Cutlass - anyone played it?

[Gimgamgoo]

When I get a new set of rules, I'll read through the basics to get an idea of how the game flows, then usually go through rules carefully again and learn how to play fully before I try having a game with my wife. If the first game runs smoothly, she'll usually like it and play it over and over and (the important part) not complain too much when I buy more figures to add to the lead/resin/plastic pile.

I've just bought Cutlass from Black Scorpion Miniatures and done my read through the basic rules. I loved the idea of the levelling up of dice through the polyhedral list and using bonus dice as a way of rolling two dice and choosing the best. A table for hitting and wounding (similar in a way to warhammer) but with different dice sounded good.

But, I must admit, I'm not sure how this game flows, or even allows for a game to play well...

It says after the game is set up, both players roll 'Au'. This is a d8 for all leaders in the rulebook. It also says this is not adjusted throughout the game.

So, for example.
We roll 'Au', I roll an 8, my wife rolls a 1.
I get to go first.

I could for example:
Move 8 figures,
then move 7 figures
then shoot with 6 figures
then move again with 5 figures
then move into combat with 4 figures
then have 3 figures fight in combat
then have 2 other figures do some more shooting
then move 1 more figure
(assuming no succesful reactions are taken)

After all that, my wife gets a go.
She moves 1 of her figures.

Turn over.

Then we start all that again as Au doesn't alter?
By the luck of the dice, I get a turn with 36 actions, then my wife gets 1, then we repeat for the whole game?
I can hardly see how this game even works. The mechanics for shooting, fighting, hiding, using cover, all seem to be ok, but the turn sequence just looks horrendous.
Can someone please explain how badly I've read the rules and correct me on the turn sequence.

Thanks.

[Inkpaduta]

I got the rules. There were parts I really like
but, like you, I got confused at times. Now I just
use the background of the rules. Another you can look at,
and they are free, are Strange Grogge.

[Gimgamgoo]

I got the rules. There were parts I really like
but, like you, I got confused at times. Now I just
use the background of the rules. Another you can look at,
and they are free, are Strange Grogge.

Thanks for the reply.
Although Cutlass is 'fantasy' I only planned on using Pirates, Privateers, Pirate Girls, Royal Marines and maybe Undead occasionally. Strange Grogge looks very fantasy as well. Does it work without spells and fantasy races? I know it's only a few £'s on drivethru/wargames vault but I'd have to print it - I still hate playing new games without print rules.

[Inkpaduta]

Yes, strange grogge can be used for straight out pirates.
Very little fantasy to it. Give them a try if you like. They are
free so you won't be out anything.

[gnomehome]

It' been a while that I've tried these rules, but I had the same impression that you had about the AU - we intepreted it the same way. We just rerolled every turn to even things out a bit. The general impression we had that there were some balance issues in the game, IIRC shooting range was also an issue, far too large.

[Gimgamgoo]

I agree. My wife and I had decided that rolling each turn would be far better. Maybe it was intended that way.

Also, I backed the Tombstone kickstarter - mainly for the fantastic models - but the rules seem based on the Cutlass rules.
In their short basics video, they showed:



So, after shooting, your opponent becomes active. Although it wasn't in the video, I don't know if hand to hand combat would do the same thing. My wife and I were thinking of playing using shooting/hand2hand as something that ended your active phase and it passed to the opponent.

The only problem we've got is movement.
I don't know if I have 7AP and move 7 figures, then decide to move again, if I can move 6 of the same figures consecutively.
We might have to play a few games and see how things go. My biggest problem.... I haven't painted any pirate figures up yet and I so hate playing with unpainted models.

[Duke Donald]

I bought the Cutlass rulebook when it came out. I never played a single game as I felt these was possibly the worst ruleset I had ever read. I found them confusing, fiddly, counter-intuitive, super random and they didn't strike me as offering potential for any tactical or fun gaming.

[theoldschool]

Cutlass promises much, but delivers very little. It has some intersting and fun ideas, but possibly the worst turn sequence I have ever come across. I believe it is  taken from Bloodbowl. The other problem is that inflicting casualties is nigh on impossible.

Black Scorpion is touting their new wild west rules (based on Cutlass) as having an improved turn sequence. So presumably others found it less than perfect.

I use Pulp Alley for my pirates these days, works great.

[matakishi]

I watched a Beasts of War episode where the designer took them through an example game.
It was horrible.
Everything required a die roll to succeed and if you failed then the die you rolled from then on to check for success got smaller. The success number stayed the same. The game spiralled into a failure loop very quickly.
Nothing happened.
Moving troops mostly seemed to trip or fail to move. Those that did move didn't move very far. Shooting troops mostly missed. Every action failed again and again. The rare successes achieved nothing concrete.
I decided it wasn't for me.
Lovely miniatures though, I bought plenty of them for use with Savage Worlds.

[shandy]

We use Ganesha Games' Flashing Steel for our pirate games. Great rules, quick and easy and still lots of tactical decisions!
http://www.ganeshagames.net/product_info.php?products_id=113

If you want to read some AARs, have a look at my blog.

[SteveBurt]

Flashing Steel is not bad, but we find 'En Garde' to be better
(and Congo works pretty well for pirate games, too)

[dinohunterpoa]

I bought the Cutlass rulebook when it came out. I never played a single game as I felt these was possibly the worst ruleset I had ever read. I found them confusing, fiddly, counter-intuitive, super random and they didn't strike me as offering potential for any tactical or fun gaming.

+1  

As Matakishi said, not even the OWN GAME DESIGNER managed to presenti it in a way to make it looks attractive and functional! WTF?!?!?!? 

[dinohunterpoa]

I use Pulp Alley for my pirates these days, works great.

How do you use the PA rules for ship action and cannons?!

[dinohunterpoa]

shandy, your Scenario Generator for Flashing Steel looks very FUN! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[shandy]

shandy, your Scenario Generator for Flashing Steel looks very FUN! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Thank you! I've now made a pdf of the cards and put it into the Resources section of the blog, so it is easier to find:
https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/resources/