House of the Jade Lantern

When I had the itch to start pushing some of my WH40K models around the table a few months ago, I found myself looking for some alternate rules options and learned about One Page Rules. They make their own versions of grimdark sci-fi and fantasy rules, in unit and skirmish flavors. After reading the rules, I liked what I read well enough to give them a try … and really liked the results. OPR just released their version 3.0 of the rule sets, which I just downloaded and look forward to getting into.

Grimdark Firefight is the skirmish version (small warband / fireteam) and Grimdark Future is their unit-based wargame (think WH40K or Xenos Rampant). OPR has an Age of Fantasy line for regiment, unit and skirmish flavors, and a spaceship combat game as well.

OPR offers the basic rules for free, which will get you a fine skirmish game. It’s with the paid rulebooks that they fold in more options and optional rules – several of which are my preferred home rules/adjustments. Random unit activation, patrol phase, more actions/options, and such. All d6 based, and minis agnostic. If you have some six-sliders, you can pretty much be playing OPR at no cost and have a fun time.

OPR has the advanced rulebooks for each game at ~ $5/each. If you really like what you see, I’d recommend considering the $5 Patreon option. It provides all of the advanced rulebooks as part of monthly $5 fee, along with some discounts for 3D models (printed or STL), monthly mission downloads and other perks. There’s a $10 Patreon level with all the same perks + STLs of all sorts (and it’s an amazing amount of them). If you’re 3D printer enabled, I think it’s worth a look.

OPR also features some free intro/starter kits, which include 3D print STLs

I think another fantastic feature of the One Page Rules offering is their online army builder. Browser-based, it provides a very easy ability to put together an army list and output to cards or listings for easy use. Most of the WH40K factions have analogs, along with some additional science-fiction favorites like Imperial … er, Human Defense Stormtroopers, plucky rebels and such. Patreon supporters also get access to create their own units for use with the army builder, which is functionality I’ve only begun to play with. But if you wanted to model up your own forces using Wargames Atlantic’s range, for example, you could build units to make that line, your own interpretation, etc. It really is a top quality army builder, and at the free level, I think with the rules makes an incredible package.

I’ve been a PDF-level Patreon backer for the past few months – since WH40K 10th edition release, more or less – and in that time, I’ve enjoyed more play with my Space Marine and Ork models than I had prior.