Hello everybody,
I've been taking a close look at "By Fire and Sword" lately and I wonder if anyone here has tried playing this game with 10mm figures. Does it play ok and what are your overall impressions of the game?
I did a search and found a lengthy thread here about the game, which included a list of Pendraken's comparable figures. It looks like the compatible minis are limited to Poles and Ottomans, though. Would any of the TYW or LOA line work for this game? I suppose from a distance once couldn't tell a Swede from a Transylvanian, but I wonder if anyone has tried any other nationalities besides the Poles and Ottomans and made it work.
It's an awesome-looking game on an offbeat topic, something which has endless appeal to me. I'm sorely tempted but I have to say I'm balking a bit at the price. The 10mm figures make it reasonable and should allow for larger than skirmish battles.
Anyway, thanks in advance for any info!
I was pretty interested in it a while ago and had started building up some armies and proxies but in 15mm, this has totally stalled and will probably never see the light of day, may sell off what I have, 10mm may be a bit more of interest but not too sure how it works within the mechanics of the rules, interesting tho. :)
Nik was trailing it, but Seeing as He sold his Poles and Turks, I don't know. But I'm enjoying painting the Poles! ;)
Nobby at Battlefield Hobbies really liked it. :)
I'm still painting three armies in 10mm, Poles, Ottomans and Swedes (using ECW). I'll try and post some pictures later today.
It's a lovely book. At £40 an expensive book. At £40 a poor game.
The lists are really confusing and to field Winged Hussars you need to play at the highest army level and even then you don't have many of them.
I found the rules very dull and uninspiring. From memory the detail went right down to the actual armaments and weapons each unit had which felt very WRG old school.
Sold off my copy and play with the same armies using Fog rennaisance
Thanks for the replies, everybody. Nosher, thanks especially for the head's up on FOG. Slitherine was having a sale on it so I picked up both Renaissance and the Duty and Glory supplement for $15 combined. D&G covers the entire second half of the century, east and west. My spidey sense was tingling at the $80 BFAS book, I have to admit, since there seems to be an inverse relationship between the price of a set of rules and my enjoyment of it. Now all I need are a handful of 10mm figs and I'm ready to roll.
I have started FOGR using 10mm figures. I use the 40mm frontage and put more troops on the bases. Prefer early C16th though.
A work of art as a book, but the system has too many special rules etc for my liking.
Quote from: mad lemmey on 09 January 2016, 06:05:04 PMBut I'm enjoying painting the Poles! ;)
That's the bit of campsite maintenance I hate........
Have you canvassed our slavic friends about this?
Quote from: jambo1 on 09 January 2016, 05:27:20 PM
I was pretty interested in it a while ago and had started building up some armies and proxies but in 15mm, this has totally stalled and will probably never see the light of day, may sell off what I have, 10mm may be a bit more of interest but not too sure how it works within the mechanics of the rules, interesting tho. :)
Jambo, do you have any of the 'By Fire and Sword' ranges of figures?
I have the book and a heap of Ottomans and Poles by 'By Fire and Sword' and Cossacks by Essex. A couple of the guys at my club have played it but I think it is a little to 'slow' for me and I agree I don't like the levels of armies.
I probably use Warlords 'Pike and Shotte' or one day a Renaissance version of Sword and Spear, which I think would work very well.
Quote from: Bunny on 14 January 2016, 10:10:46 AM
Jambo, do you have any of the 'By Fire and Sword' ranges of figures?
No it's all proxies, minifigs, Warrior etc, looked at "By Fire and Sword" figures tempted but never went for them.
Hullo,
FWIW i have quite a lot of their poles and swedes in my "to do" mountain of lead if someone wants reviews or pics or something,
Cheers,
Aksu
Quote from: Leman on 11 January 2016, 05:23:30 PM
Have you canvassed our slavic friends about this?
Well, actually, no. I thought it would be easier to get unbiased opinions here. And I guess I did. Whatever enthusiasm there might have been for this game seems to have waned, to say the least. :o
Quote from: Coppelius on 15 January 2016, 06:06:05 PM
Well, actually, no. I thought it would be easier to get unbiased opinions here. And I guess I did. Whatever enthusiasm there might have been for this game seems to have waned, to say the least. :o
To each their own, I guess. I've played this game quite a lot in the past years, and I like it. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but some of the arguments put forward here don't make a lot of sense to me. That said, it's not a perfect game, but nothing that can't be fixed. It certainly gave me some entertaining games.
Quote from: OldenBUA on 15 January 2016, 07:19:32 PM
It certainly gave me some entertaining games.
That's the bit that counts
Cheers
Ian
I've put a few new pictures up. The Swedes and Poles have had some additions, and the Ottomans are the first of a big lot I took over from Nik Harwood. And I rebased everything to the standard sized bases, as I found that the smaller bases I put them on initially didn't quite work.
Swedes: Commander, subcommander, 4x armoured Reiters, 6x unarmoured Reiters, 6x Dragoons (mounted and dismounted), 3x musketeers and 2 guns.
(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u26/OldenBUA/10mm%20Swedish/Zweden_zpsldnbegwb.jpg)
Poles: Commander, subcommander, 6x Pancerni, 11x Cossack style, 6x Tatar, 3x Wallachian, 3x Dragoon (mounted and dismounted).
(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u26/OldenBUA/10mm%20Polish/Polen_zpsvbzfjaqw.jpg)
Ottomans: Commander, 7x Sipahi, 3x Besli, 3x Gonollu.
(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u26/OldenBUA/10mm%20Ottoman/Ottomanen_zpss3qhxo8a.jpg)
Marvellous, and they just keep coming.
Great looking armies.
These are some of the ones I'm thinking of adding for Irregular Wars - which looks to be in the same sort of era.
Do you know what codes were used for the Swedes?
Quote from: fred. on 18 January 2016, 08:57:23 PM
Great looking armies.
These are some of the ones I'm thinking of adding for Irregular Wars - which looks to be in the same sort of era.
Do you know what codes were used for the Swedes?
The Swedes are mostly from the ECW range: Reiters: EC 9/10, dragoons EC 12/YW 1, musketeers EC 14, guns MAL 14 w ECW crew (and EC 26). And EC 5/13/30 for commanders.
Thanks, that helps.
Very nice kit! :)
They look really good, nice to see what completed armies look like!! m/
Quick question: Is the emphasis on cavalry, or is that your preferred list set up?
Quote from: mad lemmey on 19 January 2016, 07:50:06 AM
Quick question: Is the emphasis on cavalry, or is that your preferred list set up?
The basic lists that I'm using for these are for skirmishes, or what is called 'Kleine Krieg'. So in general there is an emphasis on cavalry and dragoons because they are the mobile troops that would be used for those actions. You can also play bigger games on the divisional level where you will find more infantry. Even then, most of these armies feature a lot of cavalry.
The troop scale is one base equals around 50 men, so a skirmish force is the size of a (small) regiment. In a division you field several (3-6) regiments. Also note that this is just what I have painted so far. The lists allow for various combinations, so I don't necessarily get to use them all at the same time.
Thank you.
Dud wonder when O bought Nik's Poles off him!
Quote from: mad lemmey on 19 January 2016, 07:50:06 AM
Quick question: Is the emphasis on cavalry, or is that your preferred list set up?
The rules and lists are in general cavalry orientated, compared to other pike & shot rules.
Cheers,
Aksu
Nice armies! It helps a lot to see them based. No winged hussars, though. :(
Quote from: Coppelius on 19 January 2016, 07:46:25 PM
Nice armies! It helps a lot to see them based. No winged hussars, though. :(
Winged Hussars are not noted for appearing in minor skirmishes a lot. You can find them on the divisional level. And there is a historical skirmish list where you can use them.