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Hey everyone,

So i play warhammer40k and lotr sbg, my friends know i do it but dont want to touch it at all with a stick (Games workshop being in the mall resulting bad experiences + some of the interaction with others inside). But something we all do is play Risk, LOTR Risk, and currently Risk: Legacy. I've been trying to look for a game that would appeal for us (about 4-5 guys), and its been hard. All the games are either two player or not what im looking for. Upon recently asking them on what theyd like to play, the idea of space ship battles came up and we all loved it. I am sure Star Trek had nothing to do with it .

So far i have read the Battlefleet Gothic ruleset which was free, and it seems fun. But as any person would find out after some research, the game has been lacking as finding models for it are going to be hard to find or ridiculously expensive. After more surfing, Firestorm Armada came up. The models are nice and 50 for a starter fleet isnt that bad compared for a 50 dollar cruiser by itself. After reading reviews its described as a Michael Bay film, with all action, rolling 6's and no tactics/strategy whatsoever.

So Dakka, could you help me out and point me in a direction of a game and sell me on it? I would prefer if the game had some sort of tactical play or strategy to it, and if it could be an ongoing campaign like Necromunda where there is an experience system. Also are there any games that would focus on the capture of objectives, or planets etc? If not, thats fine we could make house rules just to make the game seem more familiar to Risk with the concept of capturing something that would give you a bonus and to defend that to retain it.

Thanks in advance!

Warseer is the least money up front and you get the full miniature experience.

Epic is fun, some people use those miniatures but use full 40k rules.

Play 40k as small skirmish games.

Lots of options... take up "Full Thrust".

Mongoose makes an original Star Trek space fleet game that might be worth checking out.

Fantasy Flight is consistently selling out of their pre-painted X-Wing game. People seem to love it.

Does it have to be a miniatures game? If not it sounds like board games are your best friend. PM me for suggestions.

First, you need to communicate what your group is looking for. Are you looking for a game that can last a few hours, or one that's over in less than one? How much hobby element is preferred? Are you looking for 1v1 or multiplayer game options?

If hobby element is not desired or necessary then x-wing or attack wing are very wise choices for you. A big board game like zombicide or super dungeon explore might also satisfy that requirement while adding multiplayer elements.

If you want a squad level game with lots of terrain and hobby elements infinity might be more your style. -or malifaux if you want less terrain.

If you want a game with a few dozen models warmachine/hordes or dropzone commander might be up your alley.

As for continued 40k and lotr play, if you guys still enjoy it and lower points levels are fun there is really no reason to stop. I'm not sure those games lend themselves to smaller game sizes but that your group has fun and stays engaged are the most important things.

If none of these games suit you or what your group is looking for isn't quite what is depicted here then there is a sticky here on Dakka for alternative games.

*whores out personal games*

http://www.wargamevault.com/product/113519/Uprise

This is my personal game. It's entirely free, it's a nice social game. No cost or anything...

I don't quite get what you (the OP) are asking for...you write you don't want two player games and then mention Necromunda and BFG, which work best with two players to a side.

Good miniatures games that work well with more than two players on the table at the same time is relatively rare, in my experience, even if several games often are touted as being playable with 3+. I do not know X-Wing, but it is often mentioned as working well as a 3+ game. Firestorm Armada with a low model count or as a team game isn't too shabby. I have not tried it as a team game, but Dropzone Commander has many of the same advantages as FS:A due to the alternate activation mechanics.

Most miniatures games can be played with 3+, but it often requires some jinking of the system and can end up terribly unbalanced. The Warmachine/Hordes "Thunderdome" format (which requires a grand total of 1 miniature per player) is extremely fun for me as an experienced WMH player, but it is not exactly a contest of skill as much as it is a contest of diplomacy and not getting ganged up on. This also applies when you scale it up - 4+-way games is about being the last man standing more than about being the best player standing. Thus, I believe boardgames might be the best solution for you guys..and there are many really good ones. Alternately, acccept that miniature wargames shine as 2p games and get another table for a second game while #5 waits to play the next loser.

I can personally (having a lot of experience with them) recommend the following miniature games for different reasons, and warn you of them for different reasons:

Warmachine/Hordes - the best ruleset out there. A brain-burner of a game that works well as a timed scenario game (look at the Steamroller tournament package), putting the pressure on the players. Your Lotr and 40k terrain works for it. Mid-sized armies and scales well between 25 and 50 points. Some armies can get pretty high model counts, though, especially at 50. Not 40k/WHFB, but 30-50 models aren't an exception in 50pts Cryx lists. The Unbound format is spesifically designed for multiple players but demands a 40k-sized army and takes forever. You can get hold of campaign systems from its 1st edition and convert them easily, but it demands some work to get hold of them. Alternately, you can participate in their online campaign leagues.
Firestorm Armada - Can be played fast as it is less complicated than its Dystopian Wars brother. Cheap and good-looking models, and terrain is easy to built (do get a space table asap). The game defines beer & pretzels, though - the publishers are messy designers and it shows. Has a campaign book available. Full Thrust might be a better (if more complicated game and less fast-paced) but it isn't well supported and the miniatures are showing their age.
Infinity - Fast-paced science fiction small-unit tactical game with amazing miniatures. Has an unique interrupt-system that really makes it feel like a firefight (well, paintball match, actually, as the models can and do perform suicide runs regularily "for the team". Demands an ungodly amount of terrain that you mostly will have to build from scratch (it will get expensive to buy) and has some issues with clarity of rules, even in 2nd edition. The miniatures are fiddly, but this is part of their "amazing" staple. Has a campaign book which works well for your amount of players.

One option is to the the Firestorm models with the BFG rules. X wing is lot of fun and is also inexpensive.

On a totally different note you could try other space games, such as Eclipse, or Twilight Imperium.

For spaceship gaming Full Thrust is by far the most popular and the rules are free to download. There are plenty of other rule sets, Starmada and Colonial Battlefleet are both popular examples. If you want more detail on the spaceship gaming scene in general I suggest you visit Starship Combat News.

Note that while Firestorm Armada models are beautiful and cheap, they (along with BFG) are generally much larger than other lines. Also be aware that the space combat scene has more in common with 15mm sci-fi than with popular branded games. People interchange model lines with different rulesets all the time and spaceship building rules are generally viewed as an important part of a rules set.

Popular miniature lines are
GZG (Full Thrust)
Brigade Models
With Hostile Intent (carried by Rattlehead games)

Again, there are many more, check SCN if you want details.

Edited to add that 5150 is supposed to have a good campaign system, but I've not played it personally.

If you guys like risk and want space battles then i think the twilight imperium board game from fantasy flight is probably a good one to go for and has almost endless different board layouts and is awesome fun or mabe dropzone commander its becoming my fave game.


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Dropzone works well multiplayer because of the alternate activation and the starter set will give you all you need if you want 3 or 4 way games.


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It is a very stratigic game and tactics take a big part of the game and the designers actually listen to the gamers oppinions about balance. Anything that needs sorting rules wise is sorted very quickly with updated rules.