Point of No Return is a set of free wargames rules for starship combat with simple vector movement and inertia.
rules
Task Force Zeta Starship Rules
Task Force Zeta is a set of free wargames rules for starship combat.
Pundits will tell you that representing space combat in 3 dimensions is a wasted exercise in mathematics, and that two ships fighting can be equally well represented on a 2-dimensional plane. What happens when you have three ships? ten? Did their captains all just conveniently forget about attacking/defending from the z axis?
Task Force Zeta allows you to fight battles against opponents in a representation of real (3-D) space using vector movement – without doing complex math every time you move or fire. Fourteen different ship classes are provided, along with fighters and bases, as well as basic rules for ship construction – design your own factions or convert ships from your favorite movies/TV shows!
Counterblast Adventure Battle Game
Counterblast is a set of free wargames rules for pulp-style adventures. The author writes:
Bombshell Miniatures presents the COUNTERBLAST™ Adventure Battle Game, a pulp-inspired science fiction tabletop skirmish battle game for 15mm or 28mm miniatures. COUNTERBLAST™ takes place in a dieselpunk setting of classic pulp sci-fi adventure with fast paced action and cinematic thrills, evocative of the serials that captivated the imagination of previous generations.
Reaper Cowboys and Gunslingers Rules
Reaper is giving away its Cowboys and Gunslingers rules set.
Skjaldborg skirmish rules
From Shieldwall Games, Skjaldborg is a set of free wargames skirmish rules for ancients through medievals. They look like they’d be best for dark ages — and especially Vikings! It is very professionally presented in a pdf file and has some interesting rules mechanisms. My favorite part is how all of the charts work the same. You start in a base column and then shift left or right depending upon the situation. The modifiers are presented below the appropriate chart, with little arrows telling you which way to shift.
I’ve saved this one to my hard drive. It’s a must-try in my Viking project.