"Modern/sci-fi small skirmish rules?" Topic

A friend and I are looking around for rules to play small sci-fi skirmishes (5-10 individual figures). What modern or sci-fi rules match this game size for 28mm figures?

I know of Rogue Stars, Clash on the Fringe, 5 Parsecs from Home, and In the Emperors Name for sci-fi rules.

For modern games, I know of Flying Lead and No End in Sight.

Thanks

For sci-fi: Void Pirates, Infinity, Necromunda.
For modern: Black Ops, OSC.

there is the useme series of rules as well

link

Infinity rules are amazing for this period and scale of game. Plus you can get them for free.

Starport scum looks good.

Pulp Alley, esp. with the thematic bits in Pulp Leagues, does this very well. It's focused on effects, rather than equipment – the characters are more important than the gear, but gear is easily represented.

Force on Force and Tomorrow's War by Ambush Alley.

Not sure if it is any batter, but Flying Lead would fit the bill. It even has lists for a Stargate scenario and a Blackhawk Down scenario: Delta force and army rangers vs Somali insurgents.

Take a look at Firefight 2.0 by Alternative Armies (Ion Age). Good game, simple but challenging.

Two Hour Wargames has the "5150" rules for SciFi & rules for WWII & Vietnam; you can download free SciFi skirmish rules & "Chain Reaction 2015" for modern combat at the website.

Try Chain Reaction, but switch in the combat mechanics. All free and easy to pick up.

link

Occult wars works well.

Force on Force and Tomorrow's War, same game engine, two worlds.

Rogue Planet (not to be confused with Rogue Stars) might fit the bill.
Its very avant-garde though

+1 Two Hour Wargames System. My "go to" for skirmishes at this level.

Laserblade makes a very good intro system if you have a new(ish) player.

ospreypublishing.com/scrappers

+3 for Two Hour Wargames Chain Reaction & 2d6 Sci-Fi rule books, both are free link

Use any figures you want or have, in any scale. The rules are easy to learn. Great for someone just getting into wargaming. They also have an active, friendly forum where you can get any question you might have answered quickly, usually by Ed himself. link

Pulp Alley!

For a free game, Slammer. Give it a google, sort of cinematic but the lower end of "cinematic".
Very clever activation system.

I'm surprised that FoF and Tomorrow's War have been recommended; they're platoon-level games. Even with ten figures per side you'd only have a couple of fire teams per player, and two units per side doesn't make for much of a game.

D10 FUBAR – it's almost always the answer……..

The pulp supplement for GASLIGHT, called To Be Continued… by GASLIGHT, could be used for the kinds of games you suggest. This supplement is part of the GASLIGHT Compendium. There is a free GASLIGHT starter rules document available for free download from Wargames Vault, so you can take a look at how they work.

Buck Surdu

"One Page 40k" (think they call it "GRIMDARK" or something now, is a cool set. Same with FUBAR, a very underrated set.

Infinity would be my initial recommendation, can't go wrong with FREE rules!

Tomorrow's War/Ambush Alley/Force on Force are really a step bigger than that, intended for a platoon per side or so.

For "Grimdark Future" (Formerly "One Page 40k") Make sure you're going for the "GF: Firefight" rules. That's the skirmish game. the regular "Grimdark Future" Game is intended for regular 40k size battle games.

Their "Double Tap" ruleset is also worth looking at. It says it's aimed at spec-ops battles in the near future.

onepagerules.com

THW or Clash on the Fringe would be my suggestions. Let us know what you end up trying.