I played two games using the Big Battle rules on p.29 in the Designer Notes.
https://darkages40and25.blogspot.com/2025/05/big-battle-dominion-of-spear.htmlVerdict: as an experienced gamer, I like the Big Battle version better. It takes twice as long, but that was less than 10 minutes! There are more decision points, which I like.
Also, if one adds more "depth" to the battle line Sectors, one gets to game the commitment of reserves. This is more historical and more interesting.
I also took the opportunity to introduce a "clash of Light forces" pre-battle phase. This worked nicely, and proved to be a simple way to introduce the Light Fight without them being either useless or over-powered.
I encourage you to give these a try - you'll never feel like your $6 was badly spent!