Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Wider Wargaming => Rules => Topic started by: Tim Marquart on 22 January 2019, 08:53:31 PM

Title: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: Tim Marquart on 22 January 2019, 08:53:31 PM
Hello all.

Id really like to buy and paint the new Royalist vs Parliament packs that Pendraken has made, but I dont really know witch rules to use.

https://pendraken.co.uk/battlefield-trust/#battle-of-guisborough-parliament-army

Do you have any suggestions for rules to use?

Cheers Tim
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: Leman on 22 January 2019, 09:11:11 PM
If you want rules using measuring you could try Pike and Shotte (Warlord Games), Baroque (Caliver?) or Forlorn Hope (definitely Caliver). There are two sets, to my knowledge, which use 6" squares for gridded movement, i.e. For King and Parliament (Simon Miller - Big Red Bat)  and Regiment of Foote (Peter Pig).
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: mmcv on 22 January 2019, 10:19:24 PM
If you go for Pike and Shotte there's some good amendments here for ECW flavour https://www.wargamesdesigns.com/ecw-blog/pdfs-for-pike-shotte-combined-unit-rule-amendments. It uses combined pike and shot units which the core rules don't, but makes a lot more sense for the period.

I haven't used them yet myself, being still in the process of painting my armies, but they have some interesting ideas.

The co author of For King and Parliament frequents this forum as well and there's some excellent battle reports using the rule set to be found. I'm keen to try it out as well.
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: mollinary on 22 January 2019, 10:37:11 PM
These packs are for very small battles, much smaller than most rule sets cater for. It would certainly be possible to use For King and Parliament as written, but down scale the unit size represented. I was approached when this idea was oriignally considered, and had some ideas as to how FK&P could be simplified even further to do these battles. Some of these I thought might be promising, but unfortunately other priorities intervened. 

Mollinary (shadowy co-author of 'Simon Miller's' For King and Parliament!)
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: Westmarcher on 22 January 2019, 11:13:23 PM
I've no idea if Victory Without Quarter will be appropriate but, according to this blog, they are free ...
http://declaresir.blogspot.com/2016/05/victory-without-quarter-rules-review.html (http://declaresir.blogspot.com/2016/05/victory-without-quarter-rules-review.html)
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: Leman on 23 January 2019, 07:52:58 AM
Quote from: mmcv on 22 January 2019, 10:19:24 PM
If you go for Pike and Shotte there's some good amendments here for ECW flavour https://www.wargamesdesigns.com/ecw-blog/pdfs-for-pike-shotte-combined-unit-rule-amendments. It uses combined pike and shot units which the core rules don't, but makes a lot more sense for the period.

I haven't used them yet myself, being still in the process of painting my armies, but they have some interesting ideas.

The co author of For King and Parliament frequents this forum as well and there's some excellent battle reports using the rule set to be found. I'm keen to try it out as well.
Thanks very much for that information as it has also taken me to his excellent flags.
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: mmcv on 23 January 2019, 09:03:54 AM
Quote from: Leman on 23 January 2019, 07:52:58 AM
Thanks very much for that information as it has also taken me to his excellent flags.

They do look rather spiffy don't they! Some excellent figure pictures too to see them in action.
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: Hwiccee on 23 January 2019, 09:59:09 AM
We use Twilight of Divine Right (http://www.wfgamers.org.uk/resources/C18/Twilight/ToDR.htm (http://www.wfgamers.org.uk/resources/C18/Twilight/ToDR.htm)) for large battles - Edgehill, Naseby, etc.

Warr Without An Enemie (http://www.wfgamers.org.uk/WWAE.htm (http://www.wfgamers.org.uk/WWAE.htm)) for smaller actions.
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: Westmarcher on 23 January 2019, 10:36:00 AM
Quote from: Leman on 23 January 2019, 07:52:58 AM
Thanks very much for that information as it has also taken me to his excellent flags.

Ordered some nice ECW flags recently from him which he kindly reduced in size to my specifications to fit the miniature standard bearers I was working on.   :-bd

p.s. Flags of War looks like another good source but, unfortunately, when I tried contacting him for the same purpose, he appeared to be too distracted by a crucial stage of a Kickstarter project he was caught up in (which given the financial implications of that compared to my measly order was understandable). 
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: John Cook on 23 January 2019, 12:11:45 PM
Quote from: Westmarcher on 23 January 2019, 10:36:00 AM
Ordered some nice ECW flags recently from him which he kindly reduced in size to my specifications to fit the miniature standard bearers I was working on.   :-bd

p.s. Flags of War looks like another good source but, unfortunately, when I tried contacting him for the same purpose, he appeared to be too distracted by a crucial stage of a Kickstarter project he was caught up in (which given the financial implications of that compared to my measly order was understandable). 


Have you considered buying 28mm flags, scanning and reducing them using the program of you choice, and printing the results yourself?   It has been my solution for a long time.
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 23 January 2019, 01:00:40 PM
Iain is usually pretty good about resizing for me, but he has got busy.
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: Westmarcher on 23 January 2019, 01:25:51 PM
Quote from: John Cook on 23 January 2019, 12:11:45 PM

Have you considered buying 28mm flags, scanning and reducing them using the program of you choice, and printing the results yourself?   It has been my solution for a long time.

I'm pretty hopeless on computers, John. Having said that, we used to have a scanner but alas it is long since deceased. I also used to download flags from the Warflag website and resize them using a programme I had on a now long deceased PC that I actually understood (most of the time!). I was even able to widen them without changing the actual flag design dimensions to account for the 'wrap' around the pole. All of my 10mm Prussian and Austrian SYW infantry flags are the result. But ever since Mrs Westie wanted a Mac when we replaced our ancient PC, I've been an even greater computer dummy.

Fortunately, nowadays, the flag retailers are very accommodating.   #:-S 
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: FierceKitty on 23 January 2019, 03:44:47 PM
Quote from: Tim Marquart on 22 January 2019, 08:53:31 PM
Hello all.

Id really like to buy and paint the new Royalist vs Parliament packs that Pendraken has made, but I dont really know witch rules to use.

https://pendraken.co.uk/battlefield-trust/#battle-of-guisborough-parliament-army

Do you have any suggestions for rules to use?

Cheers Tim

Despite Roundhead propaganda which was aimed at Rupert's dog, there is no evidence of witchcraft in the ECW.
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: mmcv on 23 January 2019, 07:56:14 PM
Quote from: Westmarcher on 22 January 2019, 11:13:23 PM
I've no idea if Victory Without Quarter will be appropriate but, according to this blog, they are free ...
http://declaresir.blogspot.com/2016/05/victory-without-quarter-rules-review.html (http://declaresir.blogspot.com/2016/05/victory-without-quarter-rules-review.html)

Cheers for this, downloaded a copy and they look interesting.
Title: Re: What rules to use for the English Civil War sets?
Post by: Tim Marquart on 25 January 2019, 06:25:28 AM
Thank you all for the ansvers, its wery helpfull. Id completely forgotten about Pike and Shotte, that would certainly fit the Bill.

Victory without Quarter sounds really fun, and the fact that Its only thirtreen pages and free makes them wery usefull.

Now on with the ordering of minis.

Cheers Tim