I've been wondering what to do with the box of Perry Miniatures plastic Beja warriors that I've taken on holiday to glue together over the Easter break. I don't want to use them for The Men Who Would Be Kings or similar rules, as that would require many more figures than the box set provides, for which my 15mm lead pile is more than sufficient.
Instead, I have been looking for the colonial equivalent of a Western gunfight rule system much like A Fistful of Lead: Reloaded. In fact, this was my first port of call, with the Horse and Musket variant being an obvious option for colonial skirmishes in far flung corners of the British Empire. I really like these rules and reckon they would be great for small scale skirmish actions in the Sudan.
However, I remembered that I also have a copy of the old WRG skirmish rules, Fire and Steel, which I acquired many years ago for just this sort of thing. These would be perfect for colonial skirmish games with perhaps ten to twenty figures a side, exactly the right size for a box of plastic figures to cover. I'll have to dig them out and sketch out some ideas but, in the meantime, here's an excellent overview of the rules, albeit from.a now dormant webpage:
http://www.stapells.com/wargames/rules/f&s.php
Have you considered Triumph and Tragedy? They're a fun and interesting set for skirmishes. The colonial supplement is nice but not strictly necessary. It's intended for a couple of units of ten or so a side, but works with smaller numbers as well. There's a (DA) AAR on my blog http://tomstoysoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/the-ivory-gauntlet-triumph-and-tragedy.html
ReplyDeleteOr there's always The Sword and the Flame - the core rules are aimed at larger actions, but they include with a Darkest Africa skirmish variant (basically the standard rules but with smaller units and some random cards) which again would work for skirmish level Sudan I reckon.
I'd also been wondering about Fire & Steel for my NWF 54mm figures. I think it would be ideal
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of Triumph & Tragedy though...must dig the rules out from the pile...I've played it a couple of times for Back of Beyond games and liked it but we did have several units per side so maybe to much for a skirmish 'gunfight' type game?
I have actually played a skirmish game set in the Sudan using Triumph and Tragedy, although it was a few years ago now. It was great fun and would work well with a few figures aside, although it is still focussed on units rather than individuals. I also have TSATF but hadn't thought of using it for the same reason. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteI had this set of rules many years ago but never got around to playing them. That box of Perry's sound ideal for getting you started.
ReplyDeleteI've just bought these rules after reading this blog, Short, sweet and simple. Time for a play through or two.
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