"By Fire and Sword Rules Question" Topic
8 Posts
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ccmatty | 22 May 2021 6:49 p.m. PST |
Looking at getting started in this interesting period. would like larger game feel beyond skirmish. Will Task Force book provide all of the rules or do I need Players Edition as well? Also, is Deluge out of date now? Is the original (really thick) rule book out of date now? Thanks. |
Bohdan Khmelnytskij | 22 May 2021 8:00 p.m. PST |
Task force should do it. The Deluge is good and still valid. The original big book is also usuable but it is out of print. There is also a web site that lets you put together army lists. You can get the rules in the US at WargamerUS.com |
Martyn K | 22 May 2021 8:21 p.m. PST |
The really thick rule book is out of date and is not offered for sale any more on the Fire and Sword websites. The really thick book contains the rules and organization charts. The players edition is essentially the realy thick rule book, but without the organizational charts that are now available on line, However, the players edition has really, really small print. Unless your eyes are good I would recommend that you find a second hand copy of the really thick rule book. I believe that there are a couple of extra rules and clarifications in this book but nothing to worry about. The Task Force book DOES NOT CONTAIN THE RULES. There are a couple of extra tules in this book for task force level coflicts. The task force level conflicts are between the small and large scale battles in the large and players edition books. The Deluge book is conflict specific information for the Deluge. In short – you need either the large book or the players edition book for the bulk of the rules. They really don't explain this well anywhere. I spent a load of time trying to understand this issue before buying books – it is one of the few things that they haven't done well. Please feel free to ask for any extra information that you need. |
ccmatty | 22 May 2021 8:41 p.m. PST |
Thank you both. Martyn – do you enjoy the game? Bohdan – same question to you… |
ccmatty | 22 May 2021 8:48 p.m. PST |
Different question – If I get the players edition AND task force, will I be covered for both rules and larger scale games? |
advocate | 23 May 2021 2:36 a.m. PST |
I do enjoy the game. It's pretty detailed, but works well. Players' edition and Task Force should be enough, though I did score the original big book on ebay, and it is indeed easier to read. |
Martyn K | 23 May 2021 6:46 a.m. PST |
To answer your questions: The Players edition has rules for both skirmish and divisional level games. That book (or the out of print larger book) is all that you need to play. Task Force fills a gap between these two levels. You do not need it to start playing. As for the game, it is quite a detailed set of rules that give a good representation of the troops and period. It is certainly very good for skirmish level and smaller (task force) level games. This is where I use it and I enjoy it. I also like putting on larger level games at the club where people are often not familiar with the rules or don't play them regularly. For example, yesterday I put on an 8 player game of the 1651 Battle of Berestechko with about 600 figures. I would never dream of using By Fire and Sword for this type of game. In my opinion it is too complex for this type of situation. I actually used Pike and Shotte yesterday. However, there are people who do put on large scale games using these rules. I think that large scale games could work with these rules but in order to have the type of fast moving game that I enjoy, I think that most of the players would need to have a good knowledge of the rules and play them regularly. I would suggest starting with smaller battles where the rules really shine and then build up if you find it works for you. |
advocate | 23 May 2021 10:22 a.m. PST |
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