After School Heroscape Club

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

My 11 year old son is starting an after school Heroscape club. I will be the adult chaperone. We've been given permission to use a room once a week for one hour.

Supplies include: 3 RotV Master sets, 1 SotM Master set, 1 Marvel, 2 Lava, 1 Thelank tundra, 2 RotFF, 2 castles. (I also have access to 2 more RotV master sets, 2 lava, 1 SotM, 1 Marvel, 1 Thelank, 2 RotFF, 2 castle.*)

Figures: above master sets and expansions, one of everything else. (I also have access to several more sets of figures, at least two of everything, plus three sets of several.*)

I also can print several sets of my cards so every one can have a set. Or share two kids to a set. Or they kids can bring what they have and supplement with mine. Anyway cards should not be a problem.

* These items are not mine, so access may be limited. I'd like to stay with what I personally own if I can. If that is just impossible, then I will borrow. Some kids joining the club have their own supplies, but at this point I have no idea if they will be allowed to bring it or not. I have to assume, until I know for sure, that they will not.

My first goal is to establish a set of rules and guidelines for how this will run. I'd like to set up a 1v1 format, 500 point armies, med sized boards, I anticipate about 8 kids so I would need 4.

First day, I think the kids should build the boards. Then we could reuse them each week. I could vacuum-bag seal them for easy transport. Make four different boards and that would last for at least 4-5 weeks.

I would refrain from playing unless we were short a player, and then I would fill in. My main function is going to be to keep the kids in line, and answering rules or strategy questions. Keeping under the hour limit will be a challenge as well. They will need to finish at least one full game within the hour each week.

After a few weeks of intro playing, I think we should keep a win/loss chart. That way we can keep track of armies and players success. And at the end, I'll give each kid a custom of some sort.

These are my ideas so far. My biggest challenge will be choosing which boards they will play on given my supplies and the kids choosing their armies with no arguments on who uses certain limited figures.

Any ideas are appreciated!

[Onacara]

You should make it a league...set up a season schedule and then maybe playoffs. I would keep the Marvel out of it.

If you get 8 kids you need 8 maps..so each kid has their own "home field"...they will then play 1/2 of their games on the same map and get use to it which will give them an "advantage" later in the season...I dont know how many weeks you have to do this in but with 8 kids you would have a 14 week season.

Also if you treat it like a season then you can allow them to draft all of the available figures but they can only bring an army up to 500 points to the table. Maybe even allow trades.

[Malechi]

Just don't stand across the street pleading ... "Hey kids, wanna play with my toys?" ... It is just a really, really bad idea all around.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Originally Posted by Onacara

You should make it a league...set up a season schedule and then maybe playoffs. I would keep the Marvel out of it.

I agree with keeping Marvel figures out, I only mentioned it because of the tiles, which I may need just to make the maps.

If you get 8 kids you need 8 maps..so each kid has their own "home field"...they will then play 1/2 of their games on the same map and get use to it which will give them an "advantage" later in the season...I dont know how many weeks you have to do this in but with 8 kids you would have a 14 week season.

I guess we have until the end of the school year, so that would be about 22 weeks or so. Enough for a season. I like this idea. And it should keep the kids interested.

Also if you treat it like a season then you can allow them to draft all of the available figures but they can only bring an army up to 500 points to the table. Maybe even allow trades.

Not sure if this will work. I'm guessing that some of the kids will have more knowledge of all of the figures (like my son) versus a new kid who doesn't know much. That could lead to a long drawn out drafting session. Plus I'd have to keep each kids total armies seperate and then they would have to spend precious time each week picking the 500 points they want to play. I think I'd rather have them pick a 500 point team and stick with it for a few weeks, and then re-draft. That way they can try out different figures.

Overall I like the season idea, thanks Onacara! I have some time to figure this out because I don't think we will start until after the new year.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Originally Posted by Malechi

Just don't stand across the street pleading ... "Hey kids, wanna play with my toys?" ... It is just a really, really bad idea all around.

What if I tell them I have candy

[Sherman Davies]

Originally Posted by Raudulfr Shieldcrusher

I agree with keeping Marvel figures out, I only mentioned it because of the tiles, which I may need just to make the maps.

Mind if I ask why you feel this way? It seems to me that Marvelscape would be a natural fit for 8-year olds, since it has characters they may already be familiar with, not to mention they get the satisfaction of rolling big handfuls of dice. Isn't the consensus around here that the Marvel game has a different, faster-playing flavor that was designed to appeal to kids even more than regular 'Scape?

[HeroscaperHuh]

No custom prizes! I'm a stickler and don't use house rules or customs. But I gotta say: Lucky! I wish I could start a Heroscape Club.

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by HeroscaperHuh

No custom prizes! I'm a stickler and don't use house rules or customs. But I gotta say: Lucky! I wish I could start a Heroscape Club.

So you are a stickler, but others love customs.

[txedomask]

If you are going to use Marvel, I would say put them on their own maps. Have a HS fight one week, marvel the next, etc. Almost everytime I have seen Marvel and regular HS mix, the Marvel characters steamrolled.

[Jexik]

If I had to make 4 maps with those terrain limitations, I think I'd make one Hot Heights, one Highways and Dieways, one Arctic Divide, and... maybe Embattled Fen?

That's a total of 3 RotV, 2 RttFF, 1 VW, 1 TT, 1 SotM, and one castle.

All are either BoV maps, or currently under review.

They'll give you a good variety as well as balance. Some might be a little tall.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Originally Posted by Jexik

If I had to make 4 maps with those terrain limitations, I think I'd make one Hot Heights, one Highways and Dieways, one Arctic Divide, and... maybe Embattled Fen?

That's a total of 3 RotV, 2 RttFF, 1 VW, 1 TT, 1 SotM, and one castle.

All are either BoV maps, or currently under review.

I just played several games on Highways and Dieways. Nice map. The others look good as well. Thanks.

[LongHeroscaper]

I think you should let them play with 350-400 point armies first. You have only 1 hour, so the best you can get out of it is about 45 minutes for actual playtime. It is not easy to finish a 500 point army game in 45 minutes, I think.