Great report chap, look foward to seeing some ancient gauls hit the table. You were right @ 34:17 the heros after a challange of they survive they can rejoin the other combat with the group.
I am devouring Midgard content right now. The rules look like they simulate medieval battle lines pretty well. Who doesn't love heroic leaders in the thick of things either?
I’ve now played it twice and I have to admit I have a few misgivings now. Maybe we are doing something wrong but it so strongly favours the attacker it seems very one sided.
Entertaining viewing, thanks for playing! Couple of minor pointers: Skirmishers and Light Riders can move twice and shoot immediately afterwards (you don’t have to only move once); and any hits from Shooting (even one) cause a Command Test to avoid retreating. This makes missile fire potentially very disruptive to advancing troops. It was cool to see a multiplayer game, something that I’ve seen recently down our club as well.
@@Mogsymakes cheers James. We played again last night and if I am honest, we were somewhat disappointed with the game. Much like this one, we found pretty much every attack won, or if it was a draw, half destroyed the defending unit. As the attacker it seems like you can pick your target and maximise supports - much harder for the defenders. Plus of course the attackers get the reputation bonus for their charges, not something that the defenders benefited from in our games. Cavalry, at least the Arthurian ones,are pointless. It’s too easy to block them from getting into your flanks and frontally they just die in melee! We tried the defend the hill scenario last night and the Saxons walked up to the hill, picked their targets,and smashed home. They won 75% of the charges and pretty much destroyed the Arthurian army before their reinforcements even arrived. I don’t know what we did wrong,and yes the Saxons had some good dice, but they seemed better man for man that the Britons, and it wasn’t much fun if I’m honest as the defender!
@@BootsontheTableSorry to hear that! I think there’s quite a lot to pick up about the game as experience from play testing shows that the Britons and Saxons are very evenly matched Forces. I take your point about charging Attackers gaining Reputation bonuses, but Defenders are allowed to charge as well. Getting the timing right takes several games though. Were you giving the Arthurian cavalry their javelin bonus when charging? This combined with a heroic leader tends to make them quite dangerous on the charge (Rick Priestley absolutely destroyed my Saxon flank with bold use of Arthurian cavalry in his first game). However, they are not Knights, so their best role is to exploit any gaps on the flanks, if you can find them. In terms of the Attacker picking their target and maximising supports, it’s true that they move first, but as the Defender, you can complicate this with missile fire, forcing Command Tests and possibly disrupting their advance. We’ve found it rare in testing this scenario (played dozens of times in testing) that the Attacker gets to the hill in good order and unscathed. It’s unusual to get an Attacker rollover victory, but that’s obviously what you experienced last night. Hope you will try again, do shout if I can offer any support. There’s more to the rules than immediately meets the eye and I’d like you to get the best out of them.
@ I don’t know what we are doing wrong but it doesn’t feel evenly matched. I know defenders can charge, I meant the attacker in the sense that they charge first. If you get a hero to charge with its unit in our games they more often than not win. There’s nothing the defending side can do other than hope they dice well. I get archers can break things up but that’s typical just 1 or 2 units at the end of a line where they don’t do much to disrupt things. I don’t think we did anything with javelins so missed that but still they are just 10 dice and 3 stamina against typically 12 dice and 4 stamina. On average that’s 3 hits vs 4 hits for the infantry. Ok the cavalry might have some trait, but so might the infantry. Anyways, as I say maybe we are missing something but I’ve played twice as Arthur and been trashed both times!
@ Thanks for the extra detail. When charging (or counter charging if you get charged), the cavalry should be throwing 13 dice in the first round (10 + 3 for javelins) and rerolling ones, which would give 4 hits on average. They can also use their Disengage Trait to drop out of the combat after resolution, which gives them more options. Yes, they are still Stamina 3 vs Stamina 4 Warriors. They do take a bit more getting used to than foot Warriors. While the advantage in a combat is usually with the charger, I don’t think it’s a done deal that they will win. Defending a hill gives extra Support, and having Heroes in the front line helps to bolster the Units. Traits like Today We Fight To Win can be triggered even when you’ve been charged so are useful for fighting off the enemy. Of course, the charging Units may have these things as well, but if you’re waiting to receive a charge you can move Heroes to the Units that are likely to get hit. As regarding Skirmishers, I know they’re not a big thing in the Arthurian forces, but we tend to place them in the centre of the line to snipe at oncoming enemy Units and their Heroes. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t, but it can make a difference, sometimes killing/ wounding a Hero or forcing them to burn Mighty Deeds and Reputation to reroll Risk to Heroes tests. I wonder if it’s worth trying playing the Saxons for a change just to see if you feel the same way? Just a thought. All the best, James
@Mogsymakes yep missed the cavalry javelin plus. But even with a break off they just get charged next turn by the infantry though? Agreed I need to try Saxons
Yes. Also looking fwd to trying this game out at some point. Always fancied the Dark Ages as a gaming period. The rule mechanisms don’t look novel enough to distract me much from other periods of interest, but am happy to give it a go.
Great game Dom, btw all retreats are only half a spear throw, including cavalry. I'd reason that even though they are cavalry they just stagger backwards.
Really like the retreat/withdraw rules in GDA2. Perhaps not appropriate for Dark Age infantry, but they’d certainly make sense for cavalry. Half the point of mounted troops is that they can get out of trouble almost as quickly as they got into it.
Great report chap, look foward to seeing some ancient gauls hit the table. You were right @ 34:17 the heros after a challange of they survive they can rejoin the other combat with the group.
Cheers mate
I am devouring Midgard content right now. The rules look like they simulate medieval battle lines pretty well. Who doesn't love heroic leaders in the thick of things either?
I’ve now played it twice and I have to admit I have a few misgivings now. Maybe we are doing something wrong but it so strongly favours the attacker it seems very one sided.
Thank you , Dom .
🐺Loupis Canis .
Thank you too!
Entertaining viewing, thanks for playing! Couple of minor pointers: Skirmishers and Light Riders can move twice and shoot immediately afterwards (you don’t have to only move once); and any hits from Shooting (even one) cause a Command Test to avoid retreating. This makes missile fire potentially very disruptive to advancing troops.
It was cool to see a multiplayer game, something that I’ve seen recently down our club as well.
@@Mogsymakes cheers James. We played again last night and if I am honest, we were somewhat disappointed with the game. Much like this one, we found pretty much every attack won, or if it was a draw, half destroyed the defending unit. As the attacker it seems like you can pick your target and maximise supports - much harder for the defenders. Plus of course the attackers get the reputation bonus for their charges, not something that the defenders benefited from in our games. Cavalry, at least the Arthurian ones,are pointless. It’s too easy to block them from getting into your flanks and frontally they just die in melee!
We tried the defend the hill scenario last night and the Saxons walked up to the hill, picked their targets,and smashed home. They won 75% of the charges and pretty much destroyed the Arthurian army before their reinforcements even arrived.
I don’t know what we did wrong,and yes the Saxons had some good dice, but they seemed better man for man that the Britons, and it wasn’t much fun if I’m honest as the defender!
@@BootsontheTableSorry to hear that! I think there’s quite a lot to pick up about the game as experience from play testing shows that the Britons and Saxons are very evenly matched Forces.
I take your point about charging Attackers gaining Reputation bonuses, but Defenders are allowed to charge as well. Getting the timing right takes several games though.
Were you giving the Arthurian cavalry their javelin bonus when charging? This combined with a heroic leader tends to make them quite dangerous on the charge (Rick Priestley absolutely destroyed my Saxon flank with bold use of Arthurian cavalry in his first game). However, they are not Knights, so their best role is to exploit any gaps on the flanks, if you can find them.
In terms of the Attacker picking their target and maximising supports, it’s true that they move first, but as the Defender, you can complicate this with missile fire, forcing Command Tests and possibly disrupting their advance. We’ve found it rare in testing this scenario (played dozens of times in testing) that the Attacker gets to the hill in good order and unscathed. It’s unusual to get an Attacker rollover victory, but that’s obviously what you experienced last night.
Hope you will try again, do shout if I can offer any support. There’s more to the rules than immediately meets the eye and I’d like you to get the best out of them.
@ I don’t know what we are doing wrong but it doesn’t feel evenly matched. I know defenders can charge, I meant the attacker in the sense that they charge first. If you get a hero to charge with its unit in our games they more often than not win. There’s nothing the defending side can do other than hope they dice well. I get archers can break things up but that’s typical just 1 or 2 units at the end of a line where they don’t do much to disrupt things. I don’t think we did anything with javelins so missed that but still they are just 10 dice and 3 stamina against typically 12 dice and 4 stamina. On average that’s 3 hits vs 4 hits for the infantry. Ok the cavalry might have some trait, but so might the infantry.
Anyways, as I say maybe we are missing something but I’ve played twice as Arthur and been trashed both times!
@ Thanks for the extra detail.
When charging (or counter charging if you get charged), the cavalry should be throwing 13 dice in the first round (10 + 3 for javelins) and rerolling ones, which would give 4 hits on average. They can also use their Disengage Trait to drop out of the combat after resolution, which gives them more options. Yes, they are still Stamina 3 vs Stamina 4 Warriors. They do take a bit more getting used to than foot Warriors.
While the advantage in a combat is usually with the charger, I don’t think it’s a done deal that they will win. Defending a hill gives extra Support, and having Heroes in the front line helps to bolster the Units. Traits like Today We Fight To Win can be triggered even when you’ve been charged so are useful for fighting off the enemy. Of course, the charging Units may have these things as well, but if you’re waiting to receive a charge you can move Heroes to the Units that are likely to get hit.
As regarding Skirmishers, I know they’re not a big thing in the Arthurian forces, but we tend to place them in the centre of the line to snipe at oncoming enemy Units and their Heroes. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t, but it can make a difference, sometimes killing/ wounding a Hero or forcing them to burn Mighty Deeds and Reputation to reroll Risk to Heroes tests.
I wonder if it’s worth trying playing the Saxons for a change just to see if you feel the same way? Just a thought. All the best, James
@Mogsymakes yep missed the cavalry javelin plus. But even with a break off they just get charged next turn by the infantry though? Agreed I need to try Saxons
I am looking forward to trying this out as well. Have fun Brother 👍
@basement1908 happy thanksgiving my friend
Yes. Also looking fwd to trying this game out at some point. Always fancied the Dark Ages as a gaming period.
The rule mechanisms don’t look novel enough to distract me much from other periods of interest, but am happy to give it a go.
Very good game and very confusing as well but great panted figures 🤠🤠🤠👍👍
Thank you 👍
Great game Dom, btw all retreats are only half a spear throw, including cavalry. I'd reason that even though they are cavalry they just stagger backwards.
Thanks yes we corrected that in our second game
Really like the retreat/withdraw rules in GDA2. Perhaps not appropriate for Dark Age infantry, but they’d certainly make sense for cavalry. Half the point of mounted troops is that they can get out of trouble almost as quickly as they got into it.
Thats a pretty hefty goblet your opponent has. Is it used for holding happy time liquids or tokens😉
I’m not sure I want to know ;)