A Game That Didn't Go So Well - NWF in 28 - Men Who Would Be King

[Midpoint]

As I've been pestering you in other sub-forums, I'd like to report on a game I home-hosted now that restrictions [in Scotland] are mostly eased. 1 in 10 has Covid but hey ho etc!



Unlike the other games I'm reporting on, where I feel a small sense of pride, this one I don't. That is because it wasn't a very good game for the players or for me to umpire.



Specifically, the game was NWF in 28s, using The Men Who Would Be King. Problems with the game were with me, not the rules, though reminding myself of them better would have been a better place to start from!

It looked pretty, and I'd not long finished painting up reinforcements for my NWF collection, so I could play at about 60 points a side. The problem was my game concept - The Pathans had to capture the Heliograph team and snaffle as many of the supplies as they could.



One mistake I made was to allow the Imperialist Aggressors to deploy more or less as they wished, and they did so quite sensibly. I allowed the Pathans less freedom and that ended up in them coming on piecemeal. Further, the forgetting of one rule - going to ground - meant IA shooting was especially effective and the diffused attack of the Heroic Local Resistance never got anywhere. So for those players it was frustrating, and for the IA players it was a turkey shoot.



I hope to do better next time! Its important to think about games that didn't go well and why that is I think. The hobby is about having a good time after all.

[Umra Khan]

Midpoint the figures are nice and the terrain too, don't be worry.
probably you should change rule and use TSATF...

[Midpoint]

I have played that a couple of times. I respect the heritage, but its super clunky compared to modern rules.

[giorgio]

My brother in Rule! with TMWWBK U WIN...ALSO IF YOU LOSE
if you like, you are welcome having a look to  the topic: never trust anyone on the frontier: https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=131610.0 where the 2 rules fanatics fight ruthlessly each other...

p.s. very nice miniatures and scenario!

[Midpoint]

My brother in Rule! with TMWWBK U WIN...ALSO IF YOU LOSE
if you like, you are welcome having a look to  the topic: never trust anyone on the frontier: https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=131610.0 where the 2 rules fanatics fight ruthlessly each other...

p.s. very nice miniatures and scenario!

Thank you - but the scenario wasn't good, even if the toys are pretty.

I think TMWWBK scales up from 24 points pretty easily, but you need a well constructed game for both sides to have an enjoyable time.

[SPQR7070]

One thing I’ve discovered with TMWWBK is you end up needing more cover than you’d think because of how harsh the pinning rules are. I ended up switching to the pinning system from Rebel & Patriots (same author) and it feels more balanced.

I’ve also experimented with dropping tribal units from a 16 to 12 models (and adjusting the price accordingly) so that the tribal player has more units overall and the colonial player ends up in more situations where they can’t shoot everyone every turn.

Beautiful table and minis!

[Midpoint]

One thing I’ve discovered with TMWWBK is you end up needing more cover than you’d think because of how harsh the pinning rules are. I ended up switching to the pinning system from Rebel & Patriots (same author) and it feels more balanced.

I’ve also experimented with dropping tribal units from a 16 to 12 models (and adjusting the price accordingly) so that the tribal player has more units overall and the colonial player ends up in more situations where they can’t shoot everyone every turn.

Beautiful table and minis!

Those rules suggestions sound like something to check out.

[Emir of Askaristan]

Don't worry the Pathans will have their revenge.

We've had games where either side has wiped the other out with few losses and games where it's come right down to the wire. Sometimes you get an odd one, but as long as it's just sometimes there's nothing wrong with the rules, a tweak here and there to your scenario will see you fine. Because, of course having pacified the region, that column will have to make its was home somehow......

Terrain is important and scrub or rough terrain should abound on the NWF. We also allow a pinned unit to withdraw rather than freeze in place.

Great looking figs and I like your camp.

[robh]

I am not a fan of the MWWBK rules at all, (use Triumph & Tragedy) but have to compliment you on that camp set. Wonderful, especially the cookhouse tent and stoves.

[FifteensAway]

I agree, Midpoint.  We, when we design a scenario that doesn't work, should take time to evaluate what made parts work and other parts fail.  I do agree it might be wise to replay the scenario with minimum tweaks to determine if it was the rules or the scenario that was the real challenge. 

I have MWWBK rules but haven't played them yet - lots of good ideas but rather haphazardly presented so far too easy to forget a rule in an early try-out game.  There is another thread here on LAF about rules presentation and I think something sorely missing is a good plan of presentation, an orderly table of contents, visual examples, and a critical element - a thorough glossary (very few rules include this, sadly).

I hope the players who got the 'short end' of the scenario were not too difficult or vociferous.  Run enough games and this will happen from time to time.  Lesson learned and move on to greater fun later.

[Midpoint]

They were quite kind. And made a few mistakes in their attack as well which piled onto of mine to make it ineffective.

I agree rules would benefit from indexes and glossaries. TMWWBK are good rules, though as others have pointed out the system which underpins them is evolving and later sets have ideas to pinch - as Lion Rampant does also, being the first in the series.

Thanks for your comments.

[JBaumal]

The game may not have gone well this time, but it sure was beautiful!!

I’ve played more TSATF games than I can count, but only a handful with TMWWBK, and numerous games with various other colonial rules. IMHO the majority depends on the scenario and GM. I never base my OOB’s on the numerical designations given by rules systems but rather what actual refight I’m planning or what type of battle I’m looking to portray.

All that being said, I do highly prefer TSATF. It’s highly customizable and flows as easy as the GM and players allow.

Either way, have Fun with it and run the same game again with a buddy to see if the issue was planning, the rules, the scenario, or GM.