I've just found a box with c30 Wargames Foundry Conquistadores in, which I can't even remember buying (must have been 10-15 years ago). I'm tempted to buy some Elizabethan sea-dogs (same company) and run a fun skirmish campaign - all foot, no big guns, just sword and buckler, arquebus and the odd pole-arm.
Any recommendations for some rules to make the most of this unexpected opportunity?
I've used "Irregular Wars: Conflict at the World's End" a few times and thought it worked OK.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/293980/irregular-wars-conflict-worlds-end-wargaming-system (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/293980/irregular-wars-conflict-worlds-end-wargaming-system)
Border Wars
I like Irregular Wars - its small battle rather than skirmish.
Song of Blades and Heroes is good for small scale skirmishes and Fistful of Lead is good for more cinematic games.
The Pikemen's Lament by Dan Mersey gives a good fun and cinematic game.
Have to agree about Pikemans Lament....
Thanks for these suggestions. I was after lower-level skirmish systems, really - 1 figure equals 1 man; possibly with some campaign elements. I've never warmed to stands of four 28 mm figures equalling 40 or 50 men or whatever (or more) - doesn't look right to me (which is why all my non-skirmish games are fought in 10mm or 6mm).
Funnily enough (for me at least), after my post last night I also found a rule-set I was going to use with these blighters (produced by Redoubt Games/Miniatures(?), called "Have Pike, Will Travel" (ahem). It's a rather old-fashioned set with some interesting campaign ideas but v old mechanics (more modifiers than I could shake a stick at) and rather slow-play.
I'm surprised no-one's mentioned Tribal.
Skirmish in any era from the Paleolithic to the Anthropocene! :)
1:1 figures to people. Heroes/ leaders are single figures. Grunts are in groups of 5.
Animals can be involved as allies or opponents.
Card play for combat.
Fast and fun ... IMHO.
QuoteI like Irregular Wars - its small battle rather than skirmish.
Very true and I should have been more specific, thanks. Because the base unit is a company (of the same weapon type) and all companies use the same base size, I found it worked pretty well making a company an individual. The large list of nationalities and weapon types provided in the list covered the 16th and early 17th (Europe and New World) rather well and allows them to be rated in a common system. Granted it takes a little tinkering to use it 1:1 but all the major game mechanics seemed to work.
QuoteI'm surprised no-one's mentioned Tribal.
I like Tribal and got it with the idea that it might work for Homeric Greeks (which I don't as yet have). I play tested it with two Irish kings fighting each other (Gallowglass as kings and heroes, and kern as warrior groups).
It worked pretty well but I couldn't come up with a satisfying way to handle the card combat in solo play.
Henjed, which ever you pick be sure to post pictures of a game. :)
Tribal would get my vote. Fast and relatively easy.
Thanks, chaps - I'll take a look at that.
Anyone heard of Knyghte, Pyke and Sworde by Nordic Weasel Games?
Mike
I only know NWGs Five ...... from ..... series, especially Five Parsecs from Home which I like very much.
I'd expect Knyghte, Pyke and Sworde to be worth a look as a result. However, there's a review on TMP by a user called Logain from 21 Oct 2020 which summarises the rules like this:-
Summary:
I would recommend Knyghte, Pyke and Sworde if you:
o Do not mind spending time reading rules and learning new mechanics.
o Have a dedicated opponent or group that would be interested in playing a series of games.
o Want a moderately complex medieval skirmish game that creates a realistic narrative.
o Like the rule set Sharp Practice, and want a game that is similar in a medieval setting.
o Have played Mordhiem and want something more complex, elegant, and based in history.
o Prefer traditionally structured war games and command of your units (alternating turns and no activation rolls).
I would not recommend Knyghte, Pyke and Sworde if you:
o Want a low complexity miniature game.
o Plan to play occasional one-off games.
o Want a game for fewer than a dozen miniatures per side.
o Want a game that you that can just pull out and play.
o Want a game you can play with an opponent who does not want to invest in learning mechanics (e.g. my wife).
o Prefer things like push-your-luck command and control mechanics and in-complete command of your units (Lions Rampant, Song of Blades and Heroes)
o Prefer more abstract wargames (e.g SAGA)
Still prevaricating over a possible purchase.... Anyone out there played Osprey's En Garde and used it for sixteenth century skirmishes? It seems (from descriptions I have read) to be on the smaller skirmish end of the scale (a doze or so figures).
Little Wars TV have done a "Best (& worst) of Osprey rules" today. En Garde is mentioned:
indeed, that's what prompted my thinking in part... I am also prevaricating over the scale of skirmish I want - fewer than twenty figures a side or more like 40-45.
Decision, decisions!
The scale and era neutral "Song of Blades and Heroes" is a good candidate for almost any cinematic skirmish.