Category: Ages of Conflict

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Movement in Ages of Conflict

One of my major pet peeves with games is a rule that exists just because that’s the way it’s always been done. It’s akin to performing some task at work with a process you know isn’t good, though when you ask why you are doing it this way, you are simply told, “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Why do modern RPGs and war games continue this behavior? Why do RPGs continue to pretend as if studded leather was a real thing? Why do many miniature war games continue to ignore cavalry’s reluctance to charge into a wall of spears? The answer is that’s the way the developer learned. That’s the way they’ve always done it.

And so, when working on a rule for Ages of Conflict, I often ask myself, “Does this rule exist because it’s the best way to handle this situation or because this is the way it’s always been done?”

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Iliada Game Studio Review

There’s never been a better time to dive into the world of 6 mm war gaming.  There’s a wide variety of miniature and terrain manufacturers providing nearly everything you could want in nearly every genre.  The hobby has long been dominated by metal and plastic miniatures, though recently laser cut MDF has become popular for terrain.  Even more recent is its use in miniatures.

I recently came across Iliada Game Studio on Facebook and thought to give their product a closer look. Iliada Games Studio makes available 6 mm terrain that fits sci fi and modern settings. They also offer a variety of bridges, communication or power pylons, buildings, and futuristic tanks.

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Tactical Units in Ages of Conflict

An important element of Ages of Conflict is customization.  The many empires and kingdoms of the ancient world didn’t organize their armies identically.  They didn’t all adhere to a strict structure as modern armies utilize.

Though there were exceptions. Rome, for example is well-known for its organizational structure of Legion -> Cohorts -> Centuries with a legion consisting of ten cohorts of six centuries each. 

Though Rome wasn’t the norm. It wasn’t until King Gustav II organized the Swedish army into regiments consisting of companies did the various armies of the world begin to standardize.  The armies of the Napoleonic Wars began to settle on a structure that looks quite similar to what many armies use today with divisions, brigades, regiments, battalions, and companies.

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Ages of Conflict Genres

We chose the name Ages of Conflict as we wanted a name that reflected the multi-genre nature of the game. Ages of Conflict is a rules set that will allow you to play war games of different genres without having to learn a different set of rules for each.

Each genre will be covered in its own book that will include genre-specific rules, background material, and army lists. It is important to note that rules that are introduced in genre books can be used with other genres if desired. We simply made the design decision to introduce certain rules if the situation they represent were not universal.

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Ages of Conflict Play Test Report

We used Tabletop Simulator for the first time Thursday to conduct a play test of Ages of Conflict. It isn’t the same as sitting around a table face-to-face, though I believe it will be a valuable tool that will allow us to test more frequently.

We used small squares to represent the units. We opted to not use miniatures as that seemed like a bit of overkill for play tests. Each unit is numbered and has a small spin counter on it to represent its Presence. (Presence is a measurement of a unit’s ability to withstand damage as well as its ability to project as a threat.) We used index cards to list each unit’s other characteristics and equipment.

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Painting 6 mm Miniatures

Fielding a painted 6 mm army is a rewarding experience.  Painting 6 mm miniatures is relatively easy if done correctly.

The Tools

Your first step is ensuring you have the correct tools.  Like any other situation, not having the correct tools will make your life more difficult.

  • Paint
  • Brushes
  • Popsicle Sticks
  • PVA Glue
  • Acrylic Sealer
  • Primer
  • Magnifying Glass
  • Paint Rags
  • Bases
  • Dip
  • Eyeglasses
  • Clippers
  • Hobby Knife
  • Flock

Some of the tools you’ll need to paint your 6 mm miniatures.

Brushes and Paint

First up are the essentials.  You need paint and brushes.  Both are available in many different qualities, from many manufacturers, and at a wide range of prices.  I tend to use hobby store acrylic paint, such as those found at craft stores.  You’ll find a wide range of color options at a reasonable price, though the quality of the paint consistency can be an issue on occasion.  Same with brushes, I go small and inexpensive.  There are several companies that make paints and brushes specifically for miniatures.  These are typically superior quality, though certainly more expensive.

A selection of paints.

Popsicle Sticks

While you are at the hobby store you should pick up a few additional items.  First are popsicle sticks.  These are cheap also; you can buy a box of 1,000 for a few dollars.

Clippers

You will want some clippers for cleaning and if you intend on separating miniatures that are based on strips.

Hobby Knife

You will want a hobby knife for cleaning your miniatures.  You can find this at the hobby store.

PVA Glue

Buy a bottle or two of white PVA (e.g. Elmer’s) glue.  This stuff dries clear.

Acrylic Sealer

You’ll want some spray-on acrylic sealer.  I tend to use a matte finish, though you can go with a different sheen.

Primer

You can find primer at the hobby store also, though I’ve recently switched to using flat automotive primer found at discount stores and automotive shops.  Miniature manufacturers also make their own primer, which works well, though can be expensive.  I use white primer for miniatures that I plan to paint with brighter colors and gray or black primer for those with darker colors.

Flocking

You may be able to find flocking at the hobby store.  If not, you’ll need to order online.

Magnifying Glasses

Last up at the hobby store is a magnifying glass.  These can be useful to make out some of the detail on small miniatures.

Paint Rags

Pick up some cheap rags.  You can use old t-shirts or buy a cheap pack of paint rags at the hardware store.

Bases

You need bases to mount your miniatures on.  You can make your own (We’ve provided a how to here.)  or buy some online.

A selection of bases. 60 x 30 mm, 40 x 40 mm, and 40 x 20 mm are commonly associated with 6 mm games.

Dip

You may want some dip to quickly add shading to your miniatures.  Dipping has been around for a while and likely started with the use of wood stain.  Since that time, Army Painter has released their own dip product specifically for miniatures.  I tend to stick with wood stain from the hardware store as it is much less expensive.  I buy Minwax Polyshade in either Antique Walnut or Pecan depending upon how dark of a shade I want.

Eyeglasses

Lastly, if your vision isn’t like it used to be (As is the case with me.), wear your glasses.  I stopped painting 6 mm altogether until I had my eyes checked and found I needed glasses.  Now I can once again paint and rarely resort to using my magnifying glass.

Painting Your Miniatures

Mount on Popsicle Sticks

Mounting your 6 mm miniatures on popsicle sticks makes painting them much easier as they are too small to handle individually.  I tend to mount three or four per stick using a small amount of PVA glue.  That leaves enough room to handle the popsicle stick and be able to access all parts of the miniatures.

A few knights mounted on popsicle sticks for painting.

Clean

Here you want to remove flashing and mold lines.  This is where your clippers and hobby knife will come in handy.  Use the clippers to remove flashing and the hobby knife to trim down mold lines.

Prime

Prime your miniatures after mounting them to popsicle sticks.  Make sure you do this in a well-ventilated area, such as outdoors or in a garage with the door open.  I space mine out on top of a box, shake up the can well, and give each side of the miniature a pass.  Give them plenty of time to dry; they shouldn’t be tacky when you touch them.

Clean Again!

Check your miniatures again after priming.  Some of the more difficult to detect defects only reveal themselves after priming.

Base Coat

Now we can start painting.  The advantage of painting 6 mm miniatures is that they don’t require the level of detail as larger pieces do.  In fact, it’s only necessary to perform a base coat.  You can certainly go for better detail, though my goal is tabletop quality.

I paint my miniatures in batches.  This process involves painting all the same items on the miniatures at the same time.  For example, with the Nubians below I start with their skin.  I then paint their garments, followed by their hair, and then their slings.  I save their small bases for last.

Dip

The dip method is a quick way of shading a miniature.  The challenge with 6 mm is that sometimes the dip can accumulate where you don’t want it to due to the size of the miniature.  For this reason, some choose to paint on their dip.  Of course, you don’t have to use dip at all.  You can use the standard method of using inks or no shading at all.  Make sure you allow the dip to dry completely.

Remove from Popsicle Sticks

You’ll need to remove the miniatures from the popsicle sticks next.  If you used a small amount of glue you may be able to just pop them off.  Be careful as more fragile miniatures may snap in half.  As a precaution you can stick the popsicle mounted miniatures in a freezer for a few hours.  The cold weakens the glue bond allowing you to easily remove the miniatures.

Mount on Base

Next, you’ll need to mount your miniatures on a base.  Exactly how you do this is up to you.  If the unit is primarily skirmishers then perhaps mount them as such.  If they are organized then you can line them up in straight ranks and files.  (How dense is up to you.)  I use PVA glue for this step, though you can use stronger glue if you’d prefer.

Flocking Base

Give the miniatures sufficient time to dry after gluing to their stand and then flock the stand.  I use a two-step process for flocking.  First, I apply PVA glue to the base with a brush and then more-or-less bury the entire stand in a bowl containing the flock.  I let this dry at least 12 hours.

Next, I apply a second coat of flocking to the stand.  With this second coat I use watered down PVA glue.  Watering down the PVA glue allows you to more easily coat the entire base and acts as a seal for the first coat.  Bury the stand in the flock again and allow the glue to dry.

Seal

Finally apply some spray-on acrylic sealer.  I use a matte finish as dipping leaves a shiny sheen.

Completed Celts ready to charge into battle!

Confederates ready to unleash a volley.

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6 mm Miniature and Terrain Manufacturers

A common question for newcomers to 6 mm is, “Where do I get the miniatures?” Unfortunately finding 6 mm miniatures in game stores isn’t common as store shelf space is consumed by 28 mm. And so, it’s online we go! Fortunately, there are more than enough quality 6 mm manufacturers to choose from. Below are the manufacturers we tend to use for our ancients/medieval and fantasy games, though there are many others to choose from.

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Playtest Philosophy

Playtests are a crucial step in game development.  They are perhaps the most vital.  The purpose of a playtest is simple – it is to find design and play-ability flaws prior to the game being released.  Playtesting isn’t necessarily going to reveal every challenge, though with enough foresight and thoroughness, playtests will uncover most issues before the game is released.

Ages of Conflict began as a home creation to allow us to play battles the way we wanted to play them.  We didn’t have plans to release the rules and so we weren’t concerned with playtesting other than fixing problems as we encountered them.

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Creating Stands for 6 mm Miniatures

6 mm miniatures are mounted on stands for battle.  You can buy quality MDF (medium density fiberboard) stands online from a variety of manufacturers or you can make your own with plastic card, a bit of glue, and hobby knife.

What You’ll Need

  • Plastic Card: You can use small plastic signs for this, though I buy large (8’ x 4’) sheets of 2 mm thick plastic from a local sign shop. The cost per base is much less and gives you a lot of plastic to work with.
  • Spray on Adhesive: You’ll need some spray on adhesive available at hobby and hardware stores.
  • Hobby Knife: A hobby knife is used to cut through the plastic.
  • Ruler: You’ll need a ruler to help stay on track as you cut.
  • Cutting Mat: You may want to use a cutting mat if you need to take care of the surface under the plastic card.
  • Template: You can create your own following the steps below or download some templates we’ve created.  40x40mm, 40x20mm,and 60x30mm.

Steps

  1. Create a template of the stands. I use Microsoft Word to create mine, though any word processing program capable of creating tables should work.  An art program such as GIMP should work also.  Create the cells to match the size of the stand required.  For example, to create 40 mm x 40 mm stands, each cell should be 40 mm x 40 mm.  Create enough rows and columns to fill the entire paper expanding the margins if necessary.  No use wasting paper.

When complete you should have a sheet of paper with rows resembling the below.
  1. Spray an area of the plastic to match the paper size and then carefully place your template on the plastic. Spray on adhesive can be messy, so you may want to wear gloves.  Also make sure to do this in an area where you don’t mind a stray bit of glue.  Flatten the paper out to remove wrinkles.  You don’t need to allow the adhesive additional time to dry – start cutting immediately.

  1. Use a ruler to cut along the printed table lines. I use multiple passes for each line cutting a bit deeper each time.  You don’t need to cut all the way through the plastic; two cuts are usually sufficient.  Make sure to use a sharp blade and be careful.

  1. Next you will need to snap apart each line and column. If you’ve made two good cuts then the plastic should snap easily and cleanly.

 

  1. Done! You now have good inexpensive stands on which to mount your conquering army.

 

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Ages of Conflict Design Goals

Prior to writing a single rule for Ages of Conflict, we decided on how we wanted the game to play.  We wanted to offer a game with consistent purposeful rules, and so it was important that every rule we designed and tested would adhere to our design goals.  If a rule did not fulfill our goals then we either removed it or modified it.

Ages of Conflict is designed with the following goals:

Quick Play

We wanted quick play.  Quick play keeps players engaged in the game rather than having to fill 20 minutes of downtime while their opponent moves all of their units or otherwise decides on what to do.  To help achieve this goal we implemented alternating actions and kept table lookups to a minimum.  Alternating actions results in players being constantly engaged having to activate a unit every minute or two.

Minimized table lookups keeps focus where it should be – on the game table, rather than in a book.

Based on Reality

We wanted the game’s results to simulate historical combat, at least as much as a game allows.  We studied ancient battles to understand how armies and units behaved to ensure the rules model historical combat as we know it.  An element of command and control was implemented as soldiers did not always behave as expected or desired.

Morale is Important

Most battles were lost when discipline broke down resulting in one side fleeing the field.  Ages of Conflict rewards you for putting your units in the best position possible.  Breaking your opponent’s army is the goal rather than slowly grinding them down.

No Overpowered Heroes

We didn’t want heroes capable of taking over a game.  Doing so removes tactics and rewards min/maxing.  Any hero charging into combat on their own should expect to lose.

Flexible

We wanted Ages of Conflict to be flexible.  It was important to not limit the genre or scale of the game.  Our goal was to construct a core set of rules that would work with ancients, fantasy, American Civil War, Napoleonics, World War II, and sci-fi.  We also wanted rules that we would scale to allow battles as high as the brigade level down to individual companies, squads, and platoons.