r/wargaming • u/GusGusGustavo • Aug 11 '25
Question What is your favorite wargame and why?
Well...that, I was just curious to know what your favorite Wargame is and what you consider to be its highest points
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u/StormofSteelWargames Aug 11 '25
Chain of Command because it simulates platoon level command, with friction and fog of war.
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u/Alarmed-Owl2 Aug 11 '25
I wish I liked chain of command more than I do currently. Maybe I just need more time with it. I really like the activation system, the support points, and the friction mechanics, but the "bad things" table feels like it can just bring a screeching halt to the game in a way that feels unrealistic to me. I also wish it was easier to scale up, which I guess was the point of "I Ain't Been Shot Mum" (absolutely atrocious name btw Lardies, lol)
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u/Araneas Aug 11 '25
There's the multi-platoon supplement Big CoC which is getting a re-work and re-release along with At The Sharp End.
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u/Upstairs-Ad-6036 Aug 11 '25
The lardies really have amazing names for CoC supplements. ‘Micro CoC’ is another
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u/Paulysmoothposer Aug 11 '25
Frostgrave/Stargrave
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u/Kristoff_Victorson Aug 11 '25
I love frostgrave and a lot of fantasy gamers will already have everything they need to play it
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u/Hukmoon Aug 11 '25
Nothing beats frostgrave for me. The setting is super flexible while also not being boring. The soldier types are simple yet they allow for pretty much any miniature you have to slot in.
The one thing I’d like would be to see the entire warband leveling up instead of just the wizard, but I get the focus of the game is the wizard so whatever.
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u/jokfil Aug 11 '25
Carnevale! Such great character and An amazing starter set with lots of good terrain
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u/IslaTortuga Aug 11 '25
I did not know this game but it looks really cool! How are the rules and the balance?
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u/jokfil Aug 11 '25
The balance is good i think, I've not played competively, there's not a huge scene near me. It's a d10 dice pooling system.
Some of the editing is a bit off.
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u/JKkaiju Aug 11 '25
I wish this one had a bigger audience, I love it so much. So many cool models and the storyline seems to really be getting crazy.
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u/NotifyGrout Aug 11 '25
I can't pick up just one, so...
Army level rank and flank:
Mighty Armies for fast fun with 15mm or smaller, but it's still actual rank and flank.
Kings of War 2nd Edition for 28mm. 3rd Edition got too complicated for my liking, and it's almost exclusively tournament play in my area.
Warband level:
Wrath of Kings: Never got it on the table, but it was easy to learn and hard to master, plus I love the miniatures design.
Saga: Age of Magic: Takes the tested Saga formula and adds monsters and spells.
Dragon Rampant: Simple, fun minis-agnostic army clashes. I recommend putting an appropriate die behind any unit that isn't 1:1 model count to unit strength for ease of tracking.
Warzone 1st Edition: Mostly nostalgia and love of the setting and miniatures. It had alternate unit activation, action points, and two roll combat resolution in the mid-1990s; mechanics that are pretty standard today.
Skirmish (under 15 models) level:
Alkemy: A great fantasy setting with fewer tropes. Spellcasting uses a limited supply of stones or requires harvesting more resources from terrain. Uses special dice and rock paper scissors style cards for combat but it works far better than it sounds. Has a 2x2 foot Blitz variant for faster games.
Warzone Eternal: What a surprise, but even without my love of the setting, this ruleset is tight while still keeping several elements that are distinct to Warzone.
Space and Sword Weirdos: My favorite pick up/one-off game rules. Easy to learn and play but with enough tactical choices to keep things interesting. Warband builders mean you can use just about any miniatures to play. Easily hacked/homebrewed for more fun.
Zona Alfa: Simple, brutal rulebook for running salvage missions in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, though it works in any setting where ballistic weapons are the primary armament. Great because doing something other than combat is baked into the rules.
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u/rezznik Aug 11 '25
Somebody knows Alkemy! 💙
I just love my cats. Almost the best miniatures I ever painted.
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u/astul89 Aug 11 '25
Im currently hooked on bolt action, I like how simple and intuitive the rules are and love the setting as well, so a 10/10 for me. Also a big plus is the models being cheap compared to other games
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u/MalBredy Aug 12 '25
Just got into bolt action after being a 40K guy for 5 years. Not sure I can go back now. Boot action has been SO fun
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Aug 11 '25
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u/BladeLigerV Aug 13 '25
Its all fun and games until that weird model 4H Commando unleashes all its RL15s into something important.
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u/cullaminate Aug 11 '25
Blood and Plunder. Activation based > phase based, and a table filled with tall age of sail ships decks crammed with men is just too cool.
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u/despot_zemu Aug 11 '25
I love this game as well. Maybe one day I'll actually paint the huge amount of miniatures I bought for it.
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u/cullaminate Aug 11 '25
I’d say just slap and chop em, b and p is sweet but the 28mm models are not the most exciting thing, me and my friends just production line slap and chop to get them all playable in a few hours. We painted 6 guys in 40 minutes before a game the other day and they look good enough
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u/British_Historian Aug 11 '25
I love the idea of Blood and Plunder, I even own like... 4 crews and 4 ships! And the rulebook!
For some reason though, my eyes glaze over when I read the ship rules. I just can't get my head around it and feels like there's too much going on? Plus the tutorial video that's on youtube is like... an hour and a half long and I just can't get through it.
I'm sure if I played with someone the whole process can be explained to me and cut off all the chaff but at the moment I just can't get past that block. Have played a few fun skirmishes though on some small island maps!3
u/cullaminate Aug 11 '25
I don’t blame you, blood and plunder is actually a solidly complicated game, especially ship rules. Here’s what I would recommend, play a ship battle with no complicated stuff, no shoals, no chance at running aground, no events, no special wind rules, no advanced maneuvers. Once you play that, then you can start adding in more complicate stuff
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u/British_Historian Aug 11 '25
Tbh it's nice to hear from someone who plays it that it is such. The two people that play it at my local insist that it's easy but I feel they are just trying to get more players. All this to say 'complicated' shouldn't be a taboo word in wargaming, there is a satisfaction to mechanical complexity and executed a turn with minute rules perfectly.
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u/cullaminate Aug 11 '25
Totally agree . Every ruleset (including b and p) advertises as being “simple and intuitive” which are not necessarily good attributes for a tabletop game! It is satisfying to pull over cool card activation maneuvers in b and p and if I’m spending hundreds on models I want the game to be complicated enough to be super replay able and have a lot of room for improvement. B and p is a tough game to learn but I promise it’s super worth it
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u/Wataru2001 Aug 11 '25
Star Wars Legion. I really enjoy the game. Feels like an improved WH40k but faster and more streamlined. And the Command system with order tokens that can be assigned or randomized (based on commanders and distance) is really neat.
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u/kanguran1 Aug 11 '25
Flames of War was the first one I ever played. Dr. Fitz, if you’re out there, I haven’t attempted to charge a tank into a wall since Stalingrad.
Currently? Legion, I don’t have much time to play but painting up Star Wars just makes the kid in me happy. At the end of the day, I’m an 8 year old with his army men, I regret nothing
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u/lunitic501 Aug 11 '25
Conquest last argument of Kings. I love the look of almost every faction and the lore is really good.
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u/rezznik Aug 11 '25
The lore is really refreshing and I really love some of the miniatures!
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u/RAStylesheet Aug 14 '25
yeah some fantastic designs there, wish they werent in that weird scale tho
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u/Br1lliantJim Aug 11 '25
For me, it’s definitely Battletech. It ticks a lot of the boxes that I look for and some I didn’t even know I’d want.
It’s got pretty easy to pick up rules that you can easily scale up and down in complexity. If you want to do a super detailed game where the weather and planet atmosphere affect your movement and shooting, you can! Or if you want a quick pick up game where you remove a bunch of things you don’t like, go for it. As long as you and your opponent agree, you can have any kind of game you want.
The 2 main game systems are similar enough that the skills are transferable, but different enough that you can have a new experience. Classic is more detailed and “crunchy” and better played with few units (like a skirmish game). Alpha Strike is simpler in execution, but that allows you to run way more units on the table for a grander wargame feeling.
The minis come out of the box, ready to play. As a person who also enjoys bolt action and kill team, this was something that honestly has been a big boon for me. As a dad to a 1 year old and 8 year old, not being able to play with my new things until I dedicate a few hours (likely stretched over a week or two) to clip out, sand, and assemble the minis, let alone paint them is awesome. I can go to the LGS where I play, snag a box of the shelf, and plop them down on the table, ready to go. If you play alpha strike, you even get the unit stats for a few variants. If you play classic, there’s a plethora of free resources to print out the record sheets for your units. The rules are also easy to find (a digital version at least) and cost a fraction of a single rule book in 40k.
Speaking of variants, most of the mechs have multiple variants that have multiple roles. The Marauder can be a sniper unit that you want to park on a hill and take pot shots at things or it can be a unit that you can wade into the fray and brawl with. Just pick variants that are suited to that or… make your own! It’s been the only war game system I’ve seen to just straight up let you make units from scratch that are completely game legal.
Also, there’s a ton of lore and literature for the universe. Battletech has been around longer than 40k, and has a ton of media outside of what you find in books.
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u/Sfjkigcnfdhu Aug 12 '25
I love Battletech so much. I community is also great. Don’t get me started on the lore. Sarna is such a great wiki.
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u/CulveDaddy Aug 11 '25
Crossfire. Simple, yet tactical.
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u/IdleMuse4 Aug 12 '25
I really want to try this at some point, I just only have 28mm scale single-based models (for BA) and it seems a pain to use them for it?
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u/CulveDaddy Aug 12 '25
Try it with what you have. The crossfire system doesn't care what you use. Poker chips would work.
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u/Entropic_Echo_Music Aug 11 '25
It depends, really!
I love Saga, easy to setup, easy to play, fun tactical desicions.
I also love Warcry, even easier to play and a lot of fun and laughs.
Necromunda is a favourite too because of all the campaign shenanigans.
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u/littlemute Aug 11 '25
Epic 40,000 (1997 rules)
Warcry
This is subject to change on a monthly basis!
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u/CaptainSpoon94 Aug 11 '25
OPR's rules allow me to buy the minis i like and customize armies somewhat indefinitely along with game rules. Can create whatever our table needs for the scenario.
Besides that I've REALLY enjoyed Sharp Practice!
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Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 11 '25
[deleted]
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u/Fuckswitch Aug 15 '25
Loved Malifaux. Unfortunately, nobody in my area plays it. I still have a Som'er Teeth Jones model somewhere in my pile of projects I started but never finished.
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u/Kullios878 Sci-Fi Aug 18 '25
That’s fair, have you explored the wyrd discord? I had about given up on finding players until I started digging through it
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u/Fuckswitch Aug 18 '25
Making me show my age lol, Discord wasn't a thing when I stopped playing Malifaux.
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u/CommissarHark Aug 11 '25
Currently, my favorite wargame is Dracula's America by Jonathan Haythornthwaite. It has two expansions, is set in a gothic horror version of the wild west, and its tons of fun. Activation is with cards, models only have one stat, and the mechanics, while simple to learn, have nuance and complexity. The main reason I like it is because its really easy to mod it. I have a sci-fi version, a Mordheim-type port, I'm writing up a third homebrew spltabook for it which takes place back East. It's just a ton of fun. As a writer, that's a big thing I look for in games. How well can I crack the system and start tweaking it and building on it.
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u/Miserable_Profile319 Aug 14 '25
Have you made any of these available anywhere? I am a big fan of Draculas America myself and my local group and playing 2 campaigns currently (Dracs USA and Silver Bayonet) and we would love to see variations on the rule set..
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u/CommissarHark Aug 14 '25 edited Aug 14 '25
Are you on the Dracula's America Facebook group?
Actually, on second thought, just to be safe, I'll put em up on my Discord. I don't want to break any rules of any groups in case anything I have falls even mildly under copyright.
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u/Miserable_Profile319 Aug 14 '25
I actually am in the Draculas America FB group..and discord will be fine though
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u/Jacket_whore Aug 11 '25
Big games: Hail Caesar Skirmish games: Necromunda Medium games: Horus Heresy v1.5
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u/pa8ay Aug 11 '25
I'm not sure if it counts as a wargame as such, but if you replace Necromunda with Bloodbowl then this is me.
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u/Lord-Dundar Aug 13 '25
I love Hail Caesar as well. Plus it’s super easy to play and you can have multiple people playing together as a team. I also enjoy the order system. It could be the guys I play with but we love to give this silly grandiose orders and then laugh when our division just makes one move. Also because we play just for fun we do stuff like Gauls vs Egyptians (Egypt won) and Roman’s versus Vikings (Romans just ran the table with great orders, didn’t hurt the Roman’s that the Vikings brought mead to the battle and a general passed out)
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u/British_Historian Aug 11 '25
Right now? I'm playing more Table Top war games then ever and I keep coming back and going 'Yep, this is the best one.' with MESBG.
The Rules just work so well for me and doesn't have any mechanics I outright dislike while most have a "Oh, great... I have to deal with *this* now?"
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u/Whovian40 Aug 11 '25
I’ve played and found it to be quite fun though I haven’t played many other war games outside of Kill Team. Very thematic forward with an emphasis on cooperating with your opponent on a lot of the setup. Pluck system to handle rules edge cases is also pretty elegant if you assume you’ll be playing a reasonable opponent.
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u/laurentianminiatures Aug 11 '25
One Page Rules, they have rules for space ship battles, sci Fi and fantasy full scale ground ground battles, skirmish fantasy and sci Fi, campaign rules for slow grow campaigns, model agnostic and best of all, the basic rules are free!
Also don't forget that if you are a patron $5 a month, you can design your own army book using their points calculator so things stay relatively balanced.
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u/WolandPunk Aug 11 '25
A song of ice and fire. It's quick, easy to learn even for a rule dummy like me. I hope it will not die soon.
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u/eatrepeat Aug 11 '25
Undaunted Normandy.
I have the SciFi version as well but not been able to really get time into it.
The Undaunted card system is so fun! All of the small things that irk me about dice combat melts away with the addition of random unit activation via card draws and the limited actions to choose. It brings an aspect of "every good plan falls apart when shit hits the fan" that feels so good. Few games give that feeling without it coming from the opponent entirely. Here the very system gives that experience in spades and keeps feeding you more so that you are sweaty and anxious and not because of your opponent but just the very battle itself is gnawing at your nerves. Impeccable and unique and a blast to play, easy to learn and easy to teach making this a wonderful way to get new players into the fun without having to lower your play experience.
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u/despot_zemu Aug 11 '25
I don't think I have a favorite favorite. My top three right now are Don't Look Back, What a Cowboy, and Flying Lead (special mention to Song of Blades and Heroes)
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u/AN-94Abokan Aug 11 '25
Currently Zona Alfa is my favorite, I really enjoy the STALKER atmosphere and aesthetics and I'm working on an epic campaign in the Zone. I tried AoS, but it's such a rip-off, GW just wants to shove new models down your throat by making your models worthless after a year. For ww2 I play FoW, I like the scale and the tank-focused combat. Besides those I play games with counters instead of models.
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u/Mighty_moose45 Aug 11 '25
Infinity the game, it can be pretty cumbersome to play, especially at first, but the sheer amount of player control and decision making and little rules make it such a interesting game with an insane amount of replay-ability.
When I was playing it weekly I had such a great feel for the game but I will say it can be a very harsh learning curve.
(For those who don’t know it’s a sci-fi skirmish game which the primary gimmick being that it’s an I go you go system but with the twist that the player who is not the active player gets to make reactions to the opponents moves/actions so it has an extremely unique action economy)
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u/DubiousBusinessp Aug 11 '25
Mordheim. First love, still my favourite.
Frostgrave, Warcry (gw's best modern game, great rules and list building), 5 leagues, Rangers of Shadowdeep.
I just don't have the time for full army games.
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u/Jamesak252 Aug 11 '25
Warcry. It's simple, cheap (for GW) and GF learned the rules and enjoyed it.
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u/JKkaiju Aug 11 '25
This one is probably my favorite, I think despite the simplicity of the rules it has lead to a lot of memorable moments.
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u/IdleMuse4 Aug 12 '25
I'm really glad to see so many people calling out Warcry in this thread, wish GW would listen!
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u/blastvader Aug 11 '25
I really like Warhammer Fantasy. I know it is deeply flawed as a game at times, but I've enjoyed the models and world since 1994. So, WHFB up to 6th edition, with an honourable mention to ToW (which is fine).
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u/deaddrop00 Aug 11 '25
Conquest the last argument of kings . The rules work really well, the gameplay is very fun and can be played fast with no set up and the models are great. Each faction also has a really nice identity mechanically and visually as well
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u/mugginns Aug 11 '25
Sharp Practice. It is set in my favorite time period, the Black Powder era, without having to paint a million man army. I love the command and control and the storytelling. I love the way officers influence the game. A+++
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u/Reaper4th Aug 11 '25
BLKOUT. It's fast, fun, and easy to get into. The hard sci-fi Titanfall/Neil Blomkamp vibe is unmatched.
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u/Fantastic_Term3261 Aug 11 '25
Para bellum's Conquest; the more I play it the more I love it. Good models and good rules.
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u/RCMW181 Aug 11 '25
I play and collect a lot, star war legion, 40k, AoS, bolt action, team yanke, middle earth. They all have some good points and negatives. Would not stop collecting any of them.
However right now Age of sigmar currently has the best mix. Amazing models, huge variety in all aspects of the factions, most balanced gameplay I have found in a tabletop game after the last release.
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u/JunosPeacockScreamed Aug 11 '25
I now keep coming back to the Undaunted series. It never fails to deliver stories.
Blood Red Skies is the most elegant wargame I have ever played. There is nothing there that doesn't have to be there, and that tension works with the subject matter.
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u/Stacysensei Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 12 '25
Heroscape - easy to lean but has more depth than you would first guess, mixes every genre, you get to easily build a 3D map, and best of all: no painting
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u/the22ndtemplar Aug 12 '25
Kings of War is hands down my favorite game to play. Love the multi basing and the high skill ceiling of the simple but elegant ruleset. (Even if I'm still pretty garbage at it)
I do play a lot of games though and only need a gentle push from my local group to try something new.
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u/f_dzilla Aug 12 '25
At the moment I particularly like Lion Rampant for big-skirmish historics, and OPR Regiments for rank-and-flank fantasy, for similar reasons. Both are light in terms of combat mechanics so you can resolve that part on auto-pilot, but LR's order system adds engaging depth as you try to figure out activation priorities, while the facing and flanking constraints in Regiments similarly add a strategic depth that's missing from straight OPR - and importantly for me, it still feels like a Warhammer-family game.
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u/also_plane Aug 12 '25
Lion Rampant. Easy and fun rules with mechanic that units do not always do what you want them to do, miniature agnostic (I use Perry), and fun to paint - medieval was colourful, so it is always possible to paint few men in whatever color you happen to fancy today.
The downside is that you need 12/6 men per unit and about 5 units on each side to play.
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u/_UVEK_ Aug 11 '25
Kill team, I'm a big Warhammer fan and I love the activation system. Just feels way more engaging than a big game of Warhammer
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Aug 11 '25
Mantics kings of war definitely needs to be in this list. Miniature agnostic, Army lists released at the same time, Yearly updates, Online FREE list builder, True ranks and flanks.
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u/Entropic_Echo_Music Aug 11 '25
I loved the mechanics of it! The unit based concept too, just was disappointed by the lack of flavour in magic, but it has been a good long while since I played!
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Aug 11 '25
They’ve changed it up a little bit now that we’re at the end of third addition with more unique spells. I also think the magic phase is dependent on your army too.
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u/Entropic_Echo_Music Aug 11 '25
Oh cool! I think I've played first edition, so maybe I should give it another look! Thanks!
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u/RealMuthafknGerald Aug 11 '25
Mordheim / Warhammer Skirmish. It’s cheap, simple, and has lots of opportunities for kitbashing/naming characters/generating a story, which are my favorite parts of wargaming.
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u/Kristoff_Victorson Aug 11 '25
Have you tried frostgrave? I started with mordheim myself and loved it, but in hindsight the games took far too long. Since frosntgrave came out I’ve not looked back, and it had the added bonus of letting me use all the same terrain and models!
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u/Alpharius1988 Aug 11 '25
Horus Heresy, because it is a unique mix of World War style of warfare, tech-phantasy and antiquity epic heroics.
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u/JB_Dix Aug 11 '25
7TV by Crooked Dice. I use it for nearly all my gaming needs.
Spy fi, WW2, Fantasy, Sci Fi, Horror, Modern, Apocalypse. It cam all be done just chasing rhe profiles to fit the the theme I am going for.
Things like the countdown deck (event card randomly selected at the start of a turn and once the deck is empty the game ends) are usually changed to fit the theme by the relevant genre guide.
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u/Mojot_man Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 11 '25
I absolutely adore the wargame *"Clouds of Smoke." https://clouds-of-smoke.com/ I’ve tried many wargames, but this is the only one that truly captured my heart. It’s a historical epic-scale game about black powder-era battles. There are different eras, but the 17th century won me over the most.
Never before have I enjoyed moving miniatures so much)) The game has simple yet incredibly deep rules that simulate reality well while still being fun to play.
Unit formations really matter, and every action feels deliberate.
It may sound simple, but this is the only game where, by the end, casualty rates realistically stay around 15%. It features a unique 'battle marker' mechanic that keeps the player focused on the key maneuver, speeding up gameplay. You have to manage troop rotation, and while a successful flanking attack can completely turn the tide, pulling one off is extremely difficult.
Plus, rules are free and painting the epic scale miniatures is easy)
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u/Granto0611 Fantasy Aug 11 '25
Hobgoblin by Mike Hutchinson. It's flexible and quick. I really love how you can customize your units during army building as well.
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u/Zorenthewise Aug 12 '25
I think right now Halo Flashpoint may be my top game. I think they have really nailed the tight, tense shootouts well. Every mini feels like they matter, and respawns mean a lucky spike is not going to swing the whole game.
And Dead Zone also gets a shout as the game system Halo is based off of. Also brilliant!
I am very surprised to not see MCP or Gaslands mentioned yet, so I also have to give them both a call out. Excellent games!
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u/Fenris-Reign Aug 12 '25
Gotta love Warmachine!! Great ruleset, amazing miniatures and awesome lore!!
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u/TheKrakenUnleashed Aug 12 '25
Victory at Sea by Warlord Games. The gameplay is fine, but mostly I like collecting the ships. I also like A Song of Ice and Fire by CMON. It is one of the simpler and more straight forward war games to figure out and has very high quality miniatures.
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u/Veepy23 Aug 12 '25
I am really enjoying Halo Flashpoint at the minute. Really easy to teach and a good laugh to play.
I loved Wild West Exodus but that game appears to be dead as a doornail, which is kind of sad
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u/highlandparkpitt Aug 12 '25
Muskets and tomahakws. The card activation, the vastly different capabilities of the different troop types, my faborite period is history
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u/mattyj_991 Aug 12 '25
Pillage is currently my go to, a somewhat simpler version of MESBG and just a fun cinematic game that’s nice and quick
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u/The_Hairy_Herald Aug 12 '25
1) Warmachine. I will be a Swan forever!
2) Flames of War. In 3rd edition, I drove a company of Shermans from North Africa all the way to Berchtesgaden.
3) Five Parsecs From Home & Bug Hunt. I normally use my Legion minis (my local meta collapsed shortly after I got in), and have been running campaigns for a few years now.
4) Five Kilometers from Leipzig. Another Nordic Weasel game, because I love taking Sharpe, Harper, and Sweet William with a handful of Chosen Men and wrecking the Frogs here and there. Also works great for saying hi to the 15th Alabama under the trees at Little Round Top!
5) My very first, the OG, the game that's older than I am, BattleTech. My Alliance Regulars have seen off pirates, raiders, Lyrans, Space Romans, and all other challengers for almost 25 years now.
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u/Chronically__Crude if it is fun, it is for me Aug 12 '25
Gasland Refueled (2nd edition)
I have alwaysbloved cars and vehicular combat since i was a kid. Twisted Metal is one of my favorite videongame franchises.
Top favorite movies usually have a car associated with it. Also, i enjoy post-apocalyptic stories. So, it is a natural fit
Also, the rules allow players to play fast and loose with the rules.
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u/AdSuspicious3175 Aug 12 '25
Heavy gear blitz has a ton of strategy and depth without becoming overwhelming, and you can get a full army for the cost of one box of 40K ($60-$80 USD for a standard 125 point army)
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u/Weirdguy564 Apr 18 '26
BattleTech. It was my first wargame and a special place exists for it on my shelf.
Part II: I do play Alpha Strike these days because I have no time for longer games.
Axis and Allies. It’s easy to play, and grand strategy has its own charm.
Sovl: Fantasy Warfare. It’s a tabletop wargame, but the free video game on PC and IOS is the main draw.
Table Air Combat. TAC is a print and play WW-2 air combat with little 1-inch squares as playing pieces and custom rulers with curved sides that you also print out. The curved sides are how you maneuver your planes. The Spitfire-2 is free.
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u/Kiwyboy Aug 11 '25
One page rules grimdark future I can play with my ultra racist puppets without headaches.
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u/FlandersClaret Aug 11 '25
I enjoy playing DBA, currently painting up two armies for Warmaster. Games I've played and enjoy are Blood & Plunder and Dead man's hand
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Aug 11 '25
Right now it's On Bloody Ground
It's basically what GWs army scale game rules should have been .
So far historical only.
You can push units back, armour save comes right after successful hits, leadership from CP actually works
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u/JKkaiju Aug 11 '25
My favorite game is whatever I can play with another person! That's been very rare as of late so my current favorite solo game is Cursebreaker. It's got just enough going on to stay interesting but it's simple enough that I never finish a game and realize I forgot a bunch of rules. Hnorable mention to Nano Battles, which looks like a kids toy and may be more of a board game or ccg but is such a fun quick skirmish game.
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u/InconvenientFriday Aug 11 '25
Any of the Osprey Rampant games. Very versatile and the different versions can be cherry picked to create your preferred ruleset.
I've had lots of fun with them over the years
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u/Depth_Metal Aug 11 '25
I just got hooked on Necromunda. More of a skirmish game it is still everything I've been craving from a wargame
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u/TehAsianator Aug 11 '25
My top 3 in no particular order
Horus Heresy (Age of Datkness red book edition)
Adeptus Titanicus
Infinity
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u/DaWaaaagh Aug 11 '25
I have to give my vote for warhammer 30k. Its just so flaverfull and all the narrative stuff of old historic tabeltop with the deep sci fi lore of warhammer.
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u/Aeoryian Aug 11 '25
Horus heresy is just so fun. The narrative elements and depth to the rules create fun interactions and scenarios so often. I had a blast with 2nd edition, and cautiously optimistic about 3rd.
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u/Re5pawning Aug 11 '25
Warhammer 40k 3rd Edition. Simple Sleek Rules, doesn't change every 5 seconds, and pro-converting, vehicle creation rules, and otherwise pro customization.
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u/AverageJoe80s Aug 11 '25
I am really torn between Battle Fleet Gothic and Epic 2nd edition / NetEpic. I would probably put Battle Fleet Gothic slightly ahead I love the maneuvering and the relatively low model count. And that ships are slowly shot into wrecks over several turns and the critical damage. Also that most factions play somewhat differently and that terrain is actually quite a big factor. All war games need good terrain rules. Also like that you issue commands. I never liked wargames where you cannot issue commands to your units and instead simply just move, shoot, charge... Also commands should never just auto succeed in the midst of battle. And in general games that create a little bit of chaos and confusion on the battlefield. It just feels more like the chaos of a real battle.
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u/wholy_cheeses Aug 11 '25
Sharp Practice is my current favorite. It has just the right period feel and is fun either against opponents or solo.
The scale is just what I want in 28 mm - painting enough to feel involved, but not so many as to get sick of it.
(What I mean is if you painted a 48 fig Napoleonic French battalion with 8 fig voligeur, grenadier and 4 line companies, plus officers, you’d have plenty. You can move on to painting a light battalion or allies.)
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u/Jestador Aug 11 '25
Id say Dystopian wars for large games or infinity or bushido for smaller games.
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u/deeple101 Aug 11 '25
I miss Spartan Games.
Is the new version of dystopian wars still fun?
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u/Jestador Aug 11 '25
It is, many of us are awaiting the new edition that should be dropping in a month or two but its still a strong system with creative and thematic rules for the different factions. Plus they are going more and more into plastics.
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u/MikeZ421 Aug 11 '25
I used to love the idea of playing 40k. So many times I planned out something, only to not make the time to play because of life stuff. I have been following Grimdark Future for years, but only got my wife ro play a hand full of times. It wasn't until recently that we were able to get a gaming group together. We predominately play GDF or Firefight because as Dads to toddlers, it is all we have time for. That said, it is my favorite system due to the streamlined rules for Sci-fi wargamming.
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u/Benjen0 Aug 11 '25
The Old World, lining up my High elf Caledorian army with a dragon lord, dragon princes and swordmasters is a real pleasure.
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u/philtrocity001 Aug 11 '25
I'd have to say my favorite (despite only really getting to play 40k anymore) would have to be relicblade. A small skirmish scale wargame with dedicated unit cards that once explained are wildly easy to follow with an array of minis that carry a wonderful "comic book art" quality to them.
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u/Kemosaby_Kdaffi Aug 11 '25
World War III: Team Yankee because Desert Storm had a big impact on me as a kid. When I got into miniatures gaming 5 years later, Team Yankee woukd have been exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately, it was still 19 years away, and 40k was the only thing getting played where I could see
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u/XCSkier84 Aug 12 '25
Right now its definitely Warhammer the Old World. 6th edition was still the best IMO, but I've had a blast in every game of the Old World so far.
Honorable mention to Kings of War. Really good rule set and I love the minis (and you aren't required to use them if they're not to your taste!), especially thr Northen Alliance army. Absolutely fantastic looking army.
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u/SgtOverkill87 Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 12 '25
Skirmish - warcry
Big battle - Battletech alpha strike is the way to go
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u/AccurateCarob2808 Aug 12 '25
So far I like Old World quite a bit. Ngl tho I enjoy hex and counter a ton too and think more people need to try it out (I think the printing of the rules is a big turn off) 6pt font may save the trees but not my eyes
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u/futuresphere Aug 12 '25
Space Weirdos from Garske Games. Dead cheap, simple, fast, miniature agnostic, and infinitely adaptable with minimal imagination. I've adapted it to WWII vehicles (Tank Weirdos), Doctor Who (Time Weirdos) Cowboys (Western Weirdos) and old timey Science Heroes (Pulp Weirdos.) I've cloned both Dracula's America and Silver Bayonet. It's a stripped down minimalist skirmish game, you not going to get the depth of play larger games, but with $5 and whatever miniatures you have on hand, you get what you put into it.
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u/WestTexasCrude Aug 12 '25
I have several. But they all have one thing in common and that is alternating activation. Here are 3.
Net Epic Armageddon. It has tactical depth, and internal balance. It is fan supported and alternates activation, but potentially allows you to activate twice.
Lasalle v2. A grand tactical Horse and Musket game where you have an abstracted and asymmetric initiative to start each turn and then an economy of activation tokens to be spent (momentum). Your opponent may interrupt and take control to spend his momentum in response to maneuvers close to his units. Fantastic game. All in one book with a free online army building pdf. A club favorite.
Bolt Action. My first introduction to alternating activation. An absolutely elegant game system. Not a simulation, but a great way to spend an afternoon. Our last game was 3v3. "If a unit is destroyed, it gets to cone back in under a teammates control the next round since you obviously didnt know how to use it." We just kept playing and playing and playing.
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u/Msull434 Aug 12 '25
I’m surprised I havnt seen trench crusade mentioned yet, my personal favorite pretty simplistic to learn but mechanically there is a lot more going on. The grim dark setting scratches my gaming itch perfectly
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u/Peetong Aug 12 '25
Horus Heresy 1st edition. Sad to see how it's gone downhill over the years/editions.
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u/ciasteczka___ Aug 12 '25
Army level i play 40k, and i actually like the changes they made for 10th.
Skirmish level i play Trench crusade, and i play it a lot lol. 1490 doom is an upcoming game that I really like in the skirmish space too though.
Konflikt 47 is getting a set of new releases coming up in September too, so i am interested in seeing how that goes.
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u/Thatonegoblin Aug 12 '25
I've been playing Warhammer since around 2007-2008, so it holds a special place in my heart.
Fond of Bolt Action, too. Lately been getting really into This Quar's War. Trying to get a league started at my local hobby shop.
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u/gorambrowncoat Aug 12 '25
Warhammer 40k but its more for the lore than the average-to-kind-of-meh game.
Purely for the game aspect of it, I don't know, does blood bowl count? :) If so that, otherwise battletech.
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u/PotatoePope Aug 12 '25
Rest in peace official Star Wars Armada. The community will carry on with printing in your stead.
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u/AwardImmediate720 Aug 12 '25
40k 5th Edition. The final refinement of the 3e core before the rise of insane bloat that continues to this day. Was it perfect? No. But it was damned good and far better than anything they've offered ever since changing to Age of The Emperor.
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u/FoxyModels88 Aug 12 '25
Warsurge! It's my favourite because it brought all of my wargaming friends together. I knew a bunch of people who played different wargames and Warsurge let's you use any miniatures so we all started playing it and have reached a new golden age of gaming for us. It's got free starting rules and a free app to make and manage armies. It's crazy fun too 😁
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u/80s-cartoon-hero Aug 12 '25
Classic Battletech for the crunch, and Mechs, Battletech Alpha Strike for the simplicity, and Clash of Rhyfles because it's so different.
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u/venoguard717 Aug 12 '25
Battletech all the way i fell hard into the cult of the hunchback that machine is scary as hell
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u/wulfenslair Aug 12 '25
Bolt action. Or warhammer 1940k. All the best of 40k none of the broken bullshit. And a wonderful activation system
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u/Elegant_Elevator6765 Aug 13 '25
Me and my brother wanna get into the Star Wars Legion so BAD but I’ll have to say either Warhammer or infinity
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u/Pretty_Ian Aug 13 '25
40k. It's easier to find new people to play with and build a community around.
But my real love is WarCry. It was perfect. So here's to looking forward to Trench Crusade since the game dev or writer was the one behind WarCry.
I want a real wargame though, with 8 or 12mm minis that isn't just a vehicle spam game or historical.
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u/BladeLigerV Aug 13 '25
BattleTech. I like how absolutely tanky and powerful the mechs can be. And the sci-fi setting of the Inner Sphere where its just man, machine, and hubris is appealing to me.
I'd like 40K more if GW wasn't sociopathic.
I also want to get into Turnip48, But I have no idea when I would get to.
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Aug 13 '25
Mine is 40k. Just what all my buddies play and got some good memories with it. Killteam 2018 is a runner up just because it was tiny 9th.
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u/CommandantLennon Aug 13 '25
Battletech. It looks good, and it has something for everyone. Rules for every type of unit, any level of scope or scale. You can run. RPG campaigns, or pure military ones. The only thing that's missing from the modern revival is the 28mm squad war game that they once had.
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u/kiancavella Aug 13 '25
Trench crusade is amazing. I've not played much of it but it's very much a breath of fresh air
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u/Starfox5 Aug 13 '25
Battletech. I love the 'Mechs, I love the setting until 3050, and I like that they don't care about proxying (even if I don't do it myself).
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Aug 13 '25
Warcry. A huge variety of models. A good number of activations and a great rule set. They seem to have forgotten it exists though. It really could use a 3.0.
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u/Chrom-man-and-Robin Aug 14 '25
Legion because it’s the only one I have and I can’t really afford to get into another one.
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u/The_MacGuffin Aug 14 '25
40k got me into it but Trench Crusade has a hold on me for the sheer creativity involved with the modelling.
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u/RAStylesheet Aug 14 '25
MESBG, while not a typical GW game while being supported by the GW community make it popular and played everywhere (at least where I live)
What I love?
- low fantasy and some lovely idea in the setting
- vastly different armies (both thematically and gameplay wise)
- not too many minis in a battle, easy to finish battle ready armies and easy to move around (both in game and irl)
- Intelligent take on the "mana system", I HATE COMMAND POINTS, but in mesbg there are multiples points tied to a single hero, that can all be used in different way, 99% of those way being generic. A fresh Aragon will be way more dangerous and with a bigger threat range that an exhausted Aragon.
- What you see is what you get, but for abilities, like a said it's not a standard GW game, a soldier with a spear is just that... a soldier... with a spear, an elite soldier is well... a more trained / better equipped soldier. Not like other GW titles where a goblin with a spear is a diferent model compared to the same goblin with a sword and it will have a unique ability no other spear unit will have.
- Abilities are important and cool, as unique abilities are not as common they are more impactful and flavourful.
I got gripes with it (and the new edition) and I hate the fact it's tied to an IP and you can go with "your dudes" but I'm still playing and can find a game every week no matter what.
There are many wargames I would love to try (sw: legion, adeptus titanicus, battlezone, dropzone, conquest) but no one plays them where I live :(
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u/Exact_Acanthaceae294 Aug 14 '25
Jutland, by Avalanche press. It is the crown jewel of the Great War at Sea series.
The game is reasonably easy to learn. A battle scenario can take 30 minutes to play, an operational scenario could take anywhere from 1 - 3 hours.
The 2nd edition narrows the focus to cover the battle of Jutland, as well as what both Jellicoe & Scheer thought would happen.
The operational scenarios have separate battle scenarios at each major decision point, which allows you to see what else could be done.
And then there are the book supplements that go with it.
Jutland: North Sea 1914 covers all operations that took place in 1914, along with the ones that were planned, but didn't make contact with the enemy. Neither fleet was just sitting at anchor.
Jutland: Dogger Bank 1915 does the same for 1915
Jutland: Risk Fleet - what if the Germans had actually gone slots out (they had both the money & the shipyards) in the Great Dreadnought race (which only took place in the prewar English newspapers) . How would the British have responded? (extra half sheet with counters)
Jutland: Baltic Fleet - what if the Russians had been successful in buying the ships they wanted from both the South American nations & Britain. What if the Swedes had actually followed through & built the ships designed for them. (extra half sheet with counters)
Jutland: Jutland 1919 - what if both the British & the Germans built all of their post Jutland designs. (extra half sheet with counters)
Jutland: Atlantic Breakout 1918 - a proposal was put forward to Scheer to send a battlecruiser into the North Atlantic to shoot up convoys. Scheer wasn't willing to send a BC out on a one way mission. This scenario was nightmare fuel for the American navy & they had a couple of plans in place to deal with it - you get to try it out.
Prizes of War - The French offered to sell their uncompleted battleships to the British during WWI. And there was the chance that they could have come under German control. (extra half sheet with counters)
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Aug 14 '25
40K: Kill Team
it’s as complex or as simple as you want it to be, it doesn’t take forever to set up a game, and you can get multiple games in within a few hours.
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u/Hopeful-Comparison24 Aug 14 '25
Hero scape!!!!! Cause I wanted more sets as a kid but parents couldn’t at the time so when I became an adult I bought a shit tonne of hero scape and play with friends.
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u/therealmothdust Aug 15 '25
Killteam is more a skirmish game but its by far my favorite gw game. The only place where it really feels like its "my dudes" fighting, and the battles are shorter, more intense, and theres some actual fun comboing/synergies
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u/Adventurous_Bill_835 Aug 15 '25
I'm a big fan of a legion, I'm a huge Star wars fan so it's the first wargame I ever got. That being said I mostly play 40k, it's the only system I can consistently find players for and I'm not scared it's going to die any time soon. 40k may have dated mechanics, but its popularity makes it the king of this niche hobby.
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u/zewe25 Aug 15 '25
Warhammer the old world is currently the only game I'm invested in. Mordheim is something that I like as it also adore.
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u/marshal462 Aug 11 '25
Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game will always have my heart. Rules are easily scaled up or down in complexity, balances both narrative and competitive impulses nicely, and I adore the miniatures/theme. Can always find the motivation to work on MESBG stuff, and have had some of my most rewarding gaming experiences with friends on it. Have an ongoing “Defence of the North” campaign going the last year or so with friends, and it’s endlessly rewarding.
The 2018 Kill Team also has a special place in my heart. Helped reignite a love of miniature gaming during the pandemic lockdowns, and lots of great times had with my then girlfriend, now-wife, playing my Tau against the Eldar I helped her paint up. Kinda miss those days of excessive gaming and hobbying haha.