Author Topic: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!  (Read 5458 times)

BrokenIronSights

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Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« on: February 12, 2015, 09:31:30 AM »
Hey guys! I was shown this site by an article on Rock Paper Shotgun talking about the Rome: Total War; Warhammer mod. After seeing the "Get me into tabletop wargamming" artical, I decided to register and pitch in my 2 cents. Having done that I then decided to post a thread showing off a website i stumbled across while looking around for a good skirmish sized viking/saxon game. I think I found JUST what I was looking for. Behold, VALHALLA!

It's a small 8-16 model count warband sized skirmish game that's based on a really cool stamana / stat deterioration system. Everything in regards to your warband are handeled by the website itself, leaving you to only know the rules, and have the models. The site does a really good job of explaining everything, and the rules are a fairly quick read (for a wargame rulebook anyway. :P ). I haven't had a chance to have a full game as of yet but the concept is so well thought out it seems you're not even restricted to Dark Ages with a little effort and imagination. In order to avoid rambling I shall leave you with that. Tell me what you think, and let's see if we can't get a conversation going about the game itself.

Thanks for your time,
Jeff  :orc:
I miss my Orks!

Something tells me they don't miss me..


Listening to the hate they've created inside us, we grow.
As we reduce their religion to bones.

Jubal

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2015, 10:06:36 AM »
This looks really interesting - I'll check it out properly later, but it looks like it might work well ported to some Tolkien skirmishes and might be simple enough to teach people at the Tolkien Society I run fairly quickly. :)

The thing of having to register to get the rules is a tad odd, but it looks like a nicely done system. I'll investigate more this evening - I've got an essay to write as of now!
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

BrokenIronSights

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2015, 10:58:10 AM »
True! I had neglected to mention that. Must have spaced my mind, I registered out the gate, mostly out of excitement. I think it's an effect of the website being in charge of unit stats and rosters, not to mention a device to get more people to register in general.

That's actually the exact idea I had, being a fan of Middle Earth myself. Wouldn't mind shooting some ideas back and forth on the subject if you're looking for input. Maybe we could even put up a supplement/rule book for other members to have access too in the future. :)
I miss my Orks!

Something tells me they don't miss me..


Listening to the hate they've created inside us, we grow.
As we reduce their religion to bones.

Jubal

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2015, 05:39:17 PM »
Absolutely, I'd be happy to give some input to that :)

Would certainly save money compared to buying the GW rulebooks  :P
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

BrokenIronSights

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2015, 05:55:21 PM »
Indeed it would! I was actually thinking, on the model front, that it wouldn't be too hard to convert Gripping Beast Plastic's Dark Age models into Rohan infantry/cavalry.

Linky Link

The Arab infantry could also be used for the tribal men of Rhun with a little bit of love. I'm on the look out for other possible replacement models aswell.

For example these handsome fellows could be used as followers of Malkor.

thoughts?
Jeff  :orc:
I miss my Orks!

Something tells me they don't miss me..


Listening to the hate they've created inside us, we grow.
As we reduce their religion to bones.

Jubal

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2015, 11:39:23 PM »
The human factions should be pretty do-able in all cases, I think.

Dark age types for Rohan, Byzantines of some sort for Gondor perhaps, Arabs for Harad, maybe more Norman types for Arnor if that was included?

I guess one key question is scale; GW's are true 28mm, whereas many other fantasy sculpts will be at the slightly larger "heroic" scale, so whether one wanted to make an army that was compatible with using GW minis would have to be a factor.
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

BrokenIronSights

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2015, 06:48:37 AM »
This is something I hadn't considered simply because of the scale of the Lord of the Rings models. Plus, being the picky little bugger that I am, if I'm going third party, my whole army is going to be third party.  >:D


Jeff  :orc:
I miss my Orks!

Something tells me they don't miss me..


Listening to the hate they've created inside us, we grow.
As we reduce their religion to bones.

BrokenIronSights

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2015, 01:18:01 PM »
I think I found a solid solution to the scale issue. These dark age miniatures are "True scale" 28mm as opposed to Gripping Beast Plastic's heroic scale. Not to mention these boxes offer a higher variety of poses and weapons over GBP's. :)

Jeff  :orc:
« Last Edit: February 13, 2015, 03:07:31 PM by BrokenIronSights »
I miss my Orks!

Something tells me they don't miss me..


Listening to the hate they've created inside us, we grow.
As we reduce their religion to bones.

Jubal

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2015, 02:58:30 PM »
Nice :)

I'm trying to work out what I think a Dorwinian army should look like, as I think building one would be fun.  :P
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

BrokenIronSights

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2015, 03:22:44 PM »
Wow, I had to Google that one, could only find out where it was on the map.  ::) Who/what lives there? Are they just folks of Rhûn?
I miss my Orks!

Something tells me they don't miss me..


Listening to the hate they've created inside us, we grow.
As we reduce their religion to bones.

Jubal

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2015, 03:42:29 PM »
We know they're not the people of Rhun, and that they make wine a lot, and not a great deal else :P

I'm currently writing up a paper that includes some theorising about who they might've been, hence the interest  :)
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

BrokenIronSights

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2015, 04:01:18 PM »
Well geographically, I'd say a Rhun base with some Dale influences. If they were a neutral trade based nation it wouldn't be too far fetched to see dwarves in the population as well.
I miss my Orks!

Something tells me they don't miss me..


Listening to the hate they've created inside us, we grow.
As we reduce their religion to bones.

Jubal

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Re: Check out this all but free Dark Age wargame!
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2015, 04:12:07 PM »
That was about my thought: sort of an area of little town-states along the north shore of the sea of Rhun and up the Celduin valley, some more democratic like lake-town and some more explicitly oligarchic,with fortified villas up in the hills, mostly based around markets and on small trade routes, producing and transporting luxury goods. So armies could be a mix of local militias, guards of nobles, caravan guards, town watch/wall patrols etc, with a mix of men and dwarves and a sort of mishmash of eastern and western influences.  :)
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...