Knight siege map/scenario - open to suggestions

[toddrew]

Had an idea for a map spawn yesterday evening while driving to the airport to pick up my mother-in-law (can psychiatric evalution be far from my future? (I leave it to open interpretation as to what the necessity for a shrink's in reference)) and started building it this morning (goodbye 2 weeks worth of work-out habit forming.)

This will be much better with pictures and diagrams (which I'll try to post in the next few days - I've been meaning to get familiar with the map building software!), but for now a brief description will suffice: uses 3 MS, 5 RttFF, 2 VW (though these won't be necessary, just used 'em to build the castle, maybe a lava/water moat hybrid - only have 3 MS of water, might not be enough), and the odd pieces that came with the expansion blisters. Board itself isn't all that original: Castle (don't get excited, built from current terrain pieces, I don't have any advance access ) in the middle surrounded by a moat that divides the board into east and west sections of relative symmetry and forest with gentle elevation changes. There is a bridge leading from each of those sections, across the moat, and into the castle.

The scenario is that the castle is loaded (or in our case sparsely inhabited - currently only have 2 squads of knights and Sir Denrick) with knights and the objective is to take the castle from them. Scenario mechanics are what will need to be tinkered with, and of course more than one set may work.

Inspiration for this came from a thread about boards that fight back (I'll try to hunt down the link for the thread), so initially my thought was having a mechanic where by the knights are not controlled by any one player, rather at the end of each turn or round (play balance or desired savagery will decide which) the knights attack each adjacent/engaged enemy figure and all disengagements are rolled (i.e. Cowards Reward is in full effect!) Castle is taken when all knights are destroyed. Basically a race to take the castle (victory conditions will need some more consideration. I think that the scenario will work well as 2 player, or 2 team game. Or knights could be controlled by the odd player if group numbers aren't even

Anyway, suggestions are appreciated. And I apologize for posting this before having pictures, as ensuing discussion may be unnecessarily tedious

[shakey_snake]

sounds like the knights would be sitting ducks.

[toddrew]

Originally Posted by shakey_snake

sounds like the knights would be sitting ducks.

Yes, but once the map is revealed, one will see that the castle does a good job of defending them, and that the majority of the action will likely be between the opposing forces trying to take the castle thinning each other out.

here's the tedious part that I forewarned: castle is built on a pedestal formed by a large hex that is 4 tiles per side, and has a height of 4. There is an outer wall on top of the perimeter of this pedestal of height 9 (or maybe 8 ) and 2 2-hex doorways (where the bridges enter) of height 6, one on the north side, one on the south side of the castle.

In the center of the castle is a spiral stair case going up a column with 2 sets of opposing stairs ascending the column, on originating at the north door, the other at the south. I can't recall the height of the stair case, but it is roughly twice the height of the outer wall, so the upper half of it is unprotected from ranged attacks. The stair case culminates to a point of one hex at its peak. The column is formed by 7-hex pieces alternating with a 9-hex configuration that protrudes 2 1-hex steps on opposite sides of the column. This leaves a clearance of 6 for figures ascending/descending the stairs. The stairs pretty much occupy the entirety of the interior of the castle.

One last detail: around the top perimeter of the outer wall are the bridge rails.

[shakey_snake]

heres what I'm thinking.

You're after something in the castle. How about the Holy Grail.
You have to take it back to your start zone.


There's a large room with 2xKoW in it. on the other side of that room is a small room with Denrick. Next is a small room with thorgrim. next is a small room with Finn and the Grail. You don't have to destroy everyone to get to the grail, but if you don't kill Denrick or the knights, but you do kill finn or thorgrim, the rest of the neutral characters recieve the spirits!

the knights are not controlled by any one player, rather at the end of each turn or round (play balance or desired savagery will decide which) the knights attack each adjacent/engaged enemy figure and all disengagements are rolled (i.e. Cowards Reward is in full effect!)
Undead knights!
the knights move.
at the end of each turn/round before attacking roll a d6.
this determines which direction the neutrals move. based on a template (like a clock with 6 on the top). every unengaged neutral moves one space. in the rolled direction.
-------------------------------------

... with an objective in the castle, you'll no longer have a scenerio where there is a huge battle every character dies except one player who has wisely left an arrow grunt in the back. That sole arrow grunt then strolls up to the castle and safely extinguishes the knights from range, however long it takes.

[toddrew]

Originally Posted by shakey_snake

heres what I'm thinking.

You're after something in the castle. How about the Holy Grail.
You have to take it back to your start zone.


There's a large room with 2xKoW in it. on the other side of that room is a small room with Denrick. Next is a small room with thorgrim. next is a small room with Finn and the Grail. You don't have to destroy everyone to get to the grail, but if you don't kill Denrick or the knights, but you do kill finn or thorgrim, the rest of the neutral characters recieve the spirits!

the knights are not controlled by any one player, rather at the end of each turn or round (play balance or desired savagery will decide which) the knights attack each adjacent/engaged enemy figure and all disengagements are rolled (i.e. Cowards Reward is in full effect!)
Undead knights!
the knights move.
at the end of each turn/round before attacking roll a d6.
this determines which direction the neutrals move. based on a template (like a clock with 6 on the top). every unengaged neutral moves one space. in the rolled direction.
-------------------------------------

... with an objective in the castle, you'll no longer have a scenerio where there is a huge battle every character dies except one player who has wisely left an arrow grunt in the back. That sole arrow grunt then strolls up to the castle and safely extinguishes the knights from range, however long it takes.

This may spiral quickly out of control

I think I'll try to develop a few scenarios for this map.

I like the 'room' scenario, and likely once the castle expansions are out will do something like a dungeon scenario, kind of an adaptation of a first person shooter/Doom (I know that I've seen maps that others have designed that are similar to that.) But for this map, it won't work, as there's not much room in the castle. Basically it's set up as a skirmish on the stairs once inside there, all about jockeying for position and forcing engagements.

I think the most simple scenario will be a death match where the advantage to taking the castle is the height advantage, possibly some glyphs. I like the 'haunted castle' idea though of rolling the d6 to determine in which direction a template move by the knights will be initiated.

Another scenario would be a 'capture the flag'/grail quest, like you suggested, and use either undead or stationary attacking/defending knights.

[shakey_snake]

here a quick thought:

[toddrew]

Originally Posted by shakey_snake

... with an objective in the castle, you'll no longer have a scenerio where there is a huge battle every character dies except one player who has wisely left an arrow grunt in the back. That sole arrow grunt then strolls up to the castle and safely extinguishes the knights from range, however long it takes.

I was thinking that this tactic will be policed by the other player(s) in the game. If the opponent recognizes that this is happening, either parrot it, or go get that straggler

Also, we will test out mechanics like no flyers (or permanent wind glyph), or all melee (relagate all figures/specials to range 1.) Stuff like that.

[toddrew]

Originally Posted by shakey_snake

here a quick thought:

See image above

That's exactly the type of map I was recalling when you suggested the dungeon/room scenario.

[shakey_snake]

Originally Posted by toddrew

I was thinking that this tactic will be policed by the other player(s) in the game. If the opponent recognizes that this is happening, either parrot it, or go get that straggler

Policed for what?
good strategy?

[toddrew]

Originally Posted by shakey_snake

Policed for what?
good strategy?

Policed may have been a poor word choice - meaning if that's the strategy that someone adopts, it's up to the other player(s) to make sure it doesn't succeed. That being said, I try to build maps that don't allow for 'cheap' strategies to be successful.

[shakey_snake]

Originally Posted by toddrew

Policed may have been a poor word choice - meaning if that's the strategy that someone adopts, it's up to the other player(s) to make sure it doesn't succeed. That being said, I try to build maps that don't allow for 'cheap' strategies to be successful.

I' d have to disagree with you. Strategy come in two forms: winning and losing. 'cheap' just means, "that player thought of that and we didn't."
<steps down form competetive soapbox>

Anyways, I think a Grail scenerio would be less foolproof and more interesting.

[toddrew]

Originally Posted by shakey_snake

I' d have to disagree with you. Strategy come in two forms: winning and losing. 'cheap' just means, "that player thought of that and we didn't."
<steps down form competetive soapbox>

Anyways, I think a Grail scenerio would be less foolproof and more interesting.

What, exactly, are you disagreeing with? I intended 'cheap' to mean a victory with little effort put forth - if the map and figure choices allow such conditions, by all means it is up to a player to take advantage of them. No disagreement there

I do, however, think it not a good comparison to say one objective is more/less foolproof (and I do think you meant 'more' ) - they're just different objectives which may or may not lend themsleves better to different tactics.

I think the particular map I'm working on will lend itself to both scenarios.