Good Mass Combat System?

[+++++]

Does anyone know of a good mass combat game? I'm thinking of running a home brew for some friends but I need a good mass combat system to blend into it.

The setting isn't very important, it just needs to be mechanically sound and interesting. L5R was the best I could come up with and that's probably what I'll use unless something better is suggested.

[ronnke]

Not sure if this is the sort of thing you are chasing but SJG has mass combat rules for GURPS available for download at e23.

https://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG37-0131

[Oberoten]

For some reason, I have always been fond of the first and second version of Warhammer FRPG for quick mass combat resolution.

Basically : If the troops are of roughly simililar skill : Roll 1d6 for each char/attack, hitting on 4+. With normal armament and normal toughness of the target, Reroll all hits and on 4+ it is a kill/wound. If the target wears armour, reroll all kill/wound results, let the target survive on 6+

Provided you have a heap of D6 this is pretty darn fast. And with advantages to position etc, just raise or lover the target-value for the dice.

- Obe

[+++++]

The Warhammer one doesn't sound to bad. GURPS is an issue because I also want them to have characters in the mass combat game I'm using, so they can partake and GURPS is a bit clunky for my purposes.

Any other suggestions?

[Oberoten]

If you want some more flexibility you can use D10 with 6+ as base threshold. It'll give a bit more of range, but D6 is generally easier/faster to assign who has what.

For a D20 version : Same level : Base 4+ on a D6, 3 levels higher attacker would give the attacker to hit on 3+, defender on 5+ etc.

[tdewitt274]

• Birthright
• The Ultimate Base
• Fields of Blood
• Cry Havoc
• Pendragon
• Reign
• OD&D Rules Cyclopedia
• Kingmaker Adventure Path may have this in future books
  

This may help: Fantasy games with "domain management" rules

[Sorontar]

I seem to recall Savage Worlds has a mass combat section, I'll have to dig it out and have a look.

[Spyke]

GURPS is an issue because I also want them to have characters in the mass combat game I'm using, so they can partake and GURPS is a bit clunky for my purposes.

It's not clear from this whether you've read the GURPS 4e Mass Combat rules, but if not I'd second this. The rules are elegant and adaptable, and built around the idea of the PCs being part of the action. You could still run the game using a different rule system if something else was better suited to the story, and just assign the relevant GURPS skills to your characters just for the purposes of the Mass Combat resolution.

Spyke

[Kalan]

I seem to recall Savage Worlds has a mass combat section, I'll have to dig it out and have a look.

Savage Worlds does have mass combat section, where in the core book I can't recall. Alternatively, PEG Inc (the company behind Savage Worlds), has a mass combat game system known as Showdown which could also help you out some

[philth]

im a big savage fan, but not really so big on its mass combat rules. only used them twice, both times it was anti-climatic also very deadly for pcs. the 2nd time I used it, it ended my session with a tpk. almost better off if the players do not include there characters in the festivities, but what hero does that?