Christmas Gaming

My blog has been real quiet lately because of all the high speed low drag shenanigans around my place, but we have not been idle.  In fact, we have played a lot of games over the break so far.  I may go back and do some full batreps later, but in the meantime here is just a smattering of what we've been playing.  Hopefully this will get some of you off yer butts and to the game table!

Merry Christmas from Texas!

Patrol 2

I just survived a 4 day gaming marathon and I feel great!  The only bad thing is I have completely lost track of what is going on around my favorite web hangouts and am really behind on batreps.  Here is the second patrol mission that Justo and I played a while back.  This is Song of Drums and Shakos and this is a good example of what may happen with a single, well placed shot!

Patrol

I'm way behind on my batreps due to real life (boo hiss) but I have still been managing to get in some limited playing.  Last Sunday, Justo and I played a couple of games of SDS with my new 28mm miniatures from Alban.  I will be reviewing them in detail as soon as possible.  When we set up a game we just roll some dice to decide the situation and sometimes you just get screwed.  This was one of those times but a quite fun little game. The game after this I fared a bit better and I will post that later.  SDS is really turning out to be a very good game for quick pick up battles.  I highly recommend it.  Justo was the Frogs and I was the hapless Grasshoppers).

King of the Ring

King of the Ring is a brilliant little game by Chien Sauvage. His blog is http://bobouest.canalblog.com/ and I've discovered he has a lot of other good stuff there as well that can be enjoyed with the help of an online translator if your French is not up to the task.  Mike West brought this ingenious little home made ring to Mag Con 2 and this was the first I heard of this game.  It was wildly popular because it is very fun and fast playing.
Each player has a miniature avatar and the movement and strikes are driven by drawing cards from a regular card deck.  I think it was two combined decks.  The cards you hold in your hand dictate your available options.  Anyway, I have been getting bombarded with emails about an English version of the rules so I contacted Chien and he graciously has allowed me to post them.  So go build yourself a ring and have fun with your friends and family!  I have posted the rules after these snapshots from the convention.  This the sheet we used, if there are any questions about it we will have to translate Chien's pages.
 

At Start of Game

• Game starts with everyone being dealt 5 cards face down

• Each player starts with ten beads 

• The players figures start in one of the four corners

• Aces are lowest card. Jokers can replace any card and in case of a fight are the best card in the game. However, they can still be parried by the other joker.

Movement

• Move cards are the black suits, Spades & Clubs

Ø  Clubs move left, right, up and down

Ø  Spades move on the diagonals

• The card numbers have no impact in movement

Combat

• Fighting cards are the red suits, Hearts & Diamonds

Ø  Diamonds fight to the left, right, up and down

Ø  Hearts fight on the diagonal 

• Attacker plays card first and the Defender MAY parry with a higher card

• If the attacker/winner is on the center square they do double damage, two beads

• You can attack to "push" instead to damage in which case you move the victim one square back (you do not follow) if there is room. This can be resisted (same as a parry). Red cards, of course.

• If you fail to parry an attack you looses a bead

Cards

• During the player’s turn they must use at least one card and can play all five. You have the right to "hit the air"; spend an attack card with no one in range. You must move when you play a move card, unless you can’t (surrounded in a corner)

• At end of the player’s turn they draw up to 2 cards, so they have a maximum of 5 in their hand

Winning

• Game is over after you played the deck twice (you play the deck and then the discard pile)

• The player with the most beads left wins