First Game: Some Thoughts

[Martin Williams]

Played my first game today. Had a great time. Orcs vs Samurai. My Orcs copped quite a beating.

I really think the changes to the morale and activation system are real improvements over BA and even though we had to stop and check the rules a bit it all flowed pretty quickly with plenty of excitement. I liked the way Magic seemed to offer great potential but was also difficult to use successfully and risky.

I would offer a couple of suggestions for errata/updates/house rules:

1) Someone else mentioned in another thread that spears are clearly superior to swords/axes and cost the same. They either need to cost more of do something else. I would either make them a 2 point upgrade of make throwing them a choice and if you do you are then unarmed.

2) Slings operating the same as bows but getting to fire twice with a fire order is also a ‘no brainer’ for one point. I would at the very least say that if they fire twice they shouldn’t get the +1 bonus for a fire order as well.

3) I feel the ability of ‘fast’ troops to maintain run orders breaks a number of key limitations most troops operate under. It distorts both the turn order and the need to take activation tests that consider pins. Units shouldn’t be able to automatically activate before everyone else regardless of the number of pins they have. I would either not allow pinned units to continue a run order or require pinned units to take an activation test to make use of their run order.

Overall a very positive experience.

Martin

[Tim Haslam]

Martin, good to see you having fun.

1, spears.
We’re pretty happy with spears now.
Yes good, but swords are good too.
Not too bothered about them.

2, slings do seem very good, and a no brainier from a purely list picking exercise.
I would say only shoot twice at close range, and possibly reduce overall range to 18”

3, do fast troops that retain a run order automatically pass there activation? I thought they would still have to test to activate if they are pinned?

[Martin Williams]

1. Crunch the numbers. You will almost always do more damage with spears. 2 attacks is almost always better than 1 slightly better attack.

2. That would be better.

3. P21 ‘No order test is required when a run order is retained’ As a result it makes no difference how many pins you have. It seemed very powerful in our game today when combined with the certainty of going first. I think it may need a look.

Martin

[Tim Haslam]

You are correct Martin!
No order is required on retained run order dice.
Allowing very quick strikes on the enemy.

To be honest, it is very good but I shouldn’t worry about it too much. Our group has played a fair few games and experimented with fast units. But I’ve not seen us all rushing out and buying armies full of fast troops armed with spears!
Actually, to totally just contradict what I’ve just said, I’m thinking of an all mounted orc army, doh!!!
But hey ho.
Have some more games and try different stuff.

[Martin Williams]

Oh I enjoyed it and will give it another go.

I do think the best games are, however, open to a process of revision and tweaking. The group I play with are not particularly keen of house ruling to fix problems.

Martin

[Tim Haslam]

We’re trying to attend different events and organise our own. So it’s best that we try not to impose house rules.

That being said, our group has 6/8 players and we’re managing without changing stuff.
But it is easy amongst friends to self limit your forces, like only taking a single unit of slings in a force for example.

Some great fast flowing and exciting games.

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