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View Full Version : A different sci-fi miniature game...recommendations?



Kuhlbert
01-04-2011, 03:58 PM
I'm looking for another way to waste my money when I'm not playing 40k (which I play because its the most commonly played here)

So...

Stargrunt?
Dust Tactics?
Battletech?
Heavy Gear?
Others?

And for the record, I prefer definite sci-fi, as opposed to the steampunk-magic combination of Warmachine. I've heard that WM is a good game, but I confess the background doesn't interest me at all.

so, thoughts?

nellis14
01-04-2011, 04:49 PM
infinity is a good choice offers a wide range of minitures and decent backgrounds........

the truth is i sub them for imperial guard just because they look good... but i dont know many people that actually play the game itself

Nathan

fracas
01-05-2011, 07:11 PM
what scale?


have you considered battlefleet gothic?

Kuhlbert
01-05-2011, 07:12 PM
Yes, I play BFG occasionally - its fun.

I have no fixed notion of scale - I was just going to give something else a try, just for fun.

fracas
01-06-2011, 02:54 PM
i looked at Firestorm, but too similar to BFG and the huge models of the BB puts me off

currently interested in dystopian war, which is Victorian SciFi rather than steam punk in my opinion

Mauglum.
01-07-2011, 06:44 PM
Hi.
Have you tried .'freewargamesrules' for lots of free to down load rule sets.

I like ...StargruntII, No limits, Fast and Dirty, ChainReaction III,and Infinity for 15-28mm

And Dirtside, NET epic and Epic Armageddon for 6mm-10mm.

TTFN

scadugenga
01-07-2011, 07:25 PM
I like the Infinity rules set, but it's hit or miss with faction ideas and sculpts.

Amazingly, much like Vor: the Maelstrom from FASA right before they closed doors. I was a playtester for that. Really didn't get into it.

I'm digging Dystopian Wars (just played a first "test" game last night) but since you don't want steampunk--won't be your bag o' tea.

Babylon 5 Wars was a great game to play for starship combat.

You also really can't go wrong with CBT. Battletech has been fun consistantly for the last 20+ years.

eldargal
01-07-2011, 07:32 PM
Steampunk is Victorian sci-fi.:p


i looked at Firestorm, but too similar to BFG and the huge models of the BB puts me off

currently interested in dystopian war, which is Victorian SciFi rather than steam punk in my opinion

Daemonette666
01-08-2011, 06:42 AM
I have heard good things about Infinity, and a couple of guys in the local gaming shop play it. From what I saw it is a squad based game. It looks like a combination of Necromunda and a fututistic mercenaries board game.

Other than that, Classic Battletech. It is still going after all this time, and has progressed with new factions, technology, and miniatures. I will not explain more since you mentioned them in your intro, and I get carried away discussing my favourite gaming system.

Malirfaux is another game I have heard about. It is becoming more and more popular. It has cards for the skill and abilities of the models. I can not tell much more than that about them, as I have not studdied the game.

There is Urban wars from Urban Mammoth, though the sets are a lot harder to get these days. I do not know much about them.

Lastle West wind productions produce a mecha squad based game called Secrets of the Third Reich, set in alternative time line, based on what wold happen if germany was able to hold out, and develop mecha based forces, and get the technology of a Roswell type crash to extend the war. The The other powers get battlefield salvage, and steal blueprints etc, and you have the game. I t 28/35mm scale, and the miniatures look very nice.

fracas
01-08-2011, 12:09 PM
Steampunk is Victorian sci-fi.:p

true!
but i didn't think DW was about steam technology itself. probably being too literal.

Asymmetrical Xeno
01-18-2011, 09:37 AM
I'll be releasing my own wargame next year called Primeval Abyssian, it is a pure non-humanoid alien wargame set in another dimension, and will feature all manner of weird SF concepts like reality-bending/existential weaponry.

Porty1119
01-24-2011, 04:42 PM
I also have one currently in development, the link is in my sig. It's very much historical-based, with an odd time-space disruption and lots of advanced technology to spice things up a bit. You can have Texans at the Alamo with Abrams tanks and the USMC fighting the Mexican Army allied with futuristic EU, or Japanese mecha fighting Cold War Soviet Russia, WWII Germany allied with the Crusaders battling 1967 Israel, or just about any other insane combination you can think up.

Daemonette666
05-19-2011, 09:27 AM
Is OGRE GMV still going, or has that gaming system gone the way of the dodo?

Aldramelech
05-22-2011, 12:59 AM
Try these:

http://thegamesshed.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/fubar-one-page-sfmodern-rules/

Elegant in their simplicity.

Lane
05-23-2011, 12:52 AM
I know quite a few people that swear by Two Hour Wargames. have not played any of them myself though.

Mongoose Publishing had the Starship Troopers/ Battlefield Evolution/ World at War rule set that IIRC is still available as PDF. The system has been adapted for use in their new Judge Dread minis game as well, and is free download.

JMichael
05-24-2011, 01:26 PM
+1 for Infinity.
Their forums are great and very active. The rules and templates are all available for free on their website (and even a really handy wiki of the rules for those quick searches).
Also many resources for free high quality paper terrain.

And the best part, it's very inexpensive to get in to. Very different game mechanics than most. For example you can shoot during the opponents active turn as they activate (much like the old 'overwatch' in 40k). There is also e/m weapons and special ammunition for both Close Combat and shooting.

Love it!

Timbo
07-10-2011, 05:22 AM
If you want to do a bit bigger battles, Future War Commander is pretty cool.

sertorius
09-10-2011, 12:04 AM
Stargrunt is a free download company level game with the focus on squad movement with light veh rules

Captainzak
10-11-2011, 01:55 AM
Can't go wrong with Battletech. Low buy-in cost, 27 years of fluff and Mech designs, and a robust customization system.

Bullshot
12-05-2011, 11:06 AM
I have to go with Heavy Gear. It has a couple of flavors, Arena and Blitz. Arena is kind of like gladiator fights with teams of gears in an arena. Blitz is armies of gears fighting out on a field. The scale for the game is roughly 12mm (1/144). It uses a solid combined arms approach and the games are won or lost based on objectives met, not model kills. The models are well detailed and there is no such thing as the 'uber model' or 'uber list'. Everything can be countered by anyone, but you have to use good tactics. The system uses alternating activations and there is a reaction system in there using helpd actions. Dream Pod 9 has released several new starter sets and each gives you a good 500 points or more of army plus the rules you need. It has been the only game other than 40k to capture my attention and hold it for over 2 years of regular play. There is a steady flow of new material being released. I can't suggest Heavy Gear enough!

myevilants
12-09-2011, 04:35 AM
I think StarGrunt II is a good one i been playing it on and off for years i started out using 25mm then went to 15mm as theres loads of scifi 15mm around now. it plays really well but it is a little counter heavy but it does help with the game flow as you rarely need to look anything up any question sent me a message if you want i can help you with any rule questions and i have loads on my own tank and walker designs :D

chromedog
12-09-2011, 10:29 PM
There's also Tomorrow's War.

Squad level small-unit actions from the Ambush Alley people.
Use any company's minis from 15mm to 28mm.
It's a "spiritual successor" to SGII (TQ die type and die shift mechanics are similar) as the writers are big fans of it, and of GZG stuff in general.

I'm converting 40k stuff across to TW. Marines play as marines in the fluff are portrayed (3-10 lesser troops per SM, depending on whether D6 or D8). 10 marines are death on two legs. 10 terminators are nigh-unstoppable.

GFGames
01-04-2012, 02:07 AM
Darkson Designs has the nice AE-WWII game if you're looking for something with more of a "pulp" or "Hellboy" feel to it.

Arjan84
01-08-2012, 02:25 PM
why don't you give warpath a try from mantic games?

it's simple and although it has just 2 armylists at the moment,
it is a great simple game(3 lists if you can get the corporation list).

the rules are free to downlaod, as are the armylists, and you
could use your 40k models to play the game.

Cheers

BobbaFett
01-18-2012, 02:50 PM
My vote goes for Infinity.

Nice miniatures, really original set of rules, cheap...

You just need ten miniatures you can choose form a range of like 300... they are constantly releasing stuff.

Dunadan
03-07-2012, 09:37 AM
Stargrunt II is excellent, free, and isn't tied to a specific company's figs. It has a heavier focus on command and control, and unit morale and training rather than hardware (so the veteran with the rock can take out the newbie with the laser), but it does do powered armour very well. You can play with anywhere from a platoon to a company's worth of figures, and probably more if you have the time.

Tokkan
03-08-2012, 09:12 AM
I'm liking my recent entry into Heavy Gear Blitz after playing it at a local gaming con.

One of the simplest ways to put it is that it's a MUCH more tactical game than 40K; Tabletop Paintball with Giant Robots is the way it was first described to me. You can fire at any time during your movement, so you can lean out of cover, fire off your shot, and duck back in. IIRC, they recommend 50% terrain on the board too.

Plus, terrain is very easy to find for it, since it's 1/144 scale, so you can buy stuff from model train companies and the like.

George Labour
03-10-2012, 05:56 PM
I'd also recommend Heavy Gear Blitz as I've found it to be a very fun system that rewards tactics and unit synergy plus has some of the most customizable army lists I've ever run into in a points based war game. Plus I like mechs and this game lets you have some very nifty ones without them being absolutely essential to your army choice.

And then of course there's Battletech. If you get the strategic operations book you not only get the rules for quick and easy mass battles that can range through an entire star system but you also get the rules for quick strike. Quick strike, or QS as its often referred to, basically simplifies the record keeping down to a trading card sized sheet that lets you play really fast games. It's also intended to be used with 3D terrain and so you get the double bonus of having your mech miniatures stomping around on a 'normal' game table instead of the original map sheets.

Personally I prefer Heavy Gear but for the last six months the only game I've played has been QS battletech. In fact just last monday we had a huge smashup in which over 100 units were used and we finished it in about five hours.

JMGraham
03-13-2012, 12:41 PM
Another vote for Infinity. The rules are available free to try. The models are great. Gameplay is amazing, and unlike any other sci-fi system I've seen in capturing cinematic skirmishes.

Tauownz
05-03-2012, 08:48 AM
I'm a big fan of heavy gear and recently got into Mercs, both are awesome. Best of luck!!

ElectricPaladin
05-03-2012, 01:12 PM
Infinity has eclipsed 40k and Warmachine/Hordes as my favorite game. The ARO system means that I am always engaged, always making tactical choices, even when it's not my turn. The game has lots of mechanics, mechanics for things no other wargame has thought to do. You want troops who can lay charges and blow up buildings? You want rules for climbing on top of and sneaking around obstacles? You want rules for locked doors, for forcing them open or hacking the electronic lock? We got it. We got it all. And yet, none of these rules are clunky or awkward. The game's core mechanics are so flexible that they can be used in a wide variety of circumstances.

Speaking of hacking, Infinity brings an element of electronic warfare. The game is set in a spacefaring cyberpunk future, and you can field hackers as troops. Hackers can attempt to immobilize or even take control of enemy heavy infantry and power armor soldiers and screw with enemy attempts to air-drop soldiers... but your opponent's hackers can try to defend them. Hackers can also control cheap, expendable robot soldiers who fight alongside your human (well... organic, anyway) troops.

Most importantly, the models... ah, the models. I think Infinity has the most gorgeous models in the wargaming world. These are true-scale minis, with exquisite details. Each faction has a strong sense of identity, from the high tech professionalism of Pan-O to ALEPH's too-sleek, too-beautiful cloned soldiers to the Nomads' quirky and off-kilter robots and power armor. I've painted all the Infinity models I own (ALEPH, if you're curious), and I can't wait to buy more.

I can't recommend Infinity enough. It's a great game.

JustMark
05-04-2012, 01:15 AM
Infinty is wicked, FWC was a bit hit or miss for me but a laugh still, I didn't much like warmachine but I hear good things so perhaps it was me not doing it right, Malifaux is meant to be good (not Sci-fi though).

My favourite at the moment has to be Urban War2 though. It has unique features such as calibre of troops (allowing you to upgrade your guys without wargear, and then attempt to catch you opponent unaware with a sudden follow up action!) There's also an element of poker involved as you place your orders face down and reveal them one at a time. The orders give your guy a generic order that allows him to act in certain ways when activated, so snpa-fire orders allow him to charge or move & shoot or stand still like a lameo, whilst an overwatch order gives them the chance to interupt one models action and try to kill him!

Obviously that's an exceptionally short summary, but see here http://www.urbanwarthegame.com/game.php?PHPSESSID=b597d0b4954bf7a5ae7a42a9888c5a6 d for further details.

Anyone who's interested might want to check this out to get a 20% discount on pre-orders with this store
http://www.wargame-miniatures.co.uk/store/

EnglishInquisition
06-09-2012, 03:53 PM
My money is on this ;

http://www.hawkwargames.com/#

Evil & Chaos
07-10-2012, 10:31 AM
This may also be interesting to those just getting into 10mm: http://www.freewebstore.org/troublemakergames/Timeline_300/cat1094556_976805.aspx

(disclaimer - it's my own wargames company)

EnglishInquisition
08-05-2012, 01:47 AM
Doesn't seem to be a lot on there at the moment.