sharp Practice for F&IW, but the reviews I read seem to make it look good for platoon level play (few dozen+)

This very ground is a good set too

Also take a look at "Buckskins and Rangers" at this link:

battlefieldgamedesigns.com

If you have any questions shoot me an e-mail.
Regards,
Hitman

Get'em all. Seriously.

Mine are free at: link

You should also consider Brother Against Brother. While it was intended for ACW, the book includes rules for FIW, and I think it works well. I really like the morale system in Brother Against Brother.

Both read well, and have really interesting mechanics that I like, it's just finding other players that can be hard with those sets.

Best way to do this is when you play the game with a new person, play cooperatively on the same side. Makes it easier for them to learn the mechanics as they're not so concerned about losing to another player.

All THW games are specifically made to be played solo and cooperatively.

Quite a few people I know play this way.

All the rules mentioned are worthwhile. You'll find something.

Another vote For this Very Ground

I have also played both "Song of Drums and Tomahawks" and "Muskets and Tomahawks". Both are reputed to be "skirmish" games, and are at a 1:1 figure scale.

SoDT is a pure skirmish game. There are no "units" (though there are some "group activations"). It is a fast playing and easy game system as has been stated, as long as you keep it to a dozen or so figures per side. Every characteristic is a "trait". So the "musket trait" means the figure has a musket. One of the most entertaining traits is the "scalper trait". If a figure with this trait KOs an enemy figure, it must immediately make a quality check; if it fails, it must use all subsequent actions to move to that figure and scalp it. Individual figures have morale, but then the next level of morale is for the entire side. Each figure has a Quality rating, you can roll up to 3D6 to try to get 3 actions per figure; however, if you fail two or more, that side's turn ends and it flips to the other side.

M&T is kind of a "grand skirmish" game. Figures are grouped into units – plus individual officers. Units are typically 6-12 figures. There is morale for units, and then there is morale for an entire side. It also plays pretty fast once you learn the rules. Activation is card driven by side/unit type. M&T units and officers have "traits", and officers can have "side plots". There are also "random events". An M&T game will typically be a much larger game than a SoDT game.

For larger Song of Drums and Tomahawks games I suggest breaking each side up as if you had multiple players on each side. For example a game with say a two dozen models on each side you might break up into British regular player, French player, British provincials, French indian player.

I have This Very Ground rules but have yet to play. What I thought was interesting about the rules is their take on reloading black powder weapons. All the black powder era rules have a reload mechanic where you shoot then spend an action/turn to reload. TVG has an additional mechanic called volume of fire. When shooting a unit has three choices on how to shoot. Each choice adds a number of smoke counters. 'Fire at Will' a small number of models fire and the rest are assumed to be waiting or reloading. 'Fire' half the models shoot (2 smoke counters). 'Volley' everyone shoots and the target gets a negative moral effect (4 smoke counters). Finally a reload action removes 1 smoke counter.