Hello all,

  I just started getting back into the historical aspect of wargaming after being out of it since the 1980s.  Tried to get back into it around 2016 but with no one in my area that fell though.  Sold off all my miniatures and have stayed out of the hobby until recently.  In December I started collecting 6mm ACW and picked up Brigade Fire and Fury based on an invite to play at a Hobby store group that has since seemed to break up.

  I'm looking for thoughts on an era to get into as my next and last project, as I don't want to spread myself too thin.  Not really any historical groups in the area that I have been able to find, or they are too far away to go to on a weeknight.

  I prefer the Horse and Musket era and asked about the SYW rules and got good advice.  I'm wondering what other timeframes are out there where I could collect and play a Division to Corps level game.  Looking to field about 5-8 battalions of infantry plus support per side. It would have to be a Ugo-Igo rule set because I may be playing solo most of the time.  ACW is out as I already have the 6mm for playing that era.

  I'm looking at picking up 10mm for this project but was looking to see what the options are before I start laying out the money for a new set of rules or figures.

    Rule sets I have are - Might and Honor and Loose files and American Scramble.  Back in the 1980's I played Napoleonic's using the Empire Ruleset with 15mm miniatures.

    Sorry for the ramble, but I would like to weigh all the options before taking this plunge.

Thanks in advance for any advice

It doesn't get much better than SYW this side of Valhalla.

The initial requirement is a reliable opponent, or opponents.

There's a lot of work to prepare a wargame army.
Especially if you find that nobody nearby uses that scale or rules.

Quote from: steve_holmes_11 on 16 July 2025, 06:08:36 AMThe initial requirement is a reliable opponent, or opponents.

There's a lot of work to prepare a wargame army.
Especially if you find that nobody nearby uses that scale or rules.

I'd agree 100% with Steve, and you want some likeminded spirits who are totally committed to the same project and style of play as you.

I know of a chap who did exactly as you.
Returned to the wargaming world (this time upon retirement), joined a local club, but found that they were all into role play type games, and chopped & changed a lot - he couldn't keep up - and he wanted more 'traditional' table-top gaming (as Featherstone, Grant or Barker intended). But he eventually found a few like minded souls nearby who were already into TYW, SYW, Napoleonics and ACW and were committed to them, so now he's a happy soul. As he knows that if he sets out to paint a rgmt of 15mm Prussians that they will eventually get into a game 

 

One Hour Wargames by Neil Thomas is a good starting point.

Simple rules for multiple periods, including Horse & Musket. You need only ten units per side of which only six are used in each scenario. Easy to play solo. Includes 30 scenarios in the book (which are the real highlight). Well worth it.

These suggestions are based on Pendraken figure ranges (no more, no less) but lovely figures feel a great start to a new period to me

American War of Independence - very close to SYW in timelines - lots and lots of lovely figures from Pendraken, and what seems to be an ever growing range. Live Free or Die is a popular ruleset (based on American Scramble)

Napoleonics - Pennisular War - the recent ranges from Pendraken where my first foray into Naps after 50+ years (well other than a handful of Brittians figures). Very nice figures, you can extend beyond the obvious British and French to add Spanish and Portuguese. Rules wise I went with Sharpe Practice but that is a large skirmish game, so perhaps not what you are looking for. 

Having a local opponent with similar gaming preferences is super useful - my experience after moving and getting back into gaming was to ask a bit of forums, then meet some people, and find out what they are playing. None of this was through local gaming stores.  

Maybe I can mention my own "Bloody Big Battles!" (BBB)?

I know you said 5-8 battalions a side, but you also said up to corps level. Anyway, BBB's elastic scale means you can do division-sized games with it (and there are division-sized scenarios available).

Reasons why it might tick your boxes:
- works for all of the 19th century
- IGO-UGO
- suits solo play (see blog post and related Solo Wargamers Association review: https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2016/06/solo-wargaming.html )
- lots of scenarios available for many different wars, either in published campaign books or via the BBB io group:
https://groups.io/g/bloodybigbattles
- similar mechanisms to Fire & Fury, so you can use your existing ACW armies for BBB

If you get the triad of French, Prussians and Austrians for 1859/1866/1870, there's a lot of mileage to be had from your armies, and these very different and very asymmetric wars make for different tactical challenges and interesting games. BBB ruleset includes scenarios for the 9 biggest FPW battles; plenty of 1859 and 1866 scenarios available, and more FPW ones as well.

Collected reviews of BBB here:
https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2016/10/collected-reviews-of-bbb-bloody-big.html

Good luck with finding a ruleset you like, a rewarding project, and a kindred spirit or two to enjoy them with!

Chris

Good afternoon Sgt.

What do you mean by "horse and musket"? Rather than the SYW, would you consider the AWI? The Pendraken range has just had some additions and is superb. If I didn't have a aversion to anything between Malplaquet and Maida, I'd be very interested.

You could go to the other end and look at the League of Ausberg range. very comprehensive and attractive.

My own downfall is the Napoleonics. The Peninsula and Waterloo ranges are rather lovely. I have a Spanish army on my painting desk at the moment.

Quote from: Chris Pringle on 16 July 2025, 07:17:41 AMIf you get the triad of French, Prussians and Austrians for 1859/1866/1870,

I'm looking at the 1866 war at the moment. This because I found a book I had forgotten I had whilst looking for a book that I don't have. If you're looking for something akin to the ACW, the 1866 has certain attractions. If you want a change, then AWI, League of  Ausberg or Napoleonics.
 

I'd recommend Honours of War for the SYW and can easily be used for the WSS and the AWI.

I've been doing some research and soul searching as to what I want.

Chris - I did look at BBB and after reading reviews and after-action reports. I like the looks of the rules but I think they would not be the right set for me based on the era's I've narrowed it down to and the size actions I want to play.  Thank you for suggesting it.

fsn - I am considering the AWI, Thank you for your suggestion on that time period.

Based on the recommendations here, I've narrowed my choice down to SYW with Honours of War rule set or the AWI (possibly Live Free or Die ruleset).  I have gathered a sizable amount of information on both wars and now need to decide which way to go.  I think it will take me a couple of weeks to decide on this.

I have sentimental reasons for AWI (ancestors fought on both sides), but I really like the look of 6 - 10mm figures on a 20x20mm base for the SYW.

I also considered Napoleonic's for the First Italian Campaign but decided against that as the uniforms of the Revolutionary period are too different (for me) from the later Napoleonic Wars.

Any other input would be greatly appreciated.

No worries, Sarge. In that case, I'll add another vote for Honours of War.

Hi

Based on your original post I would 'second' (or third) the suggestions for the Seven Years War (SYW) using the Honours of War rules or the American War of Independence (AWI) using the Live Free or Die rules. I have relatively large Pendraken armies for both wars and if I had to pick between the two it would probably be for the AWI as the Pendraken figures are so, so good, particularly compared with the much older SYW range which I humbly suggest could do with a revamp (sorry Leon)!

And if you enjoy the ACW Fire and Fury rules (which by the way, I do very much) you can down load for FREE their AWI variant from their website here:  Fire and Fury Games - designers of wargame miniatures rules - RFF Variants
Just my tuppence worth of course.

Cheers Paul

Thanks You very much Paul for letting me know about the RFF - AWI variant.  I'll definitely take a look at those.

The Live Free or Die rules are heavily based on the Loose Files & American Scramble, which you already have, so will have an idea whether they suit you or not. They come in two flavours, one set has three scenarios, but there is a set that includes the expansion scenario book, so there are plenty of scenarios.

From a starting out point of view, I think the Live Free or Die scenarios need quite a lot of bases, but that can always be fudged.

Napoleonics are nice, needing a French army and then one of the opponents, I am presently doing Prussian. there are plenty of rules to choose from, but I know you said you want this project to be your last and therefore somewhat contained and I think with Napoleonics, there is always an urge to start another collection one of the other big nations - if you can resist that, they would serve you well.

I know it has been mentioned previously, but a very good buy would be One Hour Wargames by Neil Thomas, maybe on the Kindle. It's huge strength is that it has 30 generic scenarios that work with 5 or 6 units per side, so you can start game earlier in the painting cycle. Secondly, they have rules for multiple periods, each being around 2½ pages long. There is a benefit to that, because you will definitely get a mid week game and they are solo friendly, but for me they are just a tad too short and I would like to see Command & Control and Morale in the rules mix, but they are simple and structurally very robust, so you can add in any rules you want.

So after that ramble, I would probably go for AWI and get the Neil Thomas book so you can be playing early while you paint and aim to get the forces up to a point that you can use Loose Files & American Scramble or 'update' to the Live Free or Die set with the expanded scenario section.

Good luck, I admire your single minded focus on one finite project.

Thank You Norm for your thoughts.

I have decided to get into the AWI after some long thought over the past couple of days.  While the SYW appeals to me for the massed troop look, the sentimental in me says AWI.

When I finish my ACW 6mm project, my plan is to start with Poor's Brigade of Americans and Hamilton's Brigade of British from the Battle of Freeman's Farm.

Not sure what rules yet, may start with Loose Files and American Scramble and the Fire and Fury AWI variant to start and I plan on looking at all the other rules mentioned here to see which one fits me best.

I do have a question concerning the Honours of War rule set.  How much do you have to modify them to play AWI?

Thank you all for the inputs and I look forward to more help as I go.