Fictioneers: Legacy

This is the page for the Skirmish Sci-Fi Combat game, Fictioneers: Legacy which was written for the Stan Johansen Miniatures line know as the Fictioneers.
If you are looking for information about the Fictioneers miniatures… that can be found here.

One thing that has always bothered me is that there was no ruleset specifically written for the Fictioneers miniatures. Sure, they can be added into any mini agonistic rules system or any that allow for proxy models to be used, but questions were left unanswered: Who are the Xybans? Where did the Eeeks come from? What is the planet Sita like? Well, we rectified all that with a new ruleset just for them (Fictioneers: Legacy) written in 2021. Playtesting and revisions took us well into 2022 but it is now available as a free PDF (links below) and print versions on the webstore… the 2nd printing here, and a few remaining copies of the 1st printing collectors edition here. A 3rd printing will be done in 2025.

Beside supplying a fun game session to play, each scenario specifically written for the game also introduces a new concept or optional rule. These can also be added to any other Fictioneers: Legacy game session/scenario by agreement of the players. This adds a lot of replay value to each of the scenarios by allowing for easy changes as players gain experience with the system.

If you wondered where the font or sub-title inspiration for Fictioneers: Legacy comes from, you only need to look at an old ’80 era minis pack for the Fictioneers figures to find the answer. I did choose to update the original “si-fi” to the more currently common sci-fi. I’m not sure if that was a typo on the original or if Stan thought that would become the standard way of spelling it back in the 1970s. I hope any old-school purists can forgive me for making the change. One thing that I messed up on the 1st printing is that because I am so used to seeing the logo on the mini packs that I missed that I planned to change it on the rule book to say “Fictioneers: Legacy”. It is corrected on the second printing. Maybe this will make the first print copies more valuable in the future. The 1st printing was limited to 25 copies which are all numbered and initialed. If you get a copy, hang on to it and keep it nice. If you really insist on playing from it, the errata pages are very health as a good number of changes were implemented since then. We have included the current Quick Reference Sheet (QRS) with each set, so if there is a contradiction between it and the rules, the QRS is correct.

The design philosophy for F:L was to keep it extremely rules-light to make sure it was fun & fast game, but also make sure there was enough meat on the bone to make it a game that players would take seriously. To accomplish this we did two major things. First, we kept fluff to an minimum and option rules were moved to the scenarios in order to help keep the focus on just the core rules. Second, and this may cause an issue with people that have never played a tabletop wargame before, we did not provide a lot of hand-holding for brand new players. We expect that most of you understand how to roll dice and consult a chart to determine a result, how to use a measuring tape to move minis across the board or determine fire distances, and the general concepts of “cover” providing a hiding bonus to those in it. Those concepts were purposely left out of the rules to avoid clutter. For any of you struggling to understand anything that we did not fully explain in the rules, feel free to ask us here. We will gladly cover any details with you to make sure you have an enjoyable gaming experience.

Although the rules are light, there is plenty of depth to discover there. Words such as ‘may’ or ‘must’ have been used to definitively explain what to do or not do with a minimum of words. If the rules say that you may do something, that means (without stating it) that you may also choose not to do it. Sometime the rules ‘say’ more by what is not written that what is. Don’t look at is as taking advantage of loopholes but rather discovering an Easter egg. Some items/tactics are purposely left up to the player to discover. With experience, you will become a better player.

To help folks get started, we offer starter boxed sets. Each has a squad of two opposing factions, a print copy of the rules, terrain pieces, dice, etc. for low introductory price. A super cool thing is that there is a free custom scenario included in each box. And, the scenario is tailored for the factions and terrain items in the box.
Box Set #1 is The Planetary Legion vs The Navonia Consortium: Boarding the Didelphis.
Box Set #2 is The Sentinels of Xyban vs The Death Raiders: Encounter on XU-568.
Box Set #3 is The Sitan Giants vs The Sitan Humanoids: Battle of Giltawa Pass.
Box Set #4 is The Eeeks vs The Sitan Apes: Battle at Corrotick Grove.

Down Loads — Free Stuff! It is free for you to use; please don’t steal and sell it.

For those using the 1st printing of the rule book: The Errata page for it is here. It is setup to be printed, double-sided on 8.5×11″ paper, which is flipped on the short edge. It will then easily make a small booklet. Also, the newest faction (the Navonia Consortium) was added after the 1st printing. The Troop List for it, the Expanded Critter List, and Planetary Background are all here. These and the new QRS below will bring your 1st printing up the the 3rd printing standards.

For those using the 2nd printing, the Errata page for it is here. These are date stamped so you will always know if your previously downloaded errata page is current. This and the new QRS below will bring your 2nd printing up the the 3rd printing standards. It is currently less than one side of a sheet of paper, so it is setup to be printed, double-sided on 8.5×11″ paper, which is flipped on the short edge. This can then be cut in half giving you two copies (to share with a friend).

The 3rd printing is a work in progress. The current wip version available here! It includes the rules, 8 core factions, and scenarios 1-15 (a few are still incomplete). Note: This is not yet formatted for 8.5×11 inch page (or booklet) print out, but it work fine for e-viewing. All currently known Errata will be regularly updated to this file so you don’t need any Errata Page if you are using the current pdf of the rules.

The Quick Reference Sheet (QRS) is here. (All currently known Errata has already been corrected here also.) Based on feedback from players, this was formatted to be in a booklet layout. It is still essentially just 2 sides of one 8.5×11 in. page, but now it is intended to be folded in half and flipped though booklet style. And also based on player feedback, we added page numbers as an aid to direct new players’ attention to specific areas.

The F:L universe is expanding… Check out the Star Armor Supplement here. This adds over 20 new factions which we have miniatures for. These come from great companies including Stan Johansen Miniatures, Acheson Creations/Ahketon, Reviresco Products, The Little Soldier Company, and some as from ourselves as well. We are still in the proofreading and play testing phase with the SA Supplement (and painting sample figures to photograph). Once that is complete, we will offer a print version.

Notes:

Scenario 11: A huge thank you to Loresmyth for allowing us to use their map tile set to build the ship floor plan and offer it to you for your personal use. We have it in three ways. 1. Full for those that want to have it printed as one sheet as a 30″x48″ poster. 2. Printed out for you on a sturdy 30″x48″ vinyl mat. 3. Divided for those wanting to print it on standard U.S. 8.5×11 in. sheets of paper. If you need something else, let us know. If using the sheets of printer paper method, the sheets can be trimmed and taped together to make a full-size game map ready for miniatures. Or a better method is to pick up 11 12×12 in. vinyl self-adhesive floor tiles. Stick a sheet to each one and then trim with a good metal straight edge. These tiles have enough weight to say in place during gaming and will last a long time for repeated use. A smaller version of the ship (to aid in tile arrangement), an image of a printed sheet with minis on it as an example, and the specific tile set used to make this floor plan map (called Nebulus Outpost) are all shown below. The tile set is available as a download at Drive Thru RPG. While you are there, use their search function (simply type in Loresmyth) to find their many other great other sets. I have most of them and love them all. Also, check out all Loresmyth’s amazing physical game products on their site here. Not a paid endorsement. I purchased all the items myself. As always, I simply recommend items that I have personally used and believe are good products and values.

As additional Fictioneers: Legacy content (scenarios/lore/paint guides/tips/Star Armor Factions/etc.) comes available, we will continue to provide links to it here so check back.

Contact us:
Feel free to use the contact form here, or join our Facebook group here if you have any questions/comments.