Sengoku the Next 2 Fun in the Forest.

Welcome, I bid you welcome!

I'm going to start with what I did wrong, citing an evostick headache in defense.

1)  I selected counters, complete with newly glued labels, then spread them out.  Wrong. Don't.  You need to have your party triggering multiple encounters.  The ones from this game are VERY well thought out, but are mostly nuisance calls, so having them triggered while someone is being clunked on the head by a branch or buried in leaves is the way to go. 

To be picky, it says "only use the markers below" which I took to be the 10 specific provided.  As in the Lowlands again I added 4 random.  What I should have done is added the bottom line- as many Tanuki counters as above, so 10, making a total of 24.  Oops, my bad.

2) Once again I missed the 6 starter points- I added 14, the number of counters.  Will do better.   So you can take these as not-quite-novices.

I got the scenery spot on-  last time the table was too big, but this A1 sheet worked perfectly.  The scenario calls for 12 trees, so 2 a patch plus shrubbery.

Tony wanted to try the Greenstone Guild, which emphasises swordmanship.
Iki 
Actions3
Move 5
Combat 5 Longsword
Shoot 3
Wounds 3
Resolve 3
Defence 2 Basic armour

He can reroll 1st failed dice in combat. Can call "lethal blow" once a game & gets +1D against Tanuki (which is why I chose this scenario)

Helpers 2 veterans (basic, experienced and veteran, different stats per weapon choice)
Actions1
Move 5
Combat 4
Defence 4

First nuisance.

Next, a tree shifts and 2 Tanuki leap out!  I use 2D6, direction is as they fall, smallest number to biggest.  Another D6 per distance.  This tree blocks the path.

They rush Iki, who dispatches them both.

But the path's back, tactical withdrawl.

Another tree vanishes, another 2 Tanuki.  Curiously, blocked the path again.

 They hit 2 counters.  The first is a  roadside Nurikabe, which removes one marker.  Tony chooses the other onetriggered, which happened to be a Centipede Demon.  Good call-.

Domo agato!

One more tree shifting quickly resolved and that was it.  Would have been better with the swarms of Tanuki.  Lesson learnt.

Game 2  Back to our old friend and survivor Oko.  You can add +1 to each stat if you earn enough.
Oko
Actions 3 =4
Move 4 (-2 for armour, so he waddles) +1 = 3
Combat 3 (D6) (basic) sword =4
Shooting 3 War Bow =4
Wounds 3 =4
Resolve 3 =4
Defence 3 Basic heavy armour (so a Tanko suit)

He gained 14 out of 20 from the last game.  So he hires an experienced pair of archers and a veteran team of spear.

Helpers (Followers)
Spears 
Action 1
Move 4
Combat 4

Defence 4

Archers

Action 1
Move 3
Combat 2
Shoot 3

Defence 2

 The Game.  Same set-up.  I added a couple more random counters.  A cautious advance.

They hit Earth Shaker that randomises their moves until they eventually hit the marker.  This was fun, they shuttled all over the shop (although always managing to stay on the path) until they accidentally went through the marker.  A good way to represent getting thoroughly lost!

Clunk!

Clunk!

Could have been nasty-

But this IS nasty!

Just as well this one's 'ard, that spear's getting shorter and shorter!

One down, and the arrows are flying at close range.  The wounds start adding up, but this thing is tough.

The second spearman only just avoids shock, but it's dead.

Vanishing trees & Tanuki again.  2 archers this time, but they're out distanced and out shot.

The boss gets buried in leaves then tripped.

 Yet more, at very close range.  But they fail to even hit.

But Pop!  One is replaced by the Spirit Of The Forest.

 It goes down before it can build up its stats (from failed rolls) One last Tanuki archer gets owned and that's it!

Quite a difference with the different hunters.  Some of those that will only go away once contacted would be lethal to a lone hunter.

As last week, I used this SHM goodie.  Glad I got it, as it doesn't seem to have survived the transition betwix 15mm. co & AA.

Sengoku Game 1 Goblin hunting for the novice.

Clench dear reader clench!  Deep breaths oh my cherubs.  Now this isn't a Ganesha product (we feel so- dirty)  Ok?  you may have noticed that I'm a fan of the Sengoku range from Alternative Armies.  Without it, OGAM would be rather flat!

These rules are designed to use the range, mosty singles. Some like Tanuki, Goblins, skeletons you'll need a few but we aren't talking grandma wendy numbers or money here.  If you buy the discounted packs you'll be doing fine.

The rules are simple, with enough detail to make games interesting.  You start with a Hunter, who's a normal Samurai type, a Lone Hunter, Eagle Knight Tengu Warrior, Guild Hunter, Shaman or Warrior Monk.  You can add weapons, armour and followers.  Your chap get to progress by completing missions, gaining experience.  Note- the rules deliberately avoids using Japanese terms other than the names of the monsters.  This is quite refreshing and a good aid to easy play.

If you've done larp, the game plays like a linear adventure.  For each scenario you get a set of markers, to these you add more depending on how high up the mountain you set the adventure.  Higher you go, the nastier things get.  So you start low and work your way up.  For a mini campaign you have a linked series of adventures.

Once you've decided your adventure you place your markers.  Now for this first one I used my unit markers and assigned the letters.  I dropped them from a height then turned and spread them.

Tony's first chap was a Samurai.  You get a basic set of stats and a number of points to customise.  The exact number is vague, so I used 20 as that matched the number of counters in play.

Oko
Actions 3
Move 4 (-2 for armour, so he waddles)
Combat 3 (D6) (basic) sword
Shooting 3 War Bow
Wounds 3
Resolve 3
Defence 3 Basic heavy armour (so a Tanko suit)



Helpers (Followers)
2 sets of 2 with spears (there's no stats for a naginata)
Action 1 (but the hunter can use 1 to give 1 to a pair)
Move 4
Combat 2
Defence 2



Scenery and plot.  Clearing out a goblin village.  the setting was the lowest, the lowlands, abandoned villages, fields and woods.  A ribbon of derelict (need to make different ruins) houses, a smallholding and first use of my goblin huts.  For this scale of game I need to add more detailed base.

The Game.  Everyone strolled on.  First 2 tokens gave a sheath of arrows and impetus (free extra action).

The boss tries one and falls in a pit, suffering a wound.  He's dragged up, bandaged and limps on.




Next one revealed a Tengu with 2 swords!  This bird gets 2 lesser attacks, plus being hampered by the spear he fails to kill and gets surrounded and skewered.

Mob handed, a tangle trap gets one.

Meanstwhile, one chap goes to the next.  A horde of ghastly goblins pour from the barn like pea soup! Goblin infested pea soup- I'll leave that with you. 

Note:  I tried to stick to Alternative Armies ranges.  I used a Corporate Ashagaru as Goblin Champion I suspect such will be released) and SHM78 Tofar Longwanderer as goblin Shamen.  I've got the figure, but double-based it with a bodyguard for OGAM.

Onealone sama.

"Um boss, I've spotted movement sir!"

First you get the group, then the Chieftain can make an appearance with standard bearer and Shamen in tow.

Stomped, my first casualty!

The boss takes rewenge with extreme predudice and an arrow.

And more, plus another to mob action.

 The boss concentrates on fighters, the followers on archers.

The Chieftain moves in.

 Follow me lads!  Lads?

He kills one-

But pays the penalty.

Unlucky Sama leave the mopping up and goes to investigate the next one.  He triggers a spiked trap with one leg and a flame trap (behind the building) with the other.  Luckily, the first kills him as the building goes up in flames.

The standard bearer is standing very, very still and the last remaining follower heads for the next- "stupid boy!"

Pouring from the village, the last remains of the horde!  The heroes back up, using the piles of steaming corpses as cover.

The fighters stream towards my spearman whilst the archers take on the boss.

One archer shot and my last spearman goes down.

Another spearman and an archer goes down.  Just as well he got those extra arrows!

Boss vs champion and helper-

One gone, no luck against champion, then uses extra action for another strike!

Archer does no damage and his last arrow-.

Last sentient standing.

Turning, he limps out of the village.  He didn't get every token, but with one wound and no followers-.

I can see the potential of this game.  As the range grows, so will it.  There are several possibilities not explored, such as bandits and other human adversaries.  Although its yougoIgo, its the player vs the game/ref.  Movement in centimeters is a pain, but as you move up to a marker there's only need to measure for shooting, so a measuring stick will cover that.  Thinking of adding a contact-circle to markers.  I also need to add a specific marker per monster, more scenery.  A wargamers work is never done!