Which historical wargames are the best and where can i get minis?
Which historical wargames are the best and where can i get minis?
Well, it depends alot on what historical era you're interested in. It also depends on what scale you had in mind.
Do you want to fight with Roman armies, Napoleonic armies, WWII armies etc. Skirmish or whole battles?
Warhammer: Ancient Battles is quite good. If you've played warhammer before you dont even need to get the main book (though having a read through it would be useul as there are a few new things). Theres tons of books for armies aswell from Spartacus to the Hundred Years War to the Wars of the Roses to the English Civil War.
As for minis, well thats a entire thread in itself. It depends on what you want to play but I'd go with Black Tree and Front Rank. Google "Historical Miniatures and you should get thousands. Historicals have way way way bigger audiences than Games Workshops games.
I myself an into the WW2 minitures wargame 'Flames of War'. There into there second edition and dealing witht he late war period at the moment (1944-45). The minitures are about 1/72nd scale and look great, with the game also being nicely done to allow smooth and quick turns. the main rules are a bit like 40k with a few minor alterations.
Cheers, Rom
I've been looking at FOW and it looks really interesting. I think i could get my friends to play it...
Does anyone know if i can get hold of it in Norway.
I'll play the soviets obviously!
Just to be pedantic - the minis are 15mm so around 1:100 scale. 1/72 are around 20mm scale.Originally Posted by Romanus
This is the best website around for wargaming:
www.theminiaturespage.com
You'll find everything you ever need on that site!
Some of my regular opponents and I have been into WAB since it was called Ancient Battles (before GW was the distributor).
www.oldgloryminiatures.com (there's a UK one too). Good minies, the quality varies. The minies are much lower in price than at GW. It's worth a look.
I am therefore I think OR I think therefore I am?
@Bazhrak Battlefront (who produce FoW) seem to have pretty efficient distribution, if postage isn't too bad try their site www.flamesofwar.com.
They have recently done rules and minis for Finnish troops too if the winter war is of interest.
Another vote for WAB as a good historical game - easy transition from warhammer and i'm coming round to the fact it's actually a better game (more lists, more variety, less randomness so emphasis on tactical decision making plus unlimited background for inspiration)
wargames Foundry offer decent deals on minis and have one of the most extensive ranges - recently got some German barbarians and am very impressed with the quality of the sculpting, almost current GW standard.
If you want something a bit more off beat get Rod Langton's 'Signal Close Action' rules for Napoleonic naval. Simple and very effective, you have to think like a sailor as well as a tactician.
Rod also produces an amazing and seemingly inexhaustible range of lovely minatures too
What do you mean 'Flash Gordon approaching'?
Would all section 7 personnel report for decontamination in the decontamination unit in the decontamination block for immediate decontamination
with a few exceptions no one but Jellicoe has a clue
You could always try using the Hordes and Heros rule set from Kallistra. They are currently working on adding in the army lists for War of the Roses figures and 100 Years War.
The rules themselves use the Hex system (100mm) which is available form their site, alternativley you can just change the rules to suit non-hex play and make your own lists (very simple to do). You can then use the rule set for any historical game you want, im working on Napoleonics at the moment.
Apple Dave.....you sound like a "lifer wargamer" to me.. You just may discover you can write "a set" of rules. One shot scenerios with special deals/rules are fun to create and play.
I am therefore I think OR I think therefore I am?
I know i could write a set of rules but i would rather just get a generic set, like H&H, and change them slightly. Its all about minimum effort with me when it comes to rule sets. Hence the amount of changes to my version of Heroquest rules.
Edit: and what is a "lifer wargamer" i have never heard that term (or should that be insult
Last edited by Apple Dave; 25-10-2006 at 09:37.
If you can get hold of it, CHARGE! is a good book - simple, fun rules. Donald Featherstone's produced a lot of good ones too.
Too Fat Lardies are ace (Triumph of the Will, I Ain't Been Shot Mum etc), HG Wells' Little Wars is good for 42/54mm playing...
Simplicity = good (to a point).
Peter Pig does fantastic sets in the guise of Rules for the Common Man, I heartily recommend AK-47 Republic (Modern Africa), Square Bashing, Hammerin' Iron, and Bayonet & Ideology. Men of Company B is good for 'nam, but there's a cracking Crossfire!/Hit the Dirt add-on for 'nam gaming which is out there somewhere.
Insult......hardly that!! Let's see I'm 62, been wargaming 40 plus years. In my Navy days someone in for 20 plus years was called a lifer. I coined the term, I made it up.I know i could write a set of rules but i would rather just get a generic set, like H&H, and change them slightly. Its all about minimum effort with me when it comes to rule sets. Hence the amount of changes to my version of Heroquest rules.
Edit: and what is a "lifer wargamer" i have never heard that term (or should that be insult
I say you don't sound/type like the typical young, maybe gone from GW's systems in 4 to 7 years, game player. You come across as a wargamer, a in it for a lifetime of gaming one.
I am therefore I think OR I think therefore I am?
Flames of War has been highly recommended to me for quite some time. Next month I plan on getting into it, after my transfer to DC goes through.
-981
"The sword that takes life gives life."
-Japanese proverb.
"In a fight anger is as good as courage."
-Welsh proverb.
WAB has always been called WAB, because it has always been distributed by GW and has always been called Warhammer Ancient Battles...Some of my regular opponents and I have been into WAB since it was called Ancient Battles (before GW was the distributor).
Recently BLP have taken over all publishing, but WAB is still WAB.
And I've been collecting and playing (not as much as I may have liked...) since it was first released.
Anyhow, there is a plethora of historical rulesets around.
Thing to decide is what you like the idea of, what period of history and what scale of game.
By scale I mean skirmish scale, like Warhammer (1 model is equal to 1 man or 10, maybe 20 men) or grand scale (1 6mm models equals about 250+ men and a base represents an entire brigade or division).
Then find the rules that suit.
Personally, I prefer WAB to everything else, closely followed by Warmaster Ancients for grandscale, because I love dark ages and classical world. The rules are good as well.
Should you decide you want to try WAB, you will need the books. Don't be mislead. WFB it most certainly is not. It is a far superior game in every aspect, and not "dumbed down" for the kiddies like WFB has been.
As for manufacturers, there are again lots. Look at those listed above, but Google these too:
Wargames Foundry
Baccus
Perry Miniatures
Artizan Designs
Crusader Miniatures
Renegade Miniatures
Gripping Beast
Pendraken Models
AAA Miniatures
Vendel
Steve Barber
Peter Pig
AIM Minifigs
Essex
Those cover allsorts of scales and periods, in no order, but all make bloody nice models (some manufactureres really can be a bit poo).
When my local hobby shop tried to order some copies of the then brand new gamebook called Ancient Battles, he did NOT order thru GW. He did order direct to the UK (there was NO USA distributor for AB at that time. The order got messed up. At the time he said he did manage to talk to Jervis Johnson and was told that in a very short time GW was going to become the distributor.
A USA wholesaler by the name of Alliance had tried to get the darn gamebook for my indie....no luck. After GW took over changes were made (new covers etc). Either way it got into the USA
What the heck maybe the indie owner and Alliance lied. Doesn't matter.
Last edited by Crazy Harborc; 06-11-2006 at 23:47.
I am therefore I think OR I think therefore I am?
If WWII armoured warfare is your preferance.I found a gem of a game.
Firefly .A Challenging game of WWII.(Published by Table Top Games.)
(Firefly was a British variant of the Sherman tank .)
Its 1/300th (or 1/200th scale ,rules for both.)It covers everything ,airborn assaults,parachute and glider operations,combat engineering ,bridge laying to minfileds and boobytraps.Aircraft operations etc.
Over 600 vehicle data entries.(Seperate lists for aircraft if you want to use them in the game.)
Army lists for early mid and late war.(14 lists in total.)
The minis are available from lots of sources ,I got a complete army for 30 GBP.
3 tank companies,2 motorised infantry companies,plus battalion HQ and arty and anti tank support units.
The minis are similar size to EPIC. And so dont take long to paint!
(Which is good for us, that are have only average painting ability.)
The rules are designed for ballanced competative play,and there is a clearly defined method of allocating PV,if you want to use a vehicle /troop type not listed.
It is a bit more detailed than some other wargames out there,(lots of modifiers,)but it is an accurate representation of the genre.IMO.
And if you just play using a few armoured vehicles at first then work your way up ,it doesnt take too long to get the hang of it.
TTFN
Lanrak.
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