"Big Boy Rules" 2 Plays

With several playtests in a small setting, it was time to take BBR to the ultimate test - a large group of gamers with various levels of experience. No problem! This is what the game is designed for.

The first group playtest was on a weekday, and was well received. There were veteran gamers, including a designer who has published several games, and some who had never played a tabletop miniatures game, only board games - a great playtest group.  It went well and I got some great feedback, resulting in one change to the Overwatch mechanic.  However, I was caught a bit off-guard by 8 players showing up, and just barely managed to accommodate them all by using every Fig I'd brought, including some that weren't completely painted.

More figures needed to get some more paint, so the below team is an additional HBR contractor Fire Team.  Their camo is an urban variation on UCP [Useless Camo Pattern, a heavily used U.S. pattern during the last wars - I have a complete set of field uniforms and TA-50 in it].  The web gear is a modern Russian pattern.

Below, one part of the table. HBR moves through some scatter terrain, ready for action, but one Fig gets pinned. Mission: retrieve scattered drops from a small complex - problem is they don't know exactly where they are.

Below, the firefight in full swing. HBR has a commanding position on the table, having successfully advanced into the center with plenty of Fire support.

Rangers advance to counter and contain them.

In the other half of the board, Blue Sky Contracting advances. 

Mission: rescue a local contact who has been kidnapped - unknown if there will be a ransom involved, or he will be killed in retaliation for aiding the Western forces.

Above, BSC contractor goes down, ambushed.

HBR is looking pretty strong on this part of the table. Their TL is clearly confident of victory, giving the "V for Victory" sign to international press photographing the fight.

Below, BSC is stalked by an HBR Alpha Team amidst the connexes. They pop some smoke and CS gas to suppress the A-Team. To right, a Fire Team continues to work around the corner of a building.

A-Team have gas masks, so advance to the building roof edge and hose a BSC contractor.

Below, the culminating firefight, up close and personal!

BSC brings on their QRF straight into the fight.  The HBR TL drops a frag grenade in their midst, however, as they are bunched up [never send the Air to do a ground job?]. Three go down, two Critically Wounded!

Another frag is dropped, but this one is fumbled and HBR loses a man critical!  Thanks for nothing, buddy!  Still, Alpha is coming around the other corner, and there's no hope for BSC today. They can't even retrieve their casualties!

This playtest saw the choices and dice of the Western Contractors resulting in an embarrassing fiasco. As a playtest, however, it went very well!  The results were caused by player choices and some luck. The game played well both up close at Point Blank Range and as a firefight.

No changes needed - just more figures painted, at this point.