Lion Rampant - first game.

[ochoin]

Last night we successfully played our first Lion Rampant game.
Four of us fought to a conclusion one of the scenario battles , "Hammer & Anvil" in 2 hours.
Although everyone had read the rules, this was not bad for a first game. Rumaging through the rule book for clarifications was at a minimum.



I think the overall impression was very positive. You did not need to spend your time grappling with complex rules but mostly concentrated on tactics.
Probably the chief structural aspect was unit activation. This could be very hit & miss (particularly if you misread your dice, thinking a '6' was a '1') & you had to factor this in to your plan. Another aspect was that the individually mounted figures needed to be moved one at a time - very HG Wells.



With under 100 figures it clearly lacks some visual appeal but it really showcases what wargaming is about. Fun.



donald

[Paul]

Looking good, i'm glad it went (mostly) well.
By far the most common house rules modification is to change the activation system so that a failure doesn't end your whole turn.
This is what happens in the other rules in the family so it's an easy stretch.

If the number of figures is dissatisfying there is nothing to stop you from from using any number for a unit. Obviously multiples of twelve or six are easier to reconcile. Similarly multibased figures aren't an issue as it's an abstract enough system to cope with pretty much any basing and unit numbers.

[ochoin]

Thanks for the head's up on activation, Paul. I think my pals would welcome this change.

You may remember we do an annual 2 day game at a local Train & Hobby show. It's always aimed to be something spectacular with many hundreds of figures. We have been talking of doing a departure to this - maybe a Late Antiquity Big Battle on the Saturday & possibly a Lion Rampant game on the Sunday.

Even if we all (5 of us) brought a retinue & had a "spare" one for Joe Public to use, that'd be about 300-360 figures: not spectacular. However, it is such a good, quick game and very indicative of what wargaming is.
Very few of the public at this show have even heard of wargaming.

Anyway - that's 10 months away so still lots of discussions to have.

donald

[MarshalNey]

Similarly multibased figures aren't an issue as it's an abstract enough system to cope with pretty much any basing and unit numbers.

I'm looking at that scheme you mentioned a while back. 3-2-1, I think. Square bases of course.

I have just ordered by combined magnifying lamp - should be here in a week or so.

[Essex Boy]

Square bases of course.

That's a joke, right?

[Essex Boy]

Good looking game, Donald.

You could play the rules with any size units, just record casualties rather than remove them.

Iain

[goat major]

which is pretty much how later Rampant sets have evolved for handlings different strength units/things

I'm square basing away for my new 19th C Rampants

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

I thought Rampants were what people wore for the Whicker Man ceremonies at Ayton.

[valleyboy]

I'm interested by this Donald as I bought a set 6 weeks a go or so - I'm intrigued by the large basing idea though

[Jeremy]

My Zulus are mass-based for Men Who Would Be Kings. I plan to use casualty dice.

I just think for some things, mass basing looks better