[Wargames] General Discussion [+]

[Olgar Shiverstone]

It does sadly happen. Games fall out of favour at the local store and then everyone is playing the 'new flavour of the month' game. Good for the store not for our wallet!

How is HALO? I've seen it at the store. Played Mantic's Deadzone for a while. Didn't catch around here.

HALO's fantastic. It uses the Deadzone system, slightly streamlined. I prefer it to Deadzone, in part because of smaller squads, but also because of the respawn mechanic in most missions. There's no "death spiral" that occurs in many skirmish games where as you lose fighters you get out activated and overwhelmed by your opponent; respawn costs some movement but otherwise keeps your activations set.

It's a good game to introduce new players to wargames -- the starter set is fully self-contained out of the box, no assembly of minis required, measurement is not required due to the cube system, alternating activations and opposed dice combat make it fast, and the exploding dice crits ("headshots" in HALO) keep it unpredictable.

For HALO fans it closely replicates the feel of multiplayer firefight games.

 

[sevenbastard]

I am fascinated by skirmish games but dont actually play them. I buy them, I read them, I watch videos about them ect.

Im not really interested in the competitive wargames scene, but i like the idea of larger scale tactical combat and integrated those in a RPG experience.

Ive even been playtesting a homebrewed RPG based around skirmish rules where every player controls a small warband so combats might be 4 figures per player and your running good sized combat. Trying to find a mix between speed and tactical choices so it engaging.

 

[The Soloist]

HALO's fantastic. It uses the Deadzone system, slightly streamlined. I prefer it to Deadzone, in part because of smaller squads, but also because of the respawn mechanic in most missions. There's no "death spiral" that occurs in many skirmish games where as you lose fighters you get out activated and overwhelmed by your opponent; respawn costs some movement but otherwise keeps your activations set.

It's a good game to introduce new players to wargames -- the starter set is fully self-contained out of the box, no assembly of minis required, measurement is not required due to the cube system, alternating activations and opposed dice combat make it fast, and the exploding dice crits ("headshots" in HALO) keep it unpredictable.

For HALO fans it closely replicates the feel of multiplayer firefight games.

Added to Christmas list!

 

[thullgrim]

I am fascinated by skirmish games but dont actually play them. I buy them, I read them, I watch videos about them ect.

Im not really interested in the competitive wargames scene, but i like the idea of larger scale tactical combat and integrated those in a RPG experience.

Ive even been playtesting a homebrewed RPG based around skirmish rules where every player controls a small warband so combats might be 4 figures per player and your running good sized combat. Trying to find a mix between speed and tactical choices so it engaging.

There are some very good skirmish games out there right now. Malifaux, Infinity, Trench Crusade. Necromunda is still great. Mordheim is awesome.

I’d bet you can find a local Necromunda or Mordheim group for sure.

 

[MGibster]

But is kind of fell out of it for two reasons. First, the painting aspect of the hobby is less interesting to me so I find it a bit of a chore and my gaming group are quite hot on painted minis when they do play. Second, we were playing mostly GW games and the rules balance and churn are both pretty off putting.

While I enjoy the painting aspect more than ever now, it was the rules balance and churn that drove me away from Games Workshop. A few years back, GW released the Votann (Squat) codex and the game information in it was out-of-date before it even appeared on the shelves of game stores throughout the world. While most codices needed to be errated very quickly after release, this was so bad they had to overhaul it before it even hit shelves, and they still sold it! It left a sour taste in my mouth as I came to believe GW was just going to nickel and dime me for playing the game. For the most popular table top war game in the world, they sure do make it difficult to play their game.

Sadly due to community collapse, my favorite games X-Wing and Warhammer: Underworlds I have to go to major conventions to get to play.

I only played X-Wing a handlful of times, but I thought it was a fine game. It was fairly popular here in Little Rock but it's popularity waned and with the release of 2nd edition it dropped off the face of the Earth. Armada was never popular in my area for some reason.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

I'm just about to start playing Trench Crusade. I've got some minis on order from a local 3D printer. My pile of shame never shrinks.

 

[The Soloist]

I'm just about to start playing Trench Crusade. I've got some minis on order from a local 3D printer. My pile of shame never shrinks.

Some people call it their stack of possibilities.

 

[The Soloist]

It left a sour taste in my mouth as I came to believe GW was just going to nickel and dime me for playing the game. For the most popular table top war game in the world, they sure do make it difficult to play their game.

We must never forget that Games Workshop was created by Citadel Miniatures. Their #1 mission is to produce and sell miniatures for profit. For them, the rules are simply a way to sell more and more miniatures to the same players.

 

[el-remmen]

I am also a big fan of the old school BG Diplomacy. Dont currently have a group though im working on some of my local friends. Favorite way to play is online with 24 hour turns. Comms done via email.

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I picked up a copy at a used bookstore recently and would love to play. I have not played since a tournament at GEN CON 2000!

 

[el-remmen]

We must never forget that Games Workshop was created by Citadel Miniatures. Their #1 mission is to produce and sell miniatures for profit. For them, the rules are simply a way to sell more and more miniatures to the same players.

That is the classic model for minis and rules pre the D&D era. In the old days the rules were sometimes printed for free with the idea being that the minis were the real product.