Bin or Brilliant? A first look at the changes to SPQR

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Great review Dom. I need to check the shields rule again I think. I thought it gave you re rolls on armour saves rather than duplicating the old parry rule - but I might have read it wrong. Sadly I loaned out my rulebook so can't check that!

[@BootsontheTable]

you are absolutely right Kaiser, that's a significant change i entirely missed, parry is no more its an armour save only plus the shield gives various reroll options... interesting

[@brysenjasper6764]

I guess it's kind of randomly asking but do anyone know of a good site to watch new series online ?

[@ibrahimbo880]

@Brysen Jasper Try FlixZone. Just google for it =)

[@caseymyles4048]

@Brysen Jasper I use FlixZone. Just search on google for it :)

[@BrushQuill]

Interesting review of the changes to rules. I wish companies would provide a sheet with new versions of a book with the major rules changes.

[@BootsontheTable]

that would be so helpful wouldnt it?

[@niccolofattori4393]

I've been playing SPQR revised pretty much on a daily basis with some friends, on tabletop simulator. There are some ambiguities in the rules, especially when it comes to melee actions - but it's overall a very enjoyable game, certainly better playtested and more balanced than the previous edition.

[@BootsontheTable]

really good to know mate - I so wanted these rules to be good so was hugely disappointed by the first version but hopefully the revised version is playable

[@marctitley7020]

These rules are a vast improvement on the original. The points are now far more balanced. In the old set the Romans were always going to lose. Now a more balanced game. Have played a few games with the new set. The major change I found is there is no longer any parry. Although large shields allow re- roll saves. A definite thumbs up from me and as I got the rules for nothing having bought a few more figures I have nothing to complain about.

[@BootsontheTable]

great to hear Marc - I can feel myself definitely wanting to give them a crack

[@johnp4000]

I think Warlord have realised that there is a market for easy to learn and quick to play rules. I have tried Saga and I wouldn't call that an easy game to learn and for the amount of figures on the tabletop, it seemed slow to me. I am glad they revisited these rules, and there was a lot of decent scenario's to try in the book.

[@BootsontheTable]

there are several quick play sets on the market but I wouldnt necessarily say SAGA is one of them - I like SAGA but it gives me a headache! I will give these revised rules a go for sure and see how they play. Simple can be good, but simple plus stupid or overly simple doesnt work for me

[@sionmarcsimpson7487]

Yea Saga seemed slow to me with the fatigue dynamic. I like the idea but slowed it down for me lot modifies to remember too.

[@fogh]

Thanks for the quite thorough walkthrough. As you say, will need to play the games to see how the new systems work 👍

[@BootsontheTable]

No problem 👍

[@riddcowler8547]

Why didn’t they just play test the original rules properly? Once a ruleset gets a duff reputation it sticks, no matter how many amendments you make. I know Warlord we’re facing challenges from other rulesets but I think they would have been better off delaying their own ruleset (to allow proper playtesting) rather then produce such a poor quality ruleset. I think the original rules were a classic example of ‘pretty pictures does not a ruleset make’ and I’m honestly still uncertain about this new edition.

[@BootsontheTable]

yeah I don't get it - they are a big company with big budgets so I just dont get why these rules were so bad first time around

[@lionheart6754]

Great review thanks for sharing your thoughts on the rules not sure if I’m gonna commit to these yet

[@BootsontheTable]

Glad it was helpful!

[@shring7]

Good reveiw ,me and my mates use a homebrew mod of the old spear and shield rules, i have WRG 3rd edition and later and DBM but we never liked them and i have feilds of glory but we never play them i was holding fire on Hail Ceaser to see what SPQR would achieve on rerelease. Pilum sound a bit OTT as usual or is that just me?

[@BootsontheTable]

that was my immediate though that maybe they had gone too far the other way with Romans, but I guess at least they only have one pilum per game....

[@Jimmy0576]

Hey Dom, congrats for your channel and your love for the hobby. It has been a while since this video came out but i wanted to ask what is your opinion now about the game? I found it for 33 € (!!) The starter set, 16 romans 1 commander 40 gauls 1 commander and some mercenaries and a miniature for free (a gaul druid slaughtering a goat !?). Also the sprues are 2008 made, am i right? It's super cheap, but is it worth it?

[@BootsontheTable]

thanks mate - so my honest feeling is that SPQR miss it and really are not my cup of tea. They are missing so much of the flavour and seem to be unsure if they want to be a skirmish game or a battle game. I would look at Clash of Spears - a much better game system. But that said 33 for the figures is a pretty good deal so nothing lost in my book!

[@BattleMatt]

Thanks Dom for the update. The problem is Warlord have missed the boat on this one I think. Like everyone has said before, once the hobby moves on it's very difficult to get everyone playing a game most people have left behind, regardless of how good it is now.

[@BootsontheTable]

Yeah agreed Matt - they have the Warlord engine behind it so maybe it will pick up but I just dont know either

[@Bogjob1]

Unless Warlord gave me a free copy in exchange for my original I’ve no interest nor does anyone in my group. We moved on to Clash of Spears where the writers dont publicly ridicule people on Facebook etc for raising issues or make the 1st errata a sarcastic response to concerns.

[@BootsontheTable]

they did give you a revised edition for free if you bought a cheap box of mini - like £15 - which was a step i was impressed by. But agreed Clash seems a whole lot better set of rules

[@phelyxz]

so what do you think about clash of spears?

[@BootsontheTable]

they read well but I havent had a chance to actually play a game yet given all the lockdwons

[@BattleBunkerHQ]

Good video Dom, but like others have said I’m not convinced yet, but thanks for this 👍

[@BootsontheTable]

yeah I feel I should give them a go, but not sure I can be bothered now

[@mako2350]

I am thinking of getting this... I hope it is good. I very much like SAGA and hope that the revised edition is up to snuff before I drop some cash on it...

[@BootsontheTable]

well the NA version is very god indeed - for me one of the best skirmish type systems out there, so I am pretty confident these will be good. Hopefully with the UK opening up I can get a game in to try them!

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you , Dom .

[@BootsontheTable]

You are very welcome

[@mako2350]

I just bought this from Amazon I hope its the revised edition, hopefully it will be good...

[@BootsontheTable]

i hope you enjoy it - myself I think I'll pass

[@gkspain1]

Very nice review Dom, all the best, Garry

[@BootsontheTable]

cheers Garry

[@smoothbrush4722]

Nice review, i am learning bolt action and flames of war, i think i am done with rules for now :))

[@BootsontheTable]

yeah and these are very different again to those two

[@paulspaintshed3511]

Nice review mate. Still not sure about them to be honest. Might still pick them up though.

[@BootsontheTable]

it's another rule set so why not ;)

[@wargameshobby]

I am sure they would have ironed out the issues. I hope so anyway. Will they work on a Zoom game? If so, I am game. :)

[@BootsontheTable]

I dont see why not Alec, if we can persuade the others

[@DavidSmith-te9gg]

Well, they have improved but its still a nothing game, just move everything and roll dice to get a six, no command and control at all? This was also the ruleset that made me cancel my Beasts of War subscription, you could tell that they didn't like it but still said what a great game - which they say about every guests game.

[@BootsontheTable]

no command and control no - these sort of rules dont really have things like that - I guess they would say they are smaller scale battles but I think there should be something in there

[@sionmarcsimpson7487]

I think Spartans dropping that extra wound will make them lot weaker. The points for their hoplites go up so less men than most other units and now easier to kill. And the Pilum changes make them lot tougher now the Barbarians won't be able to use there shields in all combat while there locked in combat.... I'm very disappointed in Warlord over this game and the revisions. I invested heavily into it with 5 painted forces Spartans one of them. I'm going to be looking for a different system for these armies. Warlord lost my custom now.

[@sionmarcsimpson7487]

I actully preferred the old WAB rules to Spqr.

[@BootsontheTable]

the old system was totally broken tbh. But at least you can reuse those armies in other systems - ancients dont date (err)

[@BootsontheTable]

WAB was a fun system, the more I think about it the more I think i'll go back ti using that

[@michamalinowski8015]

If the reason they rushed was Infamy Infamy and Clash of Spear I find it a bit weird. Do historical rule makes realy compete? The reason I took interst in SPQR starter box because of Infamy, Infamy and War of the Republic by Osprey. If I can play multiple systems with the same set the more attractive it becomes to me. TooFatLardies and Osprey do not make minis so Warlord has nothing to fear from them. Minis are a big investment of money and time, buying and realing rulebooks not so much.

[@BootsontheTable]

It just seemed more than a coincidence that everyone was talking about Infamy and Clash and suddenly out of the blue SPQR arrived and obviously hadn’t been properly playtested. You are right about the figures of course but then Warlord went all in rebranding their figures and boxes to match SPQR so that wouldn’t have been cheap. Ultimately for me these rules are just not very good, but others might think differently

[@michamalinowski8015]

@@BootsontheTable yea I'm not doubting you but if that is the case I think Warlord Games made a big mistake as a miniatures manufacturer. If they were just making rulesets- yea being first is an advantage. But as an historical wargamer I am more keen on buying minis when I see a multitude of systems they can be used with so for me buying the SPQR sets makes more sense to me now that Infamy Infamy and Wars of the Republic, Saga: Age of Hannibal came out because I will get way more value from them. It's not like with more popular fantasy games where I have to choose between Warhammer, Conquest or Songs of Ice and Fire.

[@BootsontheTable]

@@michamalinowski8015 ultimately I have no more insight than anyone else, but either way I agree with you about flexibility of figures to use with a variety of rules

[@davidmartyn5044]

How do certain people get so much free stuff?

[@BootsontheTable]

Friends in this case

[@oldschoolfrp2326]

But what did you really think about the original? ( 4:41 😂 )

[@BootsontheTable]

lol was i too unclear?