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Hey everyone,

Over the years as a gamer I've spent most of my time with Warhammer 40k and Age of Sigmar. I've also played a bit of Kill Team. The only other game I've really played that isn't a GW product is Guild Ball but lately that's been pretty sub par. I'm starting to get a little burnt out by GW games so I'm looking to try something new, preferably in a skirmish scale.

Recently I've watched a movie called Snowpiercer and I absolutely love that aesthetic. Post apocalyptic semi futuristic setting. Here are a few snapshots from the movie for reference:





Does anyone have any suggestions for a good skirmish game? Doesn't have to be like I've described but know whether or not there's something out there like that would be nice.

This Is Not A Test is pretty bang on. You can use any miniatures range for it, it's a nice little skirmish system based around narrative and campaign play, but you can play it as a traditional matched game too. It's very post apocalyptic in style, more down the Fallout/Stalker line but Snowpiercer is pretty close to the "official" theme of it anyway. It's more based at a semi roleplaying element in forming worlds, so fluff can be down whatever line you want

My biased addition, Batman Miniatures Game by Knight Models. Great ruleset, caps at 12 models a side and there's tons of variety across the DC sphere. They've revamped the line this week so they no longer sell metals, at the expense of cutting most of the line, but independent retailers will still have stock of most things and they're all still legal (there's been a tiff about tournament legality, but unofficially the community have adopted the format that allows everything)

Pulp Alley. When my buddy bought our small group a copy of the PDF I thought "I don't necessarily want to buy 1930s miniatures and play in that setting."

I was wrong b/c the game is setting neutral. Game effects are what you want them to be. Was that a laser cannon, a bazooka or a gravity-gun? Who cares? The effect will be the same if you use, say, the Blast effect.

Here's a quick video that shows how to play. We're adapting it to everything from Necromunda to Star Frontiers miniature war gaming. You can adjust the grit level (the base game is really forgiving and your guys always come back next adventure) to post apoc realism if you wanted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySSuWnjBCH4

Last Days: Zombie Apocalypse (by the guy who runs the Guerilla Miniatures Gaming youtube channel).

My skirmish/warband level game of choice is Malifaux. With M3E coming out at xmas/new year timeframe its a great time to get involved.

Sunno wrote:
My skirmish/warband level game of choice is Malifaux. With M3E coming out at xmas/new year timeframe its a great time to get involved.

Off topic from OP, but I think you're being really optimistic there. Playtesting only started a month ago, Wyrd traditionally have done 6-9 months of playtesting before finalising products, so it's more likely Adepticon at the very earliest, probably Gencon. They're also still launching The Other Side and that will take resources and release slots the next few months, once that eases up we'll see M3E come and pick up in releases

 Rygnan wrote:

Sunno wrote:
My skirmish/warband level game of choice is Malifaux. With M3E coming out at xmas/new year timeframe its a great time to get involved.

Off topic from OP, but I think you're being really optimistic there. Playtesting only started a month ago, Wyrd traditionally have done 6-9 months of playtesting before finalising products, so it's more likely Adepticon at the very earliest, probably Gencon. They're also still launching The Other Side and that will take resources and release slots the next few months, once that eases up we'll see M3E come and pick up in releases

Maybe I am . TBH I'm not involved in the beta test of M3E so perhaps I am out in terms of timing.

But Malifaux is a great skirmish/warband level game with a very unique mechanic and focus on scenario play. Really worth checking out.

If I might, Gaslands isn't quite a skirmish game. But it's dirt cheap, easy to learn, quick to play, fun and it's refreshing to just go to town on a car that cost only £1 or £2.

There are so many options here that it can be staggering.

If you are into Snowpiercer and a Post-apoc style setting here are some suggestions to review and consider:

1. This is Not a Test- Good campaign system and small scale skirmish game.

2. Nuclear Renaissance- Similar to This is Not a Test

3. Fallout: wasteland Warfare- Never played.

4. Last Days: Zombie Apocalypse- Specific to Zombie Apoc but could be changed up. Again campaign oriented and mini-agnostic.

5. Scrappers- Also mini-agnostic. The setting is a bit more far future than 80's style post-apoc.

6. Across the Dead Earth- The setting is Britain, and is another Z base apocalypse rather than Nukes.

7. Gaslands- This one is a car combat game so the miniatures are Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars instead of people and Zeds.

If you are just interested in a small-scale skirmish game that is very different from 40K/GW you may want to think about....

-In Her Majesties Name- Osprey/Ministry of Gentlemanly Warfare
-Strange Aeons- Uncle Mike Publishing
-Dracula's America- Osprey
-Pulp Alley- Pulp Alley Publishing
-Frostgrave/Ghost Archipelago- Osprey
-Batman Miniature Game- Knight Models
-Bushido
-Arena Rex (or various Gladiator Games)
-Rogue Planet

These are all very different from GW style games.

Edit: Oh yeah, I am completely biased, but I think Rampant Stars and Rampant Sun are pretty cool too!

Edit Edit: I forgot to add Blasters and Bulkheads and Mutants and Death Rays to the list.......

Dark Age - don't forget Dark Age!

(Even if CMON seems to somewhat regularly forget it themselves!)

For solo low fantasy Five Leagues From the Borderlands

By the same author Five Parsecs From Home but for sci-fi. Think Firefly or other folks living on the fringe of society, sometimes law abiding, sometimes not.

Using the Song of Blades and Heroes system, Deep Wars is underesea skirmishing.

wrath of kings plays really well at skirmish level, so does CoI, and LOTR

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I'll definitely be taking a look into some of these!

The most fantastic part of any skirmish game - even moreso in games which are not connected to an IP like Games Workshop - is that you can collect a vast collection of awesome post-apocalypse figures...and then play ALL of those games if you want.

There's no risk of collecting and painting miniatures and then being disappointed with "the" game. It's the same reason I suggest to people interested in historical skirmish games to collect Old West and Gladiators --- both of which you can find a dozen rules sets. You get a hell of a lot more bang for your buck than games which have model lines very heavily tied to a specific story line.

 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
For solo low fantasy Five Leagues From the Borderlands

By the same author Five Parsecs From Home but for sci-fi. Think Firefly or other folks living on the fringe of society, sometimes law abiding, sometimes not.

Using the Song of Blades and Heroes system, Deep Wars is underesea skirmishing.

Related I think there is a unit vs. Unit skirmish game similar called Clash on the Fringe as well.

Edit: Let us know what you try and find out!

 Easy E wrote:
Related I think there is a unit vs. Unit skirmish game similar called Clash on the Fringe as well.

Edit: Let us know what you try and find out!

Yes, Clash on the Fringe is by the same author as the two Five (Unit of Distance) games. He also wrote the Fivecore system, of which I know it exists, but nothing useful. Did not mention Clash since I don't own it, while I do own the ones I previously mentioned. Haven't played but have read the rules.

Oh, I think they are all by Nordic Weasel but am not 100% on it.

 Easy E wrote:
Oh, I think they are all by Nordic Weasel but am not 100% on it.

Yes, they are. Should have done this earlier:
Nordic Weasel Games at Wargame Vault.

Definitely have a look at fallout wasteland warfare, iv played a handful of games so far and it looks like it has a lot of potential. Loads of variety in the scenarios and more are being released regularly and the AI system is really interesting.