Mass Combat Rules ... which ones?

[drnuncheon]

I've got to go with Cry Havoc overall. While I may not agree with Skip's rulings as the Sage, he did an excellent job writing these. It's like the Player's Handbook Combat chapter on a unit scale.

Ironically, the mass combat rules in AEG's Empire are far better than the ones in AEG's War, and they include a realm management system. They're similar enough to CH that I've considered trying to meld the two into a whole and take the best parts of both.

OMCS is the only one I've used in a game, and they're just not detailed enough to handle the actions of individuals smoothly.

J

 

[Psion]

Ironically, the mass combat rules in AEG's Empire are far better than the ones in AEG's War

Not sure how that's ironic. War's mass combat rules were thrown together last minute, and they aren't really complete. I will agree: leave War behind.

 

[MarauderX]

Hope to use Fields of Blood whenever I get my paws on it. Should be the end-all be-all for running the macro-campaign for PCs so they can run kingdoms as well as command armies.

 

[Arnwyn]

I'd say Cry Havoc right now - detailed yet easy-to-use, and doesn't require a lot of minis (one reason why I'm going to avoid the Miniatures Handbook like the plague).

However, I'm waiting for Fields of Blood before I make my final decision... hopefully it's not mini-heavy. (In any case, I'll be getting that book for the kingdom-management rules.)

Edit: typo.

 

[Wombat]

Personally, I like the rules in Green Ronin's Testament best, but that's because I don't want to take a long time with wars -- back to the player action!

 

[drnuncheon]

Not sure how that's ironic. War's mass combat rules were thrown together last minute, and they aren't really complete.

It's ironic because, see, the book called War has worse rules for war than the book not called War...from the same company.

I mean, if I were going to pick up a book for mass combat rules, and I didn't have anything but the title, I'd assume that 'War' would be the book to get, and not 'Empire'.

Note for all the folks that are waiting for Fields of Blood: Empire has a realm-management system, and it's by Mike Mearls, who is pretty solid rules-wise. I haven't tried them out yet (I've been using the Birthright conversion so far) but they look pretty good.

J

 

[Arnwyn]

That's good to know, drnuncheon. Sad that that particular aspect of Empires wasn't advertised a bit more (though, admittedly, I hadn't even heard of Empires... boy, it seems like AEG's spitting out those one-word books pretty fast).

 

[Henry]

Cry Havoc - but then, I'm a fanboy.

Good solid Unit combat, and solid Arny Combat, pretty scalable to one another, combined with an excellent chapter on Bringing War to your Campaign.

Worthwhile, and a $10.00 PDF (soon to be an $18.00 book).

 

[baseballfury]

Personally, I like the rules in Green Ronin's Testament best, but that's because I don't want to take a long time with wars -- back to the player action!

I like them as well, but I'll be curious to see the rules in the Miniatures Handbook and Fields of Blood (assuming it actually ever comes out). I think I might use a different rules set depending on what kind of campaign I'm running at the time.

 

[Farland]

Try my mass combat system in my sig. Lots of people swear by it.