Guards of Traitor's Toll- Anyone read the rules/tried the game?

[Frugalmax]

Hi folks,

Every once in a while I get excited by the prospect of a game that may check all of the boxes (as in, "Finally the game I've always wanted!") and from the initial tidbits online "Guards of Traitor's Toll" by Grey for Now games got my imagination going (https://greyfornow.com/en-us/products/guards-of-traitors-toll-starter-set).

I've always liked miniatures games that overlap with roleplaying elements, such as the old Necromunda, Warhammer Quest, and Mordheim, and more recently Rangers of Shadow Deep and Frostgrave. Guards of Traitor's Toll looks like it's a little skirmish-y, a little role-play-ey (can you believe it, folks, English is his first language!?!) and has a vibe kind of like the urban adventures of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Then there's some great looking new miniatures from Wargames Atlantic (and I definitely don't need more plastic sprues in my life but on the other hand maybe I do?).

I could always craft my own game from the myriad rules I've absorbed over the years (which is what usually happens in our gaming group anyway), but there's definitely an appeal to paying somebody $65 to do it all for you. I'm wondering if anyone has preordered the game and checked out or played using the pdf rulebook?  With all of the cards and things does the game feel more like a board game than a skirmish-roleplay-campaign? Any experience or thoughts or wild speculation you want to share?

Cheers!

[ChaosChild]

Not played it yet, but I have played Test of Honour which uses fundamentally the same rules and plays really well. A friend of mine has preordered everything for GoTT though, so I'll be giving it a go ASAP.

[Argonor]

I am following the project with great interest.

[Dean]

You can get a free PDF overview here - https://greyfornow.com/products/guards-of-traitors-toll-gameplay-overview-pdf

It's not a boardgame, the semi-coop play between players is going down well with playtesters and it plays really nicely as a solo.  The rulebook includes a linked set of scenarios but making up your own is really easy too.  The cards drive the scenarios but also make sure that every game is different depending on the plots that come up. 

The dice mean that you can't always do exactly the move you want, so keeps it quite a tactical game.  Having 'civilians' milling about and then one of them suddenly becoming a suspect (or as I like to think of them 'target') gives it a feel that is very different to the norm.

Graham also has some great additions in mind, like he's done with Test of Honour and 0200 Hours.

Oh and yeah, the WA plastics look great and will no doubt have othe uses.

[Frugalmax]

Thanks all for the replies! I have checked out the overview pdf, though that was what made me wonder if it was more like a boardgame than a skirmish game (though who's to say a boardgame can't be a skirmish game and vice versa? I have no idea what I'm talking about).

I am very tempted! That said, I think I "should" wait until I see some reviews of the game before spending the money. I have too many games that don't get played enough. But we'll see! Maybe I'll get it and review it for the Cheap Dragon Show... that would be totally justifiable, right? Then others could learn from my mistakes! Ah, it's good to be altruistic... Kidding. Anyway I'll keep an eye on it as well!

[Elbows]

I think the only limiting factor for this - and games like it, is simply the terrain.

People often describe skirmish games as more affordable, but I find it to be the opposite.  With more rules, intricacies, etc. you end up often building a much more detailed table/city scape to play on.  My Old West tables are superb but cost a fortune!

I don't know how many buildings are actually properly required for a game...but that could be a bunch of time/money/storage to consider.  Some people are going to pick up the game to realize they only own two cabins and four trees. 

[Frugalmax]

I think the only limiting factor for this - and games like it, is simply the terrain.

That's a really good point that I hadn't thought too much about- I'm in the fortunate (foolish?) position of having played fantasy miniatures games since the early 90's, so I have a shelf full of buildings already (which range wildly in style and quality, oh well), but if someone were just starting they would need to make or buy a good amount of terrain to make a city. I'm sure you could have just as much fun by playing with a 2-D map or some cardboard rectangles representing the footprints of buildings, but the game does seem to lend itself towards tall buildings on the table.

This got me thinking of past games where we've played with more tightly packed vertical terrain and there is a bit of compromise that has to happen between playability and the "coolness" of the terrain. A tight alleyway between tall buildings is very cinematic and immersive- but also a pain to move your models in! Good food for thought, thanks!

[Dean]

On a 3x3foot table you need about 6 buildings (not interiors), a few market stalls, and a bunch of crates and barrels type scatter.  The below was a playtest.

[mikedemana]

Maybe I'll get it and review it for the Cheap Dragon Show... that would be totally justifiable, right? Then others could learn from my mistakes!

I vote "YES" to this, mainly because I want another episode of the Cheap Dragon Show... 

Mike Demana

[Spinal Tap]

I vote "YES" to this, mainly because I want another episode of the Cheap Dragon Show... 

Mike Demana

Me too.

I'd watch that dragon reading a shopping list.

[Burgundavia]

This game looks like fun and new plastics are good. It is a like an opposite Guilders game.

[Frugalmax]

Thanks for the photo and the insight, @Dean!

@mikedemana and @Spinal Tap, more of the Cheap Dragon Show is on the way! Very glad to hear you enjoy it!

[Burgundavia]

I picked up the rules today. $16 CAD. Read them, thought they looked interesting. But then I asked on the Facebook group about access to the cards and characters to actually play the game. Was told they might be available later, but no cost or timeframe. Soured me a little bit on the game.

[Frugalmax]

@Burgundavia- that's too bad. Does the rulebook at least show the sides of the dice so you could proxy a regular D6 (ie, 1=result X, 2= result Y, etc.)? I'm surprised they wouldn't put the cards as a sheet in the back of the pdf. Maybe it's something you could reach out to the designer/company about, as it seems reasonable that if you buy the rulebook they should give you the stuff you need to play.

[mikedemana]

Honestly, I avoid all games with special dice like the plague...well, except Saga, which you technically don't need and can easily proxy if you don't want to buy the special command dice. But for dice needed to do the basic movement, shooting, combat, etc., I say no way. To me it seems like nothing more than a money grab.

My friend ran the Fallout official game for us once and we all roundly panned it. We spent every turn looking up what each of the stupid symbols mean. I felt bad since he'd obviously spent a lot of money on it all. But hey, he can use the figs for post-apoc games using other rules... 

Just my opinion...

Mike Demana