Since my copy comes in Tuesday, I'm wondering about my first opportunity for competitive play. That might come that weekend, in fact: the science fiction convention Orycon should have a substantial gaming presence and the GameStorm convention staff will be running the gaming room.
Learning the game should be easy. It's teaching the game that will pose the problem since I doubt that it will be a game that a lot of people in the area will have played. IS there a way to learn the game simultaneously with an opponent, especially when you have to interpret rules questions?
Infantry 1 and cavalry 2. The nice thing about this game is that you can explain as you go. Just make sure they understand how objectives work in the game. That to me is the toughest part
I introduced a friend to the game yesterday, mind you I have played it a lot myself, but it really is a great, simple system to learn and to teach but full on tough and interesting decisions. My suggestion if both players were new to the game would be:
*Read the rulebook prior, I wouldn't bring it to the table and try and learn as you go. I'm sure most people could do it, it'd just take longer though.
*Set both armies up adjacent to each other divided by the halfway line.
*The player's aids supplied are brilliant, be sure each player has one.
*Then simply play just a few turns, using the player's aids to guide you.
*Once an enemy piece occupies the other sides territory, explain how how the VP's are awarded and how that winning condition will come about.
After that, reset up the game as normal and I'm sure you will have both encountered, terrain, bombards, combats (both small and large ones), supply cards and redoubts etc.
Enjoy, I think you made a wise decision picking this game up. Even though the two people I play most regularly with each own a copy of this game, I now do too, it is a must have IMO.
I am grateful there is good advice to be had here!
I know the game suggests starting with Brits vs French for starter games. But if I have more people wanting to learn at one time, I presume I can set them up with other armies and the map sections the first game isn't using.
How do you recommend holding the pieces and cards together on the cheap? Rubber bands and ziplock bags, or are there more efficient ways to do it?
But you do need a card to attack. Which leads to what will look like some intriguing tactical decisions. What do you do if one of your units runs out of attack cards? You can't use cards again because the game ends at nightfall, which is determined by when a player runs out of cards. And once a card is discarded it's gone for the rest of the game! Frustrating if it turns out you need it later.
But you do need a card to attack. Which leads to what will look like some intriguing tactical decisions. What do you do if one of your units runs out of attack cards? You can't use cards again because the game ends at nightfall, which is determined by when a player runs out of cards. And once a card is discarded it's gone for the rest of the game! Frustrating if it turns out you need it later.
That's not correct about when the game ends. If you are the first player to go through your deck, you'll be able to reshuffle and use your deck again. Nightfall only occurs after the second player has emptied his draw pile. (And even then, he may get to shuffle if he still needs cards to draw for the last turn).
In any case, if you run out of cards for units, you can still use them in a battle by playing a leader.
I find that it's mostly pointless to hang on to cards for units that aren't doing much and better to keep drawing to get the cards needed by units that are engaging the enemy. What you'll find is that as your units are eliminated, your draws have more useless cards. You've got to keep cycling those cards. And, as nightfall approaches, you'll be inclined to start moving your troops to gain space on your opponent's side of the map.
Obviously, before I teach the game I must learn the game.
I have a VASSAL module for Manoeuvre and I was wondering if anyone else did and would be willing to show me the ropes in a game environment. (If someone in Portland could teach me that would be even better, but I will take what I can get).
Thanks so much! I've played the early stages of two games now solitaire (with no intent of playing any of them to completion solitaire because this isn't really the sort of game you enjoy playing solitaire) and I'm trying to get a grasp on how combat works in particular.
That doesn't mean I am employing sound tactics, mind you. I lost a British unit because I somehow thought I could get more use out of Wellington in another circumstance. Lesson: don't hoard resources!
A lesson I didn't quite learn. In my game Friday I had Napoleon in my hand when the Imperial Guard was destroyed. He could easily have saved them had I been really paying attention. (Of course, if one of the two Withdrawal cards I had to discard first turn had been in my hand then I could also have saved the Guard and made him waste three attacking cards that would never show up again!)
Remember a Withdraw must be the first card played in defense thus ending the combat. So the most cards you can lose to a withdraw is just the first one you initiate the attack with.
Remember a Withdraw must be the first card played in defense thus ending the combat. So the most cards you can lose to a withdraw is just the first one you initiate the attack with.
OK. So he would still have had two cards left to press the attack on his next turn. Cool.
