Combat, as we all know, is part and parcel of a role playing game. Almost every game out there devotes more rules space to combat than to any other aspect of the game (arguably, except for spell descriptions). While combat is generally the most dynamic (and often the most fun) part of the game, it can also drag on and get boring after awhile. This is also the case when you have skirmish-level battles going on with a lot of enemies.  When it comes down to these situations, skirmish or mook rules come in very handy. With that in mind I've been thinking about some streamlined combat rules for the O.G.R.E.S. system that will greatly speed up battles and tap into some classic concepts from early "man to man" wargames.  219215496 © United States Department Of Defense Visual Information Directorate | Dreamstime.com The Basics These rules assume, but do not require, that you are using miniatures. Please see our last blog on using minis with O.G.R.E.S. to familiarize yourself wi...

 O.G.R.E.S. games, though built from a more "old school" sensibility, tend to eschew miniatures in favor of a "theatre of the mind" approach. This is, admittedly, a factor of my own preferences as a gamer, GM, and designer. While I understand the utility of miniatures as a visual reference, I feel that they devolve the game from an exercise in shared storytelling to a board game, moving pieces around and losing the drama. Folks can agree or disagree on that to whatever degree they like; in the end, it all comes down to preference.  None of this, however, means that you can't do miniatures-based combat with Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars  or other O.G.R.E.S. games. Everything you need to do so is already inherent in the rules. Let's take a look and see how it breaks down, as well as some rules to simplify movement and tactics in combat.  909058 © Ivan Josifovic | Dreamstime.com The Basics The basics of using miniatures in O.G.R.E.S. are alread...