30 Years War Skirmish at Ed's

My friend Ed from Ed M's Wargame Meanderings Blog invited my friend George and I to his gaming loft for a play test of the game he's going to run at the Huzzah! Convention later this month. Ed's game is a 30 Years War skirmish using his own rules. The game featured Ed's wonderfully painted figures with both mounted and matching dismounted figures as well as beautiful terrain, mostly from Miniature Building Authority, with other various bits tossed in. The scenario is set in a post-battle-ravaged town, with Croats, Cossacks and other various looting troops trying to raid a supply depot that was put in the town during the battle, but guarded by an inadequate force. I was given command of a squad of Croats - just my style! They're pictured to the left, mounted and dismounted. Each figure is used as desired to represent the character on the table.

Ed goes over the rules and the scenario. The rules feature a points budget for each figure from which it buys actions, move, shoot, fight, manipulate the environment, etc. The system is very straight forward and easy for convention goers to pick up quickly. Figures last a little bit in combat and are rarely 'one shot'. This means a small squad of figures with which you get to do a lot. Fun.

Ed's known for his work with the word processor and desktop publishing software. His game's QRS and troop tracking cards are helpful and easy to understand. 

As for the game, because it was a play test, we only played a few rounds and then had fun talking about the rules and scenario to help Ed tune the game for Huzzah!

I dashed in with my Croats, dismounted two with muskets and two with pistols. My officer tended to the horses and shouted orders. I bribed one of the quartermaster's men who shot at Ed half heartedly and then ran. My muskets placed a scalding volley on George causing absolutely no damage. My other troops fired on Ed causing only a minor wound. The Croats weren't very good shots rolling five ones out of six die rolls including a 'snake eyes' roll to damage on the one shot I hit.

Ed and George fought a melee in which Ed charged in mounted against one of George's kneeling musket-armed troopers. George counter-charged with another man who drew his sword and made the affair an even fight. Ed still carried the battle due to the fortunes of war. Speaking of fortunes, George picked up an array of small arms in the looting and 10 guilders. Ed scored a couple guilders from two different loot piles. I got only two guilders from the loot store under the Quartermaster's table. Never hide the best loot in plain sight I guess.

This was a fun relaxing evening with friends. The game, for Huzzah! looks to be a fun one; as George would say, 'a ripping yarn'.