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2021/03/10 03:46:37
Subject: Looking For Small-Scale Skirmish Sci-Fi Minis Game
See title. I've been browsing the Artel W range of minis, and they look dope as heck, but I figure "If I ain't gonna use GW minis, why use their rules?"
So I'd be curious as to some small-scale skirmish games I could use with the Artel W minis with with my friends.
Thank you in advance!
Clocks for the clockmaker! Cogs for the cog throne!
2021/03/10 07:31:37
Subject: Looking For Small-Scale Skirmish Sci-Fi Minis Game
If you wanna just throw dice at each other GW style but without getting bogged down in the 700 pages of rules, try One Page Rules: Grimdark Future Firefight.
If you wanna play a campaign, Stargrave, Zona Alfa, Zone Raiders, This is Not a Test...
The old meta is dead and the new meta struggles to be born. Now is the time of munchkins.
2021/03/10 18:02:29
Subject: Looking For Small-Scale Skirmish Sci-Fi Minis Game
lord_blackfang wrote:If you wanna just throw dice at each other GW style but without getting bogged down in the 700 pages of rules, try One Page Rules: Grimdark Future Firefight.
If you wanna play a campaign, Stargrave, Zona Alfa, Zone Raiders, This is Not a Test...
Can you give more details on those various games? Thank you!
Edit: Looked at Star Breach. Looks cool! I'll see if I can convince my friends to play.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/03/10 18:36:58
Clocks for the clockmaker! Cogs for the cog throne!
2021/03/10 18:53:52
Subject: Looking For Small-Scale Skirmish Sci-Fi Minis Game
I heard that 5150 by Two Hour Wargames is considered to be a great system. I haven't played them personally, the rules themselves seem fine, but the rulebook is horrendous: pretty poor layout and really badly executed 3D art. Setting is as stale as it gets, but I think modifying it will not be problematic. There are a lot of rules for different weapons, armour and vehicles, with unique skills for different races and even AI alien bug opponents who can attack all players in sight (think PvE against randomly spawned tyranids while you're fighting Chaos).
Manchu wrote:Check out Star Breach:
If you wanna play a campaign, Stargrave, Zona Alfa, Zone Raiders, This is Not a Test...
Can you give more details on those various games? Thank you!
I've personally only played Zona Alfa but I think I can get some insight on those. In my opinion it's a superb set of rules centered around sending squads of scavengers into dangerous areas in search of rare artifacts and loot (think STALKER, it's the main source of inspiration for the author and default go-to setting). The game's unique in a regard that you don't necessarily need to attack and defeat other players: usually you're competitors, not enemies, and Zona's fauna is just as dangerous as other gangs (although my group personally modified the AI somewhat as we found them to be lacking in basic variants; now they are incredibly potent and make you think if you really need those expensive shiny thingies guarded by a horde of savage monsters). For a campaign-centered modern-weaponry skirmish game I can't recommend it enough: it's simple, fun and intuitive. If you don't like some rules or want extra variety, Zona Alfa can be easily changed and tweaked, and author himself heavily encourages it. Setting can be anything you'd want to see: from basic post-Soviet ruined countryside to magical invasion with shotgun-wielding ratmen cultists. It's probably not as great as head-on skirmish but I think if you center it around acolytes chasing Chaos artifacts on forgotten planet it will work pretty well (but incorporating magic and some high-tech equipment will probably be tough). Basic ruleset has some pretty poor balance though, you'd might want to fiddle with numbers a little, otherwise it's good.
2021/03/10 19:17:47
Subject: Looking For Small-Scale Skirmish Sci-Fi Minis Game
Do you like high levels of crunch where each model is a unique hero?
Do you want small squad vs. Squad or Model vs Model?
Do you want alternate activation, reactions, or IGOUGO?
Do you want unique and special weaponry tables, or will generic be fine?
Honestly, I've barely dipped my feet outside of GW games. I've played a bit of Maelstrom's Edge, but not much, and not with people who really wargame.
But, to address your questions...
Crunch Moderately high. I'd like to be able to customize my dudes.
Squad or Model? Don't really care-I don't want massive, unwieldy squads, but squads themselves are fine. As are individual models.
Action Type Anything works-AA would be cool, but is certainly not a necessity.
Unique I would like customization to be a thing, but some amount of generic is fine.
Thank you!
SgtBANZAI wrote:I heard that 5150 by Two Hour Wargames is considered to be a great system. I haven't played them personally, the rules themselves seem fine, but the rulebook is horrendous: pretty poor layout and really badly executed 3D art. Setting is as stale as it gets, but I think modifying it will not be problematic. There are a lot of rules for different weapons, armour and vehicles, with unique skills for different races and even AI alien bug opponents who can attack all players in sight (think PvE against randomly spawned tyranids while you're fighting Chaos).
Manchu wrote:Check out Star Breach: If you wanna play a campaign, Stargrave, Zona Alfa, Zone Raiders, This is Not a Test...
Can you give more details on those various games? Thank you!
I've personally only played Zona Alfa but I think I can get some insight on those. In my opinion it's a superb set of rules centered around sending squads of scavengers into dangerous areas in search of rare artifacts and loot (think STALKER, it's the main source of inspiration for the author and default go-to setting). The game's unique in a regard that you don't necessarily need to attack and defeat other players: usually you're competitors, not enemies, and Zona's fauna is just as dangerous as other gangs (although my group personally modified the AI somewhat as we found them to be lacking in basic variants; now they are incredibly potent and make you think if you really need those expensive shiny thingies guarded by a horde of savage monsters). For a campaign-centered modern-weaponry skirmish game I can't recommend it enough: it's simple, fun and intuitive. If you don't like some rules or want extra variety, Zona Alfa can be easily changed and tweaked, and author himself heavily encourages it. Setting can be anything you'd want to see: from basic post-Soviet ruined countryside to magical invasion with shotgun-wielding ratmen cultists. It's probably not as great as head-on skirmish but I think if you center it around acolytes chasing Chaos artifacts on forgotten planet it will work pretty well (but incorporating magic and some high-tech equipment will probably be tough). Basic ruleset has some pretty poor balance though, you'd might want to fiddle with numbers a little, otherwise it's good.
Danke! I'll check out Zoae Alfa once I'm done with this post.
Ah crap. Zona Alfa ain't free.
On the one hand, it sounds cool. On the other hand, my main wargaming spot is a GW, so I don't know if it's worth dropping money on a Wargame I might never play. I try to get my other game store friends into wargaming, but it ain't going the best.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2021/03/10 19:19:44
Clocks for the clockmaker! Cogs for the cog throne!
2021/03/10 19:24:08
Subject: Looking For Small-Scale Skirmish Sci-Fi Minis Game
I reckon 40k first edition would fit the bill (modify rules as needed), and if you can get hold of the original rulebook, it is something special. Just the rules and ideas in that first book is enough to play some great games.
PaddyMick wrote: I reckon 40k first edition would fit the bill (modify rules as needed), and if you can get hold of the original rulebook, it is something special. Just the rules and ideas in that first book is enough to play some great games.
I've got the Second Edition via the Battle Bible. And while it's definitely interesting as heck, it's also... Well, it's old. And that shows-it's very clunky.
Clocks for the clockmaker! Cogs for the cog throne!
2021/03/10 19:32:37
Subject: Looking For Small-Scale Skirmish Sci-Fi Minis Game
Given the OP's reply and Easy E's suggestions, I'd add Scrappers if you want a post-apoc sci-fi that's also squad based and campaign capable. Decent system overall, too, IMO.
2021/03/11 16:54:04
Subject: Looking For Small-Scale Skirmish Sci-Fi Minis Game
Deadzone is not model agnostic, yet the core rules are free it is a fun and fast game in small scale on a small board
it is more like Necromunda but instead of gangs with more generic factions (7 in the core rules, another 4 in the supplement books)
and because there are not many models used, but usually different ones, very good to use the good ones like Artel W
Harry, bring this ring to Narnia or the Sith will take the Enterprise
2021/03/11 20:18:11
Subject: Looking For Small-Scale Skirmish Sci-Fi Minis Game
Star Grunt II is a blast from the past... and actually quite the solid game. It may be a little hard for some folks to get into since it doesn't really have any kind of points lists and so on, but if that doesn't bug you, it is actually a good engine.
2021/03/11 20:24:41
Subject: Looking For Small-Scale Skirmish Sci-Fi Minis Game
