Xaltotun

Honestly I remember in Conan and Bran Mak Morn books the Picts as a fierce and quite dark skinned people (far from irish men and scots): seems that Howard believed the old theory about their arrival from the Northern Africa.

I painted them too white I guess, and maybe, I should have used more blue for their tattooes, so following what I read about them in some history book somewhere...

"You Barbaric Scum, you dared, you played and you made them really angry: that's why Crom will let them dismount for the joy of finishing you!..."

New tiles uploaded under our Campaign download section.

3 hours ago, Vincent255 said:

On 6/3/2018 at 6:30 PM, Arthadan said:

Tiles file is ready to upload but I have a little problem. The original file was uploaded to the Downloads section by @Xaltotun and I cannot update it. 

I'll wait to hear from him, but in the mean time here you are.

 

 

BotM - Tiles v1.4.pdf

 

So remaining tasks are just updating the scenario and the map.

Do you need me to recreate/correct the tokens?

On 3/2/2018 at 2:11 PM, Arthadan said:

I think I'll remove the special rule with the skeletons. It doesn't add much to the gameplay and the scenario is a bit complex.

 

Worth it keeping it?

I think you're right: as you know, I'd  simplify the scenario

Can't wait for the book to receive. Thanks for this opportunity!

Guys, sorry for my delay... I had horrible days recently. 

I'll try to answer you in the next days.

32 minutes ago, Florentin said:

Maybe some easy rules could take place in order to fight more in the monolith field?

As an example, until turn 4 it is not possible for the OL to go to the Yasmina's hill because Thulsa doom wants his revenge !?

 

 I don't know. 

Honestly, the impression was there were bit too many rules and there was a kind of 'gap' between the map and the objects of the game.

Anyway, we experienced some minor problems I'd like to talk better tomorrow

 I think it's better for you and @Arthadan to test the game with other players first; then we can compare our experiences and elaborate solutions. 

PS. When Rexor crossed the palisades to hunt for Conan was really epic. A pity he was fatigued and wounded ( 2 life points left)

10 minutes ago, Florentin said:

Most important question @Xaltotun: Did you have pleasure to play this scenario ?

Sure! I was just a bit frustrated because the most interesting part of the map (and several rules) wasn't used.

Anyway, we can say that an important thing worked: I think it was quite balanced, infact in the second part of the game we had fun.

I'll write more tomorrow, since there are some points to explain, I guess.

Last part of the game and conclusion

Conan was heavily wounded and crossed the palisades to stand beside Subotai, who had used a lot of gems and had also a nap in between, to recover all of them.

Some riders are finally showing up from behind Yasmina top.

Dishorsed by Conan, Rexor crossed the palisades trying to follow Conan.

It's too late to free Yasmina (a couple of turns left!), but the heroes haven't killed Rexor or Thorgrim yet, so Doom is still off the map (was it correct???). The only chance is to kill the heroes, so the OL wants to prevent them from escaping back through the palisades:  he stops a rider to close the way to the altar hill, unleash Rexor (wounded and dismounted) behind Conan, while Thorgrim and few troops are charging the back of the hill.

Final results: Rexor died during the ninth turn. No chance for the OL to activate Doom when he finally entered. Thorgrim killed Conan, but was killed himself by Subotai in the last turn. 5 Doom troopers left, two of them never moved. Subotai was alive and well living, since he never lost a single gem (!!!).

No one has ever walked on the 5 monoliths small hill.

********************************

So, that's basically the game we had. Tomorrow I'll try to write down the impressions and the results of the big discussions we had before, during and after.

I can try to make some scheme of the game, if you need.

....by the way, I hope you can figure out the battle by my poor English.

The big problem appeared from the game is that 2/3 of the map was completely unused during the game. 

-as the game began, Conan took the Heavy Axe and Subotai collected all the arrows, then they run to the Yasmina's mound, since both the players recognized it as the best defendable position. This way they were safe behind the palisades, and Yasmina was safer behind them! 

Subotai (red line) stood on the top of that hill, behind the palisades, shooting at everything was coming by.

Conan (blue line) changed his weapon and run to the Yasmin hill too, but he stopped on the top of a black stone to kill some of the upcoming knights.

After a first attempt to help Conan, Akiro (orange line) tried to escape on Yasmina hill too, but he was intercepted and killed in the marked position (orange cross). Poor Akiro was completely ignored by Doom riders: he was killed only because a rider stopped his movement in the same area and had nothing else to do. I fear the poor Akiro felt himself a bit useless... 😢

- Doom knights first moved following the green lines; once 2 traps were discovered, some of them moved following the purple direction.

Attention:

As you can see: no one entered the monolith field ☹️☹️☹️, except the corridor on the right, and only for two reasons: 1) Conan stopped on the black stone, while his back was guarded by Subotai arrows; 2) the OL feared that some traps could have been put down the hill, in front of the palisade... and it was a spike trap and a decoy.

First rounds: Doom riders carefully avoid the monolith field: the OL thinks this is the easiest way to reach Yasmina.

As you can see, Conan dropped his sword.

When finally Rexor and Thorgrim entered the monolith field they have to fight against Conan still on his black stone, while Subotai is shooting against them. Meanwhile Akiro (see the hand on the left) is moving for his very last time (RIP). ☠️

Attention: almost half of the game passed, before some fight happened.

Two nights ago I had a first real play with a couple of friends well experienced in Conan. It was an important test in my opinion, since one of them is in the jury of the Magnifico award.

Here are the impressions from the test. I hope we didn't make too many mistakes, following the rules.

First, I must confess that we spent quite long time to explain (and discuss) the new rules...

THE SETUP and the START of the Game

The map:

- Black Stones: since it's possible to jump on the black stones, probably a white circled dot for the line of sight could be added.

The weapons:

- Heavy Axe card was not so clear: 2 red dice with reroll?

- Seems there's no point in changing weapons during the game. As the game began, Conan dropped his sword and picked up the more powerful Heavy Axe.

- Meanwhile Subotai collected all the arrows.

- After that, No hero changed his weapon for all the game long.

The skills

- No one has the feline grace, though it's written on the gameboard rules that this skill is necessary to cross through narrow passages.

- Both Conan and Subotai have the Precision strike, so seemed a bit useless a high armour level for all of the OL troopes

Here's the problem about the battle axe...

.

Now I'll try to resumes the impressions from the game play...

Let's start!

What do you exactly mean with this, please?

Everything is ready, but the game was delayed. I'll play by this weekend with 2 friends of mine, who played the official campaign already.

15 minutes ago, Arthadan said:

I suggest you try this out yourself, you'll see it's not easy at all to grab the Princess amd run all the way back to the reinforcement points..

Yes, I'll do it. 😉

Then I'll let you know!

7 hours ago, Arthadan said:

Kill the heroes is an immediate win for the Overlord at any point.

 

Sure, I know. But what's the point in attacking them directly, if you can attract them outside their best position capturing the princess first?

7 hours ago, Arthadan said:

- Before Doom enters the game: capture the princess (as it is) + kill the heroes (as you suggest)

- when Doom enters the game: kill the princess OR kill the heroes

 

This is could be a solution, but I'm not sure it can change the point: if I was the OL: I'd sacrifice some unit, to let the other move as fast as they can to the princess. If the OL hold her, then he'll be the defender and the heroes will be forced to go out their best areas and attack. 

My my idea is more simple: 

-Kill the heroes.

-If Rexor and Thorgrim died then kill the princess (but the scenario will end in a kind of draw, or give the OL less victory points...)

Not to sure it's the best solution, obviously. Personally I like more the original idea, but I really fear it can't work properly.

This is something I began to think since I started my small tests at the table...

I think that the OL objectives could generate some problems.

If 'the Princess must be captured and taken outside the board bu the zone with the reinforcement token' the OL could eventually decide to sacrificste some figure in traps and engaging the heroes to move as fast as he can to the princess, ignoring the monolith field.

Surely, the river system could slow him but, once he got her, the heroes will be oblied to play an offensive battle against overwhelming forces with high value of armour.

I think in this way victory will be quite difficult for the heroes, maybe too difficult.

Ithink that the primary object for OL could be to kill Conan and Subotai.

3 hours ago, Arthadan said:

When you have time, please tell me if everything is clear in the Scenario or there is something confusing which would need a better explanation.

 

I'm eagerly awaiting your battle reports this weekend!

I'll try a play on friday

45 minutes ago, Florentin said:

Do you want the .bmp ?

Yes, please.

Thank yery very much!

A small request to @Florentin. Could you upload the last version of the map, please?

I could print it again tomorrow, since I had printed it double sized the first one I'm using now.

Thank you!

@Florentin

Thanks for your patience! 

Great work, as always!

Thank you!

By the way, all my last suggestions to @Florentin for changes are here.

The only difference between the 2 is the area 80 extension:

1 (split 80 in two)

OR

2 (one bigger 80)

Hoping to prevent from a further modification, I think it's better if we decide now about areas 25 and 80 near the Altar hill.

It's not a secondary matter: remember that mounted troops have more movement do go up and down the hill.

I think that a change in 25 is necessary (too quick to move around and up the hill from and to 25)

Please, consider the changes in green:

Regarding area 80 the question may be: is this small area useful someway?

Two solutions:

A

B

Here's a bigger version.

Let me know what you think about.

Cheers!