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First post here so hope its in the correct place!

So, I'll start by saying I am the worlds slowest painter - I love it, but I end up measuring the time taken to paint a unit/character in seasons rather than weeks! I've also typically always just painted what models I like, mainly around the 40K Imperium, but never with the intention of gaming so with limited consistency.

Recently I've started wondering about trying to play a game of sorts. So it got me thinking, are there any options to play games of say, a dozen or so figures a side with a heavy focus on characters?

Given the release of Silver Tower, it also made me wonder if any of the boxed sets be adapted for different figures? I'd be happy to buy one, but painting up 40 Genestealers say from the Deathwatch game would basically rule out playing for the next few years!

Welcome any thoughts,

Cheers

Space Hulk can easily be adapted to play with IG versus Orks, or standard SM versus Eldar or whatever.

IDK if the rules still provide the Kill Team or 40K in 40 minutes small model count games. Thes were designed for one or two dozen figures a side.

One Page Kill Team is a ruleset you can use for skirmishing in the 40k universe. It also has a campaign ruleset that allows you to play a campaign, earn experience, and gain different improvements for your warband.

infinite_array wrote:
One Page Kill Team is a ruleset you can use for skirmishing in the 40k universe. It also has a campaign ruleset that allows you to play a campaign, earn experience, and gain different improvements for your warband.

Personally, I greatly prefer In The Emperor's Name, much more customisable and I find OP40k's rules a little over simplified. ITEN also gives you the ability to create any character you can think of and represent them however you want, supported by an online roster builder.It's a good game, especially if you like your Space Marines as one man armies and walking tanks, the customisable rules defintiely allow that.
https://iten-game.org

Both are free, though, and OP40k might actually make a better introduction if you're new to wargaming as a whole, so give them both a shot!

If you haven't yet, check out Heralds of Ruin Kill Team! Exactly what you're looking for for 40k, and all the rules are free.

I love ITEN for 40k skirmishes. It's fast and snappy and super flexible. The campaign system is pretty cool and has a real Eisenhorn vibe. I've used it for 40k and other genres and it works great.

If you want a bit more crunch, Necromunda has been expanded into the wider 40k universe with "Inquisimunda".
http://empireofghosts.blogspot.com/p/inquisimunda-resources.html
I've not tried it myself, but it got good reports some years back and I love Necromunda. The Necromunda rules are needed to play and you can find them for free at yaktribe.org

For fantasy, Mordheim is both official and free. It's roughly the same level of complexity (and with a similar rules engine) as Necromunda. Though it doesn't cover all the WHFB factions there are fan supplements for most everything. It's also available at yaktribe.

For Fantasy, I'd strongly recommend taking a look at Song of Blades and Heroes. It's cheap and extremely flexible. It's roughly the same level of complexity as ITEN -that is to say faster playing than Necro or Mordheim-, but it has been massively playtested and refined over the past 8 years. It's "generic" in that it has no official setting, but it's extremely easy to stat up any fantasy figs using either the provided stats or the free online unit builder. It's probably my favorite game of all time. I kid you not.

The Advanced version (more magic, reaction system, etc) is just out:
http://www.ganeshagames.net/product_info.php?cPath=1_6&products_id=283

And the original version is here:
http://www.ganeshagames.net/product_info.php?cPath=1_6&products_id=7

Inquisimuda, look it up and be sold.

for fantasy i know an easy and fast game called "bladestorm", they are working on a 2nd edition, you can get the short rules here:

http://www.wargamevault.com/product/155564/Bladestorm-QuickStart-Rules

Frostgrave is pretty ace in terms of fantasy skirmish games, and you're never going to have more than about ten models a side. There's no race-specific stats, so you can basically use whatever you like to count as the various archetypal warriors (e.g. I use Skaven, with Stormvermin representing Knights, a Grey Seer as a wizard etc)

We have a system called Heralds of Ruin Kill Team. It's small scale skirmish based. Custom army lists for each army. Check out the blog in my signature, and then join the Facebook Group for further info and players!

Kill team for 40k seems like a good deal for you!
If you know someone who wants to get into wargaming small too that would help because then you'll have someone who will play small games with you. Age of Sigmar or Mordhiem is a good option for Fantasy scene...also lord of the rings is small number of models and solid ruleset.

Wouldn't be able to suggest anything else outside GW tho sorry

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Space Hulk can easily be adapted to play with IG versus Orks, or standard SM versus Eldar or whatever.

At the heart of it, SPace Hulk is a slow-moving side with limited numbers and ranged attacks vs a fast-moving side with no ranged attacks and unlimited numbers. Anything which meets that can be used without changing any rules. Grey Knights vs lesser daemons, Imperial Guard vs feral Orks, Tau vs Flayed ones, ...

I liked the idea behind In The Emperor's Name, but I found it had a major flaw, IMO; it used the same stat for both physical toughness and mental fortitude, meaning it was impossible to make a weedy psyker with fearsome telekinetic powers. Perhaps that's changed or there was a special rule or something we missed, but it put us off the game.

I spent yesterday playing a short Inquisimunda campaign (three Inquisition cells and an Imperial Guard kill team vs Necrons), and it was a blast, even if we ended up getting ground down by fearsomely tough Warriors, Lychguard and a Lord in the catacombs. I've got a long list of things I want to change to make it the game I want to play rather than the game the writers want to play, I just need to make sure that's the game my friends also want to play.