Ultracombat Modern query

[Andrew_McGuire]

The above-named rules from Dishdash Games appear to have been available for about a year, but have only just come to my attention, largely due to chance. I’ve certainly noticed no discussion of them here (nor, for that matter, of the older and presumably different Skirmish Sangin and its variants.)

The reviews I’ve been able to find of Ultracombat Modern unfortunately vary considerably in their opinions of the system. The first one I found was on YouTube and was highly enthusiastic; a discussion at TMP, however, listed both perceived good and bad points, with, it appeared, a marked preponderance of the latter. The result? Confusion.

I also can’t find any sign of a UK stockist of the rules or associated card decks. Caliver Books stocks the WWII equivalent, Ultracombat Normandy, but not Modern.

Any opinions / clarifications / comparisons would be much appreciated.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

It might be worth looking at https://www.hntdaab.co.uk/blog/category/wargaming/skirmish-sangin/

[Andrew_McGuire]

Thank you, I just have. I didn’t know a new version of Skirmish Sangin was in the works, but it’s good news for me as I don’t have the original, though I’ve long thought I should. The only Dishdash game I own is Ragers, which I haven’t played. I’ll definitely look forward to Sangin, even if I get Ultracombat Modern.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Is Ragers the re-branded Skirmish:Outbreak?

[Andrew_McGuire]

Yes, the zombie rules, which were available from Studio Miniatures at one time. I think there’s another about a breakout of undead in a medieval theme park, from what I could gather. I’ve not sure about the current availability of either of these.

Edit: Skirmish Ragers is indeed available as a hardback book direct from DishDash Games as well as Caliver Books. This edition, unlike the paperback I own, includes several supplements including one called Medieval Mayhem, which must be the ‘other version’ I alluded to above.

[Taffydude]

Ultracombat Modern was introduced via Kickstarter, and is still in the process. I backed it, and only very recently received the rulebook. There's some minis that go with it, that still haven't been released. It could be a while before everything comes to retail.

[Andrew_McGuire]

Thank you for the clarification. The video I watched was about a year old but the reviewer had a preproduction sample because he’d been involved in play testing. All I was told when I enquired via the Dishdash Games contact form was that the book is in the store; nothing was said about the cards, in spite of a follow-up query.

[madman]

Today on youtube Sitrep podcast will be playing Ultracombat Modern so that should be a way to review and see how you like it. I will be watching as well although I have elected to go with Ambush Alley, but you never know.

[Andrew_McGuire]

Thank you. I will watch that.

BTW do you mean the original Ambush Alley or Force on Force? Or is the rumoured Ambush Alley 2 actually going to appear in the foreseeable future?

[madman]

Thank you. I will watch that.

BTW do you mean the original Ambush Alley or Force on Force? Or is the rumoured Ambush Alley 2 actually going to appear in the foreseeable future?

Original Ambush Alley. My intention was this would be the simpler intro and then go to FoF, or introduce rules from FoF. I find the FoF book very poorly laid out but AA! is pretty good, possibly because it is so much less stuff. Forget AA 2nd as the designer has gone on to other things and that will not happen.

There is a Forum for Ambush Alley games on TWW where they have discussed the future of AA and where a lot of us are asking Q&As. My thinking is maybe those of us contributing can bring about updates to AA or FoF. At least we have answered some questions or issues and I have started with some house rules.

https://www.thewargameswebsite.com/forums/forum/ambush-alley-games/

[Andrew_McGuire]

Thank you. I found the forum earlier after some digging around and also saw a link to the author’s announcement that he has given up Ambush Alley. I actually own the original but have not played it. A reviewer of FoF in a video I saw on YouTube said he had seen some of the planned changes for AA 2 and thought they were very good. That was the first I’d heard of the proposed 2nd edition but until today I’d seen no info more recent than 2018 or even 2017. I hope the forum members are able to carry it forward in some form.

[madman]

Keeping the link going in the background. I played Skirmish Sangin ONCE at a convention so that is my familiarity with the "system".

Seems old school in lots of DMs added or subtracted to the rolls. Interesting use of D20s as I started in gaming with Tractics which uses D20s.

Looking at what was made available in the past it looks like a slimmed down SS without the individual character detail. SS has the feel of near role playing in the level of detail inherent in each figure's characteristics. UCM drops this and goes from D100 to D20 but very much the same feel IMHO. The one thing I remember well from playing SS was a player could run a squad but anything larger would become unwieldly fast. In our game we had three players per side each running a squad and even then it took some thinking and coordination to play. Also after only a couple casualties our objective immediately changed from the mission given to safely removing our casualties from the game. Very apropos to the theatre but that can turn people off. Mind you if played right I feel AA would do the same.

[Andrew_McGuire]

I didn’t watch the live stream but will watch it at some point, at least in part. I know from the video review I have seen that there are three levels of play: fire team, squad, and platoon, though oddly they’re presented in reverse order.

I see your point about casualty retrieval for Western forces being a drawback from a tactical and gaming point of view, but that’s clearly a key aspect of the actual conflicts and furthrmore, cold-blooded as it may sound, adds a dimension to the game rarely found elsewhere. The only parallel I can immediately think of is in Homeric warfare, though in that case the warriors were more interested in claiming the fallen hero’s armour than in giving him a decent burial.

[madman]

Second instalment is out;

[Andrew_McGuire]

Thank you. That reminds me to watch the first one. The rules are reviewed in the latest issue of WSS.