The Author of SoBaH is at it again!

[aggro84]

I just ordered these new rules up last night from Wargames Vault,



Also available here: http://www.ganeshagames.net/product_info.php?products_id=226

Very interesting concepts. I don't know if I will ever actually play, but the rules seemed very revolutionary.

No measuring of any kind, no point systems, no modifiers, very simple warband creation, an interesting magic micro-game.
As I said, very interesting.

I recommend them even though I doubt I will ever use them, but still a good read.
 

[Faust23]

I saw this. The bidding concept is interesting. The movement from terrain to terrain sounds like the same mechanic in Crossfire by Artie Conliffe.  That was perfect for WW2 combats, but I'm curious if it works for this genre.

I hope it does well.

[kalamadea]

Well, it's certainly different. Very minimalist approach. Looks like it works well for the intended audience, but honestly I wanted SBH to have just a little more in the way of stats and rules, not go even simpler. What really kept me from enjoying SBH is that elves felt nearly identical to orcs nearly identical to humans. Makes for easy custom unit creation, but it just doesn't feel like having lizardmen on the table is any different from having beastmen on the table.

One of the guys on Boardgame Geek seems to really enjoy Battlesworn, but I just don't see this matching my taste in fantasy skirmish rules. It's too bad (for me), but there's clearly a target gamer audience for this and more power to 'em.

[Vermis]

Character type/selection sounds a bit like HoTT, as mentioned on Boardgamegeek, which I'm not opposed to in theory, but I'd also worry if it makes individual characters a bit samey. (Would need to play some HoTT and BattS to form an opinion, tho!)

My bigger worry would be the movement mechanic. Sounds interesting, but how would 'outside' factors affect it? (the 'metagame', I think) How much terrain is optimal; will too little or too much affect the game adversely? What about size of terrain pieces? Is terrain choice and placement largely automatic or directed, or is there more freedom, possibly resulting in (IMO) too much focus on 'gaming' the terrain beforehand to gain an advantage? (à la listbuilding in 40K)

[LeadAsbestos]

I think it will be perfect as a get-stuck-in kinda game. No over-thinking required. I know it takes me forever to get games going, and sometimes I would just like the simple pleasure of playing...

[aggro84]

Faust- I hadn't seen those Crossfire rules.

Kalamanda - Not really to my tastes either, but I thought the rules were very interesting. I noticed in SoBaH a lot of the stats and characters strated looking the same as well. I was thinking some sort of a simple racial warbrand traits to vary things could be a quick fix.

Vermis- Don't know. Good question. I bought the rules maybe I should at least try a game or two. 

Lead Asbestos- That's sort of what I was thinking. I recently married and my step-son has never played a wargame before. I thought something like this would likely hold his attention. Damn XBox generation!   

[BaronVonJ]

I like them so far, but don't work for anything but 1 vs 1. I have a large group and therefore a need for large skirmish rules.

[Diakon]

Sounds interesting. Nice artwork too.

[Dr. The Viking]

Odd. I was working on a game exactly like that for years. I don't suppose I ever wrote a lot about it anywhere though. 

[Gibby]

For me too simple is as bad as too complex. The former strips a lot of flavour out, the latter stops you ever managing to play.

[Faust23]

@aggro84 - Crossfire was published back in the early 90's I think.  Don't have my copy handy.  Artie Conliffe is a great designer, and his innovations on movement and initiative were ground breaking.  He's one of my Design Heroes, and an inspiration to me for Brink of Battle's ebb and flow feel for warfare.

[aggro84]

A lot of interesting points  being raised here...

@aggro84 - Crossfire was published back in the early 90's I think.  Don't have my copy handy.  Artie Conliffe is a great designer, and his innovations on movement and initiative were ground breaking.  He's one of my Design Heroes, and an inspiration to me for Brink of Battle's ebb and flow feel for warfare.

Thanks for the info Faust23.