It was chucking down this morning as you'd expect for a bank holiday Monday in May, so the kids we're a bit restless. To keep the middle one happy, I dragged out my tattered copy of Cry Havoc and set up the first scenario for a re-match, having played it a couple of times with him before. This involves a street fight between two rival gangs of peasants in the village on the map below:
The game ended up as a draw, although there were a few moments when it was definately going my way, as he doesn't like to lose and hasn't yet grasped the concept of defeat. He's only six, so I let him turn some of his dead into wounded and some wounded results into stuns or retreats. At the end of the game, he had three men left standing and I had four but two of mine we're wounded, so an even result.
Anyway, it was good fun and we both enjoyed the game. I reckon it would make an excellent participation game with 1/32nd plastic figures and hex based terrain, perhaps using the Kallistra system. The supplementary scenario booklet has some modifications to turn the counter based rules into figure based rules, so it would be easy to work something out.
If you want to have a go at the game yourself, all the maps, rules and counters can be downloaded for free at the following site:
http://cryhavocfan.org/eng/suite/cryhavoc/chgame.htm
There's also a computerised version of the game that you can download of you don't want to print everything out and cut out all the counters.
If you want to have a go at the game yourself, all the maps, rules and counters can be downloaded for free at the following site:
http://cryhavocfan.org/eng/suite/cryhavoc/chgame.htm
There's also a computerised version of the game that you can download of you don't want to print everything out and cut out all the counters.
Gosh - that brings back some memories! I haven't seen that map in perhaps nearly thirty years - aways played using a friend's copy, and he always beat me 'cause he knew the rules inside out... not that I'm bitter or anything....
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the nostalgia - and particularly for the link - now perhaps I can learn the rules down pat for myself!
Fantastic - I used to play this years ago and remember really enjoying it. For the life of me, I couldn't tell you any of the rules right now but I could probably remember the coats of arms of most of the knights...Sir Gaston was my favourite! Was it a great game or was there just nothing else to play 30 years ago?
ReplyDeleteNow I want to dig out my copy! Outremer was the first in the series that I got (my Dad picked it up many years ago in a charity shop!). Since then I have aquired Cry Havoc, Siege and Dark Blades. Always wanted the Viking one, but never too bothered about the Samurai version.
ReplyDeleteI always found the CRT from Dark Blades to be my preferred one as it didn't contain the 1:1 "no-win scenario" which I recall happens on the table in the earlier versions.
One of my dream projects is to paint 15mm figures for each of the characters and play the game like that. One of these days...
Thanks for reminding me of this great game!
It's a cracker, even though it's a bit old school these days.
ReplyDeleteSamurai Blades is actually pretty good...although the maps aren't as well done as Cry Havoc.
I didn't like the maps in the later games anyway due to the funny perspective and wierd wobbly castle walls.