"Ganesha Premieres Song of Drums and Shakos at Dadi.com" Topic

The rules will go on sale next week. I'll announce that here when it happens. It will be $8 USD for the PDF and a bit more from the print version (I don't have a price yet but it'll be in the "less than $15" range)
Andrea

I, and several other gamers I know, are very interested in the release of this set of rules.

Can anyone give us a break down on how the rules work?

I imagine it will be like SOBH or MDRG, but with period specific rules.

Yes, Song of Drums and Shakos is based on the same engine of Song of Blades ad Heroes, the Origins 2008 nominee game by Ganesha. The 2 games share activation system, soldiers profiles (2 stats – Quality and Combat) and the Morale system.
SDS is designed to be played with 5-20 model per side on a small surface (60x60cm for 15mm, 90x90 for 25mm) and most clashes can be played to completion in 35-45 min.
It has a point system for one off games, 3 ready-made scenarios and 160+ profiles of soldiers of the 5 major Nations involved (France, Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia).
Sergio Laliscia
SDS Designer – Ganesha Games

This is the back cover copy that may give you some insight on the game. There will also be a short interview with the designer on our Free webzine FREE HACK issue 2, out in the first week of December.

As for the basic mechanics, you can read any of the many reviews of its father engine "Song of Blades and Heroes" on songofblades.blogspot.com

You can also download the first issue of Free Hack from lulu.com/songofblades to have a general idea of what our games are like from the kind of FAQs etc.

------------back cover copy------------------

*Keep your musket loaded!*

Song of Drums and Shakos is a fast play Napoleonic skirmish game based on the popular *Song of Blades and Heroes* mechanics.

Muster your squad. Deploy your soldiers and fire volleys
at the enemy…and when the moment of truth comes, fix bayonets
and charge!

– Three scenarios included
– Simple, elegant system where your tactical decisions matter
– Playable in any scale with single based models
– All major troop types represented: 160+ profiles (French, British,
Prussian, Russian, and Austrian)
– Easy measuring system
– No bookkeeping
– Point system for building up your Squad
– Play with as little as 5-6 elite to 20 inexperienced soldiers in a
standard game
– Playable on a small table (60x60 cm for 15mm)
– Simple yet subtle command system, with Officers and NCO
– Two or more players, 30-45 minutes for a full game
– Ideal introductory rule set to small actions in the Napoleonic Era.

Do the rules cover cannons and cav that sort of thing?

no artillery at all -- it's for small actions and cannons just don't fit that picture. Cavalry is in.
Andrea

ganeshagames.blogspot.com

Quite an odd title … certainly avoids the sameness of so many other wargames titles, so will stand out from the crowd.

Cannons may not fit the scale of the fight, but providing stats for cannons as objectives and "terrain" would be appropriate. Skirmishes happen anywhere, after all.

That and the only in-era minis I own are Flintloque Werewolf cannon crew…

Arteis,
yes it's odd especially for those who don't know its parent game "Song of Blades and Heroes". It started as a joke but then we liked it :-)
It's also a way to "cash" (figuratively speaking, of course) on the popularity of my Fantasy title , and also a way to remind people that it's the same core rules. The ancients version will be "Song of Spear and Shield"

ganeshagames.blogspot.com

Farstar

IIRC the author mentioned that he'll write a "capture the gun" scenario for Free Hack. When he does, I'll let the Napoleonic boards on TMP know.
Andrea

ganeshagames.blogspot.com

The con's web address is the same as the magazine, dadiepiombo.com/dadieng.html not the dadi.com link provided in the news item
A

Cyrus speaks the truth. I'm really looking forward to this title.

At $8 USD for the PDF this is an easy purchase. VERY easy.

Does it cover the French revolutionary period through Waterloo or the more traditional time frame of Napoleon's prime?

I'll buy it either way, just curious.

Cincinnatus

SDS covers the more traditional period as you said. Even if with slight (if any) changes you can play the Rev Wars too.
I think it would be more a question of new profiles to be added to the over 160 that are in the rules.
Look for them in "Free Hack" webzine.
Cheers
Sergio
GG

Have the troops ready and waiting for that assualt on the farmhouse!

Is it a stand alone, or do you need to have the parent rules to play?

Edmuel2000,
it is a stand alone skirmish set, currently nominated at Origins for best historical miniature rules.

You'll need 3 six sided dice per player and about 10-15 miniatures per player. All measurements are done with three measuring sticks you can make yourself with three strips of paper or three drinking straws.

Andrea
ganeshagames.blogspot.com