Has anyone tried these rules yet?
They look interesting but I’d like to know how they play before splashing out. The activation system and dice are similar to Congo, which is a great game, but judging by the QRS these rules are quite a bit more complex. How long does a typical game take? We find Chain of Command too slow for a typical evening.
Hi,
I have played five games.
It is, of course, similar to Congo (the cards are very similar to Congo with the odd tweak to add an action type). The main mechanical difference is that you have to play all seven of your cards over the course of a turn (we found that meant you quite often end up playing cards you're not that interested in - or there is a mechanic for missing a phase and picking up an already played card).
And of course it is more complex to accommodate all the different types of weapons and armour, etc, but I feel like it still had that same feel of, I don't know what to call it, lightness, frivolity?
As an eg, though, in Congo you might pick up 4d8, add a bonus d10, and roll that, in V you pick up 3d6 for your 3 rifles, add 4d6 for your lmg, add 2d6 for your NCO's smg, remove 2d6 when your opponent decides to hit the dirt, then remove 2 more coz they're behind a wall, and then roll.
I think the main change in V is the morale system where you have a sliding scale from green, to yellow, orange and red, with three stages to each, so eg if you are on green 2, and you get one more stress you will go to yellow 0.
When you're yellow (can't remember what these stages are actually called) you get -2 to firing pools. At orange you get -1 to morale tests, and when you're red you risk losing the unit.
I haven't played Chain, but my regular opponent has and he said he prefers V. I had another player who plays Bolt Action say he prefers that over V.
I've been really enjoying my games, but looking back on them, I feel like not much has happened, in any of the games. There's not a lot of out manoeuvring, sweeping attacks and heroic assaults, which I was kinda expecting, but more like, moving into cover, hunkering down, and keeping your head down, which is the sort of 'realism' I wasn't really expecting.
I might not be very good at coordinating my forces, and because of the cards, this is difficult to do anyway, but it feels so far like a really difficult game to get anything going.
I don't find the complexity an issue though (it's not that complex). And we've been getting games done in about 2 and a half to 3 hours, and that's with me teaching new players, so under 2 hours a game is very doable if you both know the ropes.
There are 4 turns where you play 7 cards, so compare to Congo's 6 turns where you play three cards, but, as I said, sometimes, you do very little for a card.
20 April 2011, 08:32:35 AM