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"Which miniatures skirmish game has the crunchiest combat?" Topic


25 Posts

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2,330 hits since 27 Sep 2021
©1994-2025 Bill Armintrout
Comments or corrections?

viper512127 Sep 2021 3:16 p.m. PST

Which miniatures skirmish game has the crunchiest combat?

Thanks.

Personal logo Flashman14 Supporting Member of TMP27 Sep 2021 3:56 p.m. PST

You'll have to explain "crunchy" methinks.

chuck05 Fezian27 Sep 2021 4:22 p.m. PST

Infinity

Personal logo John the OFM Supporting Member of TMP27 Sep 2021 4:44 p.m. PST

Any rules will be crunchy if you play on the floor and step on the figures.

14th NJ Vol27 Sep 2021 5:35 p.m. PST

You mean tanks running over infantry (crunchies ) ?

doc mcb27 Sep 2021 6:02 p.m. PST

Perhaps "granular" in the sense of counting many different factors, lots of variables?

I like the system in SONG OF BLADES and its many variants. Fast-moving uncertainty plus many many pluses and minuses for weapons and situations etc.

huron725 Supporting Member of TMP27 Sep 2021 6:11 p.m. PST

I would guess the same, Doc. Number crunching.

If that is the case then Final Combat is one suggestion. Heavy detail, down to the bullet and the amount of time it takes an encumbered man to run a certain distance. Time motion study.

Personal logo Sgt Slag Supporting Member of TMP27 Sep 2021 6:33 p.m. PST

How about narrowing it down by sharing which genre? Cheers!

Personal logo John the OFM Supporting Member of TMP27 Sep 2021 7:44 p.m. PST

It would help a great deal to define "crunchy".
And also the genre.

T Corret Supporting Member of TMP27 Sep 2021 7:47 p.m. PST

Play ASL with Microarmor. I can't imagine anything crunchier.

Zephyr127 Sep 2021 8:43 p.m. PST

Any game system works with (what I believe is called) "iron man" rules (where you smash your minis with a hammer when they 'die' in the game.) But I hope that is not what you are looking for…

Striker27 Sep 2021 11:20 p.m. PST

I've heard Face of Battle and Final Combat were pretty crunchy but that could have been just reviewers. I own FoB and will probably get Final combat just to see.

WarWizard28 Sep 2021 3:50 a.m. PST

I simply add Captain Crunch cereal to make mine crunchy.

Personal logo aegiscg47 Supporting Member of TMP28 Sep 2021 6:03 a.m. PST

Look no further than Phoenix Command, which is perhaps the crunchiest miniatures rules ever designed. The hyper detail in this system made running more than a handful of miniatures for each player just about impossible. I remember trying this a few times back in the 80s and we simply gave up as while it was pretty realistic, a 60 second firefight could take you all day. There's a pretty good write up about it here:
link

Beaky Nose28 Sep 2021 6:23 a.m. PST

If crunchy means what I think, I tried an old set of skirmish rules called RETINUE and they were what I would call crunchy.

Jeff Ewing28 Sep 2021 8:16 a.m. PST

I Second "Phoenix Command!"

robert piepenbrink Supporting Member of TMP28 Sep 2021 10:52 a.m. PST

If Viper can't be bothered to define "crunchy" he can't care much about the responses.

Personal logo John the OFM Supporting Member of TMP28 Sep 2021 11:58 a.m. PST

Well, I'll take a break from my usual snottiness and recommend WRG's Fire and Steel.
Figures had 3 hit points, except for the really Manly Men.
It's intended for the Musket period, with FIW and Harper and Shsrpe scenarios.
Turns are broken up into phases where you have to check off boxes for reloading.
It includes silly things like tap-loading rifles.
Many many modifiers for all die tolls.
And if that's not "crunchy" enough, you can use historically dubious overwatch.
Having more than 6 figures in your unit was discouraged, but I often stretched it to 8, with sometimes up to 8 factions per battle/game.

Sorry, but there are no factors for varying quality of steel. No "castle forged" or Valyrian steel swords or bayonets.

rustymusket28 Sep 2021 1:13 p.m. PST

How about animal crackers armed with pretzel sticks played with ancients or medieval rules?

Dexter Ward29 Sep 2021 2:45 a.m. PST

En Garde is pretty crunchy, with multiple attacks and defence per figure

khanscom29 Sep 2021 6:23 a.m. PST

Skirmish Games "Western Gunfight" or "Colonial Skirmish" rules.

Thresher0101 Oct 2021 11:18 p.m. PST

Tractics.

Personal logo Herkybird Supporting Member of TMP06 Oct 2021 11:02 a.m. PST

For anyone still unsure what 'Crunchy Combat' is, it derives from the term 'Number Crunching' so in essence is a complex, detailed and involved system.

QUATERMASS02 Apr 2022 9:41 a.m. PST

Ah you mean "fiddly" why didn't he just say that!
😋

dapeters05 Apr 2022 9:23 a.m. PST

Yeah that might be one interpretation. Real need the OP to say what he meant.

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