A whole series of box sets for various eras, all with their own set of concise homebrewed rules, would be a huge game changer for the wargaming community; especially with the support (and gameplay videos!) you guys could provide for it
I watched your Tombstone video and promptly downloaded Ruthless. I had a few extra days off around Easter and spent that time totally geeking-out on it. I took the authors seriously and made several low-key adjustments, wanting to preserve the streamlined simplicity, but introduce some additional variation. For example, why would you go with a revolver over a buntline special? I made the revolver slightly less lethal at long range, but I also made it a little harder to shoot a buntline in a short-ranged reaction shot (a Snap Shot). I might also have gotten carried away inventing about 20 more character traits. I've got a gaming weekend coming up with a group of friends and Ruthless will be one of the centerpiece experiences on our agenda.
That's awesome! We love the author's overall philosophy that a short, 2-page game leaves room for players to put their own spin on it and add in their own house rules and variation. That's a great way to let players be creative and still provide them the tools needed to get started.
We loved the rules over the Easter weekend we played several games at Molyneaux springs in 28mm and then another gamer brought his leg go town and we p,aged that !
That's a very salient point about the "durability" of gunfight-style skirmish games. Last year I bought and tried the latest Judge Dredd skirmish system - and while it looked great, the gameplay potential thinned out quite quickly (very little buzz or new online content about JD in 2021). Oh, and it certainly wasn't free. Good job gentlemen - stay well.
You guys not simply playing a usual, OK Corral game, but made it a mini-campaign game was inspiring! A tutorial video or two, on buildings, etc. for those who might want to expand on what comes with the Tinderbox set, would be great. Well Done LWTV and Mark and Brian!
I had a realization. Dnd was made as a supplement to the Chainmail set of miniature war gaming rules I wonder if I could use Ruthless as a base for a ttrpg for the wild west
You definitely could. There's a lot of good TTRPG systems out there using the Wild West theme, but sometimes the combat gets a bit too... monotonous. So something quick like this would be nice for combat. You'd probably have to some tweaks to get things just right, but yeah I think it could be a good combat ruleset for TTRPGs, and then using the other rules for out of combat skill-checks and such.
@@MisterKisk I actually just got done writing up some rules. I call it Merciless (yes, very original XD). For skills I used the Toughness roll as a base: the five skills are Toughness, Tongue, Outdoorsmanship, Brains and Handiness. You roll a d10, and if you get above or equal to the skill you’re rolling for, you succeed. Also added rules for the infamy of your character.
Funny, Crossfire is probably the #1 most requested rule set for us to review (and we get A LOT of requests for reviews). It's a game that we do play in the club and very much enjoy. Rest assured it is on the list for future review!
Fantastic review as always, never thought of the wild west for these kind of games but sounds a lot of fun and gonna try it out next time. got a couple of questions about the future fo the channel: 1) How far are you into the Pyrrhic Campaign? 2) What's next after Ruthless?
1) Currently starting Turn 2 of 5! 2) We have several weeks of Wild West-related videos ahead and then...well, you'll just have to see! But we have wargame episodes coming in May and June for two very different eras of history.
@@LittleWarsTV Can't wait to see the content coming and of course the massive Pyrrhic campaign i assume is taking its own epic proportions in terms of sheer means and time to play. Thanks for the reply 👍👌
I downloaded the Ruthless gunfighter rules about month ago, but have yet to play my first game, as I've been busy scratch building the buildings and assembling/painting the figures. I've come up with a really cool way to keep track of each character's stats. I've cut a piece 3/4" pine board into 4" x 8" pieces, then cut the piece into the shape of an old west coffin lid. At the top there's a place for the character's name and toughness rating, below that a place for traits, below that holes are drilled for 22 caliber and 32 caliber shell casings to keep track of ammo supply and below that four 3/4" holes for the LEG, ARM, CHEST and CRITICAL wounds (I'll use small diameter poker chips to keep track of the wounds). Hopefully I'll be ready to play our first game in another week or two.
@@LittleWarsTV The 32 caliber shell casings are for the shotgun, all other weapons use the 22 caliber shell casings. Eventually I plan on making the complete coffin, that way I can store all the parts in it when finished playing the game. A wooden cross will be on the reverse side of the coffin lid. I'll try to post a link showing pictures when I get the first coffin lid completed.
@@LittleWarsTV My grandson and I played two games of RUTHLESS this past weekend, we made a few mistakes with the rules, NEVER-THE-LESS BOTH GAMES WERE A BLAST! We each controlled three characters and we used my recently developed 'Coffin Lid' Stats Tracking panels, which helped a lot with record keeping. You can see pictures here: i.postimg.cc/QdSNmgyr/IMG-0488.jpg and: i.postimg.cc/HkkTPc5D/IMG-0500.jpg
It has character creation, with traits and stats. It has a morale system, and it has a cover system. The rules are 2 pages, plus another 2 for character and scenario creation. It seems to me "Ruthless" is a new gold standard. If your skirmish game is more complex than this, you need to come up with a good reason for it.
Absolutely the new gold standard for our Wild West gaming. There will be players out there who prefer more complexity and deeper tactical gameplay, and for other genres and eras of history, our club fits that mold too. But Wild West is NOT a period we game every single month, so it's nice to be able to use rules that are (a) free and (b) short enough that we don't need to spending 30 minutes leafing through a rule book to refresh our memories since the last time we played. Again, for period of history like ACW, WW2, or Napoleonics (all of which we play very often), denser rules are great.
@@LittleWarsTVI would argue you could use it to play out all sorts of eras (or rather locations in an era) I’ve been playing Jack London inspired games with it, as well as writing campaign rules and fantasy rules (Indian Shamans, Preachermen, Undead Gunslingers, and other Mythic Western elements)
Heck ya guys, I was just kicking around with the warhammer old west rule set and just ordered some old west minis from black scorpion.thanks for the video.
I'm guessing you guys have a fair bit planned already, but is there any chance we'll see the Bismarck in an Operation Rheinübung campaign in the future?
We plan our videos 6-12 months in advance...but you know this May is the 80th anniversary of the Denmark Straights. We might just have something special planned!
Are they not going to ship internationally? Damn. In that case, I think they should sell an online only version (scenario, print-and-play buildings, etc). But I'd really like to get the box :(
We are selling internationally but the shipping is awful right now from the US. It's extremely expensive. Currently exploring some local distribution options that might help the matter....
It's enticing. I think the scenarios are what make this better. The Tombstone video shows how it is done to perfection. But each is a showdown like any other. I'd think a search for x resulting in a running gunfight might be a good scenario, or with one gang running away with the x before getting caught
I am really surprised that you fell all over yourselves about this rules set. First of all the rules are not complete in two pages. In order to have any idea about the miniatures and their characteristics (or stats) you need the five page version from the Firenball web site. So five pages not two. I do find it interesting that an old west font and a couple of red separation blocks provide a presentation higher than the majority of rules reviewed by Little Wars. The mechanics present little new, but are definitely sufficient for a short, quick set of rules. I also question the historical nature. You could change the historical flavor by just changing the names in the weapons tables, I.e. slings, bows, & javelins or lasers, phasers and rail-guns. I am glad that this rule set has reinvigorated your desire to game the Wild West and has been fun for the club. I really like what Little Wars has done for gaming. I just think this particular review was over the top.
You do need the character cards to play, this is very true. We considered them more as game accessories than "rules." Our presentation scores do include more than just the "look" of the game and also covers the writing and clarity of the rules and for a two page game, this is very, very much above average. Comparing it to a 40+ page book is admittedly challenging since you don't have room in 2 pages to include fancy photos, diagrams, or pretty fluff. Your questions about the "historical nature" of the game are absolutely valid. This is the weakest aspect of the game by far, though again, if you're grading on the curve for 2 pages, it's quite nice for the length.
Thanks for responding. I really enjoy your games and rule reviews, so i probably was a little harsh with my comments. I was shocked by your enthusiasm for these rules compared with other rules reviews. I did think your Tombstone scenarios were excellent. Your intro box is a great idea, especially for new players that aren’t already invested in 28mm figures.
Hmmm.... Something that I think the Little Wars crew could find interesting to do as a a series of scenarios with these rules would be history of the Kelly Gang. For those who don't know, the Kelly Gang were a group of Australian Bushrangers (outlaws) lead by Edward 'Ned' Kelly, their last stand at the Glenrowan Hotel being a staple of Australian folklore. Of particular note, they made armour out of plate steel for the last stand, protecting them from the bullets of the colonial police sent to arrest them. Well, at least until the Police realised that the gang hadn't made leg armour, and started shooting low.
Have you guys checked out Shootin' Iron? The core rules fit on a single page as well, with the optional rules and scenarios expanding it to 12 pages. It looks quite decent.
New viewer here. Love the content, especially the cotton smoke & explosions. I’m aware you guys play At least some Total war and probably other strategy video games. I’m wondering how you rank them and if you’ve played the “ultimate general” & “ultimate admiral” games.
Of course! A bunch of the guys here play Total War (I've been a player since the very early days of the series) and Ultimate General, too. Haven't tried Ultimate Admiral, yet. For Total War...Rome I and Medieval II are, IMO, the best in the series. Napoleon Total War has one of the cleanest interfaces and I wish they would do away with a lot of the tedious clutter they've introduced since then in the newer titles.
@@LittleWarsTV I really cannot agree with you more, I also really like Rome 2 with the DEI mod. If you like Napoleon, there’s a mod called Napoleonic 3, that makes the multiplayer a paradise for a war game enthusiast like yourself.
@@BillsWargameWorld It is, but full of colors. I have scanned and reprinted nearly all my wargame maps (Gunslinger, Squad Leader, MBT, Wings), and the color intensive pages make short work of color cartridges.
I will have a look, certainly anything on 2 pages is quite attractive. we have been play What a Cowboy from TFL. presently in playtest. It is a lot of fun and has a good campaign system
Looks like a fun, relaxing, beer & pretzels type game that isn't too taxing on the brain. A minor observation, however. Although you don't need many figures, it looks like it might soon get boring if you don't invest in scenery also (so it's good that your tinderbox includes buildings, etc). Going by the look of your games, like model railroads, the trains are only half the story. Additionally, it's not simply two pages (which is still great, btw) - as you mention later on, you also have to print out character cards. But, of course, that's not much more either and it is free. Good review.
Absolutely agreed. Like any miniature wargaming, you'll want some scenery. Luckily, since the playing area is smaller than average, it doesn't take as much to fill the table!
I am a Big Wild West player. I have played Dead Man's Hand, Shootin Iron, Desperado, Knuckleduster, and Fistful of Lead. And I have played two games of Ruthless. This is a good set of rules. The only drawback for me is the Character cards. I don' like record keeping. It is hard to compare this game to DMH because it is kind of like comparing "apples and oranges". Their styles are so different. All in all. I still like Fistful of Lead the best. (No record Keeping) and it plays fast like Ruthless. If you like or want to try a little Wild West fun. Now's a good time. There is a lot to choose from. So go to it partner.
Fistful of Lead is a good one. We played The Rules With No Name most recently and enjoyed that, as well. Knuckleduster has been on our list to try for awhile but we haven't done it yet. Definitely a lot of good options out there, but since we play Wild West games so infrequently compared to ACW or WW2, it's nice to use something a little faster and easier!
I like the simplicity of this game in one way. And I sure do appreciate the fact that it is free! The following may sound like negative criticism… but I would like to share some comments and questions of this system. First of all… I’d like to echo another commenter by saying the rules aren’t on two pages, but rather 4. There ARE rules on these extra pages. The game doesn’t talk about how to assemble a gang as far as I can tell. Can you equip more than one weapon? Aren’t there any kind of point costs for each character? Or are they all equal? All I can see is that it works best with 2-5 characters each. Do all players play with the same number of equally equipped characters? Is this agreed beforehand? Where is this explained? It doesn’t really explain how to assign a toughness score. Indeed it doesn’t mention assigning toughness values until the third page of a ‘two page’ rules set. How are these numbers assigned to your models? Why wouldn’t I want to give all my models a great toughness score to begin with? Character traits are a great idea … but isn’t assigning two good traits to a character making that character more valuable than one with one negative trait? Why would I want to assign negative traits and a lousier toughness unless it decreased the ‘cost’ of that character. And in a game where there is no apparent building cost per model, how is that relevant? So far I like the rules for Fistful of Lead by Wiley games. It isn’t nearly as simple as Ruthless, but far less complicated than Tombstone or Gunfighter’s Ball for example. Could you please tell me what I’m missing in my understanding of the Ruthless rules?
You’re only missing one thing-Ruthless is not a points driven game. That’s why there’s no value assigned to the traits, the Tougness, the weapons, and no guidance for why you can’t “build” an amazing character. The game is playable from two pages, but to your point, you’d need the two page character builder guide if you wanted to design scenarios of your own. It doesn’t have anything like the level of detail (or guidance) of the other games you mentioned. But those rule books are x10 longer (or more) and cost more than zero dollars, too.
The only thing I can really see being added right off the bat to these rules is black powder guns with longer reload times (and in the case of rifles, fewer shots) buntline special....how many made?? not more than a handful? I'd leave that out lol (btw, I LOVE High Plains Drifter too)
First, great review! I'm excited about the Tombstone Tinderbox. I hope I'll be able to buy it from Argentina! That said, I do share the worry you mentioned at the end of your review: Wild West wargaming doesn't feel tactical. I mean, even in your (otherwise awesome) Tombstone videos, it seems it's just guys shooting at each other, barely moving or maneuvering. Is there more to it than just two posses facing each other and shooting it out? (To be clear: I want the answer to be YES, 'cause I'd love to paint some cowboys and build some Western town!). Is the main advantage of Ruthless that you can create a linked campaign, but each individual scenario remains just minis standing and shooting at each other?
This is definitely the #1 problem with most Wild West games--the lack of tactical decision making. That's what killed our club's interest in the genre for years. But we found that linking 2-4 scenarios together in a single evening was a game changer, because now you have to worry about keeping guys alive, disengaging wisely, or pressing your luck. Good scenario design helps too, so you want to have engagements where there are additional objectives like burning down houses, stealing cattle, and searching for gold, etc. Suddenly the players have a lot more to worry about than just killing each other in the town square, which gets very old, very fast.
Depending on your definition on how much needs to be in the rules to be played, there is FUBAR - which is a neat little modern/sci-fi skirmish game that fit all relevant rules on a single page :)
I'm not really a western enthusiast, I never hear many western Warhammerish games out there. Can the game let u play Billy The Kid and other notorious true to life characters ?
Currently it's a Patreon-only pre-order, but it will be available before the end of the month to anyone and everyone! There will also be a much more detailed video exploring everything inside the box!
Sorry to hear you don't have access, Sergei! Our site is freely available from countries where internet access is not restricted. And all the downloads for this free game can be opened either from us or from Mark at Fireball Forward!
I must admit....fireball forward and their $25 scenarios...ridiculous I think especially when they're based on history or some movie somebody else wrote ...just watch one of a MILLION western TV shows or movies and use their scenarios for free or (shock) make your own You guys said you lost interest in wild west shootout games....I think the key with wild west shootouts are the SCENARIOS, the shootouts have to be an Outgrowth of the scenarios or they just don't matter. there's Got to be some emotional investment and that's done through the scenario
Totally agreed on the importance of scenarios for Wild West to be interesting. We have some free ones coming out this month for Ruthless that we hope players will enjoy!
I can see why you might say so, but it's quite painless in this case. The amount of bookkeeping is minimal, and when you're only running 2-4 figures, it's actually nice to get a little bit of detail where you have to worry about how many rounds you have left. There's an option to "fanfire" your revolver at lowery accuracy and this always creates a tactical dilemma for players knowing they will have to spend multiple actions reloading if they use fanfire.
Why wouldn’t you track ammo, especially in such a basic fast play game and of course the nature of the weapons and time period style of play? Unless you have a John Wayne gun!
2:58 so Tony's 10 would be a game that was free, with miniatures and terrain that is only one page? I think he needs to explain what gets a 10 so it is clear why he only gave it an 8.
@@LittleWarsTV About 2 years ago, I quit your reviews in general because about 80% of them fell in the 7.0-7.6 range (came back during lockdown). Maybe the audience would like something more sophisticated than two people with completely different scaling perceptions averaging their numbers as if they had equal weight. Then, too, you have had some reviewers who would apparently rather have their teeth extracted than give a 10 to _anything..._ Here's a basic exercise I recommend for your reviewers, before you turn them loose on the public: 1) For the exercise, a "10" is defined as "the best I have seen" 2) _Reviewer prerequisite:_ List at least one of your "10s" in each review category, based on your rules experience. No objective absolutes in this exercise; what deserves a top score is operationally defined by that reviewer's experience. (It's also useful to _not_ discuss anyone's picks on their personal list, because that isn't the point of the exercise [and might have unfortunate consequences].) Another vector for improvement would be to work out reviewer handicaps based on their posted reviews. In other words, if Tony's 7 is like everyone else's 10, Tony's 7 would be adjusted upward and wouldn't knock down the overall rating on a rule set. You missed a good ending bit in this review, given the "Support" score change. For example, you might have appended a "Butch Cassidy"-style "fade-to-sepia" freeze frame, and run the updated review score at the bottom.
A 10 is a PERFECT ruleset & such thing doesn't exist. 5.5 is average on a 1-10 scale so anything above that is good. Given that defining a "good" set of rules is purely subjective, whether I call it a 7 or scrumpdilicious mega-baller is a meaningless statement to anyone but me. I'm sure there are rulesets that someone here hates that I love or vice versa but since my (or your) favorite ruleset only has to make one person happy there's really no need to get uptight about it
@@jonpickens3965 It's true that many of the scores tend to fall into that 6-8 range, but they are so subjective that we really view the "scores" more as a way to structure a conversation about rules. We talked about doing away with the numerical scoring altogether but decided to keep it for now. The format just allows for two guys to have an organized discussion without going too far off track.
A whole series of box sets for various eras, all with their own set of concise homebrewed rules, would be a huge game changer for the wargaming community; especially with the support (and gameplay videos!) you guys could provide for it
absolutly !
I watched your Tombstone video and promptly downloaded Ruthless. I had a few extra days off around Easter and spent that time totally geeking-out on it. I took the authors seriously and made several low-key adjustments, wanting to preserve the streamlined simplicity, but introduce some additional variation. For example, why would you go with a revolver over a buntline special? I made the revolver slightly less lethal at long range, but I also made it a little harder to shoot a buntline in a short-ranged reaction shot (a Snap Shot). I might also have gotten carried away inventing about 20 more character traits. I've got a gaming weekend coming up with a group of friends and Ruthless will be one of the centerpiece experiences on our agenda.
That's awesome! We love the author's overall philosophy that a short, 2-page game leaves room for players to put their own spin on it and add in their own house rules and variation. That's a great way to let players be creative and still provide them the tools needed to get started.
I would kinda like to hear some of your homebrew traits to steal and inspire for my own Ruthless matches
I like simple rules provided that it has flavor and not too generic.
We loved the rules over the Easter weekend we played several games at Molyneaux springs in 28mm and then another gamer brought his leg go town and we p,aged that !
What?! No 54mm?! You're gettin' soft, Billy...
That's a very salient point about the "durability" of gunfight-style skirmish games. Last year I bought and tried the latest Judge Dredd skirmish system - and while it looked great, the gameplay potential thinned out quite quickly (very little buzz or new online content about JD in 2021).
Oh, and it certainly wasn't free.
Good job gentlemen - stay well.
You guys not simply playing a usual, OK Corral game, but made it a mini-campaign game was inspiring! A tutorial video or two, on buildings, etc. for those who might want to expand on what comes with the Tinderbox set, would be great. Well Done LWTV and Mark and Brian!
I’m excited to hear about the other rules set you used for Tombstone, but these rules do have me tempted to snag some Wild West mins and give it a go
The nice part is that you don't need to snag many!
Great review. This ruleset looks simple and fun. Thanks for sharing.
I had a realization.
Dnd was made as a supplement to the Chainmail set of miniature war gaming rules
I wonder if I could use Ruthless as a base for a ttrpg for the wild west
You definitely could. There's a lot of good TTRPG systems out there using the Wild West theme, but sometimes the combat gets a bit too... monotonous. So something quick like this would be nice for combat. You'd probably have to some tweaks to get things just right, but yeah I think it could be a good combat ruleset for TTRPGs, and then using the other rules for out of combat skill-checks and such.
@@MisterKisk I actually just got done writing up some rules. I call it Merciless (yes, very original XD). For skills I used the Toughness roll as a base: the five skills are Toughness, Tongue, Outdoorsmanship, Brains and Handiness. You roll a d10, and if you get above or equal to the skill you’re rolling for, you succeed. Also added rules for the infamy of your character.
could you guys do a review of Arty Conliffe's "crossfire" ruleset?
Funny, Crossfire is probably the #1 most requested rule set for us to review (and we get A LOT of requests for reviews). It's a game that we do play in the club and very much enjoy. Rest assured it is on the list for future review!
HEADS UP! It looks like theres a graphics glitch at 11:44. Looks like a repeated layer that got triggered.
Great review as always 😄
Thanks for the catch! That one slipped by us!
Time to review Fireball Forward methinks. After Crossfire of course.
Fireball is on the docket! It has a lot of mechanical similarities to Crossfire (which we really like)
@@LittleWarsTV excellent news! I’ll look forward to that one. Two great rules systems imho.
Good to finally see a game whose card suit rankings mirror those of bridge.
Fantastic review as always, never thought of the wild west for these kind of games but sounds a lot of fun and gonna try it out next time. got a couple of questions about the future fo the channel:
1) How far are you into the Pyrrhic Campaign?
2) What's next after Ruthless?
1) Currently starting Turn 2 of 5!
2) We have several weeks of Wild West-related videos ahead and then...well, you'll just have to see! But we have wargame episodes coming in May and June for two very different eras of history.
@@LittleWarsTV Can't wait to see the content coming and of course the massive Pyrrhic campaign i assume is taking its own epic proportions in terms of sheer means and time to play. Thanks for the reply 👍👌
I downloaded the Ruthless gunfighter rules about month ago, but have yet to play my first game, as I've been busy scratch building the buildings and assembling/painting the figures. I've come up with a really cool way to keep track of each character's stats. I've cut a piece 3/4" pine board into 4" x 8" pieces, then cut the piece into the shape of an old west coffin lid. At the top there's a place for the character's name and toughness rating, below that a place for traits, below that holes are drilled for 22 caliber and 32 caliber shell casings to keep track of ammo supply and below that four 3/4" holes for the LEG, ARM, CHEST and CRITICAL wounds (I'll use small diameter poker chips to keep track of the wounds). Hopefully I'll be ready to play our first game in another week or two.
What a cool idea!!
@@LittleWarsTV The 32 caliber shell casings are for the shotgun, all other weapons use the 22 caliber shell casings. Eventually I plan on making the complete coffin, that way I can store all the parts in it when finished playing the game. A wooden cross will be on the reverse side of the coffin lid. I'll try to post a link showing pictures when I get the first coffin lid completed.
@@LittleWarsTV My grandson and I played two games of RUTHLESS this past weekend, we made a few mistakes with the rules, NEVER-THE-LESS BOTH GAMES WERE A BLAST! We each controlled three characters and we used my recently developed 'Coffin Lid' Stats Tracking panels, which helped a lot with record keeping. You can see pictures here:
i.postimg.cc/QdSNmgyr/IMG-0488.jpg
and:
i.postimg.cc/HkkTPc5D/IMG-0500.jpg
It has character creation, with traits and stats. It has a morale system, and it has a cover system. The rules are 2 pages, plus another 2 for character and scenario creation. It seems to me "Ruthless" is a new gold standard. If your skirmish game is more complex than this, you need to come up with a good reason for it.
Absolutely the new gold standard for our Wild West gaming. There will be players out there who prefer more complexity and deeper tactical gameplay, and for other genres and eras of history, our club fits that mold too. But Wild West is NOT a period we game every single month, so it's nice to be able to use rules that are (a) free and (b) short enough that we don't need to spending 30 minutes leafing through a rule book to refresh our memories since the last time we played. Again, for period of history like ACW, WW2, or Napoleonics (all of which we play very often), denser rules are great.
@@LittleWarsTVI would argue you could use it to play out all sorts of eras (or rather locations in an era) I’ve been playing Jack London inspired games with it, as well as writing campaign rules and fantasy rules (Indian Shamans, Preachermen, Undead Gunslingers, and other Mythic Western elements)
Heck ya guys, I was just kicking around with the warhammer old west rule set and just ordered some old west minis from black scorpion.thanks for the video.
That old GW system (Legends of the Old West, as I recall?) was a great game and a ton of fun!
I'm guessing you guys have a fair bit planned already, but is there any chance we'll see the Bismarck in an Operation Rheinübung campaign in the future?
We plan our videos 6-12 months in advance...but you know this May is the 80th anniversary of the Denmark Straights. We might just have something special planned!
ordered yesterday!!! so happy and can't wait to start painting and playing
Awesome! The box set has been added to my "must-have" list!
Pity i wont get the tombstone box in South Africa,but i do like the Ruthless rules, busy working on a 3 act campaign
Are they not going to ship internationally? Damn. In that case, I think they should sell an online only version (scenario, print-and-play buildings, etc). But I'd really like to get the box :(
We are selling internationally but the shipping is awful right now from the US. It's extremely expensive. Currently exploring some local distribution options that might help the matter....
It's enticing. I think the scenarios are what make this better. The Tombstone video shows how it is done to perfection. But each is a showdown like any other.
I'd think a search for x resulting in a running gunfight might be a good scenario, or with one gang running away with the x before getting caught
I am really surprised that you fell all over yourselves about this rules set. First of all the rules are not complete in two pages. In order to have any idea about the miniatures and their characteristics (or stats) you need the five page version from the Firenball web site. So five pages not two. I do find it interesting that an old west font and a couple of red separation blocks provide a presentation higher than the majority of rules reviewed by Little Wars. The mechanics present little new, but are definitely sufficient for a short, quick set of rules. I also question the historical nature. You could change the historical flavor by just changing the names in the weapons tables, I.e. slings, bows, & javelins or lasers, phasers and rail-guns. I am glad that this rule set has reinvigorated your desire to game the Wild West and has been fun for the club. I really like what Little Wars has done for gaming. I just think this particular review was over the top.
You do need the character cards to play, this is very true. We considered them more as game accessories than "rules." Our presentation scores do include more than just the "look" of the game and also covers the writing and clarity of the rules and for a two page game, this is very, very much above average. Comparing it to a 40+ page book is admittedly challenging since you don't have room in 2 pages to include fancy photos, diagrams, or pretty fluff. Your questions about the "historical nature" of the game are absolutely valid. This is the weakest aspect of the game by far, though again, if you're grading on the curve for 2 pages, it's quite nice for the length.
Thanks for responding. I really enjoy your games and rule reviews, so i probably was a little harsh with my comments. I was shocked by your enthusiasm for these rules compared with other rules reviews. I did think your Tombstone scenarios were excellent. Your intro box is a great idea, especially for new players that aren’t already invested in 28mm figures.
Great and fair review. I'm really enjoying playing this game. :-)
Thank you for sharing, this is very interesting and I look forward to giving these rules a try
Hmmm....
Something that I think the Little Wars crew could find interesting to do as a a series of scenarios with these rules would be history of the Kelly Gang.
For those who don't know, the Kelly Gang were a group of Australian Bushrangers (outlaws) lead by Edward 'Ned' Kelly, their last stand at the Glenrowan Hotel being a staple of Australian folklore. Of particular note, they made armour out of plate steel for the last stand, protecting them from the bullets of the colonial police sent to arrest them.
Well, at least until the Police realised that the gang hadn't made leg armour, and started shooting low.
Already ordered your guys’ game, can’t wait to try it out!
I'm right on the fence, gonna wait for the vid before making a decision
Have you guys checked out Shootin' Iron? The core rules fit on a single page as well, with the optional rules and scenarios expanding it to 12 pages. It looks quite decent.
We haven't heard of this one, but it sounds promising. We will seek it out!
New viewer here. Love the content, especially the cotton smoke & explosions.
I’m aware you guys play At least some Total war and probably other strategy video games. I’m wondering how you rank them and if you’ve played the “ultimate general” & “ultimate admiral” games.
Of course! A bunch of the guys here play Total War (I've been a player since the very early days of the series) and Ultimate General, too. Haven't tried Ultimate Admiral, yet. For Total War...Rome I and Medieval II are, IMO, the best in the series. Napoleon Total War has one of the cleanest interfaces and I wish they would do away with a lot of the tedious clutter they've introduced since then in the newer titles.
@@LittleWarsTV I really cannot agree with you more, I also really like Rome 2 with the DEI mod. If you like Napoleon, there’s a mod called Napoleonic 3, that makes the multiplayer a paradise for a war game enthusiast like yourself.
Hopefully there's a printer friendly version, or else this will ruthlessly murder my toner cartridge.
BADAM CRASH
It is only two pages
@@BillsWargameWorld It is, but full of colors. I have scanned and reprinted nearly all my wargame maps (Gunslinger, Squad Leader, MBT, Wings), and the color intensive pages make short work of color cartridges.
I have never regretted buying my Epson Printer. I have been printing hundreds of full color pages and the ink wells are barely touched!
@@davidtoth8975 Print in Grayscale/Black & White.
Greg, you didn’t age a bit! 😁
Looking forward to the tinder box!👍
It's hard to age when you've already lost all your hair! Nothing left to lose!
@@LittleWarsTV yep, I’ve also drunk from the fountain of eternal youth! They didn’t tell me that that would be a side effect!!😂
I will have a look, certainly anything on 2 pages is quite attractive. we have been play What a Cowboy from TFL. presently in playtest. It is a lot of fun and has a good campaign system
Looks like a fun, relaxing, beer & pretzels type game that isn't too taxing on the brain. A minor observation, however. Although you don't need many figures, it looks like it might soon get boring if you don't invest in scenery also (so it's good that your tinderbox includes buildings, etc). Going by the look of your games, like model railroads, the trains are only half the story. Additionally, it's not simply two pages (which is still great, btw) - as you mention later on, you also have to print out character cards. But, of course, that's not much more either and it is free. Good review.
Absolutely agreed. Like any miniature wargaming, you'll want some scenery. Luckily, since the playing area is smaller than average, it doesn't take as much to fill the table!
I wish you guys still had the box set available.
You aren’t alone! But it was a lot of work for the two years we did it!
I am a Big Wild West player. I have played Dead Man's Hand, Shootin Iron, Desperado, Knuckleduster, and Fistful of Lead. And I have played two games
of Ruthless. This is a good set of rules. The only drawback for me is the Character cards. I don' like record keeping. It is hard to compare this game to
DMH because it is kind of like comparing "apples and oranges". Their styles are so different. All in all. I still like Fistful of Lead the best. (No record
Keeping) and it plays fast like Ruthless. If you like or want to try a little Wild West fun. Now's a good time. There is a lot to choose from. So go to it partner.
Fistful of Lead is a good one. We played The Rules With No Name most recently and enjoyed that, as well. Knuckleduster has been on our list to try for awhile but we haven't done it yet. Definitely a lot of good options out there, but since we play Wild West games so infrequently compared to ACW or WW2, it's nice to use something a little faster and easier!
I like the simplicity of this game in one way. And I sure do appreciate the fact that it is free! The following may sound like negative criticism… but I would like to share some comments and questions of this system.
First of all… I’d like to echo another commenter by saying the rules aren’t on two pages, but rather 4. There ARE rules on these extra pages.
The game doesn’t talk about how to assemble a gang as far as I can tell.
Can you equip more than one weapon? Aren’t there any kind of point costs for each character? Or are they all equal? All I can see is that it works best with 2-5 characters each. Do all players play with the same number of equally equipped characters? Is this agreed beforehand? Where is this explained?
It doesn’t really explain how to assign a toughness score. Indeed it doesn’t mention assigning toughness values until the third page of a ‘two page’ rules set.
How are these numbers assigned to your models? Why wouldn’t I want to give all my models a great toughness score to begin with?
Character traits are a great idea … but isn’t assigning two good traits to a character making that character more valuable than one with one negative trait?
Why would I want to assign negative traits and a lousier toughness unless it decreased the ‘cost’ of that character. And in a game where there is no apparent building cost per model, how is that relevant?
So far I like the rules for Fistful of Lead by Wiley games. It isn’t nearly as simple as Ruthless, but far less complicated than Tombstone or Gunfighter’s Ball for example.
Could you please tell me what I’m missing in my understanding of the Ruthless rules?
You’re only missing one thing-Ruthless is not a points driven game. That’s why there’s no value assigned to the traits, the Tougness, the weapons, and no guidance for why you can’t “build” an amazing character. The game is playable from two pages, but to your point, you’d need the two page character builder guide if you wanted to design scenarios of your own. It doesn’t have anything like the level of detail (or guidance) of the other games you mentioned. But those rule books are x10 longer (or more) and cost more than zero dollars, too.
The only thing I can really see being added right off the bat to these rules is black powder guns with longer reload times (and in the case of rifles, fewer shots)
buntline special....how many made?? not more than a handful? I'd leave that out lol
(btw, I LOVE High Plains Drifter too)
I wonder what your thoughts are on Basic Impetus, as a quick and easy ruleset for ancient and medieval battles.
Anyway to get an editable character cards document? Love the rules but hate my handwriting😅
Is it ok to share your videos on social media? Have some gamer's on there that would enjoy this
Absolutely! We would love for you to do so! Sharing videos is the #1 way we're able to reach new players and spread the gospel about this hobby.
Very nice 👍
Hello, I wanted to ask about the rules. Roll 1 die when shooting with a shotgun? After the shot, cross out 1 or 2 rounds?
Shotguns can fire both barrels at once (but then you would cross off both rounds) and roll 2 dice!
@@LittleWarsTV thank you very much
Is there any gameplay application to do the battle of Okracoke inlet, where Blackbeard was killed?
Mark's club in VA has used this same system for pirate games with a few modifications, yes!
First, great review! I'm excited about the Tombstone Tinderbox. I hope I'll be able to buy it from Argentina! That said, I do share the worry you mentioned at the end of your review: Wild West wargaming doesn't feel tactical. I mean, even in your (otherwise awesome) Tombstone videos, it seems it's just guys shooting at each other, barely moving or maneuvering. Is there more to it than just two posses facing each other and shooting it out? (To be clear: I want the answer to be YES, 'cause I'd love to paint some cowboys and build some Western town!). Is the main advantage of Ruthless that you can create a linked campaign, but each individual scenario remains just minis standing and shooting at each other?
This is definitely the #1 problem with most Wild West games--the lack of tactical decision making. That's what killed our club's interest in the genre for years. But we found that linking 2-4 scenarios together in a single evening was a game changer, because now you have to worry about keeping guys alive, disengaging wisely, or pressing your luck. Good scenario design helps too, so you want to have engagements where there are additional objectives like burning down houses, stealing cattle, and searching for gold, etc. Suddenly the players have a lot more to worry about than just killing each other in the town square, which gets very old, very fast.
14:42 where is that Clint Eastwood type cowboy from? I didn't see it on Old Glory/ Blue moon pics. Any help? Thanks.
It is from the Blue Moon range!
Free and worth every penny! 😉
How can you say no to the price??
How would you use dynamite in the game? What would the rules be?
Never seen a set of rules that can fit on just one page!
We've seen plenty of QRS's that fit on one page, but it's damn rare to find an entire game on a single piece of paper!
Depending on your definition on how much needs to be in the rules to be played, there is FUBAR - which is a neat little modern/sci-fi skirmish game that fit all relevant rules on a single page :)
@@LittleWarsTV I would love to see more of these rules to be made on a single piece of paper. Seems like an interesting challenge.
One Page Rules, Pz8 Rulesets and the aforementioned FUBAR comes to mind.
Where can I order this blessed box set
I'm not really a western enthusiast, I never hear many western Warhammerish games out there. Can the game let u play Billy The Kid and other notorious true to life characters ?
Have you guys played dead man's hand wild west ruleset?
We have! It was fun and could be in the hopper for a future rule review.
Mmmmmmmm sarsaparilla. Yummy.
Sarsaparilla might be code for another beverage...
I am interested in the Lincoln County War being given the Ruthless treatment.
It WILL be given the Ruthless treatment, don't worry!
I can only pre order Tombstone Tinderbox??
Currently it's a Patreon-only pre-order, but it will be available before the end of the month to anyone and everyone! There will also be a much more detailed video exploring everything inside the box!
@@LittleWarsTV Yayyyyyy!
@@LittleWarsTV I've never used Patreon
no idea about it
Good afternoon. No access to site
Sorry to hear you don't have access, Sergei! Our site is freely available from countries where internet access is not restricted. And all the downloads for this free game can be opened either from us or from Mark at Fireball Forward!
@@LittleWarsTV Thank you
I must admit....fireball forward and their $25 scenarios...ridiculous I think especially when they're based on history or some movie somebody else wrote
...just watch one of a MILLION western TV shows or movies and use their scenarios for free
or (shock)
make your own
You guys said you lost interest in wild west shootout games....I think the key with wild west shootouts are the SCENARIOS, the shootouts have to be an Outgrowth of the scenarios or they just don't matter. there's Got to be some emotional investment and that's done through the scenario
Totally agreed on the importance of scenarios for Wild West to be interesting. We have some free ones coming out this month for Ruthless that we hope players will enjoy!
share unit cards
Tracking ammo sounds a bit tedious.
I can see why you might say so, but it's quite painless in this case. The amount of bookkeeping is minimal, and when you're only running 2-4 figures, it's actually nice to get a little bit of detail where you have to worry about how many rounds you have left. There's an option to "fanfire" your revolver at lowery accuracy and this always creates a tactical dilemma for players knowing they will have to spend multiple actions reloading if they use fanfire.
Why wouldn’t you track ammo, especially in such a basic fast play game and of course the nature of the weapons and time period style of play? Unless you have a John Wayne gun!
@@taffp4360If I feel like detail, I’ll set up Advanced Squad Leader. Miniature games requiring paperwork are not appealing to me.
Just use one or 2 D6 in a diceholder.We do that combined with the colour of the dice to give the class and ammo left
2:58 so Tony's 10 would be a game that was free, with miniatures and terrain that is only one page? I think he needs to explain what gets a 10 so it is clear why he only gave it an 8.
Tony is a well known Scrooge when it comes to giving out high scores!
@@LittleWarsTV About 2 years ago, I quit your reviews in general because about 80% of them fell in the 7.0-7.6 range (came back during lockdown). Maybe the audience would like something more sophisticated than two people with completely different scaling perceptions averaging their numbers as if they had equal weight.
Then, too, you have had some reviewers who would apparently rather have their teeth extracted than give a 10 to _anything..._
Here's a basic exercise I recommend for your reviewers, before you turn them loose on the public:
1) For the exercise, a "10" is defined as "the best I have seen"
2) _Reviewer prerequisite:_ List at least one of your "10s" in each review category, based on your rules experience.
No objective absolutes in this exercise; what deserves a top score is operationally defined by that reviewer's experience. (It's also useful to _not_ discuss anyone's picks on their personal list, because that isn't the point of the exercise [and might have unfortunate consequences].)
Another vector for improvement would be to work out reviewer handicaps based on their posted reviews. In other words, if Tony's 7 is like everyone else's 10, Tony's 7 would be adjusted upward and wouldn't knock down the overall rating on a rule set.
You missed a good ending bit in this review, given the "Support" score change. For example, you might have appended a "Butch Cassidy"-style "fade-to-sepia" freeze frame, and run the updated review score at the bottom.
@@charlierichardson613 Yes, I forgot to include that bit.
A 10 is a PERFECT ruleset & such thing doesn't exist. 5.5 is average on a 1-10 scale so anything above that is good. Given that defining a "good" set of rules is purely subjective, whether I call it a 7 or scrumpdilicious mega-baller is a meaningless statement to anyone but me. I'm sure there are rulesets that someone here hates that I love or vice versa but since my (or your) favorite ruleset only has to make one person happy there's really no need to get uptight about it
@@jonpickens3965 It's true that many of the scores tend to fall into that 6-8 range, but they are so subjective that we really view the "scores" more as a way to structure a conversation about rules. We talked about doing away with the numerical scoring altogether but decided to keep it for now. The format just allows for two guys to have an organized discussion without going too far off track.
Second viewer and ordering this i love it ;)
Why don't you just play Boot hill and be done with it.
The old Gary Gygax classic! Nice blast from the past there.
come on, give it a 10 for presentation, be generous :-)
first viewer!