Don't Ever Heed The Ruckus-another Skirmish game AAR

One thing I love about this hobby is that I am constantly making new friends. Is there something about gamers that set’s them (us?) apart from “normal” people? Other than a common interest I mean. No one thing defines us. Our hobby caters for the young and the old and there seems to be no generation gap. No rivalry. Gamers come from all walks of life, all professions and trades are represented, gamers are not judgemental about how people dress or what music they like or how they identify. Gamers are definitely opinionated and can be vocal about things that they really don’t like, yes, we are talking about you Finecast!

Gamers on the whole, are pacifists, ironic when so many games are about War or feature violence. Gamers are generally gentle creatives, usually socially awkward, often shy unless enthusing about a new game or range of figures or talking about an event in a recent game or the odds of rolling 5 sixes with six dice. Gamers tend to be modest about their achievements, displaying their beautifully painted models on social media and not knowing quite how to respond to the ensuing praise.

Gamers are supportive of their fellow hobbyists offering constructive feedback when it’s asked for, proffering advice to those new to the hobby, explaining rules and providing tips and tactics. Look at any thread on any army build and you will see what I mean. Gamers have learnt how to agree to disagree by avoiding confrontation and offering a different point of view.

There are a high proportion of Gamers who would be considered neurodiverse, maybe this is a common factor. The hobby requires intelligence and creativity both aspects of ADHD and Autism, maybe we are all on a spectrum of some kind, a gamer spectrum!

The happy buzz of a busy weekend at the local game store or club, reminiscent of a hive of bees, the quiet efficient industry, the energy that exists within this gathering of individuals is a shared experience that passes unnoticed and yet touches everyone. No one leaves that environment who is not charged with a positive life force that they carry through their normal day. It can see you through a whole humdrum week of responsibility and toil until the next occasion.

    Anyway, I digress…

One of my new friends Jordan and I played two scenarios from my Billhooks based Skirmish game this week, Get Orf Moi Land and Fog of War. Both games went well and we had fun.

In the first game Jordan drew Has Friends Overseas as a skill for his Lord Sir Henry Blake which gave him the Mercenary Captain Gustav and his Profane Device, an experimental hand gonne with extended range and an increased chance of exploding!

the village of Much Apning where nothing ever happens

Disturbing the peaceful morning, Sir Edmund Bowels approaches with his Retinue. Much Apning sits within the disputed manor of Stoneham Common and Sir Edmund means to claim it as his own! 

Unbeknownst to Sir Edmund, Sir Henry Graves has the same idea and is approaching with his retinue and his hired gun from the other side of the village.

Sir Henry Graves and motley crew…and pony

Both parties approach the centre of the village. There are three objective markers in the village, pack mules and pony, ownership of them will decide who wins the scenario.

Sir Justin de Squid, a somewhat reluctant squire, his card did not come up for three turns. 

Sir Edmund’s other squire Quentin Forelock, had better luck and was soon eyeing up the mule in the centre of town

  If at any one time a Retinue as all three objectives they win the game. If this has not happened by turn 6 we add on d 6 turns and whoever has the most markers at end of that time wins the game

Ambush! The Special Event card falls to Sir Edmund and 4 angry villagers run out from one of the houses and lay about Sir Henrys men, killing an archer

One archer and one villager down! The villagers have the Reluctant Warrior skill and have to test their Will to Fight to charge, but they all passed easily.

On the hill stands the Mercenary Captain Gustav.   Due to appalling bad luck, missed turns, failed rolls, we never saw this character at his best, although the gun made short work of the angry villagers 

Much Apnin is living up to its name! Sir Henry’s archers take out that sluggard Sir Justin Squid. The villagers are killed by Gustav and his crossbows.

Behind the small cottage, Sir Henry and Sir Edmund meet. Each wounds the other and they charge in for another bout

They each wound each other again!

 

Quentin Forelock, an ambitious young man, charges into Sir Henry, they each wound each other and fall dying to the ground locked in a final embrace of death.

In Ruckus (working title) killing a Captain wins the game ...victory to Sir Edmund!

Unfortunately I didn’t get so many pics of our second game “Fog of War”

 “Two armies meet in a pitched battle early in the morning, in a thick, dense fog. In the confused melee, friend fights friend and cries of Treachery fill the air. One flank gives way, there is a pursuit over miles of heath and in the befuddled aftermath, small groups of soldiers, unsure of what has happened or who to trust, seek their enemies in the cold mist.”

In this scenario our Retinues have got split up and have lost their way in the thick fog. They enter the table from various random points along the table edges. The Fog is Dense and visibility is only 6”. The Fog fluctuates sometimes thinning and sometimes growing thicker. This is diced for each turn.

Through the thick mist the opponents take pot shots at each other. Sir Henry’s Retinue has arrived all on the same table edge and Sir Edmund’s force is separated, coming on three different table edges. 

Sensing an easy victory son Martyn Graves and his men advance!

Another Special Event! Ambush Again! This time it’s a battered Squire reeling from the battle and not knowing who to trust he piles into Sir Justin Squid!

  Fortunately, he is soon dispatched.

Martin Graves charges into Sir Edmund. The pink counter indicates broken armour, Sir Edmund has the Break Point skill!

  Gustav is stuck somewhere in the fog! Is he really lost or just making an easy buck?

Sir Edmund realising that Sir Henry has picked up two injuries and is vulnerable leaps the wall using his Nimble skill and roaring his Warcry ”Forsooth varlet!” sets about his enemy

…and it all goes wrong!  Sir Edmund rolled 6 dice and couldn’t roll higher than 2! He lost the melee and failed his saving throws. Despite initially having the advantage, Sir Henry had two wounds to Sir Edmund’s one, Sir Henry emerges triumphant!

We had fun! I learnt quite a bit more about how the game works and every game brings a few minor adjustments. Jordan enjoyed it and said on his FB page of it "It was easy to learn and the mechanics made the combat feel realistic and palpable. The scenarios and the random events that can pop up really add a narrative to the game. I look forward to playing more." 

The playtesting group are reporting positive findings too!

Next we shall have a go at the character development rules and look at campaign mechanics