Hi!
I've got a load of figures midway through painting and sculpt just needing a coat of paint so I decided to have a look at some of my other rulebooks to see what I've got and what I can use to play some skirmishes.
Warzone
Warzone 1st edition is a great start for conversion into a small scale skirmish game as it has alternating activation, plenty of existing profiles which can be used and a good amount of customisation possibilities for characters to boot.
I've tried out a game using counters earlier in the year and think that I shall be using this ruleset for my first test as I'm reasonably confident of how to play it, despite only playing a single game in about 20 years!
With the use of the Dark Legion gifts or the Art of the Brotherhood, I can easily introduce psykers, espers and all manner of interesting elements too.
While it doesn't have a custom force maker, it is a really great set of rules that allow you to play small skirmishes with shoot and scoot tactics, diving for cover and all manner of elements that lend themselves to a really dynamic game which I think could be perfect for my own small character based and scenario driven games.
Void 1.1
Void 1.1 is also a skirmish game at heart, although aimed at slightly larger scale than Warzone. It usually has a few squads backed up by a character or two and the odd small vehicle.
It's also an alternating activation system and like Warzone, each model has a number of actions that can be carried out in whatever order they want making it a bit more dynamic than GW's games of yore.
I plan on having a bash with a small force using Void once I have enough stuff painted as its more suited to a platoon level game than a single squad a side.
Again although it doesn't have a custom force generator, it does have a good variety of model profiles that can easily be bodged into whatever character one likes and I look forward to getting a game or two in using the rules!
Vor The Maelstrom/No Limits
Vor is a totally customisable game and uses action points rather than the two previous games that have a number of activations per model. Its spiritual successor, No Limits is a generic ruleset that uses the same mechanics but has refined force generation and I've played it a fair few times but not for about ten years or so.
It's a bit crunchier in style than Void or Warzone but I have fond memories of the rules and it will make a really interesting small skirmish game with only a few small modifications, such as giving characters more wounds and action points and having each activating separately.
Worthy of note, the terrain rules for Vor are really fun that allow you to roll all manner of interesting terrain and unexpected events (some of which are really destructive!) and can add a random and interesting element to games without bogging things down.
We Can Be Heroes
We Can be Heroes is a pulp style game that features bands of dashing heroes, dastardly villains and sidekicks, minions and whatnot.
I've had the rules for ages but never tried them out and am keen to have a go of using them as the basis for a skirmish or two on the frontier.
Having glanced through the rules, they seem to be fairly straightforward and well explained and could be just the thing for a fun character driven game.
I particularly like the fact that heroes act heroically and are able to do more than the sidekicks who in turn can do more than the lowly henchmen and feel that the system could lend itself to a really entertaining mini campaign but I need to re-read the rules and try them out a time or two before posting a battle report using them to make sure I get things right.
Aertherverse
Aetherverse came out in the early 2000's if memory serves right and I picked up a copy having read a few battle reports back in the day and it's languished on my shelves ever since.
It's a generic skirmish game that is scaleable which is good and allows you to create whatever force you like and the battle reports I read of it made it look rather fun. There's also a small scale skirmish version called Aetherverse Upheaval which is specifically aimed towards small warband style games.
Sadly my knowledge of the actual mechanics are vague as I've not really done anything with it since picking it up but I aim to dust off my copy and have a bash!
Rogue Trader
Ah Rogue Trader! The original sandpit sort of game where anything is possible.
It's a really retro system now which isn't going to result in a dynamic fast moving sort of gaming experience like some of the other rulesets I've mentioned but I don't feel I can skip it, if for no other reason than it's retro charms.
I've used it for sci-fi and fantasy games in the past and it's always resulted in a good game and if memory serves, it's campaign system would be fun to use for seeing how my various warbands cope between games!
I doubt I'd be using the robot programming rules and random equipment rolls or some of the other esoteric stuff from the game but one of the charms of Rogue Trader is the fact that you can pretty much pick and choose or bodge stuff and it is flexible enough to work.
Fantastic Worlds
Fantastic Worlds is another Pulp themed game, this time aimed specifically at retro sci-fi and I picked it up at the same time as We Can Be Heroes. It uses an archtype system that looks interesting and I really want to have a go at playing a game or two with it, especially as it really focuses on character and story.
Interestingly, the game has hit locations that can effect how a model activates which looks like it could be fun and decidedly cinematic but the rules are a bit dense if memory serves correct so I suspect I'll need to give it a few read throughs and games before I get it correct.
I think Fantastic Worlds will be one to try once I've got into the swing of playing different game systems and ramp up the number of games I can play a week but it's definitely one I want to try!
Laserburn
Laserburn is the granddaddy of Warhammer 40k and I've got a copy lying around that I picked up some time ago, had a flick through and put down again.
It's typed layout really put me off back then and although I'm curious to see how it goes, it's a game I'm a bit cautious about trying. However it's been compared to Inquisitor so it could be an interesting game to try out if I can summon up the courage to brave the layout.
Like many of the other games I've mentioned, I suspect that once I get the hang of the mechanics and get a game or two under my belt, it may end up being rather fun (and may result in the appearance of the Red Redemption too!)
I'd love to hear of other folks experience with the rules so if you've actually played it, please feel free to drop a comment!
Rogue Planet
Rogue Planet is a game I've heard fantastic things about but when I bought the download was a little underwhelmed due to the slightly weird mechanics. Saying that, I've not actually played a game using it so I'm keen to give it a bash as it feels like it might be akin to Planet 28 which was great fun.
It's aimed at a science fantasy setting which is just my cup of tea and I'm going to see if I can find any battle reports from the interwebs to get an idea of just how it's played.
Chaos on Cronos
Chaos on Cronos is another pulp sci-fi game that uses the Herosystem which is in turn inspired by the old Trinity Battleground game by White Wolf (a ruleset that's well worth a peek in its own right!)
I've got quite a few of the themed games using the system such as Chaos in Carpathia and the Supersystem rules but haven't actually tried them out. They feature individuals backed up by groups of supporting troops and I think it could make for a fun game that leans heavily on characters doing awesome stuff while the supporting troops get slaughtered like all good movie extras.
I must admit that I've not looked at the book for over a decade now so it's high time I remedied it and gave it a bash!
Star Mogul
Star Mogul is a great little game that relies not just on killing one's enemies but also recovering salvage and with a little bit of work would make for a great basis for the likes of competing Mechanicus teams or mercs on the frontier or pretty much whatever you fancy.
The rules are good and the campaign system is excellent but I'll need to paint a few more miniatures for each of my warbands to make the most of the game.
The flexibility of creating your salvage companies is really good too as you can specialise in combat, recovery or any number of other skillsets that give each of the teams a real sense of personality and it will be fun to play again after over 15 years!
Nuclear Renaissance
Nuclear Renaissance is by Curtis Fell of Ramshackle Games and is a more post apocalyptic sort of game featuring a more Gorkamorka sort of gaming experience with small warbands hurtling around in bodged vehicles and shooting each other up. It's writing style is quite fun and is aimed towards having fun rather than super serious grimdark which is a big plus for me.
I backed the Kickstarter for the original box game but sadly sold much of the figures and vehicles during my Uni clearout but did keep the rules and the supplement.
It's a good fun game to play and I suspect it would be a great way of representing vehicle combat in a scenario too and it also has the notorious Giggles Clan who will be making more of an appearance in my future games too as they are rather fun!
Now the list above isn't by any means all the rulesets I mean to try out this year as I've got at least a dozen others in my collection that really deserve a try out but these will be my initial objectives to play along with more games of Song of Blasters and Planet 28 (as well as Brutal Quest when it arrives!).
If anyone has any experience with any of these rulesets or can suggest a good battle report to read or watch, please feel free to drop a comment or link but in the meantime, All the best!
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