Nassagaweya Close Combat Playtest Part One

We were in the area of Nassagaweya Township is a geographic township and former municipality in Halton Region, Ontario, Canada for our most recent playtest of the Flint and Feather rules.
066002 Several of the figures from the Iroquouis Warrior #1 Pack
The township was created in 1819, its name derived from the Mississauga word nazhesahgewayyong, meaning 'river with two outlets.' This refers to the fact that watercourses in the township drain to both Lake Ontario and the Grand River system. This area of Ontario is rich in the history of the Native American Northeastern Indians.

We got together to playtest the new revisions to the close combat rules that Howard had worked up for us. We rather enjoyed the system and it took less than two hours for us to run an eight versus eight figure fight. We would have finished much sooner because the Great Warrior of the Mohawk Warband was dropped and his compatriots fled the scene on a bad Nerve Test. The Great Warrior was then trussed up like a deer and readied to be carried off the board to be tortured at the evenings campfire. However, we played through to the very end, with my Hurons rushing forward to force the remaining Mohawks from the field. We did this purposefully for two reasons. One, we were there to try out these new combat rules and this allowed us to get two more melees in before the game was finished. Two, we wanted to see how long it would take to play down to the last man as some gamers enjoy this type of battle.

Howard also supplied a new set of Nerve rules and we gave these a good playtest. We are enjoying the way the game plays. We are enjoying the way the rules play for a couple of reasons. Your warriors don't always act the way that you want them to. Some Medicine rolls were blown in the game and some activation rolls for reactions were also failed and it seemed like the warriors had a mind of their own at times. Also, the Hurons, were really taking the close combat to the Mohawks, who seemed to prefer standing and firing bows over charging, which gave them an advantage overall in the game. This helped them to win the day.
066001 A Bow armed Warrior from the Huron Pack
This advantage comes for two reasons. First, the attack cards are more effective, especially in doing damage, more so than the defense cards (as they should be). So carrying the attack is inherently advantageous in the rules. Does this mean that being aggressive pays off in warfare? Not always but in this type of primitive warfare, that is similar in scope to a gang fight, we believe that aggressiveness is a key. So the rules are effectively portraying this aspect of combat. Secondly, the rules allow you to line up figures in such a way that if you are charging you can choose which figures will be included in the fight and leave other figures out of the fight if you decide to. In play testing we have found this to be one of the interesting aspects of the rules. The reason for this is because it allows the players some flexibility in the decisions they make. It also allows a smaller force to not be totally ganged up on by taking some initiative in tactics, which means charging at the enemy.

So first I will supply the new close combat and Nerve Test rules (see below) so those that are playtesting at home can follow along with us. It would be great to get some feedback from you playtesters on these rules to help speed along the revisions. Then I think this blog is getting to the long side, so I will provide an after action report in my next blog entry that I will try to get to later this week.

Also of interest, we will be at Hotlead on MARCH 18, 19 & 20, 2016 in Stratford Ontario. We have a booth there so we will be selling Flint and Feather Miniatures and we will be running a Flint and Feather Play Test game in the Saturday evening session. Please join us.
Stay Tuned.

To get Close Combat Rules Changes email us at cruciblecrush@ gmail.com


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