Ospray wargame opinion

[jchaos79]

Hi I would like to know your opinion about the set rules for ospray. Also It is valuable if you comment if you had a game with the rulesets or your comment is founded in just reading the rules.

Are dux bellorum, a fistful of kung fu, Ronin, etc... games based on the same mechanics? did they fit well with 10mm figures?

Are the rulesets worth, or just another good finishing bla bla bla wargame?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Dux Bellorum is great. Works really well with 10mm, ask Steve J! 

[jchaos79]

Did Steve J something to do with the Dux developtment?

[Bodvoc]

Each set of Osprey rules are unique. I helped playtest Dux Bellorum (in a small way) and used 10mm figures on Warmaster bases and they work great. Dan Mersey's new set of rules from Osprey, Lion Rampant also looks good, totally different set of rules, aimed at 28mm large scale skirmish games but I have wondered about trying it with 10mm figures. I also have Ronin which read through as a good set of rules but I have yet to play them.

[jchaos79]

That's good. Pretty interesting.

My interest for osprey wargames is increasing. More feedback?

[fred.]

As said above each set is stand alone and has no link or shared mechanics with the others.

I have a few, partly because they are cheap and easy to get, partly because they look interesting.

The main set I have played a lot is In Her Majesty's Name, which is 28mm steampunk skirmish rules - and the two supplements for it.

I have also bought A World Aflame, which is Spansih Civil War - seems a fairly standard if slightly old school set of WWII rules. But very nicely illustrated and lots of info about the conflict.

I have also got Dux B, which haven't played - mainly as I was looking for interesting ideas for Fantasy games - which this certainly has a number.

The low price of these shouldn't be ignored - they are often quite heavily reduced on Amazon, and the kindle versions are even cheaper. The books all have enough content that they are worth the money even if you don't use the rules. The only real downside ( from a gaming industry perspective, not a consumer one) is that they are driving down the expected price of rules, which will make it even harder for independents to sell rules for a good price.

There are also a couple of sets outside the blue £8 range, Bolt Action and an New ACW set that I can't recall the name.

[Steve J]

Dux Bellorum is very good and great fun. I've played a lot of games and have enjoyed them all. BTW I didn't help develop these rules.

Lion Rampant I did help develop and is equally good, but a very different game. I intend to do this in 10mm rather than the 'standard' 28mm.

IHMN and its supplements are great for that Steampunk feel, although you can get away without the supplements as the main book has a good selection of Companies.

I'd have a look at AAR and reviews on the internet before deciding if these might be of interest to you. On Amazon you can get them for around £8.00 inc p&p.

[Leman]

Dux Bellorum is the only set I have played. They are very, very good and are element based so will work with any figure scale - I happen to use 28mm figures with between three and ten to a 100mm frontage base and a 6'x4' table. They are a development of the original Glutter of Ravens rules, but have done away with written record keeping and have expanded the number of scenarios to give a game a point. Scenarios can also be linked to produce a campaign. My only beef with the rules is the rather poor layout of the QRS which has to be photocopied from the pages of the book. A much better tabulated QRS could have been produced which would have speeded play.

[barbarian]

Force on Force is the worst layout and writing I ever see for a wargame.
The game may be good (perhaps) but you won't find out as it is so poorly explained that it is unplayable.

[Luddite]

Osprey rules i've played.

Dux Bellorum - very good game.  It has quirks but it really holds together as a good set of Dark Age rules.  It's also been fan-converted for other periods.

A World Aflame - Hmm.  Yes.  Its not a finished game.  It looks to me like a first draft that hasn't been play tested.  Not good at all.  Which is a shame as i was hoping it would sort out our need for AVBCW rules.

Ronin - its an interesting game, but it has flaws.  E.g. the Samurai faction has basically a limited option build.  Also the gameplay is, for me, unnecessarily complex for a skirmish game.

In Here Majesty's Name - Steampunk!  I was very excited about this one.  It's not bad, but it is a bit 'empty' in terms of how the game plays, and the stats and task resolution doesn't really scale properly.  Another skirmish game that left me feeling unfulfilled.  It also feels like a half formed game.  I don't have the supplements so that may solve the problem.

Force on Force - really innovative and risky game.  It is however a confusing mess, both in layout and gameplay.  We've played it many times and i'm still not convinved we actually play it right, especially when you get a 'reaction chain' going...

[fred.]

IHMN - we have enjoyed this from a narrative campaign style game.  The supplements do little to change the game play, they mainly concentrate on new companies.

[Nosher]

Agreed Dux Bellorum is the best of those written to date that I own and have played but I cant get anyone to commit to it at the club. Many think it feels a lot like DBA

IHMN is limited - played it a few times and its quite predicatble and can be a bit dull

A World Aflame is so poor I haven't even had the inclination to look further than the first game

Hit and Miss I guess but as others have pointed out cheap as chips.

[Steve J]

Force on Force is the worst layout and writing I ever see for a wargame.
The game may be good (perhaps) but you won't find out as it is so poorly explained that it is unplayable.

Agreed.

IHMN needs quite a bit of work on your part to make it play. Having played oodles of Mordheim in the past, which IHMN very much feels like, you do need to make a good scenario, otherwise the outcome can be very predicatable.

[Leman]

Dux Bellorum is an excellent game and feels nothing like DBA. What it does feel like is two smallish Dark Age warbands clashing in order to drive one another away or else completely destroy the opposition. It is very period specific and all the games I have fought so far have been nail biters in terms of excitement. I can't say that for any DBA I have played, which feels to me a bit like playing chess. To be honest using 28mm figures on large bases and on a largish playing surface gives a better feel than 15mm on 40mm frontage.

[jchaos79]

Finally I am going to buy Dux B.

I feel an special attraction for Fistuful of Kung Fu. Could be made with 10mm figures?

Definetively I will give a try to Osprey wargaming.