Fantasy rules

[Katie]

Dan mentioned an interest in fantasy games other than WH.

"Fantasy Warlords" was suggested, but bluntly it's not actually very good system. And it's OOP. Some of the figures are available from Alternative and some from Kennington[1] but it's not clear who has moulds/masters or how much of the range is still viable.

"Fantasy Warriors" on the other hand is apparently a very nice system and not only are all (or very nearly all) the figures available (variously from EM-4, Forlorn Hope, Vexillia and Miniature Heroes)[2] but the entire rules (base, armylists, extensions) are all free downloads from www.grenadier.it/fantasy-warriors-ruleset.php

The plastic infantry for dwarf/orc armies are about 20p a figure... they're not the quality of the metal models, but with a bit of painting skill they turn out nice units with a couple of metal command figs.

I'd think Perry plastic WotR infantry would assemble into decent human armies (particularly once they've released the foot knights) and they're about 50p a figure.

Meaning it's quite low-cost entry.





[1] With the usual proviso about Kennington's inability to take photographs, answer email or take any sort of interest in customers.

[2] It's not clear who has moulds/masters but the ones I've seen all look like good castings.

[Timf]

So long as my WH figures can be morphed in then I'm interested...I'll take a look

[Katie]

The main problem with WH figures might be the base sizes -- human-sized creatures in WH are 20x20, but FW is 25x25 as standard. Sabot trays might be a solution; www.btowstore.com/epages/BT3212.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT3212/Products/MVT8

OTOH, if figures are based on 25mm rounds for skirmishing, they would just rank up without a problem.

[Timf]

A sabot tray I can live with....most of the bits seem downloadable fron Grenadier

[Katie]

And now, all nicely collected at www.fysh.org/~katie/wargames/downloads/fantasy_warriors/

Note that the armylists in the original rulebook, companion and updates are all deprecated and the individual ones are the replacements. Also note there are misprints in a couple of the lists[2] and at some point the distances all changed from inches to cm.

It does need tokens -- I've got a set[1] (because I bought the rules and figures back in the early 90s), but if other people want to be playing we'd need to knock up some replacements. Don't think it should be too much trouble TBH. I'm thinking warbases MDF with laserprinted stickylabel tops.


[1] somewhere.....

[2] They can usually be worked out by looking at the deprecated versions..

[kaustic]

That sort of worked for me. Give that a go again.

If the figures are that cheap I could go for getting an army together myself.

Race of choice would be Ratmen/Skaven. Had a quick look on ebsy and there is stuff for sale.

What dou ypu reckon ?

[Katie]

Well the figures for the ratmen wouldn't be the cheap plastics cos they only do stunties and orcs. On the other hand, you could probably get the last version of the Warhammer skaven night runners plastics on ebay and they'd make most of the unit types - they shouldn't run more than 50p a figure. You would, of course, pick Ratmen; being the hardest figures to get never mind get cheaply...


www.forlornhopegames.co.uk/fantasy-warriors are the people selling the metals. Apparently they have more masters than the figures listed in the catalogue; there's pictures of more of the range at www.mirliton.it/index.php?cName=fantasy-2528mm


The plastics are at www.em4miniatures.com/acatalog/Copy_of_Fantasy.html

I put together a summary of the Boasts, Spells and Orders (including the ones I don't have tokens for yet) at www.fysh.org/~katie/wargames/downloads/fantasy_warriors/boasts-magic.pdf

Although, it occurs to me that orders are only secret in very limited circumstances, so I don't actually have to make them out of tokens with all matching backs. We could, for example, just use the coloured dots and hide them for the setup and couriers...

[Katie]

Ahaha, I thought of a nice easy solution -- the sticky dots I used to make the LotOW In-the-way dice... on the white rectangle tokens from em-4. I've just ordered the extra couple of colours I need.

[Katie]

BTW, if you're going the nightrunners route, somewhere I have a bag of spare parts for them (mostly arms with different weapons).

Actually rats with crossbows are going to be quite hard to find -- Grenadier made two poses which mirliton advertise but FH/EM4 don't (yet) , I don't think GW has done any (Their ratmen have slings or two-rat jazzails) and BTD has three poses in HM1149. But no-one seems to have command figures.

[Timf]

www.blacktreedesign.com/uk/product.php?productid=23940&cat=2406&page=1

Rats with Crossbows - do they work??

[kaustic]

Well, I've splashed some cash on ebay. Still need to get missile troops but like the Jezzail ones on forlorn hope but they are not in stock.


Painting is going to be a challenge.

[Timf]

www.blacktreedesign.com/uk/home.php?cat=2343&sort=orderby&sort_direction=0&page=2

Has some gunners which are in stock as I type.

www.mirliton.it/product_info.php?pName=ratscum-with-crossbow&cName=fantasy-2528mm-ratscum
seem to be in stock for the crossbows...as well as jezzail/snipers
www.mirliton.it/product_info.php?pName=ratscum-snipers&cName=fantasy-2528mm-ratscum

Though they seem fairly pricey compared to BlackTree

[Katie]

Just email FH -- they've got the moulds so they can cast them on demand.

[Katie]

The BTD ones are two-chappie gun teams -- they're WH Skaven jazzail proxies.

"Rats with Crossbows - do they work??"

Guards Vet. Fan. - - 1 Med Cb./2-Hd 15cm - no day 10 .+4El 5 20
Guards Vet. Fan. - - 1 Med Cb./pike 15cm - no day 10 .+4El 5 20

Crossbows are 8in/30in 2+,2+,3+,4+,5+

So I'd say they're going to be a bit handy.

FH should be able to make the ratscum crossbows if you ask them. Might be up for ordering a bunch as well.

[Katie]

...and in other news I'm defn not going to be around Mon 16th, I've got a meditation class that doesn't finish until 6pm.