“I waded carefully through the reeds. My rough leather boots sucked against the mud, the only sound as I hunted my quarry while the rest of my company waited a ways behind me. There were orcs in here somewhere, I could smell them, what a stench! I nocked the first arrow. Growling from my left made me pivot and release it in an ugly orcish face. A second launched itself at me and I dodged. The orc landed hard and rolled, gesturing with its filthy blade. I dumped my bow and drew my sword. It died. I listened for more movement but there was none. There had to be more of the things. There had to be…”

- Girak Haudersonne, The Hunt

Unbridled Fury is an innovative set of miniatures wargame rules designed from the ground up for skirmish battles. These small engagements and affrays are set in worlds as diverse as the players themselves (as well as the history of our very own Earth). UF has no ‘official’ setting or miniatures line and allows the players to use whatever they want. If you are unfamiliar with miniature wargaming, have a quick read of this. It gives a broad overview of the hobby, from a generic wargaming standpoint.

Left: First I’m a gunna bash ‘em, then I’m a gunna crunch ‘em, then I might just chew ‘em…. (The giant is by Reaper, the humans leggin’ it are made by Foundry, Alternative Armies and even an old Citadel figure. The giant is painted by Sithboy.)

Gameplay is fast and brutal. Unlike some so-called ’skirmish’ rules melees surge back and forth as the tide of battle carries the combatants with it. You can almost feel the pain of the fighters as they hurl themselves at each other. Games are usually over in under an hour once the players get a grip on the rules, which is crucial to those who have to squeeze real life in between them. Physical space required is also small - most 4′ x 4′ terrain boards are ideal; kitchen tables will suffice, though, and can often produce a tighter battle.

The game currently comprises only the rules for the fantasy genre; that said it is definitely possible to use Unbridled Fury to play purely historical skirmishes. Enterprising players could blend the two to produce games set in the worlds of human mythology and legend. Or they could produce something truly original… There is no shortage of conceivable settings when a game has such complete flexibility.

Unbridled Fury is currently in active development. It has a dedicated team of playtesters and is intended to be produced as a value-packed published book sometime in the near future. The published version will be a colourful, polished work that will contain extra rules to expand the game to cover the entire spectrum of the fantasy and science fantasy genres. To this end, it will include details of high-tech weapons, armour and vehicles, as well as a whole swag of company lists, scenarios and inspirational materials for gamers of all persuasions. The future is looking interesting for our little skirmish game. Keep checking back for updates.

Well, what are you waiting for? Dust those figures off and get to it!