What is it?
The Men Who Would Be Kings is a light 2 player wargame ruleset based loosely on the 19th century Colonial Wars.
Historical Backdrop
Many states, nations and cultures across the world had colonies well into pre-history, and many of these colonies and their colonizers had wars with indigenous populations, and often with other would-be colonizers also. Contemporary reference to the ‘Colonial Wars’ however relates specifically to 19th century European nations, primarily Britain, France and Spain, expanding their empires to foreign shores in the form of colonies, often warring with indigenous inhabitants to maintain anything from a shoreline foothold to full-on subjugation and control over vast sways of lands and populations. The so called ‘Scramble for Africa’ contains a plethora of examples which closely relate to The Men Who Would Kings rulebook, although the name is inspired by the film of almost identical name starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine, set in a mountainous region of modern-day Afghanistan. Anyway. You get the gist. Powerful monarchies and empires grabbing what they could of promising and lucrative opportunities in terms of land, resources and sadly, human labour. But without getting too into the historical narrative, remember this is simply a ruleset pitting two vastly different belligerents against one another in relatively small-scale skirmish warfare.
What’s the objective?
The Men Who Would Be Kings contains numerous scenarios with objectives such as ‘seek and destroy’, ‘defend and hold’, ‘rearguard and evacuate’, so it’s not always about simply defeating the opposing army, though that is certainly a viable strategy and ultimately what it comes down to in many situations. Interestingly though, one could use this ruleset to design your own scenarios, so although its simplicity is apparent, it’s scope is huge, leaving lots of room for replayability.
Game or sim?
Game. Sure, realism and historical accuracy is attempted but don’t expect rules that dig into the detailed tactics, technology and equipment of the period. It’s highly generalised and loose, enabling you to game with a huge variety of miniatures covering colonial wars across the world and not just involving European nations. It really is an open book.
How complicated is it?
Not very. It’s quick and easy to learn, and crucially includes extremely helpful stats tables for quick reference. One read through the rules and the occasional stat-check and you’re sorted. You can however add your own complexities to the rules, and this in fact is encouraged within the rulebook itself. Build on it, be creative, and have fun.
Is it similar to any other rulesets?
Yes. I notice similarities between other rulesets published by Osprey, namely, ‘Rebels and Patriots’ and ‘Dragon Rampant’, particularly the former. Whenever I see an Osprey release, I’m confident whether it be my theme or not, that the rules will be concise, well-presented and fun.
How long does a game last?
It depends. Personal preference. As a skirmish game it’s designed for short battles, say 30-60min but there’s nothing stopping you from ramping up the scale for longer games. I have a large Anglo-Zulu wars collection and plan on a large scale Isandlwana battle that’ll be way more than a skirmish, yet I’ll still use The Men Who Would Be Kings as my go-to ruleset. I should also state that the rulebook itself is high quality, with thick, glossed pages. Whilst the front and rear cover isn't fully hardback, it's thick and glossy.
