Topic: "The Baron's War: A Medieval Skirmish Game" ...

[GamesPoet]

"The Baron's War: A Medieval Skirmish Game" ... is a set of rules written by Andy Hobday and designed to accompany the figures of two kickstarter campaigns that have featured miniatures for the conflict of 1215 to 1217.  The author states these can be used for small combat games from the end of the Roman period in England and up to the end of the Wars of the Roses, and using whatever medieval minis that you might have in your collection.

Originally I got involved in making a pledge for the figures from the first kickstarter, and mostly because they are 28mm sculpted by one of my favorite sculptors, Paul Hicks, along with some decals for flags and shields of the Baron's War era.  For the second kickstarter, the additional 28mm miniaturess were more of the same while providing additional variety for the line, yet also featured the rules being developed as well, and more decals for flags and shields too.

Anyway, after having already quickly reviewed through the rules, have decided to start reading in detail, and commentate a bit along the way.

So far  ... the rules appear to be a point based system where each figure is purchased according to unit class and skill with infantry being no less than 3 figures and cavalry being no less than 2 figures, and this doesn't include an attached leader.  Units can consist of different sizes depending on what is bought with points, and the rules seem to indicate that both large and small groups have their pluses and minuses.  Dice needed are primarily 10 sided, typically rolling one die per figure in a unit, although 6 sided dice are sometimes also needed and there are special morale dice that are also used.

I jumped ahead a bit after the initial chapters, and found lots of interesting info regarding the different types of figures and units, and some cool looking rules regarding leaders and the ability to fashion them with different types of characteristics that can impact the game in play.  There seem to be somewhere in the neighbor of 90 different items to choose from for really personalizing the leaders, and this looks like a good  bunch of fun.  Plus there are a list of historical examples, and so the game can be played for historical games or setting up one's own fantasy game play as well.

I also saw a portion of the rules that shows scenarios too.  But I'll wait till reading more before commenting any further on any of this.

[Artobans Ghost]

This game doesn’t seem to need a lot for startup and I really like the models. Seriously thinking about this game

[Zygmund]

Very interested.

I've got models from both KS, and of course the rules. But I put them aside in order to first clean my table from unfinished projects, or some 60 miniatures. Might take some time before I can focus on the rules, but it's very nice to have somebody reading & summarising the book.

So following.

-Z

[GamesPoet]

2nd installment of comments ...

Towards the beginning of the rules thee isi a decent section on general rules conventions and principles, seems like a good idea up front, and there are 5 pages of this.  Which, by the way, these rules are along the same size as the rules that were being provided in 7th and 8th edition starter sets for WFB, and for some of the 40K starter sets during that time frame.

All figures are individually based, round or oblong being encouraged.  I suspect using the 3-2-1 basing system used for Lion Rampant could work as well, although if these figures are individually based, they are easy to use for Lion Rampant anyway.  Players are also responsible for using tokens for actions performed, and d6 dice used as morale markers.  Attacks and defenses are all done with 1 die per figures.  And if figures are equipted with a shield (sm, med, or lg) than this gives an extra defense roll, yet not as good as the original defense roll.   There some interesting rules on "hindered" shots and charges as well.

Each side is a retinue, and these are commanded by your command figure.  A retinue is made up of multiple groups, each group being made up of at least 3 figures for infantry, 2 figures for cavalry.  The structuring of these units brings up lots and lots of options for types of units, weapons they can be equipted with, four levels of skills being vet, regular, irregular, and green (although not all have access to all four), and a mix of abilities, some of which that can be purchased through the points system as well.  A command unit can take up to 50% of force points, if desired, and each retinue must have at least 10% of its warriors being green.  Victory points are achieved when a units is completely destroyed or retreats off the table top.

There will eventually be more comments on these rules, after I read more.

[GamesPoet]

More Baron's War figures have been added to the line ... more archer types, leader types, and civilians.

These are offered thru Footsore Miniatures ...

UK ... https://footsoreminiatures.co.uk/collections/barons-war

USA ... https://footsorenorthamerica.com/collections/barons-war