Bushido is my absolute favorite miniature.I'm painting up my first drowned earth crew and looking forward to getting some games in. Good list. Some of the smaller but definitily worthwhile names on it.
Love Infinity on one side, hate it on another. Can't stand the unlimited orders use per model. You end up with half (or even more with CA for example) of trash models that are there just to give orders to high tier ones. On top of that, if you get lucky with a roll on one flank at some point you can just re-iterate your orders there to go on and annihilate the opponent flank.
great list, i'm in that hobby space where I cannot face painting huge armies etc so skirmish games are manageable. small model count and nuanced rulesets make for a much more enjoyable evening of gaming than throwing handfuls of dice and still getting wiped out by turn 3, with barely any interaction by you. In skirmish games every move/turn/model counts and the strat level is much more than rank and file games. Out of this list Bushido is my absolute favourite and the melee mechanism was the clincher for me - that and the gorgeous minis. Just getting into Malifaux and Carnevale, so will not able to comment on how they play but they look fabulous and have a great lore/feel to them. The drowned Earth is another game that looks really good
Great list. I've got the Operation Icestorm 2 player set and the Beyond Icestorm expansions for Infinity. I've had it for years and have all the Nomads painted and some of the PanOceana models painted. Sadly I've only gotten to play it once and enjoyed it. I have a lot of models for The Drowned Earth and have played it several times. I've had it since the original kickstarter. Great models, great world background and great mechanics. I love the way you can climb terrain, get Feats to get more action points and how a leader can attempt to move action points between your models with a Command role. Love the game. I have heard of all the others on the games on your list. Of those, Carnevale has interested me the most, followed by Bushido. I happen to love Fallout Wasteland Warfare and Elder Scrolls Call to Arms skirmish games by Modiphius. They are very well done representations of each respective video game IP. I have a ton of the models for both games and have played them both a lot. Frostgrave is another great skirmish game I've played a good bit. I also have a sister game to it with a space theme, called Stargrave. I've only played that once. Walking Dead All Out War is another fun one I've played for years. A friend of mine has Arena Rex and I've played it once and enjoyed it. He also has Pulp Alley which I've also played once and enjoyed it. I used to have Guildball and enjoyed that quite a bit. I have the rulebook for Dracula's America, but unfortunately haven't gotten any of 5he models or played it yet. It does look fun.
Thanks for the video, many games I haven't heard of before. I've been strongly gravitating towards skirmish games because adult responsibilities take time. It's really cool to just paint ten dudes and have fun gaming. I recently got into Kill Team and now I have three fully painted teams so I can have different gaming experiences or introduce the game to a friend by lending a team (already have one friend hooked). If I'd chosen 40k I'd barely have 500 points by now. I've played Infinity some years ago, really itching to try it again. Drowned earth also looks super cool
I used to be into Warmachine... a d did 40k from 4th edition to early 7th... then I got into Kill Team in 2018 and played that edition of it... haven't played the 2021 edition of it but I am excited to try the new version of Kill Team that is coming out soon... In the laat coupke years inhave kinda been away from miniature gaming , and started getting into the idea of playing the One Page Rules games using miniatures that I have... I also have been looking at Shatterpoint, mainly just because I like the miniatures and terrain in the set, but i am not sure about the game mechanics... Thanks for the video, a couple I hadn't heard of... I'll have a look at your channel. Have you played OPR games, Kill Team, or Shatterpoint? Cheers
Cool list. I'm really enjoying Bushido and Steel Rift as my favorite skirmish games. Bushido was the first game I played that I had to paint my own miniatures. X-wing was my on-ramp to miniatures games from card and board games. I do want to try Infinity and Malifaux since I've heard good things from many others. Malifaux has the deck of cards that seems really interesting and like you said kind of mitigates the bad outcomes since they stay out of the deck afterward. I will just say that I had a difficult time following your dialogue at certain points during this video. There are too many cuts during a singular thought, that are very jarring to try to stay with you. I don't know if they are actual cuts, or if you are just pausing for effect or to match your visuals. But it would definitely be better if the dialogue was a little more fluid. I realize this video was like a year ago, but I'm just discovering it now, so maybe you've changed your editing style or whatever at this point. But just trying to help you out. It was informative and the composition and visuals were great. Thanks for the list and explanations on these great games.
You have a lot of great choices in this video, some of which I have not had the opportunity to try yet. I especially want to try Infinity. I have been really impressed with the models for the game and could not resist buying some of their figures, despite knowing nothing of the rules. They just look ultra cool. I know that a lot of war gamers are quick to dismiss Heroscape, because it started out as a mass market game, with pre-painted plastic figures, however I have grown to greatly respect and enjoy it. Heroscape quickly became the game that helped me scratch my miniature game itch when I stopped playing Warhammer. It’s super easy to learn. Plus, each unit has unique abilities, which adds to the diversity in army building. I really like the theme too; which brings together characters that have been warped in from different points in time and space. You can include cowboys, ninjas, orcs, mechs, dragons, aliens, zombies and so on. They are all fighting for control of a strange planet, where strange well springs adds to their power. The game was discontinued for several years, but the game has had such a strong fan base, the game continued through a fan made website, that encouraged players to submit new stat cards, using miniatures from other games, like Heroclix, D&D and Star Wars Miniatures game. After the cards were play-tested by a panel of judges, if they passed, the stat card were adopted into the unofficial “C3V” or “SOV” game lore. Due to that fan base, multiple game studios have tried obtaining the Heroscape licensing rights from Hasbro and it looks like Renegade Games pulled it off, because they have started releasing new sets as of Gen Con, last week.
recently started to play infinity, and used to play Malifaux back in M2E, maybe looking to get back into M3E. I've heard about the other 3, and Bushido really appealed but i dont think theres a local scene for it, would like to try it though.
Yeah, the trouble with playing smaller games is finding a scene. Sometimes we have to make a scene ourselves lol Let us know if you need help getting back into Faux though, I think M3E is in a really good place.
Haven't checked Carnevale - but I will now. I agree on all the other games, they are all excellent. Relicblade is also worth checking out as a small and very fast skirmish game. Moonstone is also worth your time and uses card mechanics with bluffing.
Over time nearly everybody stopped playing GW games in our club. Now you have the SciFi guys playing Infinity and the fantasy/Steampunk guys going for Malifaux. These are just the best 2 games looking at game mechanics
I'm already into Infinity for years! A favorite of mine. I'm getting into Bushido this year. I just wish it was easier to get some of their figures. Then I also just did a demo of Moonstone and loved it! If you haven't checked that out, I'd recommend doing so. To me, skirmish is the way to go.
I love that you didn't put any games workshop skirmish money grabs on the list, they usually dominate these kind of lists while being pretty bland skirmish games. I used to love Malifaux while I played it, but my favorite is Guild Ball by far. Too bad SFG abandoned it for board games, it was a really special game.
I played a couple of Infinity matches. I liked it into the basics, got me dizzy into the advanced. It was my second take on wargames, maybe I was a newbie that time, maybe I could give it another chance. I started playing Warcry years ago and I loved it, but it's tied into all the paraphernalia of official models and new rules every years and so into the GW bussines policy... Then, I discovered Brutality, by Scott Wainwright. Fast, easy, lethal. Miniature agnostic, every terrain and models are valid. Good free rules, even greater Full version. Good for fast paced matches, very modular, use what you have. South americans and other 3rd world people like me are greateful with games like this. But my most played skirmish is Frostgrave. Fantasy themed but still miniature agnostic even if there are official minis by Northstar. Spanish version exists, what is a good thing. More skrimish for most people!
I've got a copy of brutality that I've been meaning to dig into for a while, but I haven't found anyone to play with. I might give the solo game mode a go, thanks for the recommend!
With the exception of Infinity and Malifaux, I've not heard of any others! Thank you for sharing! For my favorites, I like "Dracula's America" an Alt-Wild West skirmish game and I really love "Frostgrave", which is great because you can use just about any fantasy miniatures that you want, not just the official ones. I've also just started playing "First Blood" the skirmish variant of "Conquest: Last Argument of Kings" by Para-bellum Games. I'm only a few games in, but so far, they've been enjoyable. Nothing as innovative as the games on your list, but familiar and easy to learn play-style.
Awesome! I hope you might find something you like. Ive had a few people raving about Frostgrave and I think im gonna pick up the book. I've heard the mechanics are really well designed. Im not familiar with Dracula's America, but ill check it out. Conquest I just started looking at, but ill have to check out the skirmish rules too for sure, thanks for the tips!
Malifaux had a campaign mode in 2nd edition but it has not been officially updated for third yet. If there is one for any of the other games, im not aware of it
Love M3E. I've heard of Drowned Earth, Carnevalè, and infinity but haven't played them. All the minis look fantastic though 😁 I've played Warbands Bushido. It's a free game made by the creators of Bushido. Idk if it's exactly the same rule set but it's pretty fun. The sprites are actual minis of each soldier.
I'm curious as to what you think of Wild West Exodus? I don't encounter it very often, but I think Warcradle Studios did a decent job of it and I particularly like the 17th century alt-timeline and the steam punk cowboys
@@DefectiveDice Already into Infinity and Malifaux. Did look at Drowned Earth and Carnevale previously, but the lack of a good 2 faction starter pack for Drowned Earth and the stock/availability of Carnevale from TTCombat held me back. Have said this before, Corvus Belli's starters for CodeOne are the best with everything needed in one box 😁 Have not checked out Bushido as yet.
1. I HATE the ARO system in Infinity. It’s the sole reason I don’t play it. Lol. Which is a shame, because the rest of the game is cool. 2. Bushido has fast become my favourite skirmish game of all time. I love the design space and how deep the interactions can go. It’s easily the most tactical game I’ve played. And it’s super easy and intuitive to learn. 3. I like malifaux, but find it overly complex (like infinity). There’s also a fuckload of bookkeeping you have to do around conditions, which gets monotonous for some factions. Also, miniature assembly can be a royal pain in the ass :/
If you haven't checked out malifaux 3e, they did reduce the conditions considerably. It's still really complex though lol I need to get back into Bushido, I think I have a friend who I've worn down enough to give it a shot 🤞
@@DefectiveDice I prefer it to MCP. I feel the theme is more present. The game balance is good due to not having a lot of models and each faction bend the rules in different way.
@@DefectiveDice As soon as you start describing Carnival, the accentuation sounds like an AI version of you? I cant really put my finger on it. Maybe its the splicing, but it reminds me of this standard tiktok voice, but with your voice? None the less, nice Video. Whats your opinion of Malifaux?
@@ElDaumo oh weird. Must be a combination of old audio equipment and bad editing lol hopefully those are better now. I love Malifaux! It's my favorite game easily. Have you ever tried it?
@@DefectiveDice Not yet. The thing is: I am looking for a skirmisher with high replayability for me and my board game bestie. Thats how I found your channel. While we both dont shy away from complex systems, it shouldnt be too rules heavy, because we both have kids now and freetime is precious I am between Carnival and Malifaux atm, because they both fit theme wise. Sounds like you would recommend Malifaux? :D
@@ElDaumo Malifaux is a much tighter game from a competitive view. It's got great replayability, and is very tactical, but it can be a bit of a challenge to get into if you're more casual. Carnevale I would describe as a beer and pretzels games. It's a ton of fun, but I wouldn't take it too seriously from a competitive perspective. Both great choices but for very different reasons
Love the content and the look at some games I've never seen before. But if I can offer some constructive criticism, try working on having smoother narration, and make each thought flow together. Your sentences are choppy, as if every few words you stopped and edited stuff together. It makes listening to what you're saying a bit annoying.
I appreciate the feedback. This is kind of an older video and I was still learning how to do editing properly. It should be quite a bit better in more recent stuff, but always learning
Warcry didn’t make the list? Kill Team didn’t make the list? Necromunda didn’t make it? Mordheim didn’t make the list?! WE GOT A GAMES WORKSHOP HATER HERE, FOLKS!!!
@@DefectiveDice Highly recommend Warcry. It’s fast paced, easy to learn, hard to master. Extremely well balanced, especially after the balance patch thingy they just released a few days ago. So we’ll balanced though (with matched play rules) that most games I’ve played constantly teeter back and forth between feeling like I’m definitely going to win, then definitely going to lose, back and forth throughout each initiative phase for the entirety of the game. 😆 I’ve even had a decent amount of matches go into overtime because the set ending point came during a “draw” in points. Additionally, every move you make often feels like it’s both good and bad at the same time. All that to say that it feels very balanced. It’s really fun though, even my non-gamer wife seems to like playing it. Earlier this month attended a local tournament with 26 attendees and it was suuuper fun. Like most other skirmish games, it’s also quite easy to use proxy models, so if you’ve already got lots of other minis you can try it for free because GW (shockingly) posted all the faction cards and the base rulebook online for free in PDF form when second edition dropped.
infinity has the most shit models I ever built, in modern times the only metal models worse are the bolt actions remnants that aren't plastic yet, that was the biggest reason for me to completely abandon that game
Just one guy's opinion: you shouldn't use diversity as a selling point. It's gross. "Look, we have some browns... and WOMEN!" Don't get me wrong, it is a good thing, but it is something that should go without saying, and only be a bad thing if it isn't the case. It's like someone going around bragging about having black friends; you should, but also it shouldn't be a big deal, and if you are making it a big deal, it makes it seem like you aren't doing it because it is normal/right, you are instead doing it for show/praise. Really rubs me the wrong way, when people brag about diversity like that, especially a company trying to sell a product- just comes off as gross. Bad sales tactic; again, not diversity itself, but bragging about it. Don't try to capitalize on what should just be normal morality.
I'm not sure if this is meant in response to myself, or any of the companies here, or just a general comment, but... For myself, I certainly didn't mean to say that diversity should be a selling point. In fact I didn't even mean for this video to be about selling the sales, I was just explaining why I like these games. A big part of the appeal of some of these games was the inclusion, which is sadly something that is often conspicuously lacking in this hobby For the purposes of the company, I don't think any of these companies have ever marketed any of their games as being about diversity. I don't even think any of them have commented on it (I could be wrong). If I implied that they did then that's on me, but again the purpose of what I said was simply that these are features in the game that I like And if it was just a general comment, then I agree entirely. That would be gross. Including different types of characters and perspectives into games makes the games better, and doing it just for the clout is counterproductive.
Exactly. Diversity Equity Inclusion is the most insulting policy in use today. Not only to Americans of European descent but to all minorities pandered to.
Yeah, I can see the point. It shouldn't be a selling point but between an ever diversifying community and a hobby that has for a very long time been very uninclusive and alienating between shitty people and some realy gross sculpts of fem presenting figures for now at least it will be.
@@scottperkins5038you nailed it. Deliberately broad or nontraditional representation can initiate a more inclusive player base down the road. Among people looking for a game they more identify with, this can be a selling point, until there's a more diverse offering.
Confrontation was awesome, excellent models and interesting rules along with a great magazine. I really think they allowed companies to see they could compete with GW who had a complete stranglehold on the market at the time. I don't think we would have such a diverse and interesting options to play if it wasn't for Confrontation (well GW also helped by killing the Old World and abandoning 40k balance in the deluded stage of "we're just a model company" phase).
Bushido is my absolute favorite miniature.I'm painting up my first drowned earth crew and looking forward to getting some games in. Good list. Some of the smaller but definitily worthwhile names on it.
It seems you are a person of culture and taste :) It's definitely good to get more eyes on some of the smaller games, they deserve it
Infinity is a top tier skirmish game. Setting, hyper-tactical gameplay. ARO is amazing. Would love to hear more about your journey in the system.
So far my experience has been really good. I love the setting as well
@@DefectiveDice if you have any questions, hit us up on IGC. Amazing community. And if your ever west coast, hit me up.
Can’t stand the ARO system.
@@kaibe5241 why is that?
Love Infinity on one side, hate it on another. Can't stand the unlimited orders use per model. You end up with half (or even more with CA for example) of trash models that are there just to give orders to high tier ones. On top of that, if you get lucky with a roll on one flank at some point you can just re-iterate your orders there to go on and annihilate the opponent flank.
great list, i'm in that hobby space where I cannot face painting huge armies etc so skirmish games are manageable. small model count and nuanced rulesets make for a much more enjoyable evening of gaming than throwing handfuls of dice and still getting wiped out by turn 3, with barely any interaction by you. In skirmish games every move/turn/model counts and the strat level is much more than rank and file games. Out of this list Bushido is my absolute favourite and the melee mechanism was the clincher for me - that and the gorgeous minis. Just getting into Malifaux and Carnevale, so will not able to comment on how they play but they look fabulous and have a great lore/feel to them. The drowned Earth is another game that looks really good
I'm a fan of Relic Blade but I haven't played enough to determine any balance issues it may or may not have, but thus far it's been a lot of fun.
Ive heard good things about Relic Blade, I have to check it out
Great list. I've got the Operation Icestorm 2 player set and the Beyond Icestorm expansions for Infinity. I've had it for years and have all the Nomads painted and some of the PanOceana models painted. Sadly I've only gotten to play it once and enjoyed it.
I have a lot of models for The Drowned Earth and have played it several times. I've had it since the original kickstarter. Great models, great world background and great mechanics. I love the way you can climb terrain, get Feats to get more action points and how a leader can attempt to move action points between your models with a Command role. Love the game.
I have heard of all the others on the games on your list. Of those, Carnevale has interested me the most, followed by Bushido.
I happen to love Fallout Wasteland Warfare and Elder Scrolls Call to Arms skirmish games by Modiphius. They are very well done representations of each respective video game IP. I have a ton of the models for both games and have played them both a lot.
Frostgrave is another great skirmish game I've played a good bit. I also have a sister game to it with a space theme, called Stargrave. I've only played that once.
Walking Dead All Out War is another fun one I've played for years.
A friend of mine has Arena Rex and I've played it once and enjoyed it. He also has Pulp Alley which I've also played once and enjoyed it.
I used to have Guildball and enjoyed that quite a bit.
I have the rulebook for Dracula's America, but unfortunately haven't gotten any of 5he models or played it yet. It does look fun.
Nice! I have a friend who is really into arena rex, ive been looking to get a chance to give it a go
Great video! I’d definitely love to see more infinity content with how great your Malifaux videos are 😁
Aw shucks :) I've got a giant pile of Infinity books around here that I need to dive into
@@DefectiveDice they’re all so great!
Thanks for the video, many games I haven't heard of before. I've been strongly gravitating towards skirmish games because adult responsibilities take time. It's really cool to just paint ten dudes and have fun gaming. I recently got into Kill Team and now I have three fully painted teams so I can have different gaming experiences or introduce the game to a friend by lending a team (already have one friend hooked). If I'd chosen 40k I'd barely have 500 points by now.
I've played Infinity some years ago, really itching to try it again. Drowned earth also looks super cool
Yes! Skirmish is much easier to collect and to paint
I used to be into Warmachine... a d did 40k from 4th edition to early 7th... then I got into Kill Team in 2018 and played that edition of it... haven't played the 2021 edition of it but I am excited to try the new version of Kill Team that is coming out soon...
In the laat coupke years inhave kinda been away from miniature gaming , and started getting into the idea of playing the One Page Rules games using miniatures that I have...
I also have been looking at Shatterpoint, mainly just because I like the miniatures and terrain in the set, but i am not sure about the game mechanics...
Thanks for the video, a couple I hadn't heard of... I'll have a look at your channel.
Have you played OPR games, Kill Team, or Shatterpoint?
Cheers
Cool list. I'm really enjoying Bushido and Steel Rift as my favorite skirmish games. Bushido was the first game I played that I had to paint my own miniatures. X-wing was my on-ramp to miniatures games from card and board games.
I do want to try Infinity and Malifaux since I've heard good things from many others. Malifaux has the deck of cards that seems really interesting and like you said kind of mitigates the bad outcomes since they stay out of the deck afterward.
I will just say that I had a difficult time following your dialogue at certain points during this video. There are too many cuts during a singular thought, that are very jarring to try to stay with you. I don't know if they are actual cuts, or if you are just pausing for effect or to match your visuals. But it would definitely be better if the dialogue was a little more fluid. I realize this video was like a year ago, but I'm just discovering it now, so maybe you've changed your editing style or whatever at this point. But just trying to help you out. It was informative and the composition and visuals were great. Thanks for the list and explanations on these great games.
You have a lot of great choices in this video, some of which I have not had the opportunity to try yet.
I especially want to try Infinity. I have been really impressed with the models for the game and could not resist buying some of their figures, despite knowing nothing of the rules. They just look ultra cool.
I know that a lot of war gamers are quick to dismiss Heroscape, because it started out as a mass market game, with pre-painted plastic figures, however I have grown to greatly respect and enjoy it. Heroscape quickly became the game that helped me scratch my miniature game itch when I stopped playing Warhammer. It’s super easy to learn. Plus, each unit has unique abilities, which adds to the diversity in army building. I really like the theme too; which brings together characters that have been warped in from different points in time and space. You can include cowboys, ninjas, orcs, mechs, dragons, aliens, zombies and so on. They are all fighting for control of a strange planet, where strange well springs adds to their power. The game was discontinued for several years, but the game has had such a strong fan base, the game continued through a fan made website, that encouraged players to submit new stat cards, using miniatures from other games, like Heroclix, D&D and Star Wars Miniatures game. After the cards were play-tested by a panel of judges, if they passed, the stat card were adopted into the unofficial “C3V” or “SOV” game lore. Due to that fan base, multiple game studios have tried obtaining the Heroscape licensing rights from Hasbro and it looks like Renegade Games pulled it off, because they have started releasing new sets as of Gen Con, last week.
A good way to short hand the control hand in malifaux is its like having a reroll but you know what the reroll is going to be.
Sounds like cheating to me
@@DefectiveDice propodterous we simply choose to make our own luck! Cheating fate, if you will ;)
Basic Battles: Super Small Skirmishes
All these game look awesome and I'd love to try them. Currently I'm playing Deadzone from Mantic games and it's awesome!
Nice! I have been meaning to check out Deadzone
recently started to play infinity, and used to play Malifaux back in M2E, maybe looking to get back into M3E. I've heard about the other 3, and Bushido really appealed but i dont think theres a local scene for it, would like to try it though.
Yeah, the trouble with playing smaller games is finding a scene. Sometimes we have to make a scene ourselves lol Let us know if you need help getting back into Faux though, I think M3E is in a really good place.
Pulp Alley is my all time favorite set of miniatures rules. It's what you've described as "skirmish."
My top 5... in order of most played
Infinity
Godtear
MCP
Battletech
Malifaux
That's a great list
Frostgrave, Mordheim, Forbidden Psalm
Oo I haven't heard forbidden psalm yet. I'll have to have a look
@@DefectiveDice it´s after the rpg Mörk Borg, and it is a blast. We have been playing a lot of games lately. Highly recommended.
Haven't checked Carnevale - but I will now. I agree on all the other games, they are all excellent. Relicblade is also worth checking out as a small and very fast skirmish game. Moonstone is also worth your time and uses card mechanics with bluffing.
Oo Ill have to check those out. Thank for the tips!
I love Malifaux but have no one to play with since I moved. I’ve been playing a lot of Forgotten Psalm lately and a game I’m working on.
Yeah I have a similar problem unfortunately. Vassal is pretty good though
I have yet to play any Malifaux or TTB but man I really love it.
I was sitting the entier video saying! MALIFAUX! MALIFAUX! MALIFAUX!
Haha you knew it had to come eventually
Over time nearly everybody stopped playing GW games in our club. Now you have the SciFi guys playing Infinity and the fantasy/Steampunk guys going for Malifaux. These are just the best 2 games looking at game mechanics
Sounds like an amazing group
I'm already into Infinity for years! A favorite of mine. I'm getting into Bushido this year. I just wish it was easier to get some of their figures. Then I also just did a demo of Moonstone and loved it! If you haven't checked that out, I'd recommend doing so. To me, skirmish is the way to go.
Moonstone is one of the ones that keeps getting brought up. I definitely need to check it out!
@@DefectiveDice Like some other games, close combat can be dangerous for both attacker and defender!
Although sadly no longer available, I still love Guild Ball. I would place Bushido only very slightly behind it in my top 2.
I need to give Guild Ball a shot, I know a ton of folks who love it!
I love that you didn't put any games workshop skirmish money grabs on the list, they usually dominate these kind of lists while being pretty bland skirmish games.
I used to love Malifaux while I played it, but my favorite is Guild Ball by far. Too bad SFG abandoned it for board games, it was a really special game.
I call it like I see it :)
I missed Guild Ball but I know a lot of Mali-folks speak very highly of it
Guildball is a masterpiece, instant fun and very deep
@@jeancouscous I've heard that, but I kinda missed the boat on it. Are you still playing it since it's been discontinued?
I played a couple of Infinity matches. I liked it into the basics, got me dizzy into the advanced. It was my second take on wargames, maybe I was a newbie that time, maybe I could give it another chance. I started playing Warcry years ago and I loved it, but it's tied into all the paraphernalia of official models and new rules every years and so into the GW bussines policy...
Then, I discovered Brutality, by Scott Wainwright. Fast, easy, lethal. Miniature agnostic, every terrain and models are valid. Good free rules, even greater Full version. Good for fast paced matches, very modular, use what you have. South americans and other 3rd world people like me are greateful with games like this. But my most played skirmish is Frostgrave. Fantasy themed but still miniature agnostic even if there are official minis by Northstar. Spanish version exists, what is a good thing. More skrimish for most people!
I've got a copy of brutality that I've been meaning to dig into for a while, but I haven't found anyone to play with. I might give the solo game mode a go, thanks for the recommend!
Forgot about infinity, the rules and army builder are free on line :)
Sounds like it's time to go be reminded :)
Ah, I forgot all about Drowned Earth. The rest I either play or follow closely.
It seems you're a person of exquisite tastes 🎉
I love bushido, carnevale, and drowned earth, they are my favorite. I have tried blood bowl
With the exception of Infinity and Malifaux, I've not heard of any others! Thank you for sharing! For my favorites, I like "Dracula's America" an Alt-Wild West skirmish game and I really love "Frostgrave", which is great because you can use just about any fantasy miniatures that you want, not just the official ones. I've also just started playing "First Blood" the skirmish variant of "Conquest: Last Argument of Kings" by Para-bellum Games. I'm only a few games in, but so far, they've been enjoyable. Nothing as innovative as the games on your list, but familiar and easy to learn play-style.
Awesome! I hope you might find something you like.
Ive had a few people raving about Frostgrave and I think im gonna pick up the book. I've heard the mechanics are really well designed. Im not familiar with Dracula's America, but ill check it out. Conquest I just started looking at, but ill have to check out the skirmish rules too for sure, thanks for the tips!
Mine would be:
#5 Wild west Exodus
#4 Moonstone
#3 Carnevale
#2 Deadzone
#1 Malifaux
I'd probably have Infinity on there, but I hate metal models
Thats a great list. Wild West Exodus is one that keeps coming up, I have to check it out for sure.
Definitely check out Wild West Exodus!
Everyone keeps saying that. I guess I have to check it out now huh
My Top 5 in no particular order:
Infinity
Bushido
Batman
Carnevale
Battletech
Very solid list! I have some battletech models, I really need to break them out and give it a try
The lack of Marvel Crisis Protocol is disturbing
I actually just recently picked up a few models, hoping to try it out soon
Hi great video :) do any of these games have campaign modes?
Malifaux had a campaign mode in 2nd edition but it has not been officially updated for third yet. If there is one for any of the other games, im not aware of it
Love M3E. I've heard of Drowned Earth, Carnevalè, and infinity but haven't played them. All the minis look fantastic though 😁
I've played Warbands Bushido. It's a free game made by the creators of Bushido. Idk if it's exactly the same rule set but it's pretty fun. The sprites are actual minis of each soldier.
oo interesting. I have to check that out. Bushido is a really cool system.
@@DefectiveDice Agreed, I love that there's a reaction when inactive soldiers are attacked. They don't just stand there waiting for their turn.
Tribal by Mana Press and Saga by Studio Tomahawk. Both are historical games.
I hadn't heard of tribal, I'll have to check it out, thanks!
my faves are Sword Weirdos and Deadzone
I need to check out deadzone for sure
Bushido for me, the combat systems is very real.
For sure. I have not played in a while, but I need to start getting back in
I'm curious as to what you think of Wild West Exodus? I don't encounter it very often, but I think Warcradle Studios did a decent job of it and I particularly like the 17th century alt-timeline and the steam punk cowboys
I have not had a chance to check it out, but I've heard good things and it sounds really cool. I do like steampunk cowboys and alt history...
Star Wars Miniatures
Great vid - too many cool systems 😁
Thank you. There is so much cool stuff out there. Hoping to spread the awareness
@@DefectiveDice Already into Infinity and Malifaux. Did look at Drowned Earth and Carnevale previously, but the lack of a good 2 faction starter pack for Drowned Earth and the stock/availability of Carnevale from TTCombat held me back. Have said this before, Corvus Belli's starters for CodeOne are the best with everything needed in one box 😁 Have not checked out Bushido as yet.
Mordheim for me. Good tactical rules and an excellent campaign system.
I've heard many good things!
I’d love for you to do a short video of the Slave 2 Gaming skirmish game called Grim Fantasy.
It has some unique ways to play skirmish
I was not familiar, I will check it out!
The drowned earth looks awesome
It's really cool! Interesting mechanics and beautiful models
If you've not tried Zona Alfa, that should be next on the list.
Honorable Mention*: I think Warcaster Neo Mechanika has potential.
* HM since I already listed 5 😊
I need to check that one out too!
1. I HATE the ARO system in Infinity. It’s the sole reason I don’t play it. Lol. Which is a shame, because the rest of the game is cool.
2. Bushido has fast become my favourite skirmish game of all time. I love the design space and how deep the interactions can go. It’s easily the most tactical game I’ve played. And it’s super easy and intuitive to learn.
3. I like malifaux, but find it overly complex (like infinity). There’s also a fuckload of bookkeeping you have to do around conditions, which gets monotonous for some factions. Also, miniature assembly can be a royal pain in the ass :/
If you haven't checked out malifaux 3e, they did reduce the conditions considerably. It's still really complex though lol
I need to get back into Bushido, I think I have a friend who I've worn down enough to give it a shot 🤞
Malifaux, Infinity, Moonstone, Bushido, Batman miniatures game, Arena Rex, SAGA.... And guild ball rip :(
Good choices!
i recommend rune warriors agnostic skirmish game.
I'll check it out, thanks!
Top 5 “sci-fi and fantasy” skirmish games.
Check out pulp alley
Will do!
My vote goes to Batman Miniature Game by Knight Models
Thats one that I don't know too much about, the models look amazing though
@@DefectiveDice I prefer it to MCP. I feel the theme is more present. The game balance is good due to not having a lot of models and each faction bend the rules in different way.
You'll rarely lose a game off malifaeux and think it was luck
So I have to finally admit I'm bad... Thanks
There is still some luck lol
so, let us introduce ourselves... 😎🦑
👋👋
Pulp Alley is as good or better...
What is this accentuation?!
@@ElDaumo what?
@@DefectiveDice As soon as you start describing Carnival, the accentuation sounds like an AI version of you? I cant really put my finger on it. Maybe its the splicing, but it reminds me of this standard tiktok voice, but with your voice?
None the less, nice Video. Whats your opinion of Malifaux?
@@ElDaumo oh weird. Must be a combination of old audio equipment and bad editing lol hopefully those are better now.
I love Malifaux! It's my favorite game easily. Have you ever tried it?
@@DefectiveDice Not yet. The thing is: I am looking for a skirmisher with high replayability for me and my board game bestie. Thats how I found your channel.
While we both dont shy away from complex systems, it shouldnt be too rules heavy, because we both have kids now and freetime is precious
I am between Carnival and Malifaux atm, because they both fit theme wise. Sounds like you would recommend Malifaux? :D
@@ElDaumo Malifaux is a much tighter game from a competitive view. It's got great replayability, and is very tactical, but it can be a bit of a challenge to get into if you're more casual. Carnevale I would describe as a beer and pretzels games. It's a ton of fun, but I wouldn't take it too seriously from a competitive perspective. Both great choices but for very different reasons
Love the content and the look at some games I've never seen before. But if I can offer some constructive criticism, try working on having smoother narration, and make each thought flow together. Your sentences are choppy, as if every few words you stopped and edited stuff together. It makes listening to what you're saying a bit annoying.
I appreciate the feedback. This is kind of an older video and I was still learning how to do editing properly. It should be quite a bit better in more recent stuff, but always learning
Warcry
I've been trying to get a game of it in, I've heard really good things
Warcry didn’t make the list?
Kill Team didn’t make the list?
Necromunda didn’t make it?
Mordheim didn’t make the list?!
WE GOT A GAMES WORKSHOP HATER HERE, FOLKS!!!
Actually I just haven't had a chance to play any of them. I hear warcry is great though! Which do you recommend?
@@DefectiveDice
Highly recommend Warcry. It’s fast paced, easy to learn, hard to master. Extremely well balanced, especially after the balance patch thingy they just released a few days ago. So we’ll balanced though (with matched play rules) that most games I’ve played constantly teeter back and forth between feeling like I’m definitely going to win, then definitely going to lose, back and forth throughout each initiative phase for the entirety of the game. 😆 I’ve even had a decent amount of matches go into overtime because the set ending point came during a “draw” in points. Additionally, every move you make often feels like it’s both good and bad at the same time. All that to say that it feels very balanced. It’s really fun though, even my non-gamer wife seems to like playing it. Earlier this month attended a local tournament with 26 attendees and it was suuuper fun. Like most other skirmish games, it’s also quite easy to use proxy models, so if you’ve already got lots of other minis you can try it for free because GW (shockingly) posted all the faction cards and the base rulebook online for free in PDF form when second edition dropped.
Warcry is a great game, the first skirmish I played indeed. Is good to hear something not made by GW.
infinity has the most shit models I ever built, in modern times the only metal models worse are the bolt actions remnants that aren't plastic yet, that was the biggest reason for me to completely abandon that game
Malifaux
Summoners from neverrealm industry
Freebooters Fate
Infinity
And... Hmm... i don't know
Ohh Bushido.
Some good ones there. I remember hearing good things about Freebooters Fate, I have to check it out again.
Just one guy's opinion: you shouldn't use diversity as a selling point. It's gross. "Look, we have some browns... and WOMEN!" Don't get me wrong, it is a good thing, but it is something that should go without saying, and only be a bad thing if it isn't the case. It's like someone going around bragging about having black friends; you should, but also it shouldn't be a big deal, and if you are making it a big deal, it makes it seem like you aren't doing it because it is normal/right, you are instead doing it for show/praise. Really rubs me the wrong way, when people brag about diversity like that, especially a company trying to sell a product- just comes off as gross. Bad sales tactic; again, not diversity itself, but bragging about it. Don't try to capitalize on what should just be normal morality.
I'm not sure if this is meant in response to myself, or any of the companies here, or just a general comment, but...
For myself, I certainly didn't mean to say that diversity should be a selling point. In fact I didn't even mean for this video to be about selling the sales, I was just explaining why I like these games. A big part of the appeal of some of these games was the inclusion, which is sadly something that is often conspicuously lacking in this hobby
For the purposes of the company, I don't think any of these companies have ever marketed any of their games as being about diversity. I don't even think any of them have commented on it (I could be wrong). If I implied that they did then that's on me, but again the purpose of what I said was simply that these are features in the game that I like
And if it was just a general comment, then I agree entirely. That would be gross. Including different types of characters and perspectives into games makes the games better, and doing it just for the clout is counterproductive.
Exactly. Diversity Equity Inclusion is the most insulting policy in use today. Not only to Americans of European descent but to all minorities pandered to.
In video you said about one game that it has lot of women that is what is he talking about (you said it about malifaux)
Yeah, I can see the point. It shouldn't be a selling point but between an ever diversifying community and a hobby that has for a very long time been very uninclusive and alienating between shitty people and some realy gross sculpts of fem presenting figures for now at least it will be.
@@scottperkins5038you nailed it. Deliberately broad or nontraditional representation can initiate a more inclusive player base down the road. Among people looking for a game they more identify with, this can be a selling point, until there's a more diverse offering.
NO MENTION OF SAGA ..IM OUT!!!!!
Confrontation 3.5 is the best
Oo I don't think I've heard that one much. I'll have to check it out!
Confrontation was awesome, excellent models and interesting rules along with a great magazine. I really think they allowed companies to see they could compete with GW who had a complete stranglehold on the market at the time. I don't think we would have such a diverse and interesting options to play if it wasn't for Confrontation (well GW also helped by killing the Old World and abandoning 40k balance in the deluded stage of "we're just a model company" phase).