BBR - Game Day Playtest

It's been a while since I last posted, but summer got busy, so this playtest occurred in mid-June, and I'm just getting it posted now. Very happy with this game, and the figs and terrain, it is everything I want it to be: quick and smooth to play, easy to pick up, and very tactical, full of important decisions that eventually add up to a win for the side that plays better - most of the time!  The opposition gets a vote...

I went to the Springfield Game Day to test "Big Boy Rules" cold on people who had never played - always an enlightening experience! The game day is sponsored by our local HMGS Outreach Coordinator, the illustrious Cliff B [click].

"Big Boy Rules" are for modern combat, basically bolt action rifles + Maxims to the near future, so 1890-2030. It uses an alternating activation system to play smooth and help players plan and make decisions. Players typically field a squad of two teams with perhaps a specialist or two that are important for the scenario.

The table was quick to set up [below] using the perfect mat donated by The Angry Dachshund [click] and my Battle Systems [click] cardboard buildings and scatter terrain.  I fashioned it as a village with two "lanes" of travel that narrowed at each end. In the center was a building and some conex containers. These help provide cover and break up LoS / LoF a bit, otherwise the center just becomes a kill zone, which can make for an interesting game, but "not today, campers".

Above top left, the Goons have a hostage they're hanging onto, with some Guards and a Fire Team in reserve - the Western Contractors will have to rescue him.  At bottom center, there's a large square building. At each corner there's a container that has a "drop" in it from the Creeps local contacts - drugs to turn into cash to further their operations.  Opposing them, the Rangers will be on patrol to gather intel and clear buildings of suspected illicit Contractor Teams.  

A couple of players turned up, one had only played ancients and came to the Games Day just to try out my Moderns game!  He chose the valiant American Rangers and Contractors. The other had a variety of gaming experience, I think both with skirmish games and WWII moderns. He chose the Goons & Creeps, not-Russian Contractors [click] with a locally hired Security Team [click].

"Danger, Ranger... and it's not from the helos this time!"

American split the Rangers [click] into two groups on the center-right [above] and center-left [below] ends of town; they are on a routine patrol, looking to clear buildings, gather intel, and hey, maybe pop a few rounds at the Goons...?

Yes, yes indeed, you should "detour" this quaint little hamlet Mr. Ranger...

The Blue Sky Contractors [click] are chasing down a lead regarding a kidnapping; some local big-wig appears to have been grabbed, and is being held in a building on the far side of town. But there are some furtive movements in the shadows...

"Who's the dude with underwear on his head, man?"

"It's the HOSTAGE, dummy!" [click]

The fight starts off with all Teams off the board. The Russkies win Initiative and immediately Run to the center building, their objective. Securing it will make it a lot easier to not only dominate the board's right side, but also to clear the containers.

It's looking good - they've secured two of the containers, with their SAWs on the left, the Team Leader and an Assault Rifle on the right. The Rangers are uncertain what they are up to...but securing real estate is something they understand.

Fire is exchanged with the Rangers, who are clearing buildings and searching for intel. One Russkie climbs up to get a better Overwatch location.

Next, they push forwards to another container on the right, and Ranger Side, of the building. But this time they are opposed by a motivated SAW MPMG gunner who actions are valiant if indiscrete!   

With the Russkies pushing hard, the Rangers gather all six from their security activities and get them in a mutually supporting line in Cover. As the Fire is most intense to the left [where Russkie SAWs are] they toss Smoke to obscure the lanes of Fire - this will help them move on the Russkies.

They then advance into the smoke even as the Russkies move up to the left container, and onto the roof for overwatch.

The Fire is up close and personal - someone is going down, but WHO??

In a series of aggressive it ill-advised moves, the Rangers manage to take down three of the Russkies and clear the building. This cost them a wounded Ranger who was taken prisoner, however!  That won't go over well in Washington...

The last Russkie SAW gunner ends up wounded after escorting the prisoner to the rear.

Meanwhile, on the American right [Russkie left], the Big Sky Protection contractors divided into two pairs - one provided Fire support from the building, the other advanced down the line of shacks to right, then charged into the building, taking down the guard and grabbing the hostage right in the face of the local Security Team that grabbed him for a little extra cash and some intimidation.

They toss some CS into the building as they EXFIL, but the local TL and a Thug maneuver over to intervene, but are quickly Pinned down against the building.

Somehow, they manage to Rally, and get the drop on the BSP contractors, spraying them with close range Fire. Rolling exceptionally well, the Thugs hit both of the retrieval pair, pushing them to critical. This is aided by the Russkies sending their drone operator and a rifleman to pin the pair that are on Overwatch. 

The finale is that the hostage should be able to run to safety...wherever that is...

This was a great play test!  The new players quickly picked up the rules, even though one of them had never played a skirmish game, much less a modern one.  Overall, the Russkies played well and despite bold efforts on the part of the Rangers they managed to squeak out a win mostly due to the Rangers getting too dispersed to support each other. In Big Boy Rules, you will almost always need your Battle Buddy at some point, so sending out one guy alone will go badly for you.

Overall, am very pleased with how the rules and missions play out.  Very few and small tweaks are needed, and next up is to paint a few figs for different missions, and another team for Blue Sky Protection, which is an interesting security force to play.

Soon, I'll have to write the rules in full, with "pictures and arrows and shiny things" and send them out to volunteers for blind playtesting.  That will be the last test, and after that I'll begin selling them in some format or another - another skill set to learn!