ECW Rules

[Jasper]

Hi Guys,

Would appreciate your views on rules for doing ECW. We have tried a couple of games using Polemos, they played ok but left us not very happy with the horse charging/advancing rules. Also, it would be nice to use some rules that allowed for bigger number of stands. Searching the web there are some great pictures of formations of ECW figs but rarely info on what rules they are using. Finally, Mollinary I understand those are your figures on the front of Minauture Wargames this month - they look great, but any chance of some info on your basing and rule set?

Waiting in anticipation

[Redstef]

Forlorn Hope are my favourite ECW rules but they are a bit difficult to get the hang of.  Warre Without an Enemie are based on them and are a lot 'smoother' and imho give the right feel to a game.

[Leman]

My preferred set is Baroque.

[FierceKitty]

I use my own rules. Happy to send you a copy for consideration.

[Nosher]

My preferred set is Baroque.

Ditto that. FoG Renaissance also gives a realistic outcome and feel but others will disagree I'm sure as its quite slow almost pedestrian.

[Zippee]

it'll hardly be a surprise but my favourite by a country mile is Baroque

[mollinary]

. Finally, Mollinary I understand those are your figures on the front of Minauture Wargames this month - they look great, but any chance of some info on your basing and rule set?

Waiting in anticipation

You got me!  Embarrassing really, on this forum, as this is the only one of my 10mm collections which isn't mainly Pendraken!  Indeed, it is substantially AIM(now Minifigs from Caliver). After I picked up a couple of cheap packs as an experiment when visiting Fall In! At Gettysburg back in the 1990, I believe, I was hooked by the look of 10mm.  The collection is now many thousands strong, and is based on 1 1/2" squares as I originally planned to do a variant of Volley and Bayonet.   The cavalry are five to a base, musketeers, ten and a drummer,no or officer, Pikemen, sixteen and a number of flags.  Since I started I have built up quite a collection of rules, none of which really appealed to me as giving an appropriate flavour while being quick to play and fun.  I am now looking at adaptations of two Ancient Rules sets, Commands and Colors Anceints, and To the Strongest.  I recently bought Baroque, but confess I couldn't make head or tail of it - I couldn't even work out the turn sequence!  So, the collection grows, (latest additions are a Scots army of 600 foot and 180 horse, together with some of the new Pendraken horse and musketeers), but I still have not settled on rules.  Sorry!

Mollinary

[d_Guy]

I'll give another vote to Baroque. I should say that I play solo and Baroque adapted well to this type of play. (The tempo bidding in Polemos ECW, for example, was hard for me to adapt). In Baroque I particularly like the way initiative/activation flips between sides in non-predictive ways.  The non-active side also has a reasonable catalog of responses to what the active side does (but the execution of these responses are also generally non-predictive). Finally action is unit by unit - one unit completes all of its actions (and the resolution of those actions) before the next unit can begin. This last is not every one's cup of tea but for a solo player it is excellent. Most of the other game mechanisms are implemented well (and in generally conventional ways).

As Mollinary just said Baroque was a little baffling at first. I think in part because I had no experience with the Impetus rules family. Once I started playing through it - it clicked in place. The native language for the rules is Italian and some of the English translation is a little puzzling (but no more then for an American trying to read this forum  )

[Zippee]

Baroque turn sequence.

Decide which Command has the initiative

Pick a unit of that command - complete it's entire sequence of actions (movement, shooting, etc). Pick another unit, repeat. A unit can attempt multiple actions with an increasing risk of ending in disorder. A unit that engages in melee cannot perform any further actions this turn.

Once all units of that command have activated, decide which command gets the initiative next

Once all commands have had their initiative, that's the end of the turn. Start a new one.

Really it couldn't be a much simpler turn sequence.

Which command has initiative is randomised by selection and opposed dice rolls, choice of activity thereafter is up to you (except that you must complete everything one unit does before starting on another)

[T13A]

Hi

After looking for many years I have settled on two (after trying some of the above).

FoG Renaissance, and for something a bit different Carnage and Glory II - The Age of Pike and Shot (link: http://carnageandgloryii.com/index.htm)

The second set are computer generated. Both give, in my opinion, a good 'feel' for the period.

I have looked at Baroque, and although I play Impetus, I have been put off by the basing system which I feel will inhibit flexibility.

Good luck with finding the right rules for you.

Cheers Paul

[d_Guy]

I have looked at Baroque, and although I play Impetus, I have been put off by the basing system which I feel will inhibit flexibility.

This is a good point. I play with many odd unit types with varying make-up (17th c. Scotland and Ireland). I use small uniformly sized bases that are then assembled into sabots in various ways. Not as aesthetically pleasing BUT entirely workable. At the moment I have to adapt the unit capabilities charts (although D&P and others seem to be producing new ones on a regular basis).

[Zippee]

I have looked at Baroque, and although I play Impetus, I have been put off by the basing system which I feel will inhibit flexibility.

Cheers Paul

But the basing system is completely flexible 

Whatever size base you want to use, use - the ranges conform automatically as they are based on the unit frontage.

I'm deliberately using really big bases but most chaps are using combined DBR/FOGR bases - to all intents and purposes a Baroque unit/base is a FOGR battlegroup, it's probably the easiest 'conversion' there is!

It's irksome that it's different to Impetus but really there's little historical overlap as unlike most renaissance rules they start in 1560 and the Italian Wars are part of Impetus but even there if your troops are already based for FOG / DBx then you can switch them between Impetus and Baroque in a way I couldn't (my Impetus are 15mm as well which is another reason )

[Bodvoc]

I vote Baroque as well although I would also like to try 'A Crowning Mercy' available from Caliver books.

[Jasper]

Hi All,

All the responses are great, just what I was hoping for and please keep them coming.

For info, I am continually torn on scale for basing, hence why I like to hear what others have done and why. Current bases are 80mm x 40mm with one base being a regiment. However, one of my favorite rule sets for other periods is Regimental Fire and Fury and my heart really wants to adopt similar basing for the ECW, with one base representing 40 men. All in 10mm of course for figs

Please keep the suggestions and advice coming guys

[Jasper]

You got me! 

Mollinary

Sorry if I blew your cover mate