I took some time out on Tuesday evening to do a solo run through of the latest "Taiping Era" iteration. Work on these has slowed recently as I've been working on the next publishing project for the Northamptonshire Battlefields Society, plus it has become increasingly clear to me that whilst I don't mind solo wargaming when I have a choice, I'm not mad keen when I don't. Still, I've been tweaking away at the rules, so I needed to put things on the table and see how it was all shaping up.
I've got a small but well motivated army of Taipings to the left, and a larger, slightly more tentative, force of Imperial Troops to the right.
I've introduced officer ability cards into the rules. They were popular in "It's Getting A Bit Chile", and they give a bit more variety than you would otherwise get.
As the rules now run to about 90 pages, including historical background, I had them on a tablet, for reference purposes. Most of what you need is on the one page QRS, however.
The skirmishers closed with each other, and the jingals opened fire. Mostly ineffectually.
Despite being led by an inspiring leader, the Taiping cavalry refused to charge (the 8 is their dice, and high is bad), taking the mongol cavalry at the halt. This was a shade annoying. They're supposed to be fighting in the square with the road, so their colleagues can charge the Imperialists in the flank.
The skirmishers in the centre close with one another.
In a flurry of dice rolling the Tigermen fail two tests (the sixes) and the Taiping one (the eight). The Tigers will have to fall back a square, reducing their morale by the difference in failures.
Out on the flank the jingals exchange fire, inflicting some damage.
In the cavalry melee on the left the Taipings stabilise the situation and win the next round of melee. Alas, General Li dies whilst exhorting his troops to greater efforts.
Being strangely aggressive, the Imperialists charge into the flank guards of one of the Taiping shih.
The central yings in the shih close on their opponents.
More Imperial cavalry appear on the left.
Seeking to avenge their fallen leader, the Taiping cavalry inflict three morale fails on their opponents, which will break the unit, as they only have a value of 3, indicated by the mah-jong tile.
The routing cavalry's colleagues, however, hold their ground, under the leadership of General Tso. In the other cavalry melee the Taipings have gained the upper hand, and driven their opponents back.
A wider shot shows that the action is hotting up all along the line.
Some musketry is exchanged. Funny how it's always the unit at the back of the square that fails the test.
I'd been at it for 2-3 hours at this point, proving that I think longer about my moves when playing myself, and also that I'm a bit rustier on the actual interactions than I thought I was. Still, the mechanisms are giving me results I want, and the new officer cards worked out well. I even spotted some typos in the rules, so that's helpful too.
Now I need to tidy up and rest for the next playtest.
I've got a small but well motivated army of Taipings to the left, and a larger, slightly more tentative, force of Imperial Troops to the right.
I've introduced officer ability cards into the rules. They were popular in "It's Getting A Bit Chile", and they give a bit more variety than you would otherwise get.
As the rules now run to about 90 pages, including historical background, I had them on a tablet, for reference purposes. Most of what you need is on the one page QRS, however.
The skirmishers closed with each other, and the jingals opened fire. Mostly ineffectually.
Despite being led by an inspiring leader, the Taiping cavalry refused to charge (the 8 is their dice, and high is bad), taking the mongol cavalry at the halt. This was a shade annoying. They're supposed to be fighting in the square with the road, so their colleagues can charge the Imperialists in the flank.
The skirmishers in the centre close with one another.
In a flurry of dice rolling the Tigermen fail two tests (the sixes) and the Taiping one (the eight). The Tigers will have to fall back a square, reducing their morale by the difference in failures.
Out on the flank the jingals exchange fire, inflicting some damage.
In the cavalry melee on the left the Taipings stabilise the situation and win the next round of melee. Alas, General Li dies whilst exhorting his troops to greater efforts.
Being strangely aggressive, the Imperialists charge into the flank guards of one of the Taiping shih.
The central yings in the shih close on their opponents.
More Imperial cavalry appear on the left.
Seeking to avenge their fallen leader, the Taiping cavalry inflict three morale fails on their opponents, which will break the unit, as they only have a value of 3, indicated by the mah-jong tile.
The routing cavalry's colleagues, however, hold their ground, under the leadership of General Tso. In the other cavalry melee the Taipings have gained the upper hand, and driven their opponents back.
A wider shot shows that the action is hotting up all along the line.
Some musketry is exchanged. Funny how it's always the unit at the back of the square that fails the test.
Now I need to tidy up and rest for the next playtest.
My play is slower in solitaire as well. Shouldn’t that be a “Taipo” rather than “typo” ?
ReplyDeleteShould we ever meet I will stand you a pint on the basis of that last sentence alone.
DeleteJonathan I just deleted your last comment by mistake. Fingers too fat for my phone!
DeleteNo worries. I still accept your offer!
DeleteLooks very good, Graham. Glad it's working out!
ReplyDeleteGood to get some play testing done. Managed to do some more today, of which more later.
DeleteAll coming along nicely by the look of it.
ReplyDeleteYes, but the last stretch is proving hard graft.
Delete