The tables in this section have started out as a list of
sets of rules which members of the society use. Comments Pro and Con the
sets have been added based on reactions of club members. These opinions are
those of various contributors and should not be taken as representing the
views of the club as a whole.
Some sets of rules use a very simple system with D6s. You
may roll a set number of these per unit, but may also add extra dice in
good, or lose dice in bad situations. The target scores you need may be
quite limited, such a 6's only) so the more dice you roll the better. Hence
you can end up rolling 30 D6 (bring your own handy bucket) and only roll 4
sixes where you needed 5 or 6 to kill a unit. What is good about this system
is that the opponent really does get quite scared when you say how many dice
you are about to roll!
The only downside is that you do need to have a lot of dice.
Luckily such systems only tend to use D6's.
These rules are written by members of the Club, or are
modifications of other commercially available sets.
| Title |
Author and/or Publisher |
Price Range |
Description |
Pros |
Cons |
| Ancient |
|
|
|
|
|
| DBA |
WRG |
Cheap |
|
Early editions
(1.0 to 1.2) are a good simple introduction to ancient wargaming, with
lots of army lists. Uses standardised figure basing and you do not need
many figures. |
Makes no
provision for different troop quality such as elite or rabble. Editions
from 1.4 onwards added extra complications, compounded in editions 2.0
to 2.2 by sets of significant rule changes (in an add on sheet called
2.1) many of which were reversed in edition 2.2. |
| Warhammer
Ancients |
GW |
Expensive |
|
A simple game
mechanism which involves rolling big buckets of dice. No fixed ground or
figure scale. Reintroduces fun into gaming. |
There are extra
supplements at an additional cost. Uses large buckets of dice. |
| Vis Bellica |
? |
Mid range |
|
|
Incomprehensible |
| Armati |
Arty Conliffe |
Mid range |
|
Uses standard
DBA basing. Good selection of army lists |
|
| Early Warfare |
George Gush |
"Club Rules" |
A simple set of rules similar
to the old WRG Napoleonic in style. There is a not often used fantasy
option |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mediaeval |
|
|
|
|
|
| DBA |
See
comments in Ancient section. |
|
|
|
|
| Early Warfare |
See
comments in Ancient section. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| English Civil
War |
|
|
|
|
|
| Early Warfare |
See
comments in Ancient section. |
|
|
|
|
| Regiment of Foote |
Peter Pig |
|
Designed for 15mm |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| 18th Century |
|
|
|
|
|
| Warfare in the Age of Reason |
|
Mid range |
|
Simple, therefore good for big
battles. Has adequate army lists. |
|
| Volley and Bayonet |
Frank Chadwick |
Quite high |
|
More (small) buckets of dice
with simple system good for big battles. Has special rules for three
periods (18th C, Napoleonic and 19th C up to ACW) |
Requires bookkeeping to keep
track of casualties. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Napoleonic |
|
|
|
|
|
| Volley and Bayonet |
See
comments in 18th Century section. |
|
|
|
|
| "Napoleonic Fire and Fury" |
Modification by Malcolm Dove |
"Club Rules" |
Very similar to the ACW
original. Gives a fast multi Corps game in 15mm. |
|
|
| "George Gush Napoleonic Rules" |
George Gush |
"Club Rules" |
Based on the WRG Napoleonic rules.
Simple and easy to play; used with 25mm |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| American Civil
War |
|
|
|
|
|
| Fire and Fury |
|
Expensive |
|
Very popular at TWWS |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| 19th C Colonial |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| WW1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Square Bashing |
Peter Pig |
|
WW1 using a
grid system - good fun and a quick game |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Blitzkrieg Commander |
Wargames Directory |
Expensive |
|
A complete package with
excellent comprehensive army lists. Uses large buckets of dice in a very
clever system. There is an excellent reproduction of the uncertainties
of command. Supported by an excellent website and users' forum, with
rapid reaction to questions and comments. Artillery and air support
rules are excellent (they are frightening, and should be) |
Uses large buckets of dice.
There is a major issue with consistency within the rules following
perhaps too speedy reaction to users' comments without consideration of
the overall effects in game play. |
| Rapid Fire |
Colin Rumford |
Expensive |
|
Uses a rule system which we
all grew up with in other guises perhaps. |
Unrealistic. Original and new
editions contain some errors. |
| Command Decision |
|
Expensive |
|
Very detailed. |
Very detailed. Really only for
dedicated WW2 gamers. |
| Spearhead |
Arty Conliffe |
Expensive (with supplements) |
|
Relatively simple combat
system. Supplements provided scenarios for the Desert and Italy, Russia,
and NW Europe (excl D Day) |
Dreadful command system
requiring maps of the table. The series of supplements was left
unfinished (missing out the rules for beach landings which it is assumed
would have appeared in the Far East / Pacific supplement). Artillery
system unrealistic and very weak. |
| Crossfire |
Arty Conliffe |
Mid range |
|
Skirmish system. No set
movement distances for infantry. |
Not very good for vehicles and
tanks. WW2 was a combined arms war, and the effective use of vehicles is
not represented adequately. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| "Modern" |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| "Science
Fiction" |
|
|
|
|
|
| Warhammer 40K (W40K) |
GW |
Expensive |
Space fantasy/gothic ground
combat, mainly around infantry skirmishes supported by vehicles. |
|
Army lists have to be bought as
separate 'codexes', adding to the costs. The system is also very
inflexible (no provision is made to use it for non-canon settings, like
for Star Wars etc) |
| Battlefleet Gothic |
GW |
|
Starship combat |
Buckets of Dice system |
|
| Warhammer Epic |
GW |
|
Suitable for larger battles with vehicles |
Buckets of Dice system |
|
|
Star Grunt II/Dirtside & Full
Thrust |
Ground Zero Games |
Cheap |
Science fiction small unit
combat/larger scale vehicle combat & starship battles (respectively)
|
Very flexible and realistic
systems that are both fun to play and quick. Not set in a specific genre
(although one is available) allowing players to easily use models from
any manufacturer and even set it in specific backgrounds (like Starship
Trooper or even W40K). |
Takes a little longer to pick up
the rules if you are used to W40K, as it uses fewer dice and does not
use tables. |
|
Silent Death |
ICE |
Midrange |
Science fiction starfighter
dogfights |
An easily played and fast system
of 2d fighter combat with a large repertoire of vessels available and
the flexibility to create your own (the model scale fits many other
commonly found fighter producers) |
Only purchasable from the US
manufacturer. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| "Fantasy" |
|
|
|
|
|
| Warmaster |
Rick Priestley / GW |
Expensive |
|
Buckets of dice system. Army
lists for a given fantasy environment, but adaptable within reason for
players' own ideas. Popular in TWWS. |
Tends to make players (at
least this one...) buy lots of figures and breed large armies which sit
unpainted in a drawer for years and years. |
| Hordes of the Things |
|
Cheap-ish |
|
Uses original DBA system but
with fantasy elements. Gives a good fun game (watch the Club Chairman
getting "Frogged"). |
|
|
Warhammer (WH) |
GW |
Expensive |
Classic fantasy wargame |
Buckets of dice system. Popular in
TWWS |
Army lists have to be bought as
separate 'codexes', adding to the costs. Shares the W40K inflexibility
regarding figures and equipment not specifically listed in codexes (even
invalidating many older style figures produced by GW). |
| |
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