The Best Ancients Game ( aka the best forum topic in the world..( a tribute)

[commodorerob 11076xp 2]

Yes I went there in the crass transparent  attempt to win stuff ?

Seriously though I wanted to discuss Ancient gaming.

So to my mind there is one defining factor in making a game good.. if you enjoy playing it even though you are better at losing it. I am good at that part.

Over the years I have played Ancient games across a number of systems. I have certainly not played all the different game systens but there a lots of rules out there for both skirmish and big battles. I am going to set out my stall on those I have played.

Fields of Glory Ancients – first ancients game I played..I won it, I so really liked it there are some beautiful rules in it it gives you the feel of a sweeping battle. ( The father of MeG)

DBX … What can I say it’s one of those that we have all played in my case DBA mostly.. great idea with dice pips for orders but too much bumper cars for my liking. Although the HOTT a fantasy derivative is fun

Mortem et Glorium – just genius, it is simple to learn hard to master it has a great dice mechanic and basically takes the best bits of Fields of Glory and makes it so much more fun. It can be played at 3 levels Pacto, magna, maximus it can also cope with any scale if figures which makes it very accessible.

SAGA – well it’s popular and I first played a version of it set in A Roman city since playing that I have played SAGA many times it is a fun skirmish game but far from perfect.. there is too much “fantasy” super abilities for my liking.

Hail Ceaser – only played it a couple of times it was ok but for me was a bit clunky and never returned to it.

Clash of spears – I own it yet to play it but the rules seem to be much better than SAGA in for skirmish

I’m sure there are others I have played a couple of home brew games set around specific battles but they are one offs

Anyway of the games the one for me is Mortem et Glorium. It has everything it’s flexible, easy to learn, fun to play and hard to master and with a very poor win rate I still go back for more.

 

So now it’s your turn to say in a few words what your favourite ancients game is… although unless you say it’s MeG you are obviously wrong ?

[horus500 11505xp 2]

Saga is the best. The discussion pretty much ends there.

I really enjoyed Warmaster Ancients. great game but 10mm is only now being recognised as the best scale for mass battles in the sword and board arena.

Warhammer Ancients (although I disliked removing indiviual models and not fighting back if they killed the first 2 ranks).

SPQR was a dumpster-fire and a ‘revised edition’ can die and go to hell.

Almost forgot Kings of War Historicals. Simple to learn, simple to teach. Good game otherwise

[torros 23802xp 1]

Still a big fan of Vis Bellica for larger scale games  Nice scouting rules and some nice if not over complicated hidden unit and spotting rules. Command and control is nice with your general passing down command points to subordinates who then decide how to command their troops.  Nice and elegant and still passes muster I think

For more skirmish sized games I’m very pleased with the Clash of Spear rules

P.S I still think Armati is overlooked as a nice elegant game as well. Its fixed deployment and fatigue rules make games more interesting

[commodorerob 11076xp 0]

@horus500 Obviously you missed my last bit of my post… you are wrong about SAGA..???

I do like SAGA but for me it just too “fantasy” in the way it’s rules work to make it my favourite ancients game.

[limburger 21534xp 1]

Can I say ‘Clash of Spears’ ?

(disclaimer : I was in that kickstarter soo am a bit biased ;))
I haven’t played a game, but I like the layout of the rules and the simplicity. All effort is in how to execute the best move in a given turn as opposed to finding that finicky special rule that may or may not apply.

I also have ‘Great hall burning’ (another kickstarter … ) which caught my eye simply because it has a rpg-lite campaign that would allow you to go viking … it’s another set I really need to build an army for and get playing 😀

The only ‘negative’ is that the hardcopy feels cheap (like something a student would do for his work if he wanted to be fancy), so it isn’t as sexy as any other rules in the list.

https://www.wargamevault.com/product/245728/Great-Hall-Burning

I do wonder … is the Ancients era the best era for skirmish games ?

Does the historical period dictate the minimum and/or maximum size of a battle ?

I prefer computer strategy games for massed battles though … painting and assembling hundreds of tiny fighting men and then playing an abstract wargame just isn’t my thing. The skirmish size scale is more attractive to me (and I still fail at getting that started :D)

[commodorerob 11076xp 0]

@limbuger I can understand thst skirmish is popular, but for me I like big battles and cannot lie..lol

Its also why I am a fan of tiny tiny fighting men because they are quick and easy to paint and they actually look like a battle as opposed to a few men taking a flag for a walk ?

 

[demonsub 12745xp 1]

I’ve only ever played SPQR for ancients but I’ve recently picked up Clash of Spears.
Although the 5 or 6 games of SPQR were fun some of the rules we a little fuzzy the way they were written, hopefully the revised edition will sort that out. I’m excited to try Clash, probably with the solo rules from the ebook supplement Fields of Blood, but ultimately our group will have to wait until after “The Event” until we decide which one we prefer.

[phaidknott 7012xp 1]

One set of rules that has always stood out from the crowd in Ancients was the “THE IRREGULAR MINIATURES RULE BOX – ANCIENTS” (only £4.40) from Irregular. An extremely fast play set of rules printed on postcards (with the rules on one side and examples on the other).

Granted some of the tables are a bit “wierd” (like +1 for wearing greaves), but the game uses different dice to reflect moral/class (D4 up to D12), and your class reflects the ability to withstand casualties (rather then A class troops having sharper swords than anyone else). So you calculate the damage total, then you “save” on the class dice (so if you cause say 8 damage on a D6 class unit that’s 1 strip dead and you need to roll over 2 on a D6 to save the second. If fighting a class A/D12 unit those 8 damage means no automatic casualties and you need to roll over 8 on a D12 to save a single strip). This along with the rule that “regulars” become unformed on rough ground (while irregulars/war hosts do not, which gives them a fighting chance), all just means the rules just “work” in a way I can’t easily define.

The system works on single rank “strips” of infantry (so really only good for 6mm/10mm), and we’ve played some really big games and been satisfied with the overall results. And for £4.40 for rules in a box it’s well worth a punt (although you’ll have to provide the dice).

PS however the other three THE IRREGULAR MINIATURES RULE BOX rules for eras (Naps, Ren, Malb, and FPW) don’t seem to work as well as the Ancients set, it’s just weird how this particular set gets the job done. Just use army lists/points from just about any rank and file games (DBM etc) and you’re set to go 🙂

[khusrauParticipant 1158xp 0]

So many rules not listed. Sword & Spear, Tactica, DBMM, Infamy, Dux Bellorum, Dux Britanniarum, AdlG etc…   Ah well. Plenty to choose from, and each to their own I guess.

[commodorerob 11076xp 0]

As I said I only listed the rules that I have actually played there are loads of sets out there, I was interested to find out what everyone thought were there favourite rules.

[panzerkaput 33931xp 1]

I would like to throw two games into the mix.

Firstly, Mortal Gods, which is a great Greek on Greek, Greek on Persian skirmish level quick game. The mechanics are easy to pick up and play but there is enough to add to and keep you interested. Okay is might be a little historical light but it is in keeping with the Heroes on the time. Nice add on for the Mythic too and soon Troy is going to be added.

Secondly, it is different take on an ancient game, we set in ancient Rome at the end of the Republic and the start of the Imperial, time of the Caesars, is Gangs of Rome. I very nice gang combat game where you fighter a series of “battles” as you try and make it to the Senate and rise the status of your Dominus, while being down the other who try and make there way to the top. Hugely based on the TV series Rome and Spartacus, is is involving and playable, especially with campaign rules coming out shortly come only add to the game and its appeal.

[horus500 11505xp 1]

@panzerkaput Mortal Gods and Gangs of Rome are both on my radar. Both come with good to excellent ratings from people who’s judgement I trust. I have been told GoR needs to be terrain heavy and I was told it was similar to a historical Mordheim.

[panzerkaput 33931xp 2]

@horus500 GoR actually doesnt need to be that terrain heavy as Rome is a big place and there is place outside of the city as well as inside the city. I have a shed load of terrain for Rome as I love it and I pack it in as it looks good, but it works equally as well in open plazas with little terrain and then outside the city rural villas, all places to play.

In fact there is more interesting rules coming out free, as pdfs, where they are looking more into less terrain heavy environment.

[horus500 11505xp 2]

@panzerkaput that board looks amazing! There seems to be a fair bit of terrain there but it really ads to the theme and effect. How big is the board?

[panzerkaput 33931xp 2]

The boards are only 3 by 3 but in some there ate put together to get a grand city look but it played as a series on tables @horus500

 

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