April 2013 Game Night

Last night our club got together for our monthly game night. I played in Ralph's Swashbuckler game that we play tested earlier in the week. With a full compliment of eight players the game was even more fun. At points players were standing among piles of thrown chairs, beaten repeatedly with thrown mugs and spatoons and we had a few good old fashioned run throughs with the sabre. We switched characters between games but d'Artagnan seemed to be in the middle of the trouble every game. One game he ran through one of the Cardinal's guards in one running lunge, another game he got that favor returned. In the final game he was among the fray in a hail storm of flying furniture and glassware.

Playing this game reminded me how much fun we had with the original board game back in the 80s. I'm excited about it enough I'm seriously considering doing something similar by adapting the rules for Samurai warfare. During playing of the game and the play test I thought I remembered someone from our club doing this back in the 80s but when I looked up the rules he used, Samurai Blades, it wasn't a Yaquinto game. I'll have to pick his brain about what he did next time I see him.

The other game last night was Phil's WWII Air Combat game using the new beautiful Axis & Allies Angels 20 pre-painted planes and rules. Phil's scenario was centered around the Cactus Air Force's missions from Henderson field and included scratch built islands and used Axis & Allies War at Sea ships. With the ships and islands at a smaller scale than the planes the game had a 'birds eye view' look that I think worked quite well. The Japanese were able to bomb Henderson field but the Americans insured that they didn't return their planes to the Emperor for re-use. 

Swashbuckler Skirmish

Four of us got together tonight at my uncle's house to play test a game he's been working on for the past few months. The rule set is from the Yaquinto board game Swashbuckler. The figures are soft plastic Three Musketeers figures that are 1/12 scale - or 'doll house' scale. The scale board and some of the furniture are scratch built, the balance are bargain items from the doll house section of the local craft store.

We played the board game Swashbuckler extensively when it came out back in the 80s. With these great miniatures and model tavern it's even more fun. Ralph has four king's guards and of course Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan. We play tested the basic rules in a four man free-for-all mostly but also played one game with two guards vs. two of the musketeers.

This miniatures version has all the great stuff from the board game: thrown mugs, toppled tables and pulled rugs. Toss in a chandelier swing or two and some good old sword plan and hilarious fun is sure to ensue. This play test was just in time for Friday's club game night where the game will be unveiled.