Monday 16 January 2017

"Great leader, is getting shot at the best course of action??"

Played a great game of "The Men Who Would Be Kings" Osprey rules (TMWWBK) hosted be WillB at the recent club night.  It was an interesting scenario, apparently straight out of the rule book, having, in this case, WillB's  c.1880 era Russians Colonial forces on one end of the table with the British and Imperial forces opposite and both needing to move to the other end to win respectively. The Afghans (under my dubious command) were in the middle, unfriendly to both.

The rules have the players roll up their leaders in a very role-playing fashion. This sometimes provides bonus and...sometimes not.  For instance, one of my Afghan sword-wielding units had a coward for a leader and so could not charge (!) and thus not the most potent of offensive units....

Another unit had a leader smoking hashish (it is assumed) for a separate roll of a d6 each turn determines the units leadership roll - good or poor -whether he was hyper or dulled by the influence!  [ for the record he was super-leader during the entire battle ]

Or the red-clad "regulars", who had an 'idiot' for a leader.  If the commanding player roles a 1 on a d6 should he wish to do anything with this unit, it is not he but the enemy player who commands them.  Obviously then, that player is most likely issue an order contrary to his best benefit!  Of course, should a roll of a 1 be detrimental, I will, more likely than not,  roll it.  And so it was in this game that, not once, but twice (!!), the unit was brought out from the safety of the rooftop into the open for the Russian player (PeterM) to shoot them down. (the quote of the post title is the ranker's response to this action I would add)
the Afghan regulars with an idiot for a leader ( note that the Afghan national flag during the era was simply a solid black banner with no markings)  Building and figures painted by and in the collection of WillB.

Neither Imperialist gained their game winning conditions so the victory went to the Afghans.  Another interesting and fun game with the TMWWBK rules.