What is it with Warband Games?

Last weekend we played a fantasy warband game. See our previous post for some pictures. Although the game was fun, I felt that the full potential of the game was not unlocked.

In a warband game each player controls a handful of figures that move and fight individually. Nothing wrong with that. But I feel that warband games have the tendency to become too fiddly when to much emphasis is being placed on close combat. The game then degenerates into a brawl where a bunch of figures are cramped together on a few square centimeters, fighting in multiple rounds of close combat till one side wins. Sure, there might be some push-back rules, such as a figure being pushed back 1 inch or so after the result of combat, but this only adds to the fiddling. When orientation of figures is added to the rules it's even worse. Combats are decided based on the micro-placement of individual figures. Throw in some variation in basing and things go completely out of control. So we end up on staring for three hours at a few square centimeters, while we have a splendid 6x4 table full of scenery set up.

So how can this be avoided?

The scenario can certainly help. Eliminating enemy figures should not be a goal in itself, but merely a means to achieve another goal: finding a treasure, guarding a convoy, stealing something and running away. So at least one side should have an incentive trying to avoid combat. But even so, this is difficult if all your figures can do is to fight in close combat, or if the rules system is build around that mechanic.

A better solution is to focus on ranged combat as the primary ability of all figures. If all figures have ranged weapons available (and I'm talking about significant ranges, as in multiple movement distances), we can use the entire playing area of the table. Scenery becomes more important to block line of sight or to seek cover. Movement and manoeuvre (the fun part of most miniature games) becomes again a tactical decision maker rather than merely moving towards each other and battle it out.

It reminds me very much of the Wild West games we used to play quite a lot several years ago. Each player had a few shootists, but the fact that combat was primarily ranged and the table had a lot of terrain and cover, made the game fun.

So, warband games? Ranged combat!!!