| Hagar the Horrible | 25 Nov 2011 3:34 a.m. PST |
I saw this prototype set of Rules on Phil Barkers website. Has anyone ever played these? If so, how did it go? |
| Bob the Temple Builder | 25 Nov 2011 3:44 a.m. PST |
I played them many years ago … And they worked quite well although they are probably a bit too abstracted for some people. |
| Maddaz111 | 25 Nov 2011 4:05 a.m. PST |
Played them, enjoyed them, will buy them on release, and play them. Feel very good for Napoleonic, suitable for big battles, produce good results. I am less certain that they will feel realistic for Colonial actions, and I think they will simulate the early wars of the 20th century less well. I am assured that SYW-FPW period is best part of the rules, and would probably not play WSS with them. |
| MajorB | 25 Nov 2011 4:17 a.m. PST |
The early versions were promising, but over time as PB has responded to every critic they have got more and more clunky. I would recommend DBA-HX as a better alternative.
link |
| Martin Rapier | 25 Nov 2011 6:44 a.m. PST |
I played the early versions (late 90s) a lot, but lost interest when it turned into DBM with muskets/rifles. There are a lot of really, really good ideas in there, sadly now buried under page after page of modifiers, exceptions, additions and general crap. The earlier versions used 1 base to a division (roughly), the newer ones are more 'detailed' which is half the problem. There is a decent game in there if you work at it, we've done WSS, Napoleonics and APW with them. |
| Ammianus | 25 Nov 2011 6:53 a.m. PST |
For simple straighforward Napoleonic rules, I recommend DBN (cousin of DBA).
dbnwargaming.co.uk I use it to play corps on corps games. Be sure to look in their downloads section; contains a conversion for ACW too. |
| Whirlwind | 25 Nov 2011 7:15 a.m. PST |
I've played them a few times and enjoyed them. It pays to spend a bit of time working out which bits you need to totally ignore for any given period, that makes the game a bit smoother (this isn't hard to do, most periods only use a couple of the troop types on offer). I ended up improvising a couple of QR sheets which helped. The free army lists are okay as well. |
| Martin Rapier | 25 Nov 2011 9:12 a.m. PST |
Yes, do a QR sheet and eliminate all the non essential stuff. You can fit the whole thing onto a couple of sides of A4, one side with a small font. Just doing the sheet helps understand the logic and you can tailor it to period specific troop types. |
| pink panzer | 25 Nov 2011 3:35 p.m. PST |
Been playing its various versions since the early 90s, but as Martin has commented, as more period-specific 'chrome' has been added (which the market demands) some of the fun has gone out of it. That said, give it a try. |
| Mooseworks8 | 25 Nov 2011 5:16 p.m. PST |
I like them. Also use HOTT for gunpowder rules too. |
| Hagar the Horrible | 27 Nov 2011 12:20 a.m. PST |
Thanks for all the comments. They were helpful and enlightening! Rob |
| Narratio | 28 Nov 2011 11:44 p.m. PST |
I liked them, after I went through and deleted anything and everything that was not relevent to the period I was playing that is. As is usual, Phil needs a translator to take it into into common English and then an editor to sort the mess out. But there are some neat ideas hidden away in the If's, But's and Alternates. |
| Allan Mountford | 29 Nov 2011 5:20 a.m. PST |
There will also be more detailed companion sets, initially "Tricorne & Musket" covering 1701-1790, "Shako and Bayonet" for 1791-1850, and "Kepi & Rifle" for 1851-1914. I understand that "Kepi & Rifle" already exists in draft. There is also an unoffical "Shako & Bayonet" on the Yahoo HFG site. - Allan |
adds artillery to his soft-plastic Union forces.
