Looking For New Wargames

[JNAProductions]

See title. I've really only played Warhammer 40k, and I'd definitely like to branch out a bit.

Preferably looking for free games or games with free quickstart materials, but depending on the game, I could be persuaded to drop a few dollars.

[Tvtyrant]

See title. I've really only played Warhammer 40k, and I'd definitely like to branch out a bit.

Preferably looking for free games or games with free quickstart materials, but depending on the game, I could be persuaded to drop a few dollars.

Well if you want cheap miniatures (https://combatstorm.com/) :P

[Blackhawk748]

Kings of War. You can play it with cardboard squares representing the units and if you like it then you can choose to start making units. Upside, mantic lets you go to official tournaments with any models not just theirs so you can pick your preferred cheap option.

[Erloas]

I would highly recommend Gaslands. It isn't really wargame like, but I think fits in how most people actually use the term. Good solid rules, cheap models (moded hot-wheels), and a pretty active community.

[Imbalance]

Sizeable collections of Mage Knight are very affordable, and Conquest rules encourage large forces.

[Amechra]

Well if you want cheap miniatures (https://combatstorm.com/) :P

Those are some very sweet papercrafts, not gonna lie.

On a similar note, there's also BrikWars (https://brikwars.com/rules/2020/cover.htm) and Mobile Frame Zero (http://mobileframezero.com/mfz/).

[Eldan]

Ninth Age is a free fan-made game that was originally based on Warhammer Fantasy, but is now developing its own IP due to copyright reasons.

I am definitely not just recommending it because I'm on the team making it.

For my tastes, it's actually a bit tournament heavy and light on fluffy/casual style, since it was originally made by ETC people based on tournament comps for Warhammer you might be familiar with if you play 40k, but we got better about it lately. They started putting out supplements for stuff like expanded magic and terrain and more armies, plus background materials. It has rules for every army, but the full background and illustrated books are very much a work in progress.

Main reason I'm recommending it is that the quickstarter also comes with free print&play paper miniatures.

[JNAProductions]

So, first off, thanks a ton for the recommendations!

Second off, I'm more looking for cheap RULES than cheap minis. I've got a decent collection I can improvise with.

[Thane of Fife]

Some stuff you can look at, depending on what genres and scales of wargames you're interested in:

Perfect Captain (http://perfectcaptain.50megs.com/captain.html) has a number of their own sets of rules available for free download; they request that you make a charitable donation, but you don't have to. All of their rules are historical, mostly focused on the medieval and renaissance periods. My experience has been that some of these are pretty clever and interesting, but the editing isn't always that great.

Junior General (https://juniorgeneral.org/index.php/scenario/) also has a bunch of scenarios/rule-sets available; they're intended to be educational, so they're all historical, and generally on the simpler side. They also have a large collection of paper miniatures available for printing.

Freewargamesrules (https://freewargamesrules.fandom.com/wiki/Freewargamesrules_Wiki) is just a wiki devoted to cataloguing such. Obviously, there's a lot of stuff there, of varied quality.

And One for All! (http://eurekamin.com.au/andoneforall.php) is a neat set of swashbuckling rules that Eureka Miniatures has on their website for free. They're pretty simple, but I've had fun with them. They're designed for Three Musketeers -type stuff, but I recently ran a Conan game with them, so there's some flexibility.

WRG's (that's the Wargames Research Group) history page (http://www.wrg.me.uk/WRG.net/History/wrg.html) has some old editions of some of their rules. Again, mostly historical. A lot of these rules have more modern descendants, but you could look at the first edition of DBA to see if more modern editions of that or Hordes of the Things (HOTT) interest you, and so forth for other games.

The 2nd Edition of GHQ's classic Micro Armour (https://www.wargamevault.com/product/114876/Micro-Armour-The-GameWWII-2nd-Edition-Full-Color) rules (WW2) are free on Wargames Vault, which is a generally good online storefront for cheap rules (and they have some free stuff, too).

[Amechra]

So, first off, thanks a ton for the recommendations!

Second off, I'm more looking for cheap RULES than cheap minis. I've got a decent collection I can improvise with.

Both of the lego games I linked have rules that are available for free.

[JNAProductions]

Both of the lego games I linked have rules that are available for free.

So they are. Thank you!

[Easy e]

I am a pretty avid wargamer so have some thoughts, but first:

1. What do you like about 40K?

2. What do you hate about it?

3. Do you want to use 40K minis for your new games?

[JNAProductions]

I am a pretty avid wargamer so have some thoughts, but first:

1. What do you like about 40K?

2. What do you hate about it?

3. Do you want to use 40K minis for your new games?

1) I like the customization. Was more present in older editions, but I like being able to tweak and optimize my army. (Note that I don't like grievous discrepancies in list-building to impact the game. Ideally I'd want a perfect list to only maybe have a 10% advantage over a general competent list.)

2) I don't like its lack of balance. I'd like a wargame to decided by tabletop skill, not list building or having the right models.

3) Probably, yeah. I've sunk a lot of money into them, might as well use 'em. :P

[Easy e]

1 and 2 are a really tough proposition for any game. It is tough to balance a game that allows a lot of Customization.

That being said, here are some suggestions:

1. One Page Rules
2. Rogue Stars
3. Stargrave
4. Rampant Stars
5. Five Parsecs from.....
6. In the Emperor's Name
7. Zero Dark
8. Squadhammer
9. Tomorrow's War
10. Stargrunt
11. Rogue Planet
12. Planet 28
13. Star Army 5150
14. Fivecore
15. Fistful of Lead
16. Star Breach

You can find many of these on The Wargame Vault or with some googling on the internet.

I have reviews of Rogue Planet, Rogue Stars, Tomorrow's War, and Stargrave on the Blood and Spectacles blog, and some battle reports for some of these games there as well. With that being said, I think Rogue Planet maybe your best bet.....

[Aotrs Commander]

10. Stargrunt

Free (https://downloads.groundzerogames.co.uk/sgii.pdf) from GZG's own website (https://shop.groundzerogames.co.uk/rules.html).

Considerably better than the alternatives, it is what I played until Maneouvre Group was written (and partly responsible for inspiring said game to be written).

Simple and elegant, not simple and crude, rules, easy vehicle construction. There is not really anything to optimise though, but by the same token, there are no army lists to be beholden to (nor points values, it's a game designed for scenarios).




Side note: I strongly recommend Maneouvre Group itself (though it doesn't meet the OP's criterion), it has a unique approach to command and control (i.e. it makes you actually have to care about really complicaaed thinks like turning your turret and driving your tank...) - and movement, for that matter, since in MG you CAN actually cross the entire board in one bound, just frack help you if anyone stops you when you do - and while written for WW2 to 20110...

https://photos.smugmug.com/Primary-Gallery/i-MBgmTHS/0/bac995b9/X3/Other%20Partizan%202021%2001-X3.jpg

Issue 2 (which is essentially an update after ten years of the authors continuously playing it, but is mostly just polish and a few teaks) is in the works in the next few months, and I have personally ensured that that is about 150% more readable with the same pendantry I apply to everything else I do.

[ryzouken]

Battletech?
Classic is plenty fiddly if you're interested in it or you can go with Alpha Strike if you want a more streamlined experience. Balance is tricky, depending on era played; clan v clan or inner sphere v inner sphere is fine, putting clan v inner sphere introduces some challenges. Cost is low; $50 for A Game of Armored Combat gets you 8 minis and most of the rules, Total Warfare (for classic) or the Commander's Edition for Alpha Strike will run you another $40 (if you can find them), mini collection can be as cheap as you like since most people are fine with 3d prints, cardboard cutouts, you name it. Unit rules are online and free.

You can probably play Battletech for a solid decade on an investment of $100-125.

[Laserlight]

I enjoyed Stargrunt, back when I had a group, and we used it for everything from Victorian Colonial wars and Martian Invasion to Viet Nam to Traveller. One thing to be aware of is that a platoon built as 3-4 squads doesn't have enough maneuver units, so you probably want to build it by sections or fire teams.
The main thing, though, is to look around for a group and see what they're playing. In my case, there's no point studying DBA/DBM or Furioso when the group is playing Impetus.