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Monday 5 June 2017

Furioso Renaissance Warfare rules in print and download released!

Now on the Alternative Armies webstore in print and as a digital download are the great new Furioso Renaissance Wargame Rules written by Steve Danes.  These are added to our extensive 15mm miniature range for the period (15th to 17th century) and the rules can be used by any common scale of miniatures.  Go HERE.  Excellent quality and affordable.  The digital download is, as with all our digital titles, twenty percent less than the print book.


Here is a short article about the game rules written by the author which will tell you more about the system:

“Furioso is a set of wargames rules that covers European warfare in the sixteenth century. The rules allow players to fight large scale land battles with a simple to use and enjoyable gaming system. Wargaming the sixteenth century is an attractive prospect for players, it is an interesting and colourful period full of garishly dressed soldiers and colourful and exotic troop types. The period also shows signs of the beginnings of modern warfare with the introduction of the firearm and the tactical developments that went with it. Armies struggled to find a way of incorporating this new technology into traditional practises. Much time was spent experimenting and introducing new battlefield tactics - and yet the tried and tested methods of medieval warfare continued to produce spectacular victories. Few could stand against the awesome charge of the French Gendarmes nor face the ferocious onslaught of the Swiss pike-square. Despite this, warfare did evolve during this period. The arquebus and musket replaced the bow and crossbow, knights began to put aside their lances and take up the pistol.
Already the nature of pike & shot warfare that would dominate the seventeenth century was already beginning to take shape by the end of this period. Furioso is designed to re-create large scale battles such as those fought at Fornovo, Cerignola, Bicocca, Dreux, Moncontour, Clontibret, Yellow Ford, Ivry - to name but a few! 

Players will find themselves commanding or at least trying to command the armies of the period. Players will quickly realise that some of their forces have minds of their own. Gendarmes are likely to charge off at the earliest opportunity - even if this means an entirely unsuitable enemy in terrain not exactly suited to the fully armoured knight. 


Players may wish to try and soften up an enemy before unleashing their Swiss pike squares but they will rarely get the opportunity. Impatient Swiss units are likely to have closed with the enemy before a cannon shot is fired - even if that means charging across terrain that is likely to disorder their densely packed ranks. More defensive minded players can protect their armies with extensive earthworks that will disrupt the enemies attack and provide valuable cover from enemy fire. However, players may find that the enemy are not happy to wait for these constructions to be completed and will launch surprise attacks before such works are finished. And of course, in a time when increasing numbers of mercenaries where employed, players will need to make sure that sufficient care is taken to avoid last minute pay disputes, strikes, mutiny’s and all of the other trials that would complicate the lives of sixteenth century commanders. 


Furioso can be fought using any scale figures from 6mm to 28mm. The rules themselves have a very simple system at their heart. If you want to do anything you need to roll a d6, a score of five or more will achieve success, a score of four or lower means failure. Modifiers are applied but this is to the number of dice rolled to achieve success and not the score required. Success will therefore be measured by the number of successful scores achieved. At the start of a turn, players will roll one Initiative die for each unit, better quality and motivated units will receive a bonus to this score, poor quality unit’s a deduction. Units will be activated in sequence with the highest scoring unit going first followed buy lower scoring units - and units that score zero or less won’t be doing anything! This means that play will pass from unit to unit rather than one side activating all of their units and then the opposing side activating all of theirs. The result of this kind of mechanic means that players will have less control over their overall force and may find it difficult to execute a strategic plan - but in a period when many commanders would be personally leading their troops in to battle and fighting sword in hand in the front rank - that seems like an entirely realistic ambition for the period.
Also included in the rules is a series of random events of Hazards that cover such situations as Swiss troops striking over pay, raiding cavalry stealing an armies baggage and a whole host of other misfortunes that commonly befell armies of the period. To the rear of the rules are a number of army lists for all of the major armies of the period. Also included are unit cards for all of these units which you can copy for use. These will be used during the deployment phase of the battle so that opposing armies will have only a limited idea of their opponents composition and dispositions. And finally, we hope you enjoy playing these rules. Our intention with this game is to provide a fun and entertaining way to explore the tactical changes and challenges of the period with a healthy dose of ‘period-feel’ thrown in for good measure. We think this has been achieved - and we hope you agree too!” S.Danes 2017

Go HERE.   We hope you enjoy this new title and we will be following up upon the book with more codes next month including bases for your stands and starter armies as well.

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

18 comments:

  1. Gavin, is there going to be a forum for this rule set? I'm sure there will be rules questions and much discussion about army lists. Thanks!

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    1. Hello Dannie and thanks for your question. We have many systems and many ranges so we do not operate single forums for any one of them rather a solid single one for them all. You can contact us by email to ask questions or do it on posts here but the best way is to do it on the Alternative Armies Tabletop Gaming facebook group; just ask to join. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/591387641061819/ GBS

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  2. Any word on a quick reference sheet yet?

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    1. Hello Kevan,

      Thanks for your comment. The author is working on several files for next month. An errata, a starter scenario and an QRS as well. When they happen they will be published on the blog. GBS

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  3. Wow, that was fast, see the qrs is available for download, I only enquired about it yesterday! Most impressive sir and really enjoying the rules.

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    1. I would like to claim more but it is a coincidence. :-) Thank you for your kind words.

      GBS

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    2. Is there anywhere to ask questions on the rules, had a game today and have a couple of questions

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    3. Certainly. We are running all of the questions and feedback for it through our Facebook Group. The author answers directly to posted questions (he is going on holiday next week for one week) and there are several posts there already with answers. Go Here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/591387641061819/

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    4. Alternative Armies Tabletop Gaming (if you wish to search by group or check out front page for the link on the website)

      GBS

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  4. Hello, looking around the web seems that there was a problem when you have units in consecutive lines when the units in the rear end up with higher initiative than those in the rear, because of the move system the unit at the rear was effectively stuck and was therefore at a disadvantage due to it's higher initiative....
    ...so a unit with higher initiative could choice to move later or must move? thanks

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    1. Thanks Rudy for your comment. I will see if I can get you and answer for that.

      GBS

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    2. Answer to question: Most armies in this period fought in single lines with no units behind or maybe one or two units in reserve. So if the unit behind has a higher initiative score than the unit in front, it will lose its action that turn unless it can wheel round the obstruction. The way to avoid this is to deploy your army in one line. Steve Danes.

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    3. Thank you very much, just another question; I have to prepare some new historical scenarios, in the game a FIGURE (not stand) would be represents around 40 real soldiers?

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    4. Our pleasure Rudi. Yes. A figure upon a stand, infantry, is about 40 actual men.

      GBS

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    5. sorry and a artillery unit could be 20 guns ?

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    6. I think that might be a bit high for the period. Perhaps ten cannon and eighty men. But you could go to 20 guns.

      GBS

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    7. thanks
      by the historical army list it seems that there were often Sword & Buckler formed unit in some battles, do you think that I could use the stat of Dismounted Men at Arms of Tudor wars and lowering the armour class to A level?

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    8. Yes you could. That works well.

      GBS

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