Over the last couple of years I've picked up a fair number of the Osprey Wargames series and have been swithering about the possibility of putting together some small warbands based on them.
First off, there's Dragon Rampant and Frostgrave, possibly the two best known of their games.
Both games have a strong following online and seem like rather a lot of fun but neither have quite clicked with me and I'm not quite sure why.
Next up there's Of Gods and Mortals, written by the creator of Song of Blades and Heroes and Kobolds & Cobblestones:
Both of these games look rather good but I've not really delved into them, possibly in the case of the Song of Blades driven Of Gods and Mortals I am worried it will involve a lot of pushing backwards and forwards rather than any decisive combat ala Song of Blades and with Kobolds & Cobblestones, I suspect I'd need to sculpt my own stuff to do the fantasy gang theme real justice.
I've also got Burrows and Badgers!
It's a beautiful looking game with nice figures and illustrated by Gary Chalk but yet I still haven't been tempted to pick up any figures (which are absolutely fantastic looking!) and start building a warband.
I've also got Rogue Stars, a game that was hugely anticipated but vanished without trace upon release (and I can see why!). Lastly, there's Horizon Wars, another very well received game that pits giant robots against each other in skirmishes which allows you to also use more conventional forces:
Maybe it's because so many of the rulesets are generic or maybe I'm being too picky but it almost feels that they are all missing that certain something that makes a game great. Saying that, the games are all very simple and straightforward rules wise (other than Rogue Stars which is just a bit dull) so I'd love to hear from folks who have played and enjoyed any of these games and hear your opinion on them!
In the meantime, I am having to trudge off to work so All the Best for now!
I've played a couple of solo missions of Frostgrave and I thought it was very good indeed. The system is very slick. It's quite generic in setting (perhaps deliberately) so it does require you to bring your own ideas to the warband. I'm currently doing a few for a game in the new year. I don't know the other games, but Frostgrave is definitely worth another look.
ReplyDeleteAs the author of an Osprey Book I am biased slightly! If you want small warband style games then my Book ‘Outremer: Faith and Blood’ might be worth a look. Although it is set during the Crusades it does owe a lot to classic fantasy/RP... and I like to think it really allows players to grow an individual warband with its own character and personality!
ReplyDeleteI own quite a number of the Osprey books, but I've only played Dragon/Lion Rampant so far. Frostgrave might be next. I've read plenty of others.
ReplyDeleteBut I understand what you're saying. The rules feel rather formulaic, and lack some spice. Some of them feel more like shopping lists rather than an inspiring game.
Thanks for the comments folks!
ReplyDeleteI think I need to have a bash at actually playing some of the games before passing judgement on them!
I'm fascinated by how much fun people seem to be having by playing them but my reading of the rules just isn't clicking with me so possibly I should give them a proper run through to see what all the excitement is all about!
I've got quite a few of these books too. Only Gaslands and Scrappers seem to be missing in your collection ;).
ReplyDeleteRogue Stars and Horizon Wars aren't bad games, but seem to be missing something to make them really good.
I am a fan of B&B though and almost got the while range of miniatures. But with your skills I hope we get to see some creations of your own for the game.
I also prefer Ghost Archipelago over Frostgrave, but I guess that's a matter of taste as the games are almost identical.
What I feel is missing in many of the Osprey games is the long term playability. Most of the campaign systems are rather lackluster and quickly become repetitive.
You might try 7TV, I heard the system is really good and als very suited for competitive play, as well as being able to cover many different genres.
I must agree with the lack of lastability for Osprey's game selection. I can't help but feel they are good for a game or two but there's not much to keep you going with them.
DeleteI actually used to work with Graeme, one of the co-writers of the 7TV and helped playtest his old Doctor Who rules back in the day. I must admit that I've not been too tempted by the idea of playing 7TV though and I'm not sure why!
If you're interested, I got the PDF of Rangers of Shadow Deep from DriveThru earlier this week. It's like Frostgrave but with solo and/or cooperative play, it's also got a narrative campaign. I haven't played the game yet, but at first glance it looks pretty solid, better than its predecessors.
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