We decided to skip the use of 'face' cards (which generate events and commander traits) to make learning easier but still found this to be a fun fast game.
I have always felt use of a grid was not ideal for minis game but it certainly made moves and ranges very easy to play (millimeters/angles and suchlike do not matter in this system) and was less obtrusive/annoying than I feared, Stephen simply used small stones to delineate grid which looked odd at first but was soon forgotten during game play.
Rules are fairly broad brush with not a vast variation in troop type or quality but with enough to generate a decent ECW period feel with some nice decisions to make and quick playing movement and shooting/combat.
We used the card system which I must confess I liked (as dice hate me) as it seemed to even out results for us both, but game could be played with D10 or combo of cards and dice.
Cards work well for the Command/Orders Activation with units potentially able to do multiple activations (although we both drew lots of Aces which are fails) and the increased 'costs' to do fancy moves (most anything other than straight ahead) and is largely intuitive and easy to pick up.
Hits from shooting or in melee are fairly hard to achieve (8+ or 9+ if disordered ie carrying hits) but can be hard to save (generally a 7+) and with units only able to sustain 1-3 hits things can get ugly quickly. Some variation in shooting/melee with things such as 'double fire', 'salvee', 'cavalry dash' garnering extra hit card draws in certain circumstances. We found cavalry got worn out quickly with initial charges generating maybe 5 cards (combo of shooting charging and bonuses) then maybe 2-3 at most thereafter.
Interesting game with plenty of incident, I lost Lt GenFairfax (worth 3 VP !) and several mounted units early on and was looking rather one sided but then I destroyed a unit of dismounted Dragoons whose Rout saw 2 Royalist foot also Disperse due to failed saves (morale) and earlier hits. I also had a couple of off-table units of cavalry (off foraging) which of course failed to arrive as reinforcements.
Roundheads hit their 13 loss level (basically 1 loss per unit strength point) first but Cavaliers were on 10 of 14 so fairly bloody stuff.
FK&P does pretty much what it says it does ie generates a low complexity fast playing game which was fun and played to completion in a few hours (always a bonus).
Certainly lacking the depth of LadgR or especially FogR but makes up for it in many other aspects.
Only a couple of pics as got engrossed in game which is always a good sign.
Roundhead infantry defend a hill as Cavaliers push forward
Purchased a copy not long ago. Have decided to revisit the ECW (or BCW?) again. Many many years ago had 15mm, then replaced them with 25mm (Hinchliffe and Minifigs) but sold them. This time around it's 18mm Blue Moon.
ReplyDeleteLooked ar Regiment of Foote, Tilly's Very Bad Day and In Deo Veritas as well as FKAP but not yet decided.
Neil
Hi Neil, not tried any of those sets you mention but FK&P certainly on lower end of complexity scale but highly playable therefore
DeleteAs you know, I am a big fan of FK&P (and To the Strongest!); the rules got my ECW troops in action for the first time in decades, as well as spurred on expansion of same (and now, Scotts!). The activation is faintly reminiscent of classic Piquet, and of course the Victory medals are analogous to Morale Points. The small number of hits per unit and the low hit probability but with multiple cards can cause dramatic results (and the lack of). I love the way the grid simplifies play, and think it works just fine for Ancients through Pike and Shock. By the time you hit the 18th century, it becomes somewhat less attractive, but that doesn't keep me from trying! :-)
ReplyDeleteWell I have threatened to try the system for years ! Definitely a whiff of PK/FOB in its DNA. The hits/save system certainly leads to some dramatic (or groan educing !) results again a tad like FOB. Bar getting used to grid most jarring thing for us was diagonal charges which just looked odd, maybe as not used to this abstraction to visual unit interaction. We did discuss their use for 30YW but not sure how to model early/late Tercios (maybe extra strength and no diagonal moves at all ?) or light horse types.
DeleteTYW would be fairly easy to do; main changes are better heavy cavalry, and light cavalry. There are (proposed) Renaissance modifications for TtS! as well, which is what I used for Pavia 1525.
DeleteI would also add that I was pleasantly surprised by how well FoB3 worked for the ECW as well.
ReplyDeleteThey certainly read well but not tried them mainly as I would struggle to put out more than 12 units which is pretty small for FOB ie low Army Morale.
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