Midgard - An Introduction.

Midgard: Heroic Battles was launched in November 2023. Written by James Morris (Mogsymakes) and published by the Too Fat Lardies’ Reisswitz Press, it is a historical fantasy game for the age of heroes. Like most Lardies games, it is designed for a fun gaming session rather than competitions and is centred on leadership. It immediately gained a following, the Facebook group 2.6k (February 2025) and was voted the best new game of 2024 by Wargames Illustrated.

I watched and participated in the game at several wargame shows, so I was captivated before its release. Aside from the appeal of the rules, I also had a pile of figures that could be used for the games, ranging from Trojan War to High Elves. Some resided in a pile of lead, while others only required rebasing.

The Rules

The Midgard rules are a sandbox rule set where a unit or hero's essential attributes, attack, armour stamina, etc., are modified by traits to provide greater depth. This mechanism is not new, Fantastic Battles uses the same process. The average game, about 300 points, will involve 10 to 12 units and 3-4 heroes. The typical unit in 28mm will be eight figures so the army in size is similar to the Lion Rampart family of games.

Reputation 

The morale of the army is measured by its reputation. Each army starts with a reputation score, but this fluctuates during the battle, mainly due to the heroes' actions. For example, a hero throwing himself into a charge will earn a reputation, while if a hero abandons a unit while in combat, the army will lose reputation points. As the battle intensifies, units will lose stamina, making them more difficult to command, and finally, they will rout with the loss of those valuable reputation points. This system means no figure removal, which makes conversion from other systems easy.

Basing and Spear Throws

The suggested basing is 120mm wide, with the base depth primarily left to the model's needs. Other widths can be adapted for smaller scales and to accommodate already-based models. However, the basing has to be consistent, and the width (120mm) is used for measuring movement and shooting distances; i.e. 'On Spear Throw (ST)' = 120mm or the width of the base. Therefore, if a small base size is adopted, the ST gets reduced.

Mighty Deeds

The core of the rules, and what makes it unique, is the impact of heroes, including gods, sorcerers, priests and holy men, on the battle. There are four levels of heroes, and the hero's level is linked to their ability to perform mighty deeds. Mighty deeds are spent to boost morale at times of need, increase the fighting prowess of the units or activate some unique ability. However, these gifts come at a cost, and the casualty rate amongst heroes is high compared to other games, especially as rival heroes are prone to issue challenges to single combat.

Scenarios and Army Lists

The rules come with five scenarios and twelve army lists, including Greeks and Trojans, Arthurian Romans and Saxons, Dwarfs and Elves, as well as the armies of Thor and Loki. A points system is available to create your own armies, and a fan-designed force builder helps in this process. There is no campaign system, but one is currently being played and tested, so hopefully, there will not be an extended wait.

One last comment on this brief introduction to Midgard is the production quality, artwork, and clarity of writing are the best I have seen. 

Battle of Fenley Lay

I have played Midgard at shows, but I used basic set-up for my first home battle. I opted for the first scenario, ‘The Battle,’ a head-to-head struggle across an open battlefield. I chose a classic fight between Vikings and Saxons—a simple infantry clash with no magic or monstrosities. 

The Viking hero opened the fight by challenging any Saxon champion to face him in single combat. An offer the Saxons, who had planned a defensive strategy, refused with the resulting loss in reputation. The first phase of the battle was all about the Vikings. Moving quickly forward, they charged the Saxon line. Consequently, the Viking reputation grew rapidly as the Saxons began to struggle. 

The battle now became one of push-and-pull between the two shield walls. The Vikings had the advantage of better troops, while the Saxons' greater numbers allowed them to fight in depth while trying to put pressure on the Vikings’ right flank.

The Saxon (Right) and the Viking (Left) shieldwall at the Battle of Fenley Lay

The shieldwall fractured several places as the battle progressed, and the field was now littered with individual combats. The reputation of both sides began to leak away, and stamina and men were lost. Finally, the Saxon flanks attack began to gain some success against the more vulnerable Bondi, who started to flee the battlefield, and the Vikings lost their last reputation point. The ended with the Viking leader, Ivar the Boneless, still standing proud amongst his hirdmen, surrounded by a pile of Saxon bodies, although the day was lost for him.

Battle of Blood Ford

In my second test game, I introduced some terrain. The most important feature was a river running the table length with a wide Ford in its centre. To the flanks were some woods and broken ground. With their superior troops, this narrow frontage should favour the Vikings, but the Saxons had stolen a march of their enemies and were closer to the river and its Ford. So, the Saxons made a rapid advance to control the Ford. After an inconclusive duel between Ubba and the Saxon, Oswald of Theadford, the Saxons rushed across the river, hitting the Viking shieldwall and pushing it back along its length.

However, the Saxon joy was short-lived. While the Saxons continued to win in the centre, the flanks started to full back under Viking pressure.

The Initial Saxon Surge Across the Ford.

The battle swayed back and forth across the river, and the shield wall fractured into several smaller melees. As the Viking warband made ground on the flanks. Ubba was out for revenge following his earlier inconclusive duel. His household warriors cut through the Saxon left, leading their leader XX to be the fodder for the crows and the wolves.  Alfheah, the Saxon commander, and his warband broke through the centres, leaving a mass of bodies that they left in their wake, which included the Viking leader, Ivar the Boneless. The Alfhead's victorious Saxon attacked the Viking left flank, which collapsed as the raiders decided they had enough. A rare victory, if bloody, for the Saxons.

Some Closing Thoughts.

The game is excellent; it looks good, and I felt it captures the look and feel of the conflicts of the Early Middle Ages. Strategy is rudimentary due to the era's limited command and control capabilities. However, the game is designed as a sandbox game, so it can be adapted for many historical and fantasy genres. Lists, for example, are available for the War of the Roses. I have also seen debates on its unsuitability for the Italian Wars at the end of the fifteenth century. It is best not to approach Midgard in purely linear terms. Midgard is best suited when men led their own band of followers before the rise of the national state. Technologically, when gunpowder becomes a dominant force, and the opportunities for historic deeds are diminished, it also acts as a limiter. Therefore, while the rules may lose their ‘feel’ from the fifteenth century in Europe, they could be used for the Sengoku period in sixteenth-century Japan. 

Midgard also looks great on the table, so it's game to get those banners and standards out as they lead units and cluster around the army's heroes. I plan to try the rules with some 10mm armies, so I hope Midgard's appeal continues. 

Last, what is Midgard’s USP (Unique Selling Point)? Several fantastic sandbox systems are in the market, including Fantastic Battles, Lion/Dragon Rampart, and the DBA family. All have appeal, but Midgard places the heroes in the centre of the action, but here are no superheroes in these games; heroes will die. However, it’s through them that the game narrative is created, and in my opinion, what makes Midgard unique.

For me, the next stop is introducing some magic and the massive creatures of myth and legend and resurrecting my pile of lead and plastics to get more Midgard armies on the table. 

Pulp Alley & The Leopard

I recently finished my Tomb of the Serpent campaign. My next project is the Spectacular Adventures of the Leopard, a swashbuckling skirmish game set during the English Civil War. I have already played a test game, The Wayward Messenger, using the 7TV system. However, before setting out on this project, I decided to review what rules were available and which best suited my needs. Finally, I decided to use Pulp Alley. So why am I using a set of rules designed for the first half of the twentieth century for a historical skirmish game? As the Pulp Alley authors made clear, the Pulp genre included a wide range of environments, including gangsters, superheroes, fantasy, horror, and pirates, to name a few. So, in this first missive on my Leopard project, I will examine the rules I have looked at and why I went for Pulp Alley. As you will see, this is a very personal choice that fits my circumstances.

The Leopard, Aurelia St Simon and Aaron Bell (The Preacher)

Seventeenth Century Skirmish Rules. 

There are several good rule sets dedicated to the swashbuckling period, such as Flashing Steel, Glorie, and En Garde, to name just a few. All these games provide an excellent narrative for my campaign, but none are designed for the solo wargamer. Also, why I love collecting and reading rules; for my day-to-day gaming, I try to keep to a handful of core rules. Therefore, I decided to have a set of skirmish rules that  I could use for Indiana Jones-type adventures, gangsters in the 1930s and classic sci-fi settings. This led me back to the Pulp genre.

Pulp Rules - Cost 

In recent years, the pulp genre has become rather crowded with rules. Compared to other periods, all these rules can be obtained cheaply. Most have a free version or can be downloaded cheaply from Wargames Vault. 

Also, the figure count is usually less than a dozen, and most figure rules are agnostic in what figures can be used. Pulp Alley and 7TV have figure ranges, but they are unnecessary for playing the games.

Various supplements, scenarios, and cards add additional costs. Pulp Alley and 7TV have the most support for their games, so more supplements and cards to add to the core game. If you decide to go 'all in' with cards and supplements, this makes them the more expensive end of the spectrum.

The most significant cost is the need for nice-looking terrain. However, card buildings are available, and with careful planning, MDF and resin buildings can be used for other games.

Pulp - The Rules

Here is a brief summary of the rules I have examined. Click on the rules picture for link to the rules.

7TV (Crooked Dice)

7TV was designed to pay tribute to 1960s and 1970s television, focusing on campy adventures from fantasy to science fiction. Initially, each genre had its own supplement, but in 2023, Crooked Dice produced a core rulebook and now concentrates on producing serials (scenarios) that reflect the TV shows of the era.

The gameplay emphasises thematic missions and cinematic effects. Players build “casts” of characters using customisable archetypes. These are played on a set where the game recreates a TV episode. This can lead to odd play; for example, the set can move due to continuity errors.

Fistful of Lead (Wiley Games)

These rules are simple and quick to learn, perfect for fast-paced pulp action. They focus on minor skirmishes with individual character actions. The action deck (standard playing cards) mechanic introduces randomness and variety. The game offers flexible genre support, including Westerns, noir, and pulp sci-fi. Experimental solo rules, which are free to download, have been produced. Although their strength lies in multi-player games where they can handle numerous players (c. 10) without the game getting bogged down.

However, Fistful of Lead does not produce a deep storytelling experience, and the characters are underdeveloped for my tastes. I also found them challenging to customise for my Leopard adventures, although several genre/period supplements are available.

Perilous Tales 

This cooperative skirmish wargame centres around horror and exploration, perfect for Lovecraftian or supernatural pulp settings. The procedural scenario generation and simple yet thematic rules create cinematic challenges and a story-rich encounter, and they are specifically designed to support solo and cooperative gameplay.

Character design is limited because it is driven by predefined templates, which limits the customisation of games outside the horror genre. While all the games in this list are designed to create cinematic cliffhangers, in this instance, the mechanism that produces the excitement seems random, making tactics less critical than other pulp games. However, as a free game that introduces someone to pulp or for solo play, these rules are a winner.

Pulp (Osprey)

Pulp is one of the latest entries in the pulp stable and part of the Osprey Blue Book of wargames. Like all Osprey publications, the rules are cheap and well-produced. The rules offer a fast, streamlined game that is easy to learn, making it a good entry-level game. However, in terms of simplicity, the rules have lost depth in customising the characters, who are limited to archetypes.

Therefore, they miss the full storytelling potential of the genre with limited narrative depth and minimal customisation of characters.

Pulp Alley

Pulp Alley provides deep narrative gameplay, using dice and card mechanisms to represent plot points and random events. Together, these components produce an easy-to-learn game that is difficult to master. As I mentioned, the rules are designed to be highly customisable and fit with the variety of pulp genres. Character creation is good, although I would like more depth added to the character's background.
The game has solo rules and a unique card deck that produces engaging and exciting games, and it has one of the best dedicated communities of any game. The authors produce weakly, at least, videos to support their creation. While the cost is moderate if you want to purchase the cards (downloads are available), it provides an immersive experience into the world of pulp.

  

Comparing Pulp Rules

The rules choice is personal and designed to meet your or the club's needs. Therefore, the list below is designed to meet my gaming needs. I have considered the following factors: Narrative, Complexity ( I like simple to moderate rules), Flexibility, Solo play, Costs, and game/community support.

Narrative

My games must produce a good narrative that could make a good short story. In this category, Pulp Alley, 7TV and Perilous Tales edge this for me. The card mechanics in the first two add much narrative depth to the game.

Complexity

None of these games is particularly hard to learn; most are moderate to low in complexity. Boardgame Geek rates them in the mid-2s out of a total of 5. Fist Full is Lead, and Perilous Tales may have simpler systems.

Flexibility

Pulp Alley and 7TV can support any pulp genre. Pulp Alley nudges this category because 7TV's scenarios are more scripted.

Solo Mechanism

Only Pulp Alley and Perilous Tales have dedicated solo mechanisms. The other games' systems focus primarily on competitive skirmishes, so solo players must develop their own systems.

Cost of Entry

As I mentioned at the opening of this blog, the cost of entry is relatively low for this genre. 7TV is the most expensive, although they have merged most of the genre into one core book, reducing costs. Pulp Alley offers a lot of free stuff, but it will increase if you want to buy the cards and other add-on costs. For those on a tight budget, Perilous Tales and Fist Full of Lead, with downloadable rules and a few add-ons, have the edge on costs.

Support

One of the oddities of solo Wargaming is that you still want to feel part of a wider community. Therefore, online support is an essential aspect of the game for me. Support includes activity communities, forums, and online engagement. In this respect, Pulp Alley is the winner with its Facebook community, weekly videos, and games.

Conclusion

Pulp Alley was the final choice for playing my Leopard campaign because of its flexibility. I only had to write minimal changes to reflect seventeenth-century technology, its solo play capabilities, and the production of a strong narrative. In my Tomb of the Serpent campaign, the characters became more 3-dimensional as the story progressed. However, here, I had to design my own adventurers, so I wanted a clearer picture of the background of my main characters. How the Leopard, his friends and foes came to life will be the subject of the second blog in this project. 

Golden Oldie - Battlefleet Gothic

I was trawling my boxes of unpainted and painted miniatures when I came across a few boxes of spaceships. My collection was a haphazard array of ships, reflecting my numerous attempts to enter this genre. The miniatures included a few fleets from Space Dreadnought 3000, Battlefleet Gothic and some modern additions, like Dropleet Commander.

This discovery coincided with Ross Lockwood's new set of space combat rules, 'Hyperspace Hack'. Therefore, after discovering an old treasure and some new rules, I had an excellent fill-in game as I continued painting for my next project. 

Spaceship Rules

Oh, if things could be that simple.  I immediately dug out some old spaceship combat rules in my collection. The aim was to fight fleet skirmishes and battles rather than worry about controlling an individual starship array of systems. 

Unlike historical games, there is nothing factual against which to judge any rules. The rules must fire your imagination and reflect how you imagine space combat. I started my intergalactic altic quest by reading all the rules I had in my collection. In the end, I returned to a golden oldie, Battlefleet Gothic. Why?

Spaceship Gothic  

The rules, beautifully written by Andy Chambers, have stood the test of time. They contain everything you expect from spaceship battles, giant ships, planet killers, speedy flights, interplanetary defence systems, and an array of space matter. I own the original 1999 rules. The edition comes in landscape rather than my preferred portrait. However, fans have produced a remastered (live) edition in a portrait setting.

Personally, I do not like the 40,000 Universe, but the rules can be adapted to a homemade setting. I came across some settings that appealed to me more in my reading. 

Battlefleet Solo

For me, the lack of solo mechanics is the main area for improvement in the Battlefleet rules. However, other rules have solo mechanisms that could be adapted. Horizon Wars Infinity Dark has a playing card activation system that establishes the activation order, the actions to be taken, and any course corrections. This system was used in conjunction with the Battlefleet Gothic rules.

The Scenario 

A convoy of colony ships had been ambushed in the Carian Sector by pirates who infest these outer world systems. However, the main merchantman, CSS New Beginnings, survived the onslaught but lost all power. As the pirates considered boarding their prize, a portal opened, and the cruiser, Iron Duke and two support frigates (Alpha and Omega) entered the sector. The pirates clocked or hid and waited for their opportunity.

The Objective.

To win the Imperial squadron, the crew had to board the stricken New Begining, pass a successful test to reboot her systems, and then escort the colony ship to safety. Simple rules using the leadership test catered for the docking procedures between the two friendly ships and the system reboot. 

The pirate fleet of smaller reconditioned frigates and raiders had to prevent the colony ship from leaving the sector without destroying it. They would also earn bonuses for killing or capturing any Imperial ship.

Tactics

The Imperial commander's tactics were simple. The two frigates would attempt to dock with the stricken vessel while the Iron Duke stood off in case the pirates returned. The pirate tactics were to wait until a ship tried to start docking with their prize and launch an attack, using their mobility to maximum impact while the ships were entangled.

The Game

The Imperial ships made a quick approach to the stranded colony ship. However, only some things went to plan. The Alpha overshot her docking portal and had to exercise a sharp turn to make another approach. The Omega was more successful and docked successfully, but this left the now static frigate vulnerable to attack. It was at this moment that the pirates launched their raid. 

The Iron Duke made mincemeat of several vessels, but the attacks came from all sides. The captain of Omega ordered 'Brace for Impact', which allowed the frigate to survive the first onslaught. However, the Alpha, exposed during her turning manoeuvre, suddenly exploded as an array blast hit the ship.

The next turn, the Omega engineers managed to re-fire the New Beginnings engines, and she started to lumber forward. The Iron Duke, impervious to the horde of small ships, continued to exact damage.

The final moves saw the New Beginning move to the safety of the jump portal as the Iron Duke covered her and the Omega retreat. The cruiser was too powerful for the small pirate vessel, and the Imperial squadron completed its mission.

Some Thoughts

The game was short and brutal, and I had forgotten how entertaining these rules were. However, my adapted solo system did not work as I wanted. The card activations led to some peculiar movements, especially for the pirates. The generated options needed to be more sophisticated, and the pre-programmed orders must be adapted for the ship type. In brief, back to the drawing board. 

Solo Wargaming

New books on solo wargaming are a rarity, so when one comes along, the author should be applauded. This year, Gregory Ward published 'Wargaming World Solo: Ancient to Modern Solo Wargaming' (WWS). As the title suggests, the book has taken on the ambitious task of writing solo rules that span human history.

Overview

WWS is divided into three parts. First, the author overviews his approach and mechanism to provide a unique solo opponent, a 'Virtual You' (VY). In the second part, the bulk of the book, he goes through the details of deployment, turn sequence, command and control, random events, flank marches and reserves, movement and combat, reactions and decision making and finally, morale. The book's final part contains examples, army lists and QRS. All in 80 pages.

Complete Ruleset for the Solo Gamer

As the above heading suggests, WWS is a complete set of rules. Concentrating on troop and leadership quality as the main driver allows Gregory to use the same primary mechanism for different historical periods, adjusting for technological advances in the movement and combat tables. These rules are self-contained and would allow gamers to set up a quick weekend game.

OR A Toolkit

However, like many, I am already attached to specific rules for my favourite periods. For people like myself, WSS becomes a treasure trove of tools to turn these rules into a better solo experience. These include how to set strategy, tactical approach, deployment, objective setting, hidden movement using markers, and reaction tests. In many instances, the pedigree of these ideas can be traced back to Donald Featherstone and Charles Grant, to name but a few. However, how they have been combined and redesigned makes this book an essential addition to a solo warmer's library.

Next Steps

My next step is to try WWS's tools with my favorite rules: Lion Rampant, Fantastic Battles, and Sharp Practice. Additionally, I plan to use them in my historical refights at Tel Danith (1115), Cheriton (1644), and Vimeiro (1808). This exploration has also sparked ideas for naval games like Dystopian Wars, and experimenting with pre-battle movements, sieges and campaigns. WWS has rekindled my interest in the genre and what can be done.

How long does all this take? Who knows? However, that is the beauty of solo wargaming.

Superheroes and Pulp Alley

I’ve always loved American comics and their superheroes. Even before they became popular in the UK, I remember in the 60s, Mum made me a Batman outfit for a fancy dress competition. An entry that would have been common today but before the advent of the Marvel franchise, something unusual. I came second as a frogman! However, the desire to play a superhero game as a skirmish game has continued, with many failed attempts.

Superhero Skirmishes - Unique Problems

Playing the superhero genre produces its own unique problems. How to get the epic feel in such a small space when a speedster hero can circle the earth in minutes. The most popular set of superhero rules, currently is Marvel Crisis Protocol (MCP). A spin-off from the famous Marvel franchise, the figures are of a high standard, and the rules are simple, with the character cards providing the nuances for a character. Having played several games, I decided the MCP was for someone else. Card-heavy games have never appealed. Secondly, MCP focuses on competition games and lacks a narrative storyline.

Rules

If you read any of my blogs, you will soon discover that the storyline is very important for my gaming experience. So, I set out to find another solution to play superhero games. Here are my requirements,

• a good narrative element to the games that can be expended into a campaign,
• scenarios, and campaigns are available commercially or can be easy to put together.
• solo rules or the mechanism support the solo play,
• good community on the forums
• comic agnostic, so I can switch between comic houses and my own homemade heroes.

The starting point are the excellent rules by Four Color Studios which have several versions using different dice mechanism. Most have a solo option and some of the rules have been designed particularly for solo and cooperative play. Finally, the support from the designers are excellent. However, I am currently trying to reduce the number of rules sets I use. This gave me the idea that why not try to adapt Pulp Alley for the superhero genre. Superhero comics have their origins in the Pulp comic and the rules already have several low power ‘Shadow’, like heroes. However, some house rules would be needed to extend the rules, to better reflect this comic genre.

Pulp Alley and House Rules.

Levels and Team Formation

I decided to make the average superhero level 3, this allowed for the Superman types to fill the level 4 spot. Whilst the Epic Character was reserved for Galactic heroes and villains (Thanos types). Lesser heroes filled the level 2 slot, whilst level 1 was reserved for low powered henchmen men and street fighters in whatever form. The gangs rules remained unaltered

Abilities

To give a better superhero feel, I increased the number of abilities available by 1.

Some abilities I renamed to reflect the genre. For example, Shock (level 2) became Sunwing’s Sunburst power. For this trial it was not necessary to add any new abilities. However, I thought that to encompass all the possible variations found in the superhero genre would require adding numerous additional abilities. 

I also made two additions to the rules to replicate comic book skirmishes.

Knockback

In superhero comic book a blow or blast from a super can send their opponent flying. Enter the knockback rule. For every success not blocked or dodged (both brawl and in shooting), the opponent (prior any Health Check) character is driven back 1 inch. Threat this as an involuntary move, p. 43, so follow these rules if the losing character collides with either another character or building.

The victor can follow up if they want.

Throwing Objects

Another feature of superhero combat is picking up large objects and throwing them at the enemy. The active player who is trying to throw the object makes an opposed roll using his Might (this covers both physical and mental strength) versus the object’s size.

• Size 1 Street items, Car, dumpsters large crates 2d6
• Size 2 Kiosks, vans 2d8
• Size 3 Large trucks and buildings 3d8
• Size 4 Large buildings 3d10

If the test failed, the item is dropped or cannot be lifted. Any success not cancelled out by the size throw means the object can be thrown 3 inches. Once the final position of the thrown item is determined, draw a path the same width as the item (like the path for movement and line of sight), every character in the path starting from the start to end point draws a peril card, in essence the path become perilous terrain. The object is then destroyed and removed from the game.

The Game - "Rumble at the Docks"

Using the some figures from Kitbash Games', Super Unlimited range plus some old fantasy figures, I set up a game in 1980s San Diego. The plot is very simple, an evil biochemist, Dr Nicholas Amargus (DNA) has been conducting his evil experiments on the people of the city. Every day a red mist floats in from the sea, and when it makes contacts with citizens of the city, they undergo some severe mental disturbances.

Red Mist, Traitor and Drones

However, one of Amargus's lab technician had turned state evidence and crashed a lorry carry Amargus' work near the port. The UN has dispatched an Aegis Team (Star Phantom, Sunwing, Night Eagle and Primor) to recover the samples. Amargus, however has uncovered the plot and leads a group of his associates (Troll, Immulator and Mayhem) to recover the hideous cargo. The game is based on Charlie Stout III's scenario Dark Secrets, with the humans being being replaced by drones. The drones and the red mist being controlled by random throws.

The game developed into two distinct actions, with an areal combat between where Star Phantom and Sunwing took on Immulator. On the ground Troll provided ground support before coming to blows Night Eagle. On the ground, a fight developed around the overturned lorry between Mayhem and Primor. The former being outclassed by the Demi-god form an alternative universe. Throughout DNA concentrated on recovering his lethal samples, throwing the occasional vehicle or lamp post with his mental power. Throughout the our heroes and villians had to be mindful of the growing red cloud that had slowly drifted in from the sea.

In the end the game ended in a draw. Whilst Dr Amargus recovers two of the samples, Night Eagle managed to gain a sample, giving Aegis and its associates a chance of analysing the compound for an antidote.

Conclusions and Thoughts

Here are a couple of photos from the game, which was enjoyable and for me generally captured the superhero genre. However, I thought it missed something, probably because the powers were not distinctive enough, a blaster and melee game. Here are some other thoughts

• The investment in some flight stands helped the appearance of the game. As both teams had a couple of members who had the flight ability the game was a one of quick manoeuvre, with shots coming from the sky. In the future I will add a penalty of 3 inches to change levels.
• The Knockback rule work well so no changes.
• Throwing objects need some fine tuning, so if anyone has any suggestion they are welcome.
• I need to add more powers to the abilities lists, and maybe rewrite these tables to better reflect the genre.  

Next Steps

The next steps is another games in my DNA campaign and to assemble a WWII era Justice Society of America. However, that is another story/blog.

Age of Sail

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, my first venture into Age of Sail was to bring the battle of Cape Ortegal to my tabletop. More about the action later, but it was a small action, fought between two squadrons, twelve ships in total, rather than a significant fleet action. However, my ambition is to refight the great clashes of the era, Glorious 1 July, Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar, so the rules I choose ideally should accommodate these significant engagements. This focus eliminated many rule sets that focused on ship-to-ship duels.

Rules and Constraints

The first step in my quest involved reading several rules sets to establish which ones appealed. Rules that a wargamer chooses are a personal choice to fit their requirements. Three constraints impacted my selection. First, I have limited space, so any option had to be played on a 6’ x 4’ table. Second, I mainly play solo, so any dedicated rules to aid solo play would be attractive. Last, I wanted to test the period with a limited financial budget. This led me down 1:2400 scale ships. Although War Artisan card ships tempted me, I thought they were too large because of my restricted space.

The Rules

I had previously tried tabletop board games, like the Sails of Glory and Oak and Iron, but they did not allow me to recreate large engagements. Therefore, I concentrated on five sets of rules.

Grand Fleet Actions (GFA) by Andrew Finch and Alan Butler, A & A Game Engineering,

Far and Distant Ships (FDS) by David Manley, Long Face Games,

Fighting Sail (FS) by Ryan Miller, Osprey Publishing,

Fire as She Bears (FASB) by Phil C Fry, Starboard Tack Press,

Kiss Me Hardy (KMH) by Nic Skinner, Two Fat Lardies.

Please look at my earlier post for site links for these rules.

Period Covered

Before looking at the individual rules, a few general comments. First, only some of these rules covered the same period. Kiss Me Hardy is focused on the ‘Age of Nelson, whilst GFA and FASB can be used to refight engagements from the 16th Century. Fighting Sail is the most restrictive covering the 18th century and the first two decades of the next century. Therefore, most of these rules can cover a period from the Anglo-Dutch wars to the end of the Napoleonic conflicts.

General Comments

First, most rules are pdf downloads that you must print if you want a hard copy. The notable exception is Fighting Sail from Osprey, produced to that company’s high standard. Few of these rules are indexed, and only FDS and FS have a QRS sheet. However, QRSs can be found online and in various Facebook groups for most of the rules. Fighting Sail and KMH have the best online support with dedicated forums and Facebook groups. All the rules have online tutorials to help land lubbers like me learn the rules. The naval arena is poorly served compared to the plethora of excellently produced rules for Napoleonic land battles. This is best illustrated by the lack of templates (movement and gunnery) needed to play the games. Only KMH has commercial templates, so in most cases, homemade solutions are required.

None of the rules has dedicated solo extensions, although the activation system, card or token driven, in Kiss Me Hardy makes solo adaptation easier. Although I have not tried it at this stage in my research, some of the ideas on command in a KMH supplement can be transferred.

Initial Thoughts.

Whilst the rule might be lacking in swish presentation, they make up for it in playability. Most rules are quick to learn that concentrate on the command aspects rather than the details of seamanship. This design approach produces some friendly mechanisms and improves playability. Boardgames Geek scored most rules below 2.50 out of 5.00 on complexity.

Play Testing

My initial thoughts on my read-through and some limited play testing are,

Far Distant Ships (FDS)

Designed for significant naval actions, they are low complexity, quick to learn and have the advantage of no off-table bookkeeping. The rules played like a DBA game, so opposing dice with a handful of modifiers. This led to a fast, easy-to-learn game that captured the problems faced by the age of sail fleet commodore. The advanced rules that include a signal system would undoubtedly add to this impression and the fog of war.
My main criticisms are that the rules would have benefited from detailed examples of some key concepts. Secondly, the carronade fire at close range is lethal, but there is no information on which ships carried them. However, these comments on ship details apply to all the rules I reviewed. The excellent site is the best starting point for most enquiries.

Two free scenarios, Glorious 1st June (1794) and Camperdown (1797) are available. Beyond these two scenarios, the rules currently need more online support.

Fire as She Bears (FASB) 

A Medium-complexity game designed to fight fleet actions. However, it involves off-table bookkeeping, limiting the number of ships that can be handled in solo play. One annoying feature is the rules is that examples are found in a separate download file making referencing awkward. A significant downside is the special basing requirement (octagonal bases) that will limit future options if you are still experimenting.
There is a limited number of scenarios. The Trafalgar extension contains four scenarios, including Cape Ortegal, but I am still looking for other official scenarios. Overall, an excellent rule set for a club where players command a squadron of six to ten ships.

Kiss Me Hardy (KMH) 

Designed for fleet and single-ship engagement, with low complexity but requires off-table bookkeeping. I found KMH more enjoyable with some excellent mechanisms that, when played, would quickly become intuitive. The British and the Americans have the highest quality, the ‘Jolly Jack Tars’, whilst the French forces, ‘Sans Culottes’, are average. Poor Spanish crews get the lowest category, ‘Land Lubbers’. Further customisation can be made using Brian Weatherby's ‘Messing around with Boats’ article in the Lardies’ 2011 Magazine. Generally, the British have better crews, but the French have bigger and better-gunned ships.

However, this customisation comes at a cost, off-the-table record-keeping. Although this is not onerous, it does impact the number of ships a single player handle. Another potential downside is that the initiative is driven by cards, which are unavailable commercially. So, a home production job is required. However, movement templates are available from Warbases or the game’s supporters on Facebook. These templates make movement more straightforward than the other games I examined.

Fighting Sail (FS) 

An Osprey Wargames book, so the best-presented and most straightforward rule I examined. However, they need more feel for the era but are actively supported, and enthusiasts have filled in several of the weakness. Therefore, with some research, you have an easy-to-learn game that covers fleet actions and frigate duels with no bookkeeping. Overall, the rules are streamlined, but for me, they leave some historical flavours behind.

Grand Fleet Actions (GFA)

Aimed at squadron and fleet actions and have a similar feel to FDS. But the detail incorporated in these rules is impressive. However, I found these rules more challenging to learn than FDS. For this reason, I nearly abandoned them, but on the second reading, I decided to keep them on the playtest list. The authors state that you need a squadron of ships to benefit from their rule design, so there are better engagements than Cape Ortegal to do them justice.

Playtesting and Interim Conclusions

The game I set up was a simplified Cape Ortegal, with three 3rd Rates, one 80 guns and two 74 guns per side. The wind, as in the battle, was from the northeast. The simple objective for the French side was to leave the northern edge of a 4’ by 4’ table, which the British had to prevent.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to provide a detailed battle report that will be saved for the refight of the actual engagement. However, the test battles played out similarly, with the French failing to break through the British blockade. In both games, the French lead ship, Duguay, suffered substantial damage, and in Kiss Me Hardy, the French flag, the Formidable, struck her colours. The British ships did not go unscathed and received significant damage to their rigging, which nearly allowed the French squadron to escape.

Which Rules?

In brief, I liked both sets of rules, FDS and KMH. I think KMH are the more evocative of the period, but the recording limits the number of ships a player can handle. Between 8-10 ships, so whilst refighting Cape Ortegal is possible, they would not stretch to more significant engagements, although for clubs with several players aside, this is possible.

I will use KMH for the more minor engagements because of the extra flavour they bring to the gaming experience. FDS has a DBA feel and lends itself to the more significant battles. Then there is the slow burner among the rules I explored, GDA. These rules, like FDS, will come into their own in more significant clashes, so I plan to further playtest FDS and GDA, probably by replaying ‘Calder’s Action’.

Overall, whilst the genre might lack visually appealing rules, it makes up for it with some clever design mechanism that allows replaying the naval battles of the era as a commander rather than getting swamped by sail settings, etc.

Strength & Honour

Strength and Honour is a new set of ancient battles written by Mark Backhouse and published by the Two Fat Lardies' Reisswitz Press. The rules recreate the battles from the Late Republic to Early Empire, i.e., from the Marian reforms 105BC to about 200AD. In this era, the protagonists fielded massive armies, 20,000 men a side was not unusual. Therefore, while the rules are scale agnostic, they are aimed at a 2mm scale where a base represents a whole Roman legion, some 4,000 to 6,000 men. Conversely, a Celtic or German Warband could account for 8,000 warriors. Using this small scale, the player might lose the majesty of a painted cohort on the march but gains a virtually stunning battlefield.

Army Lists

The army lists provided not only cover Rome, Gauls and German, but lists are also provided for the Numidians, Spanish, Ancient Britons and the armies of Mithridates. These lists give the gamer a wide range of tactical approaches to the period's warfare. The Mithridatic phalanx in 2mm looks particularly stunning, so I am hoping for a supplement to cover the Early Republic and the Successor States. Mark has also provided scenarios for ten historical battles, including Chaeronea (86BC), Bagradas River (49BC), Watling Street (60/61AD), and 2nd Cremona (69AD) during the civil wars that brought Vespasian to power. Other battles can be found on the Facebook page dedicated to the rules.

Most of these scenarios involved 6 Roman legions and a slightly larger number of war bands. This means the painting requirement is small, and the cost of entry is low. Reisswitz has produced paper armies that can be stuck to the bases for those who want to play immediately so they are ready for battle.

The Rules

I will not provide a detailed games review, but four mechanisms give this rule a unique feel.

1. Grid movement coupled with some randomness to the distance covered makes movement easy but keeps a level of uncertainty. 
2. The idea of a reversal of futures when a command action fails, and the initiative passes to the opponent. This makes the length of a turn variable, something found in other Fat Lardies games and makes the commander plan carefully the order he moves his troops. The mechanism reflects, IMO, that manoeuvring huge blocks of men around with only the use of messengers and signals is fraught with difficulty.
3. The Command Board is another device that sets the game apart. This board reflects the general’s influence over the battle. The number of tokens available is based on the army, the general and by Consulting the Auguries, the random element. The tokens, some great-looking coins available from Warbases, are then placed on the Command Board, reflecting the general's strategy. Playing these tokens allows the general to influence manoeuvre, attack, defence or rally his men. However, these valuable resources must be used carefully, as I found to my cost.The last game mechanic is the Setback and Disaster cards. These cards are printed with a number on their reverse that remains hidden. A setback in the battle leads to the player drawing a card which remains invisible to both sides. When the general thinks his opponent has passed his breakpoint, he declares ‘Homunculus Est’. The cards are then revealed and counted. If the cards exceed the breakpoint, the battle is lost. However, if the commander has called too earlier, the surviving player can discard a card.

My First Battle

My starter game was the Cicilian Gates (39BC), a small action during the Caesar and Pompey Civil Wars. Wikipedia provides a summary of the historical battle - Battle_of_the_Cilician_Gates. The sides are relatively small for Strength & Honour, two legions aside with supporting skirmishers and cavalry.

The Parthians/Pompeians had the advantage in cavalry, plenty of light horses and the dreaded cataphracts, but their infantry needed to be more experienced than the Caesarians. For me, the troop types set the strategy. The Pompeian light horse would harass the Caesarian wings while the centre held its position. The aim was to weaken the flanks making Bassus’s (the Caesarian commander) legions vulnerable on the flank. The Ceasarians had two options: to remain on the high ground and draw the Parthians and Pompeians to their defensive position or smash through the enemy’s centre. I went for the latter because of the threat of the light horse in trying to maintain this static position, and it seemed more Roman.

The battle started well for the Romans. After consulting the auguries, they rolled double six, which gave them an impressive Command Board that could maintain their attacking strategy.
The battle started with the light horse moving forward as the Caesarian legions moved down the hill. Skirmishers and the Parthian light horse exchanged fire on the right, with the skirmishers getting the better of the Parthians. Some terrible dice rolls here. On the left wing, the Parthians were more successful, as the Caesarian horse were harassed with bow fire but too scared to move forward because of the threat of the cataphracts.

The Pompeian's legions decided to hold their position across the road a let the cavalry for their job. The Parthian light horse on the right continued to be unlucky and eventually decided to call it a day. Here was my big error. I should have used the resources on the Command board better to give the Parthian light horse more support. However, with the Parthian/Pompeian left flank collapsing, the weaker legion became fodder for the better Caesarian legions. Finally, ‘Homunculus Est’ was called, and what remained of the Parthian/Pompeians fled.

An enjoyable game.

Since then, I have played Caesar v Ariovistus’ Germans. The game involved 6 Roman legions and eight tribal warbands, each with their supporting cavalry. This one was a close call but Caeser triumphs but only just.

 

 

Fantasy Rules.

Like many wargamers, I am addicted to wargames rules. New rules hit my desk regularly. Usually, no rational decision is involved; it is a simple impulse after reading a review or watching a YouTube video. Unsurprisingly, I am the proud owner of many wargame rules, especially fantasy ones. So what, in my humble opinion, is the best set of rules?
The answer to this question is that no ‘super’ set of rules exists. It is a simple matter of personal choice. This comment is true of any wargames genre but particularly true of fantasy Wargaming. These rule sets create a fantasy world that has to appeal to your imagination. So how do you decide what the rules are for you? Here is my list with some examples;

 

Backstory and World-building. 

Do you like fighting battles with a strong background narrative, or do you just want to set up the armies and play? Many fantasy rules come with a ready-made world (Warmaster, Kings of War, Battle Lore). The games come with their own history, religions, heroes and villains. The other extreme is the generic games (Horde of the Things, Hordes and Heroes, Fantastic Battles) where there is no backstory, allowing armies to be assembled from a wide range of fantasy and historical settings - Trojan War to a fantasy Napoleonic settings. My preference is towards the generic rules, but I like a backstory. Having spent hours designing and populating my fantasy worlds, I now tend to design them ‘on the go’. The narrative background and character development are essential to my wargaming experience.

Physical Restraints and Scale.  

Most of my wargaming is solo, partly due to personal preference and geography. While this choice provides flexibility, it also brings several restraints. Traditionally rules were designed for a 6 x 4-foot table or larger. An impossible size for most of us who play at home unless we have a very understanding family! However, games like Horde of the Things have been designed to be played on a small surface (3x3), and some of the newer rules can be easily resized. The space problem also raises the question of scale, but this choice includes aesthetic considerations. Do you want a few painted regiments, or do you want to recreate the mass battles found in Lord of the Rings films? However, if you want to fit large armies into a smaller playing area, the simplest solution is to reduce the scale. Historically, fantasy wargames were the home of 28mm miniatures, but the introduction of Warmaster led to the popularity of 10mm figures. Games designed for 28mm can easily be converted to 10mm by changing inches into cm. These figures are usually based on 40x20mm or 40x40mm bases, which makes moving between game systems easy. I am now the proud owner of several 10mm armies and probably a more significant number of unpainted figures sitting in a box.

Gaming Environment and Community.

Why do you play games? Do you like the entering competition? Are you a social gamer who plays alone or with a few friends? Some rule sets, Horde of the Thing, Warmaster, and Kings of War, are all excellent choices for competition games because of the well-spread players and established conventions with competitive play. However, even the solo gamer likes to feel part of a community. Today many games are supported by Facebook groups that provide advice, army builders, scenarios and battle reports.  Also, Boardgames Geek offers valuable support with its reviews, ranking, access to its forums, and marketplace. However, the depth of these communities varies. Mayhem by Bret S, for example, is one of the most innovative rules set but has no Facebook group. Generally, the independent rule sets have smaller communities, although this brings the extra fun of helping to build the game with fellow gamers.

 

Game Mechanism. 

I am a sucker for clever and unique game mechanisms, mainly if they help in solo play. Mayhem with it versus system (stats in the game are not based on fixed numbers but on die types instead. Anytime you are called upon to roll dice, you may instead choose to take the default; this equals half the die's value) makes for exciting play. Hordes and Heroes' use of hex movements simplifies one of the most complex and frustrating parts of learning and playing games. Battle Lore (part of the Command and Colors family) provided innovative solutions to the fog of war and the ability of individual commanders. What I look for in these mechanisms is something that simplifies playing the game, helps solo play and puts you in the general's mind.
 

Campaigns, Sieges, Skirmishes and Naval. 

Several rules include chapters on other aspects of fantasy warfare. Mayhem, and Fantastic Battles, include siege and campaign rules that allow those lovers of a backstory to expand their horizons. Others have published supplements or additional rule sets that integrate with their fantasy skirmish rules. Kings of War has a multi-dimensional campaign supplement, and in their Vanguard rules, you can fight skirmishes that can be linked back into the main battle. The appeals of these additions depend on how much you like a backstory, which brings us back to where we started.

 

My Favourites 

Best Fantasy Rules with the pre-built world. Kings of War.

Strongest Community resource – Warhammer.

Most Innovative – Mayhem.

Competition Play – Warmaster, Kings of War, Horde of the Thing

Free – Hordes and Heroes

My overall favourite – Fantastic Battles because of its simplicity in design, its fog of war mechanism and its flexibility in army design.