"Rules recommendations" Topic

Hi all,

I'm coming back to wargaming after a looooong layoff – as in I started with CS Grant's horse & musket rules before graduating to Bruce Quarrie.

I'm looking for rules recommendations. I'll be running solo not competitive and so more interested in historical simulation than speed and simplicity. Something that's good for division-corps size games at a scale of 1 figure to 60 men.

Anyone fancy recommending something?

thanks

Black Powder
Command & Colors Napoleonics

Have you considered the upcoming General d'Armee by Dave Brown?

link

I doubt many modern rules would fit that description, certainly not BP or C&C. You would look to a more old school rule set like Empire, Shako, or Houserules. I have not read anything on Mr Browns rules so I can't comment on them.

Try Revolution and Empire

The new Et Sans Resultat would definitely be worth a look. More on the simulation side but still pretty easy to play.

thewargamingcompany.com/esr

Overview:

TMP link

You described Empire. Go with that I'd say.

Le Feu Sacre.

Shako 2, battalion level, Divisions being the essential movement unit. Good historical game.

I love Commands & Colors as a game and play it all the time, but I would not consider it a simulation. It is fun, easy, and quick and I like playing it with the blocks sans figures. I wouldn't recommend it based on what you are looking for.

May want to give these a try link

Welcome back sir!

To meet the criteria you described (I play mostly solo as well) I too would suggest La Feu Sacre (Version 3 has all the kinks worked out) or the set of rules from Dave Brown coming in a weeks time – General de Armee. He has a great pedigree in this period and this set is already well described on the web and is pitched at the level you describe.

Since you ask for a skew more toward historical simulation than game I would respectfully suggest that Black Powder, La Salle, Napoleon at War, Command & Colours (all of them excellent in their own way) are sets with different objectives, striving more toward fast and fun play.

Et Sans Resultant and Napoleons Battles are great games in their own right but are striving for the big, multi-corps battle and are way above the level of detail you are asking for.

Another recent set, Over the Hills, seems also very scaleable up and down the command chain and could sit at divisional level but I've not actually played it yet and cant comment in detail. I've played all the others I've mentioned, some more than others.

Shako 2. Good feel, big battles, playable, can finish a game in an afternoon
Field of Battle 2. Not everyone's cup of tea… card driven, can be frustrating for control freaks mid size game ideal, though I have seen big games

Can't remark about other sets mentioned above as I haven't played
LaSalle didn't excite me

General d'Armee out on 21st May.

See the You Tube videos…..

YouTube link

For solo play I can't recommend enough the computer moderated rule set "Carnage&Glory II". They have a very active yahoo group.

We are playing Peninsular War using "Over the Hills" at the moment. We find the rules do allow reasonable historical simulations; historical tactics work well in these rules. The basic rules are quite simple, but the optional additions give a bit more complexity and introduce national characteristics.
Definitely worth a go and I think they would work equally well in solo games.

Although I personally don't care for the rules, for
your gaming objectives I'd heartily recommend
_Carnage and Glory II_.

I play Empire solo, its not fast but I can set up and don't need to break it down

My take on Featherstone's H7M rules. PDF link It works really well and leaves little for interpretation. Since you started with CS Grant, you might enjoy these.

I would recommend Black Powder Rules. Hope it helps.

Take care

Andy

I would look at David Browns new rules General D'Armee . There have now been some videos done to introduce people to the game and an insight to how it works.

Gosh, thanks everyone for that. Lot's to go on. I've come across Empire with a bit of Googling but can't seem to source a copy – unfortunately as it sounds like what I'm looking for.

I'll check out General D'Armee when it's released and La Feu Sacre in the meantime – and if anyone has a pointer to sourcing a copy of Empire… (I remember seeing a copy in a wargames store when the first edition was released, but I was just drifting away from wargaming then, how time flies!)

Thanks again.

Joker – thanks for making your Don Featherstone's available – very nostalgic, enough so as to make me think I may use them for a game.

Thanks