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So a couple years ago I moved to a new city, where I dont really have a gaming group. The folks who run the local FLGS are friendly enough, but the people who actually play there are almost all kids, and dont play much 40k (lots of fantasy and other games). As a result I now travel to get my miniatures gaming fix. I generally drive about 1.5-2 hrs to hang with 1 or 2 of my old gaming friends back in my old town. Due to life, we generally have time for 1 good game of 40k during the time I am up there, but there is often time afterwards where we could play another faster game. I know there are a ton of good skirmish type games out there, but I dont have experience with any of them, so I need some suggestions.

I have played lots of mordheim, and I really like the way your small group grows and expands and your individual guys get cooler and more interesting over the course of a campaign, the downside to mordheim is that it always felt a bit boring with less than 3+ players.

My ideal game would be the following:

-small enough to play in about an hour
-have lots of character and variety. If I am only using ~10 minis per game, I want them to be interesting guys with a variety of abilities and cool backstory (i want heroes, not faceless/nameless troops)
-some sort of character progression for your guys (single games of mordheim were never as interesting to me as the games that take place during a campaign when your characters are growing and changing)
-sci-fi setting (I am fond of the 40k universe and compatibilty with 40k/GW models is a huge plus).

I know there are a bunch of folks playing some necromunda/inquisitor hybrids, and that sounds pretty interesting to me. Does anyone have any formalized rules that they are using, or is it a pretty loose interpretation of a mix of rules from those 2 games? Would this type of game be appropriate for 2 players playing in 1hr increments? Is dark heresy far down the pen and paper format, or is it still somewhat miniature based?

If there are other games out there I should consider, please let me know. Time and cost devoted to getting terrain/minis/books purchased/built/painted is a consideration, as this would definitely be secondary to playing normal 40k, but please toss out any ideas you might have.

AT-43 can be played in a short time with limited amount of models if you choose.

Not sure about warmachine similar amount of models ( but i never played so its a guess! )

Count Bonchula wrote:
If there are other games out there I should consider, please let me know. Time and cost devoted to getting terrain/minis/books purchased/built/painted is a consideration, as this would definitely be secondary to playing normal 40k, but please toss out any ideas you might have.

AT-43 also match the discription . Democle set = $30 . You get 2 armies , terrain , map to play on . Dice , tape measuer.

well everything . the set box is even magnetized i think you can flip the lids up and store the minis back to their trays in the box.

Space Hulk! You can play it with the kids too, as it's easy to learn! And with the new set, all of the Terminators have names and backstrories, all look different, and give you the 'heroes' that you want.

Check out .45 Adventure and its siblings, Gloire!, Broadsword Adventures, and Fantastic Worlds. Scenario based skirmish games with a lot of character played on smaller play surfaces (2x2).

Warlord by Reaper is also a good fantasy game that can be played relatively quickly.

AT-43 and Confrontation could also be quick if done right.

Warmachine at the Mangled Metal/Tooth and Claw (350 points, all 'jacks/beasts) level can make for a very fast game and is not a 'lesser' version of the main game.

Necromunda! Great campaign system that lets your characters develop over a really long time.

Infinity.

I've yet to see a game of Infinity go over 45 minutes, at any point level.

Necromunda games can be over in fifteen minutes sometimes. And you can play a couple, leave, and then pick up where you left off, and keep a campaign going that way. Works quite well.

Or BattleTech - a Company vs Company game will only take you two days to complete... no... wait... you wanted short games...

Yeah Necromunda is the way to go to satisfy your request man. The rule book is fully downloadable on line at GW for free and you can proxy gangers from for 40K collection or Direct Sale order or FLGS special order the Munda figs. If you like Mordhime then Munda should be easy for you to love.

Or, if you want to go for something completely different, get a hold of the rules for SuperSystem! 2nd edition. This way, your characters really can be heroes!

All kidding aside, though, SuperSystem! is a fun superhero TTG, with a ton of flexibility for creating heroes, teams, henchmen, etc. It also has rules for character growth, running Series (campaigns) and if you pick up the 2 supplements, 15mm SuperSystem! too.

As an added bonus, if you already play 40K/Fantasy/Mordheim, you can use the existing terrain (anything works in superhero land) you have. Finally, you can use, literally, any models you have in your collection. I use models from Fantasy, 40K and other science fiction lines, Reaper minis, RAFM monsters, and superhero models from a few different lines (including the superfigs ones).

I believe Old Glory carries the rulebook these days, or you can find it (and the supplements, one free and one cheap) in pdf format at Saber's Edge or Wargamedownloads.com... I believe it was $10.00 US for the main book, and $2.00 for the first supplement (and don't forget the free christmas special!).

-Vilegrimm

There's also Kill Team and 40K in 40 minuites from the 4th Edition rulebook to consider.

Monsterpocalypse- all the monsters are named and you get to wreck to cities.

If you are into the 40k/miniatures type games, and have like $100 more to drop on army mans, I would give Warmachine a try. The game time is around 1hr for 500pts and the model counts are low. The only thing it will lack is the character progression you are looking for. I am starting to play so we have a shorter game option to 40k or WHFB at my FLGS, and it can be played on about half the table size as a Warhammer game. The back story is pretty cool as it reminds me of the old FF universe with the steam powered/magic mix. The models however are hit or miss with some being amazing and others not so much.

Blood Bowl FTW!!!

augustus5 wrote:Blood Bowl FTW!!!

but then I would have to unconvert the bloodbowl rat ogre from my mordheim warband...

Tannhauser is a blast if you don't object to prepainted's. Good rules and cool story & characters.

Mordheim / Necromunda / BFG are all good, along with anything else small model count.

I find BFG takes as long as 40k myself, JHDD but I don't play small model count very often.

If you play small BFG engagements, like 3 or 4 cruisers / escort squadrons the games can go pretty quickly.