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Author Topic: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game  (Read 3255 times)

Offline Atheling

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Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« on: March 06, 2020, 06:23:06 PM »
I managed to get to the club for the first time in years last evening to be greeted by my friends in the middle of a Fist Rampant! Crusades campaign. Fist Rampant speaks for itself but for those not familiar with the rules it is an amalgamation of Lion Rampant with the playing card driven activation of A fist Full of Lead. Some of the cards also allow for certain things like re rolls etc. It's the first time I've seen the systems put together so it was "all news to me" as they say.

I didn't get to roll any dice but I did get to sit back and shoot the odd pic with my new camera.

The Franks seemed to be having a hard time of it getting moving whilst the forces of Islam raced to the objective and occupied it unchallenged for some time. Eventually the Franks got their act together and managed to reach the objective but were beaten back by their enemies.

If you are to look there is a load of pictures on my blog, plus a small confession(!):
http://justaddwater-bedford.blogspot.com/2020/03/fist-rampant-back-at-club.html


Here are some of the results.






Offline pixelgeek

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2020, 07:36:20 PM »
That looks like it was a heck of a lot of fun. Great minis and great terrain.

And a stunning inditement of just how bad the Lion Rampant activation system is

Offline Atheling

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2020, 07:58:29 PM »
That looks like it was a heck of a lot of fun. Great minis and great terrain.

And a stunning inditement of just how bad the Lion Rampant activation system is

I know what you mean but I do know that when Dan designed the game he mean't for there to be some degree of confusion, even steadfast reluctance among the nobility (re: men at arms) to get stuck into some balderdash skirmish that was deemed by most to be beneath them. Leave that sort of thing to the plebs. So deliberate in the main.

Well, it has to be said that some units still remained inactive for a little longer then would be 'proper'- but that's part of the fun. I think the extra abilities fro AFFoL helped balance things out brilliantly.

Offline pixelgeek

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2020, 08:11:10 PM »
I know what you mean but I do know that when Dan designed the game he mean't for there to be some degree of confusion, even steadfast reluctance among the nobility (re: men at arms) to get stuck into some balderdash skirmish that was deemed by most to be beneath them.

When it works well the activation system does give one that sort of sense (and thinking about your example the system makes even more sense) but the issue is when it craps out on you and you have your force sitting on its heels for two turns.

You put out a great looking game and someone has a miserable time because they can't roll a 5 when they need to.

I may have to go back and look at integrating FoL into Dragon Rampant

Offline Atheling

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2020, 08:19:14 PM »
When it works well the activation system does give one that sort of sense (and thinking about your example the system makes even more sense) but the issue is when it craps out on you and you have your force sitting on its heels for two turns.

You put out a great looking game and someone has a miserable time because they can't roll a 5 when they need to.

I may have to go back and look at integrating FoL into Dragon Rampant

I do see your point and it's worth delving into for sure. The players last night seemed more than happy so something is working.

Offline Nellkyn

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2020, 08:26:52 PM »
I'm one of the grumblers, following failing to activate any units for two turns in a multi-player game. I look forward to seeing how the game plays with the new activation system.

Offline Atheling

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2020, 09:09:13 PM »
I'm one of the grumblers, following failing to activate any units for two turns in a multi-player game. I look forward to seeing how the game plays with the new activation system.

Grumble away  :)

I didn't play on the game as it was the first time back at my club in a few years so it would have been a bit rude to insist on jumping into the middle of a campaign game but.....

The AFFoL activation system, with some bonuses gained on some cards, seems to offer compensation for the remaining static situations that can arise in Lion Rampant.

Offline Harry Faversham

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #7 on: March 07, 2020, 04:47:32 AM »
There's no such thing as a daft question, but this will come damn close. How did you manage to take the drone piccy?




 ???  ???  ???
"Wot did you do in the war Grandad?"

"I was with Harry... At The Bridge!"

Offline Atheling

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #8 on: March 07, 2020, 09:26:41 AM »
There's no such thing as a daft question, but this will come damn close. How did you manage to take the drone piccy?




 ???  ???  ???

I stood on a chair. Got to be careful as you only have a 180 degree mistake margin if you fall, that is of course if you're pals with the other wargamrs  ;) :D

It was as simple as that matey   :)


Offline Michi

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #9 on: March 07, 2020, 10:33:13 AM »
Wonderful, simply wonderful! I love crusade themed games and your table setting is pretty much how I imagine that the Holy Land should be shown on a gaming table. I love every bit of it - big ole round of applause!  :-*

Offline Atheling

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2020, 04:19:48 PM »
Wonderful, simply wonderful! I love crusade themed games and your table setting is pretty much how I imagine that the Holy Land should be shown on a gaming table. I love every bit of it - big ole round of applause!  :-*

Thanks Michi but I cannot take any of the credit. When I finally manged to get to the club again after such a long hiatus they were mid campaign so I didn't even roll a dice (probably just as well  lol ).

I still managed to have a good laugh though :)

Offline BaronVonJ

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2020, 12:24:12 AM »
I suppose it was inevitable someone would graft Fistful of Lead unto another game. You might enjoy FfoL Bigger Battles when it comes out in April. Allows you to play FfoL with larger forces.
-J

Offline Atheling

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2020, 07:31:28 AM »
I suppose it was inevitable someone would graft Fistful of Lead unto another game. You might enjoy FfoL Bigger Battles when it comes out in April. Allows you to play FfoL with larger forces.
-J

Ah, I didn't know there was going to be a larger battles version.

I'm sure that the group will check it out but it seemed like they're very happy with playing the hybrid rules :)

Offline SteveBurt

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2020, 11:28:40 AM »
Nice idea. We had several Lion Rampant games ruined by one side basically being unable to activate anything while the other side activated everything. After the second occasion of this, we went off the rules. I know statistically it is unlikely, but it happened! I don't have a problem with variable activation, but the system is a bit too variable for us, so anything which keeps some variability but calms it down a bit is good.

Offline Atheling

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Re: Fist Rampant! Crusades Game
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2020, 12:03:04 PM »
Nice idea. We had several Lion Rampant games ruined by one side basically being unable to activate anything while the other side activated everything. After the second occasion of this, we went off the rules. I know statistically it is unlikely, but it happened! I don't have a problem with variable activation, but the system is a bit too variable for us, so anything which keeps some variability but calms it down a bit is good.

I think the bonus cards in the deck ceding the extra abilities was the real boon that made up for the inactivity that can come from the LR activation system (nothing too crazy- just re-rolls for activation and other stuff) .