Bloodlines
Ancients-Medieval
Miniatures Wargame
Review by Russ Lockwood
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BloodlinesAncients-Medieval
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That test was somewhat rocky. The first thing you should know is that "Bloodlines can be a very complicated game." (page 37). Although the designer notes he balanced realism and playability, understand that realism is emphasized more, or at least more variables are taken into account for a particular battle. The more variables you add, the greater the complexity. It's certainly closer to Warrior than to DBA. Secondly, the rules booklet needs more extensive explanations for certain variables and aspects. I don't mind flipping through a rules set on the first run-through to find info. I do mind that what I'm looking for isn't there. For example: how many Inertia Points does a unit start with? How many Tactics Points? What are the ranges for bow? Sling? Crossbow? Other types of missile weapons like catapults and scorpions? What are the advantages/disadvantages of the nine combinations of troops types and formations when they clash? Of the 25 maneuvers listed, can you do more than one in your phase? Do you really roll morale at the start of the game (A bad roll can start a unit in "Broken" or "Shaken" morale)? Obviously, we guessed at these and other questions. Thirdly, a Bloodlines "turn" equals 5 seconds. You have to think small and very tactical. To an extent, it doesn't make a difference whether a turn represents 5 seconds or 5 minutes in length. A turn is a turn, but in retrospect, we spent about an hour to play "15 seconds" of game time. Despite this small time period, the game is binary: your figures are either at full strength and skill or dead/incapacitated (except heroes who can take wounds). And, combat, movement, etc. is by unit--not individual figure. So What? How Does It Play? Each unit gets 11 major attributes: Training, Zeal, Weapons, Resilience, Armor Value, etc. Half are random in each instance--you roll a die when you need it. The other half are fixed. You use d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20 dice, often toegther in one roll. In basic melee, for example, you roll Training, Zeal, Prowess, Fortune, and Weapons dice, then divide by your Combat Efficiency (often modified by your Minimum Unit Size) plus the target's armor value. Terrain and position modifers also apply. The result is the number of casualties. There's a d20 Saving Roll for the target: Resilience plus the attacker's (maximum) Weapon or better. If you charge into a target unit, then you replace Prowess with your (Inertia Points x Attacker Momentum). It sounds more complicated than it actually is, at least once you remember how to include the Minimum Unit Size modifiers, and how standing to receive a charge allows you to include Prowess and Inertia Points x Momentum. The real fireworks started after a unit of swordsmen flung javelins at a unit of spearmen (we used the sample attributes on page 24). After all was said and done, 1 spearmen out of 24 was hit and keeled over. A morale check is made every time a unit takes a casualty. So, the spearmen rolled a Training (d4) and Zeal (d6) with a -1 modifier for receiving missile fire as noted on page 28. A roll of 3 (-1) = 2: "Broken." The unit flees to nearest cover, where it becomes "Shaken" and may not emerge from the cover unless rallied in some way. Upon further inspection of the morale table, a roll of 2 would "Rout" the unit, 3,4,5 would make it "Broken," 6,7,8 would make it "Shaken", and 9 or 10 "Steadfast" -- taking into account the -1 modifier. The odds were against him standing. It also becomes apparent that EVERY unit needs a leader (+3 modifier), standard-bearer (+2), musician (+1), or preferably all three. So, the omniscience factor took hold and the unit was deemed to have rolled a "Steadfast" result. The spearmen levelled their spears and charged the swordsmen. We ran through the momentum aspects and a figure or two was knocked off. Another melee from the swordsmen side knocked off another figure or so. But when morale was rolled, the swordsmen stood and the spearmen broke (again), and that was the end of that. I will point out that with multiple units, you will have a more swirling style of battle than this head-to-head slugfest. Initiative will dominate the strike-counterstrike actions. Tripe and Snipe Give the designer credit for trying to do something different, especially as an alternative to dice-a-thon Warhammer Ancient Battles. Smack the designer for not getting anyone else to read his rules beforehand. There are too many rules holes, undefined concepts, and mechanics mentioned but not explained. In computer parlance, this is an alpha version (first draft). From the convention games, when the designer is there to run things, it seems to flow smoothly. For two veteran wargamers at home, we muddled through, but it was painful--or, as my buddy remarked on the rules conundrums, "The culprit was neglect." I tend to say the culprit was oversight, but to give more examples than the question listed above: On page 15, on footmen (i.e. not mounted) movement: A "Sneak" move is 1". A "Walk" move is 3". A "Run" move is 7". But a "Charge" move is only 5". I'm not sure if that's a typo or really that charges into melee is slower than running into melee. On Page 17, regarding terrain: "If a unit's movement rate is reduced to 0 or a negative number, that terrain is impassible to them." On Page 21, the modifier for "Marshy Ground" is "prohibited" for Sneak, -2 for Walk, -7 for Run, and -3 for Charge. Evidently, a unit can't run through a bog, but can charge through it. There's an equal chance on a d20 that before a battle, your units can be "Wavering" (fickle loyalty requiring leadership tests every time they want to do anything) or "Calculating" (super loyal units). Likewise, there is an equal chance they will be "Timid" or "Rash." Scenario set up will eliminate this quirk. Has anyone ever used the "Evaluate" maneuver (page 16)? You spend 3 Tactics Points to re-roll a unit's Initiative and then "the unit does nothing this turn except evaluate their situation." Presumably, the unit will be very contemplative as the enemy slaughters them without fear of retaliation. I'm not a big fan of using multiple types of dice: d4 for this, d6 for that. I'd rather use modifiers to a single type of dice. This could use a pull-out (or photocopiable) summary sheet. Anything Else? The rules also include some tactics cards that can add modifiers and other nuances. A dozen sample unit lists for Dark Ages are in the back with some general guidelines for scenarios. I suspect the expansion sets will flesh out the periods. Bloodlines is the core rules for an ambitious set of expansions. However, it needs considerable attention before it can make it to a Beta version and then a 1.0 Release. There's a seed of an idea here, but it needs more attention in order to bloom. Bloodlines: $15 + $2 postage in US Contact
Response from Designer Eric MumperRunning through your questions: and my response in itallics--RL Tactics points & initiative points are added during each unit’s deployment (see various troop types p. 39 - 46; example: “When a unit of Ceithernn is deployed, add 3 Inertia Points for each MUS in that unit.”). Their respective quantities are described here as well. On pages 31 - 32, it is mentioned that Leaders add one Tactics point and Musicians 1 Inertia point when deployed.
Missile weapon ranges (and ammunition quantities) are described on pages 42 & 47 with their respective army lists. Other missile weapons (such as the mentioned scorpions or crossbows) will be defined in future expansions.
Troop types. Page 8 states, “This distinguishing of troop types is simply for the purpose of defining a unit’s distance between soldiers, allowing formations, and giving some tactical advantages.” Page 8 & 9 feature the distances. Page 13 gives an example of a troop type based maneuver, overrun. And page 46 provides an example of a troop type based formation, shieldburg.
Formations. Page 41 & 46 describe the three formations provided in this rules book. They give the formation type (see pages 26-27 for more information), requirements, and effects.
Maneuvers. Admittedly, there is no distinct statement of “a unit may perform one maneuver per turn.” However, page 12 refers to the maneuver process in the singular tense.
Charging. Page 12 states that a charge is a combined move & melee. Both attack and move are compromised due to this combination. Units may run into melee but they may not simultaneously move & attack as allowed in a charge maneuver.
On Charge and Melee. While charge is a combined move and attack, it is still only one maneuver. So a unit may perform only one maneuver per turn. Melee is a maneuver too. A unit may be in contact with an enemy and not neccessarily fighting back. MUL>I>Got it now. Evaluate. This maneuver is extremely powerful. We can’t bind a unit to an initiative for an entire game without offering some type of salvation. However, if the cost was too low, what would keep players from abusing it and evaluating until the enemy comes to grips with them? By then they would have probably rolled their best (or close to it) initiative.
On Evaluate. Initiative lasts for the game (or until re-rolled). Initiative is only re-rolled if a unit's morale changes or if the unit takes Evaluate as a maneuver. When evaluating, a unit does nothing but access their situation (5 seconds). The unit may re-roll their initiative. From that point on, the new initiative is relevent for that unit. This maneuver is not intended to be used during combat (though it certainly may). Instead, it is intended for those units whose initiative is rolled below average. Before they enter the fray, they may take some time to re-evaluate their situation and hopefully gain a better perspective.
Turn time / scale. The game scale is 1:72. While 5 seconds may seem like an incredibly small time period, it is necessary when dealing with miniatures this big. If a game is played on a 24” square board, the battle it represents takes place on a 144’ square field. The idea of troops crossing approximately 72 feet of ground and killing each other in 30 seconds is entirely realistic. In the Battle of Issus (333 BC), Alexander’s forces killed approximately 300 men per minute (or 25 men per Bloodlines turn).
On Missile Weapons. The Vikings (mixed missile) used a certain number of bows per ship. However, there is not evidence that they used bows (or bowmen) in exclusive formations. Instead, a Viking unit would pummel its enemy with anything it could throw (including rocks) as missile fire. Naturally, this variety of missile weapons would not have the range (or the potency) that, say, Welsh longbow men would have. In future army lists, you will note that cultures who used missile weapons (such as bows) in an exclusive fashion will have greater missile weapon ranges, exclusive categories for missile weapons, and do greater damage with their missile weapons.
Dispositions. These are the great equalizer in the game. All people have dispositions. When people are grouped together, those groups also take up dispositions. Only effective tactical leadership can overcome poor dispositions. Thus, on page 33, there is a rule for overcoming dispositions (if only for a turn). The most debilitating disposition, wavering, can change if that unit takes casualties.
Morale at the start of the game. Page 34 states that morale must be rolled for each unit at the start of each game. Historically, not every unit who took the field was of a positive morale status. This rule simply reflects that and exposes the need for competent leadership in order to create an effective army.
Re-ConclusionAs you can see, there are some good ideas in the rules yearning to break free. Version 2.0 will no doubt clear up many rules, and since these are print on demand, he can clean them up without too much of a problem. As you can see from above, having the designer walk you through a battle makes things easier and clarifies many of the questions we had during the playtest. And let me re-iterate that I saw a tableful of kids hooting and hollering during a game, so Bloodlines has real potential. But having to pick through the rules--and read carefully at that--makes for a long first impression.--RL Back to Historical Game Review List Back to Master Game Review List Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2004 by Coalition Web, Inc. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com |
At the Fall-In 2004 convention, I stopped by a booth that showed a fine display of Vikings raiding an Irish village. Fiery Arrow Productions had just released a rule set for historical miniatures for the Ancient to Medieval periods, and a Dark Age raid fell right in between. I spent about 15 minutes listening to designer Eric Mumper walk through a "turn." Some aspects sounded interesting, others seemed a bit hazy, but in any case, I came away with a copy. Later, I noticed that he had a tableful of kids hooting and hollering, so that bode well for a post-convention test.