Table Top skirmish game for Kids?

[Speedbird_666]

Ok - figured I ask here as the Airsoft demographic will likely cross-over to gaming

 

My youngest son (aged 10) is obsessed with the idea of playing table top games like 40K et al. Problem is - he (and I to be frank) gets frustrated by often extensive rules that seem to bog down the gameplay. We have the 40k Recruit edition, but spend more time looking in the rule book scratching heads than actually playing. Not having grown up with Table Top gaming myself, nor find it especially interesting (I rather shoot people with plastic BBs but I do like the modelling/painting aspect) I'm struggling a bit - but as a Dad I have to take it for the team.

 

Does anyone know of a simple skirmish ruleset that we can use to keep the gameplay flowing with a handful of miniatures (to keep costs under control)? My son want to make his own scenery (he's pretty artistic and imaginative and I'd enjoy making it too). Not fussed if it's Sci-Fi or Fantasy.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[AirsoftTed]

I've not yet ventured into the world of wargaming but have been interested and on the fringe for a while. Been looking into Ultra modern's and 3d printing as it's what I'd have the most interest in giving the whole Airsoft/Milsim interest.

 

Like you I've been sort of put off by all the rules but this rule set looks interesting: https://www.empressminiatures.com/danger-close-rules-47-c.asp

 

It's apparently just 2 sides of A4 and designed to be played on a 4' x 4' table with 4-15 figures per side so sounds like it would suit what you're looking for. I think it's designed for anything from WW2 upto modern day but imagine it could be adjusted for sci-fi.

[Speedbird_666]

57 minutes ago, AirsoftTed said:

I've not yet ventured into the world of wargaming but have been interested and on the fringe for a while. Been looking into Ultra modern's and 3d printing as it's what I'd have the most interest in giving the whole Airsoft/Milsim interest.

 

Like you I've been sort of put off by all the rules but this rule set looks interesting: https://www.empressminiatures.com/danger-close-rules-47-c.asp

 

It's apparently just 2 sides of A4 and designed to be played on a 4' x 4' table with 4-15 figures per side so sounds like it would suit what you're looking for. I think it's designed for anything from WW2 upto modern day but imagine it could be adjusted for sci-fi.

 

Thanks - worth a punt for a fiver! I'll order it when I get home from work later.

 

I've also just found 'Weekend Warriors' designed specifically for kids: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weekend-Warriors-Ultimate-Tabletop-Skirmish/dp/B09K1XCSPY

 

 

 

[Skullchewer]

Most skirmish games tend to be pretty rule heavy, especially when it comes to individual units.
You could try him with Star Saga. Boardagem Geek users rate it as a 2.78 out of 5 for complexity.
 https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/209696/star-saga

It's a cross between a board game and a skirmish game, with the added bonus that you can even play it solo, or with up to 5 people.
I have it and enjoy it as a simple, quick game, but then I am very nerdy about tabletop games, so what is simple to me may not be for him? 
The rules are pretty straightforward, for a skirmish game, and it comes with an array of good miniatures and terrain, if he also fancies getting into the painting side of the hobby. 
There are a bunch of missions you can play, and the tiles that come with it are arranged differently for each mission.
And there's nothing to stop you designing your own mission



Alternatively browse boardgamegeek, OR, I would suggest seeing if there's a tabletop gaming store near you, and pop in for a chat with the and see if they have any recommendations.

Edit: Weekend warriors sounds fun!

Edited January 13, 2023 by Skullchewer

[Speedbird_666]

1 hour ago, Skullchewer said:

Most skirmish games tend to be pretty rule heavy, especially when it comes to individual units.
You could try him with Star Saga. Boardagem Geek users rate it as a 2.78 out of 5 for complexity.
 https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/209696/star-saga

It's a cross between a board game and a skirmish game, with the added bonus that you can even play it solo, or with up to 5 people.
I have it and enjoy it as a simple, quick game, but then I am very nerdy about tabletop games, so what is simple to me may not be for him? 
The rules are pretty straightforward, for a skirmish game, and it comes with an array of good miniatures and terrain, if he also fancies getting into the painting side of the hobby. 
There are a bunch of missions you can play, and the tiles that come with it are arranged differently for each mission.
And there's nothing to stop you designing your own mission

Alternatively browse boardgamegeek, OR, I would suggest seeing if there's a tabletop gaming store near you, and pop in for a chat with the and see if they have any recommendations.

Edit: Weekend warriors sounds fun!

 

Great info - thanks!

 

Perhaps a Dungeon Crawler style game with a more defined board would work - he loves traditional board games too so it might just bridge that gap.

 

 

[Rogerborg]

2 hours ago, Speedbird_666 said:

Perhaps a Dungeon Crawler style game with a more defined board would work - he loves traditional board games too so it might just bridge that gap.

 

Great suggestions above.

 

Talisman is on the board-game side of that equation, sort of swords-and-monopoly, and a very gentle introduction. But it's Games Workshop money, and looks to be out of stock everywhere, it's just the expansions for sale.

 

Thing is, there's so much variety and tastes vary so much that it's hard to know what to recommend.  If you want an overview, there's a great YouTube series, Tabletop, that covers... well, tabletop games, hosted by Wil "Shut up Wesley" Wheaton.  Most of the episodes are watch-with-kids friendly, it's what I used to get my children playing. Some of them are pretty entertaining just to watch, not necessarily as recommendations (for playing with people that you have to live with), like Munchkin.

 

The full playlist is here if you want dive in.

[Skullchewer]

Second for Talisman. 

[concretesnail]

talisman is a great game. if you want something that has an easier jump from traditional board games have a look for hero quest, its original form is great and i thinnk its just been reissued via a kick starter. 

 

another option, a game i always seem to find way back to, blood bowl. it has had numerous table top versions and digital copies. its a fantasy sport based brawler based around minitures forming teams which develop as you play.

 

[The Waco Kid]

Savage Worlds. Pretty rules light TTRPG in many flavours, just run the combat aspects.

[Rogerborg]

Oh, here's something still available: Hordes of the Things.

 

It's a super-generic, very abstract system for any sort of fantasy army battles that you don't want to take too seriously.  It uses units rather than individual figures, so essentially you cut out some rectangular bases and then do anything you want with them: stick miniatures onto them, or print out flat or stand-up pictures, or just scribble "Giant atomic tree-squid" onto a Behemoth base, then get on with playing. You can use it for anything you can imagine: a Shooter unit could be elven archers or Thark radium-gunners[*], they operate exactly the same either way.

 

The rules are pretty simple, and it's designed to be played on small tables. There's some emergent complexities too that you'll spot after you've played a few times - and you can play pretty quickly.

 

[*] Here's someone using it with 40K 15mm minis. That's like 200% heresy!

 

 

[Speedbird_666]

The Weekend Warriors rule book arrived yesterday - my son is proper excited reading through it and he's started thinking about his warband and the scenario that we play. First game is this evening.

 

[Rogerborg]

I'll be interested to hear how that goes, it looks to be well supported by its creator.

 

Seems that if you drop him an email at hello at-symbol tabletopskirmishgames.com then he'll sling a SF campaign with some skirmish scenarios your way.

[Speedbird_666]

1 hour ago, Rogerborg said:

Seems that if you drop him an email at hello at-symbol tabletopskirmishgames.com then he'll sling a SF campaign with some skirmish scenarios your way.

 

Already did this morning - he's sent me various files including a PDF version of the book, which is handy to print off the templates.

[Skullchewer]

So? How was it?

[Rogerborg]

Too humiliating a defeat to talk about?

[Speedbird_666]

On 26/01/2023 at 09:32, Rogerborg said:

Too humiliating a defeat to talk about?

 

I'll have you know that I was victorious! - Gonk's SnotHunters defeated the evil forces of the Black Assassins when Snotgrass the Green (notice a theme here?) caused catastrophic damage with his longbow whilst Gonk and his cohorts rushed in to the fray with their melee weapons.

 

Seriously though - my son loved it. Being able to create characters and a simple, but scalable, set of rules meant that the games were fast and more importantly - fun. It might not suit more advanced players, but for kids and their (non gamer) parents it's a pretty good place to start, especially with the YT videos that the author posted.

 

I've ordered a rolled Terrain mat and my son has started scribbling ideas for scenery. He's been watching loads of YT vids on making various ruined buildings and rocks etc. As someone that does a bit of model making (of the static but mostly the RC Plane kind) I've got a few XPS foam sheets to hack up, roll tin foil over, texture/seal and then paint. 

 

[Rogerborg]

Careful now, you're in danger of nurturing creativity, imagination and practical skills there.

[EvilMonkee]

You could try one of GWs gateway games like Kill Team if he is still interested in that universe.

[ghostwalker]

Ither larger and more rules accessible games can be found. Mantic ganes and a lot of the stuff from cool mini or not.

 

Mantic probably has the better and cheaper deal of the 2. With models that are decent enough as lo g as your not expecting then to be the high quality that gw pumps out