What was the last ruleset you played 2018?

[Steve J]

Funnily enough we never got on with Hail Caesar . Promised much but somehow failed to deliver.

[toxicpixie]

I quite like the various "Hail Black Shotte" sets, they give a playable game. You just need a bit judicious period tweaking and careful selection of special characteristics, and be happy with the basic command mechanism. Which if any bit gripes with you is a lot of work to get over, and I must admit we've moved back onto more period specific sets that require less rules faff!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

My major problem is that they are so similar, but different in small ways, so continually quote the wrong set.

IanS

[toxicpixie]

Yes, very true Ian - they're just similar enough to trip you up unexpectedly!

[Leman]

1. FoGR

2. C16th Japanese v Koreans

3. Yes, having previously played FoG

4. This was my first game of FoGR

5. Three players: 2 Korean v 1 Japanese

6. Initially the Koreans did reasonably well actually routing a unit of mounted Samurai, but eventually quality began to tell, especially when a number  of Korean units had to reroll  their sixes as they were rated poor. Nevertheless the Koreans put on a brave show, and my cavalry flanking manoeuvre actually worked.

7. The massive weakness of these rules for me is the lack of a decent QRS, mainly because there are just too many variables linked to different troop types, weapons, animals etc. Although a double-sided QRS is available on the web, the font is so tiny that it is quite difficult to use. I also find the advantage/disadvantage concept to be an unnecessary faff where most other rules convey this with a plus or minus number.

Perhaps one way around the QRS problem might have been to have a simplified version in each of the period/theatre books, but I suppose this is the problem of generic rules covering vast periods and types of armies and a set which has clearly been produced for competition gaming. In my group we never pit ahistorical opponents against one another.

[Geiss]

I had the chance to play Sharp Practice (28mm), which was so fun that I immediately bought the WW1 equivalent (Through the Mud and Blood) for my 10mm armies. Spent an afternoon coming up with funny names for the 'big men' on each side. I'll have to buy some new WW1 German and British officers to single base and use as the big men, as currently my British were being led by singl-based modern SAS soldiers and the Germans by Afghan insurgents.

[Last Hussar]

My major problem is that they are so similar, but different in small ways, so continually quote the wrong set.

IanS

I (and other members of Tring) have a tendency to use Warmaster bits when playing BP.

[FierceKitty]

Currently playing Ball and Bayonette, Frederick vs Daun.

[FierceKitty]

1. FoGR

2. C16th Japanese v Koreans

3. Yes, having previously played FoG

4. This was my first game of FoGR

5. Three players: 2 Korean v 1 Japanese

6. Initially the Koreans did reasonably well actually routing a unit of mounted Samurai, but eventually quality began to tell, especially when a number  of Korean units had to reroll  their sixes as they were rated poor. Nevertheless the Koreans put on a brave show, and my cavalry flanking manoeuvre actually worked.

7. The massive weakness of these rules for me is the lack of a decent QRS, mainly because there are just too many variables linked to different troop types, weapons, animals etc. Although a double-sided QRS is available on the web, the font is so tiny that it is quite difficult to use. I also find the advantage/disadvantage concept to be an unnecessary faff where most other rules convey this with a plus or minus number.

Perhaps one way around the QRS problem might have been to have a simplified version in each of the period/theatre books, but I suppose this is the problem of generic rules covering vast periods and types of armies and a set which has clearly been produced for competition gaming. In my group we never pit ahistorical opponents against one another.

Piccies, please.

[FierceKitty]

Currently playing Ball and Bayonette, Frederick vs Daun.

I did win. Pleased, since the Prussians were led by a genuine visiting Prussian.

[Leman]

1. FoGR

2. Italian Wars French v. Spanish

3. Yes

4. This was my third FoGR game

5. Two players

6. Of the three Spanish colunellas only one actually needed to go in to see off some skirmishers. The Spanish mounted arquebusiers stood against a charge by French light horse, seeing them off and killing the general who was leading them. They then made their way to the rear of the Swiss pike block to keep it guessing. Meanwhile the French gendarmes charged the Spanish men at arms and a large block of Spanish arquebusiers. Surprisingly the Spanish knights defeated the gendarmes who confronted them over a two turn melee. The other unit of gendarmes failed to contact the arquebusiers and took 25% casualties. In the next turn they smashed into the arquebusiers, driving them off, but were now at the hands of the victorious Spanish knights on one flank and the landsknechts on their other flank. With only the Swiss pike block left as a viable strike force the French conceded and the Swiss marched off the field. My first win in weeks.

7. I overcame the poor QRS by preparing some index cards, one for each unit type with the relevant information for each type on the card. This speeded up the game and made learning easier, allowing me to concentrate on the tactics. I find with some games, especially the FoG stable, that I end up playing against the rules rather than my opponent. I am only really interested in two periods in FoGR, the Italian Wars and the earlier 80 Years War, so will look to produce two play sheets just for those periods.

[paulr]

Good QRS really speed up play, I like the idea of Index cards for units

[Wulf]

1) What ruleset do you use in your last game? -

What a Tanker! from Too Fat Lardies - we continue with a career campaign during Operation Barbarossa

2) What armies were confronted? -

Germans: 1x PanzerJager I, 1x Panzer IIf, 1x Pz 35(t), 1x SdKfz 231 (6-rad)
Russiand 1x T-26m1939, 1x T-60, 1x Valentine 1x KV-1a

3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? -

Pretty much so, yes. Very few times we had to look at the rule book, and every one just confirmed what we thought.

4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? -

Far from it, we've played every Saturday since it was published!

5) How many players were in the game? -

2 of us.

6) What went well?

The game flowed smoothly, no issues with that. We both like the mechanics of the rules, and the look of the thing in 10mm scale.

7) What could have been improved?

I need to work on my terrain - the hills, specifically. I've carved up some old ceiling tiles, but they're not thick enough. Now we have a proper sized tank - the KV - it can actually see over the top of a single layer!

The game itself needs more detail too. We have had to house rule stuff like steep slopes, soft ground, etc. Also the career campaign just doesn't work as published - it's way too slow, and there's too little variety, every game is a meeting engagement as far as rewards go. We need something to reward defending a zone, attacking one, convoying, etc.

As you can tell from the forces listed above, the Russkies have torn the German advance up easily so far. However, we're just about to advance to 1942, and German forces get major upgrades. They need them... I think it's telling that no-one else on the Lardies forum, mail group, or Facebook page is talking about the campaign mode...

[FierceKitty]

1. FoGR

2. Italian Wars French v. Spanish

3. Yes

4. This was my third FoGR game

5. Two players

6. Of the three Spanish colunellas only one actually needed to go in to see off some skirmishers. The Spanish mounted arquebusiers stood against a charge by French light horse, seeing them off and killing the general who was leading them. They then made their way to the rear of the Swiss pike block to keep it guessing. Meanwhile the French gendarmes charged the Spanish men at arms and a large block of Spanish arquebusiers. Surprisingly the Spanish knights defeated the gendarmes who confronted them over a two turn melee. The other unit of gendarmes failed to contact the arquebusiers and took 25% casualties. In the next turn they smashed into the arquebusiers, driving them off, but were now at the hands of the victorious Spanish knights on one flank and the landsknechts on their other flank. With only the Swiss pike block left as a viable strike force the French conceded and the Swiss marched off the field. My first win in weeks.

7. I overcame the poor QRS by preparing some index cards, one for each unit type with the relevant information for each type on the card. This speeded up the game and made learning easier, allowing me to concentrate on the tactics. I find with some games, especially the FoG stable, that I end up playing against the rules rather than my opponent. I am only really interested in two periods in FoGR, the Italian Wars and the earlier 80 Years War, so will look to produce two play sheets just for those periods.

Images here too would be of more than slight interest to many.

[OldenBUA]

I am only really interested in two periods in FoGR, the Italian Wars and the earlier 80 Years War

The Dutch miniature wargaming group on Facebook had a special event for the 80-years war some time ago. Might be of some interest?

Below is a link to the group that was created for the event.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1814563208780624/