I've built on the original 'Quick Start Sample Game' from the book, and developed a few embellishments straight from there, on the fly. I'm intending to slightly revise and make reference to the rest of the book as we move forward, but at the moment we're playing that very simple version with the following tweaks:
- ranges are halved. We're playing with 28mm figures on a 2'x2' board with a movement range of 10cm
- we're calling movement range 'short' and shooting range 'long'
- close combat is an opposed roll. Models who look more heavily armoured get to roll 2 dice and pick the higher. Draws are rerolled. I made this tweak because it feels more like a fight to us, and because she remembered it from another game we played a while back, so it was instinctive. I suspect it makes the game a little less tactical, but that's not a concern for us yet.
- one model on each side is the Leader. He isn't better at fighting, but when he dies, every other model in his band rolls a D6, and flees on a 1. It's a very basic introduction to morale as an idea and my opponent grasped it quickly, and it's made for some moments of high drama!
- MAGIC! At my opponent's suggestion, I devised the following rules for wizards and an attendant magic system:
This was judged a great success by my opponent. We had a wizard each. She used all of her spells, and it caused much hilarity. including this sequence:
First, she decided against cravenly skulking behind obstacles, and moved her Leader (who her warband are pleased to call Sir Lord) boldly to the top of a pillar.
I thought to punish his hubris, and chose to use TELEPORT, and promptly moved Sir Lord to the very top of the Tree of Woe.
I used my second activation to begin climbing my own leader, King Krum, up the tree to meet him in single combat.
In retaliation, She used her own turn to cast TELEPORT also, and hoisted King Krum into the sky- but where should she set him down?
On the chapel roof of course. The sight of the two leaders' dignity so compromised was too much- evil cackling ensued...
I suspect we shall be fighting more battles very soon...