Rules for the Eastern Renaissance

I have struggled for years to settle on a rules set for Renaissance gaming. I'm not sure I'm alone: it does seem to be a Cinderella period. I never took to WRG's original rules or DBR, although I rebased my figures to fit DBR conventions. We did have some fun games in the late 80s with Dodo Publications' ECW rules, which used simpler mechanisms than WRG and had quite a lot in common with some of today's rules. After a few years ignoring the period, I came back to it in the 2000s. I enjoyed reading Field of Glory Renaissance and was impressed by its army lists, but I just haven't got around to playing them. I may be missing a gem. Other rules bought but not played include Bacchus's Polemos ECW rules, as well as Captain General and Husaria, both by the Pike and Shot Society. They were all fun to read but Warlord Games' Pike and Shotte is the first set for many years that I actually played. I'm very glad I did as I really enjoyed it. We had to devise additional unit profiles to allow us to field Muscovite and Cossack armies and we toned down the factors for Polish Hussars (they were good but not superhuman) but otherwise the rules play very well. We also played a game using Honour Games' Maurice, which was certainly fun and I expect we'll play it again as one or two regulars don't like the command rules in Pike and Shotte. But for my money, Pike and Shotte is currently the best set for this theatre and period.

It may seem contrary not to have picked up the Wargamer's With Fire and Sword, which I know is highly regarded and was written specifically for the 17th Century. I have bought a lot of their figures but the rules seem a bit too skirmish-focussed for me. The books are lovely and I will probably buy them some day but I always seem to have other things to spend my gaming money on.

I was looking at a new set called Tercios at a Warfare in Reading last week. I nearly bought it but picked up Bolt Action instead. Then this week I read a very positive review of Tercios in Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy. Typical! Maybe next Show...