Scourge of Princes Renaissance Rules

Introduction

Would you believe it! I've actually played a wargame? My first in over twelve months. To be truthful I've actually played twice; on separate occasions too. This is a positive move.

I have a mate in town who's also a wargamer. He's a lapsed competition gamer who played DBM, DBMM & MEG. So we have a lot in common. In late summer he lent me his copy of Scourge of Princes by Sam Mustafa to see if I fancied a game.

In next to no time, I was hooked. Not least because it gives me an opportunity to use my Renaissance armies, which I haven't used since I stopped playing FOGR in 2017.

Rules summary

The quickest way to describe the rules is to quote the rule's main page:

Scourge of Princes is a tabletop game of battles in the Renaissance, from the late 15th through the mid-17th centuries. The basic ... game can be played by two or more players in 2-3 hours.

The advanced rules introduce personalities, additional tactics and technologies, a campaign system, and can accommodate as many players and be as large as your imagination permits.

Importantly, the supporting material is excellent. Again to quote the main page:

For free sample chapters and the Great Captain game aid, go to the downloads page [and] watch [the] introductory videos on the game’s basic mechanisms.

Are they any good?

Yes they are. They are basing and scale agnostic (phew). I've played the introductory game twice now and have arranged to play a third game next month which says a lot. As the pictures show I've even gone to the trouble of designing my own tokens for the game.

Some worn French infantry about to face the Landsknechte of the Holy Roman Empire.

New rules syndrome is always an issue for me. Unlike others I haven't used a vast number of different rules, choosing to focus on one or two sets at a time. So I don't pick up new rules that quickly.

However, I was impressed by both the rules and the supporting material. Sam Mustafa & John Holly have produced a simple set of rules (with depth) that are clearly explained and very well laid out.

A Gens d'arm stand off on the right flank.

I don't intend to say much more by way of a review but they really are very easy to grasp and fun to play.

Closing remarks

At the moment I am working on an army building spreadsheet as I have to write a list for my next game. My intention is to release the spreadsheet in my next post; once I've ironed out a few wrinkles and had it tested that is.