Congo Columns play balance

[gorillacrab]

I've just finished my 8th or 9th game of Congo and continue to really enjoy the games.

However, I am wondering about play balance in scenarios involving the Explorer columns. Basically, the firepower of the Soldiers and Adventurers units is very powerful (especially if you add the Explorer character to your soldiers - yielding 5 d10s when firing). In our games, they also use 2 Trained Askari outfits, yielding 8 more men with D8 rifles.

Many of the Zanzibar core units use muskets, by contrast. There is the enforced "play balancer" of musket fire causing a Stress Token draw - but otherwise these guys can be badly outgunned.

Do any other Congo veterans see trends in which Columns might be stronger - or what kind of unit mix do you use to keep games interesting? (or have most of these games simply been a case of very lucky dicing for the Explorer players?)

(as a side question, I'm also wondering if the profile for the Baluchi sword unit should be slightly modified, given the very high 23 point cost for a melee unit.) I suggest adjusting the unit so that 0,1 hit allows d10s - 2,3: d8s, 4: d6s. If the few games I've tried them they haven't justified being more expensive than the professional soldier unit.

Thoughts, gentlemen?

[Ivan DBA]

I've only played two games; in both, I was Zanzibaris against an Explorer column with four units of trained Askaris.  I won both games.  But perhaps Soldiers and Adventurers would have made things different.

The stress token from musketry is a big deal, if you capitalize on it with subsequent terror attacks.  All the more so if its a scenario where the other side is Exhausted, and may start with stress tokens already.

My Baluchi swordsmen were shot down like dogs both games, which was funny because they were the unit I had talked up before the game.  I'll reserve judgment yet on whether they are too costly though.

I've seen another post, either hear or on facebook, where a player was convinced the explorers are underpowered... which I

[gorillacrab]

really interesting that you've had results with the Zanzibarans winning using Stress from combined musketry - I've also seen them win one of the early scenarios in our games. It also looks like the end of your post was cut off, unfortunately. Interesting to discuss the pros and cons of units and columns.
- GC

[Hobbyone]

Good evening. I think I was one of the people who played the most (or played). For me it has no stronger faction. Each game is different. I'm not saying we've done a perfect game of balance, it's just that there's so much going on that it balances the whole thing. I hope you will realize that. On the other hand, the game is made to use a lot of terrain elements. Do not forget it.
Fred

[Ivan DBA]

Hmmm, I meant to say I was surprised to see someone post elsewhere that Explorers are underpowered.  I agree with gorillacrab that their shooting is formidable (as it should be), and so the look to me to be the easiest culture to start with.  That said, in my (admittedly very limited experience) the Zanzibarans held their own very nicely against Explorers.

I want to play more games before I conclude the Baluchi swordsmen are underpowered/over-costed.  If they are out of whack, I would prefer to adjust their points rather than their stats, the points have a finer granularity.  I'm looking forward to fielding them again to see if I can make better use of them next time.

In any event, I'm not terribly worried about play balance.  This is a light-hearted game, where the point is adventure and narrative.  Our first couple games were great: quick moving, and the objectives of the different Adventures made for distinct games.  I like that there is no scenario for a straight-up fight.  When SAGA came out, people played the "Clash of Warlords" scenario ad nauseum, because it was the standard scenario with no interesting objectives. That shouldn't happen here.

[gorillacrab]

Gentlemen,
Last night the intrepid North Shore Gamers played a 3-sided scenario, and I'm very pleased to report that the Forest peoples column won the game (grabbing the treasure from the central temple and keeping it until the end). In this game the Euros came second and Team Zanzibar was third (running into a tough and crabby ape in dense terrain did not help).
In this game, the shooting of the Soldiers and Adventurers just wasn't accurate enough as the tribesmen grabbed the artifact and escaped.
Meanwhile, I agree with the previous poster that the best way to address the Baluchi swordsmen (if you decide to do that) may be to reduce their point cost by stress points - working on the assumption that fighting values will be reduced by Stress by the time they charge into combat.
I also want to reassure Fred that I still really like the game - and that creating perfect balance in rules with such varied factions is very challenging. It's just interesting to discuss columns and units based on game experience.
Also nice to play Congo on nights with snow and ice outside on the ground...
- GC

[TWD]

I've only played 3 games but yes, the firepower of the Explorers has felt a bit overwhelming compared with the musketry of the Slavers.
On the other hand I'm pretty rubbish at actually playing games, so this should in no way be taken as objective feedback.

[gorillacrab]

I've only played 3 games but yes, the firepower of the Explorers has felt a bit overwhelming compared with the musketry of the Slavers.

- Perhaps one way to address this is to ensure that the Explorer column has a least one non-rifle team, say young warriors or Ruga-Rugas in order to avoid game situations that resemble the climactic sequence of Zulu.
- GC

[Ivan DBA]

And make sure there is enough terrain on the table!! 

[Stecal]

I am finding the opposite.  With D8 saves nearly everywhere in some scenarios the shooting seems underpowered.  Try facing 5 married warriors with D10 in combat in the underbrush.  There are no saves in melee.

[Argonor]

I've only played one game, I commanded Forest Tribes against a White Man's Expedition (I think it is called) with both soldiers and askaris, and I won the encounter.

I think it is a question of terrain and tactics.