Brink of Battle - Official Thread - New TRAIT pg 7!

[Faust23]

Today marks the 6th anniversary of Brink of Battle.  You can read more about it at our blog page here http://brinkofbattle.blogspot.com/

[jackwrench]

Spent the weekend with Faust discussing what's in the works for the fantasy supplement, Epic Heroes, and I can say that I'm really excited about it. He laid out what he has planned for the magic system to me, which deals with both arcane-style spellcasters and ritualistic holy magic.

I can genuinely say that the magic system is unlike anything I've seen before in flexibility and depth. Very jazzed to see how it all comes together as playtesting continues!

Speaking of playtesting, you can download the first piece of public playtesting material on the website now at http://www.brinkofbattle.com in the Downloads section. The PDF there contains the rules for Inborn Traits, which are what will be used to build races other than stock humans from the historical rules. There is a lot of cool stuff there, and there's still more to come! Definitely worth checking out.

-J

[Stavros Banjo]

I've just got a new favourite set of rules. Brink of Battle is simply brilliant!

[Faust23]

Thanks for your business!

What do you like about it most?

[Stavros Banjo]

What do you like about it most?

Firstly, it's a real pleasant change to see a set of rules that actually contains new & fresh ideas rather than a rehash of mechanics we've all seen a million times before. The flexibility of the system means it can easily be used for just about anything you can throw at it. The force creation rules are simple but with more than enough detail to allow personalisation of individual troops. All in all, a very polished product that I'm itching to try out as soon as decorating season is over & I'm allowed to get my toys out again.

[jp1885]

Well I've taken the plunge and downloaded a copy, for those dark evenings when Mrs.1885 is on the late shift and I can try out a few solo VBCW skirmishes.

A quick read-through and it all looks very good - I'll be sure to blog plenty of feedback!

[Faust23]

Firstly, it's a real pleasant change to see a set of rules that actually contains new & fresh ideas rather than a rehash of mechanics we've all seen a million times before. The flexibility of the system means it can easily be used for just about anything you can throw at it. The force creation rules are simple but with more than enough detail to allow personalisation of individual troops. All in all, a very polished product that I'm itching to try out as soon as decorating season is over & I'm allowed to get my toys out again.

Thanks for your kind feedback Stavros. It is very rewarding as an author to hear that others have caught the 'vision' of your work.  I'm excited to see some of your games when you are ready. 

[Faust23]

Well I've taken the plunge and downloaded a copy, for those dark evenings when Mrs.1885 is on the late shift and I can try out a few solo VBCW skirmishes.

A quick read-through and it all looks very good - I'll be sure to blog plenty of feedback!

Thanks to you and Stavros for your business!

Hopefully we'll see our next review from a Solo Wargamer's point of view. It's being written by Terrement from TMP.  Once he posts it, I'll be sure to add it here. 

With the opposed roll mechanics and the alternating activations, solo play should go just fine.  I did quite a bit of solo play testing when we moved from Reno and before I made friends out here in California.  It worked fine.

Would love to hear your feedback JP!   

[jp1885]

Okay, I had a quick BoB solo game last night - here are the results... http://hereford1938.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/skirmish-on-lugg-flats.html

A couple of questions that arose:-
1 - If commander is broken, do you still use his CMD for CMD checks (panic, rout) for other figures in his radius? I thought not, and used the veterans CMD instead.
2 - If a figure is broken, I assume you remove his action token if it hasn't been used?

[Faust23]

Okay, I had a quick BoB solo game last night - here are the results... http://hereford1938.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/skirmish-on-lugg-flats.html

A couple of questions that arose:-
1 - If commander is broken, do you still use his CMD for CMD checks (panic, rout) for other figures in his radius? I thought not, and used the veterans CMD instead.
2 - If a figure is broken, I assume you remove his action token if it hasn't been used?

That's an outstanding review and after action report JP! 

Absolutely LOVE the Scarecrow Protesters, and the fact that you used the Savage Aspect Trait!  It's a big deal in Close combat during a Charge Actioin. 

On to your questions: 1. If the Commander is Broken, you cannot use his CMD Radius or Rating for other model's Checks, or the Rout Check.  If you have a Veteran that has the Commander Trait, you would then use his Command Rating for the Rout Check if your Commander is dead, Broken, or Shocked.  Otherwise, you make the Rout Check with a straaight d10!   

2. Broken models that were Active at the time they failed their Panic Check automatically lose their Action Token.

Thanks for posting your AAR and thanks again for your business! 

[Faust23]

Alan has just uploaded our Sci-Fi Gear Play Test materials for those of you who want to try them out.

Go to the Downloads section for more info here http://www.brinkofbattle.com/

[10thMountainMan]

Greetings! I recently have finished reading the new BoB ruleset and have thrown a few dice and I have to say I am impressed with this rules set. I have some experience with various skirmish games including Flames of War, Mordheim, 40k, and this is amazing. Its going to take a little bit to get as proficient as I'd like to be with the rules, but already I can see this has the Holy Grail of wargaming-depth yet simplicity. The game mechanic looks amazing and once you get the hang of it, it should come second hand. My congratulations to you sir. Who needs Games Workshop when there is new blood like this in town. I sincerely hope this means a changing of the guard for the wargaming community. Diversity is perhaps its greatest asset. This should go a long way to raise the bar substantially. I haven't had time to read thru the fantasy playtest yet, I'm still absorbing the main rules before venturing forth into other realms but looking forward to that and Sci-Fi supplements! Keep it rolling!

~10MtnMan

[Faust23]

Thanks for your business 10thMtn!

I'm glad you find the game a good fit for you.

Be sure to go to the Downloads section of our website for more suppporting documents.  We have Fantasy and Sci-Fi downloads to tide you over until those supplements are released.

[Cluck Amok]

Hi Bob,

Haven't played yet but am intrigued and impressed. I really like the "toolkit" approach. Unless I've missed something, it does not appear that multiples of figures can be "ordered" to do the same action at the same time; for instance, "volley fire" or "charge." Even playing at the "handful of soldiers" scale, I would think it might still be possible to order some soldiers to do the same thing at the same time; "Everybody fire!" or "Everybody get your butts over there!" Have I missed it or have you opted not to permit it? Thanks in advance for a response.

Bests,
Chris (Cluck Amok)

[Faust23]

!" Have I missed it or have you opted not to permit it? Thanks in advance for a response.

Hi Chris,

You didn't miss it.  Great question too.  In the Beginning, I had Group Movement in the game.  As it was play tested, it occurred to me that even in groups, individuals act at different times, even if those actions are so close together that they appear to be acting as one unit. 

Add that to the other thing I'm trying to quantify which is the simultaneous nature of combat activity.  While Group A is trying to move, the fighters in Group B aren't hanging out waiting to get shot or stabbed.  To quantify this element, which IMO is perhaps the most difficult thing to do in a wargame, the alternating Actions sequence was added in.  The Break, which is an interrupt action that can be had by the player who lost the initiative that Turn, which is called The Edge, simulates to a degree that simultaneous element as well.

By the end of a Turn, the Group A player has moved all of his men up to the same point and they are together.  However, along the way of that happening, his opponents troops have also done stuff.  So think of it as 'what has occured at the end of the turn' and that may help to understand where I'm coming from.

That is not to say that Group Actions won't appear in the future.  I've taken the "I don't know everything" approach to game design.  I'm a fan of good ideas, even if they aren't my own. 

I have the mechanics for it already, but when played, the IGOUGO feeling creeped in, which is what I don't want, and so I opted to leave Group Actions out for now.

Also, if sales numbers and popularity in the wargame community for Brink of Battle hits the right level, I will fill out my notes on the full Army level of BoB so we can play with larger groups of troops and all the other stuff that makes company level games fun. 

And who knows, Group Actions might pop up in a micro supplement some day too.  I've got an itch for the War of Spanish Succession and the Seven Years' War that may bring some of those rules to bear. 

Thanks for your input Chris. And thanks for your business!

Bob